Daily WHUFC News - 20th June 2017

2017/18 Season Ticket Relocations and Waiting List update
WHUFC.com

West Ham United can confirm that the relocation period for Season Ticket holders who renewed has now ended, and the remaining available Season Tickets will now go on sale to our patient supporters on the Waiting List.

As previously advised, the record breaking renewal rate means that only a very limited number of seats are available, and not everyone on the Waiting List will be successful in obtaining a Season Ticket.

Supporters on the Waiting List will receive communication from the Ticket Office in the coming days and weeks.

Those in a position to be offered a Season Ticket will be allocated a window in line with your position on the Waiting List. You will receive an email notification of your window, advising when you can call the Ticket Office to purchase your Season Ticket.

Once all available Season Tickets are sold out, further information will be communicated on our official channels.

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Record numbers attend girls' trials for West Ham Ladies
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies held a highly-successful Junior Trials on Sunday, with a record number of girls trying out for a place in the U14s & U16s teams.

Over 250 girls are signed up for trials this summer, with the programme continuing on Saturday June 24 for players in the U10s and U12s categories as the Ladies look to establish themselves as the Academy of Football in the women's game

First team manager Greg de Carnys and eight first team Ladies players were on hand at Beckton with advice for the youngsters, as they look to pass their knowledge down to the next generation of Hammers stars.

Hot on the heels of last week's announcement of Rich Energy coming on board as the Ladies' Official Energy Drink Partner, the excitement around the Club continues to build towards the start of their senior team's FA Women's Premier League campaign.

West Ham Ladies Managing Director Jack Sullivan said: "We were thrilled that a record number of girls have signed up for trials across the two dates, and it was great to see so many talented youngsters at Beckton on Sunday.

"We are planning meticulously across all levels at the Club to push ourselves forward, and I'm looking forward to seeing a number of the players who tried out at the weekend develop with us and push towards the first team over the coming years.

"These are exciting times for West Ham United Ladies and it's clear from the interest in playing for us that this excitement is shared right across the board."

Ladies General Manager Karen Ray added: "The FA have launched a new initiative that aims to double participation for females in football. At West Ham United Ladies we aim to provide a world-class talent pathway that encompasses the Club-wide philosophy and core values through our Junior Academy.

"An integral part of the five-year plan for West Ham United Ladies is to develop the opportunities for talented girls aged eight to 16. The purpose of the Ladies Junior Academy is to develop players and well balanced young people who feel supported, safe and enjoy being a West Ham United player.

"To see over double the young girls signing up and participating in our 2017/18 trials compared to last year really does show the belief, support and desire to play for the Club. We are not shy in admitting our desire to become the Academy of Football for girls over the coming years. This is just the very start of a successful journey and I am proud of all the hard work going on behind the scenes.

"Having so many young talented girls being supported by eight West Ham United Ladies senior players really does highlight the dedication and love everyone has for the game, and for the club. This is an exciting time for everyone involved."

Greg de Carnys, Ladies manager, commented: "It's great to see the amount of girls that turned up to the trials and it shows the progress being made by the Ladies department at West Ham United with record numbers trying out for a place. All of the football on the day was played in good spirits and at a high intensity, despite the unusually high temperatures.

"As the new Academy Director I am excited at the prospect of taking the Academy forward by developing young players, providing them with the appropriate level of challenge in games & training, and ultimately giving good young players a pathway to the highest level of Ladies football in this country, giving them the opportunity to break into the first team here at West Ham, rather than losing them to American scholarships for example. The youth academy is a massive part of getting the first team to to WSL1 and keeping them there for years to come."

There is still time to sign-up for trials in our U10 and U12 age groups, with the sessions taking place at the West Ham United Foundation in Beckton on Saturday June 24. Sign up now by clicking here.

Senior trials are also set for Beckton this week, with interested players invited to sign up for the Tuesday June 20 date by clicking here.

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Southampton fixture reversed
WHUFC.com

West Ham United can confirm that our second fixture of the 2017/18 Premier League season, against Southampton, has been reversed and will now be played at St Mary's on the weekend of Saturday 19 August. The switch means that Southampton will visit London Stadium in the corresponding home fixture on Saturday 31 March, 2018. With an international break scheduled after our away game against Newcastle United on August 26, our first Premier League home match next season will therefore be the visit of newly-promoted Huddersfield Town on the weekend of Saturday 9 September.

However, ALL fixtures are still subject to change, with the Sky TV and BT Sport live televised fixtures for the opening two months of the season set to be confirmed in early July, and supporters are urged to bear this in mind when making any travel arrangements for fixtures.

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Joint-Chairman offers reward for info on attempted break-in
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Sullivan has offered a £25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of a serial burglar, dubbed the Essex Spiderman.

The individual is alleged to have committed over 50 burglaries in the Essex area since Christmas 2016, spreading across Chigwell, Ongar and Brentwood, targeting mostly watches and jewellery.

The serial offender attempted to burgle Sullivan's house on Sunday 18 June and, although the attempt was unsuccessful, the Joint-Chairman has encouraged anyone with information relating to the Essex Spiderman's identity to come forward in a bid to stop the spree.

Sullivan said: "To have someone attempt break into your home is an awful experience, and I hope this reward will help bring the individual responsible to justice and prevent others going through the same ordeal."

Anyone who has any relevant information should email confidential@westhamunited.co.uk with as much detail as possible, which will then be shared with the police.

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TRANSFER BOOM OR BUST THIS WINDOW
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 19 JUNE 2017 AT 8:10PM
TheWestHamWayc.o.uk
Written by Steven McCarthy

Make no mistake, this is a huge window for us!

As a football club we managed to avoid relegation in our first season at our new home and being honest, it was touch and go for us at times and something that many of us were really fearing! We were told numerous times how relegation would be disastrous for us, and how we would be using the best retractable seating to make the London Stadium feel like home. But regardless of your views on the end product for the venue, I think a great transfer window could and really could have helped build the foundations to cement The London Stadium as our home.

How?
Last season we were met with months of rumours and pursuits of big name strikers, promises of 20 goal a season players and bids of numbers unlike anything we had ever previously seen as a club! In the end, there was nothing even remotely close to this, and I find myself wondering just how much that effected the fans and the transition into the London Stadium. When you have a player or players of quality, then every single week, everything around the club seems that little bit better!

We only have to look at the Payet effect of his time here and how when we knew what a quality player he was, detracted from the sadness of leaving The Boleyn. And it made the atmosphere at every game home and away that little bit more exciting knowing that we had such quality on the pitch! Imagine if we had gone into the new stadium with a Michy, Bacca or a Lacazette leading the line…

Fans would be going into every match with a sense of optimism, the atmosphere would be one of excitement, and the supporters are more likely to make there voices heard. I think ending up with a striker who was less of a "name" and let's face it, quality!
In the form of Zaza, hurt us to a point that we only really saw come to boil with a certain Snake.

Now what that slimey creature did is well documented, and we can never say for sure wether improved results on the pitch would have kept Payet happy. But if we had signed a big striker, someone prolific, who would really make us a scary prospect for teams, I think you can begin to call it into question. However what I do know is that as fans, having a quality striker would have created so much more positivity in and around the club and Stadium. Problems on pitch can even seem smaller when you know that you have that player up top who can knick you a point or two at any moment! Tevez is probably the player I think epitomises this for me as a fan during my time going to matches and really beginning to understand football. We were having a terrible season, but when Tevez was on the pitch everything seemed that bit better!

Pressure on the whole team is lifted somewhat when you know that you have an outlet or a spark in the side. And not just from the stands, if you have a prolific striker then issues such as Goal Keeping errors and the invisible Right Back are made that little bit smaller. But only if you have a striker who consistently produces! I am not saying that they have to scare every game, but they certainly need to be fit to play the majority of them.

Sakho is a lost cause, I think if we cannot sell him which seems the sad case, then we simply need to terminate his contract.
And in my opinion, I would sell Carroll as soon as possible. I love the work rate he shows and I cannot criticise him one bit as a footballer, but I simply cannot see him playing football in anything other than a cameo role from here on.

The Andy Carroll injury guess game was horrible for us last season. We all know what he is capable of on his day!
But when you have only 3 strikers with Premier League goals and experience in your ranks, one of who'm suffers a nasty long term injury at the start of the season, another who simply seems to be made of tracing paper, and somebody who seems to be as toxic in and around the grounds as he is behind the wheel of a Lamborghini, then you really lose that optimism for Match Day!

This Window is a chance for us to undo the mistakes we made and bring that optimism back! We need to spend and spend well, which unfortunately in this market means spending big! 25 million for Iheanacho, 20 or so for Giroud and a loan with a fee for Michy seems like the best options, 45-50 million is not a lot in todays market for a team looking to finish in the top half. Which I know, sounds absolutely daft, but to put it into context Leicester City spent 30 million on Slimani and Everton are spending over 50 million on Pickford and Klaassen.

If we go into next season with a dream striker selection of Giroud, Iheanacho and Michy can you imagine the buzz each week?
I am not saying for a second that I believe we will get all 3, but if ever there was a chance for the owners to right the wrongs of last Summer and take a big step toward making the Olympic Stadium a proper new home for us, this is it!

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MY FIXTURE PREDICTIONS FOR THE NEW SEASON
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 19 JUNE 2017 AT 8:57PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written Adam Leatherbarrow @_ldesign

Hello you and welcome to my first article for The West Ham Way. Firstly, I'd like to express my pleasure to write for such an established fan site and to work alongside EX. Sites such as "TWHW" gives us the platform to be able to share my thoughts and opinions on a club we all share a love for. I hope you enjoy my maiden article for the site and hopefully will be able to post a lot more often.

If you're unaware of me, then please allow me to introduce myself to you. I'm a blooded West Ham fan brought up from Romford, Essex. My main profession has actually nothing to do with football or West Ham, I'm currently an Architectural Designer and have been for the past decade working on residential schemes from bespoke extensions to large master planning developments. Apart from the wife, Architecture takes up a huge part of my life. Any spare time I get, I share my passion with the beautiful game and West Ham. My main "goal" (excuse the pun) in my life, is to be able to be a main design consultant on Stadia Architectural projects; being able to merge my love for Sport and Architecture on a more regular basis.

An interesting fact about myself is that I'm the FIRST and ONLY person to have designed a stadium (single handily) purely for Three-Sided Football – a take on the conventional modern game we see today. I've featured in Four-Four-Two Magazine and I have also been on TalkSport talking about my design! Cool eh?!



For the past years in my spare time, I have been writing all things West Ham related on fan site West Ham World talking about Transfer Rumours, Transfer Opinions, Game previews, Kit reviews and statistical articles. Some have received good reviews, some have fired up fans for games and some have infuriated fans… All reactions (good and bad) is always a positive thing with my articles because it shows the passion within our fan base, even if it is keyboard bashing!

So let's start with an easy article… a breakdown of the 2017-18 Fixtures!

The fixtures have been out for a few days now and some interesting dates have been highlighted. 12th August we visit Manchester United to open our campaign and it's not the first time we have played a top 6 side on the opening day. We played Chelsea (lost 2-1) last Season, Arsenal (won 0-2) before that and Spurs (lost 1-0) before that, so it's safe to say that we have a tough opener! Manchester United do however start slow so maybe playing one of our hardest games on day one might not be as bad as we think.

Due to the Athletics being held at the London Stadium, West Ham first three games will be away from home, which means that the team will be making a total round trip of 1,222 miles in the first three weeks of the season! Playing the first three games away also means that Slaven will make his 100th appearance as boss at Newcastle. If we can get a minimum 4 points, I think the club will have done well considering the amount of travelling they will do. After an extensively travelled set of fixtures, there will be a well-timed international break between 28th August to 5th September where England will play Malta on 1st September and Slovakia on 4th September.

Once the first international break of the season has occurred, West Ham will FINALLY get to play their first home game of the season against newly promoted Huddersfield Town. The month of September will be kind to West Ham as we will be playing 75% of our monthly fixtures at home. The only away game of the month will be playing a well drilled Tony Pulis West Bromwich Albion side. We hardly get a good result at The Hawthorns apart from the win in the 2015-16 season. Hopefully the long break before and a solid home performance against Huddersfield could put us in a good run of form early in the season. Games followed by Tottenham and Swansea at home will put the premier league schedule on hold for another international break. With home advantage for the majority of our games, I would like to think that we can pick up at least seven more points.

The break will run from 2nd to 10th October where England will play two world cup qualifier matches against Slovenia and Lithuania. These will be the final two competitive games for the national side and will hopefully have secured qualification for the 2018 World Cup.



"England Qualify for the World Cup" Hooray!… another summer of disappointment next year it is! But before all that we restart the season by going to Turf Moor to face Burnley. ***Interesting Statistic Alert!!!*** with Sunderland and Middlesbrough playing Championship football next season, Burnley will be second furthest distance the players will have to travel for an away game. The team secured 3 points last season with goals from Feghouli and Ayew with an injury hit team. hopefully the squad will be at near full fitness and be able to have a more comfortable win this time round. West Ham return to the London Stadium to face another Premier League debutant in Brighton and Hove Albion. Premier League boys tend to play off adrenaline for the first few months, as we've seen previously. Brighton could be a banana skin fixture and with them managed by Stratford born Ex-Hammer Chris Houghton, I can see that particular team turning up to cause an upset. The following week we play Crystal Palace and this time without an ex-hammers boss in charge. The past two seasons we've played against Pardew and Allardyce taking all three points on both occasions. Who knows what will happen with Palace, it will be one of those games where a certain Jonathan Calleri signs for them in the summer, scores a hat trick against us and sticks 2 fingers up at the board… or maybe we'll win 3-1 again? October is a funny sort of month where we could get maximum points from the fixtures. In my personal opinion I think 4 points would be acceptable.

We start November playing at home where a Champions League Liverpool side could show signs of exhaustion early in the season. Playing midweek games in between fixtures, could mean that this game would be either a Saturday night game or a Sunday lunchtime game. Revenge on the cards? Hope so! This fixture puts the premier league season on hold against, as there is another international break and final one of 2017 before the 2018 World Cup draw on 1st December in Moscow, Russia. Watford away next in the league and this fixture will be the start of the toughest run in of the season, where there will be eleven games played without a weekend break. West Ham could rack up an astonishing 1,960 miles on the road by playing away 6 times between November and New Year's Day. For me, the summer transfer window is key for winter fixture congestion, wise spending on experienced players is what will help the club overcome the 11 games that will determine where West Ham will finish up in the league. The Watford away game is a "bogey" game as is the following fixture against Leicester City, where we have failed to get a point at home in the past 2 seasons. They say things come in three's and we played Everton away to complete the Triple Bogey run in for November. Like October, 4 points is the minimum we should achieve and I hope the players realise that the November games are all games we have to win. We have to start beating these type of teams to push us up the league. Everton, Watford and Leicester have all dented our progress in previous seasons and it is time this stopped.

We start December knowing that England are in the Group of Death for the upcoming World Cup and we all realise that winning the trophy is not going to happen. But back to reality and we face Manchester City away. If I was Bilic I would seriously consider setting up a base camp for the Everton and Man City games due to the amount of travelling involved over the space of four days, we're looking at over 900 miles, would be great to cut that down in half and use the games as one trip. It would be worth trying to get in touch with a Football or Rugby League side in the area to see if they would share their facilities for a few days to save on travelling. Maybe training sessions with a rugby team might toughen the players up a bit. Afterwards we then have two back to back Home London derbies against Chelsea and Arsenal, two games where the atmosphere will be electric under the lights on a dark cold winters afternoon. An away trip to Stoke City followed by a home game to Newcastle, ensures the midway point of the season.

Controversially, as reported by ExWHUemployee, the away boxing day game looks set to be a regular fixture and this season we go to Bournemouth. With a gentleman's agreement put in place by the club and neighbouring Westfield Shopping Centre, it appears that the boxing day sales are more important for an area that has been enriched with various sport in the past five years. How ironic… if it wasn't for the Olympics, there wouldn't have been a shopping centre, now the shops are shunning sport. West Ham finally go to Wembley in 2017, but it will be a league fixture against Tottenham Hotspur as they make the home of football their temporary base. The thought of West Ham beating Tottenham at Wembley sounds great, however it all sounds too good to be true. December is a hard-hitting month to play seven games in four weeks but I feel the club can look to achieve between 9-12 points, which would satisfy every hammer at the moment.

We start the new year at home playing WBA on new year's day, which will be played on Monday and the FA CUP weekend follows. West Ham make their first trip to Huddersfield in the premier league and in typical West Ham fashion, a win could be guaranteed but a loss is on the cards. Back to back home games against Bournemouth and Crystal Palace could be a blessing in disguise as we look to push up the table. January could be a good month for us, especially if we get a decent draw in the cup, I expect a minimum of 7 points, however I think we could get a maximum 12 points from those four fixtures.

We kick of February by going to Brighton away and again like the Huddersfield game, we could see a slip up on the south coast. Watford at home follows and again revenge for the 4-2 defeat of last season will be on the minds of most West Ham players. An Away trip to Liverpool could see West Ham go three consecutive games undefeated at Anfield for the first time ever, something even my old man hasn't seen in his lifetime! February could be a tricky month and if there hasn't been significant investment in the January transfer window, we could be set for a dip in form and not gaining many points. Minimum three points expected, whether its three draws or 1 win, 3 points is needed, we cannot go through a run of games without winning. Last season we saw three poor runs of results where we hadn't won for six games…. this just cannot happen again.

Spring has sprung and we go over to "daffodil land" to play Swansea City. If Paul Clement is still in charge, I cannot see us winning although The Liberty Stadium has been good to us in the past. Three Home games in a row for West Ham as Burnley make their 508 mile round trip to the London Stadium and we could look to expose Burnley's tiredness. Manchester United and Southampton follow with the hammers looking to improve on last season's meetings. Four games in March and with 3 home games, the club could should look to get a minimum 8 points and go undefeated in the month.

April in my opinion the toughest month for West Ham as we start the month playing Chelsea away. we could put in a performance and come away with a point and we normally do well at Chelsea's place later on in the season, so maybe a shock could be on the cards and denting their titles hopes. A home game at Stoke the following week could be our final win of the season considering the teams left to play. Arsenal away and Man City at home are two games I'm not hopeful for. I predict that we will get 3 points, however if the club come back with 4-6 points that will be a good couple of results to see out the season.

The month of May sees two bogey sides return, West Ham travel to The King Power Stadium to try and get 3 points against Leicester City and we end the season at home against Everton. The final two games could go either way but 2 points could be enough and seeing out the season not losing, would end the season on a positive.

Upon reflection of the fixtures for the upcoming 2017-18 season, there are significant parts of the season that will influence West Ham's final position. The start of the season indicates that the club need to be more affective away from home by gaining as many points as possible to upset the big clubs. The summer transfer window needs to address the eleven game run in during the winter period, by getting in experience players on a short term basis to prevent the squad being overused and inflict injuries. The club have to eliminate the potential stress of player playing through the pain barrier, we've seen Carroll, Sakho, Antonio, Noble, Ogbonna and Reid all play with injuries which has affected the team's performances. April 2018 could ruin all the hard work in the earlier parts of the season, games against Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City and Everton are ones that could either stop us gaining a European place, or they could relegate us.

My season prediction is that the current West Ham team (before any transfers have occurred as of this publication date) will get around 51 points this season, which on average would secure a top 10 finish. For Slaven Bilic to keep his job as West Ham manager, he would have to match the points tally of the 2015-16 season, otherwise his contract will not be renewed. I love Slaven as West Ham Boss and if he doesn't improve on his ratio at the club, it hates me to say it but then he has to leave. West Ham need a manager who is a "1 win from 2" rather than "1 win from 3" type of guy. Slaven is on the edge in terms of performances and his passion for the club is what is giving him another chance. His win ratio at West Ham is a mere 38%… 11% lower than his average and 13% below his Besiktas ratio (51%). For west ham to start considering themselves at a top 6 club, challenging for European football, they have to start winning more games, it's as simple as that.

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A GOALKEEPING DILEMMA
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 19 JUNE 2017 AT 8:44PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Written by @farehamhammer

I'm not going to put on a vest, hold a placard up and march to Downing Street and start shouting: "Randolph MUST go!" However one must accept, Darren Randolph, needs replacing. He is a poor goalkeeper. When Robert Green, was our custodian in goal, I would brick myself every time the opposition crossed the halfway line because 9 out ten times, it would land in the back of our net. Green was so bad at one stage, I thought he was part of a Middle East betting syndicate! I remember one game against Hull, when they had two shots but scored THREE goals! One he virtually threw into his own net. Anything could happen with Green in goal, from kicking the ball straight to the opposition, getting beaten at the near post and of course he feared crosses more than Satan. More often than not, the opposition would be out played, then have a shot and score. As a result heads would drop, and we would lose games we should have won.

When a team has no confidence in their goalkeeper, it makes the whole team jittery. I am afraid to say, that is the case when Darren Randolph is in goal. It's not just a West Ham 'thing', Randolph has been just as poor for Ireland. The man is pathetic at dealing with crosses, gets beaten at the near post, poor place keeping, with the ball often going straight to a nearby striker's feet and like Green, capable of the most outrageous of errors. Having to rely on Darren Randolph at some point next season will cost West Ham matches, so we will have to look at the goalkeeping position very carefully. I like Adrian, although he does have the odd rush of blood, he is a good goalkeeper and his defence is far less jittery when he is in goal. The clean sheets we started getting towards the end of last season, tells a story.

I have seen the clamour to sign Joe Hart, apparently Manchester City are willing to pay, £75000 per week of his £175 000 per week salary. The problem I have is this: Yes, Joe Hart is a good goalkeeper, also prone to the odd error but he is certainly NOT an exceptional goalkeeper. In an ideal world one would have, both Hart and Adrian, as our first team goalkeepers, but that is not going to happen. If you sign Hart, both Adrian and Randolph will be off. Adrian, a Spanish international, will not be prepared to sit on the bench twiddling his thumbs with the World Cup in mind. He will be off and he won't be short of suitors, who could blame him if he did so? There is not that much between Joe Hart and Adrian …accept wages, with Hart probably earning about £125 000 per week more. How do you think that would go down, not just with Adrian, but the rest of the squad as well? Time to say no to Hart and invest the £100 000 in wages elsewhere in the team.

So what do we do about our no 2 goalkeeper if we manage to flog Randolph? Even the big clubs don't have star second choice goalkeepers, the key is getting a steady goalkeeper as your number 2, far easier said than done. We have been linked with Norwich City's John Ruddy, with groans of not another free! Let's look at the reason why Ruddy was released. Yes, he did not have a great season last season, but neither did Norwich City as a whole. He was not offered a new contract, simply because Norwich could not afford him. However make no mistake, John Ruddy is hugely popular with the Carrow Road crowd, having produced several outstanding performances over the years. Indeed they produced a big banner at his final game saying: "Thank You for everything big John"! A big man is John Ruddy indeed! I remember Didier Drogba being laid out cold after colliding with big John. I would personally welcome Big John to The London Stadium, an experienced and steady goalkeeper, who won't let The Club down if called upon. Hart at £100,000 per week? Jog on son! No, Adrian at number 1 with big John at number 2.We're more than a football club, we're a way of life!

COYI!!

Farehamhammer!!!!

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Kouyate unsure what future holds
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 19th June 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate say that last season was the toughest the club had experienced for some considerable time - and that he is unsure what the future holds for him. The experienced Senegal international, who was signed by Sam Allardyce in 2014 admitted that the 2016/17 campaign was his toughest since leaving Anderlecht to join the Hammers.
And when asked whether he was likely to remain at the Olympic Stadium for the forseeable future, Kouyate's reply was non-commital. "I do not know for the moment," he told Sen360FR. "I am on holiday and not taking care of certain things. "Every player dreams of going as high as possible. There are certain things that are not said publicly. What counts is that at the resumption [of pre-season training], I will be with West Ham. The rest, I do not control."
Kouyate also revealed that the departure of Dimitri Payet played a major role in the team's indifferent form last season, despite reports suggesting the players were happy to see the French international leave. "There have been many ups and downs this season,"he added. "This is the hardest we have seen in recent years, but luckily we have secured survival. "We fought to stay in the Premier League. I have never experienced such a situation because it is harder to fight when you are at the bottom of the ladder. Before each game, we were obliged to keep one eye on the teams immediately below us [in the table]. "It was difficult especially after the departure of our star, Dimitri Payet. We had to put in place a different style of play because before all we played for him. Now we had to play as a team. "His departure was of a family nature. It was difficult for him. He did not find the love he hoped for at the club and since the family sometimes decides, he did not hesitate. "He preferred to go back to France. It is his choice that we respect. I spoke to him on the phone two days ago. He is happy and well. As for us, it took some time but in the end we clicked."

Kouyate also revealed that he had been unhappy at being asked to fill in at right back by Slaven Bilic - especially when a qualified full back was available. "We lost our right-hand side and some defenders who could evolve at that level," he recalled. "It was then that the coach asked me to help out. "Initially, I was reluctant to complain when he told me it was just for a game. It was just after the African Cup. But after the third match, there was a defender available. Nevertheless, Bilic played me there me again. "Not only did I lose my bearings, but I was not good on the field. I was stuck in my evolution. Even the coach realised this. I did not feel good, so I took my responsibilities to tell the coach that I could no longer continue [in that position]."

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Hoffenheim want Hammers midfielder
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 19th June 2017
By: Staff Writer

Hoffenheim are the latest Bundesliga club to be linked with a move for Havard Nordtveit. KUMB reported last week how the Norwegian international had refused to rule out a return to Germany, despite having served just one year of a five-year contract with West Ham.
And now Hoffenheim, who recently lost midfielders Sebastian Rudy and Pirmin Schwegler are understood to have indicated an interest in taking Nordtveit back to the European mainland. Hamburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg have also been closely linked with a move for the 26-year-old.

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Oxford in Germany for talks
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 19th June 2017
By: Staff Writer

Reece Oxford has arrived in Germany ahead of a season-long loan move to Borussia Monchengladbach. The 18-year-old had been widely tipped to feature in Slaven Bilic's first team squad next term but will instead feature in the Bundesliga for Die Fohlen, should talks progress without any hitches. Oxford flew into Germany earlier today for talks with Monchengladbach who are seeking a replacement for Chelsea centre-half Andreas Christensen. The young Dane has spent the last two seasons on loan at Borussia Park. West Ham have no intention of selling Oxford, who spent the latter half of last season on loan with Championship side Reading, on a permanent basis.

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West Ham youngster Reece Oxford seals Bundesliga move to Borussia Monchengladbach
The Hammers starlet's management have shared a picture of him being unveiled with Foals sporting director Max Eberl
The Mirror
BYJACK RATHBORN
20:08, 19 JUN 2017UPDATED20:19, 19 JUN 2017

Reece Oxford has joined Borussia Monchengladbach from West Ham, according to his management. As first revealed by the Mirror weeks ago, the Hammers were keen to send Oxford out on a season-long loan with the Foals to gain first team experience and Colossal Sports Management have posted a picture of the player alongside Gladbach's sporting director Max Eberl to confirm the deal. The 18-year-old follows Chelsea youngster Andreas Christensen in moving from the Premier League to the Borussia Park in order to develop as a player. Oxford, who signed a new deal last season until 2021, is versatile and can play in centre-midfield or at centre-back. After a couple of appearances under Slaven Bilic in the Europa League qualifiers, Oxford's involvement in the first team was cut short, leading to a five-month loan spell with Reading. The second-youngster player to start a Premier League game against Arsenal in August 2015, aged 16 years and 198 days, the Hammers have held him back since. Gladbach have a fine record in nurturing young talent and offered Christensen 81 games in a two-year loan spell, which will give West Ham optimism that Oxford will be handed a similar amount of game time.

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West Ham set to confirm Reece Oxford loan deal to Borussia Monchengladbach
JAMES BENGE
Evening Stadnard

West Ham defender Reece Oxford has all but completed his loan move to Borussia Monchengladbach. The 18-year-old will join the Bundesliga side on a season-long loan and completed his medical earlier on Tuesday. Oxford signed a four-and-a-half-year deal at the London Stadium in December before heading out to Championship side Reading, where he made only five appearances under Jaap Stam in what was a frustrating spell away from his parent club. Gladbach will hope Oxford can fill the space vacated by Danish international Andreas Christensen, who has returned to Chelsea after spending two seasons on loan at Borussia Park.
Despite his second loan departure this year hopes remain high that Oxford, an England Under-19 international, can establish himself in the West Ham senior side.
Slaven Bilic handed Oxford his Premier League debut at the age of just 16 years and 198 days in a 2-0 win at Arsenal in August 2015, a match in which Oxford won rave reviews for his exceptional marshalling of Mesut Ozil. That performance alerted a string of top sides to Oxford's quality and prior to signing his £1million-a-year extension at West Ham he was coveted by the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United.

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Reece Oxford: West Ham defender to join Borussia Monchengladbach on loan
By David Ornstein
BBC Sport

West Ham defender Reece Oxford is close to completing a season-long loan move to Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach. The 18-year-old, who spent five months on loan at Reading last season, has had a medical ahead of a move to Germany. Oxford was the second-youngest player to start a Premier League match when he played against Arsenal, aged 16 years and 198 days, in August 2015.
He signed a new four-and-a-half-year deal at West Ham in December 2016.

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Kouyate hits out at as he admits he doesn't know what his West Ham future holds
The midfielder gave the explosive quotes in an interview and it appears he hasn't been too happy
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
16:55, 19 JUN 2017

Cheikhou Kouyate has lashed out at manager Slaven Bilic for playing him at right back last season and added he doesn't know what the future holds. The surprising comments came in an interview the Senegal midfielder conducted with Sen360FR on Wednesday as he admitted last season was his toughest at the club. The departure of Dimitri Payet contributed to that in Kouyate's eyes, but him playing out of position, when right backs were in the squad, irked him the most. Kouyate said: "We lost our right-hand side and some defenders who could evolve at that level. It was then that the coach asked me to help out. "Initially, I was reluctant to complain when he told me it was just for a game. It was just after the African Cup. But after the third match, there was a defender available. Nevertheless, Bilic played me there me again. "Not only did I lose my bearings, but I was not good on the field. I was stuck in my evolution. Even the coach realised this. I did not feel good, so I took my responsibilities to tell the coach that I could no longer continue [in that position]."
When asked about his future at the London Stadium, Kouyate was very non-comittal He added: ""I do not know for the moment. I am on holiday and not taking care of certain things. "Every player dreams of going as high as possible. There are certain things that are not said publicly. What counts is that at the resumption [of pre-season training], I will be with West Ham. The rest, I do not control."

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WEST HAM READY TO BID €10M FOR SILVAN WIDMER
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
ReadWestHam

Despite recruiting Pablo Zabaleta from Manchester City on a free transfer earlier this month, West Ham are still reportedly in the market for a right-back. According to Italian source Il Messaggero (h/t Sport Witness), the Hammers are said to be ready to make a €10m bid to sign Udinese fullback Silvan Widmer this summer. Since arriving in Serie A four years ago from Granada, Widmer has been a regular in the Udinese side, making 28 appearances last season, providing four assists. Able to play at right-back or in a wing-back role, Widmer is an ideal fit on paper for a West Ham side that have been rotating between a back four and back three formation. The 24-year-old is capped nine times by Switzerland but a move for him doesn't really make much sense. Slaven Bilic brought in Zabaleta on a two-year deal to provide competition but more importantly mentorship to Sam Byram who is still developing his game, so throwing Widmer into the mix does raise eyebrows, perhaps regarding the future of the former Leeds standout. West Ham still need to add to their defensive ranks but another right-back isn't the right move in our minds.

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Hamburg struggling to finance deal to take Havard Nordtveit back to Germany from West Ham
The midfielder is set for an exit from the Hammers this summer but one destination might be ruled out
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
13:00, 19 JUN 2017

Hamburg want to take Havard Nordtveit off West Ham's hands this summer but they are struggling to match his wage demands, meaning any move could collapse, according to reports in Germany. The Norwegian midfielder had a disappointing campaign at the Hammers following his free transfer from Borussia Moenchengladbach last summer, signing a five-year deal. He was also handed a reported £55,000 a week wage by West Ham when he signed, in the upper echelon of earners at the club at the time. However, it appears a move hasn't quite worked out in England, but the man who made 16 appearances for the club last season is adamant he wants to stay in east London. He said: "At the moment, I let the speculation lie. "I still have four years left on his contract with West Ham. And I'm getting ready to take part in preparations for the new season."
Hamburg, Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg are all reportedly interested in his signature and it's Hamburg who have made the first move, according to Germna outlet Bild, but they are struggling to match his earnings.

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West Ham striker Enner Valencia lined up for Tigres move - sources
1:13 PM BST
Peter O'Rourke
ESPN

West Ham United are ready to sell Enner Valencia to Mexican side Tigres UANL, sources close to the London club have told ESPN FC. Valencia, 27, spent last season on loan at Everton, but they have opted against making the move permanent. The Ecuador international made five starts in the Premier League during his stint at Everton and scored just three goals in 30 appearances in all competitions.
Valencia is well down the pecking order at West Ham and manager Slaven Bilic is prepared to let him move on in order to generate funds for his own transfer plans. The striker is highly regarded in Mexico after starring for Pachuca before joining West Ham in 2014. Valencia is keen on a move away in search of regular first-team football and the opportunity to return closer to Ecuador makes Tigres an attractive proposition for the striker.

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West Ham may face battle from Man Utd for Joe Hart - and Hammers also want Olivier Giroud
Jason Burt, chief football correspondent
19 JUNE 2017 • 11:09AM
Telepgrah.co.uk

West Ham United are keen to sign Joe Hart and will press ahead with a move for Olivier Giroud if Arsenal sign any new strikers. The deal for Hart would most likely be a season-long loan and it is understood that the England international wants to make the move to West Ham. An intriguing complication could be if Manchester United sell David De Gea to Real Madrid as it is believed that manager Jose Mourinho is genuinely interested in signing Hart. However, it is extremely difficult to see Manchester City allowing the 30-year-old to cross over to their city rivals.
A move to West Ham makes more sense and the club would regard the signing as a big statement of intent ahead of the new season with Hart also looked upon as a strong character and a potential leader for the squad. The fact that he is English is also an attraction to West Ham. Hart recently admitted that he does not know where his future lies after the end of his season-long loan to the Italian club, Torino, given he is not wanted at City. "I need an offer first and then I need to work out my options if I have choices. I want to be playing at the highest possible level, pushing myself," Hart said after England's recent World Cup qualifier away to Scotland. Hart also knows that his position as England No 1 is under serious threat with Jack Butland fit again and Jordan Pickford, who has just completed a £30million move to Everton, pushing hard to be promoted to the senior squad from the England Under-21s. The scale of Hart's wages would make a permanent move to West Ham very difficult, but both parties would consider a loan agreement, it seems, although that also depends on the fee demanded by City. Ideally Hart would want a permanent deal to kick-start his career and settle his long-term future and sources suggest that could even be offered by United if they relent and allow De Gea to seal his dream move to Real Madrid.

Mourinho would love to take a player from City, where Hart was popular among the fans but unwanted by manager Pep Guardiola, but it remains highly unlikely that a deal between the two clubs is agreed under any circumstance. West Ham are attempting to re-shape their squad this summer after a disappointing first campaign at the London Stadium and Giroud's future is also being closely monitored.

Arsenal are bidding to sign Giroud's French international team-mate Alexandre Lacazette and have also continued to track the future of Kylian Mbappe at Monaco, although Real Madrid are the favourites to sign him should he leave. If Arsenal make any signings then it appears that Giroud may be available for transfer. The 30-year-old will not want to become a marginalised player at Arsenal – and he only made 11 Premier League starts last season – especially with the World Cup in Russia next summer. However, if Alexis Sanchez leaves Arsenal, with Bayern Munich his most likely destination, Arsene Wenger may not want to allow Giroud to also go. West Ham want to improve their attacking options, in particular, and have also registered an interest previously in City's Kelechi Iheanacho, but it appears he is too expensive.

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West Ham should accept Iheanacho's buyback fee and focus on the present
HITC
Vincent Ralph

West Ham United had been linked with the Manchester City youngster but things have gone quiet after a reported impasse. According to a report from Own Goal Nigeria, West Ham United walked away from discussions regarding the potential transfer of Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho after the two sides could not agree on the buyback clause. City are said to have wanted a fee that was not acceptable to the Hammers, but given their need for additional quality fire-power, Slaven Bilic's side should be focusing on the here and now.
Such is Iheanacho's ability in front of goal that City were never going to allow him to leave unless they could buy him back for a decent fee if he goes on to fulfil his potential. West Ham would, like any club, want to sign a player they know is theirs for as long as they want them. However when it comes to signing the most prolific young strikers in European football, it is rarely that easy.
West Ham could walk away from the deal and hope to sign another striker or two. The problem is, as their fans will tell you it is easier said than done. Last summer Bilic's side was linked with some of the most exciting forwards in the game. They ended up with Simone Zaza and Jonathan Calleri. Such is City's strength in depth and the likelihood of additional new recruits both this summer and in future transfer windows, that they are unlikely to activate Iheanacho's buyback clause any time soon. That means West Ham could have a prolific young forward for the next few years and when you consider City are willing to sell, the Hammers should act before it is too late. The 20-year-old scores almost every time he starts and he is only going to get better in the years to come. West Ham may know they only have him for a limited time but they are likely to make their money back, and even if City are pushing for a cut-price return, he will more than pay the difference if he performs to his best ability for however long he is at the London Stadium. Iheancho is an exciting yet achievable target, and West Ham need to act on one of those or risk another summer of bitter disappointment.

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Key figure shares interesting advantage West Ham have this season over past two years
HITC
Antony Martin

West Ham United will not have the Europa League to contend with this season. Hammers' newly appointed Head of Medical Services Gary Lewin wrote a column for the club's official website, and highlighted a huge advantage the squad have this time around, over last year's pre-season. Lewin, the former Arsenal and England physio, has been in his role at West Ham for three weeks, and what with their horrendous injury record last term, he arguably faces the toughest challenge of his career at the London Stadium. Getting to the bottom of ongoing issues for the likes of Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho will surely feature highly on Lewin's priority list. And the east Londoner's fitness supremo told WHUFC.com how a pre-season schedule without the inclusion of Europa League football could prove to be a major plus for the Hammers as far as their hopes for a successful Premier League campaign are concerned:
"For the last two summers, the Club have had early competitive football in the Europa League, and that can be tough. It's not so much the early start, but more the unknown aspect of it when you are planning – who are we playing, where are we travelling. That can make it difficult to plan individual programmes for players who may be at different levels of fitness and conditioning. This year we can set in stone what we are doing, and have a pre-conceived plan all the way through to August 12. We can all be on the same page, with the same levels of fitness and, hopefully, have everyone relatively injury-free and ready to go."
West Ham's pre-season will consist of training camps in both Austria and Germany, before they head to Iceland to take on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City one week before the start of the 2017/18 Premier League campaign. And Hammers fans will be looking for a better start to the season than the one their club experienced last term.

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West Ham defender Reece Oxford touches down in Germany ahead of Borussia Monchengladbach loan deal
Reece Oxford is tipped to become the future West Ham and England captain
Defender is set to head to Borussia Monchengladbach on loan next season
The 18-year-old touched down in Germany on Monday for advanced talks
Chelsea's Andreas Christensen has spent the last two seasons on loan at club
By SAMI MOKBEL FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 09:26, 19 June 2017 | UPDATED: 09:26, 19 June 2017

West Ham starlet Reece Oxford has arrived in Germany to complete a season-long loan deal to Borussia Monchengladbach. The 18-year-old has flown over for advanced talks with the Bundesliga club and is expected to agree a deal for the entirety of next season. Oxford is tipped as a future West Ham and England captain, but the Hammers want their teenager to gain regular first team football next season.
Chelsea centre half Andreas Christensen has spent the last two seasons on loan at Monchengladbach, nurturing a reputation as one of the most promising defenders in Europe. And the German club believe Oxford can make a similar impression in the Bundesliga next season.

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West Ham United's Angelo Ogbonna wants Italy return
HITC
Shane Callaghan

The West Ham United man wants to re-join an Italian club, according to reports from Italy. Il Secolo XIX has reported that West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna wants a return to Italy this summer. The Italian newspaper suggests that Serie A outfit Sampdoria will consider the 29-year-old centre-back as an option to potentially replace highly-rated Milan Skriniar, who has been linked with a switch to Inter Milan. And Il Secolo XIX goes on to state that the Italy international - signed from Juventus in 2015 - wants a return to his homeland. If true then it will come as a blow to West Ham after his importance to the team was underlined in the second half of the 2016-17 campaign. Ogbonna missed half of last season with a knee injury sustained in January, and the Irons struggled in his absence.
He underwent knee surgery following an injury in a 3-1 win over Middlesbrough, and Slaven Bilic's side managed to win only one of their subsequent nine Premier League outings in a run of horrendous form which included six defeats. He should, in theory, be ready for the start of next season after starting West Ham's 2-1 win at Burnley on the final day of the campaign and Bilic should do everything in his power to ensure that his centre-back is still at the club. Then again, his five-month layoff might have had adverse affects on his game. Jose Fonte is a capable defender but the last five months of last season proved that he is not in Ogbonna's league.

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