Daily WHUFC News - 8th March 2017

Snodgrass - It could have been different
WHUFC.com

Robert Snodgrass says West Ham United played well in defeat by leaders
Chelsea
Scotland midfielder pointed to missed chances and clinical finishing from
the Blues
No11 admitted Antonio Conte's side were a tough nut to crack after they went
in front

Robert Snodgrass says the Hammers can hold their heads high, despite going
down to a 2-1 Premier League defeat by Chelsea on Monday evening. West Ham
United more than held their own against the runaway league leaders, only for
goals either side of half-time from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa to leave
them with a mountain to climb. To their credit, the hosts stuck to their
task at London Stadium and were rewarded by Manuel Lanzini's added-time
goal, but it was too little, too late to prevent a well-drilled Chelsea side
from recording yet another top-flight victory. "They are a horrible team to
go behind against because, when they score first, it's programmed into their
strategy that they will be very hard to break down," the impressive
Snodgrass observed. "In the first half we started well, passed the ball and
created some decent chances and if we'd taken them it would have been a
different game, but that's why they are flying high at the top. They've got
a very good defensive record and at times, it was difficult to break them
down. "I thought we played quite well at times in the game, but they
punished us when they got the chance."

Chelsea's opener came when Lanzini's free-kick hit the wall and bounced to
Mark Noble. The captain shaped to cross, but was robbed of possession deep
inside the Chelsea half, only for the visitors to break 70 yards at speed
before Hazard rounded Darren Randolph to score. West Ham out-passed and
out-shot their opponents, but found it difficult to break down Antonio
Conte's well-organised side after falling behind. The mountain got even
steeper when Costa bundled in Cesc Fabregas's corner, which was
inadvertently flicked on by Pedro Obiang, and the Scotland international
paid a grudging respect to the way the Blues played out the final 40-odd
minutes.

Robert Snodgrass"They are obviously very good at counter-attacking and
sometimes when it's like that we could have maybe taken a foul on the
halfway line," Snodgrass conceded. "That said, they did really well to get
it forward so quickly. I thought we were the better team in the first half,
so to go in a goal behind was difficult to get back from. "When you see
Chelsea play week-in, week-out, they don't really concede and there is a
method behind that. You can see that when you play against them too, because
they put five behind the ball and defensively Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso
tuck in. We knew they'd do that. "It's frustrating because if we'd taken
those chances we created in the first half, it would have been a different
game."

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Stat's A Fact - 50 up for Lanzini
WHUFC.com

A goal and a great performance, just not the right result as West Ham
United's Manuel Lanzini made his 50th Premier League appearance for the
club. Chelsea's Eden Hazard and Diego Costa scored as the visitors went two
up, but it was Lanzini who got the Hammers' consolation goal to round off
what had been another impressive display by the Argentinian.

Lanzini's goal was a cool finish in to the bottom corner in added time at
the end of 90 minutes, and was his sixth in the current campaign.

In total, the Argentinian had four shots during the course of Monday night's
match, more than any player on the pitch and he also completed the most
amount of successful dribbles (three).

His 73 passes were completed at a success rate of 89 per cent: third-best
for the Hammers behind Mark Noble and Winston Reid (who both played fewer
minutes), and bettered only by N'Golo Kanté for the opponents.

Lanzini was a constant threat for the hard-working Hammers and his 97
touches reflect how his subtle movement consistently made him an open option
for his teammates- only deep-lying midfielders Pedro Obiang (108) and Cesc
Fabregas (99) made more touches.

Defensively, Manuel put in a shift as he made a total of four key
interceptions – again more than any player on the park. He also covered the
second-most amount of ground by a West Ham player at 11.84 km, with Robert
Snodgrass' 12.10 km topping the charts.

The Argentinian has been enjoying an excellent up-turn in form since the
turn of the year and is not just proving an instrumental link between the
Hammers' midfield and attack but has chipped with a goal or two as well!

Since joining the Hammers in August 2015, Lanzini has scored 12 Premier
League goals to date. Impressively, eight of those have come in London
derbies. Yesterday's finish was his second against Chelsea, after he scored
during the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge last March, whilst he has also netted
against capital counterparts Crystal Palace (four times) and Tottenham
Hotspur (twice).

Broken down, his 12 goals are made up of nine right-footed strikes and three
left-footed.

Monday night's strike was his third in the last four appearances at London
Stadium, highlighting the rich vein of form he is in.

It is not just goals however where Lanzini has been important in the big
games. He has grown in to being West Ham United's key creative outlet,
contributing assists and key passes at will.

There is no doubt that, if Lanzini can continue his recent form and deliver
more performances akin to Monday night's, the results will follow for West
Ham United. Next up for the Hammers, they visit Bournemouth's Vitality
Stadium – can the Argentinian make it goal number 13?

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London Stadium named Stadium of the Year
WHUFC.com

London Stadium has been named Stadium of the Year in a prestigious
competition voted for by a jury of five highly-respected architects
recognised for their work in stadium design.

In the award hosted by leading industry design magazine Stadium DB, West Ham
United's home pipped the Vodafone Arena in Istanbul and Stadium FK Krasnodar
in Russia to claim the top honour, selected from the best new stadia around
the world to have opened in the past 12 months.

Other stadiums around the world nominated included the much-heralded Hard
Rock Stadium in Miami, home of the Miami Dolphins NFL team, and the Allianz
Stadion in Austria, home of Rapid Vienna.

Following the 2012 Olympic Games, the Stadium underwent a multi-million
pound conversion to turn it into West Ham United's iconic new home, and that
vision and innovation has now been praised by industry experts from across
the globe.

In the voting, London Stadium was the only nominated venue to earn a maximum
mark of 10 in two of the three qualifying criteria - visual impact, relation
to surroundings and innovation.

In his summary, jury member Robert Mankin, who gave the London Stadium
conversion 10 out of 10 in innovation, said: "Although the conversion has
taken some time, this is an excellent case study for adaptation of an
Olympic legacy facility. The final result feels fresh and new, and the
integration into the surrounding park is quite well done."

Przemek Kaczkowski said: "Super-light cover structure, smart incorporation
of floodlighting and flexibility make it a spectacular masterpiece of
engineering. Interior view of the stadium is impressive and well
recognizable."

Since re-opening in its current design, London Stadium has quickly developed
its own history and has already played host to a number of impressive West
Ham United displays, including a night few will forget when the Hammers beat
Chelsea 2-1 to knock the Premier League leaders out of this season's EFL
Cup.

Not only that, but Andy Carroll scored one of the greatest Premier League
goals of all time on the turf of London Stadium in our 3-0 win over Crystal
Palace on January 14.

Hammers boss Slaven Bilic said: "It is fantastic for London Stadium to be
recognised in this way, and credit to the huge amount of hard work that has
gone into making West Ham United's home one of the most iconic and
recognisable venues in the world.

"With the third highest capacity in English football, we have a stadium that
truly reflects the ambition and potential of this great football club, and I
firmly believe that our supporters can look forward to a very exciting
future here."

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FT - West Ham United PL2 1-1 Stoke City
WHUFC.com

West Ham United PL2 1-1 Stoke City

FT: The referee calls full time on this one, and the Hammers settle for just
one point this evening. As dominant as they were, they couldn't breach the
Stoke defence for a second time, and it finishes 1-1. The draw does no harm
to their play-off chances, and we travel to Newcastle United on Monday in
hope of further increasing our chances of finishing in the top five. Over
and out from London Stadium.

90+1: Well, Fletcher might have! Knoyle plays a nice ball over the top into
the right hand side of the box for the striker but, heading to the byline,
the former Manchester United man fires into the side netting.

90: Four added minutes here at London Stadium. Stoke seem very happy with a
point, but can the Hammers snatch all three?

88: Holland plays in a teasing cross, and the keeper punches to Makasi on
the edge of the box, but the midfielder lashes a volley over.

85: Time's running out! The hosts continue with the pressure, but still
nothing to trouble Isted too much.

79: Chance for Fletcher! The forward is slipped in by Knoyle but can't find
the target from a tight angle. Double substitution for the Hammers now. Noha
Sylvestre and Grady Diangana come on to replace Masuaku and Fernandes.

76: Getting closer. The Hammers put together a couple of good attacks to win
two corners. Stoke clear both, but the pressure is on the visitors.

73: Nathan Holland tries his customary cut-in and shoot from the left once
again, but it flies a couple of yards wide.

68: Straight into the wall from the Norwegian.

67: Good chance this, for West Ham. A free-kick from about 25 yards out -
similar to Kemp's - but this time left of centre. Samuelsen and Holland are
behind this...

64: Phew. A real let-off for Moses Makasi. Turning inside his own penalty
area, the midfielder tries to play the ball back to keeper Trott but
inadvertently plays Devlin straight in on goal. Somehow, the forward misses
from six yards.

62: Decent strike by Jarvis from 25 yards, but again it doesn't trouble
Trott who catches the effort with ease. Both sides struggling to create any
real openings so far in this second period. Patience is key.

55: With Quina injured in that first half, Samuelsen is now the man behind
Fletcher and is looking to create things at every opportunity. Nothing quite
falling for him yet, however.

52: The Hammers have most certainly started the second half on top. Another
couple of chances come and go. First, Isted flaps a cross and Samuelsen gets
a chance to shoot, but it's well blocked. Then, Holland comes inside as he
loves to do and fires it just wide of the far post. Encouraging!

50: Great effort! Kemp takes and curls it towards the far post by Isted
leaps to his right to deny the winger.

49: Lewis Banks is booked for a foul on Kemp. Free-kick in a decent
position...

48: Early chance for Stoke to take the lead. Devlin gets to the byline and
pulls it back for Ngoy, and the forward stabs at goal but Trott juggles with
it on the line before getting it under control. Close call.

46: We're back underway at London Stadium. Let's make it two out of two
here! Come on you Irons!

HT: That's it for the first half. The Hammers dominated the majority of
that, but one costly error means it's level at the break. Work to do.

44: Close! Fernandes almost with an identical goal. He gets inside the box
to the right hand side and fires low across Isted, but this time the keeper
gets down well to turn it behind. A fantastic save.

43: West Ham have been playing with ten men for six minutes, but finally the
ball goes out and Kemp can be introduced.

40: Stoke build an attack almost immediately after and Jarvis gets a shot
away from just outside the penalty area, but Trott is right behind it.

39: On the pitch, the Hammers put together a nice move, but it results in
Knoyle slightly over-hitting a cross from the right. Unlucky.

37: That's game over for Domingos Quina. The Portuguese was on the end of a
strong challenge and limps off towards the bench. Dan Kemp is readying
himself.

35: City have been galvanised by that penalty. They almost score again as
first Devlin fails to covert a dangerous cross before Jarvis' effort from 12
yards is well blocked.

33: Extremely frustrating for West Ham to concede that equaliser. You rarely
see Declan Rice put a foot wrong at the back, but he got the wrong side of
Hill and definitely clipped the midfielder as he tried to nick the ball.

30: After picking up that knock, Edwards is going to be unable to continue
here. Andrew Cherdieu is his replacement at right-back.

27: Goal. Stoke's Julien Ngoy steps up to put it out of reach of Trott, to
the keeper's right.

26: Penalty for Stoke! Ryan Hill is tripped by Declan Rice and they have a
chance to equalise against the run of play.

25: Not far away! Masuaku lines up a shot from all of 30 yards, and despite
dipping as it neared the goal, it flies a couple of feet over. Why not have
a go!

24: Short stoppage in play as Edwards receives treatment after picking up a
knock. Still, the Hammers are on top. They'll want to capitalise on this and
try to add a second before the break.

18: Masuaku is looking really sharp tonight. The Frenchman bursts forward
again and makes his way into the box and towards the byline, by Stoke get
the tackle in to clear for a corner. The visitors get rid of the set piece.

14: The pressure continues from the hosts. Masuaku works space for a cross
on the left and, firing across into the box, finds Fletcher. It came at the
big man too fast however, and he can't direct it goalwards.

14: Cynical challenge from Ryan Hill as he brings down the onrushing Quina.
Yellow card for the Potters man.

13: Nathan Holland has his first chance to race beyond the back four, but as
he bears down on goal, Edwards does well to make the challenge and play the
ball against the winger for a goal kick.

12: The Hammers look dangerous going forward. Quina, Holland and Samuelsen
are tonight complimented by the attacking first team talents Fernandes and
left-back Masuaku and Stoke look worried.

9: Stoke, after falling behind, finally build an attack but the deep cross
could not be diverted back into the box by Jack Devlin. West Ham in control
having taken the lead.

5: GOOOOALLLLLLL! A brilliant start for the hosts as Edimilson Fernandes
finds the back of the net! Ashley Fletcher did brilliantly to hold up a long
ball and play in a superb reverse pass, and the Swiss midfielder - who
appeared as a sub against Chelsea last night - fired low beyond Isted in
goal. Great stuff!

4: It's been a real battle in these opening few minutes. Moses Makasi and
Edimilson Fernandes are doing their best to assert themselves on the match,
but Stoke are getting men behind the ball well.

1: We're underway at London Stadium in Premier League 2!

6:58pm: Bubbles rings out around London Stadium as skipper Declan Rice leads
the Hammers out. Come on you Irons!

6:45pm: The Hammers beat Stoke 3-0 earlier this season, so they should take
confidence from that early victory. Ashley Fletcher, who starts tonight,
also scored in that fixture. Not long until kick-off at London Stadium!

PL2: Trott, Knoyle, Pask, Rice, Masuaku (Sylvestre 79), Makasi, Fernandes
(Diangana 79), Samuelsen, Quina (Kemp 43), Holland, Fletcher.

Subs not used: Matrevics, Powell.

Goals: Fernandes 5

Stoke City: Isted, Edwards (Cherdieu 30), Kelly, Lecygne, Read, Banks, Ogle,
Hill, Devlin, Jarvis, Ngoy.

Subs not used: Allen, Karamoko, Balde, Da Silva Monteiro.

Goals: Ngoy (pen) 27

Bookings: Hill 14

6pm: Good evening! Tonight, we're live from London Stadium as the young
Hammers take on Stoke City in their second Premier League 2 clash of the
season. They were victorious against Fulham here a fortnight ago, so can
they make it two out of two at the Club's new home? With the table looking
as below before kick-off, the Hammers currently sit in the final play-off
spot and will be hoping to strengthen their position to finish in the top
five with a win this evening. Team news to follow shortly.

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The Big Interview - Darren Randolph
WHUFC.com

Darren Randolph felt West Ham United gave a good account of themselves
against Premier League leaders Chelsea on Monday night and were unfortunate
to go down to a 2-1 defeat.

The Hammers face Bournemouth next down on the South Coast on Monday and the
Republic of Ireland No1 is sure they can bounce back to set themselves up
for a strong end to the campaign.

Darren, unlucky on Monday with a 2-1 loss. Were you disappointed not to
build on a good start and not take something from the game?

DR: "We started the game very well and stuck to the gameplan, and then
conceded the goal when we had the ball. It was always going to be hard from
there.

"They didn't have too many chances, but when you play the top teams they are
clinical when they get their chances.

You made some telling saves, but none better than the one to deny Costa in
the second half?

DR: "It was probably my best one of the game, but it would have been nicer
to make it if we were winning 1-0 instead of being behind."

You've played most of the top teams here now. Of all those who have come
here, others may have won by bigger margins, but have Chelsea impressed you
the most?

DR: "Yes. They are a good side and are top of the league for a reason.
They're well-organised defensively and quick on the break. They broke on us
a few times in the game, changing defence into attack in just about ten
seconds and we knew it would be tough because they are a top team."

Bournemouth next, where last season you'll have happy memories of winning...

DR: "It will be another tough game for us. It's not the easiest of places to
go, but we want to end the season strongly. We've worked hard to get
ourselves out of the position we were in and we don't want to let that fade
away."

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Manning – We have three big games left
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Premier League 2 recorded a 1-1 draw with Stoke City at
London Stadium on Tuesday night
Assistant boss Liam Manning looked immediately ahead to the final three
league fixtures after the draw
The youngsters are still hoping to claim a play-off spot in the division

West Ham United Academy coach Liam Manning highlighted the importance of the
U23s' last three Premier League 2 matches after a 1-1 draw with Stoke City
on Tuesday night at London Stadium.

The young Hammers are hoping to finish in a play-off spot in the division
but know they need some positive results when they face a trio of Newcastle
United, Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion before the season ends.

Terry Westley's team – in the top five now – are currently three points
ahead of sixth-placed Aston Villa.

And after the London Stadium draw, Manning's focus immediately switched to
Monday's clash with the Magpies.

He said: "We need to pick up some results in the last three games to get in
the play-offs and the pleasing thing is we have three games in three
stadiums; Newcastle on Monday at St. James', back here against Middlesbrough
and then away to West Brom at the Hawthorns.

"They're really good experiences for the boys and hopefully we can kick on
and finish in that top five.

"We look at tonight's game at a development point of view, and we link that
to winning and we obviously want to win games, but it's a really good
experience for the boys tonight to come up against a different challenge.

"They were very organised and efficient at what they did so it was
difficult."

"Hopefully we can kick on and finish in that top five. The point is
definitely another step towards finishing in the play-offs."
Liam Manning
363Stoke put men behind the ball after equalising through Julien Ngoy from
the penalty spot following Declan Rice's foul on Ryan Hill.

Edimilson Fernandes, who played 15 minutes at the end of the first team's
Premier League fixture against Chelsea the night before, had opened the
scoring with a tidy finish with five minutes on the clock.

"The point is definitely another step towards finishing in the play-offs,"
Manning continued. "We said to the boys before and at half time, you go a
goal up, that should be it. You should win 1-0, so we're slightly
disappointed.

"But stepping away from the actual result and looking at the bigger picture,
I think we've learned a lot from tonight in terms of the style of the
opposition and how to deal with that. We couldn't quite break them down.

"There are a few teams who have been successful right now in the Premier
League [doing what Stoke did], so it's good for the boys to experience that.
It's another experience that allows them to be able to deal with it later on
in their career."

The assistant boss was also pleased with the attitude shown by the likes of
Fernandes, Ashley Fletcher and Arthur Masuaku who dropped down to play for
the youngsters.

"The first team players who came into the side did well. It highlights that
they need to play football regularly in order to stay on top of your match
fitness.

"You can train every day and do that element but you need games in your legs
to be able to perform, because it's completely different to training.

"They did well, their attitudes were good and they worked hard and did their
best."

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REF ANALYSIS – ANDRE MARRINER
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 6 MARCH 2017 AT 10:23PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @SamRoyden
After a hard point away to Watford, we welcomed Chelsea who were 7 points
clear of the Premier League before kick off. The West London rivals seem to
be unstoppable so far this season but a visit to the London Stadium
shouldn't be a walk in the park. West Ham beat Chelsea in the League Cup at
the London Stadium back in October last year when crowd trouble dominated
the headlines. The referee appointed for this London derby was Andre
Marriner. The last game Marriner officiated West Ham was in a convincing
away win away at Swansea.

An incident free half for Andre Marriner and officiated well with common
sense and control. Marriner had to deal with two early fouls on Eden Hazard,
who is the most fouled player in the league. Nothing more than a foul and a
free kick against both Kouyaté and Obiang. Even though the first half was
too aggressive, Marriner officiated sensibly and not branded out his yellow
cards unnecessarily.

As good as he is, Cheikhou Kouyaté can be clumsy at times and especially
with his tackling when he is under pressure. Kouyaté was spoken to on a
couple of occasions by Marriner and got a final warning in the 32rd minute
after Marriner called over captain Mark Noble for his third foul of the
game. Not every foul is deemed to be a yellow card, if the challenge is
careless, with no attempt to hurt or injure the opponent, it's simply just a
foul and no action needs to be taken. A lot of elite referees rely on their
cards to impose punishment to show control but I admire Marriner's first
half performance and his player management.

There was only one booking in the first half that came just before half time
for Chelsea's Cesc Fàbregas. The Chelsea man blocked Aaron Cresswell, who
was steaming forward to an advance performance and this type of foul is
always going to result in a yellow card.

I felt that Andre Marriner was nearly faultless throughout the game.
Marriner did exactly what I would expect of a referee of a Premier League
calibre to do and allowed play to flow, played advantage well and stepped in
where he needed too.

Marriner had a big call to make in the second half when he had to determine
whether there was a deliberate handball inside Chelsea's penalty area by
Cesc Fàbregas. Even though Fabregas' arm was by his side when the ball hit
him, it appeared Fabregas made an obvious movement with his arm towards the
ball. Marriner was in a good position to see whether the ball hit his
shoulder or lower arm. Marriner waved away appeals from West Ham but if it
was handball, it would be a penalty to West Ham and potentially his second
booking of the game for Fabregas.

Overall, I had no complaints about Marriner's performance. He's one of the
better referees in the league and officiating a London derby is always going
to be difficult but he controlled the game brilliantly. It was evident that
the game wasn't ugly in terms of challenges or behaviour with only one
yellow card during the game. It's a shame that sloppy errors by West Ham
lead to the two Chelsea goals for Hazard and Costa. Our next game is away to
Bournemouth on Saturday and with teams winning below us, we need to reach
that magic 40 points sooner rather than later.

Thanks,
Sam

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Sullivan: we're only a couple of players short
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 7th March 2017
By: Staff Writer

Co-owner David Sullivan insists that West Ham are "only a couple of players
short" of a "very, very good side". Little more than a month after the last
transfer window closed, Sullivan admitted that Slavan Bilic's first team
squad will need a boost in the summer - before once again reiterating that
he will be working "extremely hard" in the summer to address any
shortcomings.

Speaking in the wake of West Ham's 2-1 defeat at home to Chelsea - a result
that means the Hammers have now lost as many Premier League matches in the
Olympic Stadium as they've won (five wins, five defeats) - Sullivan began
his summer charm offensive early as he spoke about the need to invest.

"Chelsea took more chances than us, but our ability to compete with them is
a sign that the gap is closing and we are not far away from beating the top
sides," claimed Sullivan. "I believe we are only a couple of players short
of having a very, very good side, and I can promise that we will be working
extremely hard again in the summer to achieve that objective."

Yet despite the defeat, Sullivan remained optimistic that West Ham will
emulate their trip to Dean Court last season when they tackle Bouremouth on
the South Coast this weekend. "There is no reason to believe that we won't
bounce back and enjoy a repeat of our memorable victory at the Vitality
Stadium last season," he said. "Our away record since Christmas has been
excellent, with three wins and a draw from five matches on our travels, and
11 goals scored. "We also have Michail Antonio available again after
suspension and a victory will take us back into the top half of the table
above Southampton, who are not in action."

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Three nicked on quiet night for Met
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 7th March 2017
By: Staff Writer

There were a total of three arrests made by Met Police during last night's
Premier League clash with Chelsea. There were to be no repeat scenes of
small children claiming to have been pelted with missiles as the second
London derby between West Ham and Chelsea to be staged at the OS passed
virtually without incident. Just three individuals were arrested on the
night for related incidents; one for assault, one for being in possession of
pyrotechnics and a third for trespassing. The latter, a 51-year-old man has
already been bailed to appear in court two weeks' hence.
Chelsea went on to win the game 2-1 through goals from Eden Hazard and Diego
Costa; West Ham's reply coming courtesy of Manuel Lanzini.

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Done with West Ham London
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 7th March 2017
By: Smudger1

Well, I certainly didn't expect to be writing this prior to last night's
game.

There have been and continue to be issues at and with the London Stadium.
All eight members of my small group have been torn about - and definitely
lean towards - not renewing our tickets for next season but that isn't
solely a stadium issue, although clearly it doesn't help.

Sadly, I have to report that once again the entry security checks are not
worthy of the name; my wife was waived through again last night as "we can't
touch her" and only the sleeves of the coats of the gentleman in our party
patted down.

A salient lesson to anyone seeking to enter with 'contraband' - even if it's
only bottle tops, get ladies to carry them.

I don't know how much the cost of security is at the ground but we, LS185,
the club (and indeed the taxpayer) are being ripped off. Lip service is
being paid to security, God forbid that a serious incident (let alone
terrorist incident) occurs; somebody has the potential for blood on their
hands here.

I've emailed stadium operators LS185 on a couple of occasions about events
this season pertaining to issues of security and stewarding. Below is a
response I received from Peter Smith, the Stadium Safety Officer:

"Whilst I do not feel that I can comment on specifics, I can tell you that
all of our turnstile staff that engage in turnstile searching are
independently licenced by the Security Industry Authority.

With reference to identification of our staff, all of our uniform wear for
stewards carries a unique identification number and are compliant with the
recommendations of the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds.

"We continue to strive to eliminate abuses of ground regulations and
offenders who continue to flout the law in respect of smoking and the
consumption of alcohol. LS185 along with West Ham United continue to take
action to identify offenders and have with the support of the Metropolitan
police prosecuted and successfully banned a number of offenders."

With regards to the Mr Smith's final comment, sadly there are a group of
attendees - I'm not willing to call them fans or supporters - who are more
interested in drinking and smoking in their seats, causing aggravation,
being abusive to those around them and generally acting like 'Football
Factory' wannabes.

Last night some of the group members were sitting in Block 141, however they
are part of a larger group who interchange seats on a regular basis
including mid-game.

I personally do not have a problem with drinking in view of the pitch - we
generally seem to manage quite well at rugby, cricket and gigs, after all -
however it is indicative of the general apathy of stadium operators that
this occurs in full view of the stewards with no action.

At last night's game, a full pint of beer was thrown at the Chelsea players
celebrating Eden Hazard's opening goal by one the group in question.

The behaviour of these individuals has continued to deteriorate over time
but a polite request for them to sit down last night was meet with a volley
of abuse and threats. An explanation that they were blocking the view of a
72-year-old disabled fan was greeted with "well that's his fucking problem".


A former work colleague a couple of rows behind us was assaulted as the
group left the ground early for having dared to try and intercede. All of
this in full view of the non-responsive stewards at the top and bottom of
the aisle.

Not that I particularly blame the individual stewards as pubescent
adolescents might be a better description, although I'm sure our child
labour legislation would preclude that; however no call to, or arrival of
any of the response teams to either incident is clearly unacceptable.

I do not attend matches to have a fight with random, abusive drunks. I'm
just there to watch a game of football - and so is my family. My father, a
disabled fan of 72 and my wife were both very upset at the whole incident
and the increasingly toxic atmosphere generally.

I was unexpectedly unable to attend the recent Crystal Palace fixture at the
last minute and my 14-year-old niece was desperate to go in my place - but
how in good conscience could I expose her to these Neanderthals? My former
colleague faces a similar dilemma for the Leicester City game, yet another
empty seat no doubt.

Having listened to Ray Winston state in 'Iron Men' that "the London Stadium
is not about us, it's about our kids" and Lady Brady saying the club has "a
responsibility to the fans", I thought it might just be me. Seriously Ray,
come down out of the lounge and join the working man; I have some tickets
going spare.

And Karren? You failed. Nothing more than that needs to be said.

Yes, it's football and not opera but we're in the 21st century now, not some
romanticised version of the 1970s as some would have us believe. I have
travelled home and away to hundreds of games to see my beloved Irons
including visits to the Den, the old as well as the new. I know what it was
like, been there, got the t-shirt etc.

To be told today that "I worried about you going to football for years but
the last decade has been stress free, after last night, please tell me
you're not going anymore". To have a wife in tears saying "I hate it, I feel
really afraid, please don't go because if you do I'll have to go too to make
sure you're ok".

It's a very sad state of affairs that after 65 years' regular attendance for
my father and 70 odd for the other three adults in our group (including
about 80 as season ticket holders, I'm not counting the teenagers amongst
us) we do not feel sufficiently secure. Therefore we will no longer be
attending the London Stadium.

There's a lot wrong with the club right now, despite all the glitzy logos
and flash bullshit. If they want this type of fan, then they are welcome to
them. For now, I'm done.

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.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
OS named as Stadium of the Year
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 7th March 2017
By: Staff Writer

It may have been beset by problems on the inside since West Ham United moved
to Stratford last summer - but the Olympic Stadium has been named as Stadium
of the Year.

The much-maligned arena, which cost in the region of £800million to build
was this afternoon named as Stadium of the Year after beating off
competition from 28 other nominees.

However even the organisers, Stadium DB, appeared to recognise that the news
might come as a surprise to the thousands of West Ham supporters who flock
to the stadium on a regular basis.

"We can already imagine the shock on some West Ham fans' faces," read a
statement confirming the news.

"Yes, their transition from Upton Park to London Stadium hasn't been going
smoothly (to put it mildly). But our Jury evaluated London Stadium from a
different perspective, judging the challenge posed by transition from
athletics to Premier League football.

"We kept in mind that the conversion after 2012 Olympics was done contrary
to initial legacy plans and making a proper football stadium out of the
Olympic venue was a tremendous task, if possible. The execution earned
London Stadium its top spot!"

The list of nominees - which includes all modern stadia opened to the public
during 2016 - was selected by a panel of five accomplished architects
including Peter Bordas (Hungary), Przemek Kaczkowski (Poland), Mårten
Leringe (Sweden), Robert Mankin (USA) and Andy Simons (England).

The ten stadia selected for the final were as follows:

* Allianz Stadion (Vienna, Austria): SK Rapid
* Cape Coast Stadium (Cape Coast, Ghana): Ebusua Dwarfs
* Dacia Arena (Udinese, Italy): Udinese
* Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, USA): Miami Dolphins
* Medical Park Arena (Trabzon, Turkey): Trabzonspor
* Olympic Stadium (Stratford, London): West Ham Utd
* Sivas Arena (Sivas, Turkey): Sivasspor
* Stadion FK Krasnodar (Krasnodar, Russia): FK Krasnodar
* Stadion Miejski (Bielsko-Biala, Poland): BKS Stal, Podbeskidzie
* Vodafone Arena (Istanbul, Turtkey): Besiktas
Read more at http://kumb.com/story.php?id=131050#0Kb2VdmTkWIDoGKL.99

'Stadium of the Year' is a non-commercial competition launched seven years
ago by websites Stadiony.net and StadiumDB.com, both of whom specialise in
football stadiums. It is the largest open vote of its kind.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Football Association to 'seek observations' over West Ham pitch invader
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 07/03/17 5:15pm
SSN

The Football Association will "seek observations" from West Ham after a fan
entered the field of play during the clash with Chelsea, Sky sources
understand.

Ian Crouch, 51, attempted to confront Chelsea's Eden Hazard after the
Belgium international gave Chelsea the lead at the London Stadium.

Crouch invader was held back by stadium security guards and marched out of
the stadium before being one of three arrests made on the night.

He has been bailed to appear at Thames Magistrates Court on March 21.

Two further supporters were also arrested - a 51-year-old who accepted a
caution for common assault and Jamie Oliva, 18, who was charged with
attempting to enter the stadium whilst in possession of a flare.

Oliva has also been bailed to appear at Thames Magistrates Court later this
month.

The Metropolitan Police had put a "robust" security plan in place for the
match in the wake of ugly scenes at the EFL Cup fourth-round tie between the
two sides in October.

There was trouble inside and outside the ground before that game, with coins
and other missiles being thrown as tensions boiled over as the final whistle
approached.

But both sets of fans were thanked for their "fantastic support" on Monday
night by the Met Police on Twitter, where they further reported there had
been no other major security issues.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arrested West Ham fan "faces lifetime ban" following confrontation with
Chelsea players
The Hammers fan will appear in court on March 21 after he raced onto the
pitch following Eden Hazard's opening goal for Chelsea during the big London
derby
The Mirror
BYMARC ISAACS
16:36, 7 MAR 2017UPDATED16:38, 7 MAR 2017

A West Ham fan who ran onto the pitch to confront the Chelsea players on
Monday night has been arrested and is set to face a lifetime ban from London
Stadium if found guilty.

Ian Paul Crouch, 51, has been bailed to appear at court in two weeks' time.

If the magistrates find him guilty of the criminal offence, the Hammers will
take the strongest possible action and ban him from the ground as they look
to stamp out any further trouble taking place inside the Stadium.

The incident took place after Eden Hazard had fired the Premier League
leaders into the lead and ran towards the West Ham fans to celebrate.

Crouch climbed over the advertising hoardings and got to within a few feet
of Hazard and his team-mates who were celebrating the opening goal.

David Luiz had to step in and help stewards, before making a thumbs up
gesture as they took the fan away.

The Metropolitan Police took immediate action against the West Ham supporter
and said in a statement: 'Three people were arrested in connection with last
night's match between West Ham and Chelsea in Stratford.

'A 51-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of pitch encroachment. Ian Paul
Crouch, was subsequently charged with going on to an area adjacent to the
playing area under sections 4 and 5 of the Football Offences Act 1991. He
has been bailed to appear at Thames Magistrates' Court on 21 March.

'[In addition] A 51-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of common
assault. An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempting to enter
a stadium whilst in possession of a flare.

'Both remain in police custody at this time at east London police stations,
and enquiries continue.'

West Ham have taken strong steps to avoid any repeat of the crowd trouble
which marred the EFL Cup meeting between the two clubs back in October when
rival supporters threw coins, bottle and seats at each other and will
continue to provide stewards with video cameras.

The Hammers had nine incident free games heading into the big London derby
on Monday night and although there will be concerns over the fan entering
the field of play, they will be pleased that the game passed off without a
major incident taking place.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
How Manuel Lanzini has evolved after the departure of Dimitri Payet from
West Ham
The 24-year-old has upped his game massively in the last few weeks
Football London
BYADAM JONES
11:43, 7 MAR 2017

West Ham fans have probably all but forgotten about the influence of Dimitri
Payet now thanks to one man - Manuel Lanzini. The 24-year-old has seriously
stepped up his game since the departure of the French international and has
been seeing a lot more time in the centre of the pitch rather than out wide.
And it's clear to see that he is definitely seeing some major benefits. The
stats show just how much Lanzini has improved his game since the departure
of the French international. In the seven matches since Payet left the
London Stadium, the Argentine has already managed the same amount of goals
than he did in the 17 games before his former teammates last match. It
doesn't stop there either - Lanzini has managed two assists in those seven
games since Payet left West Ham, but hadn't managed any whilst the French
international was still at the club. The attacking midfielder has been
involved in a goal every 114 minutes of action he has played in the last
seven games - compared to every 384 minutes in the previous 17. Even simple
things such as Lanzini's passing accuracy have improved since Dimitri Payet
was sold back to Marseille. The Argentine was already completing an
impressive 85.9% of his passes, but he has seen that improve to 88.4% in the
last seven fixtures. Granted Lanzini is now playing, on average, four less
passes per 90 minutes - but surely that just shows that he is honing his
skills? These stats just serve to prove what many West Ham fans already know
- Manuel Lanzini has massively stepped up since the departure of Dimitri
Payet.
And long may that continue.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United's Jose Fonte opens up on Southampton exit 'lies'Featured
Image
Date: 7th March 2017 at 1:12pm
Written by: Justin Mottershead
shoot.co.uk

Jose Fonte has claimed he's been unfairly portrayed as the bad guy by former
club Southampton over his transfer to West Ham United, according to Sky
Sports. The Portuguese defender left St Mary's Stadium in the January
transfer window for the London Stadium, a move which caused the 33-year-old
to come under fire from many Saints fans who felt he left the club in the
lurch and short of defensive options for the EFL Cup final, especially after
injury to Virgil van Dijk. Fonte said, "I spoke to the club [after winning
Euro 2016] and said there could be possibilities [to move] and I would like
the club to consider it. "In the summer there were possibilities of leaving
– that is normal, everyone fights for their own interests to get the best
possible outcome for yourself. "To say that I wrote an official transfer
request to the club, that is a lie. And also that I refused to train and I
wasn't being a good captain? That is a complete lie. "I have always given my
best to that club. That is the main thing the fans should know."

Fonte got off to a poor start at West Ham with his side being battered 4-0
at home to Manchester City in his first game, which also saw the defender
concede a penalty. Since then, things have improved despite last night's 2-1
defeat to Chelsea, Southampton of course went on to lose the League Cup
final 3-2, but have seen some improvements in their league form with
back-to-back wins.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham ready to offer Liverpool's £18m target Pedro Obiang a new
contractFeatured Image
Date: 7th March 2017 at 12:12pm
Written by: Justin Mottershead
shoot.co.uk

Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang will be offered a new deal by West Ham
United this summer to fend off interest from Liverpool, report Sky Sports.
The Hammers signed Obiang from Sampdoria two years ago on a four-year deal
and are ready to extend that contract as Liverpool continue to be linked
with a bid in the region of £18m. Obiang has enjoyed an impressive campaign
as West Ham have put early season inconsistency behind them and are managing
a mid-table position in the top-flight. Last night saw West Ham lose 2-1 at
home to Chelsea as the visitors took another step closer to the title,
despite the best efforts of Obiang and his team-mates, a result that leaves
The Hammers in thirteenth spot. Obiang, 24, has become a regular starter
this season, which has caught the eye of Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, following
an indifferent campaign last season which saw him in and out of Slaven
Bilic's side and the manager is keen to make sure the midfielder stays at
London Stadium.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham fan who ran onto the pitch to confront celebrating Chelsea players
during Premier League clash is arrested as club push for ban
51-year-old man arrested after entering the pitch to confront Chelsea
players
The West Ham supporter got to within a few feet of the celebrating players
He was eventually tackled by stewards and ushered away during the Chelsea
win
West Ham implemented a five-point security plan for the Premier League clash
By Adam Shergold for MailOnline and Andy Sims, Press Association Sport
PUBLISHED: 12:36, 7 March 2017 | UPDATED: 12:49, 7 March 2017

A West Ham supporter who ran onto the pitch to confront celebrating Chelsea
players during Monday night's match at the London Stadium has been arrested.
Ian Paul Crouch, 51, has been bailed to appear at court in two weeks' time,
with West Ham likely to press for ban from all football stadiums around the
country. The incident occurred after Eden Hazard had fired the Blues into a
25th-minute lead.
The fan - who emerged from the home end - climbed over the advertising
hoardings and got to within a few feet of Hazard and his team-mates as they
celebrated, before he was tackled by stewards and led away. The EFL Cup
meeting between the teams in October was marred by crowd trouble when rival
supporters threw coins, bottles and seats at each other. While there was no
sign of a repeat of those ugly scenes, the security breach will be another
major concern to those in charge at the London Stadium. The Metropolitan
Police said in a statement: 'Three people were arrested in connection with
last night's match between West Ham and Chelsea in Stratford. 'A 51-year-old
man was arrested on suspicion of pitch encroachment. Ian Paul Crouch
(12.10.1965) of Corringham, was subsequently charged with going on to an
area adjacent to the playing area under sections 4 and 5 of the Football
Offences Act 1991. He has been bailed to appear at Thames Magistrates' Court
on 21 March. '[In addition] A 51-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of
common assault. An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempting
to enter a stadium whilst in possession of a flare. 'Both remain in police
custody at this time at east London police stations, and enquiries
continue.'
Another fan was ejected from in front of where the Chelsea supporters were
housed as the game approached stoppage time, but the match otherwise passed
off peacefully. West Ham had implemented a robust five-point security plan
since Chelsea's last visit, when seven fans were arrested on the night. The
segregation area between rival supporters was widened, with a physical
barrier also put in place, along with a 10-metre 'sterile' area as well as
new measures to keep rival fans apart after the game. Stewards have been
issued with handheld video cameras to help identify troublemakers, while a
'no tolerance' banning order policy is in place for anyone found guilty of
offences ranging from abusive and offensive language to missile throwing. So
far this season West Ham have banned 97 fans. The measures seemed to have
had the desired affect as, barring those two isolated incidents, there was
no hint of crowd trouble.
Chelsea eventually ran out 2-1 winners, with Diego Costa doubling their lead
before Manuel Lanzini netted a consolation in stoppage time.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Chelsea have got everything' - West Ham boss Slaven Bilic in awe of Premier
League leaders
SAM LONG
Evening Standard

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic believes Chelsea "have got everything" after
watching his side suffer a 2-1 defeat against the Premier League leaders
last night. Eden Hazard and Diego Costa were on target for the Blues before
Manuel Lanzini slotted home what proved to be a consolation goal in injury
time. Antonio Conte's side are now 10 points clear at the top of the table
and are closing in on their fifth title of the modern era. The Hammers were
forced to be second best for the majority of the encounter at the London
Stadium as Bilic's players - like many teams in the division - struggled to
counteract Chelsea's 3-4-3 formation. And the Croatian was full of praise
for the west Londoners, whom he does not expect to slip up during the
run-in. "They have everything," Bilic told West Ham's official website.
"They are really good. From all the top teams, they are very solid and they
defend all the time with numbers. "Some of the combinations they make are
amazing and they have the quality and are solid as a unit. They're a very
fit which makes it difficult also. "We knew Chelsea are where they are for a
reason," he added. Chelsea excel in all departments but the speed of their
counter attack proved to be particularly difficult for the hosts to deal
with. Hazard's opening goal was a direct result of the pace Chelsea possess
and Bilic was not surprised West Ham's errors were punished. "Mark [Noble]
wanted to play with the best intentions, but you expect your players to run
back with more reason in this situation. "They got the ball in space where
we can't afford to give it, especially against them because their pace in
the transition is scary," Bilic insisted.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Antonio Conte's soak up and swamp tactics triumph as West Ham aerial blitz
fails
Evening Standard

How do you beat Chelsea? How do you stop the runaway leaders of the Premier
League? Slaven Bilic had a plan last night at the London Stadium and the
West Ham manager had good reason to feel confident. The Hammers stunned
Antonio Conte's team in the EFL Cup in October, winning 2-1 on a feverish
night in Stratford. Bilic's strategy was simple: use the space behind
Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses, Chelsea's wing-backs, and ping crosses
towards the head of Andy Carroll. It was meant to test the discipline and
concentration of Conte's three centre-backs, to see if they could maintain
their blitz spirit on a night of aerial bombardment in the East End.

For the first quarter of the game, it seemed to work. Chelsea were pinned
back and struggled to find a comfort zone as the crosses rained in. Conte's
champions-elect showed no ambition except to survive. And then it happened.
Mark Noble spurned a chance to cross from deep, Robert Snodgrass allowed
N'Golo Kante to steal possession and Chelsea were on their way. Eden Hazard
and Pedro charged forward, exchanging passes, before the Spaniard released
his team-mate with a deft ball. Hazard scored and Bilic's plans were left in
ruins.

West Ham's pressure had come to nothing. It was suddenly clear that
Chelsea's backs-to-the-wall defending was something entirely different. They
invited the home side to push on to them and when eight West Ham players got
caught behind the ball, Hazard and Pedro flicked into overdrive. It would
happen again and again.

It was reminiscent of judo, where fighters use their opponents' weight and
clumsiness to unbalance them. Chelsea matched their nimbleness against West
Ham's brute strength and Bilic's team stumbled into the trap.

Conte's side could have had a handful of goals from counter-attacks. Indeed,
the corner that led to Diego Costa doubling the score was generated by a
quick break. It must have added to Bilic's pain that the second goal should
come from a set-piece as the ball skidded off Pedro Obiang's head on to
Costa's knee. It was such a West Ham goal for the Hammers to concede.

There were spells when Chelsea were shaken, particularly around the
hour-mark, when a sharp period of pressure lifted the crowd. Thibaut
Courtois' most nervous moments — a wild Jose Fonte miskick, a Sofiane
Feghouli shot that was charged down by Alonso — came in the midst of this
chaos.

But this was congested territory. It was not unusual for Chelsea to have
nine players in the 18-yard area to contest any crosses. Courtois was always
surrounded by team-mates prepared to throw their bodies in front of the
ball.

Darren Randolph had no such protection. When Chelsea won possession, the
West Ham keeper could see disaster looming way off. The away side's attacks
developed like a flash flood 70 yards from Randolph's goal and swept back
Fonte and Winston Reid in a state of increasing desperation. Defenders dread
being turned around to face their own goal, especially when they are
outnumbered by onrushing attackers. Randolph watched this scenario unfold
all too often.

The game was never really close, despite Manuel Lanzini's late consolation
strike. By then, the stadium had emptied out. Chelsea's soak and swamp
tactics had sucked the life out of Bilic's side and their fans.

"To beat them, you need them to make mistakes, not the other way around,"
said Bilic. His only error was he could not imagine how easily Chelsea
could tear up his aggressive blueprint. Conte's counter-attackers are built
to exploit ambitious intentions.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Chelsea winning machine purrs on as West Ham are taught another London
Stadium lesson by the big boys
JOHN DILLON
Evening Standard

Nine days off and Chelsea re-emerge into the light at the London Stadium,
still so finely-tuned, still superbly drilled and composed, still full of
drive and purpose. Momentum is a much-prized idea in modern football.
Antonio Conte's runaway Premier League leaders have the advantage in this
title race of being free of the rigours of European football. The flip side
of that, if momentum is as valuable as some claim it to be, is that they
might lose some edge and sharpness while they are inactive.

Not this team, which brims with so much quality and is so comfortable in its
own skin. And not under this manager. The 25th minute Eden Hazard goal with
which Chelsea took the lead in east London was a symbolic one because it
showed just how completely connected these players are to the vision given
to them by their Italian boss, and how confident they are in their ability
to make their way of playing count and to make the most of their own
personal levels of ability.

They are gliding towards the big prize now, in Conte's first season. The
Double is on and they have another full seven days off before they face
Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-final at Stamford Bridge next
Monday.

Then there is just one more league game this month at Stoke City, with an
international break looming. They should enjoy it while they can before
returning to the Champions League next season. Clearly, they are. Nobody
thinks they will falter now. There is not a glimmer of doubt about them just
now, despite Manuel Lanzini's consolation goal for West Ham in added time at
the end.

It is almost becoming a cliche to praise the fundamental importance of
N'Golo Kante to Chelsea's counter-attacking scheme of things, but that is
only because he is so metronomically consistent and so effective at what he
does.

Deep in his own team's half, he jumped with a consummate sense of what his
position and his job is all about on the opportunity to send Pedro racing
deep into West Ham territory.

Then Hazard, whose talent is sublime but once again relentless, too,
delivered his familiar devastating act of cool but dazzling self-belief to
finish without worry or fear.

This came after West Ham had given Chelsea something of an examination in
the opening spell, even if it was clear they had lacked real punch up front
despite the return of Andy Carroll.

But then that is why the elite clubs buy these players and employ these
managers. The Hammers are hardly paupers in terms of world football but they
can't match Chelsea's resources or the levels attained by their superstar
players.

Yes, there have always been clubs who are richer than others. It's just that
the gulf can be more pronounced at times these days, as West Ham, for all
their stated ambitions about their move to their new home, had already
discovered painfully in Stratford against Manchester City, twice, Arsenal
and Manchester United in this, their first season since leaving Upton Park.
This was underlined once again on Monday. This was the uncompromising way of
the football world, writ large in a new arena.

Hazard almost proved this point again in similar fashion in the 41st minute
when he got clear once more and screwed his cross just behind the lurking
Diego Costa.

The missed opportunity didn't matter. Costa then scored from close range to
emphasise Chelsea's untroubled supremacy in the 50th minute.

It was further proof of the swaggering mood of confidence they have at
present. Do not mistake this for arrogance, though.

This is not happening without the intense levels of hard work Conte demands
from his players in training. In games, however, its effect is to make the
team function without any hint of anxiety or uncertainty. They are getting
stronger. It is impressive stuff.

It also left Slaven Bilic's side without their long-awaited big moment to
help the crowd feel more at home in their vast but awkward new HQ. The EFL
Cup win against Chelsea last October doesn't really count, does it? The
truth about that was on show on Monday night.

Now they have only Spurs and Liverpool to come at home on consecutive
weekends in May as big moments on the calendar on which they might atone for
those earlier crushing blows against the big guns.

The worrying thing for West Ham was that even during their spell of early
pressure, Chelsea looked so at home in these surroundings.
There was not a hint of uncertainty, particularly in the defensive and
midfield ranks of the visitors. It was the same when City, Arsenal and
United romped through the place. Could it be that the sense of open-ness
about the stadium - so different from tightly-knit Upton Park - allows the
best sides and the best players a feeling of freedom and confidence about
what they are doing?

Is this just a psychological matter or are they able to see and read the
game better in such surroundings, with their higher levels of quality and
ability than the home team? Results against the big teams this season now
certainly suggest these may be big factors still hampering West Ham at home
- in a season in which they have done well to recover from their dreadful
Autumn of trouble.

On Monday in their new base, the task of climbing above their status as
London's fourth-ranked club looked as difficult as ever.
Hammers fans know exactly what their club represents, of course. They know
where they stand. Their love, the most powerful among the city's major
outfits, won't diminish. But it may be tested by many more evenings like
this one.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Toni Martinez enjoying physical education at Oxford United on loan from West
Ham
2 hrs ago / David Pritchard, Chief Sports Reporter covering Oxford United.

TONI Martinez believes the physicality of Sky Bet League One means he is
experiencing a steep learning curve on loan at Oxford United.
Both the West Ham United striker's goals for the U's have come in the
Emirates FA Cup. The 19-year-old admitted to finding Saturday's league
defeat Bristol Rovers tough going, but he is confident it will stand him in
good stead for the challenges ahead. He said: "It's one of the more
difficult games for me here. "In League One it's different to the FA Cup –
the football is more physical.
"I am learning with my teammates and I think I'm going to improve in the
next few weeks." Martinez knows United cannot dwell on the Rovers loss if
they are to stay in the race for the play-offs, so is fired up to help them
get a result against Sheffield United tonight. He said: "We can't think
about it because we have another game on Tuesday which we need to win. "We
have another 13 games and we need to win as many as possible because the
play-offs are our objective. "Oxford are looking high."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The new stadium excuse is starting to wear thin so where is the Plan B
Slaven?
West Ham disappointed in the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea and here are five talking
points from the match
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
06:30, 7 MAR 2017

The run goes on

West Ham still haven't beaten a side above 12th in the table at home in the
league this season. Hammerings were dished out by Arsenal and Man City but
while it was only 2-1 tonight, it was no less emphatic for the Blues. In the
games that West Ham have lost against top ten sides, let alone top four, the
Hammers have barely been competitive. The scrappy 1-0 wins over Burnley and
Hull didn't inspire, only the 3-0 win against Palace did. The excuse of the
new home is starting to wear thin. It's one thing losing to a big team but
it's another to be barely even competitive.

Why didn't Noble cross it?

All he had to do was swing the ball in the box, where the Hammers defenders
were still stationed following the corner, and Chelsea don't take the lead
on the counter attack. By giving the ball away - to Kante of all people -
was suicide from the Hammers skipper. Three passes later and West Ham were
behind. It summed up another poor night for Noble. Cheikhou Kouyate is
playing at right back to accommodate Noble in midfield and on current form,
that's the wrong way around.

Where is the Plan B?

We know what Plan A is, feed off Andy Carroll when he wins the header. But,
when that isn't working - which it didn't tonight - where is Plan B? Quick
answer - there isn't one. Manuel Lanzini was kept in check by Kante, David
Louis and Gary Cahill got more comfortable as the game went on and the
Hammers offered zilch in the second half. Andre Ayew offered something
different when he came on with 20 minutes to go but it wasn't enough.

No pace up front

The alarming lack of speed in the final third without Michail Antonio is
evident. Let's be clear though, Feghouli and Snodgrass are no slouches. They
just weren't quick enough to the ball, always second best for three-quarters
of the game. They didn't hurry the Chelsea backline at all, it and as too
easy for the visitors. They were allowed to pass the ball forward almost at
will and it summed up a frustrating night for the Hammers. Just not at it at
all.

Take care of the ball!

Possession is apparently nine tenths of the law but West Ham were careless
all evening with the important spherical object. Noble, Lanzini, Snodgrass,
Feghouli, even Obiang were all guilty of being profligate with possession
and with a team in Chelsea who have such a dynamic front three, you can't be
so bad with the ball. It cost the Hammers the first goal. In the second
half, lack of concentration contrived to yet more shoddy play with the ball.
It just wasn't good enough and Chelsea made the home team pay.

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West Ham favourite Manuel Lanzini makes his feelings clear on Slaven Bilic
HITC
Damien Lucas

West Ham United star Manuel Lanzini has made his feelings perfectly clear
about manager Slaven Bilic. Manchester United manager Jose The Hammers
playmaker has emerged from the shadow of Dimitri Payet to take on the mantle
of Bilic's talisman since the Frenchman's move back to Marseille in January.
While West Ham fans have always appreciated just how good the little
Argentine is, he is now starting to take on added responsibility for driving
his team forwards. He was once again on the scoresheet and West Ham's best
player in the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on Monday night at the London Stadium.
Payet said Bilic was a father figure to him after sweeping the board at West
Ham's awards night at the end of last season. And who can forget Bilic
famously celebrating his goal for France in the TV studio at the European
Championships last summer. Payet was a hero to Hammers fans and was idolised
by his manager but spoiled all of that by going rogue to force his move back
to France.
Bilic can console himself now, though, in the knowledge that he has a new
bromance blossoming with Lanzini. That's if the former River Plate star's
Instagram post is anything to go by where he labels Bilic a great coach and
friend. "With effort and sacrifice everything arrives!" Lanzini said in the
post alongside a picture of Bilic talking to him on the training pitch. "As
a great coach and friend told me, the best is yet to come."
If Lanzini continues his progression there is no reason why Bilic's advice
cannot come true. And if the Hammers can keep hold of him in the summer and
add more creativity to their ranks to take the pressure of the talented star
then the future will look extremely bright in East London.

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