Daily WHUFC News - 31st August 2017

Ayew eager to complete dream World Cup hat-trick with Ghana
WHUFC.com

Andre Ayew knows this is a make-or-break week if he is to fulfil his
ambition of playing for Ghana at a third FIFA World Cup finals. The West Ham
United forward travelled to the 2010 and 2014 tournaments, inspiring the
Black Stars to the quarter-finals seven years ago – the farthest an African
nation has ever advanced.
To complete a personal hat-trick, however, Ghana need to win both home and
away against Congo to give themselves any chance of overhauling CAF Group E
leaders Egypt and qualifying for next year's finals. "I've been to two but
we're in a difficult spot at the moment," he said. "We're in a difficult
spot, but hopefully we're going to make it to the World Cup. "It's an
important year for us and if we do it, we'll turn something that was
impossible into something possible, so our country would be on fire. We're
going to try to make it happen. We have the belief, we have a great squad
and I think we can do it. "I'd like to go to my third World Cup. It's not
every player who has the chance to go to even one World Cup, so if I have
the opportunity to go to a third one, I need to do everything possible to
make that happen."

Ayew has long been one of Ghana's footballing superstars. The son of
three-time African Footballer of the Year Abedi Pele, the forward has been
capped 75 times and appeared at seven major tournaments. However, despite
the presence of Ayew and a host of other top players, Ghana are without a
major title since his father helped the Black Stars win the Africa Cup of
Nations in 1982 – a 35-year drought he is desperate to end. "Ghana is as
obsessed with football as England, if not more. There is a lot of pressure,
there is a lot of demands, there is a lot of everything! "It's my country, I
love to be there, and if there is one I thing I know, it's that I am very
proud to be Ghanaian and to represent my country at the highest level.
"Being the player I am and have been for my country and the clubs I've
played for, and the opportunities it has given me to meet the most important
people in my country, I know the responsibility I have to my country."

While the odds may be stacked against Ayew leading Ghana to their fourth
straight World Cup finals, the 27-year-old is not prepared to give up a
dream he shares with every one of his football-mad compatriots. "I know what
all Ghanaians are expecting for me and it's not something little, but I made
them feel that they can believe in me and put their trust in me. I've done
it in my national teams and my clubs and I'm going to do everything I can to
make sure they are going proud.
"I know that, whenever I am on the pitch, the whole of Ghana is behind me. I
am very proud to be an ambassador, not just for Ghana, but for the whole
continent and I want to make my continent proud every time I am on the
field."

Ghana tackle Congo in Kumasi on Friday 1 September at 2.30pm BST before
travelling to face the same opposition in Brazzaville on Tuesday 5 September
at 7.45pm BST.

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West Ham broke their promises
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 30th August 2017
By: Staff Writer

Robert Snodgrass has continued to put the boot into his parent club just
days after securing a season-long loan move to Aston Villa. The Scottish
international, signed by West Ham back in January for £10million joined the
Championship club last week after being made surplus to requirements by
Slaven Bilic - since when you could be forgiven for thinking he's done
little else bar slate his employers. In his latest broadside, Snodgrass
attacked the club - and manager Slaven Bilic - for what he perceived to be a
lack of loyalty and honesty. "There were a lot of broken promises, a lot of
dishonesty and I thought this is not what I am about," he told The Scotsman.
"I want to wear my heart on my sleeve and be loyal. What you see is what you
get. Sometimes, if that is not the other way, then I don't want to be part
of it. I realised from the off that it wasn't going to happen. "I was
coming on against Manchester City and Bilic said, 'Where do you want to
play, on the left or right?' I thought, 'You've just signed me and I've
played on the right or behind the striker at Hull City all season'. I found
it very strange. "That was my debut. And every time I played I was on the
left. Alarm bells were ringing right away. I don't know why he did it. I
came in as [Dimitri] Payet left but I'd only filled in on the left a couple
of times. I hate that position."

Snodgrass also revealed that he eventually took the opportunity to speak
with Bilic about his issues - but insisted that his concerns were ignored.
"The manager was under a lot of pressure and I later said that, out of
respect, I didn't want to go in and see him during that period," he added.
"When I did speak to him, I said I thought he'd have known I wasn't a left
midfielder and that he must have watched me after signing me for that type
of money. "That was the conversation. His answer was basically that, when
people are confident, they can play anywhere. "I've been at teams like Hull
and Norwich and, when you're signed for big money, they need to play you to
get value. But West Ham are signing lads on double and treble what I signed
for. They're always looking to try and invest and get the best. "But, when
you've got too many and lads aren't playing, it's not a good environment. I
know myself that, when there is a manager who knows how to get the best out
of you, then it's different – and that's why I chose Villa. I wanted to work
with Steve Bruce again. " Bilic wanted me to play cup games to try and
impress, but I said I'd done it at international level and Premier League
and there was no way on earth I was staying to play cup games. I've got
nothing to prove to anyone. "West Ham can go about their business and I'll
go about mine, which is playing football, enjoying myself and being a good
person every day. That's why he didn't want me to leave. He knew I was good
about the place and great with all the lads. "But I need to play games –
it's as simple as that."

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West Ham forward Diafra Sakho not for sale, says co-chairman David Gold
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 30/08/17 8:47pm
SSN

Diafra Sakho will not be moving to another club in August, according to West
Ham co-chairman David Gold. It will have been an emotional day for the
27-year-old Sakho who seemed to be closing on a new club in France. Sky
sources reported earlier on Wednesday that he had passed a medical at Rennes
ahead of a £9m transfer, although it is understood this had been conducted
without West Ham's permission. It is also believed he missed Wednesday's
training session and discussed personal terms without consent. Sky Sports
News also reported that Crystal Palace had made a £10m bid on Wednesday
afternoon. However, Gold took to social media to reject any speculation over
the player they signed from Metz in 2014. He tweeted: "Diafra Sakho is not
for sale in this transfer window he is an integral part of our first team
squad and will play a part in our recovery."
West Ham are waiting to see if Sakho returns on Thursday and they maintain
he is not for sale. They believe he is being badly advised and has left it
too late to move because they don't have time to find a replacement. Sakho
scored 12 goals in all competitions in his first season at the club. But he
has since endured an injury-hit period at the club, with a persistent back
and hamstring injury restricting him to 54 appearances during his three
years with the Hammers. Sky Sports News also understands that West Ham are
in talks to sign Abdul Majeed Waris from Lorient.

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West Ham in talks to sign Abdul Majeed Waris from Lorient
Last Updated: 30/08/17 2:48pm
SSN

West Ham are in talks to sign Abdul Majeed Waris from French club Lorient,
according to Sky sources. Sky believes the player is currently in London for
talks with the Premier League club. The 25-year-old Ghana international has
been at Lorient for the past two years and is viewed as being a likely
replacement for Diafra Sakho, who passed a medical at Rennes on Wednesday.
Waris, formerly of Spartak Moscow and Trabzonspor, can play as either a
striker or winger. The transfer window closes on Thursday.

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TRANSFER DEADLINE DAY WEST HAM PREVIEW
By Iain Dale 30 Aug 2017 at 20:00
WTID

It so happens that I am holiday this week, so tomorrow I'll be able to run
the usual deadline day blog. In advance of that I thought I'd set out what
we may be looking at tomorrow.

Having been praised for an exemplary transfer window, West Ham have reverted
to type over the last few weeks. The William Cavaho saga has been oh so
typical of the chaos that often surrounds our transport dealings. Will we
get him tomorrow? Well, stranger things have happened but I wouldn't bet my
life on it. Rumour is that we are lineing up Barcelona midfielder Andre
Gomes in case the cavalho deal falls through. He signed for Barca from
Valencia a year ago but only made 17 appearances last season (30 in all,
scoring 3 goals). He's made 25 appearances for Portugal.

Earlier today it looked like Diafra Sakho was on his way to Rennes for £9
million. He (miraculously) passed a medical. And then Crystal Palace threw
in a curveball and apparently bid £10 million. West Ham seem to have been
taken by surprise by this and immediately said he would be going nowhere
(courtesy of Jack Sullivan) as we wouldn't have time to recruit a
replacement. At the same time, reports came in that a 25 year old Ghanaian
striker called Abdul Majeed Waris (nope, me neither) had flown into London
to sign for West Ham from Lorient. Looking at his scoring record he's not
exactly proven. One goal in 15 for Spartak Moscow, none in 18 for
Trabzonspur and finally 19 in 51 for Lorient.

There are also moves by Inter Milan to sign Angelo Ogbonna, who want to
offer Croatian midfielder Marcelo Brozovic in exchange. I can't see that
happening, although he does seem to have an impressive record judging by his
Wikipedia page.

Palace are also said to be interested in acquiring Jose Fonte (swap deal
with Tomkins?). He's one player I'd happily see the back of.

It seems to me that we are short of a centre back and a striker.

So all in all it may be a busy day at the London Stadium tomorrow.

Or it could be one where nothing happens.

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Ghana striker Majeed Waris in London to seal £12m move to West Ham United
Published on: 30 August 2017
Ghanasoccer.net

English Premier League side West Ham United have launched a late bid to sign
Ghana striker Abdul Majeed Waris. The London-based side are ready to meet
Lorient's £12 million price tag. SkySport sources say the player is
currently in London for talks with the Hammers. The 25-year-old Ghana
international has been at Lorient for the past two years and is viewed as
being a likely replacement for Diafra Sakho, who passed a medical at Rennes
on Wednesday. Waris scored 13 goals for the relegated side in the French
Ligue 1 last season. English Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion had
expressed interest in signing the Ghana international. were also in the
chase for the attacker.

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David Gold rules out sale of 'integral' West Ham striker Diafra Sakho
ES Sport

West Ham will not sell Diafra Sakho during this transfer window, according
to the club's joint-chairman David Gold. Sakho has been linked with Rennes
and Crystal Palace over the last few hours, with a photograph on social
media seemingly showing the striker arriving at a French airport. However,
it appears that the Senegal international had travelled without the
permission of West Ham. He now faces an awkward reunion with his team-mates
at the London Stadium with the club hierarchy insistent he will not be sold
before the window closes tomorrow. Gold wrote on Twitter: "Diafra Sakho is
not for sale in this transfer window he is an integral part of our first
team squad and will play a part in our recovery."
Sakho, who spent much of last season sidelined with a back injury, has been
forced to settle for a limited role so far at West Ham this season. The
27-year-old's only start of the campaign so far has come in the EFL Cup at
Cheltenham, where he scored and provided an assist in a 2-0 win, and he has
been limited to less than 30 minutes in each of the Hammers opening three
league matches. Those three games have all ended in defeat, piling pressure
on manager Slaven Bilic, who will hope that Sakho and Javier Hernandez can
fire the goals to drag West Ham clear of danger.

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Barcelona Transfer News: Tottenham and West Ham eye Andre Gomes after
Juventus snub
BARCELONA midfielder Andre Gomes is heading for a deadline-day move to the
Premier League after Juventus saw a loan bid rejected.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 22:14, Wed, Aug 30, 2017 | UPDATED: 22:19, Wed, Aug 30, 2017
Express.co.uk

Barcelona are happy to let Gomes go just a year after signing him from
Valencia. The Portugal international cost Barca £34million just 12 months
ago but he is not part of Enresto Valverde's plans. And the Telegraph claim
a move to either West Ham or Tottenham is on the cards. According to the
report, both London clubs are battling to sign the 24-year-old. Juventus
looked all set to land Gomes and his agent Jorge Mendes even arrived in
Barcelona on Monday to prepare the move.
Barca wanted a permanent deal or at least a loan offer with an obligation to
buy next summer. But Juve were only willing to offer loan terms with the
option to buy - a deal Barca would not accept. The Telegraph claim Spurs
have been alerted by Gomes' availability, while West Ham are gunning for the
player following their failure to land William Carvalho. West Ham are also
interested in Jack Wilshere, who is free to leave Arsenal as he nears the
last 10 months of his contract.
As for Spurs, they have also confirmed the arrival of Argentine 19-year-old
defender Juan Foyth from Estudiantes.

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Arsenal transfer news: West Ham plot deadline-day swoop for Jack Wilshere
WEST HAM are considering a season-long loan deal for Arsenal midfielder Jack
Wilshere, according to reports.
By JAMES CAMBRIDGE
PUBLISHED: 21:53, Wed, Aug 30, 2017 | UPDATED: 22:09, Wed, Aug 30, 2017
Express.co.uk

Jack Wilshere was loaned out by Arsenal to Bournemouth last season and he
could be set for another spell away from the Emirates this term The Sun
claim West Ham are considering taking the 25-year-old on a season-long deal
but will wait until deadline day before making up their mind. The report
says the move hinges on the Hammers' ability to sign Sporting Lisbon
midfielder William Carvalho. If a deal for the Portugal international fails
to materialise, the London club will reportedly swoop for Wilshere on
deadline day. Slaven Bilic is reportedly keen to add another quality
midfielder to his ranks before the transfer window shuts.
He has set his sights on Carvalho but if Sporting fail to budge on their
£40million asking price a deal looks unlikely. The Sun say the West Ham
hierarchy have identified Wilshere as a deadline-day possibility. And should
his loan spell at the London Stadium go well, they will assess the option of
a permanent move when he becomes a free agent next summer. The England
international is yet to agree a new deal with Arsenal, despite being in the
final 12 months of his contract. He has only just returned to full fitness
after suffering a broken leg last term on loan with Bournemouth. But his
route back to the Gunners first team has been halted after he was sent off
in an Under-23s match against Manchester City last week. Wilshere has made
160 appearances for Arsenal since 2008, scoring 12 goals and providing 24
assists in all competitions.

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West Ham star Andy Carroll escorted by police from training to give robbery
trial evidence
Jack O'Brien, 22, is accused of trying to rob the footballer of his £22,000
watch
HATTY COLLIER
The Evening Standard

West Ham star Andy Carroll was escorted by police from training after a
last-minute request for him to give further evidence in the trial of a man
accused of trying to rob him of his £22,000 watch. The 6ft 4in striker, 28,
was whisked away from the club's training ground to Barkingside Magistrates'
Court on the eve of transfer deadline day. In his main evidence at Basildon
Crown Court on Tuesday, Mr Carroll said that a male motorcyclist, who, he
believed, had a gun, demanded he hand over his watch as he drove his green
Jeep Wrangler home from training. Jack O'Brien, 22, denies attempting to rob
the England-capped striker on November 2, 2016. Mr Carroll appeared on
Wednesday by video-link from Barkingside Magistrates' Court, which is around
six miles (10km) from West Ham's Rush Green training ground - closer than
the trial venue of Basildon Crown Court. Defence barrister Michael Edmonds
told the footballer: "Thanks very much for coming back to court. I only have
a few additional questions for you."
Asked about the light conditions when Mr Carroll said he glimpsed the
biker's face for 10 seconds, he said: "I don't remember the sunlight. I just
remember seeing his face." Mr Edmonds asked if Mr Carroll recalled being
told that O'Brien had been arrested before a police identity parade, and Mr
Carroll replied: "Not really."
"You have on Twitter 313,000 followers, is that right?" said Mr Edmonds. Mr
Carroll, with his hair tied back and wearing a black T-short and blue jeans,
replied: "I've deleted my Facebook and Twitter so I don't know, as I haven't
been on it for about eight months."
Prosecutor Simon Gladwell said police arrested O'Brien at a house in
Dagenham, east London, 10 days after the alleged attempted robbery, where
they found him in the front bedroom "hiding in the bedframe under the
mattress". A crash helmet and Ducati jacket were seized from the property,
and a Suzuki motorbike was seized from the back garden. Mr Gladwell said the
three items used in the alleged attempted robbery were the same as those
seized at the time of O'Brien's arrest.
Mr Gladwell said the three items were also used by O'Brien in a string of
burglaries, to which O'Brien pleaded guilty in April 2017, in which items
including jewellery, watches and cash were stolen. The offences happened in
October and November 2016. Mr Carroll previously told the court he was
"scared" when a motorcyclist approached him at traffic lights in Hainault,
north-east London, and demanded he hand over his watch as he returned home
from West Ham's training ground. In a 999 call played to the jury, the
player said: "There's two motorbikes, one's behind me pulling out a gun, I
don't know what to do." After a pursuit, he arrived back at West Ham's
training ground and said in the call: "I've probably just hit about 10 cars
on the way here."
Mr Edmonds, defending, said O'Brien, of Navarre Gardens, Romford, east
London, was not the biker. He said O'Brien had used the motorcycle, jacket
and helmet for crime before, but that it was not him using the bike on this
occasion. O'Brien declined to give evidence in person.
The trial continues.

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Slaven Bilic has failed to address West Ham's main problem and that will be
his undoing - opinion
TalkSport
By Alasdair Hooper - @adjhooper1992
Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Buy a striker! Buy a striker! Buy a striker! So frequent was this chant from
those associated with West Ham that it almost replaced 'I'm Forever Blowing
Bubbles' as the club's main anthem over the summer. While Javier Hernandez
signed on – an excellent addition by the way – unfortunately everyone forgot
what West Ham's main problem was, and has been, for some time - the defence.
In the three atrocious games this season the Hammers have shipped ten goals
already. Last season the team conceded 64 goals – a number that is far too
high for a team wanting to progress. Even during West Ham's impressive final
season at Upton Park they conceded 51 goals, which ultimately cost them a
Champions League place.
All of this points to a collection of defenders that aren't good enough and
tactics that aren't solid enough. In Saturday's 3-0 drumming against
Newcastle, West Ham began with a centre-back pairing of Angelo Ogbonna and
fan favourite – but aging – James Collins. This was partly down to Winston
Reid's injury but also because Jose Fonte, supposedly a reliable Premier
League defender, has seemingly forgotten how to play football properly. The
right-back position became a farce last season, as eight different players
played there at one stage or another, so Pablo Zabaleta was brought in by
the club to fill the position. However, his best days are behind him and
even he has been culpable for stupid, costly mistakes. In midfield, the
players tasked with adding protection to the back line have not been up to
scratch. Pedro Obiang's performance against Manchester United was off the
pace, Mark Noble's form has dropped dramatically and Declan Rice – a young
promising defender – has been shoved into the holding role because he has
been the best performer but mistakes should be expected. Nothing has been
done by Bilic, or the board, to address this problem. If the defence is
failing as badly as it appears you have two options – recruit better players
or train and improve some new ones. Let's take option number two first. West
Ham are in a fortunate position in that they have two, maybe three, of the
best young up-and-coming central defenders. One of them is 18-year-old Rice
who could yet have a major impact this season. While he is currently playing
in midfield the centre-back has all the makings to become a top player and
Bilic is obviously a fan.
However, West Ham also have Reece Oxford who is currently on-loan at
Borussia Monchengladbach. In a similar vain to Rice, Oxford first burst onto
the scene playing in holding midfield as he proved pivotal in West Ham's 2-0
win over Arsenal back in 2015. What has happened since then? Not much. While
it isn't fair to lump all the blame on the coaches you have to ask where is
the guidance? For such a promising player the rate of improvement hasn't
been up to scratch and, rather worryingly, Reading manager Jaap Stam said
Oxford was surprised by the intensity of training during his loan spell with
the Royals last season. Another central defender is Reece Burke, now 20 and
on loan at Bolton. He was originally handed his West Ham Premier League bow
by Sam Allardyce and impressed under the former boss. He then went on loan
to Bradford – where he was voted player of the year – before a spell at
Wigan and now his current temporary move away. Again his improvement seems
to have stagnated. And at right-back the young promising Sam Byram, who was
purchased from Leeds United and touted as a future England international,
can hardly get a game and is another who has failed to make the step up.
West Ham is considered the Academy of Football but all of this suggests
there is a problem coaching and developing these young players into the
finished article. Of course there is also the other option – recruit better
players. Whether it's Bilic or the board making the decisions on signings
the purchases haven't been good enough. Fonte's purchase has failed utterly
up until now, Zabaleta is experienced but is on the decline, Arthur Masuaku
is capable of the sublime and the ridiculous and Angelo Ogbonna can be
classy and flimsy in equal measure.
In midfield, while both Cheikhou Kouyate and Pedro Obiang are capable, they
are both susceptible to injury and can be inconsistent. West Ham need as a
matter of urgency a holding midfielder and a central defender. Signing
William Carvalho, as has been rumoured, would go a long way to solving that
problem but the club's current plight has hardly helped in negotiations with
the player. However, there are no moves to bring in reinforcements in
defence and that is a massive worry. How can anyone look at the current team
and think it is set up for success? There are obviously a huge number of
problems at West Ham, and with Slaven Bilic, but this – the inability to
keep goals out of their net – will ultimately be Bilic's undoing. Either
bring in new players or make the ones you have better – at the moment
neither is happening. If another absurd number of goals fly in past Joe
Hart, in the next couple of games, it could be goodnight Slav.

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The farcical story behind Diafra Sakho trying to force a move from West Ham
to Rennes
The striker clearly wants to leave the Hammers but the club are not having
any of it
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
15:11, 30 AUG 2017

Diafra Sakho is trying to force through a move to Rennes from West Ham but
the club are refusing to do business as they believe they don't have enough
time to find a replacement. The story surrounding Sakho is nothing short of
extraordinary, according to football.london sources, as the Senegalese man
tries to plot an escape route from E20. It all started on Saturday when
Sakho wasn't included in the starting eleven for the Newcastle United
defeat, being told he is behind both Michail Antonio and Andre Ayew in the
pecking order for strikers at the club - two players who aren't striker.
Sakho, not for the first time in his Hammers career, took this badly and
threw his toys out of the pram and set about getting out of east London
having recovered from injury. The frontman told the club he was going back
to France and then tried to buy himself out his contract, according to our
sources. This is something the striker couldn't afford to do. Sakho
travelled to France and set up a medical at Rennes of his own accord - which
he subsequently passed - but there has never been a fee agreed with the
Ligue 1 side and the Hammers.

West Ham News @WHUFC_News
BREAKING: Diafra Sakho arriving in France ahead of his move to Rennes.
[via @NicolasMangeard]
9:19 AM - Aug 30, 2017
39 39 Replies 42 42 Retweets 51 51 likes

Rennes had a bid of £4m up front plus £5m in add-ons flat out rejected by
West Ham but Sakho carried on with the medical anyway but with co-owner
David Sullivan's two sons - Jack and David Jnr - both tweeting to say no
deal - it is now assumed any move is off the table. football.london
understands the lateness in the transfer window to find a suitable
replacement is the reason the club won't sell. They are still interested in
Lorient striker Abdul Majeed Waris, however.

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What could West Ham's interest in Anthony Ralston mean for Sam Byram?
HITC
Vincent Ralph

West Ham United are said to be very interested in the Celtic youngster.
Slaven Bilic, Manager of West Ham United looks on prior to the Premier
League match between Southampton and West Ham United at St Mary's Stadium on
August 19, 2017 in Southampton, England. According to the Scottish Sun, West
Ham United are keeping a close eye on Celtic youngster Anthony Ralston, but
the Hammers already have a promising right-back of their own in the form of
Sam Byram.
The latest report suggests the Hammers have sent scouts to watch 18-year-old
Ralston, who has featured four times so far this season and seven times
since making his first-team breakthrough.
As well as impressing defensively, Ralston has impressed at the opposite end
of the field, scoring one goal and providing two assists already this
season, and his all-round ability appears to have caught West Ham manager
Slaven Bilic's eye. While Celtic will have no intention of selling Ralston
this summer, if West Ham continue to monitor the teenager with the aim of
bidding in the future, it could be telling for Byram, who has failed to make
his mark since signing from Leeds United last year. Ralston's current
contract runs until the summer of 2019, so if he does fancy testing himself
in the Premier League, a move in the next 18 months could be on the cards.
That said, he will have seen Byram struggle for chances - along with many of
West Ham's other young prospects - and could wonder if turning his back on
regular first-team football is the right call at this stage of his career.
Byram did just that at Leeds and he has barely featured at the London
Stadium, managing only 27 first-team appearances to date and not playing a
single minute in the league so far this season. If Ralston did ultimately
arrive at West Ham as a long-term successor to Pablo Zabaleta, Byram's time
would surely be up before it has even begun. Although much will depend on
just how highly Celtic rate the former and how soon he will become the
undisputed first-choice option in his preferred position.

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If West Ham sign Alexandre Mlinde he could form brilliant long-term
partnership with Toni Martinez
HITC
Vincent Ralph

West Ham United have been linked with the talented teenage striker.
According to Foot Mercato, West Ham United have opened talks in a bid to
sign teenage striker Alexandre Mlinde from non-league side AS Minguettes,
and if the Hammers seal a deal he could form a brilliant long-term
partnership with their own Toni Martinez. The Spaniard arrived at West Ham
having shone in the youth ranks for Valencia and he wasted little time
impressing for the Hammers' under-23s, scoring 16 goals in just 17
appearances. A general view during the Premier League match between West Ham
United and Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium on May 5, 2017 in
Stratford, England. That is outstanding form and in time he is expected to
score regularly for the first-team, and if West Ham secure Mlinde they could
be about to have an ideal strike partner for the 20-year-old. Mlinde is only
17 but his form is impossible to ignore, with 21 goals in 22 appearances
last season and 35 strikes the year before. Such has been his emergence that
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is keen to bring him to the London Stadium and
he has sanctioned talks with the player's representatives in a bid to beat
rival suitors to Mlinde's signature. It is unclear if West Ham feel they can
secure a deal in what remains of the current transfer window or if the
teenager is more likely to arrive next year. But with the Hammers already in
possession of one outstanding young striker, the arrival of Mlinde would
mean the future is increasingly bright.

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Diafra Sakho set to join Rennes in £9m deal from West Ham
Stay on top of all the latest news and rumours in our LIVE transfer blog
KEN DYER
ES Sport

West Ham's injury plagued striker Diafra Sakho is poised to move to French
Ligue 1 club Rennes in a £9million deal. Sakho was today reported to be in
France discussing a potential move although nothing has yet been agreed
between the two clubs. The Senegalese international striker scored in his
first six matches for West Ham in 2014, following his move from Metz, but
has since suffered a succession of injuries, playing in just four matches
last season. He returned to fitness this season and scored in the 2-0
League Cup win against Cheltenham last week. Speaking after that win, Bilic
suggested that Sakho would have a future at the club if he stayed fit. "He
didn't score because he didn't play," Bilic said. "We know his strengths but
the problem for him last season was that he played only four games.

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Scottish International Snodgrass Burns His Bridges
WestHamFans.org

If Robert Snodgrass had planned to burn his bridges away from West Ham, then
he should feel very proud of himself! Having witnessed his 'performances'
first hand we suggest that he steps down from his cross and opens his eyes!

According to several news sources, particularly those in Scotland, when
Slaven Bilic decided to splash out £10million on Robert Snodgrass he failed
to research what position he best played. The criticism continued with that
kind of lack of preparation it's small wonder that the West Ham manager is
fighting to save his job with his side propping up the English Premier
League table without a single point.

29 year old Snodgrass this week ended his " hellish" seven month spell at
the Irons when he was reunited with his former boss Steve Bruce after
joining Aston Villa on a season long loan. Alarm bells started to ring from
his first West Ham game as Slaven Bilic introduced him from the bench
against Manchester City just days after his big money move from Hull.

Here are a selection of 'Snoddy's comments...

"I was coming on against City and he said 'Where do you want to play, on the
left or right?' "I thought 'You have just signed me and I have played on the
right or behind the striker at Hull City all season'."His answer was
basically that when people are confident they can play anywhere.""I joined
as Dimitri Payet left and maybe it was a case of 'you can play there'."But
I'd only filled in on the left on a couple of occasions. I hate that
position but when you are Scottish you are brought up to play anywhere."It's
fine to play for one or two games but you need to play in your right
position, especially on the back of scoring nine goals for Hull."At that
stage nobody had scored more goals for Hull or West Ham. The manager was
under a lot of pressure and I later said that out of respect I didn't want
to go in and see him during that period. "But when I eventually did speak to
him I said I thought he would have known I wasn't a left-midfielder and that
he must have watched me after signing me for that type of money.

"There are certain things that I can't really say here, but once you look at
it I ended up getting a lot of stick for something after joining at probably
the wrong time.there were a lot of broken promises and a lot of dishonesty
and I realised it wasn't what I am about. I want to wear my heart on my
sleeve and be loyal. What you see is what you get. Sometimes if that is not
a two-way street then I don't want to be part of it.He wanted me to play cup
games to try to impress but I said I had done it at international and
Premier League level and there was no way on earth I was staying to play cup
games."I have nothing to prove to anyone. I've scored nearly 100 goals in my
career and done it with a smile on my face.

I know myself that when there is a manager that knows how to get the best
out of you then it's different and that's why I chose Villa. I wanted to
work with Steve Bruce again. but when you're doing something for someone
they should come out publicly and explain the reasons why but that was never
done. "I've sat and let everyone else do the talking. They can go about
their business and I will go about mine which is playing football, enjoying
myself and being a good person every day. I have been at teams like Hull and
Norwich and when you have been signed for big money they need to play you to
get value. but West Ham are signing lads on double and treble what I signed
for and when you've got too many and lads aren't playing it's not a good
environment.they had to shift seven or eight out at the start of the season.
People can judge my time at West Ham whatever way they want."

Well we won't be seeing you again will we Snoddy! - Ed

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West Ham transfer news: Hammers striker Diafra Sakho poised to join Ligue 1
side Rennes in £9million deal
The 27-year-old looks set to depart the London Stadium after signing from
Metz in 2014
EXCLUSIVE
By Alan Nixon and Jake Lambourne
29th August 2017, 11:00 pm Updated: 30th August 2017, 2:36 am

WEST HAM are selling striker Diafra Sakho to French giants Rennes in a
£9million deal. The Senegalese hit man has had a tough time with the Hammers
after a glorious first season and he is clear to go. Rennes have agreed a
fee and Sakho is expected to accept personal terms and return to French
football where he made his name in the second tier with Metz. The Breton
outfit came into a windfall from the sell on clause in Ousmane Dembele's
move to Barcelona and came up with the cash for Sakho. They are now set to
bring in the 27-year-old to Ligue 1 after falling out of favour with Slaven
Bilic. Hampered by injuries last campaign, he only featured four times in
all competitions – scoring once. The season before he managed seven strikes,
but in his debut year in England he managed to find the back of the net on
12 occasions. He was awarded the Premier League player of the month in
October 2014 – having scored in six consecutive top-flight matches.

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West Ham could kick start Inter Milan transfer triangle if they beat Everton
to major signing
The Hammers could play their part indirectly in another move
Footbll London
BYALASDAIR GOLD
07:00, 30 AUG 2017

West Ham's move for Benfica striker Raul Jimenez could kick start a move for
one Inter Milan star before the transfer window shuts. The Hammers are
reportedly keen on bringing the Mexico international to London, although
they face competition as Everton are also believed to be keen on moving for
the 26-year-old.
Jimenez almost joined the Hammers in 2015 but he failed to show up for a
medical as his alarm clock didn't go off on time. Now, Portuguese media
outlet Record are claiming that if West Ham can seal a deal for the Benfica
stiker then the Portuguese club will move quickly to replace him with Inter
Milan's 20-year-old Brazilian forward Gabriel Barbosa. Record had
previously stated that the Hammers would have to stump up £45.8m if they
wanted to sign the former Atletico Madrid striker and Benfica do not have
the funds to sign Barbosa if they can't offload Jimenez.

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Should West Ham Sign A Technical Director?
by Barrett Rouen
greenstreethammers.com

Modern football clubs are generally all run in a different manner to the way
they were 20 years ago. West Ham should look at modernizing. In a bid to
decentralize power and steady the ship should things go wrong the
know-all-be-all manager type has gone away while the technical director and
head coach model has succeeded. Should West Ham adapt too?

West Ham should hire a technical director, if not because it is the way that
modern clubs are run, then because they need the help. Too often the club
has trouble identifying targets and then uniting in a cohesive strategy to
recruit them. The Iheanacho horror-show was an excellent example of that
very problem.

With the inflation in the transfer market it is important for scouting to be
a year round objective. Teams need to look harder, farther and more often
for talent because the rising price of established players is continuously
moving out of the attainable areas for middle level teams. That is exactly
why a manager cannot be tasked with the job and expected to look after the
day to day improvements of his team as well. It's simply an impossible task.

In a perfect world the reason why this works is because both the technical
director and head coach are united in their vision for the club and two
heads are essentially better than one. One person spends every waking hour
searching the world and market for deals that can make the squad better
while the other continues to improve that very same team in as many ways as
humanly possible.

In the bad scenario in which either one of the positions is hired having the
other one still in place creates a level of consistency to oversee the
transition period the club will inevitably fall into during their search for
a new person.

West Ham should hire a technical director because quite frankly they need
more people dedicated to the cause. There's no reason in the world why the
club can't regularly be competing for a place in Europe. They just need to
try and make it happen far more often.

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West Ham flop says he was utterly bemused by Slaven Bilic's comments after
he signed
HITC
Dan Coombs

Robert Snodgrass hits out at West Ham manager Slaven Bilic. Robert Snodgrass
clinched an exit from West Ham last week, moving on loan to Aston Villa. It
brought to an end an unhappy few months in east London, and Snodgrass
believes he was up against it from day one. Speaking to The Mail, Snodgrass
has hit out at Hammers manager Slaven Bilic, suggesting he had no idea of
how to best utilise him. He said: "I was coming on against Manchester City
and he said, 'Where do you want to play, on the left or right?',' Snodgrass
recalled. "I thought, 'You've just signed me and I've played on the right or
behind the striker at Hull City all season. I found it very strange. That
was my debut. And every time I played I was on the left. I don't know why he
did it."

Robert Snodgrass of West Ham United heads towards goal during the Premier
League match between Hull City and West Ham United at KCOM Stadium on April
1, 2017 in Hull, England. Snodgrass added that he refused the chance to
stay, and was attracted by the chance to work with his former Hull boss
Steve Bruce, at new club Aston Villa. He said: "I wanted to work with Steve
Bruce again. At West Ham, he (Bilic) wanted me to play cup games to try and
impress but I said I'd done it at international level and Premier League and
there was no way on earth I was staying to play cup games."

Snodgrass missed an entire season in 2014/15 with a serious knee injury and
it is understandable he would not want to effectively waste another
campaign.
He was not a popular player among West Ham fans, who did not see the best
out of him. Snodgrass' suggestion that he was played out of position offers
some explanation for his underwhelming displays. Bilic is no certainty to
still be West Ham manager next season the way things are going, but if he
is, then it's unlikely Snodgrass will ever play for the club again.

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Aston Villa's Snodgrass continues to run his mouth
By Jack Greene - August 29, 2017
From the Web

New Aston Villa signing Robert Snodgrass has made little to no attempt to
hide how he feels about his parent's club boss, West Ham's Slaven Bilic,
over the last few days since he sealed his loan signing. The Scottish
international winger has talked and talked and talked about how he wasn't
given a chance, how Bilic isn't the right man for the job, and in his latest
bit of talking he's said that Bilic didn't know how to use him properly.
This is not a defense of Slaven Bilic, who for all accounts and purposes,
has done a dreadful job of late at West Ham. However, there is a lot to be
said in this in his defense. When a player goes to a club, and he doesn't
play hardly ever, there is a problem.
It's not typically the manager. Rather it is with the player. Snodgrass
begged and pleaded to leave Hull City, who were desperately needing points.
They utilized him as best they could, playing him in his preferred position
and letting him do what he does. Yet, he wanted to leave and go to West Ham.
At the Hammers, he was found out. Not that he is a bad player, rather that
he is not cut out for a mid-table team even. He doesn't possess the speed
needed, he doesn't track back well enough, and his threat is too one
dimensional. We've all had times in our lives where we were rejected. We all
have faults. If Mr. Snodgrass wants to improve, he needs to recognize them.
Otherwise, he will burn out at Aston Villa in the same exact manner that he
did at West Ham.

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West Ham ace Angelo Ogbonna refusing to leave as part of proposed swap deal
for Marcelo Brozovic
HITC
Olly Dawes

West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna is reportedly blocking a swap deal
involving Inter Milan's Marcelo Brozovic. According to Sky Italia's Gianluca
Di Marzio, Inter Milan have proposed a swap deal involving Marcelo Brozovic
and West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna - but the latter is refusing to make
the move.
West Ham were hoping to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last
season by bringing in Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Marko Arnautovic and Javier
Hernandez, but results so far have manager Slaven Bilic under pressure once
again. The Hammers have lost all three of their Premier League games so far
this season, with some fans calling for Bilic to go after Saturday's
shambolic 3-0 defeat at Newcastle United. The poor early season form may
force Bilic to dip back into the transfer market, and reports in Italy
suggest that West Ham have been offered a swap deal that may have been
somewhat appealing to the West Ham boss.
Sky Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Inter Milan have attempted to
sign West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna by offering a swap deal involving
midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, but the deal looks unlikely to go through
before Thursday's transfer deadline. It's claimed that Italian international
Ogbonna wants to stay with West Ham, meaning Inter are now looking towards
the likes of Eliaquim Mangala and Shkodran Mustafi as they desperately bid
to bring a centre back to the San Siro. Ogbonna has been fairly solid for
West Ham since signing from Juventus in 2015, and whilst he has suffered
injury problems, he will be hoping for a strong campaign this term to get
into the Italy World Cup squad next summer, rather than risk sitting on the
bench with Inter. Bilic may well have been tempted by a deal for compatriot
Brozovic though, as the Croatian midfielder would have brought versatility
as well as quality on the ball, with Bilic no doubt well aware of what the
former Dinamo Zagreb man can do. The 24-year-old is surplus to requirements
with Inter, and whilst a swap deal may have been appealing, Ogbonna's
refusal to move means that West Ham seemingly won't be acquiring playmaker
Brozovic before the transfer deadline.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 30th August 2017

Seven facts you might not know about Sir Trevor Brooking
WHUFC.com

August 29 2017 marks 50 years to the day that a certain Sir Trevor Brooking made his very first appearance for West Ham United. The midfielder played on the right-wing in a 3-3 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor, and so began the start of one of the most iconic careers in West Ham United history.

On the anniversary of Sir Trevor's special day we've taken a look at seven facts about the man himself you might not have known about:

He was also offered deals by Tottenham and Chelsea

Sir Trevor is undoubtedly a West Ham United legend. However things could have gone very differently for the iconic No10 - and he may have never played for West Ham at all - had he and his parents accepted a very different deal.

Brooking's signature at 15 was also pursued by Chelsea and Tottenham, with all three clubs offering him an apprenticeship. Only West Ham United would allow him to finish his studies at school though and despite Chelsea offering his parents a £500 signing fee and a car, Brooking opted to sign with the Hammers in July 1965.

Only three players have made more appearances for West Ham United

What a career Sir Trevor had with West Ham United! The midfielder played for the Club for 18 seasons between 1966-1984, amassing an incredible 643 appearances across all competitions for the Irons.

This number has been bettered by only three other players in the Club's history. The one-and-only Bobby Moore played in just one more match for the Hammers with 644. Frank Lampard Sr featured in 670 matches for West Ham during his career but the record holder, with 799 showings, is Billy Bonds.

He is West Ham United's eighth highest scorer ever

During his West Ham United career Sir Trevor netted 102 goals for the Hammers, a record that has only been bettered by seven other players in the Club's history.

Sir Trevor's best campaign saw the No10 net 11 times in the 1972/73 season for the Hammers, but his consistency across his lengthy spell with the Irons meant he rightfully earned his stance as one of West Ham United's top ever goal-scorers.

He scored the winning FA Cup goal in 1980

Now, you probably knew this one. But it's so good it just had to be mentioned.

Sir Trevor helped the Hammers to win two FA Cups, in 1975 and 1980, and he was the goalscorer in the second of those victories as the Irons saw off Arsenal 1-0.

The midfielder scored a rare header in the 13th minute to hand West Ham United the trophy and is still the last time a club from outside the top flight won the competition.

He has won the most Hammer of the Year awards

Sir Trevor's performances for West Ham United were legendary with the No10 the first player to win three consecutive Hammer of the Year awards - between 1976-1978.

The midfielder ended up winning five Hammer of the Year awards during his career, the only player in the history of the Club to do so with his other wins coming in 1972 and 1984.

Four players - Billy Bonds, Bobby Moore and Julian Dicks - have claimed the award on four occasions and Scott Parker is the only other player to win three consecutive Hammer of the Year honours.

He has managed West Ham United as well

Okay, Sir Trevor's never actually been employed as West Ham United manager, but the former No10 has been the club's caretaker boss on two occasions.

Both of those spells came in 2003. Sir Trevor took charge of West Ham United for the final three games of the 2002/03 campaign, picking up seven points, and also managed the team for 11 matches of the 2003/04 season in the Championship.

Of the 14 games Sir Trevor has been West Ham United's (caretaker) manager he lost just once, and claimed 31 points out of a possible 42.

His variety of nicknames at West Ham United

There's no doubt that Sir Trevor has earned his status as one of the best players to ever grace the pitch for West Ham United, but his different attributes also saw the midfielder given three different nicknames during his time with the Club.

As a youngster Brooking had yet to fully develop and was therefore prone to being outmuscled by opponents. This led to his teammates calling him 'Cyril', after Cyril Lord the carpet salesman, because manager Ron Greenwood had told him "you're always on the floor".

His second was gifted to him due to a lack of natural pace. Although technically sensational Sir Trevor was never blessed with outstanding speed, leasing to his teammates dubbing him 'Boog' - after a slow baseball player called Boog Powell that the team had watched in action during a tour of the United States.

Sir Trevor's final nickname - 'Hadleigh' - comes from the lead character of a television show of the same name known for his gentlemanly conduct. The former No10's lack of bookings during his West Ham United career, and sporting behaviour, saw him called 'Hadleigh' by his teammates.

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International Hammers: Who is playing, who has nearly qualified for the World Cup and where can I watch?
WHUFC.com

The first international break of the 2016/17 season is upon us and that means West Ham United players are jetting all over the world to represent their countries.

No fewer than 18 Hammers have been called-up by their respective nations, with FIFA World Cup qualifiers and friendly matches to be played in venues from Mexico City to Ougadougou and Astana to London.

Here's all you need to know about the Hammers' international commitments over the next fortnight...

Which Hammers have been called-up for international duty?

Eighteen (yes, 18!) West Ham United players have been called-up, including eleven seniors and six at age-group level. Take a deep breath... OK, here we go!

Marko Arnautovic (Austria), Andre Ayew (Ghana), Chicharito (Mexico), James Collins (Wales), Conor Coventry (Republic of Ireland U19), Aaron Cresswell (England), Edimilson Fernandes (Switzerland), Jose Fonte (Portugal), Sead Haksabanovic (Montenegro), Joe Hart (England), Dan Kemp (England U19), Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal), Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo), Rihards Matrevics (Latvia U19), Domingos Quina (Portugal U20), Anthony Scully (Republic of Ireland U19) and Nathan Trott (England U20)

Unfortunately a 19th Hammer, Manuel Lanzini, was removed the Argentina squad for two FIFA World Cup qualifiers due to a right knee injury.

Where can I watch the Hammers on TV?

ITV, Sky Sports and BT Sport are the official broadcasters of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in the UK, with ITV covering England games, Sky showing the European matches and BT bringing viewers the African ties.

Starting in Europe, Sead Haksabanovic and Montenegro travel to Kazakhstan in Group E on Friday 1 September, with Sky Sports Football showing the 5pm kick-off, before ITV bring us Joe Hart, Aaron Cresswell and England's Group F qualifier from Malta at 7.45pm.

Sky Sports Football will also be there as James Collins and Marko Arnautovic square-off when Wales host Austria in Group D in Cardiff on Saturday 2 September at 7.45pm.

England's home game with Slovakia at Wembley on Monday (7.45pm) and Wales' trip to Moldova on Tuesday (7.45pm) will be shown by ITV and Sky Sports Mix respectively.

Jose Fonte's Portugal sit second in UEFA Group B, three points behind Edimilson Fernandes' Switzerland. The Euro 2016 champions' qualifier in Hungary on Sunday will be screened live by ITV4 at 7.45pm.

Last but not least, Cheikhou Kouyate's Senegal host Burkina Faso on Saturday at 9pm, live on BT Sport 1.
Getty Images
Are any of our lads close to sealing qualification for Russia 2018?

Yes. Chicharito is the closest, with his Mexico side needing just one more win to secure their place at next summer's FIFA World Cup finals.

El Tri sit top of the CONCACAF Round 5 group with 14 points from six matches. Victory in either their home tie with Panama in Mexico City in the early hours of Saturday morning (2.30am BST) or in Costa Rica next Wednesday (3.05am BST) will be enough to send Mexico to Russia.

Potential DR Congo debutant Arthur Masuaku arrives with his new national team unbeaten at the top of CAF Group A. Victory in their double-header with Tunisia would all but book their place at their second World Cup finals appearance.

What about the younger lads?

Seven teenagers have been called-up at the various age-group levels - three by Republic of Ireland, two by England and one each by Latvia and Portugal.

Fresh from winning the European U19 Championship with England, Nathan Trott is now in the U20 squad for friendly matches with the Netherlands on Thursday and in Switzerland on Monday.

Portugal's Domingos Quina was on the losing side in that U19 final and he too has been included in his country's U20 squad. They host the Czech Republic on Thursday before traveling to the Netherlands on Monday.

Elsewhere, Declan Rice could make his Ireland U21 debut in a European Championship qualifier in Azerbaijan on Tuesday, while Dan Kemp is in the England U19 squad for a home friendly with Poland on Friday.

Conor Coventry, Anthony Scully and Ireland U19s have a friendly double-header with the Czech Republic, while goalkeeper Rihards Matrevics travel to Greece for two matches.

So, can you tell me the full story?

Of course! Here is a complete list of international fixtures potentially involving West Ham United players - in chronological order. For simplicity, all times are BST!

Thursday 31 August

Sead Haksabanovic, Kazakhstan v Montenegro, UEFA Group E, Astana, 5pm
Nathan Trott, England U20 v Netherlands U20, Friendly, Telford, 7pm
Domingos Quina, Portugal U20 v Czech Republic U20, Friendly, Abrantes, 7pm
Edimilson Fernandes, Switzerland v Andorra, UEFA Group B, St Gallen, 7.45pm
Jose Fonte, Portugal v Faroe Islands, UEFA Group B, Porto, 7.45pm

Friday 1 September

Andre Ayew, Ghana v Congo, CAF Group E, Kumasi, 2.30pm
Dan Kemp, England U19 v Poland U19, Friendly, St George's Park, 7pm
Aaron Cresswell/Joe Hart, Malta v England, UEFA Group F, Ta'Qali, 7.45pm
Arthur Masuaku, Tunisia v DR Congo, CAF Group A, Rades, 9pm

Saturday 2 September

Chicharito, Mexico v Panama, CONCACAF Round 5, Mexico City, 2.30am
Domingos Quina, Netherlands U20 v Portugal U20, Friendly, Rijnsburg, 1pm
Rihards Matrevics, Greece U19 v Latvia U19, Friendly, Agrinio, TBC
Cheikhou Kouyate, Senegal v Burkina Faso, CAF Group D, Dakar, 7pm
James Collins/Marko Arnautovic, Wales v Austria, UEFA Group D, Cardiff, 7.45pm
Conor Coventry/Anthony Scully, Republic of Ireland U19 v Czech Republic U19, Friendly, Waterford, 7.45pm
Getty Images
Sunday 3 September

Edimilson Fernandes, Latvia v Switzerland, UEFA Group B, Riga, 7.45pm
Jose Fonte, Hungary v Portugal, UEFA Group B, Budapest, 7.45pm

Monday 4 September

Conor Coventry/Anthony Scully, Republic of Ireland U19 v Czech Republic U19, Friendly, Waterford, 1pm
Rihards Matrevics, Greece U19 v Latvia U19, Friendly, Agrinio, TBC
Nathan Trott, Switzerland U20 v England U20, Friendly, Winterthur, 5pm
Sead Haksabanovic, Montenegro v Romania, UEFA Group E, Podgorica, 7.45pm
Aaron Cresswell/Joe Hart, England v Slovakia, UEFA Group F, Wembley, 7.45pm

Tuesday 5 September

Declan Rice, Azerbaijan U21 v Republic of Ireland U21, Euro Group 5, Baku, 1pm
Cheikhou Kouyate, Burkina Faso v Senegal, CAF Group D, Ougadougou, 5pm
Arthur Masuaku, DR Congo v Tunisia, CAF Group A, Kinshasa, 7.30pm
Dan Kemp, England U19 v Germany U19, Friendly, Mansfield, 7pm
Andre Ayew, Congo v Ghana, CAF Group D, Brazzaville, 7.45pm
James Collins, Moldova v Wales, UEFA Group D, Chisinau, 7.45pm
Marko Arnautovic, Austria v Georgia, UEFA Group D, Vienna, 7.45pm

Wednesday 6 September

Chicharito, Costa Rica v Mexico, CONCACAF Round 5, San Jose, 3.05am

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50 years on: Sir Trevor Brooking remembers his Hammers debut
WHUFC.com

August 29, 1967. Burnley 3 West Ham United 3 in the old First Division. The record books show that West Ham's goalscorers that day were England's World Cup heroes Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. However, the fixture was also notable for the senior first-team debut of an 18-year-old local lad by the name of Trevor Brooking. Little did anyone present at Turf Moor know then that the tall, slim, dark-haired midfielder would go on to make 643 appearances over a period of 17 years, winning two FA Cups, 47 England caps and five Hammer of the Year awards, with his services to the game eventually earning a deserved knighthood.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary, Sir Trevor recently made a visit to Chadwell Heath, now the dedicated headquarters of West Ham's Academy players and staff, and reflected on the day when it all began for him half a century ago. "Burnley were one of the top sides in the 60s," recalled Sir Trevor. "The day before, Ron Greenwood pulled me aside and said I would be travelling up to Turf Moor with the squad and starting the game. He told me that he preferred to give young players their debut away from home, without the pressure of the home crowd. "I played a wider role on the left of midfield against Burnley which, funnily enough, was the case when I first got my chance with England, before moving to my preferred position in the centre. "It was obviously a big game for me, and a 3-3 draw was a really good result for us up there. Our goalscorers, ironically, were Moore, Hurst and Peters. Not a bad trio!"

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IN SLAVEN WE TRUST….
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 29 AUGUST 2017 AT 3:50PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Mike Buckler – Block 217

This is my first article for TWHW, and I hope to do many more. I just wish my first one were more positive!

I write this critique with a heavy heart, but a very clear mind. I've been a West Ham supporter my whole life, and have been a season ticket holder through good times and bad. The club hasn't won a single piece of serious silverware (excluding play-off finals) in my lifetime, yet my love for West Ham is unconditional and my loyalty unwavering. That doesn't mean I'll tolerate a lack of strategy and ambition, though, so I'm prepared to speak up when I don't think things are right.

It would be easy to write-off criticism of the manager and team as 'knee-jerk' when we are just two away fixtures into the new season, and the first of those against a resurgent Manchester United. However, the core issues at West Ham have existed for many years, and I therefore think it is time that everyone associated with the club considers the root causes of these issues.

I think our shortcomings, when it comes to performances and results, point to critical flaws with the manager, but we – the supporters – are also not entirely blameless. I'll focus on the manager here, but will write another article soon about the impact on the club of fans being too sentimental and nostalgic.

Slaven Bilic is, on paper, everything West Ham could possibly want from a manager. He proudly wore the claret and blue threads in the prime years of his career, and was part of the Croatian team that finished third in World Cup '98. After retiring as a player, Bilic coached Croatia for over 6 years, leading them to the late stages of an international tournament, and he worked with some very talented players in the process. He is intelligent, articulate, and likeable. And his most compelling attribute- he understands the history and culture of the club, and he is clear as day when talking to the media about what the supporters expect from the players and the team on the pitch.

So why do I believe Slaven is largely at fault for all of the on-field issues?

Well, for me it comes down to three areas where we are seriously lacking, and he is ultimately responsible for all of them.

Quality, depth and balance of the squad
Physical and mental conditioning of the players
Formation, team selection, tactics and playing style
Quality, depth and balance of the squad

If Bilic is responsible for assembling the first team squad, then he is responsible for identifying players that add quality, depth and balance. Whilst there is no doubt in my mind that we have added the right calibre of player this summer, for which he and the Chairmen should be commended, the outcomes of the previous two transfer windows were appalling. £40m spent in less than six months for Ayew, Fonte and Snodgrass might honestly be the worst business in football. Ever.

Subsequently, we are still lacking (reliable) depth in certain positions and the squad is getting worryingly older. If I were in charge, I would sign a pair of young forwards with high potential, one that could play on the left and one to play up top. But the depth and balance of our squad would, of course, be less of an issue if Bilic were more willing to give our talented youngsters a chance in their right positions. For example, I would start Declan Rice alongside Reid (if available) in our next match against Newcastle, because I'm sure he would do a much better job than Fonte or Ogbonna.

Finally, a real irritation for all supporters is that throughout Slaven's tenue as manager he has repeatedly played some of our best players out of position. This is a direct consequence of not adding enough depth to the squad, either through recruitment or giving academy prospects an opportunity. After two games this season it seems that Bilic is less inclined to do this but, as I have already mentioned, I'd like to see Declan Rice given a chance at centre half rather than as a defensive midfielder.

Physical and mental conditioning of the players

One of my biggest concerns right now is that most of the players are lacking match fitness, stamina and discipline. For the last two years, pre-season has been more about travelling around the world playing exhibition-style matches, rather than properly preparing the squad for Premier League football. The pre-season programme and schedule of managers must come under Slaven's responsibility, so he is accountable. You could also argue that we only got off to a flyer in Bilic's first season in charge because we were forced to play competitive Europa League football from the beginning of July.

Let's also consider that if the rumours coming from inside and outside the club are true – that training under Bilic lacks intensity – then there is little wonder why the players are complacent and ill-disciplined on match days. I can't help but feel that Bilic's personality and management style are akin to a teacher at school that is every pupil's mate, but that he isn't strict enough when it matters and therefore doesn't necessarily get the best performance and grades out of the students.

I was part of the majority of supporters that were pleased to see the back of Big Sam, but Bilic could learn a great deal from his obsession with optimising performance through sports science.

Formation, team selection, tactics and playing style

Perhaps the most damning criticism of Bilic is that he doesn't seem to have a preferred system, nor does he appear to know his best eleven when everyone is fit. And when it comes to team selection, he shows loyalty for the wrong reasons- players should be in the team on merit, not because of their CV, or the fact that they were born in Canning Town!

Based on the talent in the squad, I think we should play a system either with four at the back and two up top, or five at the back with one up top. Crucially, without a fit Andy Carroll or Diafra Sakho, which we all know is most of the time, we are not maximising our talent by playing a system with one striker through the middle. Few would argue that Chicharito is our most talented striker, so it is abundantly clear to me that playing him up top on his own will limit his ability to score. I am fully prepared to be proved wrong once we see him joined on the field by Lanzini, but I still feel a system with two strikers would help alleviate the pressure on our defence.

When it comes to tactics and playing style, West Ham has quite a negative identity under Bilic. The formation often invites too much pressure on our defence, and we don't seem to move the ball quickly enough in transition to pose an effective counter attack. Playing two defensive midfielders in front of two centre halves isn't a guarantee to conceding fewer goals. On the contrary, the best teams in the Premier League (generally speaking) keep more clean sheets, and I believe that is in part because they spend more time attacking than defending. If the club succeeds in signing William Carvahlo, then perhaps Bilic will have the confidence to play just one defensive midfielder, which would allow him to give Chicharito a strike partner. Time will tell.

I'd like to conclude the article by saying that I am desperate for Slaven to turn things around, because he seems to be a top bloke and like most West Ham fans I suffer from an illogical sense of sentimentality and nostalgia. The problem, though, is that all of the issues I've covered in this article have existed throughout Bilic's tenure, and I'm not convinced he will change any time soon.

What do you think? I'd like to hear from you!

COYI

Mike Buckler – Block 217

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A TIME FOR COOL HEADS
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 29 AUGUST 2017 AT 2:09PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @FarehamHammer

Well that was shocking wasn't it? I just could not believe the team list when I saw it and I bet neither could you either. Picking a midfield of Noble, Rice and Fernandes, when you had Kouyate, Obiang and Lanzini on the bench was UTTER MADNESS. A bit like you and I being in bed, flanked by Suzanne Boyle on one side, Beyoncé on the other and deciding to s*** Suzanne Boyle. Some will say Kouyate and Lanzini were not fully match fit. Christ on a bike! We were playing Newcastle a team bereft of any confidence; if we attacked them from the off-it would of paid dividends. Then at the appropriate time, once the damage is done, the manager brings the trio off individually. He is in training every day and should know the level of fitness of each player. Part of me wonders if he picked the starting midfield trio on purpose, in an effort to get The Board to bring in Carvalho. Stupid and suicidal if he did.

Something does not ring right in regards to the chairman and Bilic. Slaven keeps on talking about: net spend, players sold as a result we have money to spend, saying the squad is not is not big enough. Yes, I know he said yesterday that he was "satisfied with his squad"- I don't believe that. I think that he was told that there is no more dough and has had no option but to put a positive spin on things. A while back he said that the board did well and there would be no more big signings. It is clear that the manager desperately wants Carvalho. I think Carvalho's name has been leaked to the media from Slaven's people. Why would G&S leak Carvalho's name to the media? There are no season tickets to be sold and they had delivered in their promise to bring in four proven Premiership quality players. Till Carvalho's name appeared in the media, most were happy with the window They were content to see what transpires in the dying days of the transfer window. If there has been a rift between the board and Slaven over Carvalho, things like that would also affect the players-which in turn results in performances like yesterday.

Well apparently the chairman and Bilic met and had two positive meetings. Those baying for Bilic's blood reminded me of those baying for Jesus's at The Crucifixion. Unlike Pontius Pilate, Gold and Sullivan did not deliver them Slaven's blood. They don't like sacking managers. It would cost a lot of money for starters. They would have to pay off Bilic and his staff, bring in a new manager and his team. He will want to bring in his own signings, what happens to the players bought for Slaven? Far too much dough! I have no doubt though that Sullivan has told Slaven that things must improve on the pitch ASAP. I would guess that Slaven would have told Sullivan that although we have done good business it's not enough-which is true. Our squad's depth is paper thin and unbalanced. We are playing catch up this season, due to last season's summer fiasco and both Slaven and the board are to blame. Look there is no doubt that The Board DO believe in Bilic. The way they went out of their way to land Javier Hernandez speaks for itself. I also think they will sanction a couple more players brought in, possibly even try at this late hour to land Carvalho. Although like anything in life, you don't always get what you want. If that were to happen, I could see someone like Obiang being sold. Sadly Slaven does not seem to rate him somehow.

One of the biggest issues Slaven Bilic has to deal with is the Mark Noble one. Playing Noble is costing West Ham in match after match. No it is not a case of not 'respecting' Noble, some want the boy from Canning Town in the team at any cost. They would rather have the likes of Obiang, who is different class to Noble SOLD, if it meant Noble kept his place in the team. Their basis for keeping him in the team? He's 'West Ham'. Then in that case Slaven, has got to play you or me in the team, as we are 'West Ham'. The simple reality about Noble is this: He has absolutely no pace, offers nothing going forward, resorts to vicious fouls in dangerous positions, as he is too slow to get back. When closed down quickly, is either dispossessed or passes straight to the opposition. He offers nothing offensively, passing anywhere but forward (will come back to that in a mo.). The opposition know he is the weak link and exploit that. Cutting through our midfield like a knife through butter. As a result our defence has no protection. The strikers also get no service, as a result they have to drop to the half way line to collect the ball! How can you hurt the opposition like that?

So what IF we sign William Carvalho? A huge imposing defensive midfielder, not much gets past him. This would surely mean the end of Noble? Ironically not. It could well be The SALVATION of Noble! Some of Noble's best football was played when 'The Wardrobe' Papa Diop played for the Cub. Diop was like Carvalho, a big imposing man. He shielded Noble, giving him time and space on the ball. As a result Noble switched play superbly at times. Popping up here there and everywhere, giving short crisp passes, and keeping the ball moving. Carvalho or no Carvalho a change of captaincy is needed, Noble is not suited to the role of Captain, too quick to lose his head, give it to someone like Zabaleta. Someone who knows how to steady ship that is exactly what we need now. A steady hand. Yes Saturday was bad but time for some leadership on and off the pitch to be shown and get the good ship West Ham United sailing forward. Why not? You know as well as I do, that we have the potential to do that. Bilic? The future is in his hands. Time to deliver! And us the supporters? Win a few games and it will be; Super Slav! Super Slav! Super SLAVEN BILIC!

We are more than a football club, we're a way of life!

COYI!!

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Not another long goodbye…　
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 29th August 2017
By: Paul Walker

We've all been here before, haven't we? Slaven Bilic is on the naughty step again and Lord Sully has the raging hump. Is this just another tedious chapter in the long, long goodbye for yet another manager?

To my recollection, this is the third, maybe second, time in the past year that West Ham's manager has been summoned (never asked politely to pop over for a chat, but summoned by the powers on high) for a showdown with our chairman as yet another calamity in the 'other' Eastenders soap opera gathers speed.

It is always the same. The team lose a string of games, and Bilic gets told he has four games to save his job. I recall way back at the beginning of last season we were out of Europe and getting battered by everybody from Manchester City to Watford. Five defeats in six if I recall.

We are then due to face Spurs, Manchester United twice, Arsenal and Liverpool and Bilic is put under tremendous pressure to turn things around. We end up being unlucky to lose at Spurs and draw at Man U and Liverpool.

Then it happens again. We lose to Chelsea, Bournemouth, Leicester, Hull and Arsenal on the spin. Lose the next one at home to Swansea and Slav is toast, we are told. We win 1-0.

Somehow we claw our way to 11th after one defeat in the last seven. But there is still a far-reaching end of season review and it all totters on through the summer, with Slav changing his medical staff rather than axing his coaches as the board seem to want.

Now after a seemingly never ending tour of the western world--Austria (twice), Bremen (twice), Hamburg, Iceland, Manchester, Southampton, Cheltenham and Newcastle in 41 demanding days, we find ourselves rock bottom of the table and Slav taking the blame.

It's getting tedious, boring and predictable. The same complaints from the fans and the board are repeated over and over. Slav can't organise a defence to save his life, the team show no pace, desire, effort or belief and we are going through new signings ten to the dozen.

Now we are told the board are unhappy with the application, team selection and tactics. Many of the fans who have supported Slav through all this turmoil are turning against him.

It's all turning nasty and the inevitable seems closer than ever. David Sullivan, though, knows he faces a decision he clearly does not want to take. The fan base are split on so many things, but Bilic--to those who are anti-board--is their shining light, the rekindling of a West Ham many feel has gone forever.

You sense that fans who are supportive of the board want a change in management. Light the claret and blue touch paper Dave, and stand well back.

Jamie Redknapp reckons Bilic is still suffering from the transfer shambles of last summer, he may well be right. This window has seen five new players signed, only three who cost a transfer fee. Sullivan was being praised to the heavens for his work in getting Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Javier Hernandez, Marko Arnautovic to the club.

Even the promising kid, Saed Haksabanovic was considered a coup.

Since then, three weeks have been and gone and nobody has been added to the squad. In that time Bilic has clearly been told to sell to give the club the reduced wage bill to buy someone like William Carvalho.

We have sold £30m worth of players and the spend is about £42m. The worst aspect of the transfer dealings is that of the 18 players who have joined the club since Sam Byram arrived in January 2016, nine have already gone and that will be ten if Jose Fonte is sold to Crystal Palace. That's a shocking situation.

If you go back to the beginning of Bilic's reign, which started in June 2015, we have signed (bought or loaned) 48 players and 22 have already left. How you are supposed to forge a proper squad, team spirit and togetherness after that turnover is beyond me.

The other problem is the slow depleting of our squad. If you ignore the four lads from the academy who were released--they will always be replaced by promotion from within--14 players (sold or loaned)have left the club, and only the five previously mentioned have arrived.

Sullivan has, in effect, launched a culling of the nonsense of last summer, to get flops off the wage bill. But in doing so, Bilic's options have decreased.

The fact that so many injuries have hampered this season's preparation has added to the problem. We were promised two strikers would be signed. We only have Hernandez. Arnautovic, to me, is a wide attacking midfielder. He is not a striker. He can do that job, but so too can Michail Antonio, but it's not something want to be the norm.

We still need a commanding centre-back, a forceful holding midfield player and another striker. Andy Carroll, you may have noticed, is still not fit.

But none of this has happened, and in the last days of the window, I'm not holding my breath. At least Sullivan has not done the stupid thing and sacked a manager in a transfer window. Even now, the uncertainty will clearly put off possible arrivals, that's too obvious for words.

You can tell I am hedging my bets here. I too have grown frustrated with the current situation, and the flood of goals we concede. But don't forget, Bilic was told when he arrived that he had to change the style away from the big Sam era. Some how we don't seem to have hit on a happy medium.

Managers deserve longer than three matches, even if much of the problem is a hang-over from the previous season.

But the problem goes deeper. We are told that senior players are not carrying out instructions, that Mark Noble should be dropped, that people are played out of position.

Worse was a small line in an Ian Herbert report on the Newcastle game in the Mail. Ian's a good operator, and he came up with a carefully worded line: "There are thought to be tensions in the background about an element of Bilic's team selection elsewhere on the field", having previously discussed the problems at central defence.

Later he said "Noble is still an influence but not the player he was." The article was clearly saying this moaning was not coming from a fellow player, but someone behind the scenes. So now we have a non-playing member of the club staff briefing against the manager. That doesn't impress me one bit.

There are many who hope Bilic can turn this around in the four games he seemingly has been given. Huddersfield, Spurs and Swansea at home and West Brom away. Bilic has made mistakes and can clearly be stubborn, but no manager deserves the sort of sustained pressure from within the club that he has had to contend with over the past year.

Injuries and poor judgement in the market, plus the new stadium problems have dealt him a poor hand. I doubt he will survive another showdown with the chairman.

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Slaven Bilic to remain at West Ham for time being
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 29/08/17 7:38am
SSN

Slaven Bilic will remain West Ham manager for the time being, according to Sky sources. Sky Sports News understands the Croatian held talks with co-owner David Sullivan over the past two days following Saturday's 3-0 Premier League defeat at Newcastle. West Ham have lost all three of their Premier League matches so far this season and Bilic has been told that performances and results must improve. Sky Sports News understands West Ham were considering dismissing Bilic following the dismal result at St James' Park, which left them bottom of the Premier League. Bilic has also been told that the level of performance - against a newly-promoted team - was totally unacceptable. The 48-year-old has less than 11 months remaining on his current contract and talks about extending his deal were cancelled earlier this year after a series of poor results.
West Ham backed Bilic in the transfer market this summer following a disappointing 2016/17 campaign, with winger Marko Arnautovic arriving from Stoke for a club-record £25m fee. Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and Javier Hernandez have also joined the Hammers, but have so far been unable to inspire their new side to a positive result in the Premier League. West Ham's owners are big admirers of Rafael Benitez, whose own future at Newcastle is uncertain. The Spaniard has recently expressed discontent at the club's activity in the transfer market. Benitez was hours away from becoming West Ham's manager when they appointed Bilic two years ago but he was offered the Real Madrid job at the last minute. Sky Sports News understands Benitez has a release clause in his Newcastle contract that is more than £5m.

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Irons fail in 'keeper bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 29th August 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are reported to have had a bid for Dutch Joroen Zoet turned down. According to De Telegraaf, West Ham's bid of £3million (for a player rated in the £5-6million bracket) was recently rejected by the player's current club, PSV. And it is said that could alert fellow Premier League sides such as Newcastle, who have also been actively monitoring Zoet's situation despite being unwilling to meet his current asking price.

* Former Hammer Ravel Morrison is on his way to Mexico's MX League after agreeing to join Atlas. Still only 24, the troubled midfielder's career has already taken in spells at Manchester United, Birmingham, Queens Park Rangers, Lazio as well as West Ham. But having failed to shine in Serie A last season, Morrison is now heading for even warmer climes; he is expected to complete a free transfer to Atlas - who are currently 13th in the table - within the next day or two.

* Crystal Palace are being linked with an £8million move for West Ham's Jose Fonte. The former Southampton defender, who moved to east London in an £8million deal back in January has failed to settle and could be a surprise out ahead of this week's transfer deadline.

* Summer transfer targets Kevin Wimmer and Keita Balde have completed moves to Stoke City and Ligue 1 Monaco respectively. The Potters are reported to have paid around £18million for Austiran defender Wimmer, whilst Balde will set the French club back some €30million. West Ham emerged as a late contender to sign the 22-year-old striker in mid-July.

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Robert Snodgrass reveals he was forced to quit West Ham because manager Slaven Bilic wouldn't play him in his 'right position'
Robert Snodgrass joined Championship club Aston Villa on loan last week
He made just eight starts since joining the Hammers for £10million in January
Snodgrass says he was concerned about Bilic's plans for him from his debut
By Craig Hope for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:32, 29 August 2017 | UPDATED: 22:32, 29 August 2017

Robert Snodgrass says he was forced to quit West Ham after manager Slaven Bilic refused to play him in his preferred position. The Scotland winger joined Championship club Aston Villa on loan last week having made just eight starts since joining the Hammers in a £10million deal from Hull in January. But Snodgrass says he was concerned about Bilic's plans for him as early as his debut. 'I was coming on against Manchester City and he said, 'Where do you want to play, on the left or right?',' Snodgrass recalled. 'I thought, 'You've just signed me and I've played on the right or behind the striker at Hull City all season'. 'I found it very strange. That was my debut. And every time I played I was on the left. I don't know why he did it. 'I came in as (Dmitri) Payet had left and maybe it was a case of 'you can play there', but I'd only filled in on the left a couple of times. I'm not a left midfielder. I hate that position, I don't like it. 'It's fine to play for one or two games but you need to play in your right position, especially on the back of scoring nine goals for Hull. 'When I eventually did speak to him I said, 'You obviously signed me for that type of money and that you must have watched and seen that I wasn't a left midfielder'. 'His answer was basically that when people are confident they can play anywhere. That wasn't the case for me.' Snodgrass added: 'There were a lot of different things involved. There was a lot of broken promises, a lot of dishonesty and I thought this is not what I am about. 'I know myself that when there is a manager who knows how to get the best out of you then it's different - and that's why I chose Villa. I wanted to work with Steve Bruce again. 'At West Ham, he (Bilic) wanted me to play cup games to try and impress but I said I'd done it at international level and Premier League and there was no way on earth I was staying to play cup games. 'I've got nothing to prove to anyone. I've scored nearly 100 goals in my career and done it with a smile on my face. 'He (Bilic) knew I was good about the place and great with all the lads. But I need to play games - it's as simple as that.'

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Aleksandar Mitrovic faces retrospective ban after FA charge Newcastle striker for alleged act of violent conduct
The Toon star's raised arm during their win over West Ham wasn't seen by the on-pitch officials
The Mirror
BYAARON FLANAGAN
18:53, 29 AUG 2017UPDATED19:03, 29 AUG 2017

Aleksandar Mitrovic is facing a three game ban after being charged by the Football Association. The Newcastle striker has been charged with an alleged act of violent conduct from Saturday's win over West Ham. Mitrovic appeared to clash with Manuel Lanzini in an incident that was not seen by any of the match officials at St James' Park. The Serbian was a second half substitute and went on to score the third and final goal in the 3-0 win. An FA statement said: "Aleksandar Mitrovic has been charged for an alleged act of violent conduct which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video. "The Newcastle United forward was involved in an incident with West Ham United's Manuel Lanzini in the 80th minute of the game on Saturday (26 August 2017). "He has until 6pm on 30 August 2017 to respond to the charge."
FA chiefs are able to retrospectively ban footballers for incidents that are not included in a referee's post-match report. The statement continued: "Off the ball incidents which are not seen at the time by the match officials are referred to a panel of three former elite referees. "Each referee panel member will review the video footage independently of one another to determine whether they consider it a sending-off offence. "For retrospective action to be taken, and an FA charge to follow, the decision of the panel must be unanimous."

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Ravel Morrison set for career revival mission... in Mexico
fourfourtwo.com
The Lazio midfielder looks to be on the verge of joining Atlas FC on loan, in yet another bid to revive his career.

The Mirror have reported that former England youth international Morrison will join the Mexican side on a one-year loan deal, with the option to buy included at the end of the contract. The 24-year-old will join Atlas during a tough time – the Guadalajara side are currently fighting relegation and still suffering from the loss of their captain Rafa Marquez, who has been sanctioned by the U.S Treasury Department for an alleged connection to drug trafficking. Morrison was tipped for greatness and spoken about in the same breath as Paul Pogba during his time as a Manchester United youngster. However, due to problems on and off the field, his career has dwindled with short-term stints at Birmingham, West Ham, QPR, Cardiff and Lazio. It was reported that Harry Redknapp was open to taking Morrison on loan at Birmingham for the season (where he'd been on trial this summer), but a move never materialised and Morrison will apparently meet up with his new team-mates imminently.

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Where on earth did it all go wrong for Ravel Morrison?
fourfourtwo.com
In 2011, Ravel Morrison was the star of a Youth Cup-winning Manchester United outfit that featured Paul Pogba. So how come the Frenchman is now worth £90m, while his ex-teammate's in the Championship?
By Andy Mitten
Published
14 April 2017

Gary Neville chose a timely moment to learn the ropes in television. While he was still a player, the right-back commentated for MUTV in the 2010/11 season, climbing up a rickety ladder at Altrincham's Moss Lane ground or into the Old Trafford gantry to watch youth-team and reserve matches. Manchester United's junior side, featuring Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, shone, with one player especially sticking out.

"Ravel Morrison's ability was just a scandal," Neville tells FourFourTwo. "He was playing in a midfield three with Pogba and Ryan Tunnicliffe. All of them were outstanding, but Ravel was the principal game changer. He was an unbelievable talent, a Paul Gascoigne-type who could beat men and score some incredible goals. There are few players in central midfield who can beat people – Ravel could drift past them."

United midfield legend Paddy Crerand is prepared to go even further than Neville in his assessment of Morrison's potential. "Ravel was the best youngster I'd seen since George Best," he gushes. This is based on seeing almost every game Morrison played for United youth and reserve teams while working for MUTV. "Even in a side with Pogba, Ravel stood out. He was fast and had a quick football brain – everything a big star should have."

Paul McGuinness worked extensively with Morrison when he was the youth coach at United, a position that he held for 23 years until 2016. "Ravel has the quality that the very best players possess – timing," he tells FFT. "He has the ability to keep the ball until just the right moment to play the pass through the opposition's defence, or to entice some defenders in and then slip right past them."

After a particularly tough 2010/11 FA Youth Cup run which saw them eliminate some top teams, including Liverpool and Chelsea, United met Sheffield United in the two-legged final. The side from Manchester won 6-3 on aggregate with Morrison exceptional, bagging a brace in a 4-1 second-leg victory at Old Trafford. It meant a record 10th FA Youth Cup for United, with Tunnicliffe, Lingard, Pogba and Morrison all pictured with the trophy. They were making some waves.

"Ravel Morrison was younger than me but he was brought up to train with us," said Blackburn Rovers defender Corry Evans, then with United. "You could see his ability – he was effortless as he glided past players and could shoot and score with either foot."

Pogba and Morrison were the first to be given a chance with the first team, the latter making a cameo in a 2010 League Cup Fourth Round victory over Wolves, but neither would make the crucial breakthrough. Both ended up in Italy. Pogba became one of the most sought-after players in world football. Morrison did not.
Born in Wythenshawe in February 1993, Morrison didn't grow up on the vast 1930s council estate near Manchester airport which takes the same name, but rather in the upper working class/lower middle class region of west Manchester, in between Old Trafford and the Carrington training ground. United spotted Morrison while playing for Fletcher Moss Rangers, which picks up some of the best young Mancunian talents, but as Morrison progressed through the Red Devils' ranks, his behaviour and outside influences were becoming an issue.

United felt they'd done as much as they could and given him chance after chance. They had supported him even after he was convicted of intimidating a witness to a knifepoint robbery, for which he'd escaped with a 12-month referral order and was instructed to cough up £2,000 in compensation. And they also backed him after he admitted criminal damage, having thrown his partner's phone from her parents' window. Morrison was referred to Salford's youth offending team for domestic violence counselling, and then fined again.

Others at Old Trafford insist that if Morrison was 10 per cent less talented, his behaviour would have seen him thrown out of football by the time he hit 16
United had a vested interest. Alex Ferguson told senior players that Morrison was the biggest talent he had seen at United at the age of 14. Better than Paul Scholes, better than Ryan Giggs. Others at Old Trafford insist that if Morrison was 10 per cent less talented, his behaviour would have seen him thrown out of football by the time he hit 16.

But Ferguson persisted. He even moved him to the first-team dressing room, but the senior players soon became exasperated with the errant youngster. How could someone so talented, they thought, be at fault so often? Why was he always in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong crowd?
They'd all made the necessary sacrifices to become a professional footballer and they'd reached the very top. The rewards were there for Morrison to see every day – the status, respect and accoutrements of wealth. It frustrated them even more that someone with such natural talent appeared to be throwing it all away.
Morrison has been portrayed as a thick thug, but those who know him well insist that is not the case. His intelligence extends beyond what he can do with a football, but circumstances in his life haven't helped him.

People hold back when they're talking about Morrison. He turned 24 in February but his career is still alive and they don't want to damage his prospects. He is not the bore sitting at the end of the bar saying what could have been. He's still a professional and people who know him hope he'll carve a successful career. Many are Mancunians, who'd love him to fulfil his immense talent and believe he just needs a break.

"He was actually a nice lad," says Crerand, who grew up in Glasgow's notorious Gorbals. "Quiet and respectful. Sometimes when you grow up with a group of lads, some go astray and you don't. When you're the one getting a few quid, that can be an issue."

Personal problems
Many have tried to help him. When Morrison played for England U21s, scoring twice against Lithuania in October 2013, boss Gareth Southgate thought he had him on the straight and narrow and hoped that he would soon be playing with the senior team. Roy Hodgson agreed.
There's a clip of a Morrison goal from one of Southgate's training sessions which shows his outrageous skill. A cross comes in, and just as he appears ready to volley it, he turns his body and flicks the ball in with the back of his leg – it earned a second round of applause in that session. He scored similar goals at United.

Other coaches in England's younger age groups who'd experienced Morrison found him more difficult to work with and were reluctant to take him away on three-day trips abroad. "He's had deep-rooted issues and you can either point to him and say he doesn't know how to behave and is at fault," a United source explains to us, "or you can say he is a by-product of his upbringing, a victim who needs some help and guidance. He thought that things that were socially unacceptable were acceptable. He comes from an environment where gangs are prevalent and authority is distrusted, where you look after your own if there's an issue, not call the police."

Ferguson had worked with players from tough backgrounds before, including some of his very best. Although he'd finally said goodbye a year earlier, the Scot didn't mention Morrison in his second book, published in 2013. He did, however, in his 2015 tome titled Leading. Sadly there are examples of players who have similar backgrounds to Giggs or Cristiano Ronaldo who, despite enormous natural talent, just aren't emotionally or mentally strong enough to overcome the hurts of their childhood and their inner demons," wrote Ferguson. Ravel Morrison might be the saddest case. He possessed as much natural talent as any youngster we ever signed, but he kept getting into trouble. It was painful to sell him to West Ham in January 2012 because he could have been a fantastic player. But, over a period of several years, the problems off the pitch continued to escalate and so we had little option but to cut the cord."

"That's a genius goal"
Morrison's transfer fee was £650,000, rising to £2.5 million pending appearances of £25,000 per game. On one level, ample compensation for someone who cost nothing and whose United career amounted to three substitute outings for the first team. "I hope you can sort him out, because if you can he will be a genius," Ferguson told then-Hammers manager Sam Allardyce. "He's a brilliant player," the Scot said. "Brilliant ability, top-class ability. He needs to get away from Manchester – start a new life." "He [Ferguson] let Ravel go for Ravel's benefit, because he could not see it happening at Manchester United," said Allardyce. "It was: 'Get him down there and see if you can get the best out of him, because you'll have a great player on your hands'."

As Pogba moved to Juventus in the summer of 2012 after turning down the highest-ever reserve team contract offered to a Red Devil, Allardyce sent Morrison on loan to second-division Birmingham City. Initially it didn't go well, with senior professionals concerned by his timekeeping, but after a showdown with manager Lee Clark he became one of the Midlanders' star men. Clark was keen for him to stay the following year, but Allardyce wanted him back. Finally, Morrison was taking off in the top flight.

His breathtaking goal in a 3-0 win against Spurs in October 2013 was described like this by Allardyce: "Ravel Morrison picks the ball up in his own half, heads directly for [Jan] Vertonghen and [Michael] Dawson, slips those two like they weren't there, waits for the keeper to go down – a keeper who's shown how good he is at one-on-ones, and how quick he is off the line – then uses his outstanding ability to dink it over him. The genius of Ravel Morrison. That is a genius goalfor me. You will struggle to see a better goal than that this season."

Murky end at West Ham
Morrison was watching his diet, he was well-behaved and he had a professional demeanour. He was the most exciting young Hammer since Joe Cole or Michael Carrick. Then it went wrong and, for once, he doesn't appear to have been at fault. Morrison claimed he was quickly dropped from the team because he refused to sign with the agent Mark Curtis, who has long had links with many of Allardyce's players. Morrison has had several agents or people purporting to represent him. Allardyce denied the claims, but they resurfaced during the investigation that led to him losing his job as England manager after just 67 days. Fulham put a £4 million bid in for Ravel, which West Ham rejected before complaining to the FA for alleged tapping up – as Morrison's former youth coach Rene Meulensteen was managing the Cottagers. Regardless, Morrison's career was, undeservedly, now back in limbo again. When Allardyce left his England post in September, Morrison tweeted: "No 1 listened to a word I said."

Morrison's Hammers contract expired in 2015 – he'd spent a part of 2014/15 on loan at Cardiff before Bluebirds manager Russell Slade cut his stay short. His next destination was Lazio, where he was unable to break into the first team and was criticised by coach Stefano Pioli for a lack of professionalism in training and an unwillingness to learn Italian. Lazio are contracted to pay his wages – and collect his fines when he does not show up – through until June 2017.

Last chance saloon?
This January, Morrison trained with Wigan Athletic under Warren Joyce, his former coach at United's reserve team. "Ravel's obviously not played a lot of football recently," Joyce said, "but I know how much of a talent he is from my days at Manchester United. It's a unique opportunity for us really because we have got a chance to have a look at him and assess his fitness." Wigan didn't push for Morrison, whose wages at Lazio were too high, but QPR did and he chose to join them for a second spell. He had fared well in west London during a 2014 loan, scoring six goals in 17 games. "I've grown up and matured a lot," Morrison admitted on signing for the west Londoners. "No more messing around – I am focussed and that has been my mindset for the last six months. I'm excited to be given the chance to play football again." Many hope he's right, though they remain cautious. "He should be a star, that kid," laments Crerand. "He's still young and he's still got time but he's also wasted time, and if Alex Ferguson couldn't get the best out of him, who can?"

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SLAVEN BILIC: THE CASE FOR THE DEFENCE
By Dan Coker 29 Aug 2017 at 17:00
WTID

After attending the match at Newcastle on Saturday, I've kept in touch with comments on WHTID over the Bank Holiday weekend. I spent the weekend in Northumberland as part of the trip up north for the game and have been surprised and saddened at the strength of the response from the posts and comments since – I do, however, respect each and every one of those views and know they come, in all cases, from a love of West Ham United.

Regular readers of the comments section will know I'm a huge supporter of Slaven Bilic. I make no apologies for that and I recognise this piece flies in the face of the majority of comments but I felt someone had to stick their head above the parapet.

I wanted Slaven to take charge of West Ham United a year before he did. I was delighted when he did and the wonderful last season at the Boleyn is a testament to Slaven's transfer priorities (Payet, Lanzini and Ogbonna) and relationship with the fans which made that final Upton Park season such a joyous journey. Last season was a tough campaign and reasons have been discussed at length previously – poor signings, a lack of full support from the board (to be discussed later) and a new stadium which is the polar opposite of Upton Park in terms of atmosphere and opposition intimidation. In this article, I will seek to outline why Slaven deserves (a lot) longer in his post as West Ham manager.

1. The New Signings

I think most would agree we have had a decent transfer window. New players take time to gel though and there would be little point in allowing Slaven to sign his first choices in various positions if he was not given time to get it right with those players. Signing Chicharito means a big shift in our style of play. We are trying to play the ball on the floor at the start of moves but, at present, this is slow and methodical, ends up going backwards to the defence or Joe Hart and then the long ball is played anyway. Our play through midfield needs to be sharper and perhaps that is why Slaven has highlighted William Carvalho as a key component to that play – someone who can get the ball from the defence and play it quickly to Manuel Lanzini and get us looking threatening in advanced positions. At Newcastle, we lacked cohesion in our play moving forward and, consequently, devoid of ideas.

Slaven also broke the club's transfer record to sign Marko Arnautovic. The Austrian is clearly a key part of the manager's thinking this season yet, through the forward's own idiocy, has only been available for less than a game-and-a-half of the campaign thus far. Ironically, I was not a fan of signing Arnautovic but Slav has placed significant faith in him and deserves the opportunity to try and embed him into the side, alongside a fit Lanzini – he has not had the chance to pair the two together in the same side as yet.

Many supporters were vociferous throughout last season in the need for us to sign a right-back. We have now signed an orthodox right-back and the same supporters now don't want us to play with a right-back and instead revert to a back three and wing-backs. Pablo Zabaleta is not a right-sided centre-half, nor a right wing-back. He is, however, a right-back which people were screaming blue murder for last season. I am sure there will be occasions when we play three at the back this season, and the formation does suit Sam Byram and Aaron Cresswell, but the board and manager delivered on what many asked for so why ask for a change in formation and push Zabaleta into being a square peg in a round hole?

In essence, Slaven signed these players on what he thought (rightly or wrongly) the club needed after 2016/17. He deserves the opportunity to try to build a team around these new players.

2. Returning Players

If you asked any supporter who are our best centre-half, central midfielder and creative player, I'm sure the vast majority will come back to you and say Winston Reid, Cheikhou Kouyate and Manuel Lanzini. Slaven has been denied the services of Reid for two of our three opening league games, while Kouyate has not completed a half of football in the opening month and Lanzini has only played 45 minutes. Reid, Kouyate and Lanzini are critical figures to the spine of the team and, again, Slaven deserves the opportunity to team them with the new signings over a period of time.

3. Contracts

There is something fundamentally wrong with our board's approach to contracts. Dimitri Payet was made the club's highest-paid player at the end of his first season with the club while Michail Antonio has signed three contracts in under two years at the club. Winston Reid, at 29, has just signed a six-year deal while Robert Snodgrass was brought in on what must have been a huge pay rise from his salary at Hull.

While new contracts are thrown around to players like confetti, our joint owner David Sullivan told the press that Slaven must prove he is not a 'one-season wonder'. Now I appreciate some may say Mr Sullivan may have been proved right and it is certainly true that the club should protect their playing assets as they are the ones who, if signed long-term with the club, will bring in the most money if sold.

But what kind of message do comments like Sullivan's and the contractual situation send to the players? It smacks of the players being looked after whatever their performance level while the manager is the one shunted forward to the firing line. In order to motivate the players, the manager must be seen to have the support of the board at all times and comments like Sullivan's and the fact Slaven sweats on a new contract while the players get extensions and pay rises at the drop of a hat does not seem to be an effective way to run a football club.

4. The Board

Following on from their contractual decisions and media comments, the Board must do more to support their manager. I am more than happy to hold my hands up and say they have done a tremendous job in bringing in the players Slaven wanted this summer but they should support their manager rather than undermine him in an underhand fashion through social or fan media.

Furthermore, and despite the good work done in signing players so far this window, the net spend remains relatively low. Slaven even said in his press conference last week that Newcastle had outspent us in net terms. Slaven clearly believes that William Carvalho is a missing link in what he is trying to achieve this season – we shall see if the board can pull that one out of the hat as I personally do not believe the deal is dead.

It was also the board who took us to a stadium which cannot host a home Premier League game until a month into this season. Starting a season with three league games on the road is not easy for any football club – the fixture list for us pulled out a title contender, a side with a new manager and a newly-promoted club. Each of those scenarios will look to their early home games to lay a marker down for their season and their fans – we have arrived to those grounds as homeless lambs to the slaughter, regardless of who may or may not have the better squad.

I travelled a 620-mile round trip to see us limply lose 3-0 at Newcastle – the Bank Holiday traffic saw me in my car for more than 15 hours there and back over the course of the weekend. Yet I still have faith in Slaven Bilic as the right man to lead our football club and hope sincerely that he is given the opportunity to do so. No other manager in our entire history has taken us to two top-11 finishes in his first two top-flight seasons. He is third out of nine in our Premier League win ratio table (see below). A lot of the early success can be attributed to the form of Payet but, after losing him mid-season last term, Bilic has set about building a new side and deserves the opportunity to make that side gel.

West Ham Managers' Premier League Win %

Alan Curbishley – 37.1%
Alan Pardew – 36.36%
Slaven Bilic – 35.44%
Harry Redknapp – 34.94%
Glenn Roeder – 30.99%
Billy Bonds – 30.95%
Sam Allardyce – 30.7%
Gianfranco Zola – 27.78%
Avram Grant – 18.42%

Of course, we clearly have our problems. Despite my defence of Slav, I can see we are struggling to defend as a team, that we are making far too many individual errors and that we are finding it difficult to work the ball into threatening areas, regardless of which players are available. But I also know that Slaven shows courage in the face of adversity – see the 0-0 draws fought out when devoid of attacking personnel in his first season or the clean sheets when really needed last season. The players dig in for him when they have to, as at Southampton recently, although I recognise we need to lose the 'when they have to' from that statement moving forward.

The pressure is now on to perform at home, a pressure amplified by the results on the road. I have been saying for weeks that we would have a difficult start to the season and the knock-on effect will mean that Huddersfield at home will not simply turn our season around – things could even get worse before they get better as West Brom are no pushovers at The Hawthorns and Tottenham were last season's runners-up. I have also, however, previously stated that our campaign will kickstart in October and November – form and confidence is temporary but class is permanent and we have very good players in our squad. Get them fit and playing together, get two or three wins to boost confidence and belief and I still firmly believe that we have what it takes in our squad – and our manager – to have a very decent 2017/18 season, despite the disastrous start.

COYI

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Gun-wielding motorbike rider 'threatened to shoot West Ham striker Andy Carroll for his £22,000 wristwatch as he drove his Jeep home from training'
Jack O'Brien, 22, denies attempting to rob the England-capped 28-year-old
West Ham striker says he was chased by two men on motorcycles in Essex
Motorbike rider 'repeatedly pointed at him with a gun and demanded his watch'
O'Brien had used the motorbike before - but says it was not him last November
By Martin Robinson, Uk Chief Reporter For Mailonline
PUBLISHED: 12:48, 29 August 2017 | UPDATED: 13:12, 29 August 2017

A gun-wielding motorbike rider tried to rob West Ham striker Andy Carroll of his £22,000 wristwatch as he drove his green Jeep home from training, a trial heard.
Jack O'Brien, 22, denies attempting to rob the England-capped 28-year-old on November 2 2016. The 6ft 4ins footballer was returning home from his club's training ground when he was chased by two motorbikes at around 12.15pm, Basildon Crown Court heard. Prosecutor Simon Gladwell said two motorbike riders chased Carroll after one approached him at traffic lights in Romford Road, Hainault, north-east London and demanded his watch. Mr Gladwell said the rider, who the prosecution allege was O'Brien, 'said to him 'nice watch' and he replied 'thanks'. 'The driver had his visor up. He then said 'give me your watch'. 'Mr Carroll pulled away as the lights were green.' He said that during the incident the motorbike rider 'repeatedly pointed at him with a gun, or pretending to have a gun and demanding to have his watch'.
Mr Gladwell said Carroll did a U-turn and eventually managed to get back to the West Ham training ground, but he was pursued by the two motorbikes for some distance. 'Mr Carroll accelerated away as he was scared, did a U-turn and headed back towards the West Ham training ground,' he said. 'He realised the threat was real.' He continued: 'Mr Carroll was beeping at other cars and driving on the wrong side of the road to get away, but still the motorbikes were following him. 'The first bike got in front of him and approached his front passenger door but Mr Carroll managed to find a gap and get away. 'During part of this incident Mr Carroll called police as he was being pursued.'
Michael Edmonds, defending, said O'Brien, of Navarre Gardens, Romford, was not the motorbike rider. He said O'Brien had used the motorbike, jacket and helmet for crime before, but that it was not him using the motorbike on this occasion. The trial, estimated to last three days, continues.

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Motorcyclist with gun tried to rob West Ham's Andy Carroll of watch, court told
Jack O'Brien denies attempting to rob the 28-year-old striker in November 2016.
BT Sport
FOOTBALL 29/08/17 12:46

A gun-wielding motorbike rider tried to rob West Ham striker Andy Carroll of his £22,000 wristwatch as he drove his green Jeep home from training, a trial has heard. Jack O'Brien, 22, denies attempting to rob the England-capped 28-year-old on November 2 2016. The 6ft 4in footballer was returning home from his club's training ground when he was chased by two motorbikes at around 12.15pm, Basildon Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Simon Gladwell said two motorbike riders chased Carroll after one approached him at traffic lights in Romford Road, Hainault, north-east London, and demanded his watch. Mr Gladwell said the rider, who the prosecution allege was O'Brien, "said to him 'nice watch' and he replied 'thanks'. The driver had his visor up. He then said 'give me your watch'. Mr Carroll pulled away as the lights were green". He said that during the incident the motorbike rider "repeatedly pointed at him with a gun, or pretending to have a gun and demanding to have his watch".
Mr Gladwell said Carroll did a U-turn and eventually managed to get back to the West Ham training ground, but he was pursued by the two motorbikes for some distance. "Mr Carroll accelerated away as he was scared, did a U-turn and headed back towards the West Ham training ground," he said. "He realised the threat was real." He continued: "Mr Carroll was beeping at other cars and driving on the wrong side of the road to get away, but still the motorbikes were following him.
"The first bike got in front of him and approached his front passenger door but Mr Carroll managed to find a gap and get away. During part of this incident Mr Carroll called police as he was being pursued."
Michael Edmonds, defending, said O'Brien, of Navarre Gardens, Romford, was not the motorbike rider. He said O'Brien had used the motorbike, jacket and helmet for crime before, but that it was not him using the motorbike on this occasion. The trial, estimated to last three days, continues.

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Monaco try to hijack West Ham's William Carvalho transfer with €41m bid - report
The latest West Ham transfer news sees Monaco enter the race for William Carvalho
Football London
BYROB GUEST
11:05, 29 AUG 2017

Ligue 1 champions Monaco are set to try and push through a deal for Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho, according to reports. French publication L'Equipe claim that Leonardo Jardim's team have opened talks with the Portuguese club after West Ham's move for the player hit a brick wall. The French side have been linked with a move for Anderlecht's Leander Dendoncker, yet L'Equipe report that the 25-year-old is the club's first choice to strengthen their midfield. However, just like the Hammers, agreeing a fee with Sporting could be rather difficult for Monaco. Given West Ham had failed to agree on a fee for Carvalho, it seems that Monaco's offer of €35million, with a further €6million in bonuses, will be turned down as it is below the club's asking price. Although it seemed that a move for Carvalho was dead, there is still a chance that the Hammers could try and push through a deal before Thursday's transfer deadline.

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West Ham reportedly furious over Carvalho saga
BY LONDON FOOTBALL NEWS 29/08/2017

The Daily Mirror say West Ham have given Sporting Lisbon an ultimatum over midfielder William Carvalho. The Hammers are said to have offered £30m plus £5m in add-ons but the Portuguese club have reportedly upped the asking price to £40m. The Mirror say that has left the Hammers furious and that they have told Sporting to accept their offer or there will be no deal. The Mirror also say Slaven Bilic has been given four matches to save his job as West Ham manager.

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BILIC IS CERTAIN TO GO ... EVENTUALLY
By Tony Hanna 29 Aug 2017 at 08:00
WTID

Name two of our best post war managers and I would suggest that nearly everyone would choose one of either Ron Greenwood or John Lyall in their selections? Perhaps many would choose both? Between them, they masterminded all four of our major triumphs in the history of the club. Despite this, the stark reality is John Lyall was sacked and whilst Ron was "moved upstairs" as a token of respect, both managers were removed from their positions due to poor recent performances. It is the fate of nearly every manager in modern day football. A few manage to go on their own terms, whether it be retirement or a move to a bigger club, but a football managers fate is reasonably predictable. So when fans jump on the band wagon for a manager to be sacked, their wishes are normally met – eventually. There is no correct or incorrect, if and when the axe does fall. Only time will tell if the correct decision has been made or not. It is much, much harder to keep a manager in difficult circumstances than to sack him. I will make a prediction now. Our next manager will be sacked due to poor performances or not delivering expectations, however exciting it may be when he arrives. Of course it is entirely possible he may do a great job in which case we will lose him to a bigger club. My money is on the sack. History tells us that sometimes it has been a good move to sack the boss, based on an improvement in the quality of football and or results. But there are also many instances where the decisions have been misguided.

Personally, I have become very frustrated with Slaven for not fixing the bleedin' obvious. For a mid -table club, and that is what we are, we have a pretty good squad of players. I still think Carvalho is the glue that will fix up many problems, but he or any other player of his ilk would struggle as well unless the manager can get the formations right and the tactics. Any glimmer of hope that remains for West Ham to sign Carvalho seem to be disappearing fast with the instability of Bilic's future. That would be a really big missed opportunity. There are solid cases for Bilic to go and the counter is for him to be given more time, especially as we haven't even played a home game yet. A few weeks ago I wrote that in my experience the season takes about eight games before you can get a real guide. I reckon Slav has got about that long to get it right, give or take a game or so. The performance at Newcastle was simply awful but I still maintain that our efforts in the Southampton game indicated that Bilic has not lost the dressing room as yet.

Just a couple of finer points away from the usual dialogue about Bilic, formations and player selections that you may wish to discuss. We are getting so little quality possession nowadays as the opposition week in week out use the high press which either forces errors from us, or we go back to Hart for the long punt. So, someone on the blog wrote on the weekend, why is it when we got a free kick in the opponents half we played a short side ways pass, only to be pressed and the ball found its way all the way back to Hart again….punt! Why did we not play the ball into the opposition box from the free kick? That's what most teams do to us. That was a very good question. Also, back in December 2015 I wrote an article titled "Our New Weapon". With the signing of Antonio we gained not only an exceptional player, but someone with a huge long throw. It was this I was alluding to in my title. Who felt comfortable when we were playing Stoke and Rory Delap grabbed the ball for a long throw? Now, I am not saying that we should become a carbon copy of those Stoke days under Tony Pulis, but I am saying that if we have an "edge", anywhere on the pitch, we should be using it to our maximum advantage. Having a throw in has long been a disadvantage for West Ham. Our inability to keep possession from them is bordering on embarrassing. So why have we not put the opposition on the back foot when circumstances allow for Antonio to hurl a long one into the box? Perhaps it is seen to be too old fashioned? Works though!

Bookies Update……with all the uncertainty around the club at the moment it is difficult to know if the owners will support the manager with any significant funds for the remainder of this window? Personally I would break the bank to get Carvalho but if G&S spent that amount of money how much would there be left for any new manager, should there be one, in the January transfer window? The two cheaper midfield players we have been linked with for months have both drifted heavily in the bookies markets. Jack Wilshere was 4/6 (60%) at one stage and is now a 9/1 chance (10%). Jota was also short odds for many weeks but is now quoted at 4/1 (20%). To be honest there are no other players in the frame to join us with just days to go before the deadline. Never say never though, as we all know, deals can come from nowhere when circumstances demand.

Elsewhere, two transfers that look done are Serge Aurier from PSG to Spurs, and Bony looks like heading back to Swansea. The markets suggest that both Danny Drinkwater and Oxlaide-Chamberlain are talking to Chelsea with the latter looking likely to sign soon. If the Ox does make the move it may well reignite the Gunners interest in Leicester's Riyad Mahrez. Fabian Delph may be heading to Stoke City and Arsenal's Perez could be on his way to Deportivo in deals that will stretch to deadline day.

The odds on Bilic to be first manager to go are 6/4 (40%). Note, this market is not just to get the sack (or leave), but to be the first manager to leave his post in the Premier League. Crystal Palace's Frank de Boer is even money favourite (50%). This will be my last Bookies Update of this transfer window and I hope you have enjoyed them?

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