Daily WHUFC News - 17th October 2017

Bilic: We are really looking forward with optimism
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic expects his West Ham United side to 'pick up many, many points'
if they continue to play as they did at Burnley on Saturday. The Hammers
looked on course for a maiden away Premier League win of the season at Turf
Moor, where Michail Antonio netted his first goal of 2017/18 and the likes
of Manuel Lanzini, Chicharito and Marko Arnautovic contributed to an
attractive performance. West Ham's performance was slowed by Andy Carroll's
27th-minute red card, but Bilic's team continued to create chances, defended
resiliently and were only denied a win by a well-crafted Chris Wood
equaliser five minutes from full-time.

'We are looking forward with optimism'

Slaven Bilic was able to select a starting XI from his strongest squad of
the season at Burnley. Manuel Lanzini (pictured, below) made his first start
of the campaign, while Michail Antonio looked up to full speed and Marko
Arnautovic returned after missing the 1-0 win over Swansea City through
illness. The result was a fluid, attractive and incisive first-half
performance that was only slowed after the Hammers were reduced to ten men
by Andy Carroll's red card. The manager believes his team's display at Turf
Moor is a sign of things to come. "If you are comparing how we played in the
last game with how we played on Saturday, especially when it was eleven
against eleven, we were much better on Saturday. "We were dangerous, we were
attacking with many players and that's why we had really missed players like
Lanzini and Antonio, who is now back to his fitness and everything. It was
really good and we have to build on this. "I knew we would have a difficult
start, because we had to play three away games, but more than that we were
playing without three or four important players for us, especially if we're
talking about the players who are game-changers when we have the ball. "Now,
with Lanzini back, with Arnautovic back and with Michail Antonio getting
into his really good fitness after a long break, it is looking much better.
"We are really looking forward with a lot of optimism, if we continue to
play like this and work like this, then we should get many, many points."

'I can only praise the players'

Bilic was not only happy with the way his team created chances, both before
and after being reduced to ten men, but also with how hard they worked to
restrict Burnley's own opportunities. "It's a good point for us. It's like
kind of mixed emotions because we were so close to getting three points but
playing with ten men for so long is not easy. "We were really good when it
was eleven against eleven. We were winning the game, we were better and not
only controlling the game, but we were also really dangerous. "It was a big
blow for us when Andy got sent-off, but in the first 15 minutes of the
second half, when we had done one change, we were very close to scoring a
second one. "We defended well, we defended deep and we had to because they
were putting bodies up front and it was hard to stop them coming to the
situations to cross the ball or have a shot from 25 yards. We defended those
crosses really well until the last one, from which they scored. "It's a good
point for us. We wanted three because we were really good, but I can only
praise the players for their effort, for their quality and for their
performance."


'I have no complaints about Andy's red card'

Bilic was asked repeatedly about Andy Carroll's red card after Saturday's
game, as he fulfilled a series of interview requirements with Premier League
broadcast partners, radio reporters and newspaper journalists. The
consistent message was that the manager was not impressed with his No9's
decision to challenge Ben Mee for the ball just moments after he had been
booked for a similar incident with James Tarkowski. "I have no complaints
about the two yellow cards, to be fair. He is an experienced player. "OK the
first one can happen, but the second one, he has experience and he cannot go
into that challenge, especially when you are playing away from home, two
minutes after you got booked. "I'm very disappointed with what he has done.
It is important, but at the end of the day it's not very important if it was
deliberate or not, but you can't do it with that experience that you have."

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Fonte pleased with fighting spirit despite draw disappointment
WHUFC.com

Jose Fonte has expressed his disappointment at leaving Turf Moor with just a
point after a 1-1 draw with Burnley, but was pleased with the fighting
spirit West Ham United showed throughout the contest. It took a late Chris
Wood header to break down a resolute West Ham side who had taken the lead in
the 19th minute through Michail Antonio and played with ten men for the
majority of the contest, after losing Andy Carroll to a red card in the
first half. Fonte, who put in a strong performance in the back line, is
naturally frustrated that he and his teammates could not hold on for all
three points but is happy with the defensive nous the Irons displayed in the
contest. "Obviously, we're not happy but we have to take into consideration
how long we played with ten men," Fonte told whufc.com: "It's one point.
It's one more point, which is better than none, but we are disappointed
because we felt comfortable and we were defending well. But Burnley kept
coming and they kept crossing, and in the end, they got a good ball in and
they got their goal. We still managed to get one or two good chances to
kill the game or to at least to give us a more comfortable lead, but we have
to be happy with the fighting spirit and the steel that we showed. We move
on and now we have to beat Brighton at home."

Manager Slaven Bilic named what appeared to be an attacking line-up with the
likes of Chicharito, Carroll, Marko Arnautovic, Antonio and Manuel Lanzini
all starting. Fonte admits the starting XI may have looked like a mainly
offensive side but insists each player knew about their defensive
responsibilities as well.
The Portuguese international added: "The team looked attacking and we have
great attacking players going forward, but we also know that in this
division we have to do the job defensively as well. As long as we do that we
will be okay. "Maybe some will look at it as an attacking line-up but
everyone has to run and everyone has to defend."

The defender also gave his praise for goal-scorer Antonio, who netted his
first finish of the season in the draw with the Clarets. "We all know what
Michail offers. He's a powerful boy and he gives us a dimension of energy
and physicality. I'm not surprised he scored. He creates problems for
defenders. It's good to have him in the team." Fonte added his views on
Carroll's dismissal after two quick yellow cards in the 25th and 27th
minutes. The defender believes his teammate was unlucky to be sent off and
is hoping for more fortune when the Hammers return to action against
Brighton on Friday. Fonte added: "The first yellow card looked a bit rash to
me. The second one is perhaps a yellow but the first is a bit soft, in my
opinion. "We know Andy is a physical player and this is the Premier League.
Burnley had two big strikers playing as well and we had to fight with them.
It was the same for both sides but, to be honest with you, it didn't go our
way. "There were many, many fouls given that perhaps weren't fouls. But we
have to take it on the chin today and perhaps in the next game we will have
a bit more luck. We will take the point and the positives."

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Powell delighted with first goal against Manchester United
WHUFC.com

Joe Powell is thrilled to have scored his first goal of the season in West
Ham United U23s' 4-2 victory over Manchester United. A hat-trick from Toni
Martinez and Powell's finish secured an excellent victory for Terry
Westley's side on Sunday at the London Stadium in front of 1,483 supporters.
The 18-year-old expressed his delight at finding the net during the match
and also praised Edimilson Fernandes for his role in the build-up to his
finish. "It was great to score," Powell told whufc.com: "It was an amazing
feeling. I'm proud of the composed finish. "I thought Edi had a great game.
His run and pass for me for the goal topped his performance off." The
attacker also hailed Martinez's goalscoring exploits, with the Spaniard
finding the net three times to become the first player to score a hat-trick
at the London Stadium. He added: "It was also awesome to be a part of Toni's
first goal, which was the equaliser. He said to me before the game that he
had spoken to one of his cousins and said: 'I'm definitely going to get a
hat-trick today'. "He's always in the right place at the right time, and
he's a natural goal-scorer. He has scored the first hat-trick at the London
Stadium and that's incredible."

The first half saw Manchester United twice take the lead, but the Hammers
were level on the stroke of half-time thanks to Martinez. Powell revealed
that he spoke in the dressing room during the interval, calling on the team
to add more spark in a bid to find a win, with the atmosphere around the
team now incredible having secured the victory. Powell said: "I said in the
changing room at half-time that we had to turn it on, because we'd conceded
the two goals and it can be hard to win from that position. But coming away
with a 4-2 win has created a great buzz around the dressing room. "Going
into every game we all have the same mentality. We always want to win,
whether we're playing away, at Dagenham, or at the London Stadium. We went
into the game knowing how good Manchester United are so to beat them 4-2 is
a massive achievement."

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West Ham invite fans to pay tribute this Remembrance Day
WHUFC.com

West Ham United is inviting supporters to pay tribute to their fellow
Hammers fans this Remembrance Day. So, if your family member or friend is a
current or former serving member of the Armed Forces, the Club would like to
hear from you. Please send a short message to your loved one, along with a
photograph, to media@westhamunited.co.uk The Club has a long-held and close
relationship with the Armed Forces dating back more than a century, when the
13th Battalion of the Essex Regiment, better known as the West Ham Pals
fought during the First World War. More recently, the Hammers have regularly
welcomed members of 7th Battalion The Rifles, based in West Ham, and the
Royal British Legion to home matches in recent seasons. Both will be
represented when West Ham United mark Remembrance Day 2017 at the Premier
League fixture with Liverpool at London Stadium on Saturday 4 November.

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Obiang shows his support for West Ham Ladies
WHUFC.com

There was a familiar face in the crowd at Rush Green when the West Ham
United Ladies played Coventry United on Sunday, as Pedro Obaing stopped in
to watch the girls in action. The midfielder played the second half of the
Premier League clash with Burnley on Saturday before visiting the Club's
training facility on Sunday to watch Greg De Carnys's team. The Ladies
unfortunately fell to a 2-1 defeat but Obiang was impressed with the ability
the side displayed during the contest.
"It's lovely to be here to watch the Ladies," Obiang told whufc.com: "I
thought they played really well and try to play really nice football. They
showed a lot of quality and I was very impressed."

The Spaniard made the day for a number of surprised fans by signing
autographs and taking pictures during his unexpected trip to Rush Green,
while the 25-year-old also enjoyed the football that the Ladies offered.
Obiang believes it's vitally important that the men's first team show their
support to the Ladies and the project that the Club are building around the
side. The No14 expressed his belief that West Ham is a family and everyone
is working towards the same cause. Obiang added: "Of course, we as first
team players have to support the club and the other teams, including the
Ladies. They are a part of the same team really. If we have the opportunity
to come down we should. It's good for us and it's good for them. "West Ham
is a family club. We have to be all together. That's the big thing. It's
important."

Jack Sullivan, managing director of the West Ham United Ladies, believes
Obiang's attendance at Sunday's fixture is a sign of just how committed the
Club is to developing women's football. He said: "It was fantastic to have
someone with first team player status come down and support the Ladies. It
shows you how far we've come in a short space of time and that the first
team are getting behind the Ladies as well. "He was in Burnley on Saturday
and he's here today. Him showing that support is one of the biggest things
for us."

West Ham Joint-Chairman David Sullivan was also at Rush Green for the Ladies
match with Coventry and was thrilled to see Obiang take the time to go to
the game. "It's just wonderful that, of his own volition, the player wants
to give back to the Club," Sullivan said. "I spoke to Pedro at half-time and
asked him why he came down. He said: 'I want to support the Ladies team. I
think that's absolutely wonderful."

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FORCED OPTIMISM FOR FRIDAY
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 16 OCTOBER 2017 AT 8:53PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @StevenMcCarthy9

Now before you complain about the cynical nature of this article, I am
hoping I can make you see it is more me trying to make the best out of a bad
situation! Friday night will see us take on Brighton without Andy Carroll,
I will give you my opinion as to why for me, this is a blessing in disguise.
I'll start off with the point perhaps best illustrated against Burnley in
the 57th minute, with a flowing move featuring Hernandez, Obiang and Lanzini
which Antonio could unfortunately not finish off. We cut through Burnley
like a hot knife through butter because the pace and technical capabilities
of our players shone through.

On Friday I think starting with Ayew or Sakho up top will force us to play
this fast and possession based style of football, far more so than we would
had Andy Carroll been on the pitch. We did get a goal through a defensive
mishap after a route 1 ball from Hart on Saturday, but you'd be lucky to get
those chances more than once every other match. The way to cut through the
physical and well drilled sides like Burnley or the newly promoted Brighton
is to give them something they didn't face week in, week out in the
Championship – Pace!

Pace is such an important part of the modern game and unless you are an
incredibly well drilled and physical side, as we were under Allardyce, Hull
were under Silva and teams like Burnley, Newcastle and Watford, again under
Silva are showing this season, you will be put to the sword by it! Yet we
are not strong enough defensively, and although I am not sure we ever can be
under Billic…What I will say for him is that we showed throughout the last
season at The Boleyn, he can get us playing fast and attacking football!
Payet, Lanzini and Antonio all regularly bombed forward, past defences
creating chances for themselves and the runners into the box.

Because of this the team was able to hold a far higher line to create more
pressure, keep defensive shape and increase the chances of retaining or
winning back possession. And I don't think that anyone can argue with me
when I say that what Carroll does not posses is pace…At least not that
comparable to the likes of Hernandez, Sakho or Ayew This inability to break
forward at speed is where I feel Carroll holds the team back for large
portions of the game. My ideal scenario (other than a consistantly fit
Carroll) would be to wear opposition teams down with a pacey attack for 75
or 80 minutes and then chuck an energetic and powerful Carroll if the game
is crying out for it, to chase down every ball, challenge every header and
take advantage of any fatigue or lapse of concentration from the opposition.

But being forced to play the option of either a pacy attacker in Ayew or
Sakho along side Hernandez or playing Antonio, Lanzini and Arnautovic in a 3
behind the Mexican, almost forces our hand in terms of a style of play we
use on Friday! Meaning that we will hopefully use that pace and break
quickly at every opportunity.
Let's get behind the team and see if they give Billic an even bigger
selection headache up top for games to come! Hopefully this isn't just
wishful thinking on my part and Friday night we will see an exciting West
Ham….because it's been what I've missed the most since we left The Boleyn!

By @StevenMcCarthy9

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GEORDIE SORE - WHEN A BATTERING RAM TRANSFORMS INTO A MAD BULL
By HamburgHammer 16 Oct 2017 at 08:00
WTID

Allow me to begin my column in somewhat chronological order for a change,
even if it means mentioning Concordia again right away, but the game I
watched on Friday evening strangely enough set the tone for the West Ham
game one day later. A malicious tone darkened by flaring tempers and hot
heads. If you bear with me you will see what I mean.

So, let me take you to the home "ground" of Bergedorf West, opponent of the
Concordia 2 boys for their most recent league encounter. Imagine a worn out
old cinder pitch under some dodgy orangey floodlights, surrounded by
high-rise flats on three sides, similar to the ones around Priory Road/Upton
Park. On the way from my parking spot to the ground, walking along a narrow
pathway close to a local schoolyard I was greeted by a local rat having
dinner under the cover of descending darkness. That didn't exactly fill me
with pre-match joy – Bergedorf isn't the nicest borough of Hamburg to begin
with, and Bergedorf-West is probably the worst area within the borough
borders, so you get the picture.

There were probably 30 spectators in all, including kids and dogs (and the
occasional passer-by returning home from the weekend grocery shopping).

The game was won 4:1 by the Cordi boys, with a lovely piledriver into the
top corner from 30 yards out and another one coming from a well worked
counter passing move. But the real story of this game was the tense
atmosphere between the players from the first whistle (and the referee's
inability to deal with it in a consistent manner), Cordi had two players
sent off for verbal misconduct, a third player who had been sent off shortly
before the final whistle was allowed to come back on after some unexpected
intervention from the opposition players who probably felt utterly
embarrassed at this point – with the game already lost on the pitch and the
ref all over the place. Oh yes, Cordi's assistant manager was sent to the
"stands" too in the process.

As this is a blog that doesn't encourage swearing and cursing I cannot tell
you the exact words the players used to rile each other up. Some of it was
in German, some in other languages (Russian, Turkish), but translated to me
afterwards by some of the players. It was basically about being of a certain
nationality (with some nasty adjectives added for dramatic effect) and also
boasting about having had sexual encounters with the other player's mother,
sister or girlfriend.

Strangely enough the referee was deaf towards any abuse dished out by the
home team, focusing on the wrongdoings of Cordi only. I have rarely
witnessed such a biased refereeing performance – if I didn't know for sure
that Bergedorf West are skint as a club I would have been convinced that the
ref had been bribed for this one. But even with two men down Cordi won
comfortably because Bergedorf West simply didn't play anything resembling
football, it was a throwback to the bad old days of kick and rush and half
their team looked like they should probably consider playing Rugby Union
rather than the beautiful game.

Which brings me to the West Ham game against Burnley. A contest that was
heavily influenced by the referee but also by the inability of our Geordie
leaping salmon to switch on his footballing brain just for a few minutes.
The only mitigating circumstance I can conjure up for AC is that the way he
goes into challenges is just the way he plays and probably also his biggest
strength and unique selling point as a footballer. Take those challenges
away from the man's portfolio and you might just as well not bother playing
him at all.

The problem with that is that referees no longer allow the kind of physical
challenges that were deemed as acceptable or even welcome in football years
ago. With his size Carroll will always find himself airborne in a position
where his elbows are likely to hit the opposing player in the face, neck,
back, whatever – and more often than not it will result in a foul being
given against Carroll, with a booking or straight red into the bargain as
well. Admittedly his first yellow was both harsh and unfortunate as Carroll
had his eyes firmly on the ball and surely didn't mean to hit or hurt his
oppponent.

The second one though, just 90 seconds later, was sheer madness and I
haven't got an inkling what the hell Carroll was thinking at that point. It
was the kind of challenge which would have left the average Castleford prop
bursting with pride, tackling an opponent like that – but this ain't rugby
after all, so as a football player you simply cannot throw away the game in
such fashion this early in the contest.

Players need to think more about what their actions on the pitch mean and
represent for their teammates. I have no doubt that we would have beaten
Burnley with eleven men. Looks like the Tower of Terror in Disneyland Paris
got to Carroll's head when he went there earlier with his family during the
international break.

It'd be harsh to insinuate that AC did spoil things for his teammates
deliberately, but you cannot ignore the disservice he has done to our cause
there. A win would have put us in a nice league position for the time being
and also boosted our confidence no end. We could really have done with two
wins in a row.

And with AC of course there is all that baggage going with him which has
been discussed on here at length: Numerous long-term injuries, high wages to
go with it, a limited gameplan whenever he is on the pitch, opposing teams
wising up in terms of how to deal with AC and minimising (or even
nullifying) his threat. And now this stupid and totally unnecessary sending
off on top of all the rest.

Similar to Arnautovic after his sending off against Southampton, AC needs to
be fined for this. He also needs to be told by Bilic in no uncertain terms
that this kind of conduct will not be accepted in future. As for the referee
in the Burnley game he surely put his mark onto the contest, being very
lenient at the start, but in my view letting some Burnley players off the
hook over the 90 minutes as well. In my book he didn't quite get the balance
right with his dishing out of cards, but at the end of the day we have only
ourselves to blame for not winning this.

It's a shame that the main talk after the Burnley game has been about the
sending off and the referee as we should really be taking a lot of positives
from the defeat, sorry, draw at Turf Moor.

Burnley are no mugs these days and even with ten men we gave them one hell
of a game. We played some beautiful passing football, even while playing
with one man down, our defenders (apart from the goal obviously) stood firm
and our team looked well up for it. We surely have the players to give us
more goals in the upcoming games, more points and better performances.

If you shoot yourself in the foot though with a loaded gun full of stupidity
and hot headedness (not for the first time this season either) you shouldn't
complain too much about losing points in the process. Discipline is the key
here and if it's not deeply engrained into the DNA of your team you are
going to suffer from it time and time again.

The good thing is that there is no break in league football for quite a
while now.
In fact our next fixture is looming large already as we will get the
opportunity to put things right later this week on Friday evening against
the Seagulls, flying into London Stadium from Brighton.

A highly winnable game. One where Carroll definitely will NOT start. A game
where we may and should keep the ball on the floor and move it with pace and
some panache. A game I am looking forward to a lot. Let's have a thoroughly
professional performance for once and give the players and the fans a game
that'll really boost our collective confidence.

PS: The less said about yesterday's league game of my Concordia lads (first
team) the better. They lost at the last placed team in the league 3:4. A
team that had scored just nine times in the previous 11 games. All four
goals Cordi conceded were basically presented to the opposition on a plate
or were caused by individual mistakes of the most embarrassing kind.

Cordi are no longer chasing for promotion at this point.
It's midtable mediocrity instead – not good enough for the ambitions
harboured by my local club…

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Gambling nearly cost me my marriage and children... but the penny dropped
and I ended up at Gamblers Anonymous and it has saved me
Betting companies used to love me, they laid on seats for me at concerts
I had accounts with seven or eight different companies in the end
I came out of hospital after cancer and carried on with the gambling
My wife Sarah made a decision to pack her bags and leave me
The penny dropped and it has been six years this month since my last bet
By John Hartson For The Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 15 October 2017 | UPDATED: 01:52, 16 October 2017

I can't tell you how much the betting companies loved me. They laid on seats
at concerts and invited me to their golf events. For 10 years a certain firm
I won't name even laid on a corporate table at Cheltenham races for me to
bring 10 friends. I didn't have to leave my seat all day. They just sent
staff in to take my bets. Those people just couldn't do enough for me. That
was clever of them. I was a deeply addicted gambler and they knew it. But no
one's going to say 'no' when the whole world knows you're on a big four-year
deal, there's £40,000 dropping into your account on a very regular basis and
you want to place a bet. It was worth their while to keep me happy.
It's when you start opening accounts with the betting firms that the roof
starts falling in for people, like me, who are addicted gamblers. It's like
Monopoly money then, because it's all on account. You're not holding the
notes in your hand. You're not seeing it go. I had accounts with seven or
eight different companies in the end — StanJames, William Hill, Ladbrokes,
Sunderlands and others. If one account runs down, you can use another. And
the accounts mean you can hide what you're doing very well. You can place a
bet while you're sitting down to dinner with your family or having a
conversation with your wife.

In my case, that's Sarah — the woman who kept things on the road for us in
the most challenging times you could imagine eight years ago. I'd been
diagnosed with cancer and while I was in hospital, in and out of
consciousness after major brain surgery, she was the rock of our little
family. She was pregnant, she looked after the children, she ran the
household and then — despite everything she had done — I came out of
hospital and carried on with the gambling. This was a man who earned
millions. My wife couldn't pay the bills. It was because of Sarah that I
stopped in the end. She'd had enough of my walking in from trips, ignoring
her and the girls, going straight to the TV and turning on a cricket match,
golf tournament or horse race I had £5,000 on. She made a decision to pack
her bags and leave me. 'I won't put my girls through this,' she said. I
remember those words like it was yesterday.

So the penny dropped then. I ended up at Gamblers Anonymous and it's saved
me. I've found other ways to protect myself, too. I do football TV analysis
work week-in, week-out, and every single penny goes into my wife's bank
account. It's six years this month since I last placed a bet and the effect
of having kicked it makes me feel free and alive. We've just bought a
beautiful piece of land south of Edinburgh, where we're creating a home. The
children are settling into their new surroundings. Betting companies are
everywhere in football — billboards, TV ads, the front of team's shirts. But
the advertising didn't make me bet or prevent me stopping. I started because
of the fruit machines in small working men's clubs in Swansea where I
started out washing pots years ago. It's not a quick fix of course. Even
though Gamblers Anonymous has groups in every city. And even though you can
ban yourself from bookies and casinos and install internet filters.
I've had calls from six Premier League managers in the past six months,
asking me to help a player with gambling problems. But I can just talk about
the difference between back then and now. I wake up every day, open my back
door, suck in the fresh air and give thanks that the past is over.

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West Ham defender Pablo Zabaleta raps 'nasty' Andy Carroll as striker is
left facing a hefty fine
Andy Carroll is facing a hefty fine after his behaviour against Burnley
Carroll received two yellow cards as he was sent off during the 1-1 draw
Team-mate Pablo Zabaleta said 'Andy's challenges were a bit nasty'
By Jack Gaughan for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 15 October 2017 | UPDATED: 00:02, 16 October 2017

Andy Carroll is facing a sizeable fine after Slaven Bilic left Turf Moor
furious at his striker for two needless bookings inside 99 seconds. West Ham
were leading when Carroll elbowed both Burnley central defenders, James
Tarkowski and Ben Mee, in separate challenges just before the half-hour.
Hammers boss Bilic questioned why someone of the 28-year-old's experience
would be quite so reckless and will punish him. It is the second time this
season West Ham have had a man sent off before the break and defender Pablo
Zabaleta admitted they have disciplinary issues to deal with. 'It happened
with Marko Arnautovic against Southampton and now with Andy,' Zabaleta said.
'We need to look at those situations where we need to be more careful
because in the Premier League, playing with one player less for 80 minutes
is really hard. 'I think Andy's challenges were a bit nasty. We were 1-0 up
and we need to be a bit more clever in these situations. 'Andy is a big man.
From my point of view, it looks aggressive, especially the second one when
he knew he was on a yellow already. 'We need to try to play 11 v 11 for the
whole game, especially when you are winning 1-0. You cannot give an
advantage to the other team.' Burnley took their time capitalising, Chris
Wood's 85th-minute header eventually cancelling out Michail Antonio's
opener. That was the Kiwi's fourth goal since his £15million switch from
Leeds United in August. Wood said he feels at home in the Premier League.
'There's a lot more to come from me in my whole career. I do believe I am
suited to this division,' the 25-year-old said. 'I'm not the finished
article so I'm looking to improve, get better and get a lot more out of my
game. It's nice that I've been given the chance and I've been backed by the
gaffer to do so.

GRAHAM POLL'S VERDICT

Andy Carroll's act of stupidity rightly resulted in a red card. He was
booked after catching James Tarkowski with a flailing arm. Less than two
minutes later he ran at Ben Mee and smashed him with an outstretched arm.
It should have resulted in a straight red but Stuart Attwell settled for a
second yellow, which means Carroll avoids a deserved three-match ban.
Referee Attwell also failed to punish Joe Hart's foul on Chris Wood. It was
a clear penalty.

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WEST HAM POISED TO FINE CARROLL FOR RED CARD
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
ReadWestHam

West Ham manager Slave Bilic is set to fine Andy Carroll two weeks' wages
following his red card against Burnley, according to the Mirror. The ten-man
Hammers side managed to hold on to at least a point in the clash at Turf
Moor after Michail Antonio's opener was cancelled out by Chris Wood.
However, things could have been worse for West Ham, who played the majority
of the match with one man less after Carroll's antics. He received a booking
initially for leading with his elbow when challenging James Tarkowski in the
air. Then, just minutes later, he crashed into a duel with Ben Mee, leading
with his elbow once again, resulting in him receiving his marching orders.
Bilic was evidently furious with Carroll's discipline so early on in the
match, and is reportedly poised to deliver a hefty fine to him.
Carroll now faces a suspension, and will surely need to earn his place back
in the side when he returns.

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Pablo Zabaleta condemns West Ham team-mate Andy Carroll for 'nasty'
challenges that led to sending off
TheTelegraph
Steven Sutcliffe
15 OCTOBER 2017 • 10:30PM

West Ham United defender Pablo Zabaleta has condemned team-mate Andy Carroll
for the "nasty" challenge that led to his dismissal during Saturday's 1-1
draw at Burnley. Carroll received two cautions within the space of 99
seconds of the first half at Turf Moor, leaving Zabaleta and company in the
unenviable position of trying to defend a one-goal advantage for over an
hour. It proved a thankless task for a team that has won just once away from
home since February. Aside from the obvious numerical disadvantage, the loss
of Carroll's aerial prowess also left the visitors vulnerable during an
inevitable late bombardment, when Burnley fielded three 6ft plus forwards.
Chris Wood levelled affairs with an 85th minute header after Michail
Antonio's earlier goal and for the second occasion this season, a moment of
irrational belligerence had led West Ham to surrender points on their
travels.

"It is the second time we have had a player sent-off in the first half,"
Zabaleta said. "Marko Arnautovic against Southampton and now Andy Carroll.
We need to be more careful because in the Premier League, playing with one
player less for a long time is really hard. We were 1-0 up and we need to be
clever." Plainly frustrated, the Argentinian also suggested that the
aggressiveness exhibited by his team-mate - particularly as he launched
himself at Ben Mee to earn a second yellow card - had crossed a line of
acceptability. "Andy is a big man. He always goes 100 per cent for the ball
when the ball is in the air. From my point of view, it looks aggressive,
especially the second one when he knew he was on a yellow already," Zabaleta
said. "We can talk sometimes about situations where it's tough for the
referee but there is nothing to say about the referee (here). I think these
two challenges, Andy's challenges, were a bit nasty from my point of view."

The Burnley manager Sean Dyche, offered a similar assessment, suggesting
that the forward's judgement may have been impaired attempting a measure of
revenge for what he had deemed an earlier injustice. "As a player you
sometimes get locked in the moment," Dyche said. "I don't know Andy well
enough but maybe he's just had that. Maybe he felt the one before was
unjust, I don't know but it's fair to say he was moving at a good velocity
for a distance. "Everyone in the stadium thought he was going to make a big
challenge but he didn't and that's the way it goes. I've been a player and
you get in an emotional moment and you can't pull yourself out of it but
that's a question for him."

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