West Ham youngster Martinez has first-team goals
WHUFC.com
Toni Martinez is eyeing further first-team opportunities – and goals – after
netting his first senior goal in Saturday's 2-2 Betway Cup draw with Werder
Bremen.
The Spaniard showed his predatory nature to bury an unstoppable header past
Jiri Pavlenka to put the Hammers 2-1 up in Lohne, craning his neck to power
the ball into the bottom corner. After spending the entire pre-season with
Slaven Bilic's squad the 20-year-old, who scored 14 goals in 13 appearances
for West Ham's U23s last season, wants more of the same. "I'm really happy
to score my first goal with the first team," said Martinez, whose goal came
at the end of an impressive attacking move that saw the Hammers move the
ball from one penalty area to another with dazzling speed. "It was a good
cross from Andre Ayew and good play from Arthur Masuaku, so all I needed to
do was put the ball in the back of the net. "It's amazing for me. It was a
great game and we're working hard to be strong for the first game in the
Premier League. Now I'm going to keep working. "We are enjoying the training
camp a lot and I am happy to stay with the first team and I'm working hard
for my opportunity. I wish I will get more opportunities this season but,
for now, I am just trying to help the team and nothing more."
Martinez's transition to the first-team squad has been eased by the presence
of a host of other native Spanish speakers, including new signings Pablo
Zabaleta and Chicharito. Indeed, the former Valencia youngster is hoping to
learn more about the art of being a top-level centre forward from Mexico's
all-time leading scorer.
"It's very easy for me because there are so many boys who speak Spanish and
it's very good for me," he confirmed. "Of course, I can learn a lot from
Chicharito. He is one of my favourite strikers and I'm sure I'm going to
learn too much from him."
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Hammers on Tour: Chicharito attracts quite the following
WHUFC.com
Catching up on daily life with Slaven Bilic's squad after a busy weekend in
Germany…
The Little Pea with a big following
He may be yet to pull on a Claret and Blue shirt, but Javier Chicharito
Hernandez is already the star attraction at West Ham United's German
training camp.
The Mexico superstar arrived in Rotenburg on Thursday afternoon, having
visited Paris to complete his successful UK visa application. En route from
France to Germany, the 29-year-old was repeatedly recognised by fans and,
being used to the attention, happily signed autographs and posed for
selfies. On arrival at the team hotel, two Spanish-speaking television
crews, including Raul Guzman from USA-based Univision, were on hand to
capture the big moment, as were Sky Sports News reporter Paul Gilmour and
cameraman Rich Harlow. Gilmour and Harlow had also travelled to West Ham's
Austrian training camp earlier in July and were delighted to be rewarded for
their hard work when Chicharito held a press conference at the hotel later
that evening. "Pre-season is a little more laid-back and the access to the
manager and players is better, as obviously they are under so much more
pressure during the competitive season," Gilmour told us. "They are working
hard, but they are also relaxed and it gives us an opportunity to get some
great coverage! "Myself and Richard had really enjoyed it. We've been on
many of these pre-season trips and this one is right up there because of the
level of access, which we don't get at all clubs."
Harlow agreed with his colleague's sentiments, adding: "It's the second year
I've been to Austria with West Ham and we're welcomed by the squad, who are
always happy to chat and keep us entertained when we're filming. "Mark Noble
and Ginge are always good value and obviously everyone is absolutely buzzing
about the four new signings."
Familiar surroundings
One member of the West Ham United party who is definitely feeling at home in
Germany is first-team coach Edin Terzic. The 34-year-old was born in the
town of Menden, just south east of Dortmund, and played semi-professionally
for a number of clubs, including Wattenscheid and Cloppenburg. He then
coached at Borussia Dortmund under Jurgen Klopp before joining forces with
Slaven Bilic at Besiktas four years ago. Terzic has naturally enjoyed being
back on home turf, while training at local club Rotenburger SV has brought
back memories of his own playing career. "Football is very popular in
Germany of course, the number one sport, but in this part of the country
there are not so many really big teams, just Hamburg and St Pauli in the
north and Werder Bremen further south, and fewer amateur clubs," he
observed. "Where I am from, near Dortmund, you have a concentration of
around 16 million people, so not every club has the space and money to have
facilities like the ones in Rotenburg. "I feel comfortable around here, of
course, because I hear German spoken all the time, I am eating German food
and I can talk to everyone, but while everything is nice we are here to work
and it all comes down to what we do on the pitch. It doesn't matter if I am
in Germany, Iceland or Austria, because it's about using this moment to
improve!"
Auction
West Ham United welcomed two guests to their training base this week in the
shape of John Oldfield and Terry Comitti (pictured, above). The lifelong
Hammers and Club London members were lucky enough to win the bidding for a
unique auction prize at the recent 2016/17 Player Awards, namely to spend
time with Slaven Bilic and his squad in Germany. The pair enjoyed fantastic
behind-the-scenes access, drinking coffee with the manager, eating lunch
with Mark Noble and company and even welcoming new signing Chicharito to the
team hotel!
Matchday experience
West Ham United's visits to Schneverdingen and Lohne for their Betway Cup
ties with Werder Bremen saw the Hammers turn out at two stadia that are
seldom visited by crowds numbering in the hundreds, let alone the thousands.
Staff at both FC Schneverdingen and Blue-Weiss Lohne worked tirelessly to
make their respective grounds ready for two squads packed with international
stars, resulting in two seamless matchdays. Betway branding was added, while
provisions were made for Premier Sports to produce two live broadcasts and
food, drink and even a tombola stall were erected. In Lohne, however, one
part of the matchday experience that was already in place was this
eye-catching children's play area!
Over land and sea…
Hundreds of West Ham United supporters travelled to Germany to watch their
team take on Werder Bremen – twice in the space of 20 hours! The Claret and
Blue Army descended from England, Switzerland and all over Germany, hanging
dozens of flags at the stadia in Schneverdingen and Lohne. The vociferous
support, including repeated choruses of Bubbles, undoubtedly added to the
atmosphere as the Hammers were edged out 3-2 on aggregate by their
Bundesliga opponents.
It would be a huge surprise if the Cologne Hammers flag was not on show at
Altona 93's Adolf-Jäger-Kampfbahn stadium on Tuesday evening!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Antonio helps West Ham United Ladies enjoy special day!
WHUFC.com
The rain may have been lashing down, but it couldn't dampen the spirit and
enthusiasm of the West Ham United Ladies as they gathered together at the
Rush Green training ground on Saturday afternoon.
While Marko Arnautovic was claiming his first goal in a Hammers shirt for
the men's team out in Germany, all six of the Ladies' squads, from Under 10s
all the way up to the first team, enjoyed their first Club Media day to
celebrate the impending start of the 2017/18 season.
All squads had their official team photographs taken for the new campaign
and then took part in a range of training drills and exercises in front of
family and friends supporting from the sidelines, who enjoyed refreshments
provided by The Ribman and kept their energy up with drinks supplied by Rich
Energy, official partners of West Ham United Ladies.
Also present was reigning Hammer of the Year and official Ambassador to the
West Ham United Ladies, Michail Antonio, who spent time chatting to the
players, meeting their families and hearing all about the exciting plans
that have been progressing ever since the restructuring of the Ladies'
set-up was announced back in May.
Antonio, who had been at Rush Green earlier in the morning continuing
rehabilitation work on his hamstring injury, insisted on staying behind
until the Ladies' teams arrived so that he could show his support.
"It's been fantastic to see everyone here today," he said. "I am genuinely
honoured to be an Ambassador for the West Ham United Ladies, especially at
such an exciting time for them.
"There is a great atmosphere within their set-up, and I really enjoyed
meeting the players, especially the youngsters who are just starting out on
their journey and learning the game in such a great environment."
General Manager Karen Ray, who organised the event, was delighted by the
response of everyone present and celebrated a hugely successful day.
"Today was all about the players," she said. "We wanted to really solidify
and celebrate being part of the club.
"Seeing all six teams interacting together really encompasses exactly what a
family club we are. 90 players, from age eight through to 28, all enjoying
each other's company and sharing their love for football is empowering.
"At West Ham United Ladies we strive to have a positive impact on every
player's life and today will really give them all a wonderful memory to
inspire them for the new season.
"It was a great way to kick off the five-year plan that will drive us to be
a top Super League team and really enhance the profile of the club.
"Now we can look forward to kicking off the season on August 20, when we
head to Gillingham for the opening game."
Look out for some brand new features on the West Ham United Ladies, coming
soon on whufc.com…
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HAMMERS LOSING OUT ON GOOSEBERRY CUP IN THE GERMAN COUNTRYSIDE
By HamburgHammer 30 Jul 2017 at 17:45
WTID
Why does time always have to flash by when you're enjoying yourself ? It
seems like it was just a few hours ago that I got into my car to drive out
to Schneverdingen to welcome my star guests BSB and The Original Russ to my
country. Well, I say my country, but of course it was pretty much rural
countryside, the backwaters of civilisation almost, like having a Londoner
taking you to Norfolk for a game.
Mind you, the Lüneburg Heath is beautiful enough in its own kind of way and
BSB was happy enough with the beautiful houses there and the compact and
cosy town center.
Still I managed to take us down the wrong road on our way to the stadium
(which seems to be a recurring theme now), but then again I am pretty much a
stranger in that part of the country myself and we did alright in the end
anyway.
To start off with the positives, it is always good to see the youngsters,
the future of our club so to speak, playing in the flesh. We had to play a
game of "Who is that youngster over there?" initially, but we managed to
identify them all and I have to say while some of them impressed more than
others, not a single one of them disappointed. Personally I was very happy
indeed with Cullen, Rice, Holland and Martinez.
Another positive was the general atmosphere at both games. Not a sniff of
trouble, it was basically a paid holiday for the police staff present at the
game as they had so little to do. Certain sections of the travelling Hammers
have been praising the stunning beauty of the female police officers to the
hilt, comparing them to glamour models or girl groups like the Spice Girls.
Not sure about that one, but maybe the stunners in uniform helped putting
the Hammers fanbase in a relaxed and happy mood for the games which ain't a
bad thing in my book.
There was friendly banter with the Bremen fans too and while I can never
truly support Werder being a proud Hamburger I can respect them and if West
Ham were to play Bremen on a more regular basis in future preseason
friendlies I wouldn't mind that at all. One of the stewards in Lohne who was
manning the entrance to the away seating section (when I say away seating
section I mean the bit that had been cordoned off with simple barrier tape,
so you basically had both sets of fans sitting right next to each other) was
a former Lohne player and he was proudly showing us a picture on his mobile
of a newspaper clipping covering a preseason friendly he had played against
West Ham in 1983. They lost that game 1:4 on the day and apparently his
direct opponent on the pitch got the better of him all afternoon, it was a
certain Alvin Martin…
Another positive for me was seeing some glimpses of what Arnautovic could do
for us. There obviously is a great footballer in there, when he is in the
mood for applying himself for the full 90 minutes (which apparently was an
issue at previous clubs), he can be an arrogant so and so, but he now is OUR
arrogant so and so which means I shall gladly root for him despite his
Austrian accent…:-))
He seems to love taking on three or four players at the same time which can
be frustrating to watch if it doesn't work, but when it does come off, boy,
is it a beauty to behold!
Arnautovic is the kind of player that gets fans out of their seats,
hopefully there will be plenty of that at London Stadium this season.
My favourite youngster now probably is Josh Cullen, not just because of his
composed play but also because me and Ebi (a fellow German Hammer from near
Bonn) bumped into Cullen and Reece Burke on Thursday afternoon in Rotenburg
when the players had some time off and JC and RB were desperately looking
for a pool table. We found out for them where they might find one nearby but
I doubt they were successful as pubs and arcades in a small town like
Rotenburg tend to open in the evenings only. So I will probably never know
now if Cullen and Burke did get to play their game of pool in the end…but
they were lovely to chat to and wonderful ambassadors for our club.
Pre-season games and friendlies in general don't do a lot for me (I made an
exception in West Ham's case because it was close to home and because BSB
and Russ were over), but you tend to come away from those games none the
wiser really. The manager tends to mix and match lineups, players are busy
trying not to get injured instead of getting stuck in (and rightfully so)
and those friendlies therefore rarely deliver a proper indication as to how
the actual season might turn out for your team.
It would have been great to see Andy Carroll play of course, although the
tooth fairy will probably play more games for West Ham next season than AC,
but I won't go further into that topic as I don't intend to burst a blood
vessel. I think it's time to finally cut our losses, pay the guy off, save a
bit of money that way and prepare for life without him. There are enough
strikers still available out there who may not be world beaters but who at
least will be able to play week in week out and convert some goalscoring
opportunities when you create those chances for them.
So we didn't win the Gooseberry Cup, excuse me, Betway Cup! (I'm using
gooseberry here because there was some lovely gooseberry cream cake
available before the game in Lohne and because the gooseberry pretty much
describes the kind of area where those preseason games had been arranged to
take place. I thought it was an odd choice, but ultimately it turned out not
too bad a decision after all).
In order to see a proper top level football stadium I took BSB and Russ to
the famous Weserstadion in Bremen, but not before we had enjoyed a Mexican
style dinner at El Mariachi in the vicinity of the stadium (to celebrate
Chicharito's arrival at West Ham, BSB and Russ had steak). It was one of the
rare times when I actually ordered too much food for us (I had never been to
that place before and we had no idea how big the servings would be). At some
point even I was full up, so I took a doggybag as I learned from my war and
hunger scarred parents all those years ago never to allow good food going to
waste).
It was dark already when we arrived at the stadium and we obviously couldn't
get into the ground, so we took a wander around and caught glimpses of the
inside through gaps and fences. My guests were suitably impressed and judged
it to be a stadium fit for a big club which Bremen are, not necessarily in
terms of trophies and star players as Bremen's glory years mainly are in the
past rather than the present, but the support is top notch and the stadium
(which holds almost 40.000) is nearly always sold out.
It is also to my knowledge the only stadium in the Bundesliga where fans can
travel in by boat shuttle as the stadium is located right alongside the
river Weser where the stadium derives its name from.
Tomorrow I shall be welcoming another fellow Hammer to town who is coming
over for the Altona game, so we will have a little Guided Walk around town,
with an emphasis on the locations where the Beatles used to perform, drink,
sleep (or spend time in a prison cell overnight once) to be followed by the
game itself on Tuesday evening.
In contrast to the games in Schneverdingen and Lohne there will be strict
segregation in effect between sets of fans for the Altona game and as the
ground is right smack in the middle of a busy inner city
working-class/alternative/left-wing community there could indeed be some
trouble, especially later, on and around the notorious Reeperbahn what with
St.Pauli playing a friendly against Stoke of all teams at the very same time
in pretty much the same borough.
St.Pauli and Altona are favourite areas for eating out and drinking and
there will be four sets of fans doing just that tomorrow evening all likely
to bump into each other somewhere along the way: Altona, St.Pauli, West Ham
and Stoke.
That's two Hamburg teams which hate each other's guts and two English teams
that are not exactly friends for life either.
I really hope it will be just the same jolly and relaxed atmosphere on the
night than it was out in the country, I wouldn't bet on it though. What I
would bet on is West Ham beating Altona fairly comfortably. Altona deserve a
good thrashing too. They are the barstewards after all who got promotion
instead of my beloved Concordia.
So, make it double digits please West Ham: Hattrick each for Snodgrass,
Arnautovic and Ginger Pele please plus an own goal from Altona. Mission
accomplished!
COYI!!!
PS: I didn't expect my column to go up on Sunday. So quick update on
Concordia's season opener which was won 3:1 this afternoon and was attended
by 163 fans, 5% of which were travelling Palace fans, with one Man City and
one Wolves supporter thrown in for good measure. Some of these guys have
been going to Cordi games for 12 years now and I was glad to finally meet
them. We all had a jolly good time, one of the guys is taking the plunge in
a few weeks as well (Good luck with that Rob!) and I was impressed with
their commitment to football. They must have watched three or four games of
football at the lower league levels in Hamburg and Luebeck during this trip
and all that because they do love their football so much. So next time
you're watching Match of the Day, look out for the Crystal Palace flag with
the Concordia crest in the top left corner. Good lads! They invited me over
for a Palace game actually (I know, wrong side of the river and all that),
but maybe there is a weekend when it'll be West Ham for me on Saturday and
Palace on Sunday.
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Everton keen on Winston Reid - report
31 Jul, 2017 9:17am Quick Read
Winston Reid.
NZ Herald
Everton are weighing up a £9million (NZ$15.7m) move for West Ham and All
Whites defender Winston Reid, according to reports. The Daily Mail reports
that Everton manager Ronald Koeman is keen to get cover for the Ramiro Funes
Mori who faces six to nine months on the sideline due to a knee injury. Reid
himself has just returned from injury after having surgery on a shin. The
Daily Mail reports that the New Zealander extended his contract until 2021
but West Ham may be keen to listen to offers as they look to redress their
spending over the off season.
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West Ham's Andy Carroll to miss the first month of the season as he recovers
from thigh injury
The Hammers had hoped to be without the powerful but brittle frontman for
only their opening two games
The Mirror
BYSTEVE STAMMERS
22:30, 29 JUL 2017
West Ham will be without striker Andy Carroll for the first three matches of
the season. Carroll missed the end of the last league campaign with a thigh
problem.
And he will not be ready for first-team action until the end of the
international break in September. Carroll is scheduled to make his return in
West Ham's first home game against Premier League newcomers Huddersfield.
Manager Slaven Bilic had hoped the 28-year-old would be fit for the third
match at Newcastle after missing the first two clashes at Manchester United
and Southampton. But he has been told the risk would be too great and the
match on September 11 is a more realistic target. The injury news is more
encouraging about skipper Mark Noble. He limped off with a toe injury in the
1-0 pre-season defeat to Werder Bremen on Friday night. But he should be fit
within a week.
In Carroll's absence, record signing Marko Arnautovic grabbed his first goal
on Saturday since arriving from Stoke in a £25million deal. The Austria
forward poked home the opening goal in a 2-2 draw in their second match with
Bremen. Toni Martinez got the other Hammers goal, with Luca Caldirola and
Yuning Zhang replying for Bremen, who won the Betway Cup 3-2 on aggregate.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic must learn from his Snodgrass failure to get the most out of
Arnautovic at West Ham
West Ham need Slaven Bilic to use Marko Arnautovic properly
Footbal London
BYGRAHAM RUTHVEN
11:00, 30 JUL 2017
At £23m, the signing of Marko Arnautovic goes down as the most expensive in
West Ham's history. The Hammers are under pressure to address some of their
squad deficiencies this summer and the addition of the Austrian, along with
Javier Hernandez, Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta, will go some way to doing
that. Although, the same was said of Robert Snodgrass not so long ago.
Signed for just over £10m in January, the Scot was seen as a significant
addition midway through a difficult season for West Ham. Six months later,
however, Snodgrass is widely expected to leave the club having failed to
make any sort of impact. Indeed, the Hammers' transfer record over the past
few years isn't exactly glowing. Their record when it comes to signing
strikers and attackers is particularly bleak, with only 11 of the 31 centre
forwards they have signed since 2010 scoring more than three goals. This
only adds to the argument that the club's priority this summer should have
been a director of football. As a result, West Ham have become the epitome
of the Premier League's waste culture. Much has been made of the club's
identity crisis since the move to the London Stadium last summer, but there
is more at play than just a new stadium. Questions of personality are down
to the players on the pitch as well. There must be a plan in place for the
players added this summer. Slaven Bilic lacked that last summer, with
big-money signing Andre Ayew failing to live up to his price tag. Arnautovic
arrives at the London Stadium with the biggest price tag in the club's
history, and that doesn't exactly bode well for the former Stoke City player
given the misfortunes of recent big-money West Ham signings, like Snodgrass.
Such has been his struggle since January, it can be easy to forget how
Snodgrass was one of the best players in the Premier League over the first
half of the 2016/17 season. His capture from Hull City was considered quite
the coup for West Ham, even if the Tigers seemed intent on relegation by
selling every one of their best players. Indeed, Snodgrass is also a
talisman at international level, becoming one of Scotland's most important
players. Yet at West Ham, there was no plan for him. He was a signing for
the sake of a signing. Bilic didn't know what to do with the Scot once he
actually got his hands on him. The same can't happen with Arnautovic, not at
a cost of £23m.
"I said at the end of last season that we don't need squad players, but we
need top players, the players who are going to improve the first eleven,"
Bilic explained earlier this week after the signing of Hernandez from Bayer
Leverkusen. "I wanted quality players who will make a difference if everyone
is fit. It's a massive achievement, it's not easy, but we have done it.
"You never know how it is going to click, but we have done well. It is
important that we have done it early enough in the transfer window. The
majority of that is done, so congratulations to the chairman, to the board.
They have done brilliantly and people from other clubs have recognised it."
Bilic has reacted rather prematurely though in offering congratulations. The
Croatian finds himself at a juncture of his career as West Ham manager,
having enjoyed one successful season and one not so successful season at the
club. It's up to him now to get the best from the players he has been signed
by said chairman and the board, and his recent background in that is
questionable to say the least. Just look at Snodgrass.
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Arnautovic/Masuaku link up, Snodgrass' confidence & Andre Ayew - 5 talking
points from Werder Bremen draw
The five main points from the Hammers' 2-2 draw with the German side in
pre-season
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
12:30, 30 JUL 2017UPDATED12:53, 30 JUL 2017
The first hour of the second leg in Lohne was arguably a side the Hammers
could field at Manchester United on the opening day of the Premier League
season - maybe with the exception of Chicharito coming in. There were
positive signs in that 11 that this could be a very good season for West Ham
as they were coming up against a Werder Bremen side who were not by any
means lacking in quality of their own. West Ham managed to keep their
superstar Max Kruse very quiet and although they shipped two goals, Joe Hart
couldn't have done much about either of them. The substitutions on the hour
disjointed things a bit but the first hour was a big positive.
The Arnautovic/Masuaku link up
Well, well, well. The big question ahead of the new season is who is going
to be the first choice left back for West Ham and if you watched the first
hour of yesterday's game, you'd think it would have to be Arthur Masuaku.
Marko Arnautovic played the entire 90 minutes on Saturday and looks to have
struck up an already brilliant partnership with the Frenchman down the left
hand side, combining for the Austrian's goal in the first half but it wasn't
just that. Time after time, the two worked in perfect sync and harmony.
Aaron Cresswell is really under pressure to perform if he gets the nod
because if he doesn't, he won't be around for long.
What next for Andre Ayew?
It's a real conundrum for Slaven Bilic and the Ghanaian as we are still to
really see where his best position is. He played as a central striker on
Saturday and didn't have much of an effect, drifting out wide more often
than not. He then moved into a CAM role, where Manuel Lanzini would play,
and did a lot better, supplying the cross for Toni Martinez to score. Ayew
is likely to play against Manchester United owing to Michail Antonio's
injury but when the England man returns, where is Ayew going to play? It
will be hard for him to dislodge anyone in the team when fully fit and for a
£20.1m former record signing, that's been a bit of a mistake.
Robert Snodgrass's confidence is absolutely shot
He's not enjoyed the start to his Hammers career that he would have wanted
and Snodgrass looks so out of sorts it's a major concern. He was brought in
as a dead-ball specialist yet time after time, his delivery has been very
poor - overhit or not beating the first man - and it's clearly getting to
him. The Scotsman was full of running yesterday and gave it everything he
could but it just isn't coming off for him. With Sofiane Feghouli likely to
be off, Snodgrass is likely to stay now and he just needs a bit of luck to
turn his way.
A welcome day off
The Hammers players have been given Sunday off to rest their weary bodies
and prepare themselves for the final few days of the pre-season campaign.
They will stay in Rotenburg and train for the enxt few days before heading
fof to Hamburg for the game with Altona 93 on Tuesday, then it's straight
off to Iceland to play Man City in Reykjavik on August 4. Two games in two
days takes a lot out of the players and with double training sessions to
boot, they are certainly deserving of their time off. Some of the players
will catch up with their families, others will just chill out on Sunday
before it's straight back down to business on Monday.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, July 31
Sunday, July 30
Daily WHUFC News - 30th July 2017
Arnautovic scores and Hart debuts but Werder win Betway Cup
WHUFC.com
On-loan Premier League striker Yuning Zhang scored the vital goal as Werder
Bremen again edged West Ham United to lift the Betway Cup.
Zhang, who has joined the Bundesliga club from West Bromwich Albion, struck
the vital goal with just nine minutes remaining to secure Werder a 3-2
aggregate win in the German town of Lohne.
Earlier, goals from full debutant Marko Arnautovic and Toni Martinez had
dragged Slaven Bilic's side back from two goals down after Luca Caldirola's
powerful header had doubled Bremen's aggregate advantage on 15 minutes.
However, just when it looked like the Betway Cup might be decided by a
penalty shootout, Swedish wing-back Ludwig Augustinsson cut the ball back
and Zhang expertly steered his finish beyond the grasp of Joe Hart.
Having lost Friday's first leg 1-0 in Schneverdingen, Slaven Bilic's side
dominated almost the entire opening half, but fell behind to Italian
defender Caldirola's towering header.
Eleven minutes later, summer signing Arnautovic reacted quickest to poke
Arthur Masuaku's deflected cross past Czech goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka, with
the combinations between the summer signing and French full-back a highlight
of West Ham's performance.
The Austrian's goal was no more than the Premier League side deserved for
their showing in front of a colourful crowd at the Heinz-Dettmer-Stadion.
Indeed, debutant Hart touched the ball just FOUR times in the opening period
– twice to clear up field and once to pick the ball out of the net after
Caldirola nodded Florian Kainz's disputed free-kick into the top corner.
That proved to be Bremen's only goal attempt in the entire half, with West
Ham, in contrast, unleashing four shots, including Arnautovic's leveller.
The former Stoke City man had already gone close, unleashing a rasping
angled drive that Pavlenka could only palm high into the air. Robert
Snodgrass reacted quickest, but the angle was tight and he headed the ball
into the side netting.
The improved display was perhaps to be expected when you consider Bilic
named a team including eight senior internationals, including the
experienced Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Jose Fonte, Angelo Ogbonna and Andre Ayew.
Werder also named a more experienced starting XI, with four of the team
which started at Borussia Dortmund on the final day of the last Bundesliga
season included – Danish midfielder Thomas Delaney, Germany internationals
Max Kruse and Fin Bartels and Senegal centre-half Ludovic Sane – alongside
recent arrivals Pavlenka, Augustinsson and Zhang.
Bremen boss Alexander Nouri left his seniors on for the entire 90 minutes,
but Bilic again opted to make multiple changes on the hour-mark, and it was
one of his substitutes who put the Hammers ahead on the day.
Ayew found himself in space wide on the left touchline before digging out a
curling cross the Martinez expertly guided into the far corner with a
well-placed header.
With a number of youngsters now on the pitch, West Ham continued to hold
their own, with Edimilson Fernandes rattling the base of the post with a
well-struck long-range drive, only for Zhang to have the final say.
Indeed, the Hammers finished strongly and had an Ayew goal disallowed before
the exciting Nathan Holland tested Pavlenka with his team's final shot of
the tie.
So, two years after winning the Betway Cup with a 2-1 win at the Boleyn
Ground, Werder repeated the feat with another narrow victory on home soil.
Werder Bremen: Pavlenka, Caldirola, Sane, Bauer, Augustinsson, Delaney,
M.Eggestein, Bartels, Kainz, Kruse, Zhang
West Ham United: Hart, Zabaleta (Byram 60), Fonte (Burke 60), Ogbonna
(Collins 60), Masuaku (Cresswell 60), Obiang © (Rice 60), Cullen (Makasi
60), Fernandes (Holland 60), Arnautovic, Snodgrass (Martinez 60), Ayew
Sub not used: Adrian (GK)
Attendance: 3,646
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic: We are looking sharp for this stage of pre-season
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic says his West Ham United side showed glimpses of Premier League
quality in Saturday's 2-2 Betway Cup draw with Werder Bremen in Germany.
The Hammers came from behind to lead in Lohne, with well-taken goals from
full debutant Marko Arnautovic and young striker Toni Martinez, only for a
late equaliser to secure the trophy for the Bundesliga side.
Manager Bilic told whufc.com he was pleased with many aspects of their
performance, but knows they will need to iron out the mistakes by the time
they head to Old Trafford on 13 August.
"It was a good game of football and exactly what we wanted and what we
needed and we played really good," he began. "We came out with a stronger
side than last time in the first half as we wanted to mix it and to be fair
they also played with a very strong side.
"We were missing a few players who we didn't want to risk and I'm really
pleased with the way we played. We played really good against a much better
opponent but we didn't win, which is a shame.
"Also, in the second half when the 'kids' came on, they continued to play
really good, they were dangerous up front and we scored the goal, we hit the
post and then it's a shame we couldn't capitalise on that because at the end
of the day we deserved to win, which is really good."
It was a good game of football and exactly what we wanted and what we needed
and we played really good
Slaven Bilic
The boss was particularly pleased with the combinations between his three
summer signings and the established members of his squad, but knows his team
will need to be even more creative and even more ruthless when the
top-flight campaign kicks-off.
"That's why we got them, to be honest, because they are good players," he
continued. "They know the league and they are top players so that's what we
expect from them. OK, they are going to need time to gel with our old
players but it was very, very promising.
"For this stage of the pre-season we are sharp, especially in the first
half, but also in the second half. We switched the sides really well,
especially through our back four and one in the middle, usually through
Pedro Obiang.
"We were dangerous down the sides so we got them tired by switching the side
two times, then on the third time we had space on the side to be
one-against-one or to make a cross. Our crosses were not the best and we
have to improve on them, but from one of those crosses we scored a goal.
"So the patterns, energy and understanding are there, but we just have to
show a bit more quality with the last touch or the key ball. We also have to
stop making mistakes because, in the first half especially, we lost three or
four balls in areas you cannot really afford to lose them."
Goalscorer Arnautovic unsurprisingly won praise from his new manager, not
only for his goal but for his overall contribution, which included the
Austrian's trademark strength and ability to deliver quality in the final
third.
"It was important for him in that he made the difference today," the
Croatian confirmed. "At the end of the day, I hope and am sure that this was
just the beginning.
"This was one of the reasons why we bought him and we have to help him, of
course, but I'm expecting him to make the difference week-in, week-out."
Bilic has given his squad a rare day off on Sunday before they return to
training in Rotenburg ahead of Tuesday's visit to Hamburg to take on Altona
93.
West Ham complete their pre-season schedule with a prestige Super Match
meeting with Manchester City in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, on Friday
4 August.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arnautovic delighted to mark full West Ham debut with goal
WHUFC.com
Marko Arnautovic was pleased to get off the mark in a Claret and Blue shirt
after scoring in West Ham United's 2-2 Betway Cup second leg draw with
Werder Bremen.
The Hammers' Club-record signing was on target against his former employers
in the German town of Lohne, reacting quickest to poke Arthur Masuaku's
cross into the net. Toni Martinez then put West Ham in front, only for
Yuning Zhang's late strike to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory and the trophy
for the Bundesliga side following Friday's 1-0 defeat in Schneverdingen.
Arnautovic was naturally pleased with his goal, but tellingly prouder of his
team's second, which came at the end of a superb pitch-length move which
culminated in Andre Ayew's pinpoint cross and Martinez's clinical header.
We are really thankful to the fans who have come out to support us in
Germany and of course we will need them the whole season, because you never
know how the season goes
First of all, it was very good that I played the full 90 minutes," he began.
"In the first half, I think we showed that we dominated the game a lot and
Werder Bremen were sitting back waiting for the counter-attack.
"In my opinion, we have to create more chances because the chances we did
have were very good. Of course, I'm very happy with the goal but for me
personally, our second goal was amazing, how we played this out and the
finishing.
"We are very pleased for this and now we keep going and we have another ten
days until the Premier League starts."
Speaking to whufc.com in front of two sets of fans, one of whom adored him
and the other will surely do likewise if he continues in this vein,
Arnautovic said the warm welcome he has been given by everyone associated
with the Club has made settling in a simple task.
"It was a very perfect welcome," he confirmed. "The boys took me great and
all of them, the staff and the players, have been amazing.
"We are really thankful to the fans who have come out to support us in
Germany and of course we will need them the whole season, because you never
know how the season goes.
"We will give everything and we hope that the fans also give everything and
we will see how we finish."
The Austria star and his new teammates will enjoy a rare day off before
returning to training on Monday ahead of a visit to Hamburg to take on
Altona 93 on Tuesday evening.
West Ham complete their pre-season schedule with a prestige Super Match
meeting with Manchester City in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, on Friday
4 August.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Andy Carroll to miss the first month of the season as he recovers
from thigh injury
The Hammers had hoped to be without the powerful but brittle frontman for
only their opening two games
The Mirror
BYSTEVE STAMMERS
22:30, 29 JUL 2017
West Ham will be without striker Andy Carroll for the first three matches of
the season. Carroll missed the end of the last league campaign with a thigh
problem.
And he will not be ready for first-team action until the end of the
international break in September. Carroll is scheduled to make his return in
West Ham's first home game against Premier League newcomers Huddersfield.
Manager Slaven Bilic had hoped the 28-year-old would be fit for the third
match at Newcastle after missing the first two clashes at Manchester United
and Southampton. But he has been told the risk would be too great and the
match on September 11 is a more realistic target. The injury news is more
encouraging about skipper Mark Noble. He limped off with a toe injury in the
1-0 pre-season defeat to Werder Bremen on Friday night. But he should be fit
within a week. In Carroll's absence, record signing Marko Arnautovic grabbed
his first goal on Saturday since arriving from Stoke in a £25million deal.
The Austria forward poked home the opening goal in a 2-2 draw in their
second match with Bremen. Toni Martinez got the other Hammers goal, with
Luca Caldirola and Yuning Zhang replying for Bremen, who won the Betway Cup
3-2 on aggregate.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
On-loan Premier League striker Yuning Zhang scored the vital goal as Werder
Bremen again edged West Ham United to lift the Betway Cup.
Zhang, who has joined the Bundesliga club from West Bromwich Albion, struck
the vital goal with just nine minutes remaining to secure Werder a 3-2
aggregate win in the German town of Lohne.
Earlier, goals from full debutant Marko Arnautovic and Toni Martinez had
dragged Slaven Bilic's side back from two goals down after Luca Caldirola's
powerful header had doubled Bremen's aggregate advantage on 15 minutes.
However, just when it looked like the Betway Cup might be decided by a
penalty shootout, Swedish wing-back Ludwig Augustinsson cut the ball back
and Zhang expertly steered his finish beyond the grasp of Joe Hart.
Having lost Friday's first leg 1-0 in Schneverdingen, Slaven Bilic's side
dominated almost the entire opening half, but fell behind to Italian
defender Caldirola's towering header.
Eleven minutes later, summer signing Arnautovic reacted quickest to poke
Arthur Masuaku's deflected cross past Czech goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka, with
the combinations between the summer signing and French full-back a highlight
of West Ham's performance.
The Austrian's goal was no more than the Premier League side deserved for
their showing in front of a colourful crowd at the Heinz-Dettmer-Stadion.
Indeed, debutant Hart touched the ball just FOUR times in the opening period
– twice to clear up field and once to pick the ball out of the net after
Caldirola nodded Florian Kainz's disputed free-kick into the top corner.
That proved to be Bremen's only goal attempt in the entire half, with West
Ham, in contrast, unleashing four shots, including Arnautovic's leveller.
The former Stoke City man had already gone close, unleashing a rasping
angled drive that Pavlenka could only palm high into the air. Robert
Snodgrass reacted quickest, but the angle was tight and he headed the ball
into the side netting.
The improved display was perhaps to be expected when you consider Bilic
named a team including eight senior internationals, including the
experienced Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Jose Fonte, Angelo Ogbonna and Andre Ayew.
Werder also named a more experienced starting XI, with four of the team
which started at Borussia Dortmund on the final day of the last Bundesliga
season included – Danish midfielder Thomas Delaney, Germany internationals
Max Kruse and Fin Bartels and Senegal centre-half Ludovic Sane – alongside
recent arrivals Pavlenka, Augustinsson and Zhang.
Bremen boss Alexander Nouri left his seniors on for the entire 90 minutes,
but Bilic again opted to make multiple changes on the hour-mark, and it was
one of his substitutes who put the Hammers ahead on the day.
Ayew found himself in space wide on the left touchline before digging out a
curling cross the Martinez expertly guided into the far corner with a
well-placed header.
With a number of youngsters now on the pitch, West Ham continued to hold
their own, with Edimilson Fernandes rattling the base of the post with a
well-struck long-range drive, only for Zhang to have the final say.
Indeed, the Hammers finished strongly and had an Ayew goal disallowed before
the exciting Nathan Holland tested Pavlenka with his team's final shot of
the tie.
So, two years after winning the Betway Cup with a 2-1 win at the Boleyn
Ground, Werder repeated the feat with another narrow victory on home soil.
Werder Bremen: Pavlenka, Caldirola, Sane, Bauer, Augustinsson, Delaney,
M.Eggestein, Bartels, Kainz, Kruse, Zhang
West Ham United: Hart, Zabaleta (Byram 60), Fonte (Burke 60), Ogbonna
(Collins 60), Masuaku (Cresswell 60), Obiang © (Rice 60), Cullen (Makasi
60), Fernandes (Holland 60), Arnautovic, Snodgrass (Martinez 60), Ayew
Sub not used: Adrian (GK)
Attendance: 3,646
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic: We are looking sharp for this stage of pre-season
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic says his West Ham United side showed glimpses of Premier League
quality in Saturday's 2-2 Betway Cup draw with Werder Bremen in Germany.
The Hammers came from behind to lead in Lohne, with well-taken goals from
full debutant Marko Arnautovic and young striker Toni Martinez, only for a
late equaliser to secure the trophy for the Bundesliga side.
Manager Bilic told whufc.com he was pleased with many aspects of their
performance, but knows they will need to iron out the mistakes by the time
they head to Old Trafford on 13 August.
"It was a good game of football and exactly what we wanted and what we
needed and we played really good," he began. "We came out with a stronger
side than last time in the first half as we wanted to mix it and to be fair
they also played with a very strong side.
"We were missing a few players who we didn't want to risk and I'm really
pleased with the way we played. We played really good against a much better
opponent but we didn't win, which is a shame.
"Also, in the second half when the 'kids' came on, they continued to play
really good, they were dangerous up front and we scored the goal, we hit the
post and then it's a shame we couldn't capitalise on that because at the end
of the day we deserved to win, which is really good."
It was a good game of football and exactly what we wanted and what we needed
and we played really good
Slaven Bilic
The boss was particularly pleased with the combinations between his three
summer signings and the established members of his squad, but knows his team
will need to be even more creative and even more ruthless when the
top-flight campaign kicks-off.
"That's why we got them, to be honest, because they are good players," he
continued. "They know the league and they are top players so that's what we
expect from them. OK, they are going to need time to gel with our old
players but it was very, very promising.
"For this stage of the pre-season we are sharp, especially in the first
half, but also in the second half. We switched the sides really well,
especially through our back four and one in the middle, usually through
Pedro Obiang.
"We were dangerous down the sides so we got them tired by switching the side
two times, then on the third time we had space on the side to be
one-against-one or to make a cross. Our crosses were not the best and we
have to improve on them, but from one of those crosses we scored a goal.
"So the patterns, energy and understanding are there, but we just have to
show a bit more quality with the last touch or the key ball. We also have to
stop making mistakes because, in the first half especially, we lost three or
four balls in areas you cannot really afford to lose them."
Goalscorer Arnautovic unsurprisingly won praise from his new manager, not
only for his goal but for his overall contribution, which included the
Austrian's trademark strength and ability to deliver quality in the final
third.
"It was important for him in that he made the difference today," the
Croatian confirmed. "At the end of the day, I hope and am sure that this was
just the beginning.
"This was one of the reasons why we bought him and we have to help him, of
course, but I'm expecting him to make the difference week-in, week-out."
Bilic has given his squad a rare day off on Sunday before they return to
training in Rotenburg ahead of Tuesday's visit to Hamburg to take on Altona
93.
West Ham complete their pre-season schedule with a prestige Super Match
meeting with Manchester City in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, on Friday
4 August.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arnautovic delighted to mark full West Ham debut with goal
WHUFC.com
Marko Arnautovic was pleased to get off the mark in a Claret and Blue shirt
after scoring in West Ham United's 2-2 Betway Cup second leg draw with
Werder Bremen.
The Hammers' Club-record signing was on target against his former employers
in the German town of Lohne, reacting quickest to poke Arthur Masuaku's
cross into the net. Toni Martinez then put West Ham in front, only for
Yuning Zhang's late strike to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory and the trophy
for the Bundesliga side following Friday's 1-0 defeat in Schneverdingen.
Arnautovic was naturally pleased with his goal, but tellingly prouder of his
team's second, which came at the end of a superb pitch-length move which
culminated in Andre Ayew's pinpoint cross and Martinez's clinical header.
We are really thankful to the fans who have come out to support us in
Germany and of course we will need them the whole season, because you never
know how the season goes
First of all, it was very good that I played the full 90 minutes," he began.
"In the first half, I think we showed that we dominated the game a lot and
Werder Bremen were sitting back waiting for the counter-attack.
"In my opinion, we have to create more chances because the chances we did
have were very good. Of course, I'm very happy with the goal but for me
personally, our second goal was amazing, how we played this out and the
finishing.
"We are very pleased for this and now we keep going and we have another ten
days until the Premier League starts."
Speaking to whufc.com in front of two sets of fans, one of whom adored him
and the other will surely do likewise if he continues in this vein,
Arnautovic said the warm welcome he has been given by everyone associated
with the Club has made settling in a simple task.
"It was a very perfect welcome," he confirmed. "The boys took me great and
all of them, the staff and the players, have been amazing.
"We are really thankful to the fans who have come out to support us in
Germany and of course we will need them the whole season, because you never
know how the season goes.
"We will give everything and we hope that the fans also give everything and
we will see how we finish."
The Austria star and his new teammates will enjoy a rare day off before
returning to training on Monday ahead of a visit to Hamburg to take on
Altona 93 on Tuesday evening.
West Ham complete their pre-season schedule with a prestige Super Match
meeting with Manchester City in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, on Friday
4 August.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Andy Carroll to miss the first month of the season as he recovers
from thigh injury
The Hammers had hoped to be without the powerful but brittle frontman for
only their opening two games
The Mirror
BYSTEVE STAMMERS
22:30, 29 JUL 2017
West Ham will be without striker Andy Carroll for the first three matches of
the season. Carroll missed the end of the last league campaign with a thigh
problem.
And he will not be ready for first-team action until the end of the
international break in September. Carroll is scheduled to make his return in
West Ham's first home game against Premier League newcomers Huddersfield.
Manager Slaven Bilic had hoped the 28-year-old would be fit for the third
match at Newcastle after missing the first two clashes at Manchester United
and Southampton. But he has been told the risk would be too great and the
match on September 11 is a more realistic target. The injury news is more
encouraging about skipper Mark Noble. He limped off with a toe injury in the
1-0 pre-season defeat to Werder Bremen on Friday night. But he should be fit
within a week. In Carroll's absence, record signing Marko Arnautovic grabbed
his first goal on Saturday since arriving from Stoke in a £25million deal.
The Austria forward poked home the opening goal in a 2-2 draw in their
second match with Bremen. Toni Martinez got the other Hammers goal, with
Luca Caldirola and Yuning Zhang replying for Bremen, who won the Betway Cup
3-2 on aggregate.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, July 29
Daily WHUFC News - 29th July 2017
Cottee: I'd love Chicharito to break my record
WHUFC.com
The last man to score more than 20 goals in a top flight season for West Ham
United believes that new arrival Javier Hernandez has every chance of
breaking his 30-year record. The Mexican striker hadn't even been born when
Tony Cottee hit 22 goals during the 1986-87 campaign – a return that proved
crucial in keeping the Hammers away from a relegation battle, just 12 months
after they had been within a whisker of winning the League title for the
first time in their history.
Since then, the closest anyone has got to reaching the 20 mark at the
highest level is Paolo Di Canio, who managed 16 Premier League goals in the
1999-2000 season and, while his prolific exploits of the mid 80s remain
proudly intact, Cottee admits he won't be disappointed if Chicharito manages
to steal his crown in his debut campaign. "It has been a long time!" he
smiles. "On one hand, it's obviously nice to still hold a record at the Club
but, as a West Ham fan, I'm quite sad that no one has managed to beat it
since 1987! "I am really excited by the signing of Javier, though, and I
genuinely believe that he is the type of proven goalscorer who can score 20
goals a season for us next season. "And if we do have a striker reaching
that figure, then you are looking at the team pushing up a lot higher in the
table than we have been in recent seasons. "So I would love to see
Chicharito score 20 goals because it would most likely mean a successful
season for West Ham."
Cottee, who struck 146 goals in 336 appearances during his two spells with
the Hammers, became a British record signing when he joined Everton for
£2.05million in the summer of 1988. He went on to repay that fee with a
further 99 goals over the course of six years at Goodison Park, and insists
that the £16m paid to Bayer Leverkusen for Hernandez's services this summer
will prove value for money in today's market if the 29-year-old finds the
net on a regular basis.
"For West Ham, it is a big transfer fee and a big investment," says TC, "but
if he can score the goals we want him to, then we will all be saying what a
bargain he was. I know David Sullivan is very excited and said he could turn
out to be one of the best players we have signed in the modern era, and I
would love to think that could turn out to be true. "We had a wonderful
season two years ago when we finished seventh without a 20-goal striker, and
if we'd had someone like Hernandez in attack then, who knows where we would
have ended up. "There's no doubt he has the potential to score a lot of
goals, but just as important is the service he gets. Like me, he's not the
type of player who is going to get the ball on the halfway line, beat four
players and smash it in the top corner. "But if you get crosses in, thread a
pass so he can make a blindside run, then invariably he is going to hit the
target and score goals."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers edged by Werder in Betway Cup first leg
WHUFC.com
Werder Bremen 1-0 West Ham United
Betway Cup first leg, Friday 28 July 2017, Scheverdingen, Germany
West Ham United will need to beat Werder Bremen on Saturday afternoon if
they are to lift the Betway Cup after falling to a 1-0 defeat in Germany on
Friday evening. The Hammers controlled possession for long periods and
dominated the second half in front of 3,350 fans in Scheverdingen, 50 miles
east of Werder's home city, but Werder took a first-leg lead through teenage
striker Johannes Eggestein's 12th-minute goal. On the positive side, Marko
Arnautovic made his first appearance in Claret and Blue against his former
club, while fellow attacker Nathan Holland produced another encouraging
performance. And West Ham could still win the Betway Cup if they can secure
a victory over the Bundesliga side when they meet for the second time in
less than 24 hours in Lohne on Saturday afternoon. Slaven Bilic named a
youthful starting XI, with six players aged 21 or under in the Croatian's
team. Despite their youth, the Hammers controlled possession for extended
periods in the opening 45 minutes, but could not break down the five-man
Werder defence.
Academy products Reece Burke, Declan Rice – who impressed in a deep-lying
midfield role – Josh Cullen, Moses Makasi and captain Mark Noble all
started, as did teenage attackers Nathan Holland and Toni Martinez.
Werder Bremen coach Alexander Nouri also named an unfamiliar starting XI,
with star names like Max Kruse, Thomas Delaney, Fin Bartels, Ludovic Sane,
Ludwig Augustinsson and Zlatko Junuzovic all absent. Summer signings Jerome
Gondorf and Yuning Zhang – a China striker on loan from West Bromwich Albion
– did feature, however, as did 16-year-old centre-half Julian Rieckmann. And
it was Gondorf who created the opening for the game's first goal, threading
an expert ball through for 19-year-old striker Eggestein, who finished low
to the corner with a first-time left-foot shot. Werder had already wasted
one decent chance five minutes earlier, when Czech Republic wing-back
Theodore Gebre Selassie sliced his volley over after latching onto Niklas
Schmidt's lofted through ball.
While the youthful Hammers passed the ball patiently, Bremen were the team
creating the chances. Midway through the opening half Philipp Bargfrede
smashed a long-range shot over the bar, then Aron Johannsson cut out James
Collins' back pass before being denied superbly by the onrushing Adrian.
Noble was replaced by Pedro Obiang shortly after the half-hour mark, and the
Hammers' best chance of the period fell to the Spaniard three minutes later
when Toni Martinez's low cross flashed past his toe. And West Ham were
almost made to pay double for that missed opportunity just before the break,
but Adrian made another fine save to turn aside Schmidt's well-struck shot
from 20 yards.
The second half was a completely different game as the English team
dominated for virtually the entire 45 minutes. Holland (pictured, above)
initially carried the biggest threat, winning a corner which Aaron Cresswell
delivered and Rice saw his powerful header clawed away by Werder goalkeeper
Michael Zetterer.
Arnautovic was one of seven players introduced on the hour-mark and the
Austrian was quickly into the action, playing his part in a sweeping
counter-attack that ended with Makasi's shot behind blocked inside the
Bremen penalty area.
Werder did threaten on a couple of occasions after the interval and again
Adrian was there to stop his side falling further behind with a miraculous
double save from Schmidt and Gondorf. So, with the seven substitutes
scheduled to start on Saturday, Bilic's men will need to win by two clear
goals to deny Werder a second Betway Cup triumph in the space of three
pre-seasons.
West Ham United: Adrian, Byram (Zabaleta 60), Burke (Arnautovic 60), Collins
(Fonte 60), Cresswell (Masuaku 60), Rice, Noble © (Obiang 34), Cullen
(Fernandes 60), Holland (Snodgrass 60), Makasi, Martinez (Ayew 60)
Subs not used: Hart (GK), Ogbonna
SV Werder Bremen: Zetterer, Gebre Selassie, Ulisses Garcia, Verlaat,
Rieckmann, Veljkovic, Gondorf, J.Eggestein, Schmidt, Bargfrede, Johannsson
Subs: Drobny (GK), Caldirola, Kainz, Zhang, M.Eggestein
Attendance: 3,350
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Adrian: I will always try to help my teammates
WHUFC.com
Adrian admitted to having mixed feelings after producing a wonderful
individual performance in West Ham United's 1-0 Betway Cup first leg defeat
by Werder Bremen. The Spanish goalkeeper was at his brilliant best in the
German town of Scheverdingen, producing four fantastic saves to keep the
Hammers in the tie ahead of Saturday's second leg. While the arrival of
England's No1 Joe Hart has added competition for the same job at West Ham,
Adrian reminded everyone why he is so highly-rated and so beloved by the
Claret and Blue Army. After being beaten by Johannes Eggestein's accurate
finish, the 30-year-old took centre-stage, saving superbly from Aron
Johannsson and Niklas Schmidt before half-time, before producing a
miraculous double stop to deny Schmidt and Gondorf late on.
"Of course, I will always try to help my teammates with saves when I play
and to keep the game open," said the popular goalkeeper. "But, at the end of
the day, we lost the game and we are not happy with that result.
"Personally, with my performance, I could do nothing more. The goal was so
quick, a quick ball to the striker and he passed it into the corner of the
net via the goal post, so I had no chance. Then we had a good chance before
the end of the first half to draw level at one-one with Pedro Obiang "In the
second half, we played with more tempo and intensity but at the end of the
day we had no clear chances to score a goal in the second half and we needed
to be a bit more clinical, so we will work in the training to do this in the
next one."
Adrian has been his normal committed, enthusiastic and intense self in
training, giving his all in Chris Woods' sessions alongside Hart and Latvian
youngster Rihards Matrevics. In typical fashion, the Seville-born star is
not letting the arrival of a rival for his position in the team to get him
down. Instead, he has welcomed Hart and the pair are working effectively
together, sharing their experiences and jokes and training with smiles on
their faces. "We are training very well and working hard, as we have from
the beginning of the pre-season," he observed. "Everyone is excited for the
season, so we will try to give our best always when we play together. This
is pre-season and we have time to learn to make no more mistakes and to win
games. "Joe is a great 'keeper and is an international for England he brings
great competition. He is a great worker and, like everyone, we are both
training very well. "We have a lot of competition in goal this season, so I
will try to give my best and we will see the manager's decision."
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EVALUATING WEST HAM'S TRANSFER WINDOW SO FAR
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 28 JULY 2017 AT 9:31PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @whufcbulletin
We are now just sixteen days away from the start of the 2017/2018 Premier
League campaign, and West Ham have been busy in the transfer market as
preparation for the upcoming season. As well as bringing in four different
high profile signings, the club has also moved on a number of players from
the squad roster. I will go through each of the exits and arrivals so far
and give my opinion on them. Since the start of the window, the club has
brought in Paolo Zabaleta, Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez.
At the same time, the club has sold Darren Randolph, Havard Nordtveit and
Enner Valencia, whilst releasing Sam Howes, Sam Ford, Kyle Knoyle, Sam
Westley, Stephen Hendrie and Raphael Spiegel. In addition to all of these
completed transfers, there are still a number of exits and incomings that
are being talked about, and so I will spend some time looking at that too.
Paolo Zabaleta was the first player to come to the club this summer. At the
age of thirty-two, Zabaleta arrived at the club on a free transfer two-year
deal which would earn him around £90,000 p/w, making him one of the highest
earners at the club. Zabaleta is an experienced international and I think he
is a great signing. One of our greatest problems last season was our poor
organisation in defence which led us to concede a number of sloppy and
costly goals. Zabaleta will bring structure and cohesion in the defence,
alongside the quality of Reid, Ohbonna and either Cresswell or Masuaku. In
addition, right-back was a very inconsistent and disjointed position last
year with players often being used out of position to fill it, creating yet
more problems in defence. Kouyate was often forced to play out of position
in order to fill that hole. It is good to see that we now have an
experienced professional to fill the role of right-back.
The second signing of the season bought Joe Hart to the club on a season
long loan from Manchester City. Although it was initially reported that the
deal was a loan to-buy, in reality, it is just a loan and West Ham will not
have the option to make his deal permanent. Hart has had an illustrious
career, occupying the spot of England goalkeeper for a number of years now,
however, I am reluctant to treat the deal with as much excitement as the
Zabaleta deal due to his recent form. Although at his best he is fantastic,
Hart's last couple of seasons, especially the latter when playing for
Torino, have been mistake ridden and incredibly inconsistent. In addition,
the deal worries me because of what it means for Adrian. I was never
inclined to believe that we needed a new keeper, Adrian showed incredible
form towards the end of last season and is undoubtedly one of the best
keepers in the Premier League, therefore I saw little need for him to be
replaced. In addition, the club's desperation to sell Adrian, despite his
willingness to stay is also concerning. The owners are unlikely to find a
player as talented as Adrian who can fill the place of a backup keeper, so
it seems crazy to me to stop the competition between the keepers by selling
Adrian. In addition, this means that regardless of Hart's performances, he
is likely to stay as the first-team keeper throughout the season. The
management seems to think that competition is a bad thing.
The next addition to be made was the record signing of Marko Arnautovic from
Stoke City. He signed for a club record fee of £25,000,000. In addition,
Arnautovic was also momentarily made West Ham's highest earner, raking in
£100,000 p/w until Javier Hernandez signed a few days later. The signing of
Arnautovic is undoubtedly a good one, he has been one of Stoke's best
performer's over the years and has been one of the most underrated wingers
in the league for a long period of time. With the lackluster Robert
Snodgrass occupying the wing at times last season, it was important to bring
in a strong attacker with genuine quality, and that is exactly what has been
done. The only part of the deal that worries me slightly is the price tag.
Although he has the ability to be brilliant, Arnautovic has often been
criticised for his inconsistency and his 'trouble-maker' attitude, it is for
this reason that I feel the club may have paid slightly too much for the
Austrian winger. Nevertheless, the money is not coming out of my pockets and
he is still a class signing!
The final player that West Ham have brought in so far is Mexican striker
Javier Hernandez. For £16,000,000, this is undoubtedly one of the best buys
of the window so far as West Ham have bagged themselves an International
superstar for an extremely reasonable price in the modern market. Hernandez
has experience in the Premier League with Manchester United and he has
retained one of the best minutes-to-goal ratios in the world for any
striker. Hernandez is a proven goalscorer and has been a threat for every
club that he has played for. This was exactly the sort of player that David
Sullivan and David Gold needed to bring to the club, and they have. For this
reason, a lot of credit must be given to the owners. Amidst a lot of
criticism, this window is turning out to be one of West Ham's best and the
owners definitely deserve credit for that.
As well as the signings, the window has also seen the departure of some
players too. Firstly, Havard Nordtveit left the club for 1899 Hoffenheim in
a £7,000,000 deal. At the start of his career at West Ham, I was incredibly
critical of him, seeing him as a waste of space on the pitch. His form did
pick up and improve significantly over the season, however, to be able to
move him off the wage bill while picking up £7,000,000 is far too good an
offer to turn down, and so it is no surprise to me that he did leave the
club. Another player to leave the club was Ecuadorian, Enner Valencia.
Valencia spent three seasons at West Ham, however, there was always a sense
of underachievement during his time at the club. Valencia had some great
moments, none more so than his thunderbolt against Hull City early on in his
Hammer's career, however, in the end, his inconsistent form meant that he
was not a regular side and was eventually loaned out to Everton for the
16/17 season. When Mexican side Tigres placed a £7,000,000 bid, the Hammers
took their opportunity and moved Valencia along while they could. Valencia's
exit from the club always seemed to be inevitable. Furthermore, West Ham
also sold Irish international goalkeeper Darren Randolph to recently
relegated side, Middlesbrough. Randolph was given a chance in the first team
last season and while at times he showed signs of brilliance, however, he
often countered that with silly errors which led to Adrian being reinstated
as the first-team goalkeeper. Although Randolph proved to be an excellent
backup option for the Hammers, a £5,000,000 bid is too good an offer for any
backup keeper and so the club accepted the offer. The transfer seemed to
suit all parties, with Randolph needing minutes on the pitch with the World
Cup coming up.
However, the transfer window is by no means at an end. West Ham are still
aiming to bring in more players. A £30,000,000 fee has been agreed with
Lazio winger Keita Balde Diao and it is now down to the player whether he
wants to move to West Ham. In addition, a deal to sign Jack Wilshire is
still very much on the cards, with the player himself publically making it
clear that he would like to move to West Ham. West Ham are interested in
Wilshire but are wary of his injury record. Furthermore, we are still eager
to sign another striker, with both Andre Gray and Lucas Perez being linked
with moves to the club. On the other side of the coin, there are still a
number of possible exits at the club. Sofiane Feghouli is on the verge of
moving to Galatasaray after West Ham recently accepted a £5,000,000 offer,
while at the same time, Robert Snodgrass, Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll and
Adrian could all leave the club before the window closes. Overall, the
window has undoubtedly been a strong one for the Hammers, but it would be
nice to see the club complete a couple more signings before the window
shuts.
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Werder Bremen 1-0 West Ham: Marko Arnautovic makes first appearance as
Hammers suffer slender defeat
Last Updated: 28/07/17 10:41pm
SSN
Marko Arnautovic made his first West Ham appearance as Slaven Bilic's side
suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bundesliga side Werder Bremen in the
first leg of the Betway Cup on Friday. Slaven Bilic, who started with
Arnautovic on the bench, named a young side which featured Reece Burke,
Declan Rice, Josh Cullen, Nathan Holland and Toni Martinez. Moses Makasi and
captain Mark Noble also started as West Ham controlled possession in the
early stages, but they could not find an early breakthrough. And they were
behind in the 12th minute when Jerome Gondorf picked out Johannes Eggestein
with an inch-perfect through ball, and the striker picked out the bottom
corner. Werder continued to create chances as Philipp Bargfrede fired over
from distance, before Aron Johannsson was brilliantly denied by Adrian.
Noble was replaced by Pedro Obiang just after the half-hour mark, and he
almost levelled the scores but the midfielder failed to make contact with
Martinez's cross. The Hammers nearly fell further behind just before the
interval, but Adrian was called into action again, making another superb
save to keep out Niklas Schmidt's long-range effort. West Ham started the
second-half on the front foot and Rice's header almost brought them level,
forcing Werder goalkeeper Michael Zetterer into a smart save. Arnautovic was
introduced on the hour mark alongside several others and the new signing was
involved in an excellent counter-attack which saw Makasi's shot blocked
inside the penalty area. Bilic's men continued to push for an equaliser but
it failed to materialise as Werder held on for a slender victory. However,
West Ham, who are expected to make several changes for Saturday afternoon's
second leg, could still win the Betway Cup if they can beat the Bundesliga
side by two clear goals when they meet again in Lohne.
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JUST LIKE OUR DREAMS - PATIENCE IS THE KEY.
By Blind Hammer 29 Jul 2017 at 08:00 4 comments
WTID
Blind Hammer argues that despite our recent signings there may still be a
need for patience next season.
Football is an emotionally extreme business. This is why we love it, we may
face the despair of defeat but we also experience the joy of success.
Compare the contrasting emotions last season at the London Stadium after
depressing and inept performances against Manchester City, to the ecstasy of
beating Chelsea, earlier in the season, and Tottenham late in the season. In
a way the magic of football is that the anguish of defeat makes the happy
delirium of victory all that much sweeter.
Football thrives on this emotion. The Board criticism and negativity on West
Ham Till I Die comments sections and other forums so prevalent a couple of
weeks ago have now been transformed into assertions here and elsewhere that
the Board has "played a blinder". Now there is a new positivity approaching
the new season.
However all this positivity could evaporate if we lose our first three games
away in August, which is not beyond the realms of possibility. The fact will
be that even if this happens we could have a good season, despite the need
to start out with three away games in a row.
Our new signings have Premier league success behind them. Which should make
the task of settling in easier. Despite this past PL experience, some
settling in and gelling may be required. Even Scott Parker took a little
time to settle in before producing world class performances. The credentials
of Zabaleta, Hart, Arnautovic and Hernandez will not guaranteed that all
will hit the ground running at 100%. The first Hart mistake will start a
narrative about whether he still has what it takes, Zabaleta may face
questions about his age, Arnautovic is already experiencing queries about
his commitment and work rate and Hernandez will have to thrive in a team
which has, for the most part played with one up front rather than the two he
is apparently best suited to. In addition injuries to Antonio et al will
mean that it will be some time before we can put out our strongest team.
All clubs experience the highs and lows of emotions. However the issue for
West Ham is more sensitive and tricky. We still have the problem of
negativity surrounding the move to the London Stadium. It is clear that a
section of our fan base will never ever forgive the Board for leaving Upton
Park and the negativity surrounding this instantly emerges as soon as
results take a turn for the worst or transfers seem slow in arriving. It
seems that only winning a trophy or again qualifying for Europe will ever
quell this negativity.
All this matters because we materially affect the quality of player's
performances with the quality of our support. The club has, as I reported in
a recent post, revealed how some players need emotional and psychological
support in dealing with criticism not just from the terraces but from the
ever burgeoning arena of the blogosphere and social media.
The extent a crowd can influence games was revealed to me not at West Ham
but another club. As a young man I lived in Liverpool between 1973 and 1978.
Whilst remaining a true Hammer throughout these years I did stand on the Kop
every other week, and Liverpool during this period became temporarily my
second team, unless of course they were playing West Ham. The legendary
support the Kop gave Liverpool in those years was extraordinary. It is now
apparently consigned to history and the Liverpool crowd is nowadays as
critical as any other. However in those years the extent to which the Kop
could influence games was something I have never witnessed before or since.
The support was unbelievably positive. If Liverpool went, on the rare
occasion, a goal down, the support became louder. If they went 2 goals down
the support got even louder. When Liverpool played St Etienne, in 1977 they
were playing a shocker. They lost the first leg 1-0, a margin of defeat
which could easily have been more. Despite Kevin Keegan scoring on the
return leg, Dominique Bathenay spectacularly put the classy French side
ahead again and their superiority seemed assured. Liverpool seemed down and
out, requiring 2 to overcome the French away goal. The Kop had other ideas,
and roared the team on to eventual victory. First Kennedy equalised the
scores before "super sub" David Fairclough scored the winner with 6 minutes
to go to send the Kop into delirium. It was for me definitely the Kop that
won it that night. I could see in those days. Well enough to see the players
faces. Even whilst winning the St Etienne players were clearly being
unnerved by the Kop, whilst the Liverpool players seemed to grow and gain
strength from this support as the game progressed.
Now I have been similarly witness to fantastic comebacks by West Ham,
feeding on support from the crowd, I will never forget the Trevor Brooking
inspired comeback to ultimate victory against Eintrecht Frankfurt. However,
whilst our crowd can reach the heights, we can also turn on players. During
this past era of the 70s I never heard the Kop turn on a single Liverpool
player, no matter what mistakes they made. Instead they made them feel 10
feet tall. This unconditional and fervent support was Liverpool's secret
weapon during the 70s. .
Unconditional support like this is probably unrealistic nowadays. People pay
incredibly more for their match tickets compared to the 70s and this must
increase the sense of grievance when a team does not perform. This
unconditional support has vanished at Liverpool as much as anywhere else.
However this upcoming season for West Ham is critical in a number of ways.
Upton Park is no more and like it or not we have to make the London Stadium
our fortress. Speculating on various disasters or the need to move on to
another location will not help the team one jot in settling in. The Board
have to my mind, delivered on what they promised at the start of the
transfer window. We have, as supporters, just as critical a role to play.
When our new look team takes the pitch against Huddersfield. For our first
game we need to make them feel they are at home and can thrive on our
support. Huddersfield will not be easy and expectations of a victory will be
high for us. Our team has struggled with this expectation against so called
lesser teams in the past. . Huddersfield will feel like they are at Wembley
again in a massive stadium and may well raise their game as a result, as
others did last season. Our job will be to make this task as difficult as
possible for Huddersfield, no matter how well they are playing, and easy as
possible for our team, however limited the levels of their performance.
Encouragement nearly always works better than the stick of criticism.
COYI
David Griffith
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Lanzini and Hernandez mobbed by fans, the new-look midfield - moments you
missed from West Ham vs Werder Bremen
The Hammers lost 1-0 to the German side
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
07:51, 29 JUL 2017
West Ham are having to adapt their style now thanks to the continued absence
of Andy Carroll. Slaven Bilic experimented with Declan Rice as a defensive
midfielder in the first half, with Mark Noble and Josh Cullen in central
midfield. Rice played well but the other two couldn't quite figure it out.
Any change will take time to implement and is clear there is still work to
be done on the training ground.
A nostalgic setting
Schneverdingen is not the Premier League but it was a wonderful hark back to
the glory days of football. Groups of lads, standing on the terraces
drinking a beer and having a cigarette, watching the football. It's such a
difference from the sterile Premier League we see these days. The Ostwerald
had plenty of high visibility jackets on display but well, they didn't do
much. At half time, Manuel Lanzini and Javier Hernandez were mobbed by young
fans wanting a photo as the youngsters just jumped on to the pitch. There
were some worried faces among the Hammers media team with the swarms of
people surrounding the duo but it was alright in the end.
Speaking of Lanzini...
There are serious worries among fans over the stays of his knee injury but
our Hammers writer Sam Inkersole played a video of him on Twitter. Lanzini
seems to be walking fine alongside Hernandez in the clip and that should
ease a few worries among supporters. He won't play today or against Altona
but fingers crossed he will be fine for the start of the season.
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Adrian dismisses Crystal Palace rumours and vows to fight for his West Ham
place next season
The Hammers goalkeeper has been linked with a move across London over the
last few weeks
Football london
BYADAM JONES
07:00, 29 JUL 2017
West Ham goalkeeper Adrian has vowed to stay at the club and fight for his
place next season - despite rumours that Crystal Palace held a strong
interest in signing him. The Hammers stopper has been linked with a move
away from the London Stadium this summer, with those reports only being
intensified after the arrival of Joe Hart. Republic of Ireland international
Darren Randolph has already left West Ham to move to Middlesbrough this
summer as Slaven Bilic continues his shake-up a the club. It is yet to be
seen who will be the manager's No.1 choice in goal next campaign - but
Adrian claims that he is up for the fight that comes with strong
competition, essentially dismissing rumours of a proposed move to Crystal
Palace. He told the official club website: "Joe is a great 'keeper and is an
international for England he brings great competition. He is a great worker
and, like everyone, we are both training very well. "We have a lot of
competition in goal this season, so I will try to give my best and we will
see the manager's decision."
The Spaniard played the full 90 minutes on Friday evening as West Ham were
beaten 1-0 by Werder Bremen in the latest stage of their pre-season
preparations.
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Adrian lays down a marker to Joe Hart at West Ham but Toni Martinez gets a
rough deal
After the Hammers were beaten 1-0 by Werder Bremen in Schneverdingen, here
are five things we learned from the game
Football london
BYSAM INKERSOLE
22:00, 28 JUL 2017
Slaven Bilic said earlier in the week that he wanted to offer Adrian a new
contract to keep him at West Ham for the long-term despite the arrival of
Joe Hart on loan. The Spanish stopper played the full 90 minutes against
Werder Bremen and when Mark Noble went off the pitch with a knock, Adrian
was given the captains armband. Hart is likely to play on Saturday in the
second leg of the Betway Cup as he makes his long-awaited debut in a Hammers
shirt He is surely going to be the number one but Bilic is certainly on the
charm offensive with Adrian. Whether the Spaniard is happy to play back up
this season remains to be seen. You suspect he won't be.
The new style of play might take time to settle in
football.london asked West Ham assistant Nikola Jurcevic if they are
employing new tactics in the continued absence of Andy Carrolll nd the Croat
said they were.
A lot will depend on how new signing Javier Hernandez fits in and gels with
his new teammates but he will need to hit the ground running. It is entirely
different from the hoof ball up to Carroll we often see when the number nine
is on the pitch, but that is all too rare an occurence these days and with
no time frame for his return, things have got to change. The Hammers are
certainly using this pre-season to do that but it might take a while for it
to have a full effect and Chicharito will have a huge part to play.
Masuaku inching ahead in the race for first choice left-back?
Both Arthur Masuaku and Aaron Cresswell need a refresher course in defending
properly sometimes but the Frenchman is standing out more than the
Englishman so far this pre-season. Masuaku's attacking flair, searing pace
and ability o get back to *try* to defend is what sets him apart from
Cresswell, who is trying to implement the same way of thnking but just can't
quite manage it. Cresswell's previous excellent form a couple of seasons
back is what favours him slightly and last year he was hit by injury and
Bilic will take tht into account. The fans would probably prefer Masuaku
though and Biilic really does have a headache over selection at left back
for the trip to Old Trafford on August 13.
You have to feel sorry for Toni Martinez
The Spanish striker has featured in every friendly so far but he has barely
touched the ball in any of them as he is being asked to play an Andy Carroll
role, which is not his strength. Martinez is getting bypassed and is also
not being helped by not having the senior players around him during his time
on the pitch - the front three against Bremen was him, Moses Makasi and
Nathan Holland. Holland did well but Makasi didn't but neither of them
helped out Martinez enough. He is doing well in training, football.london
has seen that, but when it comes to game time, Martinez is getting a rough
deal.
Three more games to go...
West Ham have three more matches to play before the Premier League season
kicks off so expect them on the pitch now to up it a gear. They have had
their fitness games you could say but they now need to star nailing down
exactly what the process is going to be ahead of the new season, starting on
Saturday in the second leg versus Bremen. Altona 93 will be a good test next
week and then it's the prestigious friendly in Icleand against Manchester
City on August 4 before the top flight gets into gear and West Ham, with
three away games on the bounce to start it, need to be ready and raring to
go.
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Hammers gazumped in defender chase
KUMb.com
Filed: Saturday, 29th July 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have missed out on signing former Barcelona youngster Oriol Rey.
The 19-year-old defender had recently spent time on trial with the Hammers
at Chadwell Heath, but has opted to join Championship side Leeds United
instead. He confirmed his decision with a post via his social media channel,
in which he thanked the staff at his former club for their assistance in his
development. Rey was made surplus to requirements by the Spanish giants
after nine years at the club and decided to join fellow former Barca
youngster Kun Temenuzhkov, 17, at Elland Road instead of becoming part of
Terry Westley's Academy
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Feghouli set for medical
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 29th July 2017
By: Staff Writer
Sofiane Feghouli is expected to complete a £4.5million switch to Galatasary
early next week. The Algerian winger is on his way to Turkey having served
just 12 months of his lucrative four-year contract, signed last summer after
he moved from Valencia on a free transfer. According to Turkish channel NTV
Spor, Feghouli will fly to Turkey this weekend ahead of a medical on Monday.
He is one of two players Gala are hoping to sign next week, along with
Manchester City's Brazilian international Fernando. Feghouli, who was
withdrawn from West Ham's match against Werder Bremen yesterday made 27
appearances for West Ham last season, scoring four goals.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
The last man to score more than 20 goals in a top flight season for West Ham
United believes that new arrival Javier Hernandez has every chance of
breaking his 30-year record. The Mexican striker hadn't even been born when
Tony Cottee hit 22 goals during the 1986-87 campaign – a return that proved
crucial in keeping the Hammers away from a relegation battle, just 12 months
after they had been within a whisker of winning the League title for the
first time in their history.
Since then, the closest anyone has got to reaching the 20 mark at the
highest level is Paolo Di Canio, who managed 16 Premier League goals in the
1999-2000 season and, while his prolific exploits of the mid 80s remain
proudly intact, Cottee admits he won't be disappointed if Chicharito manages
to steal his crown in his debut campaign. "It has been a long time!" he
smiles. "On one hand, it's obviously nice to still hold a record at the Club
but, as a West Ham fan, I'm quite sad that no one has managed to beat it
since 1987! "I am really excited by the signing of Javier, though, and I
genuinely believe that he is the type of proven goalscorer who can score 20
goals a season for us next season. "And if we do have a striker reaching
that figure, then you are looking at the team pushing up a lot higher in the
table than we have been in recent seasons. "So I would love to see
Chicharito score 20 goals because it would most likely mean a successful
season for West Ham."
Cottee, who struck 146 goals in 336 appearances during his two spells with
the Hammers, became a British record signing when he joined Everton for
£2.05million in the summer of 1988. He went on to repay that fee with a
further 99 goals over the course of six years at Goodison Park, and insists
that the £16m paid to Bayer Leverkusen for Hernandez's services this summer
will prove value for money in today's market if the 29-year-old finds the
net on a regular basis.
"For West Ham, it is a big transfer fee and a big investment," says TC, "but
if he can score the goals we want him to, then we will all be saying what a
bargain he was. I know David Sullivan is very excited and said he could turn
out to be one of the best players we have signed in the modern era, and I
would love to think that could turn out to be true. "We had a wonderful
season two years ago when we finished seventh without a 20-goal striker, and
if we'd had someone like Hernandez in attack then, who knows where we would
have ended up. "There's no doubt he has the potential to score a lot of
goals, but just as important is the service he gets. Like me, he's not the
type of player who is going to get the ball on the halfway line, beat four
players and smash it in the top corner. "But if you get crosses in, thread a
pass so he can make a blindside run, then invariably he is going to hit the
target and score goals."
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Hammers edged by Werder in Betway Cup first leg
WHUFC.com
Werder Bremen 1-0 West Ham United
Betway Cup first leg, Friday 28 July 2017, Scheverdingen, Germany
West Ham United will need to beat Werder Bremen on Saturday afternoon if
they are to lift the Betway Cup after falling to a 1-0 defeat in Germany on
Friday evening. The Hammers controlled possession for long periods and
dominated the second half in front of 3,350 fans in Scheverdingen, 50 miles
east of Werder's home city, but Werder took a first-leg lead through teenage
striker Johannes Eggestein's 12th-minute goal. On the positive side, Marko
Arnautovic made his first appearance in Claret and Blue against his former
club, while fellow attacker Nathan Holland produced another encouraging
performance. And West Ham could still win the Betway Cup if they can secure
a victory over the Bundesliga side when they meet for the second time in
less than 24 hours in Lohne on Saturday afternoon. Slaven Bilic named a
youthful starting XI, with six players aged 21 or under in the Croatian's
team. Despite their youth, the Hammers controlled possession for extended
periods in the opening 45 minutes, but could not break down the five-man
Werder defence.
Academy products Reece Burke, Declan Rice – who impressed in a deep-lying
midfield role – Josh Cullen, Moses Makasi and captain Mark Noble all
started, as did teenage attackers Nathan Holland and Toni Martinez.
Werder Bremen coach Alexander Nouri also named an unfamiliar starting XI,
with star names like Max Kruse, Thomas Delaney, Fin Bartels, Ludovic Sane,
Ludwig Augustinsson and Zlatko Junuzovic all absent. Summer signings Jerome
Gondorf and Yuning Zhang – a China striker on loan from West Bromwich Albion
– did feature, however, as did 16-year-old centre-half Julian Rieckmann. And
it was Gondorf who created the opening for the game's first goal, threading
an expert ball through for 19-year-old striker Eggestein, who finished low
to the corner with a first-time left-foot shot. Werder had already wasted
one decent chance five minutes earlier, when Czech Republic wing-back
Theodore Gebre Selassie sliced his volley over after latching onto Niklas
Schmidt's lofted through ball.
While the youthful Hammers passed the ball patiently, Bremen were the team
creating the chances. Midway through the opening half Philipp Bargfrede
smashed a long-range shot over the bar, then Aron Johannsson cut out James
Collins' back pass before being denied superbly by the onrushing Adrian.
Noble was replaced by Pedro Obiang shortly after the half-hour mark, and the
Hammers' best chance of the period fell to the Spaniard three minutes later
when Toni Martinez's low cross flashed past his toe. And West Ham were
almost made to pay double for that missed opportunity just before the break,
but Adrian made another fine save to turn aside Schmidt's well-struck shot
from 20 yards.
The second half was a completely different game as the English team
dominated for virtually the entire 45 minutes. Holland (pictured, above)
initially carried the biggest threat, winning a corner which Aaron Cresswell
delivered and Rice saw his powerful header clawed away by Werder goalkeeper
Michael Zetterer.
Arnautovic was one of seven players introduced on the hour-mark and the
Austrian was quickly into the action, playing his part in a sweeping
counter-attack that ended with Makasi's shot behind blocked inside the
Bremen penalty area.
Werder did threaten on a couple of occasions after the interval and again
Adrian was there to stop his side falling further behind with a miraculous
double save from Schmidt and Gondorf. So, with the seven substitutes
scheduled to start on Saturday, Bilic's men will need to win by two clear
goals to deny Werder a second Betway Cup triumph in the space of three
pre-seasons.
West Ham United: Adrian, Byram (Zabaleta 60), Burke (Arnautovic 60), Collins
(Fonte 60), Cresswell (Masuaku 60), Rice, Noble © (Obiang 34), Cullen
(Fernandes 60), Holland (Snodgrass 60), Makasi, Martinez (Ayew 60)
Subs not used: Hart (GK), Ogbonna
SV Werder Bremen: Zetterer, Gebre Selassie, Ulisses Garcia, Verlaat,
Rieckmann, Veljkovic, Gondorf, J.Eggestein, Schmidt, Bargfrede, Johannsson
Subs: Drobny (GK), Caldirola, Kainz, Zhang, M.Eggestein
Attendance: 3,350
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Adrian: I will always try to help my teammates
WHUFC.com
Adrian admitted to having mixed feelings after producing a wonderful
individual performance in West Ham United's 1-0 Betway Cup first leg defeat
by Werder Bremen. The Spanish goalkeeper was at his brilliant best in the
German town of Scheverdingen, producing four fantastic saves to keep the
Hammers in the tie ahead of Saturday's second leg. While the arrival of
England's No1 Joe Hart has added competition for the same job at West Ham,
Adrian reminded everyone why he is so highly-rated and so beloved by the
Claret and Blue Army. After being beaten by Johannes Eggestein's accurate
finish, the 30-year-old took centre-stage, saving superbly from Aron
Johannsson and Niklas Schmidt before half-time, before producing a
miraculous double stop to deny Schmidt and Gondorf late on.
"Of course, I will always try to help my teammates with saves when I play
and to keep the game open," said the popular goalkeeper. "But, at the end of
the day, we lost the game and we are not happy with that result.
"Personally, with my performance, I could do nothing more. The goal was so
quick, a quick ball to the striker and he passed it into the corner of the
net via the goal post, so I had no chance. Then we had a good chance before
the end of the first half to draw level at one-one with Pedro Obiang "In the
second half, we played with more tempo and intensity but at the end of the
day we had no clear chances to score a goal in the second half and we needed
to be a bit more clinical, so we will work in the training to do this in the
next one."
Adrian has been his normal committed, enthusiastic and intense self in
training, giving his all in Chris Woods' sessions alongside Hart and Latvian
youngster Rihards Matrevics. In typical fashion, the Seville-born star is
not letting the arrival of a rival for his position in the team to get him
down. Instead, he has welcomed Hart and the pair are working effectively
together, sharing their experiences and jokes and training with smiles on
their faces. "We are training very well and working hard, as we have from
the beginning of the pre-season," he observed. "Everyone is excited for the
season, so we will try to give our best always when we play together. This
is pre-season and we have time to learn to make no more mistakes and to win
games. "Joe is a great 'keeper and is an international for England he brings
great competition. He is a great worker and, like everyone, we are both
training very well. "We have a lot of competition in goal this season, so I
will try to give my best and we will see the manager's decision."
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EVALUATING WEST HAM'S TRANSFER WINDOW SO FAR
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 28 JULY 2017 AT 9:31PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @whufcbulletin
We are now just sixteen days away from the start of the 2017/2018 Premier
League campaign, and West Ham have been busy in the transfer market as
preparation for the upcoming season. As well as bringing in four different
high profile signings, the club has also moved on a number of players from
the squad roster. I will go through each of the exits and arrivals so far
and give my opinion on them. Since the start of the window, the club has
brought in Paolo Zabaleta, Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez.
At the same time, the club has sold Darren Randolph, Havard Nordtveit and
Enner Valencia, whilst releasing Sam Howes, Sam Ford, Kyle Knoyle, Sam
Westley, Stephen Hendrie and Raphael Spiegel. In addition to all of these
completed transfers, there are still a number of exits and incomings that
are being talked about, and so I will spend some time looking at that too.
Paolo Zabaleta was the first player to come to the club this summer. At the
age of thirty-two, Zabaleta arrived at the club on a free transfer two-year
deal which would earn him around £90,000 p/w, making him one of the highest
earners at the club. Zabaleta is an experienced international and I think he
is a great signing. One of our greatest problems last season was our poor
organisation in defence which led us to concede a number of sloppy and
costly goals. Zabaleta will bring structure and cohesion in the defence,
alongside the quality of Reid, Ohbonna and either Cresswell or Masuaku. In
addition, right-back was a very inconsistent and disjointed position last
year with players often being used out of position to fill it, creating yet
more problems in defence. Kouyate was often forced to play out of position
in order to fill that hole. It is good to see that we now have an
experienced professional to fill the role of right-back.
The second signing of the season bought Joe Hart to the club on a season
long loan from Manchester City. Although it was initially reported that the
deal was a loan to-buy, in reality, it is just a loan and West Ham will not
have the option to make his deal permanent. Hart has had an illustrious
career, occupying the spot of England goalkeeper for a number of years now,
however, I am reluctant to treat the deal with as much excitement as the
Zabaleta deal due to his recent form. Although at his best he is fantastic,
Hart's last couple of seasons, especially the latter when playing for
Torino, have been mistake ridden and incredibly inconsistent. In addition,
the deal worries me because of what it means for Adrian. I was never
inclined to believe that we needed a new keeper, Adrian showed incredible
form towards the end of last season and is undoubtedly one of the best
keepers in the Premier League, therefore I saw little need for him to be
replaced. In addition, the club's desperation to sell Adrian, despite his
willingness to stay is also concerning. The owners are unlikely to find a
player as talented as Adrian who can fill the place of a backup keeper, so
it seems crazy to me to stop the competition between the keepers by selling
Adrian. In addition, this means that regardless of Hart's performances, he
is likely to stay as the first-team keeper throughout the season. The
management seems to think that competition is a bad thing.
The next addition to be made was the record signing of Marko Arnautovic from
Stoke City. He signed for a club record fee of £25,000,000. In addition,
Arnautovic was also momentarily made West Ham's highest earner, raking in
£100,000 p/w until Javier Hernandez signed a few days later. The signing of
Arnautovic is undoubtedly a good one, he has been one of Stoke's best
performer's over the years and has been one of the most underrated wingers
in the league for a long period of time. With the lackluster Robert
Snodgrass occupying the wing at times last season, it was important to bring
in a strong attacker with genuine quality, and that is exactly what has been
done. The only part of the deal that worries me slightly is the price tag.
Although he has the ability to be brilliant, Arnautovic has often been
criticised for his inconsistency and his 'trouble-maker' attitude, it is for
this reason that I feel the club may have paid slightly too much for the
Austrian winger. Nevertheless, the money is not coming out of my pockets and
he is still a class signing!
The final player that West Ham have brought in so far is Mexican striker
Javier Hernandez. For £16,000,000, this is undoubtedly one of the best buys
of the window so far as West Ham have bagged themselves an International
superstar for an extremely reasonable price in the modern market. Hernandez
has experience in the Premier League with Manchester United and he has
retained one of the best minutes-to-goal ratios in the world for any
striker. Hernandez is a proven goalscorer and has been a threat for every
club that he has played for. This was exactly the sort of player that David
Sullivan and David Gold needed to bring to the club, and they have. For this
reason, a lot of credit must be given to the owners. Amidst a lot of
criticism, this window is turning out to be one of West Ham's best and the
owners definitely deserve credit for that.
As well as the signings, the window has also seen the departure of some
players too. Firstly, Havard Nordtveit left the club for 1899 Hoffenheim in
a £7,000,000 deal. At the start of his career at West Ham, I was incredibly
critical of him, seeing him as a waste of space on the pitch. His form did
pick up and improve significantly over the season, however, to be able to
move him off the wage bill while picking up £7,000,000 is far too good an
offer to turn down, and so it is no surprise to me that he did leave the
club. Another player to leave the club was Ecuadorian, Enner Valencia.
Valencia spent three seasons at West Ham, however, there was always a sense
of underachievement during his time at the club. Valencia had some great
moments, none more so than his thunderbolt against Hull City early on in his
Hammer's career, however, in the end, his inconsistent form meant that he
was not a regular side and was eventually loaned out to Everton for the
16/17 season. When Mexican side Tigres placed a £7,000,000 bid, the Hammers
took their opportunity and moved Valencia along while they could. Valencia's
exit from the club always seemed to be inevitable. Furthermore, West Ham
also sold Irish international goalkeeper Darren Randolph to recently
relegated side, Middlesbrough. Randolph was given a chance in the first team
last season and while at times he showed signs of brilliance, however, he
often countered that with silly errors which led to Adrian being reinstated
as the first-team goalkeeper. Although Randolph proved to be an excellent
backup option for the Hammers, a £5,000,000 bid is too good an offer for any
backup keeper and so the club accepted the offer. The transfer seemed to
suit all parties, with Randolph needing minutes on the pitch with the World
Cup coming up.
However, the transfer window is by no means at an end. West Ham are still
aiming to bring in more players. A £30,000,000 fee has been agreed with
Lazio winger Keita Balde Diao and it is now down to the player whether he
wants to move to West Ham. In addition, a deal to sign Jack Wilshire is
still very much on the cards, with the player himself publically making it
clear that he would like to move to West Ham. West Ham are interested in
Wilshire but are wary of his injury record. Furthermore, we are still eager
to sign another striker, with both Andre Gray and Lucas Perez being linked
with moves to the club. On the other side of the coin, there are still a
number of possible exits at the club. Sofiane Feghouli is on the verge of
moving to Galatasaray after West Ham recently accepted a £5,000,000 offer,
while at the same time, Robert Snodgrass, Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll and
Adrian could all leave the club before the window closes. Overall, the
window has undoubtedly been a strong one for the Hammers, but it would be
nice to see the club complete a couple more signings before the window
shuts.
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Werder Bremen 1-0 West Ham: Marko Arnautovic makes first appearance as
Hammers suffer slender defeat
Last Updated: 28/07/17 10:41pm
SSN
Marko Arnautovic made his first West Ham appearance as Slaven Bilic's side
suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bundesliga side Werder Bremen in the
first leg of the Betway Cup on Friday. Slaven Bilic, who started with
Arnautovic on the bench, named a young side which featured Reece Burke,
Declan Rice, Josh Cullen, Nathan Holland and Toni Martinez. Moses Makasi and
captain Mark Noble also started as West Ham controlled possession in the
early stages, but they could not find an early breakthrough. And they were
behind in the 12th minute when Jerome Gondorf picked out Johannes Eggestein
with an inch-perfect through ball, and the striker picked out the bottom
corner. Werder continued to create chances as Philipp Bargfrede fired over
from distance, before Aron Johannsson was brilliantly denied by Adrian.
Noble was replaced by Pedro Obiang just after the half-hour mark, and he
almost levelled the scores but the midfielder failed to make contact with
Martinez's cross. The Hammers nearly fell further behind just before the
interval, but Adrian was called into action again, making another superb
save to keep out Niklas Schmidt's long-range effort. West Ham started the
second-half on the front foot and Rice's header almost brought them level,
forcing Werder goalkeeper Michael Zetterer into a smart save. Arnautovic was
introduced on the hour mark alongside several others and the new signing was
involved in an excellent counter-attack which saw Makasi's shot blocked
inside the penalty area. Bilic's men continued to push for an equaliser but
it failed to materialise as Werder held on for a slender victory. However,
West Ham, who are expected to make several changes for Saturday afternoon's
second leg, could still win the Betway Cup if they can beat the Bundesliga
side by two clear goals when they meet again in Lohne.
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JUST LIKE OUR DREAMS - PATIENCE IS THE KEY.
By Blind Hammer 29 Jul 2017 at 08:00 4 comments
WTID
Blind Hammer argues that despite our recent signings there may still be a
need for patience next season.
Football is an emotionally extreme business. This is why we love it, we may
face the despair of defeat but we also experience the joy of success.
Compare the contrasting emotions last season at the London Stadium after
depressing and inept performances against Manchester City, to the ecstasy of
beating Chelsea, earlier in the season, and Tottenham late in the season. In
a way the magic of football is that the anguish of defeat makes the happy
delirium of victory all that much sweeter.
Football thrives on this emotion. The Board criticism and negativity on West
Ham Till I Die comments sections and other forums so prevalent a couple of
weeks ago have now been transformed into assertions here and elsewhere that
the Board has "played a blinder". Now there is a new positivity approaching
the new season.
However all this positivity could evaporate if we lose our first three games
away in August, which is not beyond the realms of possibility. The fact will
be that even if this happens we could have a good season, despite the need
to start out with three away games in a row.
Our new signings have Premier league success behind them. Which should make
the task of settling in easier. Despite this past PL experience, some
settling in and gelling may be required. Even Scott Parker took a little
time to settle in before producing world class performances. The credentials
of Zabaleta, Hart, Arnautovic and Hernandez will not guaranteed that all
will hit the ground running at 100%. The first Hart mistake will start a
narrative about whether he still has what it takes, Zabaleta may face
questions about his age, Arnautovic is already experiencing queries about
his commitment and work rate and Hernandez will have to thrive in a team
which has, for the most part played with one up front rather than the two he
is apparently best suited to. In addition injuries to Antonio et al will
mean that it will be some time before we can put out our strongest team.
All clubs experience the highs and lows of emotions. However the issue for
West Ham is more sensitive and tricky. We still have the problem of
negativity surrounding the move to the London Stadium. It is clear that a
section of our fan base will never ever forgive the Board for leaving Upton
Park and the negativity surrounding this instantly emerges as soon as
results take a turn for the worst or transfers seem slow in arriving. It
seems that only winning a trophy or again qualifying for Europe will ever
quell this negativity.
All this matters because we materially affect the quality of player's
performances with the quality of our support. The club has, as I reported in
a recent post, revealed how some players need emotional and psychological
support in dealing with criticism not just from the terraces but from the
ever burgeoning arena of the blogosphere and social media.
The extent a crowd can influence games was revealed to me not at West Ham
but another club. As a young man I lived in Liverpool between 1973 and 1978.
Whilst remaining a true Hammer throughout these years I did stand on the Kop
every other week, and Liverpool during this period became temporarily my
second team, unless of course they were playing West Ham. The legendary
support the Kop gave Liverpool in those years was extraordinary. It is now
apparently consigned to history and the Liverpool crowd is nowadays as
critical as any other. However in those years the extent to which the Kop
could influence games was something I have never witnessed before or since.
The support was unbelievably positive. If Liverpool went, on the rare
occasion, a goal down, the support became louder. If they went 2 goals down
the support got even louder. When Liverpool played St Etienne, in 1977 they
were playing a shocker. They lost the first leg 1-0, a margin of defeat
which could easily have been more. Despite Kevin Keegan scoring on the
return leg, Dominique Bathenay spectacularly put the classy French side
ahead again and their superiority seemed assured. Liverpool seemed down and
out, requiring 2 to overcome the French away goal. The Kop had other ideas,
and roared the team on to eventual victory. First Kennedy equalised the
scores before "super sub" David Fairclough scored the winner with 6 minutes
to go to send the Kop into delirium. It was for me definitely the Kop that
won it that night. I could see in those days. Well enough to see the players
faces. Even whilst winning the St Etienne players were clearly being
unnerved by the Kop, whilst the Liverpool players seemed to grow and gain
strength from this support as the game progressed.
Now I have been similarly witness to fantastic comebacks by West Ham,
feeding on support from the crowd, I will never forget the Trevor Brooking
inspired comeback to ultimate victory against Eintrecht Frankfurt. However,
whilst our crowd can reach the heights, we can also turn on players. During
this past era of the 70s I never heard the Kop turn on a single Liverpool
player, no matter what mistakes they made. Instead they made them feel 10
feet tall. This unconditional and fervent support was Liverpool's secret
weapon during the 70s. .
Unconditional support like this is probably unrealistic nowadays. People pay
incredibly more for their match tickets compared to the 70s and this must
increase the sense of grievance when a team does not perform. This
unconditional support has vanished at Liverpool as much as anywhere else.
However this upcoming season for West Ham is critical in a number of ways.
Upton Park is no more and like it or not we have to make the London Stadium
our fortress. Speculating on various disasters or the need to move on to
another location will not help the team one jot in settling in. The Board
have to my mind, delivered on what they promised at the start of the
transfer window. We have, as supporters, just as critical a role to play.
When our new look team takes the pitch against Huddersfield. For our first
game we need to make them feel they are at home and can thrive on our
support. Huddersfield will not be easy and expectations of a victory will be
high for us. Our team has struggled with this expectation against so called
lesser teams in the past. . Huddersfield will feel like they are at Wembley
again in a massive stadium and may well raise their game as a result, as
others did last season. Our job will be to make this task as difficult as
possible for Huddersfield, no matter how well they are playing, and easy as
possible for our team, however limited the levels of their performance.
Encouragement nearly always works better than the stick of criticism.
COYI
David Griffith
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Lanzini and Hernandez mobbed by fans, the new-look midfield - moments you
missed from West Ham vs Werder Bremen
The Hammers lost 1-0 to the German side
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
07:51, 29 JUL 2017
West Ham are having to adapt their style now thanks to the continued absence
of Andy Carroll. Slaven Bilic experimented with Declan Rice as a defensive
midfielder in the first half, with Mark Noble and Josh Cullen in central
midfield. Rice played well but the other two couldn't quite figure it out.
Any change will take time to implement and is clear there is still work to
be done on the training ground.
A nostalgic setting
Schneverdingen is not the Premier League but it was a wonderful hark back to
the glory days of football. Groups of lads, standing on the terraces
drinking a beer and having a cigarette, watching the football. It's such a
difference from the sterile Premier League we see these days. The Ostwerald
had plenty of high visibility jackets on display but well, they didn't do
much. At half time, Manuel Lanzini and Javier Hernandez were mobbed by young
fans wanting a photo as the youngsters just jumped on to the pitch. There
were some worried faces among the Hammers media team with the swarms of
people surrounding the duo but it was alright in the end.
Speaking of Lanzini...
There are serious worries among fans over the stays of his knee injury but
our Hammers writer Sam Inkersole played a video of him on Twitter. Lanzini
seems to be walking fine alongside Hernandez in the clip and that should
ease a few worries among supporters. He won't play today or against Altona
but fingers crossed he will be fine for the start of the season.
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Adrian dismisses Crystal Palace rumours and vows to fight for his West Ham
place next season
The Hammers goalkeeper has been linked with a move across London over the
last few weeks
Football london
BYADAM JONES
07:00, 29 JUL 2017
West Ham goalkeeper Adrian has vowed to stay at the club and fight for his
place next season - despite rumours that Crystal Palace held a strong
interest in signing him. The Hammers stopper has been linked with a move
away from the London Stadium this summer, with those reports only being
intensified after the arrival of Joe Hart. Republic of Ireland international
Darren Randolph has already left West Ham to move to Middlesbrough this
summer as Slaven Bilic continues his shake-up a the club. It is yet to be
seen who will be the manager's No.1 choice in goal next campaign - but
Adrian claims that he is up for the fight that comes with strong
competition, essentially dismissing rumours of a proposed move to Crystal
Palace. He told the official club website: "Joe is a great 'keeper and is an
international for England he brings great competition. He is a great worker
and, like everyone, we are both training very well. "We have a lot of
competition in goal this season, so I will try to give my best and we will
see the manager's decision."
The Spaniard played the full 90 minutes on Friday evening as West Ham were
beaten 1-0 by Werder Bremen in the latest stage of their pre-season
preparations.
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Adrian lays down a marker to Joe Hart at West Ham but Toni Martinez gets a
rough deal
After the Hammers were beaten 1-0 by Werder Bremen in Schneverdingen, here
are five things we learned from the game
Football london
BYSAM INKERSOLE
22:00, 28 JUL 2017
Slaven Bilic said earlier in the week that he wanted to offer Adrian a new
contract to keep him at West Ham for the long-term despite the arrival of
Joe Hart on loan. The Spanish stopper played the full 90 minutes against
Werder Bremen and when Mark Noble went off the pitch with a knock, Adrian
was given the captains armband. Hart is likely to play on Saturday in the
second leg of the Betway Cup as he makes his long-awaited debut in a Hammers
shirt He is surely going to be the number one but Bilic is certainly on the
charm offensive with Adrian. Whether the Spaniard is happy to play back up
this season remains to be seen. You suspect he won't be.
The new style of play might take time to settle in
football.london asked West Ham assistant Nikola Jurcevic if they are
employing new tactics in the continued absence of Andy Carrolll nd the Croat
said they were.
A lot will depend on how new signing Javier Hernandez fits in and gels with
his new teammates but he will need to hit the ground running. It is entirely
different from the hoof ball up to Carroll we often see when the number nine
is on the pitch, but that is all too rare an occurence these days and with
no time frame for his return, things have got to change. The Hammers are
certainly using this pre-season to do that but it might take a while for it
to have a full effect and Chicharito will have a huge part to play.
Masuaku inching ahead in the race for first choice left-back?
Both Arthur Masuaku and Aaron Cresswell need a refresher course in defending
properly sometimes but the Frenchman is standing out more than the
Englishman so far this pre-season. Masuaku's attacking flair, searing pace
and ability o get back to *try* to defend is what sets him apart from
Cresswell, who is trying to implement the same way of thnking but just can't
quite manage it. Cresswell's previous excellent form a couple of seasons
back is what favours him slightly and last year he was hit by injury and
Bilic will take tht into account. The fans would probably prefer Masuaku
though and Biilic really does have a headache over selection at left back
for the trip to Old Trafford on August 13.
You have to feel sorry for Toni Martinez
The Spanish striker has featured in every friendly so far but he has barely
touched the ball in any of them as he is being asked to play an Andy Carroll
role, which is not his strength. Martinez is getting bypassed and is also
not being helped by not having the senior players around him during his time
on the pitch - the front three against Bremen was him, Moses Makasi and
Nathan Holland. Holland did well but Makasi didn't but neither of them
helped out Martinez enough. He is doing well in training, football.london
has seen that, but when it comes to game time, Martinez is getting a rough
deal.
Three more games to go...
West Ham have three more matches to play before the Premier League season
kicks off so expect them on the pitch now to up it a gear. They have had
their fitness games you could say but they now need to star nailing down
exactly what the process is going to be ahead of the new season, starting on
Saturday in the second leg versus Bremen. Altona 93 will be a good test next
week and then it's the prestigious friendly in Icleand against Manchester
City on August 4 before the top flight gets into gear and West Ham, with
three away games on the bounce to start it, need to be ready and raring to
go.
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Hammers gazumped in defender chase
KUMb.com
Filed: Saturday, 29th July 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have missed out on signing former Barcelona youngster Oriol Rey.
The 19-year-old defender had recently spent time on trial with the Hammers
at Chadwell Heath, but has opted to join Championship side Leeds United
instead. He confirmed his decision with a post via his social media channel,
in which he thanked the staff at his former club for their assistance in his
development. Rey was made surplus to requirements by the Spanish giants
after nine years at the club and decided to join fellow former Barca
youngster Kun Temenuzhkov, 17, at Elland Road instead of becoming part of
Terry Westley's Academy
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Feghouli set for medical
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 29th July 2017
By: Staff Writer
Sofiane Feghouli is expected to complete a £4.5million switch to Galatasary
early next week. The Algerian winger is on his way to Turkey having served
just 12 months of his lucrative four-year contract, signed last summer after
he moved from Valencia on a free transfer. According to Turkish channel NTV
Spor, Feghouli will fly to Turkey this weekend ahead of a medical on Monday.
He is one of two players Gala are hoping to sign next week, along with
Manchester City's Brazilian international Fernando. Feghouli, who was
withdrawn from West Ham's match against Werder Bremen yesterday made 27
appearances for West Ham last season, scoring four goals.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, July 28
Daily WHUFC News - 29th July 2017
Werder Bremen v West Ham: All you need to know
WHUFC.com
West Ham United play the first of three pre-season matches in Germany when they take on Werder Bremen in the opening half of a Betway Cup double-header on Friday evening. The Hammers will tackle their Bundesliga opponents at the Osterwald-Stadion in Schneverdingen - a town situated in the countryside 50 miles east of the city of Bremen, before moving on to Lohne to play them again on Saturday
Here, we let you know where to watch, who will be in action and much more about West Ham's third and fourth pre-season fixtures...
Where and when?
Werder Bremen v West Ham United, Friday 28 July 2017, 5.30pm BST, Osterwald-Stadion, Im Osterwald 1, 29640 Schneverdingen, Germany
Werder Bremen v West Ham United, Saturday 28 July 2017, 2.30pm BST, Heinz-Dettmer-Stadion, Steinfelder Str. 5, 49393 Südlohne, Germany
Where to watch?
Fans can follow the game on Twitter at @westhamutd. A full report, reaction and highlights will be available on whufc.com. Friday's match will also be shown live by Premier Sports from 5.30pm, and Saturday's from 2.30pm.
Matchday squads
Werder Bremen: Pavlenka, Zetterer, Drobny, Caldriola, Bauer, Augustinsson, Moisander, Garcia, Gebre Selassie, Sane, Delaney, Kainz, Gondorf, Johansson, Veljkovic, Hajrovic, Junuzovic, Bartels, Petsos, Yatabare, Eggestein, Bargfrede, Johannsson, Kruse, Zhang, Eggestein
West Ham United: Adrian, Hart, Anang, Matrevics, Byram, Zabaleta, Cresswell, Masuaku, Collins, Ogbonna, Fonte, Reid, Burke, Rice, Makasi, Lanzini, Snodgrass, Obiang, Noble, Fernandes, Cullen, Holland, Arnautovic, Ayew, Martinez
Team news
West Ham United and their hosts Werder Bremen have agreed that both clubs will field their players in 60-30 minute splits, meaning eleven players will play for an hour on Friday, with the eleven who replace them then playing for an hour on Saturday afternoon. Slaven Bilic has confirmed that Friday's game has come too early for Chicharito, who only arrived in Germany on Thursday. Sofiane Feghouli is also ruled out through injury, while Andy Carroll (hip) and Michail Antonio (hamstring) are back in England. Marko Arnautovic could make his first appearance in Claret and Blue against the club he represented between 2010-13.
Meet the opposition
SV Werder Bremen are one of the traditional giants of German football, having won the Bundesliga on four occasions - the last coming in 2004 - and lifted the German Cup on seven occasions. They also, like the Hammers, have won the European Cup Winners' Cup once, back in 1992.
However, the Die Werderaner have endured leaner times in recent seasons, not finishing above eighth since the 2009/10 season, when they were third. Now coached by former Werder youth-team player and reserve-team coach Alexander Nouri, Bremen finished eighth last season after overcoming an indifferent start.
The club's cosmopolitan squad contains players from 15 different nations, including Germany striker Max Kruse and highly-rated Danish midfielder Thomas Delaney.
Player to watch
Versatile attacker Marko Arnautovic is set to make his first appearance in a West Ham United shirt after completing his Club-record move from Premier League rivals Stoke City last weekend.
The 28-year-old will be appearing against one of his former clubs in German Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen, with whom he spent three seasons between 2010-13, scoring 16 goals in 84 appearances in all competitions.
The Austria international left Werder for Stoke four years ago and continued to create and score goals on a regular basis. Now, he will attempt to do so in a Claret and Blue kit.
Previous visit
West Ham United have never visited Schneverdingen or Lohne before, but they have taken on Werder Bremen previously.
The first previous meeting came on 14 August 1984, when the Hammers were edged out 2-1 in a friendly played at Werder's Weser Stadion in Bremen. In July 2009, the pair were scheduled to meet again in a friendly in Austria, but the fixture was postponed due to torrential rain in the village of Bad Waltersdorf.
Finally, Werder became the final team to visit West Ham's Boleyn Ground for a pre-season friendly on 2 August 2015, overcoming Diafra Sakho's goal to win the Betway Cup courtesy of a 2-1 victory.
Did you know?
Slaven Bilic spent two-and-a-half years in Germany with Karlsruher SC. During that time, he played against Werder Bremen on four occasions, winning twice and losing twice
Marko Arnautovic and Werder Bremen captain Zlatko Junuzovic are Austria international teammates and appeared together at UEFA Euro 2016. Junuzovic is also the last player other than David Alaba to be named Austrian Footballer of the Year, doing so back in 2010!
Werder Bremen legend Horst-Dieter Höttges started for West Germany in the 1966 FIFA World Cup final defeat by England at Wembley. Here he is putting in a challenge on Geoff Hurst in that game!
How to get there
By car, from the centre of Bremen it is a fairly simple 50-mile (85-kilometre) drive eastwards. Supporters should take the A1 motorway to exit 50 at Stuckenborstel, then follow the B75 toward Stuckenborstel/Ottersberg/Rotenburg/Sottrum. After 27 kilometres, turn right onto the K224, then left onto the K211. The road then changes name a number of times, from Alte Dorfstraße to Steinkampsweg to Lünzener Straße to Pappelallee, Alte Landstraße, Rotenburger Straße/L170 and finally Harburger Straße. By now, you have arrived in Schneverdingen, so turn right onto Oststraße, then almost immediately left into Osterwaldweg, and the ground will appear on the left-hand side!
If you'd rather take a train, it is a two-hour journey from Bremen via either Buchholz or Soltau. For timetable and ticket price details, click here.
How to buy tickets
Tickets for Friday night's game are priced at €15 for Adults and €10 for Concessions and will be available on the night at the Osterwald-Stadion. Alternatively, you can order your tickets online and print them out by ordering here.
It's a similar process for Saturday, with tickets for that match priced at €25 Adults and €15 Children in the seats, and €15 Adults and €5 Children for standing.
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Andre Ayew: Full pre-season will help me reach top form
WHUFC.com
Andre Ayew is hoping a full pre-season will help him pick up where he left off when the Premier Legaue campaign begins. West Ham United's Ghana international forward ended 2016/17 in fine form, scoring five goals in the 13 appearances he made after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in mid-February. Indeed, Ayew admits he would rather the season had not ended when it did, with his winning goal in a 2-1 victory at Burnley in May. Now, after a summer virtually free of international commitments, the 27-year-old believes spending the whole of July with his club-mates will stand him in good stead come 13 August. "I'm feeling good and working hard. We had long days in Austria and now we're just at the beginning in Germany and we have a few games to come," he told West Ham TV. "We're working hard here, trying to get fit, working together and getting to know each other, so it's sweet." "Pre-season is something which is very, very important and, for me, I've not been able to have a real pre-season for a long time because of the international games. "I have always been coming back later, so to start the pre-season with the squad is quite good. I think I'm going to have a month or more with the squad before the pre-season starts so it's a good opportunity for me to get myself back together and to feel good before the season."
Ayew's form over the closing months of last season marked him out as, arguably, West Ham's most-effective attacking player. However, the No20 sets high standards for himself and believes there is even more to come should he avoid the misfortune of an injury like the groin problem he suffered at Chelsea on the opening day of last term. "I think I was getting there [to my best form]," he confirmed. "It was not my optimum, but I was getting there bit by bit by playing games. For me, it was a shame the season came to an end because I was starting to feel better after my injury." With a decade of experience at the highest level behind him, Ayew is savvy enough not to be drawn into setting exact targets for himself or for the team, instead urging the Hammers to 'stay humble' and approach a testing Premier League campaign one game at a time. However, it would certainly be fair to say that he is feeling optimistic. "We have another season coming up and we have a lot of objectives ahead of us that we want to achieve as a squad," he concluded. "So, I need to continue working hard and doing what we were doing at the end of last season and I'm sure I will get back to my best physically and everything will be OK."
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Ashley Fletcher moves to Middlesbrough
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that striker Ashley Fletcher has completed a move to Championship side Middlesbrough for a fee of £6.5m. The 21-year-old Yorkshireman spent a season with the Hammers after joining from Manchester United in summer 2016, scoring once in 20 first team appearances. That goal came back at his first club, Manchester United, in an EFL Cup quarter-final defeat, while he played 16 times in the Premier League, with 14 of those outings coming from the bench. He also scored three goals and provided two assists in ten Premier League 2 games, helping the Club's U23 side gain promotion to Premier League 2 Division 1. Fletcher joins another former Hammer, Darren Randolph, on Teesside and manager Slaven Bilic said: "We got a fantastic offer for Ashley and ideally I wanted to help him with a different kind of scenario, but at the end of the day the offer was so good for the Club and for him personally. "I spoke to him on Wednesday night and I told him to be proud of the step that he made since coming to West Ham last year to being a player that a lot of clubs from the Championship are asking for. "To make such a big step is a big bonus for him and a big thing for him. He's very young, very promising, a great lad and a great trainer, so he can improve a lot."
Everyone at West Ham United would like to wish Ashley a happy and successful future with Middlesbrough FC.
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Team news: Academy stars given opportunity to shine in Germany
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has handed starts to a host of promising Academy prospects in tonight's Betway Cup clash with Werder Bremen.
Bilic has picked no fewer than six players aged 21 or under for the Hammers' third pre-season fixture, which will kick-off in the German town of Schneverdingen at 5.30pm BST. For full details of how to follow the action live, click here.
Adrian starts in goal, with a back four of Sam Byram, Reece Burke, James Collins and Aaron Cresswell.
Eighteen-year-old Declan Rice anchors the midfielder behind captain Mark Noble and fellow Academy of Football graduate Josh Cullen, with the exciting Nathan Holland and Moses Makasi supporting centre forward Toni Martinez.
The substitutes, who are expected to be introduced after 60 minutes and to start Saturday afternoon's second Betway Cup fixture with Werder Bremen in Lohne include summer signings Joe Hart and Marko Arnautovic, both of whom will make their debuts.
Pablo Zabaleta and Arthur Masuaku will replace the full-backs, while Jose Fonte and Angelo Ogbonna are set to come in at the heart of the defence.
Further forward, Pedro Obiang and Edimilson Fernandes will be introduced in midfield, with Robert Snodgrass, Arnautovic and Andre Ayew set to appear in the four forward positions.
Slaven Bilic will be without Manuel Lanzini, who has a minor knee injury which is being monitored, and Sofiane Feghouli, who has returned for England to receive treatment for a hamstring problem.
Three other absentees, Winston Reid, Diafra Sakho and Chicharito, are all working their way back to full fitness.
Michail Antonio (hamstring) and Andy Carroll (hip) are continuing their own rehab work at Rush Green.
West Ham United: Adrian, Byram, Burke, Collins, Cresswell, Rice, Noble ©, Cullen, Holland, Makasi, Martinez
Subs: Hart (GK), Zabaleta, Masuaku, Fonte, Ogbonna, Obiang, Snodgrass, Arnautovic, Fernandes, Ayew
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The long and the short of the transfer circus
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 28th July 2017
By: Paul Walker
Short-termism is the new buzz word, and even our gloriously stocky leader David Sullivan admits it's not the way he would want to do business.
My equally gloriously named colleague here on KUMB, Head Hammer Shark produced a near suicidal and very personal view this week on the state of the club he--and me too--have devoted our lives too.
And then Sullivan admits on his TalkSport interview that short-termism is not the way he would wish to work in the transfer market, but it's what Slaven Bilic, quiet rightly in my view, wants to give us--a mid-table Premier League side with airy fairy delusions of grandeur --the best chance of survival in an industry that if you get it wrong means you end up like Blackburn, Portsmouth, Coventry, Nottingham Forest, Charlton or QPR--financially shafted with no way back to the big time.
Our old friend Jacob Steinberg on the Guardian picked up on Sullivan's comments, and his genuine doubts about the long term aspects of our summer of rebuilding. And no doubt he had seen, as the true West Ham fan he is, HHS's piece and the statistics he based his hugely depressing blog on.
Sullivan's radio interviewing was an interesting assessment of how we are, and who we are. He is not my favourite club owner, as one or two of you might have noticed. Personally I dislike the way he made his money, but that's probably my ageing prudishness. And I don't like too much the ferocious way the move from the Boleyn was driven from Sully and our board.
But equally, I see no point now in dwelling on something we cannot do anything about. The old ground has gone, we are lumbered with the new one and folk have had to decide whether they are West Ham fans whatever, or they are not any longer.
The chance of a short term answer, with a newly built, sparkling supposed state of the art stadium was the blindingly obvious way forward for the chuckle brothers and ' four jobs' Karren.(sure you can all work that one out!)
But in terms of the transfer market, he's damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't. His quotes from TalkSport spelt out exactly the problem. He said: "We had a policy up to now to buy players for tomorrow not today. But we made a decision with the manager to buy players proven in the Premier League.
"Players have been here before, and who are of an age where they're not being bought for tomorrow--but today.
"Long term is not a great strategy, but short term it is. Hopefully we'll buy one or two more players , investments for the future, while at the same time doing what is best for the club."
The choice is one I have been banging on about for some time. We cannot buy top-of-the range talent at £50m or so because they won't come to us while we are not in Europe and giving them a clear path to the riches of Champions League participation.
The very best young talent will always look higher than us. It's also not the best idea, as last summer proved, to risk big money on foreign players who end up being overwhelmed by the intensity and physicality of the Premier League.
You have Sullivan now admitting that Simone Zaza seemed indifferent. That Jonathan Calleri was out of his depth. The others he bought last summer were just not up to standard. That policy almost saw us relegated and the great master plan of our owners going the way of Tony Fernandes' money at QPR.
We are trapped now in short-termism. We have to survive, season after season, in the top flight to keep the Sky money pouring in. Anything else will be a disaster of Leeds proportions.
But even now we have made four signings that are all gambles. We are being told that we should be grateful for Sullivan's work, that we have signed top players. That he is some sort of a hero.
Now my heroes are Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Johnny Byrne, Tony Cottee, Trevor Brooking, Billy Bonds, Alan Devonshire. You get the point, club owners need not apply, just do your job properly with dignity and acquired respect.
I am more relieved than grateful, because we have signed players I know are good professionals. That they are all on the downward slope from the very peak of their careers is another matter.
That is the consequences of who we are. Even with a fraud of a new stadium, one that was not fit for purpose last season in reality, we are still forced into a market that means we have to take risks. We are not able to spend £150m on three full-backs, one of whom can't cross a ball to save his life!
All the new boys are an improvement on what we had previously. Pablo Zabaleta has been one of the best left-backs in the world. We will see whether his legs have gone like Alvaro Arbeloa. I don't think so, however.
He may not have been quick enough for Pep Guardiola's idealistic approach to the game, but he'll do OK for us.
Much the same applies to Joe Hart. I hope we see the 'keeper of two years ago, but one who had his confidence shot to pieces when Guardiolo told him he could not play sweeper and had to go. If Joe wants to go to the World Cup he has to hit the ground running with us, be commanding and keep clean sheets. His situation should have cleared his mind for the challenge ahead.
Then we have the maverick Marko Arnautovic. He has been good enough to play for Inter Milan under Jose Mourinho, who described him as a fine player but with the attitude of a child. He should get on well with Andy Carroll then!
There is great talent there but he has a 'crime sheet' that would shock even Neil Ruddock, and that says something.
Up front we now have Javier Hernandez, a lovely finisher in the Jermain Defoe category, but who struggled to head the line at Manchester United when strength and power were the bye-word for top flight strikers.
So all gambles and all with something to prove. It should be fun, and I genuinely respect the work done by Sullivan and his transfer team in getting players like this to the London Stadium. They are the best of the bracket we are dealing in.
And at their age, they are for the short term. We need to survive, season on season. We need to establish ourselves in the top half like Everton have done. We need to put clear water between ourselves and Southampton, Stoke, West Brom,Swansea and now Newcastle.
That's why short-termism is the only way for Sullivan and Bilic to go. Anything else leaves us wide-open to constant battles with relegation. Experience goes a long way, and as David Gold says..you don't win anything with kids.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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West Ham determined to keep Manuel Lanzini and will resist any Liverpool approach
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
West Ham are adamant they will strongly resist any interest from Liverpool for their playmaker Manuel Lanzini. Speculation has been growing in Merseyside that Barcelona are preparing an £80million bid for Liverpool's Brazilian star Philippe Coutinho and that, should he go, Lanzini would be in the frame as a replacement.
Liverpool want to keep Coutinho but if he leaves, the money received would give them the opportunity to move for Lanzini. However, West Ham are determined to keep the 24-year-old, who is called 'The Jewel', particularly because they have signed players of the quality of Javier Hernandez, Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and Marko Arnautovic in this transfer window. Selling Lanzini would send out the wrong message after the club worked to strengthen their squad. Lanzini has become a firm favourite of the West Ham fans since he arrived, initially on loan, from UAE Arabian Gulf team Al Jazira two years ago and his profile has risen even more, following the departure of Dimitri Payet in January.
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WHY LOSING LANZINI WOULD RUIN OUR TRANSFER WINDOW
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 27 JULY 2017 AT 10:18PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by FrankieLevin @frankWHUFC
It has been an interesting transfer window for most West Ham fans so far to say the least, but the uncertainty surrounding Manuel Lanzini has left a few fans on edge.
We have already managed to capture a prolific goal scorer in Javier Hernandez, who has experienced success in three different leagues, and with his proven track record in the premier league; it is definitely a time to get excited if you are a hammer.
The additions of Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic and Pablo Zabaleta have also significantly bolstered our starting XI, again giving us as fans more reason to be optimistic going into the season.
Although all of these signings have felt like a dream come true, if we were to let our best player in Lanzini go, it would, in my opinion, ruin everything we have done so far.
The Argentine has established himself as our main man since the departure of a certain someone, and he has handled the pressure that this adds with real confidence, managing to score 8 goals and grab 2 assists last season.
This window has brought a lot of faith to many hammers, but again, losing Lanzini would completely disassemble the point of our project;, which of course is to gradually progress as a side and develop our team from strength to strength.
I cannot speak for every fan, but to even think about selling such an exciting project would confuse me, especially with Slaven Bilic wanting to build a team around the argentine.
It does appear that Lanzini is very happy at the club, but the longer we don't offer him a new contract, the more chance he has of changing his mind. In my opinion, keeping Lanzini and making a statement to other clubs that we are not interested in selling our best players would have a bigger impact on our club than most people realise. What is the point of getting these players in if we are just going to sell?
To put it into simple terms, Lanzini is literally 'priceless' and should not be sold for any figure. Keeping him and tying him down to a new contract would be one of the best deals we have done this summer transfer window, and that is saying something because is has been remarkable!
As to what we can do as a team next season, that question remains an intriguing one, as it all depends on how well our new signings do, especially Chicharito. We have improved every position that needed improving the most, which is what has delighted the fans the most, and as to what we should be targeting this season, it would be pushing for Europa League.
It would take some season to break into the top 7, but all of this ambition and excitement would be worthless if we lost Lanzini.
He is something we have lacked at West Ham for years, so we need to keep hold of him, prove to him that we are a club progressing, and make him feel as if he has a big part to play in the future of this football club.
COYI
Frankie Levin, @FrankWHUFC
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West Ham's impressive transfer drive brings steel as club lean on experience to rival Premier League elite
JOHN DILLON
Evening Standard
There is a renewed sense of optimism among West Ham fans this pre-season and it's easy to see why. Yes, you've guessed it. For the first time in three summers, they don't have to play Astra Giurgiu, the tiny Romanian club who knocked the Hammers out of the Europa League's qualifying rounds, not just once but twice in succession. Now that's what you call a bogey team. Tottenham fans talk about things being "Spursy," as a way of suggesting they have their own unique way of messing things up. They don't know the half of it. Not when compared to West Ham, the club who, for just one haphazard example among many, knocked themselves out of the League Cup in 1999 for fielding an ineligible substitute, Manny Ominyinmi, in a quarter-final they won against Aston Villa – only to lose the replay which was subsequently ordered. Beat that, Spurs.
Actually, the real cause for optimism around the club as they prepare to face Werder Bremen on Friday and again on Saturday is the fact that undeniably, they have enjoyed a very good transfer window so far.
Jose Mourinho, the Manchester United boss, has even suggested there might be a title challenge stirring in east London after the arrivals of Javier Hernandez, Marko Arnautovic, Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta. To which you have to say – steady on Special One, even if the compliment does underline the point that David Sullivan has done good business this summer.
A key point about these four major signings is that Slaven Bilic's side have added a healthy dose of muscularity to their side, particularly in the form of the powerful Arnautovic and the wizened old Argentine full-back Zabaleta.
The club made 13 signings in the previous pre-season, including the £20 million then record purchase of Andre Ayew – and the recruitment spree actually weakened the squad after the seventh place finish in 2015/16, the last campaign at Upton Park.
The team looked feeble going forward, both physically and mentally – the presence of Michail Antonio apart. The perpetual injury troubles of Andy Carroll, a hugely imposing figure at his best, stood as a metaphor for this strange, vague sense of vapidity which infected the side so often.
The muted atmosphere of the London Stadium added to this sense, too. And after humiliating home defeats by Arsenal and Manchester City – twice – the campaign ended at home with an utterly enfeebled and humiliating 4-0 thrashing by Liverpool, with the place half-empty long before the end.
So it's vital that West Ham are stronger in body and mind next season.
That is why the robustness of players like Arnautovic and Zabaleta should be particularly welcomed by Hammers fans.
Meanwhile, Hart is hugely experienced and a proven winner. And Hernandez's goal-scoring record is impressively metronomical. In purely league terms, he scored 37 times in 54 appearances at Manchester United, 28 in 45 at his most recent club, Bayer Leverkusen, and seven in 16 while on loan at Real Madrid. That is devastating form.
Some say that at 29, the Mexican "Chicharito," is symbolic of the fact that West Ham have bought "old," this time around, with Arnautovic 28, Hart, 30, and Zabaleta aged 32.
Forget that.
The age of long-term thinking in the Premier League is more or less over for most clubs. Team-building is all about buying experience and seasoning for the here and now. It's the only realistic way clubs like West Ham can even think about competing against the financial might of the elite.
It is why the Hammers have let Ashley Fletcher leave for Middlesbrough and sent Reece Oxford on loan to Borussia Moenchengladbach while admitting that from now, its going to be extremely difficult for any youngsters to break into the side.
Another thing that might help the club now, too, is a period of silence from the boardroom – when the club can let its impressive transfer work do the talking, so to speak.
The move into the new ground last season was a difficult one. It wasn't helped by the fact that there several pronouncements from the club hierarchy which infuriated the supporters.
There has been a potential spat with Stoke City following the signing of Arnuatovic, with his former club's owner, Peter Coates accusing him of disloyalty after his career was resurrected in the Potteries.
Thankfully, West Ham's talkative owners didn't respond – perhaps surmising that Aranuatovic's departure from Stoke mirrored that of Dimitri Payet from West Ham last season in the way that it simply reflected the ways of modern football.
Of course, there is one twist to the beginning of the new campaign which fits in with the Hammers' long-standing capacity for hampering themselves with unique forms of bother.
Because the World Athletics Championships take place at the London Stadium in August, the first three Premier League games will have to be played away from home while the arena is reconfigured.
If they had reached the current Europa League qualifying rounds again, they presumably wouldn't even have been able to play at home at all.
It may be a handicap that the first three competitive games are all on the road. It may not.
But things could be worse.
After all, West Ham could be playing Astra Giurgiu once again. And that really would be something to worry about.
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Manuel Lanzini out of West Ham's Werder Bremen friendlies
Last Updated: 28/07/17 10:31am
SSN
Manuel Lanzini will sit out West Ham's friendly double-header against Werder Bremen with a knee injury. The Argentine is currently restricted to gym work on the club's pre-season tour of Germany but is expected back in training after the weekend. Sofiane Feghouli has returned to London for treatment on an unspecified problem, while the first of the two Bremen games on Friday night comes too soon for new signing Javier Hernandez. The £16m striker did not join up with the squad until Thursday, but £25m signing Marko Arnautovic is ready to play and Angelo Ogbonna is back in training. West Ham play Bremen on Friday and Saturday before taking on Altona 93 on Tuesday.
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Ashley Fletcher completes £6.5m transfer to Middlesbrough from West Ham
VAISHALI BHARDWAJ
Evening Standard
Ashley Fletcher has completed his £6.5million move from West Ham to Championship side Middlesbrough. The striker was given permission to fly back to England from the Hammers' training camp in Germany on Thursday to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms with Garry Monk's side. After doing both of those on Friday, Fletcher put pen to paper on a four-year deal at Boro to bring an end to his single season at West Ham. Fletcher only joined the east London side last summer following the expiry of his deal at Manchester United, and went on to score one goal against his former side in the EFL Cup quarter-final. He found game time hard to come by, however, and fell further down the pecking order when West Ham signed striker Javier Hernandez from Bayer Leverkusen earlier this week and Marko Arnautovic from Stoke City in a club-record deal
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Javier Hernandez chose West Ham above Spain and Italy offers
By Stephen Turner
Last Updated: 28/07/17 1:32pm
SSN
Javier Hernandez has revealed he turned down offers from Spain and Italy to return to "the best league in the world". Hernandez this week completed a £16m move to West Ham two years since he left Manchester United for German club Bayer Leverkusen after a year on loan at Real Madrid. Both Leverkusen and Real signed the Mexico striker on deadline day, but Hernandez now has two weeks to acclimatise before facing old club United on the opening weekend, live on Sky Sports Premier League. The Mexico striker trained with his new team-mates on their pre-season tour of Germany on Friday and afterwards told Sky Sports News how West Ham's ambition lured him back to the Premier League. "It was a little bit simple really," Hernandez said. "I'm in the best league in the world and West Ham showed me a lot of confidence and trust. "West Ham is showing more ambition compared to the last seasons. They want to qualify for Europe, you can see that in the transfer window. That's why I'm here. "They're one of the most historic teams in England, very ambitious this season and hopefully we can achieve our goals. "There were other options - one in Spain and two in Italy. The last two transfers I made on the last day, this time it was more calm and easy. Thankfully I'm where I want to be."
Hernandez's goals helped United to the title in 2011 and 2013, and speaking about that Super Sunday opener he said: "I'm going back to my old club - my old house - and it's going to be very special. "But I'm defending other colours now. I want to help my team win three points and start the season on the right foot."
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Slaven Bilic hopeful Adrian will stay at West Ham amid Crystal Palace interest
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
Slaven Bilic remains hopeful of persuading goalkeeper Adrian to stay at the West Ham. The 30-year-old faces a fight for a regular starting role at the London Stadium following the arrival of Joe Hart on loan from Manchester City. Adrian is reportedly unhappy at the prospect of his game time being limited this season and Crystal Palace and Newcastle are interested in signing the 30-year-old. Bilic, though, wants the Spaniard to stay and fight for his place. The West Ham manager will start the season without Michail Antonio, who is recovering ahead of schedule from a hamstring surgery. Both Antonio and team-mate Andy Carroll, who is sidelined with a long-term injury, were left out of the squad for pre-season tours of Austria and Germany. Bilic was less optimistic about Carroll, who has featured only 12 times for the club in 2017. The 28-year-old England international struggled with groin and knee issues for the majority of last season
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WEST HAM KEEN TO KEEP LANZINI AND RESIST LIVERPOOL APPROACH
ABDULLAH MULLA @AbzMulla6
ReadWestHam
West Ham United are determined to keep hold of their star playmaker Manuel Lanzini and will strongly resist any approach from Premier League rivals Liverpool for the Argentine, according to a report on the Evening Standard. Lanzini has stepped up since the departure of Frenchman Dimitri Payet and has become the key man for the Hammers. His eye for a killer pass as well as for goal has become noticed and Liverpool have been reported to be lining him up to replace Philippe Coutinho should he leave Anfield this summer. The 24-year-old has become a fan favourite at the Hammers and with manager Slaven Bilic strengthening the squad well, there is no way that they will let Lanzini go as they prepare to challenge for a European spot this season. The attacking midfielder managed to get his name on the scoresheet eight times last season and also registered two assists but he will be hoping for a lot more in the upcoming season.
There is reason to be excited for West Ham fans as Bilic looks to have assembled a lethal attack by adding Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez to his squad to work alongside Lanzini. The London club have issued a warning to Liverpool to look elsewhere for a replacement for Coutinho as Lanzini is definitely not for sale.
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West Ham provide injury update on Manuel Lanzini for Betway Cup clashes as Javier Hernandez trains for first time
The Argentinian midfielder is likely to be out short term
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
10:34, 28 JUL 2017
Manuel Lanzini is undergoing treatment for an injury which was confirmed by West Ham today [Thursday]. The Argentine star is at the Hammers training base in Rotenburg today but is not part of the main squad as he gets treatment and does gym work inside. Angelo Ogbonna has returned to training after picking up a slight tweak in his previously injured knee but appears to be showing no ill-effects so far. Sofiane Feghouli, who has yet to train on the trip to Germany, won't do so anymore as he has left the camp and headed to France for treatment on a muscle problem. Javier Hernandez trained with the Hammers for the first time this morning but was taken aside for the majority of it to run through some fitness tests to ascertain his current level of fitness. The Hammers will have just one day of training before they take on Werder Bremen for the first leg of the Betway Cup in Schneverdingen tonight (5.30pm BST).
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WEST HAM'S JAVIER HERNANDEZ IS OUR PREMIER LEAGUE SIGNING OF THE WEEK
Ladbrokes.com
28 July 2017
West Ham's acquisition of Javier Hernandez from Bayer Leverkusen is our Premier League Signing of the Week. The Mexican is back in England following an impressive stint in the Bundesliga, and he's ready to pop up in Premier League boxes up and down the land. It's a deal that should have the approval of Hammers fans, and for good reason. Though he's been away for two years, Hernandez still boasts the fifth-best goals-per-minute ratio in Premier League history. Whichever way you look at it, Chicharito knows where the back of the net is. Current Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has repeatedly expressed his annoyance that 'Little Pea' isn't still at Old Trafford – high praise indeed. Hernandez arrives in East London having netted 39 goals in 76 appearances for Leverkusen. And he hit double figures in each of his three campaigns under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, before his role was greatly reduced in the David Moyes and Van Gaal eras.
Despite that, total figures of 59 goals from 157 (largely substitute) appearances are more than respectable.
With West Ham already boasting target men in the shape of Andy Carroll and Michail Antonio, Hernandez will be free to dart around in the area, picking up any loose balls and causing mayhem for defenders. It's a system that should put the Hammers in very good stead this term. And the best part of this deal? The price tag! That's the clincher for us. In this crazy summer where money has entered new levels of madness, West Ham have snapped up a proven Premier League goalscorer for just £13m. It could be the Premier League signing of the entire summer, let alone the week.
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Ghanaian shot-stopper Joseph Annang nears West Ham switch
Published on: 28 July 2017
Ghanasoccernet.com
Young agile goalkeeper Joseph Annang is close to sealing a move to English Premiership side West Ham United following superb two-week trial, according to reports in the UK. According to reports, the 19-year-old is on the verge of becoming Slaven Bilic's fifth signing of the ongoing summer transfer window after excelling in a two-week trial. The highly rated shot-stopper had a remarkable outing for east London club during a recent pre-season friendly for the club's U23s team against Dagenham and Redbridge. The Hammers are looking to sign a back-up goalkeeper for Joe Hart and Adrian Castillo after Darren Randolph left to join Championship side Middlesbrough last week.
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West Ham wrap up fifth transfer of the summer as Ghanaian wonderkid signs for Hammers - report
The latest West Ham transfer news sees the Hammers reportedly sign goalkeeper Joseph Anang
Football London
BYKEVIN BEIRNE
06:30, 28 JUL 2017
Joseph Anang will be West Ham's fifth signing of the summer transfer window after impressing on trial for the Hammers, according to reports in his native Ghana.
The 19-year-old goalkeeper was given a run out for the east London club during a recent pre-season friendly for the club's U23s team against Dagenham and Redbridge, and Slaven Bilic and co have clearly enjoyed what they have seen. According to Ghanaian publication Kickgh.com, the Hammers have offered a contract to the young keeper and are waiting on international clearance before officially confirming a deal. Anang will be the Hammer's second new goalkeeper of the summer, after brining in Joe Hart on a season-long loan from Manchester City. Hart's arrival meant the end of Darren Randolph's West Ham career, as he joined the recently relegated Middlesbrough in order to improve his chances of making the Republic of Ireland squad next summer, should they qualify for the upcoming World Cup in Russia. Adrian, meanwhile, continues to be tracked by the likes of Newcastle as he searches for a guaranteed starting spot.
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West Ham transfer news: Club could complete deals in next few days - Twitter insider
WEST HAM could complete deals to sell players in the new few days.
By JACK WILSON
PUBLISHED: 06:00, Fri, Jul 28, 2017
Express.co.uk
That's according to respected Twitter insider @ExWHUemployee, who has made several big transfer claims previously that have proved to be true. @ExWHUemployee is an established name in Hammers transfer news and he appears in a podcast talking about the club. He revealed on Twitter that a move for Joe Hart was on the cards - weeks before it happened. In the latest podcast, he spoke about potential deals that could be done imminently. One user subsequently asked @ExWHUemployee on Twitter: "Am I right saying we're just looking at loans now?" But @ExWHUemployee responded: "Not necessarily! If we sell players, which we could in next (few) days, then we will have money." But deals for Celtic frontman Moussa Dembele, who has also been linked with Marseille, and Benfica striker Raul Jimenez appear to be off the cards. @ExWHUemployee tweeted yesterday: "Deals for Moussa Dembele and Raul Jimenez are unlikely to happen due to the high valuations from their clubs."
Robert Snodgrass and goalkeeper Adrian could be two of the players on their way out. The pair have fallen down the pecking order following the arrivals of Marko Arnautovic and Joe Hart this summer.
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Tottenham Hotspur reportedly monitoring West Ham United's Manuel Lanzini
HITC
Subhankar Mondal
Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing West Ham United's Manuel Lanzini in the summer transfer window. Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Manuel Lanzini from West Ham United in the summer transfer window, according to Bleacher Report. It has been reported that Tottenham have sounded out representatives to keep tabs on Lanzini's situation. Spurs' North London rivals Arsenal and Merseyside outfit Liverpool are also claimed to be interested in the 24-year-old attacking midfielder. Liverpool are reportedly looking at the Argentina international as a potential replacement for Philippe Coutinho, who is claimed to be on the radar of Spanish and European giants Barcelona. Manuel Lanzini of West Ham United celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium on May 5,...
"Liverpool were always keeping tabs on his situation, and it is understood both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have sounded out representatives to discover how Lanzini's situation may open up," states the report in Bleacher Report. "The player is happy to stay at West Ham but is aware other clubs have been watching him."
This is not the first time that North London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal have been linked with West Ham star Lanzini. Back in May, The Mirror claimed of Liverpool, Spurs and the Gunners' interest in the 24-year-old, with the report adding that West Ham want £30 million for him. The 24-year-old is one of the best players at West Ham and is one of the better attacking midfielders in the Premier League. The Argentina international scored eight goals and provided two assists in 31 league starts for the Hammers last season.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United play the first of three pre-season matches in Germany when they take on Werder Bremen in the opening half of a Betway Cup double-header on Friday evening. The Hammers will tackle their Bundesliga opponents at the Osterwald-Stadion in Schneverdingen - a town situated in the countryside 50 miles east of the city of Bremen, before moving on to Lohne to play them again on Saturday
Here, we let you know where to watch, who will be in action and much more about West Ham's third and fourth pre-season fixtures...
Where and when?
Werder Bremen v West Ham United, Friday 28 July 2017, 5.30pm BST, Osterwald-Stadion, Im Osterwald 1, 29640 Schneverdingen, Germany
Werder Bremen v West Ham United, Saturday 28 July 2017, 2.30pm BST, Heinz-Dettmer-Stadion, Steinfelder Str. 5, 49393 Südlohne, Germany
Where to watch?
Fans can follow the game on Twitter at @westhamutd. A full report, reaction and highlights will be available on whufc.com. Friday's match will also be shown live by Premier Sports from 5.30pm, and Saturday's from 2.30pm.
Matchday squads
Werder Bremen: Pavlenka, Zetterer, Drobny, Caldriola, Bauer, Augustinsson, Moisander, Garcia, Gebre Selassie, Sane, Delaney, Kainz, Gondorf, Johansson, Veljkovic, Hajrovic, Junuzovic, Bartels, Petsos, Yatabare, Eggestein, Bargfrede, Johannsson, Kruse, Zhang, Eggestein
West Ham United: Adrian, Hart, Anang, Matrevics, Byram, Zabaleta, Cresswell, Masuaku, Collins, Ogbonna, Fonte, Reid, Burke, Rice, Makasi, Lanzini, Snodgrass, Obiang, Noble, Fernandes, Cullen, Holland, Arnautovic, Ayew, Martinez
Team news
West Ham United and their hosts Werder Bremen have agreed that both clubs will field their players in 60-30 minute splits, meaning eleven players will play for an hour on Friday, with the eleven who replace them then playing for an hour on Saturday afternoon. Slaven Bilic has confirmed that Friday's game has come too early for Chicharito, who only arrived in Germany on Thursday. Sofiane Feghouli is also ruled out through injury, while Andy Carroll (hip) and Michail Antonio (hamstring) are back in England. Marko Arnautovic could make his first appearance in Claret and Blue against the club he represented between 2010-13.
Meet the opposition
SV Werder Bremen are one of the traditional giants of German football, having won the Bundesliga on four occasions - the last coming in 2004 - and lifted the German Cup on seven occasions. They also, like the Hammers, have won the European Cup Winners' Cup once, back in 1992.
However, the Die Werderaner have endured leaner times in recent seasons, not finishing above eighth since the 2009/10 season, when they were third. Now coached by former Werder youth-team player and reserve-team coach Alexander Nouri, Bremen finished eighth last season after overcoming an indifferent start.
The club's cosmopolitan squad contains players from 15 different nations, including Germany striker Max Kruse and highly-rated Danish midfielder Thomas Delaney.
Player to watch
Versatile attacker Marko Arnautovic is set to make his first appearance in a West Ham United shirt after completing his Club-record move from Premier League rivals Stoke City last weekend.
The 28-year-old will be appearing against one of his former clubs in German Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen, with whom he spent three seasons between 2010-13, scoring 16 goals in 84 appearances in all competitions.
The Austria international left Werder for Stoke four years ago and continued to create and score goals on a regular basis. Now, he will attempt to do so in a Claret and Blue kit.
Previous visit
West Ham United have never visited Schneverdingen or Lohne before, but they have taken on Werder Bremen previously.
The first previous meeting came on 14 August 1984, when the Hammers were edged out 2-1 in a friendly played at Werder's Weser Stadion in Bremen. In July 2009, the pair were scheduled to meet again in a friendly in Austria, but the fixture was postponed due to torrential rain in the village of Bad Waltersdorf.
Finally, Werder became the final team to visit West Ham's Boleyn Ground for a pre-season friendly on 2 August 2015, overcoming Diafra Sakho's goal to win the Betway Cup courtesy of a 2-1 victory.
Did you know?
Slaven Bilic spent two-and-a-half years in Germany with Karlsruher SC. During that time, he played against Werder Bremen on four occasions, winning twice and losing twice
Marko Arnautovic and Werder Bremen captain Zlatko Junuzovic are Austria international teammates and appeared together at UEFA Euro 2016. Junuzovic is also the last player other than David Alaba to be named Austrian Footballer of the Year, doing so back in 2010!
Werder Bremen legend Horst-Dieter Höttges started for West Germany in the 1966 FIFA World Cup final defeat by England at Wembley. Here he is putting in a challenge on Geoff Hurst in that game!
How to get there
By car, from the centre of Bremen it is a fairly simple 50-mile (85-kilometre) drive eastwards. Supporters should take the A1 motorway to exit 50 at Stuckenborstel, then follow the B75 toward Stuckenborstel/Ottersberg/Rotenburg/Sottrum. After 27 kilometres, turn right onto the K224, then left onto the K211. The road then changes name a number of times, from Alte Dorfstraße to Steinkampsweg to Lünzener Straße to Pappelallee, Alte Landstraße, Rotenburger Straße/L170 and finally Harburger Straße. By now, you have arrived in Schneverdingen, so turn right onto Oststraße, then almost immediately left into Osterwaldweg, and the ground will appear on the left-hand side!
If you'd rather take a train, it is a two-hour journey from Bremen via either Buchholz or Soltau. For timetable and ticket price details, click here.
How to buy tickets
Tickets for Friday night's game are priced at €15 for Adults and €10 for Concessions and will be available on the night at the Osterwald-Stadion. Alternatively, you can order your tickets online and print them out by ordering here.
It's a similar process for Saturday, with tickets for that match priced at €25 Adults and €15 Children in the seats, and €15 Adults and €5 Children for standing.
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Andre Ayew: Full pre-season will help me reach top form
WHUFC.com
Andre Ayew is hoping a full pre-season will help him pick up where he left off when the Premier Legaue campaign begins. West Ham United's Ghana international forward ended 2016/17 in fine form, scoring five goals in the 13 appearances he made after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in mid-February. Indeed, Ayew admits he would rather the season had not ended when it did, with his winning goal in a 2-1 victory at Burnley in May. Now, after a summer virtually free of international commitments, the 27-year-old believes spending the whole of July with his club-mates will stand him in good stead come 13 August. "I'm feeling good and working hard. We had long days in Austria and now we're just at the beginning in Germany and we have a few games to come," he told West Ham TV. "We're working hard here, trying to get fit, working together and getting to know each other, so it's sweet." "Pre-season is something which is very, very important and, for me, I've not been able to have a real pre-season for a long time because of the international games. "I have always been coming back later, so to start the pre-season with the squad is quite good. I think I'm going to have a month or more with the squad before the pre-season starts so it's a good opportunity for me to get myself back together and to feel good before the season."
Ayew's form over the closing months of last season marked him out as, arguably, West Ham's most-effective attacking player. However, the No20 sets high standards for himself and believes there is even more to come should he avoid the misfortune of an injury like the groin problem he suffered at Chelsea on the opening day of last term. "I think I was getting there [to my best form]," he confirmed. "It was not my optimum, but I was getting there bit by bit by playing games. For me, it was a shame the season came to an end because I was starting to feel better after my injury." With a decade of experience at the highest level behind him, Ayew is savvy enough not to be drawn into setting exact targets for himself or for the team, instead urging the Hammers to 'stay humble' and approach a testing Premier League campaign one game at a time. However, it would certainly be fair to say that he is feeling optimistic. "We have another season coming up and we have a lot of objectives ahead of us that we want to achieve as a squad," he concluded. "So, I need to continue working hard and doing what we were doing at the end of last season and I'm sure I will get back to my best physically and everything will be OK."
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Ashley Fletcher moves to Middlesbrough
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that striker Ashley Fletcher has completed a move to Championship side Middlesbrough for a fee of £6.5m. The 21-year-old Yorkshireman spent a season with the Hammers after joining from Manchester United in summer 2016, scoring once in 20 first team appearances. That goal came back at his first club, Manchester United, in an EFL Cup quarter-final defeat, while he played 16 times in the Premier League, with 14 of those outings coming from the bench. He also scored three goals and provided two assists in ten Premier League 2 games, helping the Club's U23 side gain promotion to Premier League 2 Division 1. Fletcher joins another former Hammer, Darren Randolph, on Teesside and manager Slaven Bilic said: "We got a fantastic offer for Ashley and ideally I wanted to help him with a different kind of scenario, but at the end of the day the offer was so good for the Club and for him personally. "I spoke to him on Wednesday night and I told him to be proud of the step that he made since coming to West Ham last year to being a player that a lot of clubs from the Championship are asking for. "To make such a big step is a big bonus for him and a big thing for him. He's very young, very promising, a great lad and a great trainer, so he can improve a lot."
Everyone at West Ham United would like to wish Ashley a happy and successful future with Middlesbrough FC.
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Team news: Academy stars given opportunity to shine in Germany
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has handed starts to a host of promising Academy prospects in tonight's Betway Cup clash with Werder Bremen.
Bilic has picked no fewer than six players aged 21 or under for the Hammers' third pre-season fixture, which will kick-off in the German town of Schneverdingen at 5.30pm BST. For full details of how to follow the action live, click here.
Adrian starts in goal, with a back four of Sam Byram, Reece Burke, James Collins and Aaron Cresswell.
Eighteen-year-old Declan Rice anchors the midfielder behind captain Mark Noble and fellow Academy of Football graduate Josh Cullen, with the exciting Nathan Holland and Moses Makasi supporting centre forward Toni Martinez.
The substitutes, who are expected to be introduced after 60 minutes and to start Saturday afternoon's second Betway Cup fixture with Werder Bremen in Lohne include summer signings Joe Hart and Marko Arnautovic, both of whom will make their debuts.
Pablo Zabaleta and Arthur Masuaku will replace the full-backs, while Jose Fonte and Angelo Ogbonna are set to come in at the heart of the defence.
Further forward, Pedro Obiang and Edimilson Fernandes will be introduced in midfield, with Robert Snodgrass, Arnautovic and Andre Ayew set to appear in the four forward positions.
Slaven Bilic will be without Manuel Lanzini, who has a minor knee injury which is being monitored, and Sofiane Feghouli, who has returned for England to receive treatment for a hamstring problem.
Three other absentees, Winston Reid, Diafra Sakho and Chicharito, are all working their way back to full fitness.
Michail Antonio (hamstring) and Andy Carroll (hip) are continuing their own rehab work at Rush Green.
West Ham United: Adrian, Byram, Burke, Collins, Cresswell, Rice, Noble ©, Cullen, Holland, Makasi, Martinez
Subs: Hart (GK), Zabaleta, Masuaku, Fonte, Ogbonna, Obiang, Snodgrass, Arnautovic, Fernandes, Ayew
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The long and the short of the transfer circus
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 28th July 2017
By: Paul Walker
Short-termism is the new buzz word, and even our gloriously stocky leader David Sullivan admits it's not the way he would want to do business.
My equally gloriously named colleague here on KUMB, Head Hammer Shark produced a near suicidal and very personal view this week on the state of the club he--and me too--have devoted our lives too.
And then Sullivan admits on his TalkSport interview that short-termism is not the way he would wish to work in the transfer market, but it's what Slaven Bilic, quiet rightly in my view, wants to give us--a mid-table Premier League side with airy fairy delusions of grandeur --the best chance of survival in an industry that if you get it wrong means you end up like Blackburn, Portsmouth, Coventry, Nottingham Forest, Charlton or QPR--financially shafted with no way back to the big time.
Our old friend Jacob Steinberg on the Guardian picked up on Sullivan's comments, and his genuine doubts about the long term aspects of our summer of rebuilding. And no doubt he had seen, as the true West Ham fan he is, HHS's piece and the statistics he based his hugely depressing blog on.
Sullivan's radio interviewing was an interesting assessment of how we are, and who we are. He is not my favourite club owner, as one or two of you might have noticed. Personally I dislike the way he made his money, but that's probably my ageing prudishness. And I don't like too much the ferocious way the move from the Boleyn was driven from Sully and our board.
But equally, I see no point now in dwelling on something we cannot do anything about. The old ground has gone, we are lumbered with the new one and folk have had to decide whether they are West Ham fans whatever, or they are not any longer.
The chance of a short term answer, with a newly built, sparkling supposed state of the art stadium was the blindingly obvious way forward for the chuckle brothers and ' four jobs' Karren.(sure you can all work that one out!)
But in terms of the transfer market, he's damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't. His quotes from TalkSport spelt out exactly the problem. He said: "We had a policy up to now to buy players for tomorrow not today. But we made a decision with the manager to buy players proven in the Premier League.
"Players have been here before, and who are of an age where they're not being bought for tomorrow--but today.
"Long term is not a great strategy, but short term it is. Hopefully we'll buy one or two more players , investments for the future, while at the same time doing what is best for the club."
The choice is one I have been banging on about for some time. We cannot buy top-of-the range talent at £50m or so because they won't come to us while we are not in Europe and giving them a clear path to the riches of Champions League participation.
The very best young talent will always look higher than us. It's also not the best idea, as last summer proved, to risk big money on foreign players who end up being overwhelmed by the intensity and physicality of the Premier League.
You have Sullivan now admitting that Simone Zaza seemed indifferent. That Jonathan Calleri was out of his depth. The others he bought last summer were just not up to standard. That policy almost saw us relegated and the great master plan of our owners going the way of Tony Fernandes' money at QPR.
We are trapped now in short-termism. We have to survive, season after season, in the top flight to keep the Sky money pouring in. Anything else will be a disaster of Leeds proportions.
But even now we have made four signings that are all gambles. We are being told that we should be grateful for Sullivan's work, that we have signed top players. That he is some sort of a hero.
Now my heroes are Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Johnny Byrne, Tony Cottee, Trevor Brooking, Billy Bonds, Alan Devonshire. You get the point, club owners need not apply, just do your job properly with dignity and acquired respect.
I am more relieved than grateful, because we have signed players I know are good professionals. That they are all on the downward slope from the very peak of their careers is another matter.
That is the consequences of who we are. Even with a fraud of a new stadium, one that was not fit for purpose last season in reality, we are still forced into a market that means we have to take risks. We are not able to spend £150m on three full-backs, one of whom can't cross a ball to save his life!
All the new boys are an improvement on what we had previously. Pablo Zabaleta has been one of the best left-backs in the world. We will see whether his legs have gone like Alvaro Arbeloa. I don't think so, however.
He may not have been quick enough for Pep Guardiola's idealistic approach to the game, but he'll do OK for us.
Much the same applies to Joe Hart. I hope we see the 'keeper of two years ago, but one who had his confidence shot to pieces when Guardiolo told him he could not play sweeper and had to go. If Joe wants to go to the World Cup he has to hit the ground running with us, be commanding and keep clean sheets. His situation should have cleared his mind for the challenge ahead.
Then we have the maverick Marko Arnautovic. He has been good enough to play for Inter Milan under Jose Mourinho, who described him as a fine player but with the attitude of a child. He should get on well with Andy Carroll then!
There is great talent there but he has a 'crime sheet' that would shock even Neil Ruddock, and that says something.
Up front we now have Javier Hernandez, a lovely finisher in the Jermain Defoe category, but who struggled to head the line at Manchester United when strength and power were the bye-word for top flight strikers.
So all gambles and all with something to prove. It should be fun, and I genuinely respect the work done by Sullivan and his transfer team in getting players like this to the London Stadium. They are the best of the bracket we are dealing in.
And at their age, they are for the short term. We need to survive, season on season. We need to establish ourselves in the top half like Everton have done. We need to put clear water between ourselves and Southampton, Stoke, West Brom,Swansea and now Newcastle.
That's why short-termism is the only way for Sullivan and Bilic to go. Anything else leaves us wide-open to constant battles with relegation. Experience goes a long way, and as David Gold says..you don't win anything with kids.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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West Ham determined to keep Manuel Lanzini and will resist any Liverpool approach
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
West Ham are adamant they will strongly resist any interest from Liverpool for their playmaker Manuel Lanzini. Speculation has been growing in Merseyside that Barcelona are preparing an £80million bid for Liverpool's Brazilian star Philippe Coutinho and that, should he go, Lanzini would be in the frame as a replacement.
Liverpool want to keep Coutinho but if he leaves, the money received would give them the opportunity to move for Lanzini. However, West Ham are determined to keep the 24-year-old, who is called 'The Jewel', particularly because they have signed players of the quality of Javier Hernandez, Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and Marko Arnautovic in this transfer window. Selling Lanzini would send out the wrong message after the club worked to strengthen their squad. Lanzini has become a firm favourite of the West Ham fans since he arrived, initially on loan, from UAE Arabian Gulf team Al Jazira two years ago and his profile has risen even more, following the departure of Dimitri Payet in January.
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WHY LOSING LANZINI WOULD RUIN OUR TRANSFER WINDOW
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 27 JULY 2017 AT 10:18PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by FrankieLevin @frankWHUFC
It has been an interesting transfer window for most West Ham fans so far to say the least, but the uncertainty surrounding Manuel Lanzini has left a few fans on edge.
We have already managed to capture a prolific goal scorer in Javier Hernandez, who has experienced success in three different leagues, and with his proven track record in the premier league; it is definitely a time to get excited if you are a hammer.
The additions of Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic and Pablo Zabaleta have also significantly bolstered our starting XI, again giving us as fans more reason to be optimistic going into the season.
Although all of these signings have felt like a dream come true, if we were to let our best player in Lanzini go, it would, in my opinion, ruin everything we have done so far.
The Argentine has established himself as our main man since the departure of a certain someone, and he has handled the pressure that this adds with real confidence, managing to score 8 goals and grab 2 assists last season.
This window has brought a lot of faith to many hammers, but again, losing Lanzini would completely disassemble the point of our project;, which of course is to gradually progress as a side and develop our team from strength to strength.
I cannot speak for every fan, but to even think about selling such an exciting project would confuse me, especially with Slaven Bilic wanting to build a team around the argentine.
It does appear that Lanzini is very happy at the club, but the longer we don't offer him a new contract, the more chance he has of changing his mind. In my opinion, keeping Lanzini and making a statement to other clubs that we are not interested in selling our best players would have a bigger impact on our club than most people realise. What is the point of getting these players in if we are just going to sell?
To put it into simple terms, Lanzini is literally 'priceless' and should not be sold for any figure. Keeping him and tying him down to a new contract would be one of the best deals we have done this summer transfer window, and that is saying something because is has been remarkable!
As to what we can do as a team next season, that question remains an intriguing one, as it all depends on how well our new signings do, especially Chicharito. We have improved every position that needed improving the most, which is what has delighted the fans the most, and as to what we should be targeting this season, it would be pushing for Europa League.
It would take some season to break into the top 7, but all of this ambition and excitement would be worthless if we lost Lanzini.
He is something we have lacked at West Ham for years, so we need to keep hold of him, prove to him that we are a club progressing, and make him feel as if he has a big part to play in the future of this football club.
COYI
Frankie Levin, @FrankWHUFC
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West Ham's impressive transfer drive brings steel as club lean on experience to rival Premier League elite
JOHN DILLON
Evening Standard
There is a renewed sense of optimism among West Ham fans this pre-season and it's easy to see why. Yes, you've guessed it. For the first time in three summers, they don't have to play Astra Giurgiu, the tiny Romanian club who knocked the Hammers out of the Europa League's qualifying rounds, not just once but twice in succession. Now that's what you call a bogey team. Tottenham fans talk about things being "Spursy," as a way of suggesting they have their own unique way of messing things up. They don't know the half of it. Not when compared to West Ham, the club who, for just one haphazard example among many, knocked themselves out of the League Cup in 1999 for fielding an ineligible substitute, Manny Ominyinmi, in a quarter-final they won against Aston Villa – only to lose the replay which was subsequently ordered. Beat that, Spurs.
Actually, the real cause for optimism around the club as they prepare to face Werder Bremen on Friday and again on Saturday is the fact that undeniably, they have enjoyed a very good transfer window so far.
Jose Mourinho, the Manchester United boss, has even suggested there might be a title challenge stirring in east London after the arrivals of Javier Hernandez, Marko Arnautovic, Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta. To which you have to say – steady on Special One, even if the compliment does underline the point that David Sullivan has done good business this summer.
A key point about these four major signings is that Slaven Bilic's side have added a healthy dose of muscularity to their side, particularly in the form of the powerful Arnautovic and the wizened old Argentine full-back Zabaleta.
The club made 13 signings in the previous pre-season, including the £20 million then record purchase of Andre Ayew – and the recruitment spree actually weakened the squad after the seventh place finish in 2015/16, the last campaign at Upton Park.
The team looked feeble going forward, both physically and mentally – the presence of Michail Antonio apart. The perpetual injury troubles of Andy Carroll, a hugely imposing figure at his best, stood as a metaphor for this strange, vague sense of vapidity which infected the side so often.
The muted atmosphere of the London Stadium added to this sense, too. And after humiliating home defeats by Arsenal and Manchester City – twice – the campaign ended at home with an utterly enfeebled and humiliating 4-0 thrashing by Liverpool, with the place half-empty long before the end.
So it's vital that West Ham are stronger in body and mind next season.
That is why the robustness of players like Arnautovic and Zabaleta should be particularly welcomed by Hammers fans.
Meanwhile, Hart is hugely experienced and a proven winner. And Hernandez's goal-scoring record is impressively metronomical. In purely league terms, he scored 37 times in 54 appearances at Manchester United, 28 in 45 at his most recent club, Bayer Leverkusen, and seven in 16 while on loan at Real Madrid. That is devastating form.
Some say that at 29, the Mexican "Chicharito," is symbolic of the fact that West Ham have bought "old," this time around, with Arnautovic 28, Hart, 30, and Zabaleta aged 32.
Forget that.
The age of long-term thinking in the Premier League is more or less over for most clubs. Team-building is all about buying experience and seasoning for the here and now. It's the only realistic way clubs like West Ham can even think about competing against the financial might of the elite.
It is why the Hammers have let Ashley Fletcher leave for Middlesbrough and sent Reece Oxford on loan to Borussia Moenchengladbach while admitting that from now, its going to be extremely difficult for any youngsters to break into the side.
Another thing that might help the club now, too, is a period of silence from the boardroom – when the club can let its impressive transfer work do the talking, so to speak.
The move into the new ground last season was a difficult one. It wasn't helped by the fact that there several pronouncements from the club hierarchy which infuriated the supporters.
There has been a potential spat with Stoke City following the signing of Arnuatovic, with his former club's owner, Peter Coates accusing him of disloyalty after his career was resurrected in the Potteries.
Thankfully, West Ham's talkative owners didn't respond – perhaps surmising that Aranuatovic's departure from Stoke mirrored that of Dimitri Payet from West Ham last season in the way that it simply reflected the ways of modern football.
Of course, there is one twist to the beginning of the new campaign which fits in with the Hammers' long-standing capacity for hampering themselves with unique forms of bother.
Because the World Athletics Championships take place at the London Stadium in August, the first three Premier League games will have to be played away from home while the arena is reconfigured.
If they had reached the current Europa League qualifying rounds again, they presumably wouldn't even have been able to play at home at all.
It may be a handicap that the first three competitive games are all on the road. It may not.
But things could be worse.
After all, West Ham could be playing Astra Giurgiu once again. And that really would be something to worry about.
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Manuel Lanzini out of West Ham's Werder Bremen friendlies
Last Updated: 28/07/17 10:31am
SSN
Manuel Lanzini will sit out West Ham's friendly double-header against Werder Bremen with a knee injury. The Argentine is currently restricted to gym work on the club's pre-season tour of Germany but is expected back in training after the weekend. Sofiane Feghouli has returned to London for treatment on an unspecified problem, while the first of the two Bremen games on Friday night comes too soon for new signing Javier Hernandez. The £16m striker did not join up with the squad until Thursday, but £25m signing Marko Arnautovic is ready to play and Angelo Ogbonna is back in training. West Ham play Bremen on Friday and Saturday before taking on Altona 93 on Tuesday.
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Ashley Fletcher completes £6.5m transfer to Middlesbrough from West Ham
VAISHALI BHARDWAJ
Evening Standard
Ashley Fletcher has completed his £6.5million move from West Ham to Championship side Middlesbrough. The striker was given permission to fly back to England from the Hammers' training camp in Germany on Thursday to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms with Garry Monk's side. After doing both of those on Friday, Fletcher put pen to paper on a four-year deal at Boro to bring an end to his single season at West Ham. Fletcher only joined the east London side last summer following the expiry of his deal at Manchester United, and went on to score one goal against his former side in the EFL Cup quarter-final. He found game time hard to come by, however, and fell further down the pecking order when West Ham signed striker Javier Hernandez from Bayer Leverkusen earlier this week and Marko Arnautovic from Stoke City in a club-record deal
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Javier Hernandez chose West Ham above Spain and Italy offers
By Stephen Turner
Last Updated: 28/07/17 1:32pm
SSN
Javier Hernandez has revealed he turned down offers from Spain and Italy to return to "the best league in the world". Hernandez this week completed a £16m move to West Ham two years since he left Manchester United for German club Bayer Leverkusen after a year on loan at Real Madrid. Both Leverkusen and Real signed the Mexico striker on deadline day, but Hernandez now has two weeks to acclimatise before facing old club United on the opening weekend, live on Sky Sports Premier League. The Mexico striker trained with his new team-mates on their pre-season tour of Germany on Friday and afterwards told Sky Sports News how West Ham's ambition lured him back to the Premier League. "It was a little bit simple really," Hernandez said. "I'm in the best league in the world and West Ham showed me a lot of confidence and trust. "West Ham is showing more ambition compared to the last seasons. They want to qualify for Europe, you can see that in the transfer window. That's why I'm here. "They're one of the most historic teams in England, very ambitious this season and hopefully we can achieve our goals. "There were other options - one in Spain and two in Italy. The last two transfers I made on the last day, this time it was more calm and easy. Thankfully I'm where I want to be."
Hernandez's goals helped United to the title in 2011 and 2013, and speaking about that Super Sunday opener he said: "I'm going back to my old club - my old house - and it's going to be very special. "But I'm defending other colours now. I want to help my team win three points and start the season on the right foot."
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Slaven Bilic hopeful Adrian will stay at West Ham amid Crystal Palace interest
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
Slaven Bilic remains hopeful of persuading goalkeeper Adrian to stay at the West Ham. The 30-year-old faces a fight for a regular starting role at the London Stadium following the arrival of Joe Hart on loan from Manchester City. Adrian is reportedly unhappy at the prospect of his game time being limited this season and Crystal Palace and Newcastle are interested in signing the 30-year-old. Bilic, though, wants the Spaniard to stay and fight for his place. The West Ham manager will start the season without Michail Antonio, who is recovering ahead of schedule from a hamstring surgery. Both Antonio and team-mate Andy Carroll, who is sidelined with a long-term injury, were left out of the squad for pre-season tours of Austria and Germany. Bilic was less optimistic about Carroll, who has featured only 12 times for the club in 2017. The 28-year-old England international struggled with groin and knee issues for the majority of last season
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WEST HAM KEEN TO KEEP LANZINI AND RESIST LIVERPOOL APPROACH
ABDULLAH MULLA @AbzMulla6
ReadWestHam
West Ham United are determined to keep hold of their star playmaker Manuel Lanzini and will strongly resist any approach from Premier League rivals Liverpool for the Argentine, according to a report on the Evening Standard. Lanzini has stepped up since the departure of Frenchman Dimitri Payet and has become the key man for the Hammers. His eye for a killer pass as well as for goal has become noticed and Liverpool have been reported to be lining him up to replace Philippe Coutinho should he leave Anfield this summer. The 24-year-old has become a fan favourite at the Hammers and with manager Slaven Bilic strengthening the squad well, there is no way that they will let Lanzini go as they prepare to challenge for a European spot this season. The attacking midfielder managed to get his name on the scoresheet eight times last season and also registered two assists but he will be hoping for a lot more in the upcoming season.
There is reason to be excited for West Ham fans as Bilic looks to have assembled a lethal attack by adding Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez to his squad to work alongside Lanzini. The London club have issued a warning to Liverpool to look elsewhere for a replacement for Coutinho as Lanzini is definitely not for sale.
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West Ham provide injury update on Manuel Lanzini for Betway Cup clashes as Javier Hernandez trains for first time
The Argentinian midfielder is likely to be out short term
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
10:34, 28 JUL 2017
Manuel Lanzini is undergoing treatment for an injury which was confirmed by West Ham today [Thursday]. The Argentine star is at the Hammers training base in Rotenburg today but is not part of the main squad as he gets treatment and does gym work inside. Angelo Ogbonna has returned to training after picking up a slight tweak in his previously injured knee but appears to be showing no ill-effects so far. Sofiane Feghouli, who has yet to train on the trip to Germany, won't do so anymore as he has left the camp and headed to France for treatment on a muscle problem. Javier Hernandez trained with the Hammers for the first time this morning but was taken aside for the majority of it to run through some fitness tests to ascertain his current level of fitness. The Hammers will have just one day of training before they take on Werder Bremen for the first leg of the Betway Cup in Schneverdingen tonight (5.30pm BST).
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WEST HAM'S JAVIER HERNANDEZ IS OUR PREMIER LEAGUE SIGNING OF THE WEEK
Ladbrokes.com
28 July 2017
West Ham's acquisition of Javier Hernandez from Bayer Leverkusen is our Premier League Signing of the Week. The Mexican is back in England following an impressive stint in the Bundesliga, and he's ready to pop up in Premier League boxes up and down the land. It's a deal that should have the approval of Hammers fans, and for good reason. Though he's been away for two years, Hernandez still boasts the fifth-best goals-per-minute ratio in Premier League history. Whichever way you look at it, Chicharito knows where the back of the net is. Current Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has repeatedly expressed his annoyance that 'Little Pea' isn't still at Old Trafford – high praise indeed. Hernandez arrives in East London having netted 39 goals in 76 appearances for Leverkusen. And he hit double figures in each of his three campaigns under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, before his role was greatly reduced in the David Moyes and Van Gaal eras.
Despite that, total figures of 59 goals from 157 (largely substitute) appearances are more than respectable.
With West Ham already boasting target men in the shape of Andy Carroll and Michail Antonio, Hernandez will be free to dart around in the area, picking up any loose balls and causing mayhem for defenders. It's a system that should put the Hammers in very good stead this term. And the best part of this deal? The price tag! That's the clincher for us. In this crazy summer where money has entered new levels of madness, West Ham have snapped up a proven Premier League goalscorer for just £13m. It could be the Premier League signing of the entire summer, let alone the week.
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Ghanaian shot-stopper Joseph Annang nears West Ham switch
Published on: 28 July 2017
Ghanasoccernet.com
Young agile goalkeeper Joseph Annang is close to sealing a move to English Premiership side West Ham United following superb two-week trial, according to reports in the UK. According to reports, the 19-year-old is on the verge of becoming Slaven Bilic's fifth signing of the ongoing summer transfer window after excelling in a two-week trial. The highly rated shot-stopper had a remarkable outing for east London club during a recent pre-season friendly for the club's U23s team against Dagenham and Redbridge. The Hammers are looking to sign a back-up goalkeeper for Joe Hart and Adrian Castillo after Darren Randolph left to join Championship side Middlesbrough last week.
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West Ham wrap up fifth transfer of the summer as Ghanaian wonderkid signs for Hammers - report
The latest West Ham transfer news sees the Hammers reportedly sign goalkeeper Joseph Anang
Football London
BYKEVIN BEIRNE
06:30, 28 JUL 2017
Joseph Anang will be West Ham's fifth signing of the summer transfer window after impressing on trial for the Hammers, according to reports in his native Ghana.
The 19-year-old goalkeeper was given a run out for the east London club during a recent pre-season friendly for the club's U23s team against Dagenham and Redbridge, and Slaven Bilic and co have clearly enjoyed what they have seen. According to Ghanaian publication Kickgh.com, the Hammers have offered a contract to the young keeper and are waiting on international clearance before officially confirming a deal. Anang will be the Hammer's second new goalkeeper of the summer, after brining in Joe Hart on a season-long loan from Manchester City. Hart's arrival meant the end of Darren Randolph's West Ham career, as he joined the recently relegated Middlesbrough in order to improve his chances of making the Republic of Ireland squad next summer, should they qualify for the upcoming World Cup in Russia. Adrian, meanwhile, continues to be tracked by the likes of Newcastle as he searches for a guaranteed starting spot.
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West Ham transfer news: Club could complete deals in next few days - Twitter insider
WEST HAM could complete deals to sell players in the new few days.
By JACK WILSON
PUBLISHED: 06:00, Fri, Jul 28, 2017
Express.co.uk
That's according to respected Twitter insider @ExWHUemployee, who has made several big transfer claims previously that have proved to be true. @ExWHUemployee is an established name in Hammers transfer news and he appears in a podcast talking about the club. He revealed on Twitter that a move for Joe Hart was on the cards - weeks before it happened. In the latest podcast, he spoke about potential deals that could be done imminently. One user subsequently asked @ExWHUemployee on Twitter: "Am I right saying we're just looking at loans now?" But @ExWHUemployee responded: "Not necessarily! If we sell players, which we could in next (few) days, then we will have money." But deals for Celtic frontman Moussa Dembele, who has also been linked with Marseille, and Benfica striker Raul Jimenez appear to be off the cards. @ExWHUemployee tweeted yesterday: "Deals for Moussa Dembele and Raul Jimenez are unlikely to happen due to the high valuations from their clubs."
Robert Snodgrass and goalkeeper Adrian could be two of the players on their way out. The pair have fallen down the pecking order following the arrivals of Marko Arnautovic and Joe Hart this summer.
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Tottenham Hotspur reportedly monitoring West Ham United's Manuel Lanzini
HITC
Subhankar Mondal
Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing West Ham United's Manuel Lanzini in the summer transfer window. Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Manuel Lanzini from West Ham United in the summer transfer window, according to Bleacher Report. It has been reported that Tottenham have sounded out representatives to keep tabs on Lanzini's situation. Spurs' North London rivals Arsenal and Merseyside outfit Liverpool are also claimed to be interested in the 24-year-old attacking midfielder. Liverpool are reportedly looking at the Argentina international as a potential replacement for Philippe Coutinho, who is claimed to be on the radar of Spanish and European giants Barcelona. Manuel Lanzini of West Ham United celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium on May 5,...
"Liverpool were always keeping tabs on his situation, and it is understood both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have sounded out representatives to discover how Lanzini's situation may open up," states the report in Bleacher Report. "The player is happy to stay at West Ham but is aware other clubs have been watching him."
This is not the first time that North London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal have been linked with West Ham star Lanzini. Back in May, The Mirror claimed of Liverpool, Spurs and the Gunners' interest in the 24-year-old, with the report adding that West Ham want £30 million for him. The 24-year-old is one of the best players at West Ham and is one of the better attacking midfielders in the Premier League. The Argentina international scored eight goals and provided two assists in 31 league starts for the Hammers last season.
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