Daily WHUFC News - 7th February 2017

Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic said Saturday's performance at Southampton was another example
of his team's character. Just three days after slumping to a 4-0 home defeat
against Manchester City, the Hammers looked up against it again when Manolo
Gabbiadini put Southampton a goal up just 12 minutes into the St Mary's
clash. But goals from Andy Carroll, Pedro Obiang and Mark Noble turned the
contest around and ensured Bilic's team would make it six Premier League
wins from their last nine contests. "Our response [to falling behind] was
brilliant," the boss said. "Of course the equaliser helped, coming so
quickly from open play because it showed we could hurt them.
"We have to be very concentrated and continue to play like this – and even
better – but we are in a good position, not only with the points, but more
with the way we are playing and the way we are training. That gives me hope
and joy."

Saturday was not the first time West Ham have bounced back from a heavy loss
swiftly, so the boss was not surprised to see it happen again. He explained:
"The way we've bounced back from the heavy defeats we've had shows the
character of the team. Make no mistake, the defeat against Manchester City,
especially at home, hurt. It hurt us big time – we made mistakes for their
first and third goals but you have to give credit to Manchester City because
they had a good day. "I told the guys, don't let that affect our confidence
because before that we won five out of seven. "That's why the win against
Southampton was more than three points, because of the way we did it. It was
fantastic."

Saturday's victory was another without Dimitri Payet – the third in the four
games since the Frenchman played his last match for the Club – and Bilic is
impressed with how his team have moved on. "It is the team who have
responded to that," he added. "We lost a great player, but these things
happen in football. The team have reacted in the best possible way. "The
boys have shown in those difficult situations that we aren't going to sink,
we're not going to crumble. We had to take more responsibility as an
individual and as a team, and that's happened."

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Obiang - It was worth the wait!
WHUFC.com

It was worth the wait for Pedro Obiang. After 54 games and 19 months in
Claret and Blue, the Spanish midfielder hit the back of the net for the
first time in the Hammers' 3-1 victory over Southampton on Saturday.
Obiang's long-range strike gave Slaven Bilic's men a 2-1 advantage on the
stroke of half time and it was a lead they never relinquished on a
successful day on the South Coast. Obiang dedicated the goal to his
seven-month old son Jeremih and said he hopes to follow it with another one
more quickly than his first.
"It feels very, very good to score my first goal for West Ham," he beamed.
"This goal is for my baby because I am now a dad, and I am very happy
because many times I have seen the other guys score. I've enjoyed that and
now I have scored, so I am very happy. "One time before, the same ball
arrived and I tried to cross. When it came to me again I thought 'it's your
time'. If I score, then ok, and if not, no worries. This time I scored! "It
was important for us to go in front at that stage. We started the game well,
but they scored quickly and we needed to recover. We did that, and then
after my goal we had a really nice game."

Obiang was thrilled with the way his team bounced back from their defeat to
Manchester City in midweek. He added: "For the team, for the supporters and
for the Club this is great, because after the game against Manchester City
we were all angry. That's normal, but after today we can be calm for this
week and try to take another three points on Saturday against West Bromwich.
"I'm happy for the supporters – we had over 3,000 of them there on Saturday
and they come every time. "The support at Southampton is not new for me, I
know we have nice supporters. They come to us every time, whether we have
lost or won, so I tell them [we want] to continue like this."

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Loan round up
WHUFC.com

Jaanai Gordon scored his first Football League goal, bagging a crucial
equaliser in Newport County's 1-1 draw with Cheltenham Town
The forward was one of seven Hammers in loan action over the weekend
Toni Martinez started for Oxford United after his FA Cup heroics last
weekend

Jaanai Gordon's performance was the pick of the bunch this weekend in terms
of West Ham United players out on loan as he scored a first and crucial goal
for Newport County in League Two. Making only his second appearance for the
Exiles, Gordon was introduced with 22 minutes remaining against Cheltenham
Town as the Welsh side looked to salvage a point after Kyle Wootton had
given the hosts the lead. And Graham Westley's decision to throw on the West
Ham man paid off three minutes into injury time as the 21-year-old coolly
slotted home in a crowded penalty area to send the travelling supporters
wild. The point was vital for Newport, who remain bottom of the Football
League but still only three points behind 22nd-placed side Notts County.

Moving up into League One, there was more joy for Toni Martinez who grabbed
last weekend's FA Cup goal against Newcastle. The Spaniard started and
played 80 minutes in his Oxford United side's clash against local rivals
Swindon Town – in the fixture billed the A420 derby – and helped the
visitors to a 2-1 win. Struggling Swindon got off to the perfect start and
took the lead after 19 minutes when Chelsea loanee Fankaty Dabo bagged his
first senior goal, converting Nicky Ajose's cross. But Oxford piled on the
pressure and eventually that told, when with 20 minutes remaining, Liam
Sercombe tapped in Marvin Johnson's centre. And three minutes later it was
despair for Swindon as former Hammer Rob Hall grabbed what would be the
winner at the County Ground.

Elsewhere in the division, Josh Cullen was also in action for 80 minutes as
his Bradford City side recorded a 2-2 draw with Gillingham at Valley Parade.
Josh Wright opened the scoring when he gave the Gills a 14th minute lead,
but new Bantams signing Charlie Wyke cancelled the midfielder's strike out
instantly, heading home a long throw-in. Tony McMahon finished after Billy
Clarke's free-kick was saved seven minutes before the break to give the
hosts the lead, but only four minutes into the second half, Gillingham
earned a share of the spoils as Deji Oshilaja stabbed in from close range.

Martin Samuelsen and George Dobson also enjoyed cameo appearances in
victories for their respective loan sides Peterborough United and Walsall.
Norwegian winger Samuelsen was introduced with four minutes left on the
clock during Posh's 3-0 win at Port Vale, though at the time the visitors
were only a goal to the good thanks to Marcus Maddison's opener. Two Junior
Morais injury time goals sealed the win for Grant McCann's side who remain
in the hunt for a play-off spot in League One. Meanwhile, Dobson was
involved for the final ten minutes at the Bescot Stadium in the Saddlers'
2-1 victory over Northampton. They were made to come from behind though,
following John-Joe O'Toole's first half goal after Neil Etheridge in goal
fumbled a free-kick. A five minute second period spell killed off the
Cobblers however as first Matt Preston equalised before Erhun Oztumer
grabbed the hosts' second.

That was not the end of the drama in the west Midlands, as in stoppage time
Adam Chambers tripped Marc Richards inside the box to give Northampton a
late lifeline. The forward stepped up himself but blazed over from 12 yards,
meaning Northampton went home empty handed while Dobson's Walsall kept their
faint top six hopes just about alive. Sam Howes was in action once again for
Hampton and Richmond Borough in the National League south as they recorded a
2-2 draw at Eastbourne Borough. Finally, Reece Oxford was made to wait for
his Reading debut as he was left on the substitutes' bench for the Royals'
2-2 draw at Ipswich Town.

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Carroll thrilled to keep hot run going
WHUFC.com

Since returning from injury in early December, few defenders have been able
to keep Andy Carroll down. In notching West Ham United's equaliser in
Saturday's eventual 3-1 win at Southampton, Carroll extended his hot streak
to a fourth goal in 2017 and six in just twelve Premier League matches. With
a better minutes-per-goal ratio this season than the likes of Alexis Sanchez
and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Carroll has every right to be happy with his form at
present – especially with the team rejuvenated and up to ninth in the table.
"It was a good result for us on Saturday," he said. "We didn't deserve to go
1-0 down, but when we did I think it changed the game for the better. "We
realised we were in a game, pushed up and got a goal straight away for
myself. I was well chuffed with it, we carried on and got another just
before half-time. "It was important to cancel out their goal so quickly. We
couldn't worry about what happened, we had to carry on going forward and
playing our game. That's exactly what we did. "It was a perfect ball from
Pedro. He just slipped it in, and with a little movement around the back I
got the space to finish in the bottom bin with my right foot. "I'm happy
with how it's going in front of goal for me at the minute. It was probably
one of the only chances I had in the game, so it was nice to put it away.
"Pedro's goal came at a great time too, right before half-time, and it was a
great finish. He's had an assist and a goal – I think all the lads played
well – but for him with the assist and goal it's fantastic. "We've been
playing well lately. We've bounced back straight away from the Man City game
and proved that we're playing well by getting three points. We've got a very
good team and we're always capable of winning games."

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#WHUAREYA - Rosaire Longelo
WHUFC.com

Academy winger Rosaire Longelo has been at West Ham United for ten years
now, but there are certainly no ambitions to call it a day.
The left-sider was a key player for the U18s this season until he picked up
a recent injury, but he still hopes he can make progress and break into the
U23s squad before the campaign is out. The huge Drake fan also has dreams of
one day walking out in Claret and Blue in front of 60,000 supporters at the
London Stadium.

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Club Cash FAQs
WHUFC.com

Earn

Club Cash can be earned by Season Ticket Holders when their seat is sold on
the Ticket Exchange. To view how much you would earn when your seat is sold
on the Ticket Exchange please click here.

Supporters who held e-Purse credit on the previous ticket system will have
had their credit transferred over and added to their Club Cash balance.

Spend

Club Cash can be used towards home Premier League match tickets, Claret
Membership, match ticket upgrades, hospitality tickets and your Season
Ticket renewal*.

You will have the option to use part or all of your Club Cash balance on
transactions.

Club Cash can be used when purchasing online, over the phone or in person at
the Ticket Office. When logged in to your eticketing account online, you
will have the option at checkout stage to use your Club Cash as part or full
payment.

*Only used when paying renewal in full. Cannot be used towards monthly
finance payments. Excludes Club London.

Checking your Club Cash balance

There are a number of ways you can check your Club Cash balance.

Visit clubcash.whufc.com and enter your client reference number and surname
Call the Ticket Office on 0333 030 1966
When at checkout stage on eticketing.co.uk/WHUFC your balance will be
displayed
The Club will send you a regular statement with your balance
FAQs

Who is eligible for Club Cash?

All 2016/17 Season Ticket Holders are eligible to earn and spend Club Cash.
Supporters who held e-Purse credit on the previous ticketing system will
have had their balances transferred over and will be able to spend this Club
Cash on eligible products.

When will my Club Cash balance get updated?

When earning Club Cash, for example, when your Season Ticket seat is sold on
the Ticket Exchange, please allow 24 hours for your Club Cash balance to be
updated.

When spending your Club Cash towards a purchase, your balance will be
updated instantly following the transaction.

Can I combine my Club Cash with another supporter?

No, Club Cash operates on an individual supporter basis.

How will you verify that supporters are who they say they are?

Any supporters redeeming Club Cash in person may be asked to provide some
form of personal identification alongside their Season Ticket card.
Supporters may also be asked some simple security questions when spending
Club Cash over the phone. If you suspect that your Club Cash balance has
been fraudulently spent at the club, please call 0333 030 1966 (Select
Option 3) with your details immediately.

I am a Club London member, can I earn Club Cash?

To find out more please contact your Account Manager on 0303 031 1968.

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Club Cash explained
WHUFC.com

London Stadium

West Ham United are delighted to announce the launch of Club Cash – the
scheme that allows Season Ticket Holders to spend money, earned when selling
their seats on the Ticket Exchange. To see how much you will earn when your
seat is sold on the Ticket Exchange, please click here.

Supporters who held e-Purse credit on the previous ticket system will have
had their credit transferred over and added to their Club Cash balance.

Club Cash can be used towards home Premier League match tickets, Claret
Membership, match ticket upgrades, hospitality tickets and even your Season
Ticket Renewal.

Club Cash can be used when purchasing online, over the phone or in person at
the Ticket Office. When logged in to your eticketing account online, you
will have the option at checkout stage to use your Club Cash as part or full
payment.

There are a number of ways you can check your Club Cash balance.

Visit clubcash.whufc.com and enter your client reference number and surname
Call the Ticket Office on 0333 030 1966
When at checkout stage on eticketing.co.uk/WHUFC your balance will be
displayed
The Club will send you a regular statement with your balance


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Southampton 1-3 West Ham (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 6th February 2017
By: HeadHammerShark


1. The Reversal

Well, that was quite a week. If you've ever heard the Craig David song "7
Days" - imagine the concept of pure banality set to music, if not - then
you'll know what I mean when I say:

Sold our best player on Monday
Didn't buy a right back on Tuesday
Got taken to the cleaners on Wednesday
Self flagellated on Thursday and Friday
Spanked the Saints on Saturday
Chilled on Sunday (*)

(*) I fucking hate the word "chilled". Apply it to vegetables or not at all.

My overriding feeling at the end of this particular week is that I'm not
sure any other team in the league could make finishing eleventh quite such a
rollercoaster ride.


2. A Darkness More Than Night

With the gloom from Wednesday nights mauling at the hands of Manchester City
still pervading over everything, we journeyed down to the South coast more
in hope than expectation. Southampton has been an unhappy hunting ground for
us for ages, with our last win coming back in 2000 when both teams were
playing at different grounds and we started with only three defenders and
Kaba Diawara up front, whilst Harry Redknapp was presumably smoking some
extremely strong weed in the tactics room.

Going into this one it felt that if we were to get anything from the game it
would require us to find a way to target the new Southampton centre back
pairing of Jack Stephens and Maya Yoshida. They had been thrown together
after Virgil van Dijk went on the injury list and Jose Fonte fulfilled his
life long dream of getting a incredible, huge new contract at the age of 33.

As it turned out, we had no time to do that as we conceded a goal after just
twelve minutes to Saints debutant, and recent West Ham transfer target,
Manolo Gabbiadini. The Italian, who immediately joins Robert Pattinson and
Harry Styles on my list of men who look like they need a good shower, ran on
to a through ball and positively bazooka'd a shot high over Randolph into
the roof of the net. He looked miles offside, although replays suggested he
was only marginally offside, which is still fucking offside, but it was a
confident, composed finish and somewhere Simone Zaza looks on and wonders.

At that stage it felt like so far, so Man City, but we responded beautifully
as Pedro Obiang sliced open that vulnerable Saints rearguard with a
perfectly weighted through ball for Carroll to charge on to, like a pissed
Geordie combine harvester with the brake off on a slope, and calmly slot
past Forster. Interestingly, in the build up Carroll could clearly be seen
yelling at Obiang to pass wide to Snodgrass, which Stephens bought like a
sucker and Carroll rolled off and on to the pass - one of only three that we
completed in the Saints penalty area all game.

Thereafter things were pretty even as Saints kept getting shots away without
really taking them from decent areas, and it wasn't that much of a surprise
when Obiang rifled home a twenty yard drive just before the break. It looked
to take a little deflection on the way through but who the fuck cares, and
we had the look of a team about to turn around a deficit for the first time
this season.

We sealed things up just after the break when a (not very good) Noble free
kick was deflected past Forster at his near post by a crestfallen Steven
Davis and we took a 3-1 lead we would never relinquish. After that we took
Carroll off because we can't play him too much in case he gets injured, but
we can play him enough to not have to worry about getting any back up for
him, and thus we saw out the victory like a proper professional team with
defenders and matching kit and everything.

For the first time this season I feel like we have won a game where it
doesn't have to be qualified by saying "Yeah, but we were only playing...".


3. The Narrows

This game marked the full debut of Robert Snodgrass, who came in over the
flu hit Manuel Lanzini. Ostensibly bought to replace Dimitri Payet, the
Scotsman had a fantastic game and gave us a proper glimpse into how a
post-Payet West Ham might be successful.

Contrary to expectations he didn't play as an out and out winger, and
instead operated mostly in the old inside left channel. On the other side
Sofiane Feghouli did pretty much the same thing, and with that narrow,
constricted formation we choked the life out of Southampton.

Former Hammer David Connolly wrote an excellent pre match piece for The West
Ham Way which highlighted both the weakness of the Stephens/Yoshida
partnership, but also the attacking threat of the Saints full backs. By
flooding into midfield it seemed like we restricted the typical Southampton
passing patterns that look to open up space for their full backs to push
into and negated their customary wide options.

As you can see from this @11tegen11 passing network, we kept to our compact
formation all day and even though Feghouli offered little in attack, he
stuck diligently to his duties and was important in disrupting play.

On the other side Cresswell was able to burst forward again with some of his
old joie de vivre, ironically once his French buddy had disappeared. With
Payet refusing to do any defensive work, Cresswell had struggled to impact
games going forward, but Snodgrass put in a Herculean shift and on several
occasions he slipped Cresswell in by drifting inside to free up space on the
touchline. Best of all, when the score was 3-1 and we were playing the last
twenty minutes without a striker because Bilic was trolling Claude Puel,
Snodgrass just ran and ran and ran some more to make up for it. I think his
signing was a panicky, poorly judged decision but I'll happily admit that
for today and for the short term future, Snodgrass looks a great fit.

It remains to be seen generally if this formation will work against the top
6, who will have better defences and functional, mobile goalkeepers, but
this was a timely reminder that when Bilic does his homework, he has just as
much ability to impact games as any other manager.


4. The Drop

What will be interesting is what Bilic does next week, when Lanzini will
presumably be fit, and Feghouli, Snodgrass and Antonio will be battling it
out for two places.

Intuitively it feels like Antonio would revert to a wide right role, and
Lanzini would go into the hole behind Carroll and last years 4-2-3-1 would
be the way forward. The thing about that, however, is that Antonio has
essentially been playing in a 4-4-2 as a second striker and doing a good job
of it. Carroll doesn't have the mobility to do the role on his own, so
Antonio has helped him in every sense by doubling up his pressing and
getting closer to Carroll to pick up flick ons and second balls.

Indeed, look at the map above and it shows Antonio was our most advanced
player as he repeatedly foraged beyond Carroll. Sticking him back out wide
asks him to do defensive work, which is like asking Piers Morgan to research
something, and also deprives us of a central goal threat. It also forces
Lanzini to play a role that doesn't really suit him, as he doesn't have
Antonio's pace to get beyond Carroll, and instead is utilised much better as
a late arriving runner as demonstrated in the Palace and Middlesbrough games
recently.

Having said all of that, I'd probably leave things as they are and bring
Lanzini in to partner Obiang, giving us two mobile passers to try and play
through the pressing we will face from better teams. Noble was good today,
but Obiang was better and the truth is that we need support for Carroll (all
we have is Antonio), two wide players (all we have is Snodgrass and
Feghouli) and Lanzini should always be in the team. I don't like calling for
Noble to sit out, but we need our best players playing.


5. The Burning Room

What's really interesting about that is that completely ignores our best
midfielder - Cheikhou Kouyate - who was seen here being totally wasted at
right back. He was forced into that emergency role as a result of Sam Byram
getting injured on the same day that we decided not to get any cover for
him. This was only slightly less teeth grindingly predictable than Donald
Trump waking up and tweeting about some batshit crazy thing he saw on Fox
News ten minutes before, every morning.

I can expend no more energy on the Olympic sized fuck up that has been our
transfer policy lately, but once again the issue is less with the position
itself - as Kouyate did his customary good job there -but the fact that we
have to keep weakening the team elsewhere in order to cover up the lack of
options.

If indeed Byram is fit next week then Kouyate must go straight back into
midfield and Obiang must play, which leaves some interesting decisions about
Noble, Lanzini and Antonio. Still, better having too many players available
than giving game time to the likes of Arbeloa and Tore because it looks like
we only have 9 men and all the lads are ringing round their mates to see if
anyone is up for game.


6. The Crossing

Talking of our crazy transfer policy, take a bow Jose Fonte, who played with
poise and command to bring a startlingly organised look to our back four.
Even more so than Snodgrass, Fonte is a signing for the short term, with a
huge premium being paid to get good performances now, before the juju starts
to dissipate and his hamstrings acclimatise to West Ham and turn into
spaghetti.

He has a serenity about his play that sits nicely next to the slightly
frenetic, permanently angry Reid - who plays these days with the demeanour
of a furious Maths teacher - and between them they did a decent job of
restricting Southampton to some low quality chances.

As you can see here, Saints had tons of chances, but none as good as
Carroll's and mostly we did a good job of blocking them or forcing snatched
shots. Gabbiadini should have done better when presented with a decent
second half chance, but he blazed it over from the six yard line and frankly
still could do with a shave and a shampoo as he's looking a bit like Sean
Connery at the beginning of The Rock.

I still don't see Fonte as a sensible signing in the long run, but on days
like today when we go and win at a difficult opponent, where we never win,
with no right back, one fit striker and from a goal down, it would be
churlish not to acknowledge the huge part he played.

Over the next few weeks our aim should be to start reducing the volume of
chances on our goal, and then to push those chances further from goal
reducing their likelihood of going in. As you see here, we give up plenty of
chances and are ranked on a par with Bournemouth who just let in six at
Everton having taken the bold step of playing the second half with an
unusual 0-6-4 formation.

Of course, stopping opposition teams from getting good chances is easier
said than done, but blocking more shots, preventing successful passes into
our box and generally saving more shots on target are all fairly obvious
ways to reduce the threat. I see Fonte as being crucial to the first of
those, and if Kouyate goes back into the centre then I would expect to see
him impact on the second point.


7. The Poet

How could I have got all this way into this article without mentioning Pedro
Obiang? Against a good team, and with a goal deficit, he stepped up and took
control of this game like John Terry at a Champions League trophy
presentation.

The pass to Carroll was superbly weighted, his goal was fucking hammered and
he trailed only Kouyate in blocks and tackles. When he plays like this it is
easy to forget he is just 24, and still adapting to the English game. He
gave a fascinating interview to Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian before
Christmas in which it was easy to detect his more cerebral approach to both
life and football.

I have no idea how the political science degree fits in when the lads are
planning their latest trip to Aspers Casino, but he has become a key part of
our season as he gives us a mobility, intelligence in possession and
physicality that is otherwise lacking.

I saw lots of debate over the weekend about Obiang's case for Hammer of the
Year, which really does feel like the Best Editing Oscar in a season like
this, but I don't think Pedro is quite there yet. Antonio has played
everywhere, uncomplainingly and while still scoring all our goals and
starring in about twenty highly amusing YouTube clips. That said, a few more
games like this and Obiang is certainly in the mix.

8. The Black Echo

Now feels like a reasonable time to ask - has this been a good season or
not? By reading this blog you'd have said "possibly" after last Saturday and
"Christ, no" after Wednesday. That's kind of the point; that The H List is
supposed to be an in-the-moment assessment of each game, reflecting the
immediacy of the many rich and varying emotions that come with losing 4-2 at
home to Watford and then following that up with a 4-2 shit sandwich at West
Brom the following week.

We currently sit in ninth, eight points down on the same stage as last year
and twelve points down when comparing results to the same fixtures from
2015-16. But still in the top half, and just five points behind next
opponents West Brom. Only Leicester are worse in this year on year
comparison, as the devil has apparently come calling on that Faustian pact
they signed to turn into a good team last season.

If we look more closely at our record, there is some telling detail in
dividing our home and away form. We have played a far weaker schedule at
home, and yet possess only the 15th best home record in the Premier League.
By contrast, away from home we've had a gruelling slog of fixtures and yet
have returned the 8th best outcome. This despite picking up more points at
home (17) than away (14).

Putting all of those things together seems to explain how deeply
unsatisfactory it all feels. We've been mediocre at home, when more fans go
to games and more fans get to moan about the loss of the Boleyn. By
contrast, away games are obviously seen by fewer supporters and we've still
lost half of those games. Welcome to the Premier League - where not many
teams win away but where the Bilic counterattacking style is perfectly
suited.

I think it would be easier to feel a sense of optimism if we had beaten Man
City and lost this game. Swap the win at Palace for a win at Spurs and
suddenly the 9th place contains a couple of big scalps, which in turn allows
fans to dream a little. The very specific problem that I see right now is
that our home games against good teams have been so one sided that there is
nothing for us to cling on to. 1-5 v Arsenal, 0-5 vs Man City, 0-3 vs
Southampton and 0-4 vs Man City. West Ham away used to be the kind of game
that defined title winners, but this year it has come to define whether you
are a bottom half team or not.

I think what this season really needs is a big scalp at home, in a game that
matters, against a full strength opposition. We need to be convinced that we
are able to punch our weight at that level again, and to do so with a bit of
brio. Truthfully, what we really need is to be able to play like an away
team at home, in the manner that has been suiting us so well on our travels
recently. Get a win like that, and suddenly we would be taking steps to turn
our new house into a home.

9. Lost Light

Here's an interesting fact - West Ham and Southampton have exactly the same
size pitch (105m x 68m). The problem is that the Saints stadium allows fans
to sit within a javelin throw of the touchline whereas when the ball goes in
the crowd at London Stadium it has to be couriered back.

I don't think our problems at home are arising due to a bigger pitch, but
instead because we're not playing very well. Teams come, frustrate us and
wait for the inevitable defensive mistake and the crowd exodus. It's been a
trustworthy recipe all season and never better exploited than by Man City
this week. Smaller pitches like the Boleyn Ground are sometimes easier to
play on as it's possible to pen teams in and not let them out, but at the
same time with a larger playing area there is the possibility of stretching
teams with width and pace.

In fairness, the evidence so far suggests that this is much easier with
David Silva and Gabriel Jesus than it is with Gokhan Tore and Simone Zaza,
and transitioning is going to take a while.

10. The Wrong Side Of Goodbye

Last time out, I linked to this JustGiving page for Amos Nasha, a former
West Ham youth team player who is on the verge of being made homeless. The
aim was to raise £1,000 to allow Amos and his younger brother a chance to
get back on feet.

At the last time I checked, the fund had risen to over £6,000 and donations
had been made by fans, players and the chairman, David Sullivan.

It's easy to write pisstakes of our stadium, our defending and that time
Mike Marsh left because he was homesick for Liverpool and then went to
Turkey before coming back to Southend. But there are lots of marvellous
things about supporting West Ham too and it's nice to be reminded of it.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be
attributed to, KUMB.com.

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One-time Arsenal and West Ham target Alexandre Lacazette reveals he wants to
leave Lyon this summer
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard

Alexandre Lacazette has revealed that he expects to leave Lyon in the
summer, a move that will likely spark the interest of several top Premier
League sides. Arsenal have been the most consistently linked with Lacazette
and saw a £29.4million bid for the French international rejected in the
summer. They were not the only club to make a move during the pre-season
window with West Ham failing in a £42.7m offer. Lacazette's fine form at the
tip of the Lyon attack has continued into this season; he is Ligue 1's
second highest goalscorer this season with 18. But with his current contract
at Parc OL expires in the summer of 2019 the 25-year-old is considering his
next move. "I think it's come, the right moment," he told Canal+. "I think
that this summer will be the time where I will need a change of scenery and
discover something else, still with the idea of advancing and progressing in
terms of football and as a person.
"I am going to continue to work, in the hope that good opportunities will
come this summer."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pedro Obiang praises West Ham 'character' in comeback victory over
Southampton
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

Pedro Obiang today revealed how he and his West Ham team-mates responded to
Slaven Bilic's pre-match message before beating Southampton 3-1. Obiang
scored his first goal for West Ham since his move from Sampdoria in June
2015 and earlier he had provided a through pass from which Andy Carroll
scored his fifth goal in six matches. Doubts had been raised about the
club's character following their 4-0 home defeat by Manchester City and
Obiang said: "Before the Southampton game the manager emphasised that we are
a good team but that we must show character and be compact "It's the same
with any game but this was different because the City match was so bad. When
they scored their first goal, our heads went down. "Against Southampton,
they also scored first but our reaction was different and after the game the
boss said: 'This is the character we need to show. We need to keep going and
you never know what might happen.' "The Manchester City result was tough to
take. The manager took me off in the second half and there were many things
for me to think about but now I am happy."

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West Ham target increased 66,000 capacity at the London Stadium before the
end of 2017
By Essex Chronicle | Posted: February 06, 2017
By Tommy Wathen

West Ham United joint-chairman David Gold has confirmed that the club are
aiming to expand the capacity at the London Stadium to the maximum 66,000
before the end of 2017. The Hammers moved to their new home at the Queen
Elizabeth II Olympic Park during the summer after a memorable 'Farewell
Boleyn' final ever season at Upton Park. Fans have been dubious over whether
the stadium move has been a positive move for the club after numerous
travel, crowd control and stewarding issues, but the problems are beginning
to be solved step-by-step and the future is looking brighter. Since the
move, the club have only been allowed to use 57,000 seats due to licensing
regulations, although the Hammers hope to meet certain criteria to be
allowed to sell the further 9,000 seats before the end of next year. When
asked on his official Twitter account when the club will be able to sell out
all 66,000 seats, Gold tweeted: "I don't know when we will get approval to
go to 66,000 as there are so many issues to be resolved but I would hope by
the end of 2017 dg"

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From West Ham to Lazio via Birmingham, Ravel Morrison now playing for QPR's
U23s
The 24-year-old signed for Ian Holloway's side on transfer deadline day
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
13:34, 6 FEB 2017

Former West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison's return to English football
continues today as he starts for QPR U23s against Charlton Athletic. Having
signed on loan from Lazio at the West London club on transfer deadline day,
Morrison made a substitute appearance for the first team at the weekend. The
highly-talented but also highly-frustrating figure has fallen out with more
managers than he's had hot dinners, most famously with Sir Alex Ferguson
when he was at Manchester United. He then fell foul of Sam Allardyce during
his stay in east London, but what went wrong for someone Sir Alex had
previously said was "the most talented player I'd seen on a training pitch"?

Morrison arrived in east London in 2012 when the Hammers were in the
Championship, joining on a three-and-a-half year deal A clause in his
contract meant Manchester United received £25,000 for every game he appeared
in claret and blue, making 18 appearances in total, scoring three times.
Allardyce sent the Wythenshawe lad on loan to Birmingham City to get some
games but old problems with his attitude – the reason Sir Alex dumped him
from Old Trafford – reared its ugly head and then manager Lee Clark was
tempted to terminate Morrison's loan, but didn't. He returned to the Hammers
the following season but that's when it started to unravel. Morrison fell
out with Allardyce, was banished from the first team squad and made to train
with the U23s when he was just 21.

It was reported the Hammers had enough of Morrison who was driving a car
without a licence, had gone AWOL over the Christmas period in 2013, missed
training without proper explanation and was also late reporting to a U21
game. With Allardyce, there are claims and counter claims as to why their
relationship completely fell apart. Allardyce had denied his representatives
tried to sign Morrison from his then agent when negotiations with the West
Ham over a new contract broke down. The year before he joined the Hammers,
Morrison narrowly avoided jail time and received a 12-month referral order
and was ordered to pay costs and compensation after admitting to two counts
of witness intimidation. Morrison has since had loan spells at QPR, Cardiff,
a stint in Italy with Lazio and now he is back in England with Rangers
again. Many hope that the talented footballer can find his feet again and
maybe now, under Ian Holloway, he can start to show us all what we know he
is capable of.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This is how West Ham's starting line up will look in the year 2023
Sam Inkersole's got his crystal ball out to see how the Hammers could line
up in five season's time
London Football
BYSAM INKERSOLE
12:49, 6 FEB 2017

West Ham aren't known as the Academy of Football for nothing and there are
plenty of exciting young talents coming through at the club.
Slaven Bilic certainly rates his youngsters but rather than throw them into
the Premier League straight away, he would rather send them out on loan and
get some vital experience. So, what could the Hammers team look like in
2022/23 season, five years from now? The London Stadium will likely have a
new name – the Ann Summers Arena or something – with the side regularly
battling for European places (yes, really).

Alex Smithies

Now 31-years-old, Smithies arrived at the Hammers from QPR two seasons
previously after the west Londoners were promoted to the Premier League then
went back down again. Darren Randolph remains at the club as back up at the
age of 34.

Reece Burke

Now 25, Burke has ousted Sam Byram from the right back slot, who has since
returned to Leeds United. Having been at the club since a youngster, Burke
has since earned England caps and is the undisputed number one in that
position.

Reece Oxford

Made West Ham skipper after Mark Noble decided to call it a day at the age
of 34 the previous season. Oxford is now 23, an England regular and a rock
solid presence at the back for the Hammers, having signed a new contract
extension in 2020 to keep him a "one club man."

Winston Reid

Now 33, Reid hasn't gone anywhere, especially since Jose Fonte decided to
move on at the end of his three-and-a-half year deal he signed in 2017.
Bilic has kept Reid to be the experienced head in what is a relatively young
defence. He's lost a yard of pace but has Oxford to cover his tracks.

Arthur Masuaku

Now 28 and in his prime, the Frenchman ousted Aaron Cresswell from the left
back slot and the Liverpudlian has since headed back to the north west and
joined Everton. After a shaky start to his Hammers career, he has managed to
stay relatively injury free and is also France's first choice left back.

Pedro Obiang

A cult hero at the Ann Summers Arena, the Spaniard is arguably the best in
his position in the Premier League after N'Golo Kante was sold by Chelsea by
Real Madrid for a world-record fee. Now 29, Obiang has been heavily linked
with a move to west London to replace Kante but there was no way he was
going to cross that divide. Obiang also has the bestselling replica shirt at
the Hammers stadium stores.

Josh Cullen

After two more season away on loan, Cullen got his big break at the start of
2021 season and hasn't looked back, playing in the Mark Noble role in the
Hammers' midfield. Now 25, the all-action midfielder is the heartbeat of the
West Ham team. Everything revolves around him in the engine room.

Marcus Browne

The 24-year-old has developed into one of the most exciting talents every
produced at West Ham and is an automatic first choice in midfield. Pushed
more on to the wing in recent seasons, the nippy midfielder is extremely
adept at whipping in dangerous crosses for the strikers to get their heads
on.

Nathan Holland

Signed from Everton in 2017, the now 23-year-old is already an England
international and a Hammers fan favourite. Has developed a bit of a nasty
streak in him over the years and can get hot-headed, with a few red cards to
his name but also capable of producing outstanding moments of quality.

Martin Samuelsen

The mercurial winger is now a frustrating figure at the Ann Summers Arena,
capable of going from the sublime to the ridiculous in a matter of minutes.
Scored 12 goals from midfield the previous season after recovering from a
nasty knee injury and a falling out with Marcus Browne as their bromance
went downhill rapidly after a leaked Snapchat video.

Domingos Quina

Keeps himself to himself but goes out and scores goals for fun. Replicated
his 40-yard strike in 2017 in the 2021 season to beat Chelsea 1-0 in the FA
Cup final at Wembley. The Portuguese star, who is now 22, has taken over the
mantle from Cristiano Ronaldo as his country's poster boy, helping his
country defend their European Championship title in 2020.

Toni Martinez

Martinez has already racked up nearly 100 goals for the Hammers having been
promoted to the first team at the start of the 2017/18 season. Tied down to
a long-term contract as soon as he made the grade at Premier League level,
Martinez has been touted with a move to Barcelona as a replacement for the
now 35-year-old Luis Suarez. Managed to oust Andy Carroll from the number
nine shirt, with the Geordie striker since heading back Newcastle to end his
career up north.

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The amazing stats which prove that West Ham's Andy Carroll is having a
better season than Neymar
The Hammers striker has been in top form recently
Football.London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
11:03, 6 FEB 2017

We're not clutching at straws here, promise…

In one quite important statistic so far this season, football.london can
prove that West Ham striker Andy Carroll is better than Barcelona superstar
Neymar. Yes, really. So far, Carroll has played 799 minutes in claret and
blue, while Neymar has been on the pitch for 1526 minutes in total. The
Hammers big man is bang in form right now, with four goals in his past four
games. Here's the big stat which proves what we are saying - Carroll is
having a better season than Neymar in terms of goals per game, with the
Hammers front man netting every 0.50 games while the Brazilian striker is
way down, scoring only every 0.29 games. See?
The Hammers striker is absolutely battering Neymar in terms on headed goals
as well, scoring two headers this season for West Ham while the Barcelona
striker hasn't scored a single goal with his head. Useless. AC is also
edging Neymar in terms of goals scored inside the area. All of Carroll's
goals so far this season – six – have come from inside the box, while Neymar
has only managed five of them. Hopeless. The two are fairly even in terms of
their shot accuracy as well. Neymar has had 45% of his efforts hit the
target while Carroll isn't exactly lagging behind on 44%.
Carroll has scored three goals with his left foot while Neymar has been
useless with his left peg, only managing one goal with it. Honestly. So
there you go, we have absolutely, definitely proved that Andy Carroll is
having a better season than Neymar. Just don't ask us to compare him to Luis
Suarez…

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West Ham regain their confidence after midweek hiccup
Andy Carroll dispels the doubts with an opener that put the Irons back on
track after tumultuous week
TheWharf
BYGILES BROADBENT
08:32, 6 FEB 2017

There was a time, long distant, when Andy Carroll was a West Ham misfit. The
striker seemed eternally injured and the new manager, Slaven Bilic, appeared
lukewarm towards the big man he had inherited from Big Sam. But now it's not
hard to imagine Bilic first with the birthday cake, quick with the back slap
and generally oozing the kind of bonhomie he once reserved for Dimitri
Payet. Carroll has shown that not only is he the key to West Ham's recent
prosperous form (a few hiccups aside) but he also has been the court jester
that put smiles on the faces of a previously downcast Rush Green. One
Saturday once more he showed what he could do in a few seconds,
orchestrating his team-mates to facilitate a goal – a necessary one at that
because West Ham were 1-0 down at St Mary's at the time and more than
capable of letting the game slip. Instead, Carroll, Mark Noble and goal
debutant Pedro Obiang fixed the Irons in the top half of the table with
their 3-1 win against Southampton – a turn-around that showed "character"
according to the boss.

Confidence returns

Slaven Bilic told the club's website : "Our response [to falling behind] was
brilliant. Of course the equaliser helped, coming so quickly from open play
because it showed we could hurt them. "We have to continue to play like this
– and even better – but we are in a good position, not only with the points,
but more with the way we are playing and the way we are training. That gives
me hope and joy. "The way we've bounced back from the heavy defeats we've
had shows the character of the team. Make no mistake, the defeat against
Manchester City, especially at home, hurt. "I told the guys, don't let that
affect our confidence because before that we won five out of seven. "That's
why the win against Southampton was more than three points, because of the
way we did it. It was fantastic."

Post-Payet

Dimitri Payet now seems like a bad dream caused by too much brie and the
club have won three out of four without the mercurial Frenchman. "It is the
team who have responded to that," said Bilic. "We lost a great player, but
these things happen in football. The team have reacted in the best possible
way. "The boys have shown in those difficult situations that we aren't going
to sink, we're not going to crumble. We had to take more responsibility as
an individual and as a team, and that's happened." Meanwhile after 54 games,
Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang had his own personal cause for celebration
with his first goal, dedicated to his seven-month-old Jeremiah. He said :
"It feels very, very good to score my first goal for West Ham. This goal is
for my baby because I am now a dad, and I am very happy because many times I
have seen the other guys score. I've enjoyed that and now I have scored, so
I am very happy."

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SMELLS LIKE TEAM SPIRIT - LET'S FINISH THE SEASON IN STYLE!
By HamburgHammer
6 Feb 2017 at 08:00

That's what the doctor ordered! What a solid performance that was against
Southampton and the perfect way really to bounce back from a lackluster,
gutless and amateurish display against an admittedly much better (and more
expensive) Man City side. We know there still is a massive gulf between us
and the top 5 teams in a variety of ways, a gulf which may not be bridged
anytime soon, but the win at St.Mary's once again showed what our lads are
capable of if they stick together, fight for each other, run and chase both
ball and opposition.

Put the effort in and the rest will follow more often than not. We have seen
plenty of effort from every single player. Some were better than others, but
not one of our players disappointed. Once again I'm struggling to name
merely one MOTM.
Obiang has a strong case obviously with his wonderful goal and sublime pass
for Carroll's strike.
Carroll himself can claim he set us up for the win with his passionate and
physical play upfront.
As for all-game running and never say die attitude, have your pick from
skipper Mark Noble and new boy Robert Snodgrass.
How about Reid and Fonte keeping things together at the back or Kouyate for
busting a gut while filling in at RB ?
Or Feghouli again having a decent game ?

If we can replicate that kind of performance on a more regular basis at our
upcoming home games we should finish the season comfortably in midtable,
maybe even attempt a late push on Europe if other results go our way. I have
no doubt in my mind that Bilic has the team very much behind him. And it was
impressive to hear how Bilic also had the away support 100% behind him who
were singing his praises all game, loud and clear, a fact which will not
have gone unnoticed by Gold and Sullivan.

I will try to actually stop calling the board out all the time, simply
because there's not much point to it – it's their club, they make the
decisions as they deem fit and writing a column or posting numerous comments
won't change their approach to transfer windows or the way they run the
club.
I can drape myself in a West Ham flag and hop five times around Hamburg Town
Hall on one leg while being blindfolded or I can also post 999 comments on
their spending (or rather NOT spending), it'll have about as much impact as
my neighbour's cat farting during Match of the Day – it won't change a
bloody thing!

So I will try to just enjoy what I see from our lads on the pitch and not
get too excited or worked up about things happening off the pitch. Although
it needs to be said that all the truly great and successful clubs in England
have one thing in common today: They spend huge sums on transfers to improve
their squads on a regular basis (70 or 80 million in every summer window at
least) and they have top class state-of-the-art training facilities. I'll
leave it to yourself to work out if we do fall into that category yet or how
likely we are to tick those boxes in the next few years.

As for the quick Concordia update I didn't watch them play another midseason
break friendly game as yet again it had been scheduled at the same time as
the West Ham game, so I got my priorities right and watched our away
performance on an online stream while following Concordia's exploits via
Facebook updates from the club.
Cordi were playing Hamburg SV's development squad on a training pitch right
next to Hamburg's Volksparkstadion (BSB, The Original Russ and VoR will know
the venue because they saw those pitches when they were over).

Concordia lost 2:5 on the day (Kevin scored again), but I should add that
Hamburg SV's development squad are playing one level above Concordia and for
that reason I am not surprised at all my boys didn't stand much of a chance
there. But it surely was a good test before FINALLY the season proper will
kick on again next Sunday with Cordi's first away game in the league in
2017. In the near future we should also learn whether Concordia will
actually try to officially throw their hat in the ring for promotion to the
next level.

You need some serious backing from sponsors, a lot of administrative effort
and also a proper stadium in order to play in the Regionalliga North, but
you also don't want to see them going for it while being short of funds only
to find the club on the brink of financial meltdown one year later, so it's
exciting (and nailbiting) times for Concordia too!

In terms of West Ham we will hopefully see our lads deliver a committed
performance against West Brom next, similar to the one just witnessed at
Southampton. We should slowly see some players getting back into the fold
from recent injuries, guys like Sakho, Byram or Arbeloa should be back in
training soon.

Talking of which this is my main hope for the next transfer window: PLEASE
sign a proper right back (or even two) in the summer, I don't care what
nationality or age they are or which league they currently play in (although
they should of course be of a certain standard to begin with).

As long as they are proper RBs and are comfortable in that position, sign
them! The RB position has been our weak spot for ages now and this is a
major hole we need to fix eventually. Byram will continue to be a risk in
terms of being unavailable either through injury or suspension, so at this
point we cannot rely on him just yet. Once we have the RB issue sorted we
can start worrying about bringing in more strikers again…;-))

COYI!

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Slaven Bilic labels Andy Carroll West Ham's new talisman
HITC
Jordan Harris

Andy Carroll has been in brilliant form for West Ham over the last few
games, and Slaven Bilic has been impressed. Slaven Bilic has suggested that
Andy Carroll is the man who has taken the role of West Ham United's talisman
from Dimitri Payet, and has commented on the strength of the squad following
the Frenchman's exit, the Daily Mirror reports. Payet departed for Marseille
during the January transfer window after a brief, but harmful, saga ensued
over his future. But since his last appearance for the club - which came
more than three weeks before he actually left the London Stadium - the
Hammers have put together one of their best runs of the season, winning
three of their last four.
One of the main reasons for their recent upturn in fortunes has been the
form of Andy Carroll. The striker has scored four across the three
victories, and Bilic suggested that the 28-year-old is the man the club can
get behind now. "Yes he is our talisman now – he is brilliant at everything
– brilliant on the pitch, brilliant off the pitch, brilliant in the dressing
room. He has matured, he has got three kids. Now he is happy," he said, as
reported by the Mirror. Despite West Ham's improved form, Bilic insisted
that having Payet in their ranks would have made them an even better side.
"It looks like that [they are better without Payet] at the moment but you
can judge that only if it continues in the long term. And make no mistake, a
really good Dimitri Payet would improve our team. It would be stupid and
even not fair to him to say now we are better now," he added.
While having Payet may have given the Irons a squad that boasted more
quality, it cannot be denied that the supporters were almost unanimously
behind the idea of letting him go once it became clear that he wanted to
leave. And their form since his last game has arguably confirmed that it was
probably a smart decision. The team appear to be much more harmonious on the
pitch, and it would not be a surprise if there is more unity off it also.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ARGENTINE WILL BECOME KEY WEST HAM ATTACKER IN PAYET'S ABSENCE
EPL INDEX

Argentine will become key West Ham attacker in Payet's absence
Following Dmitri Payet's departure from West Ham, the club must now turn to
Manuel Lanzini as their key attacker and the Argentine must deliver.

He faces a heavy burden – following in the footsteps of the talented
Frenchman but Lanzini's importance to Slaven Bilic's side has doubled given
Payet's departure. Despite a shaky start to the season and statistics which
were much less impressive than his numbers in the final weeks of the 2015-16
season, Payet still held much importance to West Ham. He was the talisman
and the creative force in attack.

Without him, not one player stands out who Bilic can call upon to
single-handedly turn around the result of a game. Though supporters will not
like to admit it – Payet's departure was a sign of disaster for the club.
They must find someone to turn to and quickly.

Lanzini is the obvious choice. He holds the key to West Ham's attacking
success. So far this season he has scored four goals and provided two
assists for the Hammers in the Premier League from an advanced midfield role
and he remains the club's most involved attacker following Payet's
departure.

The Argentine is no stranger to pressure. Despite his young age, the
23-year-old was the player his native club River Plate turned to when
competing in the Superclassico. The fierce South American rivalry matched up
two of the biggest clubs in Argentina and Lanzini was a player destined to
shine. He did just that – scoring the quickest goal in the history of the
derby when he gave his side the lead in less than 45 seconds. River Plate
went on to draw 1-1 against Boca Juniors but Lanzini had played his part –
securing a draw for the underdogs and writing his name in South American
history.

Lanzini excelled when he was given responsibility and he was proud to call
himself the talisman of his childhood club back home. West Ham face a far
more complex challenge in England. They are battling against their own
supporters who are angry with off-field decisions such as the move to the
Olympic Stadium. The distraction of Payet's stubbornness to move and
pressures from the media as Bilic's side continue to show inconsistencies
are also rife. Relegation from the Premier League is what is at stake and
everyone in football knows how difficult it is to get back to the top flight
following the axe.

West Ham simply have to turn things around and losing their star player is
not the way Bilic would have foreseen the January transfer window going.

However, despite off-field distractions and pressures from around England,
the Hammers still have talent up front and Lanzini is one of the stars who
will thrust his team up the table. Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho are often
seen as the players who will bring goals and change the dynamism of the team
but Lanzini is the player with the most natural talent and he is the one
currently in the squad who can change things around.

His South American flair is clear to see and after sealing a four-year deal
following a £9.4 million permanent switch, the club rested huge
responsibility on his shoulders. It's time Lanzini demonstrates why he has
been pursued by some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

He showed his worth against Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace, providing a
goal and two assists but he needs to start lifting his team against the big
sides.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
auro Zarate reveals why he chose Watford & is confident he'll be better than
at West Ham
By Hertfordshire Mercury | Posted: February 05, 2017
By Matt Storey

Mauro Zarate is confident he can produce more consistent performances for
Watford than he did during his spells at West Ham United and Queens Park
Rangers. The Argentine made his debut for the Hornets in the 2-1 victory
over Burnley, although he was somewhat overshadowed by fellow new boy M'Baye
Niang. Zarate's time in England at West Ham was inconsistent, although he is
adamant he did well at Upton Park, but he is looking forward to working
under Walter Mazzarri and improving even further at Vicarage Road. "I think
I did quite well with West Ham but here I will do even more. I will give
everything I can," Zarate explained. "I had a chance to come to Watford and
I'm very pleased as, for me, the Premier League is the best league in the
world. "Even the Italian gaffer I know him well, I want to play with Watford
and with him in the Premier League. And the club has been very good with me
as well. "The club and everyone trust in me here so I'm happy with the way I
do it now. "Regarding the past, I'm not more mature now, I just have the
trust for the club and the gaffer."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic turns to Andy Carroll for inspiration following Dimitri Payet's
departure
The Hammers striker netted his side's first goal in the 3-1 win at
Southampton
The Mirror
BYNEIL MCLEMAN
22:30, 5 FEB 2017

After the first win of the post-Payet era, Slaven Bilic wanted to talk. The
last stressful month has seen his best player go on strike and leave and
Roberto Mancini lined up as his replacement after two horrible home losses
to Manchester City . But this victory, with Andy Carroll taking the
talisman's role, was more like the fun of last season. So Bilic sauntered
into a small room in St Mary's, shook hands with everyone, sat down and gave
his version of his troubled second season. And after seeing his team return
to the top half of the table after a sixth Premier League win out of nine,
the Croat confessed his bewilderment about doubts over his West Ham future.
"If I am honest, it does surprise me - I don't understand why," he said. "I
can live with it. I don't let it affect my daily job. But if you ask me
honestly, and I always try to be honest, I don't understand those questions.
"I'm not the manager of Chelsea or Man City so we are like in a strange
position that West Ham wasn't expected to be in. I can say without being
big-headed, me and my staff are doing an excellent job here, especially
considering the difficulties of this season. "We had so many and still have
this season - changing of the stadium, so many injured players, some of the
transfers didn't work out, not for the players and not for us. But we are
swimming in those difficulties really good. "The boys showed in those
difficult situations that we ain't going to sink, we ain't going to crumble,
we are not going to go: Oh no, we have lost our talismanic player. No, we
have to take more responsibility, individually and as a team. "Are we in a
good position? Yes we are, not only in points but more in the way we are
playing. And that gives me hope and joy."
Southampton took the lead through a superb debut strike from Manolo
Gabbiadini after only 11 minutes. "I almost jumped up, that goal was so
good," said Bilic. But the Croat was even more pleased with his team's
response as Carroll equalised three minutes later, Pedro Obiang rolled home
his first Hammers goal just before the break and Mark Noble's free kick was
deflected home by Steven Davis after 56 minutes. Bilic praised the
contributions of his two "British" January signings Robert Snodgrass and
Jose Fonte and the irrepressible Carroll. "Yes he is our talisman now – he
is brilliant at everything – brilliant on the pitch, brilliant off the
pitch, brilliant in the dressing room. He has matured, he has got three
kids. Now he is happy."
Bilic compared West Ham with Payet to Barcelona with Lionel Messi where the
team always look for their star – but said now his side had more options.
"Now there is danger from here and from there, from the right, danger from
long balls," he said. So are his side now stronger without the enigatic
Frenchman? Bilic did not take the bait. "No, no, no," he insisted. "It looks
like that at the moment but you can judge that only if it continues in the
long term. And make no mistake, a really good Dimitri Payet would improve
our team. It would be stupid and even not fair to him to say now we are
better now."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic shrugs off claims his West Ham job is on the line: We are doing
a great job
MANAGERS like their teams to do their talking for them on the pitch, so
Slaven Bilic was delighted with the loud vote of confidence his West Ham
players gave him at St Mary's on Saturday.
By NICK SZCZEPANIK
PUBLISHED: 00:05, Mon, Feb 6, 2017 | UPDATED: 00:15, Mon, Feb 6, 2017
Express.co.uk

Reports last week suggested that club owners David Sullivan and David Gold
are considering replacing Bilic with former Manchester City manager Roberto
Mancini in the summer. That would seem to make little sense after a sixth
win in nine Premier League games took the Hammers into the top half of the
table. The only explanation for wanting to make a change, apart from an
extreme knee-jerk reaction to last week's 4-0 home defeat by Manchester
City, is that Bilic raised expectations last season that most managers would
have struggled to live up to. "Honestly, I don't understand those
questions," Bilic said. "I'm not the manager of Chelsea or Man City so we
are in a strange position that West Ham wasn't expected to be in. "I can say
without being big-headed, me and my staff are doing an excellent job here,
especially considering the difficulties of this season – changing of the
stadium, so many injured players, some of the transfers didn't work out, not
for the players and not for us. But we are swimming in those difficulties
really well."
Shrugging off the blow of Manolo Gabbiadini's early debut goal for
Southampton, West Ham hit back through Andy Carroll, Pedro Obiang and Mark
Noble, whose free-kick was sliced into his own net by Steven Davis. "Make no
mistake, that defeat [by City], especially when you lose at home, it hurt us
big time," Bilic added. "But I told the guys, 'Don't let this thing that
happened ruin our confidence. It was awful in some of the mistakes and
everything, but let's keep that momentum'. And that's exactly what we did.
"It's not easy, especially when you go behind, but that's why this win is
more than three points, because of the way we did it. It was really
fantastic. That shows the character of the team."

To outsiders, West Ham's recent form is all the more remarkable after the
drawn-out saga of Dimitri Payet's return to Marseille, especially as the
Frenchman had been the inspiration behind last season's improvement. "We
lost a great player, but these things happen in football and the team
reacted in the best possible way," Bilic said. "The boys showed in those
difficult situations that we ain't going to sink, we ain't going to crumble,
we are not going to go, 'Oh no, we have lost our talismanic player'. "No, we
have to take more responsibility, individually and as a team. And we want to
do it."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham were too predictable with Dimitri Payet, says Slaven Bilic as
manager praises his players for taking more responsibility
West Ham beat Southampton 3-1 at St Mary's on Saturday afternoon
Dimitri Payet left the club to join Marseille for £25million in January
The Hammers have notched three wins from four games since he left
By Riath Al-Samarrai for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:31, 5 February 2017 | UPDATED: 23:29, 5 February 2017

Even at his most optimistic, Slaven Bilic would have struggled to envision
how the incredible sulk might have such a positive effect on West Ham's
season. Far from sinking in the mess of Dimitri Payet's strop and exit, they
have climbed into the top half of the table with three wins from four league
games since the playmaker first went on strike to force his move to
Marseille. Southampton have taken three points from the last 21. Those
difficulties are well known and he listed them again - the new home, the
signings that didn't settle and the injuries. But it is the case of Payet
that has been most curious, namely because the side have done so well
without him. The 3-1 win at Southampton on Saturday was particularly
impressive. Bilic, for his part, has been admirably restrained in his
reflections on the Payet saga, but did make the interesting point that his
side has actually become more versatile and harder to read since his sale.
'When Barcelona have problems, they give the ball to Messi,' he said. 'When
Man City have problems, they give the ball to Silva. There are always those
kind of players. Without them, a lot of times it gives you more options
because now teams can't say, "We close Payet down and we are able to close
them down or we are able to take the ball". 'Now there is danger from here
and from there, from the right, danger from long balls. So that is good.
'Don't get me wrong, we lost a great player, but the boys showed in those
difficult situations that we ain't going to sink, we ain't going to crumble,
we are not going to go: "Oh no, we have lost our talismanic player". No, we
have taken more responsibility. 'Make no mistake, it would be stupid to say
we are better now (without him). But the team have responded well.'
As has Bilic to criticism of his own performance. He was bemused to the
point of irritation at suggestions in the past week that his job was under
threat. He said: 'I always try to be honest and I don't understand those
questions. I'm not the manager of Chelsea or Man City. I can say without
being big-headed, me and my staff are doing an excellent job here.'

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic hails post-Dimitri Payet morale following
defeat of Southampton at St Mary's
Tom Prentki, st mary's stadium
5 FEBRUARY 2017 • 10:30PM
telegraph.co.uk

Slaven Bilic has revealed that he never understood those questioning his
position prior to Christmas following a run in which West Ham failed to win
in seven matches. The east London club are currently in a rich vein of form,
having won six of their past nine games, and Bilic feels that a healthy dose
of perspective is required from supporters as the team rise back to the top
half of the Premier League. "I don't understand those questions," said the
Croatian. "Me and my staff are doing an excellent job here, especially
considering the difficulties of this season."

The difficulties he points to include injuries, the adjustment to playing in
the London Stadium and the protracted Dimitri Payet saga.
"Of course he is a great player but these things happen," said Bilic of the
French playmaker. One of those players who appears to be revelling in the
role of talisman following Payet's return to Marseille is Andy Carroll, who
has scored six times in 12 games, including the equaliser on Saturday. "He
is brilliant at everything," said Bilic of the former Liverpool striker. "He
has matured, he has got three kids. Now he is happy, and he is benefiting
from all that."

West Ham have been further bolstered by the arrivals of Robert Snodgrass
from Hull and Jose Fonte from Southampton, who looked lost without him and
Virgil Van Dijk at the heart of their defence. Bilic describes both signings
as "British players" given Fonte's extensive experience in the English game.
Though he failed to track the run of Manolo Gabbiadini for Southampton's
opener, Fonte turned in an otherwise assured performance in what he
described as a "strange afternoon" back at St Mary's. "Only a couple of
weeks ago I was a Southampton player so it was tough," said the Portuguese.
"I'm human. I think it's only normal that you feel something in your belly.
I played eight seasons at the club."

Despite insisting that 40 points was the priority for West Ham, Bilic
remains cautiously optimistic that, with his new recruits, the club can
start looking up, rather than down. "We go step-by-step and that is the only
way to look. Not just for us but for everybody, for every team around us.
Make no mistake it is not a negative. On the contrary, we are very
confident, very positive."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's players are stepping up to the plate without Dimitri Payet to
turn to, says Slaven Bilic
The Croat also addressed speculation linking former Manchester City manager
Roberto Mancini with his job
Nick Szczepanik
The Independent Football

Dimitri who? West Ham moved into the top half of the Premier League after
recording their sixth victory in nine matches at Southampton on Saturday and
the absence of Dimitri Payet was barely noticeable. The France midfield
player was so often held up as the inspiration behind the Hammers'
outstanding 2015-16 season that a slump in the club's fortunes would have
been the logical expectation after his return to Marseille. But according to
Slaven Bilic, the manager, the rest of the squad have responded to the
challenge of doing without him.

"Don't get me wrong, we lost a great player, but these things happen in
football and the team reacted in the best possible way," Bilic said. "We
have a great team spirit now, we have a really great work rate and
atmosphere in the camp. It wasn't because Payet left – Payet was brilliant -
but the boys showed in those difficult situations that we ain't going to
sink, we ain't going to crumble, we are not going to go: 'Oh no, we have
lost our talismanic player.' No, we have to take more responsibility,
individually and as a team. And we want to do it."

Bilic admitted that the players had been tempted to look to Payet first to
rescue unpromising situations. Without him, other destinations for passes
have to be considered, and, of course, opponents can no longer count on
stopping the entire team by bottling up one player. "It [happens]
everywhere," the Croat said. "When Barcelona have problems, they give the
ball to Messi. When Man City have problems, they give the ball to Silva.
There are always those kind of players. Now, without [Payet] of course with
people like Lanzini, you spread that. A lot of times it gives you more
options because now teams can't say: 'We close Payet down and we are able to
close them down, or we are able to take the ball off them.' Now there is
danger from here and from there, from the right, danger from long balls. So
that is good."

Ah yes, the danger from long balls, which brings us to Andy Carroll. At St
Mary's he showed his range of qualities, including a neat finish after a
well-timed run between the central defenders and a deft first touch. West
Ham became less of a threat after he was substituted as a precaution
following a twinge in his groin, which had also bothered him in the win
against Middlesbrough. But lesser strikers than Carroll will cause problems
to the Saints back four, weakened as they are by the absence of the injured
Virgil Van Dijk and the departure of Jose Fonte to West Ham. Fonte may end
up congratulating himself on his foresight in avoiding what may turn out to
be a relegation battle on the south coast.

West Ham, in contrast, are looking up again after a tough start to the
season, which makes questions about Bilic's position following reports late
last week that his employers are thinking about bringing in Roberto Mancini
in summer all the more surprising – not least to Bilic. "If you ask me
honestly, and I always try to be honest, I don't understand those
questions," he said. "I'm not the manager of Chelsea or Man City so we are
in a strange position that West Ham wasn't expected to be in.

"I can say without being big-headed, me and my staff are doing an excellent
job here, especially considering the difficulties of this season, the
changing of the stadium, so many injured players, some of the transfers
didn't work out, not for the players and not for us. But we are swimming in
those difficulties really well."

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