Daily WHUFC News - 28th September 2017

Fonte: We need to show intensity, desire and passion
WHUFC.com

Jose Fonte says West Ham United need to show 'intensity, desire and passion' if they are to win Saturday's Premier League fixture with Swansea City. The Hammers go into this weekend's clash with the South Wales side on the back of a dramatic 3-2 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, having almost completed a miraculous comeback after falling three goals down. The Portugal defender, who has been called up for his country's vital 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with Andorra and Switzerland next month, was proud of the way his team did not give up the fight, but knows they cannot afford to gift Swansea the same advantage at London Stadium this weekend. "Our last game was a disappointing result," Fonte told Saturday's Official Programme. "We obviously wanted to give the fans the bragging rights of the derby, so we're not happy we didn't do that, but we put our hearts in the game, we were aggressive and we wanted to win. "We're not happy with the result, but we tried to fight back and we nearly did it, so there is no feeling of moral victory, but it's important to know that it's a long season and this game is gone and if we can get the three points today, we go into the international break with a positive feeling."

Like their hosts, Swansea have won just once in their opening six Premier League matches, failing to score in four of them, but Fonte is not expecting Paul Clement's team to roll over when they visit east London. For that reason, he has referenced the dominant 2-0 home win over Huddersfield Town on 11 September as a blueprint for Saturday's showdown. "Swansea is a team which plays with three centre-backs, so we expect a tough game, like every game in the Premier League is, but if we bring the same intensity, desire and passion that we brought against Huddersfield, that will give us a great opportunity to win the game," said the No4, who has been in impressive form so far this season and chalked up his maiden assist in Claret and Blue against Spurs. "Obviously you still need the quality to win games, but if you bring those things then it's more than 50 per cent in your favour, because with the players we have in our team, we are always going to create chances. We just need to take them. We also need to get back to keeping clean sheets and defend well. "That said, I think Swansea are a good team, they have improved from last year, so I think it's going to be an interesting game."

*Standard Tickets for Saturday's Premier League fixture with Swansea City are on General Sale here via the Ticket Exchange.

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Sakho earns Senegal recall for vital World Cup qualifier
WHUFC.com

Diafra Sakho has been recalled to the Senegal squad for a vital FIFA World Cup qualifier in the Cape Verde Islands. The West Ham United striker is named in Aliou Cisse's 26-man selection for the tie, which will be played at the National Stadium in Praia on Saturday 7 October. Senegal go into the game sitting third in African qualifying Group D, a point behind leaders Burkina Faso and second-place Cape Verde Islands. With just the group winners reaching Russia 2018, the Lions of Teranga need to repeat the 2-0 victory they achieved over Cape Verde in the reverse fixture eleven months ago. However, Senegal have a game in-hand on their rivals as their 2-1 defeat in South Africa has been ordered to be replayed after the referee was found guilty of 'match manipulation'. They complete their qualifying campaign by hosting South Africa on 6 November and traveling to face the same opposition on a date to be confirmed during the same international break.

Dakar-born Sakho, who is joined in the squad by fellow Hammer Cheikhou Kouyate, could feature for his country for the first time since playing in a 1-0 friendly international defeat in Algeria on 13 October 2015. The 27-year-old, who has netted twice for West Ham in the Carabao Cup this season after recovering from a back problem, has been capped six times by Senegal previously. Sakho made his debut in a 1-1 friendly draw Burkina Faso on 22 May 2014 before netting his maiden international goal four days later in a 3-1 win over Kosovo. National team captain Kouyate, meanwhile, has been a mainstay of the Senegal squad since making his debut in 2012, featuring at the London Olympic Games and 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. The midfielder has 38 caps and two goals to his name, including appearances in five of his country's six 2018 World Cup qualifiers played so far.

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Versatile Henry taking Antonio's advice on board
WUFC.com

"I'd say my best position is in midfield", Korrey Henry laughs: "But I like to think of myself as a versatile player and I don't mind playing up front or in other positions for the team." You'd be forgiven for being slightly confused if you didn't know Henry's main position. The 17-year-old has played in virtually every possible place across the side for the U18s in the last year, making his mark up front, in midfield and sometimes even cropping up in the defensive line.

Although Henry admits he sees himself as a midfielder it is in attack that he has been mainly utilised this season. It's not difficult to see why either. Despite his age Henry is one of the strongest players in the West Ham United academy, and his finishing isn't too shabby either. An opening day goal against Brighton and Hove Albion, which came after he hit the post with a belting effort, was followed up with another terrific effort against Arsenal. Henry was also on target against Sunderland in the U18s Cup last weekend, taking his personal tally up to three for the campaign so far. And the youngster has set himself a lofty target for the season. "I want to finish in the top five goalscorers in the country. I've been playing mainly up front this season and I feel I have the ability and technique to achieve this."

Only three other players in the division have scored more goals than Henry so far this season, despite West Ham's tough start to the season, and the teenager has a secret weapon helping him in his quest to be in the top echelon of goal-getters. Henry has revealed first team attacker Michail Antonio has offered him tips during training sessions on how to increase his goal tally, and also how he looks up to the West Ham star. He said: "Antonio and I have worked together a few times. I've trained with him and he's given me tips on how to get past defenders and movement, with and without the ball. "He's definitely my inspiration in the senior side."

It's not just Antonio's influence that is driving Henry to be a better player though. Working regularly with the likes of Terry Westley, and ex-Hammers players Steve Potts and Jack Collison, according to Henry, is heavy incentive to improve his personal ability. Henry added: "I think working with these guys does push you to work harder on the training field and on the pitch. Guys like Steve Potts and Jack Collison, these coaches are ex-players, and Terry's one of the best when it comes to player development. "You know they can push you to work even harder because you know they've been there and they've done it themselves."

Although the start of the season hasn't gone brilliantly, Henry is confident that he and his teammates can turn the campaign around. "We've dominated the matches and held the majority of possession. It's just about putting our chances away and being a bit tidier at the back. When we've got that sorted out we will definitely find our winning form."

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Sakh back for another crack
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th September 2017
By: Staff Writer

Diafra Sakho is set to make his first appearance at international level since 2015 after being named in the latest Senegal squad. The 27-year-old West Ham forward missed the vast majority of last season, officially as a result of injury. However he has been involved in almost every one of United's games thus far this season - leading to a recall today from Les Lions boss Aliou Cissé. Despite failing to play a full 90 minutes in any of his seven appearances thus far, Sakho has scored twice already this season - against Cheltenham in the Carabao Cup and at Newcastle in the Premier League. He has featured six times for Senegal previously and will be joined in the squad by fellow Hammer Cheikhou Kouyate, who will be hoping to make his 39th appearance at full international level when they tackle Cape Verde on 7 October.

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LETS GO WITH SAKHO, HERNANDEZ AND A 4-2-3-1 FORMATION AGAINST SWANSEA
By S J Chandos 27 Sep 2017 at 17:00
WTID

As has been widely observed on social media, the match against Spurs largely turned on the injury to Antonio and Bilic's decision to press in to action Carroll rather than Sakho or Ayew from the bench. Up until that point, we were easily containing Spurs and looked the more likely side to score. Twice we got behind their defence and only failed to score due to poor final balls in to the box; while Spurs, during that opening period, could only muster a fluffed half chance by Kane. This shows both the importance of (1) Antonio's pace and power to the team and (2) the need for Bilic to stick with 'what works.' His substitution led to Hernandez being pushed to the right and allowed Spurs to get in to the game. I have to say that I whole heartedly agree with those who have argued that either Sakho or Ayew would have allowed us to continue with a system that was both successfully neutralising Spurs' attacking threat and putting them on the back foot.

Andy Carroll is a very good option to have on the bench, but arguably there were better options available on that occasion. This point was only compounded by the role that Carroll played in losing possession, in dangerous positions, in the lead up to two of the Spurs three goals. Still, the Spurs match is history and the focus now must inevitably shift to defeating Swansea this Saturday. Given his past success against this opponent, I am sure that many will call for Carroll's inclusion in the starting line up. However, I think that we need to start with a different strike force and keep Carroll ready (if necessary) to come on from the substitutes bench. Personally, I would play both Sakho and Ayew against Swansea and set them a different challenge to the one that they are expecting.

In this game I would start with a flat back four and deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation; with Noble or Obiang and Kouyate shielding the defence and an attacking triumvirate of Ayew (right) Hernandez (centre) and Arnautovic (left) supporting Sakho as the spearhead/fulcrum of the forward line. I have choosen Sakho over Carroll because of his proven ability to run the channels and bring others in to play. This selection would also address the issue of where best to play Hernandez. At the centre of an attacking three, Hernandez would be able to support Sakho and get in to attacking central positions in the final third. While in Ayew and Arnautovic (out wide) we have players that are very proficient at getting on to the end of scoring opportunities and converting.

My suggested starting line up (4-2-3-1), assuming Obiang will be unavailable to play, would be:

Hart

Zabaletta
Cresswell
Ogbonna
Reid

Noble (Capt)
Kouyate

Ayew
Hernandez
Arnautovic

Sakho

I also feel that it is safe to dispense with the back three in this fixture and try to select an effective flat back four combination. We need to do this as an on-going fear of deploying a flat back four effectively limits the tactical options at our disposal going forward. Some times the three at the back is justified, but it needs to be one of a number of formations/tactical options available. In short, Bilic must curb his apparent tendency to deploy players out of position to (seemingly) accommodate them in the starting line up. He must, instead, get his formations sorted and select the best players available in their positions for each formation. It is only in this way that players and teams gain confidence and improve both individually and as a unit. If that means the likes of Carroll or even Hernandez being benched for certain fixtures then so be it.

In the injury absence of Lanzini and Antonio, the task is obviously to select a system that makes best use of the currently available talent in the squad and maximises our chance of taking the three points on Saturday. Swansea will be preparing in training to face the physical challenge of Carroll, so lets try something different to wrong foot them. My option is a 4-2-3-1, but there will undoubtedly be contrary opinions amongst the WHTID readership, so lets read their constructive thoughts on the matter.

Above all else, it will certainly be good to 'put a lid' on the Spurs defeat and turn our attentions to the side/formation most likely to guarantee a much needed and morale boosting victory. It is a match that we can win and hopefully the victory will be accompanied by a good performance, with all the 'pegs in the correct shaped holes' and everyone working well individually and as a unit. With this squad one gets the impression that all the essential elements/pre-requisites for greater success are there, but it is just a case of getting the combination/selection right and the team 'clicking'. Hitherto Bilic has evidently (for various reasons) been struggling to get it right, as such he now needs to go back to basics and fundamentally rethink his tactics and selection policy. It would be nice to think that the Swansea match could be a watershed and major turning point in that respect.

As for the result, I am going to stick my neck out on this occasion and go for a healthy 3-1 or 4-1 home win to give everyone a timely morale boost. COYI!

SJ. Chandos.

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How William Carvalho has performed since West Ham's failed £40m deadline day transfer
West Ham will still be keeping an eye on William Carvalho even though they could not get a deal done in August
Football London
BYKEVIN BEIRNE
16:30, 27 SEP 2017

In the end, it turned out to be too good to be true but for a while it looked like West Ham would sign not one, but two superstars this summer. Although they did manage to get a deal done for Javier Hernandez with plenty of time to spare, things did not run so smoothly for William Carvalho. The Hammers were said to be willing to smash their transfer record for the second time in the one window for the Portuguese midfielder, but the Londoners lost their patience as Sporting continued to move the goalposts over the terms of the deal.

But how has Carvalho got on since then? Let's take a look.

Sporting have started off this season strongly, even with Carvalho missing a number of games as his transfer saga dragged on towards the end of August.
The Lisbon club find themselves second in the Primeira Liga table, two points behind Porto, have won six of their seven games so far this season and drawing once. Their unbeaten form has also carried into Europe, with the Portuguese club claiming a rare away win in the Champions League when they defeated Olympiakos in their group opener earlier this month. Things are about to get more challenging for Sporting though, as their next three games are against Barcelona, league leaders Porto and Italian champions Juventus. They will need Carvalho to be on form for what could prove to be a crucial period in their young season, and the signs are positive so far. It appears that the his failed move to West Ham last month has not bothered him too much as he has put in a number of stellar performances in Portugal - even bagging an assist in his side's 2-0 defeat of Tondela a fortnight ago.

Far from causing a fuss since failing to his big-money switch, the 25-year-old has apparently been a model professional and has earned plaudits for his response.
According to reports, Carvalho has even been named the team captain for their past three games as he has apparently shown an "impeccable" attitude in training.
West Ham's fortunes have improved since missing out on Carvalho, but Slaven Bilic will surely still wish he could have the Euro 2016 winner lining out for his team this weekend against Swansea, although the Swans' capture of Renato Sanches from Bayern Munich on loan has shown that there can be an adjustment period for even the most talented players when they arrive in the Premier League. It sounds obvious to say but Carvalho remains the same player he was a month ago when the Hammers tried to bring him to London and in the weeks since the deal fell apart, he has just shown why his club were so unwilling to part ways with him. The defensive midfielder could still leave Sporting after more than a decade in their ranks, with some suggesting a January move remains a possibility. Carvalho, to his credit, has not made any public indication that he will force through a move. Even with all of the nastiness between the two clubs since the deal collapsed, the player has kept quiet and not rocked the boat. If he wants the Hammers to return for him in 2018, he is letting his play do the talking for now.

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BILIC GIVEN BOOST AS LANZINI DECLARED FIT FOR SWANSEA CLASH
ABDULLAH MULLA @AbzMulla6
ReadWestHam

West Ham United have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their clash with Swansea City as playmaker Manuel Lanzini has been passed fit to play following a recovery from a knee problem which has kept him out of action this season, according to a report on the Mirror. The Argentine has been massively missed by West Ham due to his creativity but the Hammers will now feel more confident as he returns to action. Lanzini has participated in first-team training and is expected to be named on the substitutes bench this weekend. The attacking midfielder will be a welcome addition to the squad who have struggled in front of goal for majority of the season. The match against Swansea could prove to be a decisive one for manager Slaven Bilic as many have speculated that his job isn't safe.
West Ham have made a terrible start to the season and are third from bottom in the top tier of English football. Bilic will be hoping to ease Lanzini back into action to avoid a re-occuraance of the knock which kept him out for so long. Once 100% fit, Lanzini will be expected to partner up with Javier Hernandez which on paper, looks like a very lethal combination.

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Slaven Bilic's Modern "Academy Of Football"
West Ham United u23
POSTED BY: LUKE GLANVILLE 27/09/2017
MooreThanAClub

Many Hammers may say that nowadays, the term "Academy Of Football" can no longer be used to describe our Youth System, with no products of notable talent being brought through the ranks in the last ten or so years. However, there is no doubting or questioning the rare and quite tantalizing Development Squad that we currently possess at The London Stadium, but who are they?

Today, we look at the best young Xl of Players that we could field, if necessary, to give you a lowdown of some of the stars that you could be seeing in the First-Team, come five or ten years' time.

GK: Nathan Trott

The young shot-stopper has an incredible pedigree and maturity, showing signs of every element needed to become a high-class Premier League goalkeeper in the modern Game. He is also capped at England Youth level and most recently has been featuring for The U20s, Trott has been earmarked as a future replacement to Joe Hart and certainly is a bright proposition.

RB: Vashon Neufville

The versatile young star can play virtually anywhere within a defensive four with aerial prowess and lightning pace. In a Development Squad with so much to offer in terms of defensive ability, the thing that makes him stand out is his outstanding performances in both attacking and defending parts of the Pitch. It surely won't be too long before the likes of Aaron Cresswell and Pablo Zabaleta are looking over their shoulders.

CB: Declan Rice

Making headlines the world over in recent weeks for his wondrous exploits and performances for Slaven Bilic's First-Team at the start of the Premier League campaign. He certainly does look like quite something. Rice has also received a call-up for The Republic of Ireland Senior Team and is the emblem of technical and natural ability either playing in defence or defensive midfield. Despite being only 18, Bilic described him as having "the maturity of a 30-year-old".

CB: Reece Burke

Much like Rice, Burke has enjoyed action for the Senior Side over the past few seasons and looks an exceptional talent. However, the starlet has been loaned out to the likes of Bradford City and Wigan Athletic more recently and is currently with Championship Bolton Wanderers. Despite this, next summer is being earmarked as the time when Burke will finally be allowed to stay in East London with the expected retirement of James Collins.

LB: Reece Oxford

Currently enjoying a spell in The Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach, Oxford is undoubtedly the most recognisable starlet in this Xl and can play either at full-back, centre-back or defensive midfield. Famously breaking into the Hammers Side in the 0-2 win over Arsenal at The Emirates, he has featured in both The Premier League and Europa League since and remains on course to become the predicted future Captain of England and West Ham United.

RCM: Josh Cullen

Whilst currently with Reece Burke at Bolton, the Irishman has been likened to current club skipper Mark Noble and former great Scott Parker. Cullen sits consistently in front of the defence and is known for both his vision and tough-tackling style, he made his Premier League debut just weeks after Oxford and like Burke, Antonio Martinez, and Moses Makasi, he spent pre-season with the First-Team.

CM: Moses Makasi

Having impressed under Slaven Bilic in the last few months, Makasi is the current skipper of the Development Squad and like so many in this t eam, oozes maturity beyond his years. The next step is believed to be a loan move for the 22-year-old who is the oldest of our crème de la crème of Youth stars, but one of the most promising.

LCM: Dan Kemp

Catching the eye of many at the tender age of just 18, the England U19 starlet is a consistent performer for Terry Westley's U23s with a real spark and flare.
While videos of him scoring outrageously in Training have gone viral, the former Chelsea man's recent goal against Swansea in The PL2 Division One was something to behold. Sighting the keeper off his line just into The Swans' half, Kemp launched a wondrous shot that dipped in and reaffirmed his place as one of the best prospects at the Club.

RF: Nathan Holland

Recently making his First-Team debut in the Carabao Cup visit of Bolton Wanderers, the winger certainly does look like something special. Vision and attack are the two main aspects of his game as he racks up plenty goals and assists in The PL2, any Hammer foolish enough to think that this starlet hasn't got what it takes would be very wrong.

ST: Antonio Martinez

There is certainly no doubting that the Spaniard is one of the most prolific forwards currently at the Club with strength, pace and a born eye for goal. Breaking into the First-Team and scoring in Germany during the summer, he has turned heads with close to 20 goals for the Development Squad in just 20 appearances. Martinez also netted twice in The FA Cup for Oxford United and the stats back him all the way to the top.

LF: Martin Samuelsen

It may be over two years now since we signed the Norwegian International, but he continues to impress in the Youth ranks. Showing great versatility and scoring goals of all forms has become his trademark and despite recent loans to Blackburn Rovers and Peterborough United, he remains on course to be a regular feature for Bilic sooner rather than later.

Other Notable Starlets:

For the huge wealth of talent in that young Side, there are still some starlets of note that have been left out. These include exciting attackers Domingos Quina and Marcus Browne, Montenegrin International midfielder Sead Haksabanovic and defenders Tunji Akinola, Josh Pask and Alex Pike.

So, now that we have profiled the Hammers of the future, just how long will it take for some of these youngsters to come through?

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Manuel Lanzini fit to face Swansea to hand Slaven Bilic massive injury boost ahead of West Ham's crucial clash
Argentinian midfield star Lanzini is now fit to play a part after missing most of the season to date with a knee problem
The Mirror
BYSTEVE STAMMERS
14:59, 27 SEP 2017

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has been given a massive boost ahead of Saturday's crucial Premier League clash with Swansea at the London Stadium. Argentinian midfield star Manuel Lanzini is now fit to play a part after missing most of the season to date with a knee problem that also forced him to pull out of international duty. Lanzini has been able to join in full-time training and is set to be named among the substitutes. His presence would give Bilic a creative option to bring in for what will be a vital game. After the 3-2 defeat to Tottenham last Saturday, West Ham are still hovering in the relegation zone. And Bilic should also be able to call on Michail Antonio who has made a swift recovery from the groin problem that forced him off early against Spurs.

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Slaven Bilic is a dead man walking at West Ham
by Scott Johnson
@greensthammers

Slaven Bilic is on borrowed time at West Ham. Despite getting some points on the board, Slaven Bilic has not got long left at West Ham by my reckoning. Even though he got close against Spurs, I do not think there is any chance he is manager next season. There have been strong rumours that he is set to get the sack at the next downturn in form, but even if he muddles through to the end of the season I believe the board will not renew his contract. With the Hammers struggling towards the foot of the table, you can't help but feel that it will soon be over. The side either look boring or like a sieve, and they lack personality. If the side lose to Swansea I can imagine that being the end of his tenure. However there is some method in sacking him even if he wins. At the moment we seem to win and move past fears, then fall back. Last season was a perfect example of that. As such I think it's going to be a huge issue going forward, and removing the manager now would kill the issue. But even if the Croat scrapes through to the end of the season, he won't be kept on. The board understand sacking a manager can be wrong, but that doesn't mean they have to keep him on. They did it to Allardyce and I think they'll do it again. He doesn't seem to have any new ideas and it is the strength of the players that will keep the team up in my opinion. The only way Bilic gets to keep his job is he pushes for a European place again. He has to prove that there is life in his techniques. That there is a way for him to succeed in this league without a player like Payet in the form of his life. However I think we can all agree that that's highly unlikely.

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West Ham and Tottenham charged with failing to control players during Saturday's derby
JAMES BENGE
ES Sport

Tottenham and West Ham have been charged by the FA with failing to "ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion" during Saturday's game at the London Stadium. A 21-man melee took place in the dying moments of Spurs' 3-2 win at West Ham after a foul by Andy Carroll. A statement from the FA read: "West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur have been charged by The FA following their fixture on Saturday (September 23, 2017). "It is alleged that in or around the 95th minute of the game, both clubs failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion. "They have until 6pm on September 28, 2017 to respond to the charge."

Spurs had claimed a three goal lead at the London Stadium thanks to a Harry Kane brace and Christian Eriksen's fine finish. But Javier Hernandez's goal and Serge Aurier's red card set up a grandstand finish as West Ham pressed for an equaliser. Cheikhou Kouyate scored the hosts' second before Carroll was denied a penalty after a collision with Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez. Four players (West Ham pair Carroll and Winston Reid and Tottenham's Eric Dier and Fernando Llorente) were booked during the incident, with Andre Ayew also receiving a yellow card during stoppage time.

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David Gold insists controversial ticket exchange scheme benefits Slaven Bilic's transfer budget
HITC
Damien Lucas
@damienlucas

West Ham United co-owner David Gold has revealed how the club's fans can help boost Slaven Bilic's transfer budget. Gold and fellow Hammers co-owner David Sullivan divide opinion amongst supporters. Some fans are not happy with the way things have panned out on and off the pitch since the club's much heralded move to the London Stadium. They feel promises have been broken over the stadium and transfer spending and lay the blame squarely at the door of the two Davids and Karren Brady. West Ham had a net spend of just £10 million in the summer and broke even on transfers last summer despite promises from the board that the stadium move would enable the Hammers to compete with the elite in the transfer market. Some supporters have also raised concerns over the club's ticket exchange service which allows fans to sell their seats back to the club if they can't make a game, earning electronic 'club cash' in the process and West Ham then sell the ticket on. Now Gold has reassured supporters that the extra money the club earns in the process goes directly to Slaven Bilic's transfer budget.
"All money that the club makes from the ticket exchange mechanism goes to the recruitment fund and it gives a chance for a fan to see the game," Gold said on Twitter.

David Gold ✔@davidgold
All money that the club makes from the ticket exchange mechanism goes to the recruitment fund + it gives a chance for a fan to c the game dg https://twitter.com/ianl80s/status/910933535309082624 …
10:03 PM - Sep 21, 2017
108 108 Replies 7 7 Retweets 53 53 likes

Last month vice-chairman Brady revealed on Sky Sports' The Debate, that the owners have an arrangement with Bilic when it comes to the club's transfer budget and dealings. "He (Bilic) makes, predominantly, all the decisions (over player signings and targets)," Brady said on The Debate. "There is a separate budget that my chairman (Sullivan) uses to buy younger players that are not immediately required for the team but they are for the future and I think that works very well."

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Masuaku should be West Ham's first choice left back
by Scott Johnso
@greensthammers

Arthur Masuaku is winning people over as he fights to be West Ham's first choice left back. Despite little squad depth in many positions, West Ham do have a genuine contest at left back. Aaron Cresswell has started the most Premier League games this season, despite being benched for the opener. However many feel Masuaku deserves the place. Whilst Cresswell hasn't performed badly, it's the potential of Masuaku that is winning people over. Especially if Bilic continues to play with three centre backs and wingbacks. Masuaku could add a lot more when it comes to moving the Hammers forward.

Modern Fullback

The modern defender is an interesting concept. With many managers shuffling formations and expection free-form sides, defenders have changed. Gone are the days where you play with a flat back four that never steps out of line. Bilic has adapted recently and moved to a 5-2-3 formation, and needs a bit more going forward.

As I said earlier, Cresswell hasn't really done much wrong. However he neither excels at going forward or in defence. Masuaku, who has performed poorly in the past, is more exciting when getting forward. You only have to look at the cross that set of Kouyate's goal against Spurs to see that. Or his goal against Bolton in the cup. Cresswell hasn't produced that kind of magic for a season or so now.

When playing with this many defenders, they need to be willing to push forwards. This is why I suggested Antonio at right wing back, and with Masuaku and Antonio playing wide they would offer all of the width in the attack. This would also allow Carroll and Chicharito to play centrally together. Or, when Lanzini is back, allow Arnautovic and the Argentine to play around a central Chicharito freely with no conform to shape.

With Masuaku in the team, the side can score goals. At the moment, I don't see the shape pushing many teams often enough to succeed in the league.

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HH'S TRAVEL DIARY - SPURS AT HOME: RAW OYSTERS, FADED BUBBLES AND DEAD FEET WALKING
By HamburgHammer 27 Sep 2017 at 08:00
WTID

Since I only flew back to Hamburg late on Monday evening, opening my front door at 11 pm my column arrives with a bit of a delay. Sorry about that, it's just that I can't be arsed to bring my laptop over for the long weekends in London and it's rather tedious typing down these articles on a tablet, so on the four of five occasions a season I am actually at a West Ham game in person I'm afraid you will have to keep some patience with me. I also will not discuss the safety of Bilic's position again on here or go into too much detail about the Spurs game in terms of the football.

This is not a match report in the classical sense of the word, this is my personal travel diary (also my food blog…LOL), with plenty of name dropping, so if you're expecting tactical debates or yearn for the latest West Ham related transfer rumours in this article, it ain't gonna happen (unless in the comments below maybe), so this is your chance to run away quickly! Chop chop! Now!

Oh, you're still here ? Great! So here it goes: This was a rather unusual trip for a number of reasons. I only watched one game of football in four days. I didn't meet BSB once. I had no pie and mash. And the whole weekend basically flew by me with no precise scheduling or forward planning involved on my part whatsoever. Very un-German, I know. Once again though, and this was exactly like what happened on previous trips of mine, I was saved by the good as gold West Ham family.

This time it is mainly our own Irons1959 I have to thank for his East London hospitality as not only did he allow me to crash on his sofa in Ilford for three nights in a row, he also stepped up magnificently when the unofficial meetup after the game didn't quite materialise and also when BSB couldn't work his usual miracles as a perfect host as unfortunately he was otherwise occupied over the weekend – more of that further down.

My streak is finally over. All those 1:0 home wins I witnessed at the London Stadium (four in total) couldn't last forever. And like my dreams and all that. It had to end someday, and Spurs (it had to be them of course) finally bursted my bubbles.
Those merchant bankers!

But let's start at the beginning…

FRIDAY, September 22nd

It has become the norm for me that I still get far too excited prior to my West Ham weekend trips to get any sleep at all the night before, oh I try of course, but after turning around in bed for the 200th time I give up eventually, put the kettle on, say a little Thank You that it wasn't my flight to Stansted that was cancelled at short notice by Ryanair to then head towards the nearest bus stop at about 4:20 am.
It's not my best time of day but I prefer the early morning flight as it gives me nearly an additional full day in London.

Once at the airport I usually take joy from watching the people who have paid extra for the privilege of priority boarding, but who still leave Hamburg in the same airplane as me at the same ungodly hour and not one minute earlier.

But I digress. It has become another sort of routine for me to get involved in football related chat with the airport security staff or the border control employees at Stansted airport. Usually this gets triggered by my wearing of a West Ham themed shirt, jacket or hat. This time though my West Ham crest was obscured by a neutral jacket, still I was approached by a female police officer in a High Vis jacket a minute AFTER I had already presented my ID and given my purpose for entry into the UK to the officer at the border control desk.

Was it just a spot check with myself as the random target ? Or did my early morning boat send out vibes I could be up to no good ? I explained I was over mainly for the football, the West Ham-Spurs derby to be precise and when the fuzz began interrogating me about my leanings for the game I grew slightly nervous.

What if the lady copper was a Spurs fan ? Was I in danger of being refused entry to the green and pleasant land on the grounds of being a Kraut Hammer?
Luckily not, I was finally getting the signal to pass, not before being told though that West Ham were currently struggling mightily. The Old Bill, your friend and helper, you can always expect a word of encouragement from them…;-)

After that little Discounter I found myself in Gants Hill/Ilford in no time where I was picked up by my host for the trip, Irons1959. We quickly sat down for a late Full English before I was welcomed to his abode and impressive collection of car porn as he called his various piles of vintage high value car mags.
Irons1959 knows for sure all about driving a nice Porsche, I on the other side am happy enough if I don't break down with my Ford Fiesta…:-))

Off it was noonish to Newham Bookshop for a brief chat with Vivian Archer who immediately clocked and remembered me the moment I walked through the door, all after meeting her just once before during a previous visit in December, incredible!

We briefly mourned the bizarre empty space that used to be The Boleyn Ground just around the corner and I picked up my customary three books (always including one new addition to my West Ham themed collection, my claret and blue porn so to speak) before reluctantly leaving, otherwise I would have had to buy myself another suitcase first as I am always in danger of bringing home far too many books from that wonderful shop. If you haven't been there yet, go! If you have, go again soon!

This is a Millwall pub you say ? Right, you go first, I'll watch your back!
Next destination was Tower Hill, my meeting point arranged by the wonderful Iron Liddy and so we set off on our "Guided Walk of the wrong side of the River Thames" in glorious sunshine, it was like walking along the harbourfront of Santa Cruz de Tenerife!

We started out in front of what Liddy advertised as a prominent Millwall fans' pub.
While I initially toyed with the idea of walking in, standing on the nearest desk and singing Bubbles from the top of my lungs I felt this might have cut our afternoon walk somewhat short, so I behaved and was than led into the glorious maze of Borough Market, one of the oldest markets in London and a goldmine for a food fanatic such as me.

We even found a stall with Croatian delights and we toyed with the idea of buying Slaven a little present. Then again we weren't quite sure what to get him.
What if the gaffer has a cheese allergy ? Or maybe doesn't like plum brandy, even if it comes from familiar shores ?

So, what do you do when you saunter in the sunshine, feel a bit peckish, and find yourself surrounded by tables filled with stinking cheese, fancy salami from France and fruit jam from Italy ? Easy.

You agree to try some oysters again, yes, those raw slimily weird seafoody things the last of which you tried 28 years ago and found absolutely horrible, both in taste and texture.

But when in London…

Who knows what the night will bring ? I'll better have another oyster!
To be fair, I found the oysters a lot more appealing this time around. Then again I was quite hungry at that point anyway and once the oysters were swimming again, this time in half a pint of cider buried in my tummy, both Liddy and I were replenished enough to continue what she kept calling a stroll but what I was soon refering to as The South London Half Marathon.

I was destined to continue to feel the fallout from this trek in the coming days, with blistered feet and aching calf muscles but according to my drill instructor from Upminster it was, and I quote "just a little exercise. It is good for you!"
It certainly was a day when I burned far more calories by walking than I put back in by munching away on food later.

Mind you, the walk with its riverviews was utterly beautiful though, the weather was incredible, we passed numerous bridges and also the famous Globe Theatre (which gave me some horrible flashbacks of the time I was doing my A-levels in English when us poor Kraut scholars had to crawl and bite our way through Mr.Shakespeare's Othello in his bloody native Olde English tongue) plus an open air book market where Lids picked up a vintage edition of a book she reckoned to be worth a lot more than the price she had paid while I to my disappointment was talked out of buying a coffee-table book showing black and white pics of a scantily clad Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell in her younger days. (Not so much talked out of it, but frowned out of it, if you're getting my drift…;-))

Slightly disgruntled I made my way back towards Tower Bridge, Geri-less, but there was no time to mope for long as we then met up with Mr.L at St Katharine Docks for a swift pint in the nearby Dickens Inn pub before then retiring for the rest of the evening to a French restaurant. Yes, it was a debut for this German sausage muncher, my first taste of French food (unless you count baguette and camembert cheese), but it was delightful enough and once again we found proof that a) it is a small world and b) you are never far away from a fellow West Ham fan.

While I was showing Liddy a book about the Boleyn Ground I had bought in Newham earlier, one of the geezers in suit and tie from the adjacent table named Budge got all excited, asking if we were West Ham fans and when we affirmed that to be the case we were straight into all kinds of footballing conversations about games and players from days gone by and the upcoming game too.

Turned out he and his company are corporate season ticket holders at West Ham and if it wasn't just the wine talking he promised to fix me up with a ticket if I ever fancied watching another away game this season. I certainly wouldn't mind taking up that offer in 2018. It was a fantastic end to an eventful day and I thoroughly enjoyed the company of Liddy and Mr.L.

It was my own fault I later exposed my worn out feet to some more unwanted mileage by taking a wrong turn from Gants Hill initially before finally finding the road I was looking for and hitting the sack/sofa way past midnight.

SATURDAY, September 23rd – MATCHDAY

Not too much rest was to be had of course as it was an early kickoff for Spurs. Irons1959 took me to a cafe in Stratford where I briefly met his sister who comes all the way from Wales to the games, but the staff in that caff were all over the place that morning, confusing and forgetting orders, so I basically had to eat my egg and bacon sandwich on the go while briskly walking towards the London Stadium in order to meet The Original Russ who was already waiting at the aptly named H post, with my season ticket in hand. Oh, how I have missed you! (The ticket, not Russ!)

After ticking a box the day before I had never even known existed with that French restaurant, here at the stadium there was a box I absolutely had to tick, had wanted to tick for a year now, a local delicacy I was desperate to try and a man I was eager to meet. I had heard loads of stories and good things about the famous Rib Man from West Ham, Mark Gevaux, and of course his highly recommended Rib Rolls.

I had also seen his entertaining contribution in a German cookery show and of course his appearance in the Iron Men film about our final season at The Boleyn.

Honest, it wasn't me on my own - but I helped a little...
As the man was incredibly busy behind his stall on matchday I could only briefly introduce myself, telling him about my column on the blog and my pleasure to finally meet him and try his famous rolls. He smiled, shook my hand and said he hoped I liked his stuff. And indeed it was among the best football related food I ever had, but boy, that "Holy F*** Hot Sauce" has its name for a good reason, when eating my roll I was adding numerous other creative expletives in both English and German, but once I could breathe again properly I was finally ready to watch my first game of the season.

I met the usual suspects again at the foot of the stairs at 238, Russ of course, The Voice of Reason and later also Dan Coker. As BSB couldn't make the game I had the pleasure of watching the game from his seat, wedged between the footballing brains that are Russ and The Voice of Reason. Wave after wave of tactical suggestions, formation debates, performance verdicts and manager assessments washed over me, but at the end of the game a thrilling derby ended in defeat.

I hate losing against Spurs. Let me rephrase that. I hate losing against any team. Period. But in this case I was thoroughly entertained by a game that had everything, goals, drama, incidents and a great and inspiring fightback. I truly think Spurs were lucky in the end to hold onto their lead.

One thing though: Why is it so difficult to place enough ballboys all around the pitch, every 20 meters or so, preferably kids who actually are excited about what they're doing, to make sure the ball gets back into play after five seconds rather than 20 ?

After the game Liddy briefly joined our group, my kind host Irons1959 as well and then I was approached by a stout guy, looking in my direction, saying to his little boy "Yeah, could be him!" Once I saw the camera dangling around his neck it was obvious that this was our very own blog photographer, the one and only Dawud Marsh. We had a quick chat, exchanging some ideas for future photoshoots and then he started snapping away, none of our group was safe from his lenses.

Listen Coker, have I told you yet about that heavenly pie I tried last season at Anfield ?
It became apparent fairly quickly though that the unofficial meet up wasn't going to happen as most people either had other things to do or wanted to return home as quickly as possible after our derby defeat. Not Irons1959 though. He saved my blushes by taking me to Whitechapel and there, on Jack The Ripper's manor, we found a nice pub first and an even nicer Pakistani restaurant later (another first for me as I had never tried Pakistani cuisine before).

Not only was the food really excellent (I got my customary curry of course), Irons1959 also met one of his former pupils there who was working at the restaurant which was a nice touch of course, adding to the good atmosphere during our meal.

We then returned to Ilford, totally knackered, and I was more than happy that I could give my feet some rest and my eyes some Match of the Day Premier League highlights. Watching our game again on the custard and jelly it has to be said that the atmosphere came across as really excellent at times, the noise was incredible.

Which doesn't mean that it's a great matchday experience when you are IN that stadium. I still think the pitch is too far away. And I doubt I will ever quite get used to that.

SUNDAY, September 24th

I had been hoping BSB would call me up to give me a meeting place and time as he had done at every other visit of mine so far, but alas, this time it simply wasn't possible. BSB phoned, explained and promised we would make up for it next time.

So who should step in and turn a potentially boring day into a great one ? Irons1959, my fellow (Half-) German from Ilford. As the weather was fantastic yet again we were driving in his car to the Royal Docks, a nice area with character and great views of the Docklands skyline, a symphony of wind and water, just as we like it here in Hamburg.

We were browsing around the neighbourhood and admiring some of the quite upmarket flats that are on offer along the waterline there. I certainly wouldn't decline if someone offered my a flat in one of those former warehouses and I wouldn't even care if my view was partly obscured by a nostalgic grey crane guarding the living room window.

We settled down with a Chinese Take Away in Ilford in front of the telly as it was general election day in Germany and we were shocked to hear about the right wing Alternative fuer Deutschland claiming third spot with 13.3% of the votes, gaining them 94 seats in parliament. Needless to say we both had a a few things to say about all this, what with Irons1959 having worked as a history teacher for many years. A bit of a dampener to an otherwise lovely day.

MONDAY, September 25th – Back to Hamburg

Final days of a trip are always a bit of a bummer and a waste. In the back of your mind there's always the worry about getting to the airport on time and having the actual flight done and over with. Irons1959 had builders in the house, but he still was kind enough to let me stay in his living room for a few more hours, allowing me to browse the WHTID blog, read up on the German general election and yes, also Concordia (not much to report there, both the game of the first and the second team were postponed, so I actually didn't miss any Cordi action while I was away).

Oh yes, there was yet another first on a West Ham trip for me. I didn't go to the club shop and I didn't spend a penny on merchandise. And neither do I intend to do so again in the future. As long as that kind of money mainly goes into the Sullivan&Gold interest fund generated on the back of the loans kindly provided to the club by our esteemed owners, I choose not to add any club shirts, scarves, hats or coffee mugs to my already substantial collection.

And of course I couldn't leave Stansted airport with another little football debate. After taking off my belt, shoes and West Ham jacket at the security check in the staff member checking out my tray just grinned at me, shook his head and said "It's not your fault you support the wrong team!" I immediately went into "You want some ? I'll give it ya!" mode, asking who he supported then.

"Spurs" he beamed. Of course! Had to be one of them. I told him he should count himself lucky his beloved superstar team didn't throw away a three goal lead on Saturday. But I left it at that as the queue behind me was getting slightly itchy at that point.

This latest edition of "War and Peace" is nearing it's conclusion. It was a very different trip for the reasons I tried to explain, but still a fantastic experience made possible once again by so many members of the WHTID family. Special kudos to Liddy for the exercise (my feet are still shaking at the mention of your name!), to Irons1959 of course, my kind host from Ilford who bent over backwards to make sure I had a good time and also to Dawud Marsh for some great pictures done at the stadium.

Hope to see you all again soon for my next game! COYI!

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West Ham told they must take responsibility for paying Living Wage at London Stadium
The Irons are the most high-profile tenants at the stadium which must now cover the cost of paying its staff the London Living Wage
Football London
BYGREG JOHNSON
08:31, 27 SEP 2017

E20 Stadium LLP, owners of the London Stadium and landlords of West Ham United, will cease to pay workers at a rate below the London Living Wage, it has been revealed. The change in policy will take effect immediately for all permanent staff at the venue, although the majority of the workforce is made up of casual workers who must wait for their pay to be adjusted by the subcontractors that employ them, such as West Ham and stadium operators VINCI Stadium. London Stadium remains publicly owned and so any increase in costs will have to be picked up by the taxpayer unless the Irons and other companies that use the ground agree to help cover the wage raise.
E20 Stadium LLP was set up in July 2012 as a joint venture between the London Legacy Development Corporation and Newham Legacy Investments, a company wholly owned by Newham Council to manage the former Olympic Stadium, now London Stadium. Final costs for the construction of the stadium for the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games have been hard to pin down. The final bill came to £429 million, already above the original budget that was set at £280 million.
Yet the costs to convert the stadium into a football ground, in addition to unforeseen problems with design features such as the retractable seating that was supposed to make it easier to use the stadium as a multi-purpose venue to host other events, have lead to further increases, paid for in part by public money.
The London Living Wage currently stands at £9.75 per hour. According to the Telegraph, who broke the news of the pay increases, an extra £750,000 per year could be added to the wage bill.

In 2013, West Ham signed a 99-year lease to become tenants at the London Stadium, and after struggling to find their form in unfamiliar surroundings at the start of last season, the Irons have finally begun to settle into their new home since the spring of 2017. However, questions have been asked about their contribution to the site. Of the £323 million spent on converting the stadium for their use, the Hammers have paid only £15 million on top of their £2.5 million a year rent. The club splits profits with E20 Stadium LLP on revenue brought in from commercial activities such as match day catering and naming rights above certain thresholds.

Michael Pugh of Citizens UK told the Telegraph: "We are delighted that London Stadium have today agreed to pay the London Living Wage and we look forward to them accrediting with the Living Wage Foundation. "This decision will change the lives of the stadium cleaners, security guards and caterers, who have campaigned for this with Citizens UK leaders in East London. "With football awash with money for footballers, agents and executives, today's decision proves that clubs and stadia can no longer hide behind third-party contractors as an excuse, and must follow the London Stadium in taking responsibility for the people who work on match day and pay the real living wage, calculated according to the cost of living."

VINCI Stadium secured their own 25-year agreement to operate at London Stadium in 2015 to add the venue to their portfolio of other stadiums that includes the Stade de France in Paris, Allianz Riviera in Nice, Matmut Atlantique in Bordeaux and MMArena in Le Mans. Forbes estimate VINCI to be worth $43.6 billion, or £32.41 billion. There will be pressure on both West Ham and the other companies operating at London Stadium, such as VINCI, to ensure that the higher wages paid out for staff employed to exploit the commercial value of their publicly-owned venue is covered, rather than left for the taxpayer to shoulder. Chelsea is currently only one of two clubs in the Premier League to pay the Living Wage according to the Living Wage Foundation, and the only topflight side in London to pay the London Living Wage.

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How West Ham FC targets its Spanish-speaking fans
SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 by Seb Joseph
Digiday.com

Javier Hernández's summer arrival at the football club causes a Mexican wave across its social channels.
Clubs outside of soccer's elite have traditionally shied away from creating content for foreign audiences. But for West Ham FC, the arrival of Mexican Javier Hernández in the summer was a chance to specifically target the popular player's Spanish-speaking fans who had followed him from his previous team.

The London-based team estimates it has gained around 270,000 new Spanish-speaking fans across its social channels since Hernández joined the club on July 24. Its Facebook page has benefited the most, attracting 225,000 followers from Mexico in that period, up 11.5 percent. Its Twitter accounts saw a 15 percent increase in followers, due in part to the separate Spanish-language account the club launched after Hernández joined. The club's Instagram audience rose 15.8 percent.

In response to the increase in Spanish-speaking fans, West Ham hired Mexican journalist Martín del Palacio, who started producing five original pieces of content in Spanish a day — or 140 a month — to post across Facebook and Twitter. On Facebook, the posts for its Spanish-speaking followers are geo-targeted, while Twitter content appears on the club's Spanish-language profile. Comparatively, West Ham publishes 40 original posts in English a day — or 1,120 per month — across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.

Other than the posts announcing Hernández's arrival at the club, growth from its Spanish-language content on Facebook and Twitter has been organic, said head of content Amar Singh.

West Ham doesn't just translate English-language posts into Spanish. Madrid-based del Palacio works with the club's 12-person content team in London on ideas that will appeal to Hernández's fans, who tend to be more passionate than its core English fans, Singh said. Each post has a distinct tone, which veers from playful — like a recent Spanish translation of West Ham's "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" anthem — to lighthearted, like an exclusive video charting the club's trophy haul.

With the content for Spanish-speaking fans, the team hopes to build awareness for the team. With awareness comes reach, and with reach comes the ability to attract big-spending brands wanting to target new audiences.

Unlike larger clubs like Bayern Munich, which targeted a Latin America following the signing this past summer of Colombian James Rodríguez, West Ham can't bank on the global reach of the UEFA Champions League or the status that comes with being part of the sport's elite to attract fans. Instead, West Ham has to react to opportunities as they arise.

Despite Hernández's impact on West Ham's Spanish-speaking audience, he won't be the team's sole focus. The club has a mix of up-and-coming Spanish-speaking stars such as Argentine Manuel Lanzini and Spaniard Pedro Mba Obiang, whom it hopes to involve more in its Spanish-language content strategy throughout the season.

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