Daily WHUFC News - 10th March 2017

Slav expects to name strong squad
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic to name strong squad for Premier League trip to AFC Bournemouth
Andy Carroll, Robert Snodgrass, Jose Fonte and Michail Antonio all expected to be available
Cherries are without a win in their last eight top-flight matches ahead of Saturday's match

Slaven Bilic expects to name a strong squad for Saturday's trip to AFC Bournemouth, with Andy Carroll, Robert Snodgrass and Jose Fonte all recovering from minor knocks. Forward Michail Antonio also returns from suspension after missing the 2-1 defeat by Chelsea after his red card at Watford. Carroll and Snodgrass both needed treatment for cuts during Monday's 2-1 defeat against Chelsea at London Stadium, while Fonte picked up a slight strain, but all three players completed the full 90 minutes and the Hammers boss is confident of their involvement against the Cherries. "Andy and Robert both had cuts in the Chelsea game," he said. "Snodgrass had stitches [in his leg], and Andy in his eyebrow, but they are all right. Andy is fit. "Fonte also felt something, but we are very optimistic that he is going to be OK for the game on Saturday, so it all looks good."

The manager was speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash with Eddie Howe's side at the Vitality Stadium, where Hammers will aim to repeat last season's victory and make it three wins from their last four away matches. Three points would take West Ham back into the top ten, but Bilic is not looking too far ahead in terms of targets. "First, we have to secure our Premier League status," he confirmed. "There is still a big job to do and, as I've said before, we approach every game and try to win it and see where it's going to bring us. We want to and we have to finish the season strong."

Bournemouth go into Saturday's fixture winless in eight Premier League matches – a run that has seen them concede 21 goals and slip to 14th in the table, just six points above the relegation zone. However, last weekend saw Howe's ten men hold out for a valuable draw at Manchester United, and Bilic is anticipating a difficult afternoon on the south coast. "They didn't have a good run since that game against Arsenal [on 20 January] that they were winning 3-0 at home and they drew 3-3," he observed. "They've had a few defeats and a couple of draws but their last game would have given them a big boost in confidence and belief because to get a point against Man United at Old Trafford is always a great result, especially as they did it with ten men. "They played the whole second half with ten men, so we're expecting a really, really difficult game on a difficult, small pitch, with a good atmosphere, but we're looking forward to it."

While his focus is on squashing the Cherries, Bilic also found time to congratulate Vice-Chairman Karren Brady on being awarded Most Influential Woman in Football to mark International Women's Day on Wednesday. "I meet her once a month and we discuss everything," she said. "She is totally involved in everything, and the quality and effort and hours she puts in is great. "She is one of the biggest reasons why this Club is moving up."

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Johnson - We can compete
WHUFC.com

West Ham United U18s begin their Division One campaign of Premier League Phase Two on Friday against Chelsea (12.05pm KO)
The Hammers were beaten 3-0 by Chelsea two weeks ago
But Ben Johnson thinks their performance against the Blues shows they can compete with the top sides

Ben Johnson thinks previous performances will give West Ham United U18s belief that they can compete with the best teams in the country. The young Hammers begin the second phase of their U18 Premier League campaign against Chelsea on Friday, looking to avenge their 3-0 defeat to the Blues two weeks ago. Johnson has been a consistent performer for the U18s this season and is excited for the challenges that will present themselves over the coming weeks. He also thinks performances against Arsenal and Chelsea in their final two South division fixtures show that they can compete with the top teams. "I think we are very excited as a team," said Johnson. "We did it the hard way to reach the top four but we did, over the season, deserve to be in the top four really and I think we can compete against the bigger teams. "Arsenal in the second half, and probably throughout the whole game, we edged it. Against Chelsea, we rattled them in the first half but their quality came through but there's things we can work on and we can look at how they play. I think going into the game we are confident and hopefully we can get a result.

Johnson has shown versatility this season, playing right-back, right-midfield and centre-midfield and is keen to show coaches his full potential, in the hope of gaining regular football for the U23s. "I'm very pleased with how I've progressed this season," he continued. "I've played lots of different positions and I think I've done well but I think I should have had more of a shot playing for the U23s. "If I keep playing my football and keep working hard, I can show Mark [Phillips] and Steve [Potts] how good I am really and show them my full potential."

The Hammers found out their fixtures for PL Phase Two this week and Johnson says everyone in the team is looking forward to facing the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool. "Everyone is buzzing because you only know your level when you play against the best. We played against them (the top teams) last season and we did alright. "We drew five and lost two which was decent against the big teams. We need to strive to get more points on the board and put in some good performances and see where we go from there."

West Ham United U18s host Chelsea at Little Heath Sports Ground this Friday at 12.05pm. Parking and admission are both free.

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The Big Interview – Robert Snodgrass
WHUFC.com

Robert Snodgrass and his family are settling into life in London as a West Ham United player. The Scotland midfielder completed a £10.2m switch from Premier League rivals Hull City on 27 January, moving from a relegation battle into the relative comfort mid-table.
The 29-year-old sat down to speak about how his first few weeks as a Hammer have gone and his relationship with the Claret and Blue Army...

Snoddy, you've been here for about six weeks now, so how are you settling in after swapping life in Hull for life in London?

"It's going good. I'm trying to get used to my team-mates, the way they play and stuff. Everybody says it takes you a few months to settle in. "I've been trying to get my family down here as well, to make the change. The little ones are at school, so it takes time, but it's been pretty good as far as the playing side goes."

How have you found your new Club and surroundings?

"The size of the Club, it's huge. The training here is different and I you have got that feel that you are chasing the top half in the table, whereas Hull we were always thinking about relegations – they are different mindsets. To come here has been superb.
"[After a challenging first half of the season], now you are probably starting to see a squad coming together. "It was tough, because West Ham were hovering just above relegation zone when I played against them for Hull. But since I've been here I've not seen a team that should be fighting or even nearly fighting relegation. I've seen one that should be in the top half of the table. "There are big characters here, too, and that starts with the manager."

That game against Hull you spoke about was one which West Ham won 1-0, but 'The Post' won Man of the Match after your old team hit the woodwork on three occasions?

"It probably shows you on that day how good we were, Hull, we were very good. But West Ham won the game and that's what it takes.
"The fans have been superb, absolutely terrific. I think one thing you're always saying about West Ham fans, playing against them over the years, is that they get behind their team. They want that same sort of commitment that they show to the Club. "Most sets of fans are like that, certainly everywhere I've been [at Leeds United, Norwich City and Hull], as long as you put in that hard work and give them everything, come Saturday, they'll back you."

Being a Glaswegian, do you see similarities between West Ham fans and supporters of the Old Firm clubs, Celtic and Rangers?

"Yes, definitely. These are people who are working all week to take their kid to a football match and it's not cheap nowadays. They expect somebody to give them blood, sweat and tears for that jersey. "That's what it takes. If they know you've given everything, but still lose, they'll still back you because they'll know through the work you're putting that you appreciate them coming to support."

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Lanzini clinches Goal of the Month
WHUFC.com

Manuel Lanzini has won your vote to collect the whufc.com Goal of the Month prize for February.

Lanzini's crisp long-range strike against West Bromwich Albion on 11 February saw off the competition to land the award, and cap a fine month for the Argentine.

The West Ham No10 has scored three times and assisted twice more since the turn of the year and has been in sparkling form as Slaven Bilic's men have climbed towards the top half of the Premier League table.

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Bilic - I'll use Barca/PSG game as example
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic will use video of Barcelona's stunning victory over PSG to educate his players
Manager says Barca's comeback and Paris Saint-Germain's implosion were both informative
Bilic asked what he would have done in PSG manager Unai Emery's shoes

Slaven Bilic will use Barcelona's stunning UEFA Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain to educate his own West Ham United players.

The manager was among the millions who watched on as the Spanish giants overturned a 4-0 Round of 16 first-leg deficit by winning 6-1 at the Camp Nou, scoring three goals in the final seven minutes to complete a remarkable comeback.

While the vast majority of viewers and pundits focused on Barcelona's unforgettable performance, Bilic says he would also use the French side's implosion as an example.

"Of course I watched it," he confirmed. "It has to put a smile on your face because it was about everything that football is all about – the quality and the great goals.

"We are always talking about that 'it's never over' and yesterday was the best proof of that. We saw the quality of the Barcelona players and, on the other side, we saw top Champions League players with so many games in their career behind them crumble under such an amount of pressure in the last few minutes. It was unbelievable.

"It's a great game to use in talks with your players on both sides. You can talk about Barcelona and also about Paris Saint-Germain and all that. It was an unbelievable game to watch."

Bilic was asked how he would have acted if he were in the shoes of PSG manager Unai Emery, who watched his team allow Barcelona overturn a historic deficit to progress to the quarter-finals.

The former Sevilla boss admitted afterwards that his team had been the architects of their own downfall, making mistakes for each of Barcelona's opening two goals and conceding two penalties – the second a controversial award in added time which Neymar converted to make it 5-1 – while failing to maintain possession when they did have the ball.

"The only thing you can do in the last few minutes is to make a change," he observed. "The games like that usually start a little bit slowly and all that, but then when the game comes, that pace, mayhem, whatever you call it, is very difficult to stop.

"You need your leaders on the pitch to show their characters to stand up and to stop it, if you are Paris Saint-Germain, or do what Neymar did if you are Barcelona."

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Hammers-supporting Cowleys take aim at Gunners
WHUFC.com

Lincoln City's managerial duo Danny and Nicky Cowley are lifelong Hammers
The Imps have reached the Emirates FA Cup quarter-finals by winning six ties
Essex-born pair will lead their side into last-eight battle with Arsenal on Saturday

West Ham United's own Emirates FA Cup dreams may have faded and died, but the Hammers have three reasons to be interested in Saturday's sixth-round tie between Arsenal and giant-killers Lincoln City.

The Imps' historic run to the last-eight has been led by manager Danny Cowley, his assistant and brother Nicky and goalkeeper coach Jimmy Walker, all of whom have close ties to Claret and Blue.

The Essex-born Cowleys are lifelong Hammers, while Walker played 20 times for the Club and won promotion to the Premier League in 2005.

On Friday, all three will be at West Ham's historic Chadwell Heath training ground, where Lincoln have been invited to train ahead of their trip to the Emirates.

"Nicky and I are West Ham supporters," Danny confirmed. "We went home and away as kids, all over the place. One season we went to 36 of the 38 league games so we've loved our time supporting West Ham and we still support the Club now from afar.

"We watched the third-round game against Manchester City on the Friday night in the hotel ahead of our game at Ipswich. We were disappointed that night that West Ham lost, but quite proud we had managed to stay in the competition longer than them!"

Lincoln's FA Cup odyssey began back in October, when they beat Guiseley in the fourth qualifying round, and they have followed that with wins over Altrincham, Oldham Athletic, Championship club Ipswich Town, promotion-chasing Brighton & Hove Albion – managed by former Hammer Chris Hughton – and Premier League Burnley.

While that is recent history, Danny still readily recalls his and Nicky's first game at Upton Park.

Cowley"It was against Oxford United and Nicky was about four," he remembered. "We sat in the West Stand and I remember Tony Cottee scoring in about the 83rd minute. The crowd went mad and I was six or seven at the time and vividly remember as we scored, Nicky cried."

While the Cowleys' new-found fame – they were still teaching PE at an Essex school less than two years ago – and youthful appearances suggest a lack of management experience, the truth is that they spent eight seasons honing their craft with Canvey Island-based Concord Rangers.

There, they led the Beach Boys to three promotions, three Essex Senior Cups and the Isthmian League Cup and the FA Cup first round in 2015, before replacing Alan Devonshire as manager at National League Premier club Braintree Town 18 months ago.

After guiding the Iron to third place and a play-off semi-final, the siblings moved to Lincoln, who are now on course to end a six-year absence from the Football League.

"This is my tenth year in football management," Danny confirmed. "We had eight great years at Concord and managed three promotions in that time, we learnt an awful lot in that period.

"We had a great year last year at Braintree and have managed to come into Lincoln. We are respectful that if you get ahead of yourself in football it can come back to bite you on the bottom.

"We have a fantastic fan base and support, who are right behind us, we want to keep working hard and see where it takes us."

*Lincoln City's Emirates FA Cup sixth-round tie at Arsenal will be screened live by BT Sport on Saturday 11 March, with kick-off at 5.30pm

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LUNCHTIME ROUND UP: HAMMERS KEEN ON MALCUIT? TRIO FIT FOR CHERRIES TRIP, HAMMERS FAVOURITES TO SIGN GYLFI?
BY DAN CHAPMAN ON 9 MARCH 2017 AT 12:42PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Good afternoon Hammers. Here is today's lunchtime round up.

Michail Antonio says the defeat to Chelsea on Monday hurt more than any defeat this season. (Daily Star)

Its always difficult to take a loss in the Premier League, even more so when you are suspended. Luckily Michail is back on Saturday and he can hopefully push us towards three points.

West Ham are allowing Lincoln City to use the Chadwell Heath training ground to prepare for their FA Cup game against Arsenal. (Daily Star)

West Ham are eager to land St Etienne full back Kevin Malcuit this summer. (Tribal Football)

I have personally not seen him play, but he has been getting very good reviews from people. If he is as good as what some people have said, then I am all for this signing.

West Ham are expecting fresh interest in Andy Carroll from the Chinese Super League at the end of the season. (Daily Mirror)

Of course there is going to be interest in Andy, but I can not see this happening. He loves West Ham and the fans love him, and I do not want to see him leave us. On his day there is no other player like him.

Chelsea striker Diego Costa says West Ham are easier to play against at the London Stadium. (The Sun)

What Costa has said is true, but these things take time. I am sure that next season, we will be a lot harder to play against due to new signings, bigger crowds etc. We can make the London Stadium a fortress in my opinion.

Slaven Bilic says that Andy Carroll, Robert Snodgrass and Jose Fonte will all be fit to face Bournemouth on Saturday. (Essex Live)

I am glad they are all fit, but I hope Snodgrass is left on the bench this weekend. He was disappointing on Monday for me, plus with Antonio returning and Ayew putting in some good performances, I can't see how Slav can leave them two out in favour of Snodgrass.

West Ham are the favourites to sign Swansea play maker Gylfi Sigurdsson this summer. (Essex Live)

I would take Sigurdsson in a heartbeat. He is an incredible player and he would be an asset to any team in the league. He will be an expensive signing, but one that would be well worth the money.

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Darren Randolph puts Michail Antonio in WWE move and gets a reaction from Wrestlemania 33 star Chris Jericho
The Hammers keeper demonstrated his wrestling skills on team-mate Michail Antonio and is now being followed by Jericho who wants him to improve his technique!
The Mirror
BYMARC ISAACS
17:27, 9 MAR 2017UPDATED18:01, 9 MAR 2017

West Ham United keeper Darren Randolph has been showing off his WWE moves in training and it has caught the attention of wrestling star Chris Jericho. Randolph was joking with close friend Michail Antonio when he decided to pin him to the ground and use Jericho's favourite close-out move - The Walls of Jericho to make him 'submit'. The Hammers No.1 was not finished just yet and he continued to make Antonio pay as he wrapped his arms around him and forced the England forward to tap the floor in defeat.

West Ham United ✔ @WestHamUtd
.@Randzofficial with the #WallsOfJericho! 😂
Looking for some new talent, @TripleH?
4:00 PM - 8 Mar 2017
547 547 Retweets 992 992 likes

West Ham were quick to make a joke of the incident posting the video on their official Twitter site with the captain 'Looking for some new talent, @TripleH?' The Hollywood star has yet to respond, but the action has not gone un-noticed in America and Jericho, who has over three million followers responded with the following tweet. 'You gotta cinch that in better, mate!'

It remains to be seen how the Hammers keeper will take that advice on board but he seemed happy that his moves were caught on camera. The Republic of Ireland keeper will be hoping for more smiles at the weekend when his Hammers side travel to face Bournemouth in the Premier League. Jericho, meanwhile, will step up his preparations to defend his US title at Wrestlemania 33 on April 2 when he fights former best friend Kevin Owens in Orlando, Florida.

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West Ham's London Stadium transformation costs to be probed by Moore Stephens
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 09/03/17 3:01pm
SSN

Sky Sports News HQ can reveal that accountancy firm Moore Stephens has been appointed to investigate the rising costs of the transformation of the London Olympic Stadium into the home venue for West Ham. The firm has been tasked with looking into the increased costs by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who ordered the investigation late last year. Transformation costs have reached £323m, more than £50m over the estimates to convert it into a 60,000 multi-purpose venue. Mayor Khan announced his investigation in November after Sky News learned that the estimated annual cost of moving "retractable" seats, installed to improve the view for football, had risen to £8m, and that moving the seats back and forth for summer events including athletics could take a month. West Ham have a 99-year lease on the venue and pay an annual rent of £2m - they also contributed £15m towards the conversion costs. Draft findings are due to be presented to the Greater London Assembly by June 2017 and a public report published in the summer.

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Slaven Bilic has a message for West Ham fans about Robert Snodgrass criticism
The Hammers boss has backed his January signing
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
13:00, 9 MAR 2017UPDATED13:04, 9 MAR 2017

Slaven Bilic has defended recent recruit Robert Snodgrass after he came in for criticism following West Ham's 2-1 reverse to Chelsea on Monday night. The £10m signing from Hull City in the January transfer window appeared to have settled in well with good showings against Man City and Southampton but hasn't had the same impact against Watford and Chelsea. The Scottish international was excellent in the first 20 minutes on Monday night but fell away, leading to criticism from West Ham fans on social media. But Bilic has stuck up for Snodgrass, saying a dip can happen and that he is more than happy with his January signing. "Sometimes it's very common for new players when they join. They make a great impact first and they have a little dip but he has done really good for us," Bilic said.
"He is a great professional. Statistically he and [Michail] Antonio are the best runners with intensity, I am happy with him. "In the Chelsea game he was good first half, he was the one that caused them a lot of problems. In the second half he was OK but I am more than happy with him overall."

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Slaven Bilic responds when asked if West Ham United want to sign Kevin Malcuit
HITC
John Verrall

West Ham United are expected to add to their team during the summer transfer window. Slaven Bilic has refused to answer questions over whether West Ham United are interested in St. Etienne defender Kevin Malcuit at his press conference earlier today, which was broadcast on the Hammers' official Facebook page. According to TalkSPORT, West Ham have an interest in signing Malcuit in the summer, with Bilic on the lookout for defensive additions. And when asked whether the rumours are true, Bilic insisted that he didn't want to talk about transfers at this stage of the season. "We are not, not because of the names, it's not because I don't want to discuss the names, but we don't even have one eye on it [the transfer window]," the Croatian boss said. "Of course, we are preparing. We've been preparing in December of for the new season, and one part of that is looking at long future plans. But we are fully concentrated on Bournemouth and the remainder of this season."
West Ham are expected to be highly active in the summer transfer window, as they look to build on their current squad. The Hammers have enjoyed a season of mixed success so far this campaign. West Ham started the season terribly, and although they have recovered over recent months - they only look set to finish in mid-table. Part of the reason why Bilic's side have struggled at times this season has been because of their lack of defensive options, meaning the London side are expected to sign new defenders ahead of next campaign. West Ham are currently in 11th place in the Premier League standings.

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Slaven Bilic will use Barcelona's incredible comeback win over PSG to inspire his West Ham players
Barcelona staged an incredible comeback to advance past PSG
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic intends to use the win as inspiration
He described the Champions League last-16 tie as 'unbelievable to watch'
The Hammers play in the Premier League at Bournemouth on Saturday
By Sam Cunningham for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 12:42, 9 March 2017 | UPDATED: 12:42, 9 March 2017

Slaven Bilic intends to use Barcelona's incredible comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League as motivation for his own players facing adversity on the field. Luis Enrique's players made history on Wednesday night when they became the first team to overturn a 4-0 first-leg deficit, scoring three goals in the last seven minutes of the game including two in stoppage time. The match ended 6-1 — for Barcelona to pip PSG 6-5 in the tie — and has been hailed as one of the greatest comebacks in European competition and Bilic will now use it as an example for his own squad to prove that anything is possible in football. It is a great game that you can use in talks with your players,' West Ham's manager said. 'Not only Barcelona but also from the PSG side. It was an unbelievable to watch. 'The only thing you can do in the last few minutes is make a change. Games like that normally start slowly but then, when the game comes and that pace or mayhem comes, it is very difficult to stop it. 'You need your leaders on the pitch to show their characters on the pitch and to stop it, if you are PSG or to do what Neymar did yesterday.'
Bilic added: 'I watched it. It has to put a smile on your face, it was everything that football is all about; quality, great goals. We are always talking about it not being over and that game is proof of that. 'You see the quality of the players and on the other hand how big, massive players with a lot of experience in the Champions League and so many games behind them in their careers and even they crumbled under such amount of pressure in the last five minutes. That is unbelievable.'

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Slaven Bilic's joke with West Ham press officer which had the whole room laughing
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic faced reporters at Rush Green and had an excellent response to one question on Lincoln City
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
11:35, 9 MAR 2017UPDATED11:37, 9 MAR 2017

Slaven Bilic was left bemused by the media at his press conference this morning. It had been relatively straight-forward for the boss until the point he was asked if Lincoln City were training at West Ham's Rush Green training complext tomorrow. The Imps have an historic FA Cup quarter final against Arsenal this weekend, the first ever non-league side to reach that stage of the competition.
Bilic turned to his head of media, sitting next to him at the press conference and said: "You never tell me anything" which caused much laughter within the assembled press and a sheepish grin from Bilic's media man. It turns out that Lincoln, whose manager Danny Cowley is a big West Ham fan, are training at Chadwell Heath - the home of the Hammers academy - on Friday ahead of their clash with the Gunners at the Emirates.

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West Ham confident Jose Fonte will be fit for Bournemouth match
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

West Ham are hopeful Jose Fonte will face Bournemouth on Saturday. The centre-half was hurt during the 2-1 defeat by Chelsea at the London Stadium on Monday. Boss Slaven Bilic said: "Fonte felt something and is a bit of a doubt but we are optimistic he will be fit."
Striker Andy Carroll and midfielder Robert Snodgrass both suffered cuts against Chelsea but can play at the Vitality Stadium while Michail Antonio has completed his one-match ban. Bournemouth will be missing Tyrone Mings as he starts a five-match suspension for stamping on Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Bilic said: "There is maybe a 20 per cent chance that it wasn't deliberate and that he didn't see him - but it looked dangerous." West Ham have been linked with a summer move for St Etienne full-back Kevin Malcuit. However, Bilic said: "I don't want to discuss the names. We have been preparing since December for next season but right now we are only concentrating on Bournemouth."

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WEST HAM'S FINANCIAL SITUATION REVEALED
By Sean Whetstone 9 Mar 2017 at 08:00
WTID

Three and a half years ago I wrote my first article for WHTID on West Ham finances for Iain. Today I am back to give an update on the finances after the company accounts were released at the end of Feb.

Hammers leapfrog Everton

West Ham's newly announced financial accounts show increases in all areas as the club continues on a big upward curve over taking both Everton and Newcastle in terms of financial might with the seventh highest turnover in the Premier League. Last year West Ham sat in ninth position in the Premier League's turn-over table on £121m behind Newcastle (7th £129m) and Everton (8th £126m).

Last year Everton earned £82.5m from TV money, £17.6m from ticket sales, £9.3m from retail and £12m from commercial activities which saw a £4m decrease in turn-over to £121.5m. Newcastle were relegated to devastating financial consequences.

Record breaking figures

The Hammers turnover increased 17.7% to £142.1m and within that figure ticket sales for the last season at the Boleyn Ground rose to an impressive £26.9m

TV rights income grew to £86.7m and Commercial and sponsorship revenue was up by 31% to £19m while Retail and merchandising sales grew by 29% to £9.3m.

The club managed to record an operating profit of £31.5m excluding player trading but this was reduced to a more modest profit of £1.2m before taxation. The club recorded a £4.8m loss on the books when other factors where included after spending £53.3m on bringing in new players which saw us take on a total wage bill £84.7m and invest £4m in Rush Green training ground. A further £45.7m was spent on players during the 2016/2017 season.

The external bank loans were completely paid off in July 2016 following the sale of the Boleyn Ground with the accounts claiming an £8m profit in the sale.

The Boleyn Ground and land was sold to developers for £38m with £15m going to pay off bank debts that were mortgaged against it and a further £15m going to stadium owners LLDC to contribute to the £323m transition costs of the former Olympic Stadium.

Playing Catch-up

While it is great that the Hammers have jumped up to 7th spot they remain a long way behind the top six in terms of financial might. Manchester United leads the pack with £515.3m followed by Manchester City on £392m, Arsenal are third on £350m and Chelsea fourth on £329m.

Liverpool and Spurs have yet to announce their figures but Liverpool recorded figures of £298m in 2015 while Spurs had a £196m turnover in 2015 so we are unlikely to catch them up any time soon.

Brady pay rise

West Ham owners rewarded West Ham Vice Chairman, Karren Brady with a 40% pay increase although she remains a long way behind the club's top earners.The highest paid West Ham director employed by parent group WH Holding was paid £907,000 up from £646,000 in 2015. Her £261,000 increase came in the last season at the Boleyn Ground as the Hammers prepared to move the London Stadium.

In 2011 after the Sullivan and Gold takeover, the highest West Ham paid director earned £256,000 but that was increased to £427,000 in 2012.

In 2013 Karren Brady earned £1.63m which included a £1m bonus for winning the London Stadium tenancy deal although the bonus payments are thought to have been staggered over five years. In 2014 her salary returned to £636,000 with a modest £10,000 rise in 2015 to £646,000.

Her £907,000 yearly pay packet pales into insignificance given those earned by her London Premier League rivals. Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy and Arsenal's CEO Ivan Gazidis for example both paid themselves £2.6m per year in 2016. And with the average Premier League footballer earnings £44,000 per week (or £2.2m per year and average squad players earn well over £1m).

Debt situation eases

Icelandic shareholders CH Holdings and David Sullivan acted as joint bankers in 2013 loaning over £32m to the club between them. The remaining £14.76m repayment was paid back in full in July to both shareholders with interest who stepped in and acted as banks after high street banks previously turned the club down.

The club also paid off the first repayment of shareholder loans including seven per cent interest last August worth £4.2m to the owners Sullivan.

The accounts say the first repayment to Gold and Sullivan relate to shareholder loans dating back to 2011. The shareholders have loaned £49.2m in total between them which has been bumped up to £61.5m with a further £12.3m of accrued interest. Although it appears the remaining £57.3m of shareholders loan was due to be paid back on 1st January 2017, a post financial year note on 3rd October last year says the pay back of the remainder of the share holders loans will now be deferred until 1st January 2020.

Despite being bank debt free the club continued to loan money from pay day lenders tied to their TV money income. The Hammers repaid £30m of loans from JG Funding in May last year but took out a new credit facility with lenders Media and Rights Funding worth another £30m which is payable by July this year through direct payments by the Premier League to the lenders.

The Premier League are looking to outlaw offshore lenders and while Media and Rights Funding is registered with the FCA it's funding comes from the British Virgin Islands so it remains to be seen how how these arrangements can carry on for.

Onwards and upwards

The figures are moving in the right direction. Next year's figures which are unlikely to released until next February are likely to smash the £200m barrier! In those accounts will be the £38m income for the sale of the Boleyn ground, the first year of the new bumper TV deal worth £128m for finishing in seventh spot, ticket sales at the London Stadium is expected to rise by £13m to around £40m. You would expect commercial and sponsorship to rise by another 30% to around £25m and retail to double to £19m in an enlarged and expanded mega store.

Incredibly our turnover for the year ending 31st May 2017 could come in at a staggering £250 million. In 2012 our turnover was just £46m following relegation.

Always happy to answer financial related questions to the best of my ability in the comments section below.

Sean

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West Ham can solve problem position for £5m, summer deal on cards
By Gareth McKnight - March 9, 2017208 0
ninetyminutesonline.com

West Ham United are set to make a major effort to sign a new right-back this summer and could land Kevin Malcuit from Saint-Etienne for £5 million, according to The Mirror. The Hammers have struggled in the full-back position this term, with Alvaro Arbeloa consistently injured, Sam Byram not impressing and Cheikhou Kouyate forced to play out of position. Right-back has been an area that West Ham have struggled with for some time, with Michail Antonio previously asked to play there but admitting he wanted to operate further forward. Malcuit has impressed for the modest Ligue 1 side this season and as such the 25-year-old has been linked with a move to English football on a number of occasions. The defender has come through the divisions in the French game but has performed well in the 18 top-flight starts he has made for Saint-Etienne this term. The report stipulates that West Ham could bring Malcuit to the Premier League for a bargain fee and that finding a new right-back was a priority for Slaven Bilic's men this summer.

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The numbers which prove West Ham MUST play three at the back to get the best from Kouyate
Cheikhou Kouyate's struggles at right-back can be countered by playing him as one of three central defenders or in midfield
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
06:30, 9 MAR 2017

A goal difference this season of minus ten tells its own story as West Ham continue to be one of the most inconsistent sides in the Premier League this season. When looking at the formations the Hammers are deploying and what results come from them, it's clear that when West Ham play four at the back, they struggle defensively. Offensively they score goals as well but it's the backline and shipping goals which is the obvious concern.
On paper, Cheikhou Kouyate, Winston Reid and Jose Fonte are three very good centre backs. Reid is a contender for Hammer of the Year, Fonte has shown his quality since his £8m signing and Kouyate - who is obviously a better midfielder – is good as part of a three-man defence with his strong presence.
When West Ham play three centre halves, they have conceded 13 goals, including before Fonte's arrival included when Angelo Ogbonna and James Collins have featured. With a four-man defence though, West Ham have leaked 31 of their 46 goals. That includes Sam Byram, Kouyate, Alvaro Arbeloa and Havard Nordtveit featuring in that extremely problematic right back slot. Kouyate's stats drop dramatically when he is shifted to the orthodox position, with his rating on WhoScored going from above 7 at either centre half or centre midfield to 6.3. Monday's first goal for Chelsea came down Kouyate's side, he was nutmegged by Nacer Chadli as well for West Brom's first goal on their 2-2 draw at the London Stadium. Manolo Gabbiadini's opener for Southampton – though the Hammers would win the game 3-1 – came from Kouyate's side of the field. That's not to put a downer on the Senegalese man at all, it's not his fault he is a square peg being played in a round hole. West Ham need him either at centre half or in centre midfield.
Another quite alarming stat is the Hammers have made 24 defensive errors in goalscoring positions this season and 14 of those have led to the opposition scoring. Take that down to an individual error count and ten of those have led to West Ham conceding. That's why West Ham have managed to keep a grand total of only six clean sheets so far this season. The lads will certainly need to tighten up if they are to remain in a top-ten position this season, otherwise it will be a long end to the campaign.

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Michail Antonio: I hated watching West Ham lose to Premier League champions-elect Chelsea
ALEX YOUNG
Evening Standard

Michail Antonio "hated" having to watch West Ham lose to Chelsea from the sidelines, but concedes Antonio Conte's side will likely finish the season as Premier League champions. The 26-year-old missed just his second top-flight game of the season on Monday after being sent off in the 1-1 draw with Watford. Goals from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa were too much as Chelsea restored their 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League, and Antonio hopes for a more positive result when he returns to face Bournemouth at the weekend.
"I hate having to watch and didn't really know what to do with myself when I was watching the game," he admitted. "You always want to play your part, but I wasn't able to. Hopefully we can turn it around on Saturday. "Playing Bournemouth brings back memories of my goal against them earlier in the season. It's a good memory and good to be in the history books for the first goal at London Stadium, so hopefully I can get another one down there. "We've been on a good run away from home, and Monday's game won't knock us back in any way. We'll we raring to go. "We started off so well against Chelsea and had a lot of possession. I thought we were running the game, and then one slight mistake led to a counter-attack and they punished us. "I think we lost to the champions. They are a good team – a good attacking team – and that's why they're clear by a few points at the top of the table."

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West Ham star Andy Carroll linked with summer exit to Chinese Super League
HITC
Jordan Harris

Andy Carroll was linked with a move away from West Ham during the recent window, and it appears the CSL has not lost interest. A report in the Daily Mirror has suggested that West Ham could have to field offers for striker Andy Carroll during the summer window with the Chinese Super League once again interested in his signature. The Mirror reports that the Hammers had to fend off interest from three CSL sides during the final days of the recent Chinese transfer window. While the clubs were ready to offer the Irons £32 million for their injury-prone forward, the Mirror reports that West Ham were not prepared to sell, and it is not difficult to see why, given that the English window was closed, leaving Slaven Bilic without an opportunity to sign a replacement until the summer.
But the Mirror is now suggesting that those same clubs may get a different answer if they try again in the next window. Carroll is entering the final two years of £100,000 a week deal, and his ongoing problems with injury - coupled with the fact that Bilic would be able to sign a replacement - means that it would surely be extremely tempting if they were offered the chance to make a significant profit on the former Liverpool man.
On his day, Carroll has shown that he can be extremely difficult to play against. But if Bilic wants to lead West Ham back towards the European places in the Premier League, then perhaps he should target a forward who enjoys a lot more luck when it comes to spells on the sidelines.

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Revealed: Gokhan Tore's West Ham spell derailed by teammate
By Eren Sarigul - March 9, 20170
turkish-football.com

West Ham United winger Gokhan Tore revealed that he sustained his season ended injury via a teammate during training. Tore told reporters in Turkey that one of his West Ham teammate's caused his knee injury following a heavy tackle during training. The former Chelsea winger also heaped praise on the Hammers boss Slaven Bilic. "Slaven Bilic was always like my brother, a teacher I love so much, I also like working with him," Tore told the Turkish newspaper Fanatik. "I was transferred to England at the beginning of the season. I picked up a knee injury in the pre-season camp in the summer which put me back three-four weeks from match form. "After that I made a great effort to return to the first team. I went on to play six matches but there was another problem. During the preparations for the Crystal Palace match I was injured three minutes before the end of my workout. "My team mate entered a tackle hard and I felt something in my knees. The doctors looked and decided to carry out surgery."
The Turkey international joined the Hammers from Besiktas on a season-long loan deal at the start of the season. However, the flamboyant winger suffered an injury during the pre-season before making a string disappointing displays for Slaven Bilic's side. It would be unfair to criticise Tore too harshly seeing that West Ham as a whole were performing poorly during the opening months of the season. Things went from bad to worse for Tore when he sustained a knee injury during training which effectively ended his season. The Turkey international has undergone an operation and is expected to return next season. West Ham suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of their London rivals Chelsea on Monday. Slaven Bilic's side take on Bournemouth in the Premier League this weekend.

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