Daily WHUFC News - 29th September 2017

West Ham United Ladies back FA's women's league restructure
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies managing director Jack Sullivan has welcomed the Football Association's plans to restructure the top tiers of women's football, and confirmed the Hammers will be seeking a licence to play in the top division of the FA Women's Super League (WSL). Set to be implemented from the start of the 2018/19 season, the FA's restructure will see FA WSL 1 expanded to 14 teams with full-time professional players. A new national league will be established at tier 2 of the pyramid, providing a semi-professional, part-time environment allowing for a maximum of 12 teams. Current WSL tier one and two clubs have until 10 November to submit their applications for a licence, which will be reviewed by the FA women's board in December, while teams outside those leagues, including West Ham United, will be invited to apply in March 2018. "The FA's announced restructure is a momentous landmark that will see women's football in the UK go from strength to strength," Sullivan told whufc.com. "As an ambitious club, we want West Ham United to be at the very top of this new-look league structure, and we will be doing everything we can to make sure our application is successful. "It is very clear that the ambitions and intentions of the FA align with West Ham United's commitment to developing our Ladies teams both on and off the pitch, and we believe this opportunity gives us the perfect platform to provide West Ham United supporters with a full-time women's team to follow. "Equality is at the heart of our movement, and the momentum that we have created over the last 12 months by involving the Ladies team in all aspects of the club helps illustrate West Ham's inclusive approach to not only women's football, but all aspects of equality across our community. "Now West Ham United Ladies are fully integrated into the Club, the facilities and infrastructure that we are currently able to offer the squad – with the help and support of all departments at West Ham – is certainly befitting of a professional team and we intend to make that a reality."

Clubs applying for a tier one licence will be required to commit to having full-time professional playing staff delivering a minimum of 16 hours of daytime contact per week, as well as an elite performance environment including strength and conditioning, performance preparation, medical and player welfare. Clubs will also require detailed marketing and commercial plans to support an increase in match day attendances and income generation, while the FA will also continue to provide funding to clubs at both tiers to support day-to-day operations and future development.

West Ham United Vice-Chairman and West Ham United Ladies ambassador Karren Brady also welcomed the news and praised the progress that the Ladies had made since becoming aligned with the Club. "We have seen the structure of women's football in the UK improve dramatically over the years, which has certainly led to a knock-on effect in the performance of our national team," said the Vice-Chairman. "The Lionesses are now ranked third in the world and continue to impress at major tournaments, and I am sure the FA's restructure will only continue that progress. "We have been delighted to implement some real structure to women's football at West Ham United, which started by bringing them into the West Ham family last year, and since then by giving them support from all areas and departments at the club. "We are now beginning to see West Ham United Ladies reap the benefits, by attracting bigger crowds and improving the level of professionalism throughout the setup, which in turn gives me the confidence to say we fully support the FA's restructure and hope our Ladies team can be a part of it."

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Hammers stars aim for World Cup places
WHUFC.com

A host of West Ham United players are set for make-or-break fixtures during the upcoming international break, with places at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals up for grabs.

In Europe, Jose Fonte's Portugal have their fate in their own hands in Group B, knowing victories in Andorra and at home to Edimilson Fernandes' Switzerland will almost certainly seal their place at Russia 2018. The UEFA Euro 2016 winners sit second in their group, three points behind leaders Switzerland, but two wins will see them qualify on goal difference, unless the Swiss thrash Hungary by a highly unusual margin.

Marko Arnatuovic's Austria face two must-win Group D ties at home to Serbia in Vienna on Friday 6 October and away in Moldova three days later.
Austria sit fourth in Group D, five points behind Wales and four behind the Republic of Ireland, and need two emphatic wins, the Irish to lose at home to Moldova, Wales to lose in Georgia and the Welsh and Irish to draw in Cardiff to have any chance of finishing second and qualifying for a two-legged Play-Off.

In the CONCACAF region, Chicharito could reach 99 international caps as Mexico complete their already successful qualifying campaign with a home tie with Trinidad & Tobago in San Luis Potosi and trip to San Pedro Sula to face Honduras. Mexico have already sealed their place at Russia 2018 and can complete the CONCACAF Round 5 campaign unbeaten if they avoid defeat in their final two qualifiers.

In Africa, Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate have been included in the Senegal squad for a World Cup African qualifying Group D fixture in the Cape Verde Islands. The Lions of Teranga need a win at the National Stadium in Praia on Saturday 7 October to boost their hopes of overhauling group leaders Burkina Faso and their second-place hosts to earn an automatic place in Russia.

Winston Reid will travel further than any other Hammer, with New Zealand visiting Nagoya to face Japan for a friendly international. The All Whites will tackle the fifth-placed South American group finisher – possibly Manuel Lanzini's Argentina – in November, with the winner going to Russia.

At age-group level, Declan Rice and Josh Cullen are in the Republic of Ireland U21 squad for home Group 5 ties with Martin Samuelsen's Norway – who also host Germany in Drammen – and Israel in Dublin.

Domingos Quina's Portugal U20s travel to Switzerland and host Italy in friendly matches, while Dan Kemp is in the England U19 squad for friendlies in Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Finally, Anthony Scully's Republic of Ireland U19s host Azerbaijan, Cyprus and Serbia in UEFA European Championship qualifiers in Waterford.

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Hart and Cresswell named in England squad
WHUFC.com

West Ham United duo Joe Hart and Aaron Cresswell have been named in the England squad for the Three Lions' final two 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Gareth Southgate's side need just a point from their home Group F tie with Slovenia at Wembley Stadium on Thursday 5 October to secure their place in Russia. Should they fail to draw with the Slovenians, a point from their final fixture with Lithuania in Vilnius on Sunday 8 October would suffice. Capped 73 times, goalkeeper Hart has started all eight of England's Group F qualifiers, conceding just three goals, while left-back Cresswell will hope to make his competitive debut after featuring in friendly internationals with Spain and France. "The main aim for me is to play well this season and go to the World Cup," said Cresswell. "It's an ambition of every footballer to go to the best tournament in the world, so hopefully I can have a good year and we'll see where we are come the end of the season. "For me, playing for your country is the pinnacle of your career. It's nice to be involved in games like we've had recently and play in stadiums like Wembley and the Stade de France. I'm delighted that we won the two games and with the experience of being part of it."

England versus Slovenia will be screened live by ITV from 7.45pm on 5 October, while Lithuania v England will be broadcast by the same channel from 5pm on 8 October.

The FIFA World Cup finals kick-off in Moscow on 14 June 2018.

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Bilic: Chicharito and Carroll's partnership, the Hammers' run of games and Swansea
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic spoke to the press ahead of this weekend's London Stadium meeting with Swansea City about a number of issues. After confirming the team news, the manager was asked about the potential of a Chicharito partnership with Andy Carroll, the Hammers' run of upcoming games and the threat of Swansea City. West Ham beat the Welsh outfit twice last campaign and Saturday's hosts are looking to get back to winning ways after last week's defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.
The boss was also asked about London Stadium and more in Thursday's press conference…

Carroll and Chicharito

'I see potential in that partnership' Andy Carroll and Chicharito lined up together from the start in the win against Huddersfield Town, however the Mexican was utilised more in wide areas than alongside the Big Man up top. And against Spurs last weekend, Carroll was introduced as a substitute though it is fair to say the pair did not partner each other in attack. Asked about a future partnership, however, Bilic gave his thoughts and explained the dilemmas he faces. He said: "I see a lot of potential in that partnership. The key for us is like in one hand we want to get the stability and, if we are talking about conceding goals, then we have to be more stable and have a system with more players at the back. "But then at the end of the day if you want to get your players who are offensively good on the pitch, it's not easy to find a system which you can have both in. "But that is the key and that is what we are looking for and if you're asking me if I believe in that pair, of course. "It's not only them though, we have other good strikers like Andre Ayew and Diafra Sakho. But do I see the potential in that? Yes I do."

The upcoming run of games

After tricky matches against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur within the first six league games, the Hammers now come up against four sides all outside the top eight in consecutive matches. After the Swans on Saturday, ninth-place Burnley are the next opponents before Brighton travel to east London. Then, a trip across the river to Crystal Palace follows and Bilic believes it is a run West Ham can pick up a number of points in. "The fixtures so far were not bad," he reflected, "as we didn't play against all top six sides in the six games. We have played against two, we had three games away to start and they were not bad. "But all I'm saying now is that we have got some players back, we have got the stability and we have a good run of games, comparing with some of them we've played at home. To be fair, it's the wrong approach, if you think about the run of four or five games. "For me, the only way to approach the Premier League is be only thinking about your next game. "Of course we know who were are playing after and all that but your whole concentration and focus should be and it is only on our next game and that is Swansea at home."

London Stadium

'It's becoming like home' The Hammers are now well into their second campaign at London Stadium, and a number of matches last season provided electric atmospheres as it really began to feel like home. The supporters were excellent once again as Huddersfield and Spurs visited in recent weeks, while they turned out in numbers of a Carabao Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers just over a fortnight ago. Ahead of the Swansea game on Saturday, Bilic revealed everyone really feels at home on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. "I said it and felt it towards the end of last season, that it's becoming [like home] and it's totally the opposite of the beginning of the season," the manager continued. "OK, we lost some games towards the end of the season, but it was our home, it was different. "So again, it started well [this season] and it's why we have to get [that feeling] back. We got it back a little bit with those three games and now hopefully this Spurs game was only in-between a successful series for us, or run."

Facing the Swans

Boxing Day last season was one of the days to remember in terms of the Hammers' season, as they made the long trip to south Wales to take on a struggling Swansea. What followed was a scintillating performance which gave supporters the perfect Christmas present; a 4-1 victory thanks to Andre Ayew, Winston Reid, Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll goals. Then, Paul Clement's men travelled to London Stadium towards the end of the season and were beaten again, as Cheikhou Kouyate's screamer sealed the win.

This campaign, will last season's results have any bearing on Saturday's result?

"That we beat them twice last season – it means something, but on the other hand, it doesn't mean a thing just before the start of the game!" said Bilic. "To me, it just means we look very motivated in training and we look good and we have the players back. "That's what is important. We are in this together. We have always done it [with our backs to the wall] and this is the reason why I am optimistic ahead of Saturday. "But as I said, now we have that opportunity and possibility to get out of this end zone."

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Team news: Lanzini & Antonio in squad for Swansea clash
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic has revealed that West Ham United will have both Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio available for Saturday's Premier League contest with Swansea City. The Hammers are eager to return to winning ways against the Swans this weekend and the team has received a major boost in two attacking superstars.
Lanzini has only been able to feature in one Premier League match so far this season for the Irons, coming off the bench in the contest with Newcastle last month.
Manuel Lanzini is back in the squad. He will be in the squad against Swansea. And Bilic has confirmed that Lanzini, having returned to full training, will be in the matchday squad for the contest with Swansea. Bilic said in his press-conference on Thursday: "Manuel Lanzini is back in the squad. He will be in the squad against Swansea."
There was also good news when it came to Antonio, who was forced from the field during Saturday's fixture against Tottenham. The 27-year-old winger has recovered from the set-back and is also involved in Saturday's squad, and could therefore play at the London Stadium. On Antonio, Bilic added: "His injury wasn't that bad and there was always a chance he would be available for the game with Swansea. "He trained with us today and he will be in the squad for Saturday's game."
It appears to be good news all round for West Ham going into Saturday's match with Swansea, with Bilic only naming Pedro Obiang as an absentee. The Spaniard suffered a slight knock in the draw with West Brom two weeks ago and won't take part in this weekend's fixture. The manager added: "There's only basically Pedro Obiang, who still feels it a bit after the West Brom game – the rest are okay." West Ham will welcome Swansea for a 3pm kick-off on Saturday in their final match before the international break.

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WEST HAM'S PROBLEMS UP FRONT
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 28 SEPTEMBER 2017 AT 9:00PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

West Ham are seemingly cursed when it comes to signing strikers having signed over 30 strikers since David Gold and David Sullivan bought the club back in January 2010. While some of these have been loan deals, some have included some pretty hefty transfer fees.

The start of the 2017/18 Premier League season only served to highlight the club's ongoing problems in attack, although the Hammers picked up their first points of the season in their first home game against Huddersfield. With a 3-0 win at the London Stadium, it could be the case that Betfair football bets might start to look more favourably at West Ham's chances of a win.

In this article, we take a look at some of the worst strikers West Ham have signed since Gold and Sullivan took over the ownership of the club.

Some of the worst signings have come in the loan market, when West Ham must have felt that they could find a short term, cheap fix to their problems. Looking at the list of those who have joined on loan, the likes of Mido, Marouane Chamakh, Emmanuel Emenike and Simone Zaza have to rank as the worst.

Between the four of them, only two goals were scored, neither of them in the Premier League. Both goals were scored by Emenike in a 5-1 win over Blackburn Rovers in an FA Cup tie.

Ilan, John Carew and Mladen Petric were all signed on free transfers but were all released without much of a fanfare. Carlton Cole initially joined in July 2006 for an undisclosed fee, however he was released by the club at the end of the 2012/13 season. He was re-signed in October 2013 and would eventually stay until the summer of 2015, his second spell was even less prolific than his first.

Mauro Zarate and Ashley Fletcher were signed on free transfers from Velez Sarsfield and Manchester United respectively. Between the two they managed to score 8 goals, however unlike the other free signings, the club managed to get a fee by selling them on.

There have been some instances when West Ham have paid a transfer fee for some of these terrible strikers. Most notable are Frederic Piquionne from Lyon, Enner Valencia from Pachuca and Nikica Jelavic from Hull City.

Despite having been bought from French Ligue 1 side Lyon, Piquionne had spent the 2009/10 on loan at Portsmouth during the season they got relegated from the Premier League. In his first season with new club West Ham, the club got relegated, meaning that for two seasons in a row, Piquionne was relegated finishing 20th in the league.

Enner Valencia joined from Mexican club Pachuca in a deal worth around £12 million however during his three seasons in the Premier League, he only managed to score 11 goals in 75 games, 8 of those coming in his 54 appearances for West Ham. He has since moved back to Mexico to play for Tigres UANL.

Prior to his move to West Ham, Nikica Jelavic had spells in the Premier League with Everton and Hull City. He scored 33 goals in 114 Premier League appearances before his summer switch to West Ham, where he only managed 2 goals in 15 appearances. Around 6 months later he would move to the Chinese League One to play for Beijin Renhe.

Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho are the two senior strikers who remain at the club, while Antonio Martinez, signed from Valencia often plays for the U23 team. At only 20, Martinez still has enough time to become a star at the club.

During the summer transfer window in 2017, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez were signed by the club in order to try and resolve their attacking problems. Both attackers have Champions League experience and manager Slaven Bilic will be hoping the new signings can help push the club up the table.

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THE PROBLEM WITH SOCIAL MEDIA "FANS" AND THE TOXIC EFFECT ON YOUTH
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 28 SEPTEMBER 2017 AT 9:15PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @StevenMcCarthy9

In recent years I have heard many people complain about the passion of fans not being the same as in years gone by….to them I say, you are talking out your arse! Even this past week, some muppet felt the need to call out a father with his daughter at the London Stadium on Twitter. Who would you rather have sat next to you on a Match Day, a father and his daughter enjoying the game or some Stone Island wearing muppet, shouting abuse and swearing all the time? And which one of the two do you think does nothing but site the "lack of passion" in modern football?
Now I totally understand and agree that the famous atmospheres I was lucky enough to experience at the old Wembley, The Boleyn and some of the feistier derbies around London I've experienced are few and far between, however this watering down has allowed for a much safer and family friendly experience.

Which is not to say it is perfect, there are numerous aspects of this "watering down" That I am not a major fan of….for example; the prawn sandwich brigade! Leaving seats empty till long after the kick off or simply just deciding not to turn up because of the "lesser games" they'll often do little more than fire off some emails or shake their heads at those singing over the 90 minutes….We could even make a case for them raising the coast of tickets these days.
But they aren't abusing anyone within the game!

This sanitising of our football grounds has lead to a new problem with the modern day football fan, the attitude of entitlement and accessibility with which fans can vent any frustration they have with just the press of a button directly at a player. Darren Blewitt and all on the radio show said it best last night, there is no respect with a lot of football fans these days, I understand the frustration when players are on huge sums of money, every week and tickets are not exactly cheap. But in reality all that means is that you can go to the game, hopefully back the team, even protest, shout and throw an inflatable willy about if you want, but you do it in a way that you know you can be identified. And if you want to slate a player, do so in a way that you would to their face! Would you really tell Mark Noble too his face that you wished he brakes his leg, call him a c**t or "batter" him as I saw one fan state. I bet these people would do nothing more than quiver at the knees and spew helps of praise if they were face to face Noble.

This sense of entitlement, judgement and condemnation doesn't just stop when it comes to results, it comes to players directly, I have always been of the opinion that constructive criticism can only ever be positive in any aspect of life, but it is particularly relevant when discussing sports. I've coached football and gymnastics before a short time personal training, all of those jobs require the ability to assess and give feedback constructively. But once the people I coached or p.t.'d went home, the most they'd get is maybe a single unsavoury comment on an Instagram post, or worst case, a few school kids teasing. None of them faced the disgraceful barrage of hateful, even threatening tweets we see after almost every game!

This leads me onto a new side of coaching that has emerged and really needs a bigger stage in sport, the psychological side of management. This is perhaps most relevant in youth players these days, for example just yesterday, I found myself scratching my head at some of the responses to the news that Reece Oxford is frustrated at the lack of starts on loan at Mönchengladbach. Many saying he was "over rated", "waste of talent" or "not the prospect we thought"…the guy isn't even 20 yet! Imagine reading that sort of thing when you are not only young and still developing, but also in a different country and have a great sense of expectation on your shoulders. That requires a real mental strength that very few possess and I believe the psychological side of the game will become more important than ever.

Now you may say "Why do footballers even need social media?", short answer is that it is their right to be able to connect with new people within and outside of the game. If you want to ever see the next Ferdinand, Cole, Lampard or even Moore in a West Ham shirt, I truly believe their needs to be a change in mentality to many of the so called "fans" out there, as you will only ever end, cut short or limit the potential of more young footballers careers with the toxic barrages we see online! When a youth player comes on, give them the biggest roar you can, back the team over the two halves and if you want to tell Oxford afterwards on twitter "Your passing let you down today!" or even "I think you need to get on the weights!", then by all means that is fair and constructive criticism! But calling him a heap of profanities and wishing he was injured is not, let's be the fans our great club deserves, back the team through thick and thin like the West Ham I grew up on, but let's remove and report the toxic parts of our game whilst doing so!

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Lanzini back for Swans test
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th September 2017
By: Staff Writer

Manuel Lanzini is set to make his return to West Ham's starting XI this week having been cleared to play against Swansea. The Argentine midfielder has been out of action since the 3-0 defeat at Newcastle last month but is back in contention for selection this weekend having been given the all clear. The news was confirmed on Thursday afternoon by Slaven Bilic, who also confirmed that both Pedro Obiang and Michail Antonio would miss out through injury.

We'll have more from Bilic's press conference soon...

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Nate hungry for more
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th September 2017
By: Staff Writer

Academy star Nathan Holland says he hopes to be involved more in the first team as the season progresses. The 19-year-old midfielder moved to West Ham from Everton back in January for a nominal fee, having signed a three-and-a-half year pro contract with the Hammers -a deal considerd as a major coup by Academy Director Terry Westley. It took the Wythenshawe-born teenager - who is eligible to play for both England and Barbados - just eight months to break into the Hammers first team, as he made his debut against Bolton in the Carabao Cup last week. And rather than simply being content with his sole appearance, Holland has the taste for more. "I'm looking at the season now, rather than just breaking straight into the Premier League team," he told West Ham's website. "It's a big squad and you have to work hard to get your chance. I need to keep working hard with the Under 23s and then hopefully I'll get another chance soon. "I am training with the first team a lot and the gaffer has shown his faith in me; I can see that he believes in me. He is a great coach."

Holland - who was allowed to leave Goodison Park following Evertoin's decision not to extend his contract - replaced fellow debutant Sead Haksabanovic an hour into last week's Round 2 tie, which West Ham comfortably won 3-0. "I was nervous," he admitted. "It was a big crowd, the biggest I've played in front of. When I got on, Nobes pulled me in and said 'just do your thing'. "As soon as I got a touch on the ball it felt real. I got to do what I love; play football, but on that stage. I really felt comfortable and enjoyed myself after that."

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What a waste of money
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th September 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham fans leaving the Olympic Stadium early may not be getting full value for money - being as they missed a minimum of five goals last season.

Research has shown that the average Premier League football fan ducks out of home games seven minutes and 37 seconds early to avoid the hustle and bustle of leaving the stadium and the inevitable traffic getting away from the ground.

With this in mind, a new study has analysed the closing stages of each Premier League side's home games to evaluate what fans could be missing out on by leaving before the final whistle.

The findings, from money saving website voucherbox.co.uk, reveal that the average Premier League fan missed eight goals by leaving early last season, representing an average wastage of £72.63 of a season ticket price, based on the share of goals missed.

However the average West Ham fan's wastage was slightly above the average figure at £76.05 - the tenth highest of the 20 Premier League teams.

The fans who wasted the most money on their season ticket by leaving 7.5 minutes early during the 2016/17 season were Arsenal, with the top five as follows:

1. Arsenal: missed 18% of home goals, accounting for £185.77 of the season ticket
2. Chelsea: 20% of goals, £150.00 wasted
3. Southampton: 24% of goals, £137.41 wasted
4. Everton: 24% of goals, £122.62 wasted
5. Swansea City: 24% of goals, £108.63 wasted

Meanwhile the fans who wasted the least amount of money on their season ticket by leaving 7.5 minutes early during the 2016/17 season were headed by Stoke City:

1. Stoke City: missed 4% of home goals, accounting for £12.25 of the season ticket
2. West Brom: 4% of goals, £14.78 wasted
3. Huddersfield Town: 15% of goals, £26.32 wasted
4. Newcastle United: 8% of goals, £26.86 wasted
5. Brighton: 7% of goals, £32.28 wasted

Chelsea fans who lasted the full 90 were able to celebrate the most late goals. Accounting for all goals from the 83rd minute onwards, the Blues scored 11 times last season - more than double West Ham's late goals tally.

Including goals scored by visiting teams, early-leaving supporters of Everton and Swansea missed out on the most action, with 13 goals being scored after the 83rd minute at both Goodison Park and the Liberty Stadium respectively.

That being said, six of the goals at the Liberty Stadium were scored by the visiting team.

At the other end of the scale, Crystal Palace fans might want to duck out early – they conceded more late goals (six) than any other side last year. However, given that they also scored 21% of their goals in the closing stages, an early leave would waste £87.50 over the season.

The findings also reveal that Stoke followers would lose the least by heading home early. Just 4% of all Potters goals were scored in the final seven minutes, which equates to a £12.25 loss based on the cost per goal.

Sezer Yurdakul, Global Head of Online Marketing at Voucherbox said, "While we understand that some fans may want to leave games early to avoid the traffic, or perhaps just to get away from their team's poor performances, our findings show just what fans could be missing out on."

League table of last 7.5 minutes of home fixtures
Goals scored/equivalent cost of ST wasted*

1. Arsenal: 7 goals, £185.77
2. Chelsea : 11 goals, £150.00
3. Southampton: 4 goals, £137.41
4. Everton: 10 goals, £122.62
5. Swansea City: 7 goals, £108.63
6. Crystal Palace: 5 goals, £87.50
7. Manchester Utd: 4 goals, £84.62
8. Bournemouth: 5 goals, £78.57
9. West Ham Utd: 5 goals, £76.05
10. Liverpool: 4 goals, £60.89

* Late goals define as goals scored from 83rd minute onwards. Cost per goal calculated as season ticket price divided by the total number of home goals scored by a team.

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West Ham and Tottenham fined £20,000 after admitting FA misconduct charges
Last Updated: 28/09/17 5:55pm
SSN

West Ham and Tottenham have each been fined £20,000 after they admitted an FA misconduct charge and accepted the standard penalty. The clubs have been punished after Saturday's Premier League clash was marred by a late melee involving players from both sides. Spurs won the derby 3-2 at the London Stadium, and the hosts were pressing for an equaliser in stoppage time when the players clashed after a foul by Hammers forward Andy Carroll. The foul drew angry reactions from both sides, after which referee Michael Oliver booked Carroll and team-mate Winston Reid, plus Tottenham's Eric Dier and Fernando Llorente.
The FA confirmed in a statement on Thursday afternoon: "West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur have each been fined £20,000, after they admitted an FA misconduct charge and accepted the standard penalty. "It was alleged that in or around the 95th minute of their fixture on Saturday (23 September 2017), both clubs failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion." Before the sanction was confirmed, Hammers boss Slaven Bilic said the east London club were ready to take their punishment. "We talked about it, but there was some pushing," the Croatian said at a pre-match press conference ahead of the Premier League match against Swansea. "The FA can't have grey zones, so we have accepted the charge."

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FLAWED GENIUSES - WEST HAM'S SELF DESTRUCTIVE MAVERICKS
By Goatygav 28 Sep 2017 at 15:30
WTID

Watching West Ham's top five goals against the Spudz, to try and cheer myself up a bit, last up was Ravel Morrison's superb solo effort at WHL in 2013. From Mo Diame's lovely touch to bring it under deep in our half, followed by the lovely lay off to Ravel with the outside of his boot which was the start of one of the more memorable goals in our history, what resulted typified Morrison's great potential.

With only one game from nine so far this season, in a struggling Atlas team in Liga MX, Mexico's top division, on loan from Lazio, Ravel is yet to break through. Should he get his chance I hope he goes on to do well and realise his potential. The Atlas fans were excited about his arrival despite vice-president Alberto de la Torres revealing that there is a 'good behaviour' clause in the loan deal. The fact that he's only featured once for the team might suggest it's not going well however the aforementioned clause doesn't mince words stating that he'll be sent straight home should Ravel digress in any way so perhaps he's still in their plans.

Very much like Paul Gascoine it appears that Ravel has been unable to shake off bad influences from 'hangers on'. Ravel's formative years put him in with a crowd who Sir Alex Ferguson was keen to distance him from – so much so that he decided to do what he considered in the best interests of Ravel by selling him to West Ham to be looked after by Sam Allardyce. A compliment from the Manchester United manager to Mr Allardyce's abilities to get the best out of players.

Sadly it didn't work out for Ravel at West Ham as his Salford 'friends' continued to influence him. He is a grown man and, therefore, can't blame others for his own failings however it can't be easy for the fella with 'outside influences' taking effect.

After loan spells at Birmingham, QPR & Cardiff West Ham released Ravel and he signed for Lazio in 2015. He returned to QPR on loan. Signing for an Italian club may not have been far away enough from Manchester. If not then his current loan to Mexico should do the trick. If not then how far away does he have to go? Will he end his career in New Zealand perhaps?

On the subject of flawed geniuses Paulo Di Canio, for me, was on that level. Blessed with incredible skill, although much of it developed with hard graft and dedication, and as much as I worship him as a player, there's no doubting that he's hit the self destruct on more than one occasion during his career. You wonder whether he would have featured for Italy and become an international legend as well as a West Ham one if he'd have been more able to manage interpersonal relationships with those in authority within his national team's hierarchy. Whatever your opinion he definitely possesses eccentricities in similar ways to Gazza and Ravel.

There are elements of this with our record signing, Marko Aranoutovic, but there's definitely a line between 'Flawed Genius' and 'Moody and sulky players
To a degree it must be difficult growing up in the, bubble like, world of a top level footballer. Some handle the strains well. Others struggle with it for varying reasons. Be they alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling problems, infidelity, anger or mental issues with so much time and money at their disposal it can certainly be a case of 'too much too young' for many. Whilst there is certainly far more resource put in to managing these issues by clubs, associations and academies nowadays the number of players who fall foul are still significant. There are elements of this with our record signing, Marko Aranoutovic, but there's definitely a line between 'Flawed Genius' and 'Moody and sulky players with a bit of a screw loose with very few falling in to the former classification. Which group Marko falls in to remains to be seen. Others who have been close to that line might include the likes of Stuart Slater and, going back to players from the '50's, Malcolm Allsion. I'm sure that you could name plenty more and I'd be interested to hear your thoughts and debates on the matter.

Differing subtly from your common badges of honour history bestows a great deal of Kudos on the flawed genius. They're written and spoken about extensively by those who knew them and those who didn't. For me it's one of the most interesting conversations in sport. I remember speaking with a Manchester United fan about George Best. Part of the conversation was due to the fact that Manchester United visited Upton Park the game after his sad passing and the great tribute that our club put on in honour of the legendary Irishman, warmly recognised and appreciated by Sir Bobby Charlton, but much of that conversation centered around whether George would have been the same player without his imperfections. Nobody can say for sure but one thing is for certain. The spectacle of our great game is enriched hugely by these flawed geniuses who become giants of the game.

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West Ham receive boost ahead of Swansea clash with midfield duo Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini set to return from injury
Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini have fully recovered from their injuries
Antonio picked up an injury against Tottenham but it was not bad as first feared
Slaven Bilic confirmed they will be fit to feature in Saturday's clash with Swansea
West Ham have also accepted an FA misconduct charge from the Spurs match
By Andy Sims, Press Association Sport
PUBLISHED: 16:38, 28 September 2017 | UPDATED: 16:55, 28 September 2017

West Ham's bid to move out of the bottom three has been given a huge boost with the return of Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini. Antonio looked set for another spell on the sidelines when he pulled up with a groin injury against Tottenham last weekend. But the pacey winger has made a speedy recovery and is in line to face Swansea on Saturday, along with Argentinian playmaker Lanzini, who has been out for a month with a knee injury. Lanzini is back in the squad,' said manager Slaven Bilic. 'And Michail Antonio's injury wasn't that bad. There was always a chance he would be available for Swansea and it was like that. 'He trained with us Thursday, so he'll also be in the squad.' The Hammers lost their first three matches, but bounced back with a win over Huddersfield and a draw at West Brom before the 3-2 defeat by Spurs. Bilic sees the visit of the Swans as a 'crucial' chance to get more points on the board ahead of the international break. 'It's very important to get a win,' he added 'Three points would lift us a few places up the table, give us confidence, stability and good motivation. I would call it crucial.' Bilic also confirmed West Ham have accepted an FA misconduct charge following the melee at the end of the Spurs match. 'It was a derby game, the players were in a special state of mind,' he said. 'It wasn't anything nasty or deliberate, with someone with a cause to hurt the opponent. It was all part of the game. 'But on the other hand the FA has to draw the line and not have too much of a grey zone when it comes to that. 'We will accept the charge because you can't deny there was a bit of pushing.'

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William Carvalho proves what West Ham have missed out on with brilliant Barcelona display
The midfielder was in top for against the La Liga giants
Football London
BYADAM JONES
12:22, 28 SEP 2017

Despite Sporting Lisbon's loss to Barcelona on Wednesday night there was one shining light for the Portugese side - but it's one that West Ham fans might not appreciate. William Carvalho has been in brilliant form this season, having reportedly massively improved his attitude following a summer transfer window rife with speculation over his future. West Ham were strongly linked with a move for the Euro 2016 winner and were at one point deep in to negotiations with Sporting - although the Portugese side were tough to deal with. No transfer was ever agreed between the two sides and the fallout since then has been well documented - but it seems Carvalho has just got on with the task at hand. And his stats during Sporting's defeat to Barcelona last night prove exactly what West Ham have missed out on. Defensively, as you could expect, Carvalho was solid against what is at times an almost unstoppable Barcelona attack. The midfielder made three tackles throughout the 90 minutes with a 100% success rate - and wasn't dribbled past once in the entire match - which is seriously impressive when you're facing up against Lionel Messi. In fact, the Portugese international was only dispossessed once during the course of the match, and didn't concede one foul at all. But it's not just defensively that Carvalho has been impressing in Portugal this season - he also seems to have improved the attacking side of his game too. And that was certainly on show against Barcelona - completing more passes than any player for Sporting Lisbon with 44, and one of those being a key pass. Amazingly, Carvalho also completed more dribbles than anyone else for the Portugese side with three, again with a 100% completion rate. Having made the second-most touches in the whole Sporting Lisbon side against Barcelona, it's clear to see the influence that the midfielder is having on their game. If the midfielder keeps this form up, West Ham might face some significant competition if they decide to go back in for him in January.

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Sporting Lisbon willing to sell William Carvalho for £30.75m
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Thursday, September 28, 2017

West Ham target William Carvalho will be available for £30.75m this January as Sporting Lisbon attempt to balance their books. According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, Sporting need to raise cash when the window opens and are finally ready to part with their star midfielder. This will come as good news to the Hammers, who spent most of the summer attempting to land the Portugal international. As talkSPORT told you this week, the east London club are reportedly still tracking Carvalho ahead of the January sales and they could be encouraged by this latest news.
It had been suggested that Sporting were not interested in selling the 25-year-old for anything less than his £40m release clause, but it has now been reported that his price may have been lowered. O Jogo claims that the Portuguese club are now open to offers around the €35m (£30.75m) mark, which could be the right price for West Ham too.

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Crystal Palace eye Carlton Cole as they now have no points, no goals and no fit senior strikers
Played six, lost six bottom side's only recognised frontmen are both injured and ex-West Ham hero is currently clubless
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
22:30, 27 SEP 2017

Struggling Crystal Palace are ready to step up their attempts to land free-agent Carlton Cole to ease their striker crisis. New boss Roy Hodgson has been hit by the loss of Christian Benteke for at least six weeks with a knee injury. The Belgium international had a scan on Monday after suffering ligament damage in last Saturday's 5-0 defeat at Manchester City. Connor Wickham is also out injured until January, and Palace have no other recognised striker. It has left Hodgson considering his options, with the Eagles sounding out Cole. Contact is believed to have been made with the 33-year-old, who was released by Indonesian side Persib Bandung last month despite having only joined them in March. Cole last played in England two years ago, with Palace's London rivals West Ham. He has also turned out for Chelsea, Wolves, Charlton, Aston Villa and Celtic. Palace have not scored in the Premier League this season, losing all of their first six matches, and face a season-long relegation battle having sacked summer appointment Frank de Boer after only four league games and turning to ex-England boss Hodgson.
They next go to second-placed Manchester United on Saturday with champions Chelsea, currently third, to come at Selhurst Park in the first fixture after next week's international break.

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