Daily WHUFC News - 11th November 2017

Chicharito lands top Mexican sports award
WHUFC.com

West Ham United striker Chicharito was honoured yesterday with the 2017
National Sports Award in his native Mexico. The 29-year-old from Guadalajara
received the distinction that every year recognises the effort and
achievements obtained by Mexican athletes. The striker has been one of the
most successful Mexican players throughout his professional career, having
turned out in the colours of Chivas, Manchester United, Real Madrid and
Bayer Leverkusen before joining the Hammers last summer His greatest
achievement of the year was breaking the all-time goalscoring record of the
Mexican national team, with 49 goals in 98 matches - a number that he will
try to increase on Friday evening when El Tri face Belgium in Brussels.
Chicharito was a key man for Mexico throughout the year, and was
instrumental in booking their ticket to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia by
finishing first in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying section with 21 points.

In addition to his sporting achievements, Chicharito has also been involved
altruistically, in helping to raise funds for those affected by September's
earthquake in Mexico, by creating, along with fellow player Miguel Layún,
the YoXMéxico campaign, obtaining important contributions from many parts of
the world.

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Declan Rice wins PL2 Player of the Month
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's Declan Rice has won the Premier League 2 Player of the
Month for October. The 18-year-old was chosen not only for his performances
representing the Hammers' under-23s, but for his display against Tottenham
Hotspur in the Carabao Cup as well as one appearance in the Premier League,
against Crystal Palace. Rice, even at such a tender age, is an established
member of Terry Westley's under-23 side, captaining them to Premier League 2
Play-off glory last season before leading the side to the London Stadium win
over Manchester United and a well-earned goalless draw at Chelsea during
this latest month. "It's a great moment for me to win Premier League 2
Player of the Month!" Rice said. "I've been playing well recently and played
well last season – I thought I was unlucky not to win it then! But I'm happy
to pick up for this month, October. "I owe the coaches massively, I owe
Slaven [Bilic] obviously for giving me that game time against Tottenham –
that was a big part of me winning this award. But Terry [Westley] and Liam
[Manning] have been great as well. When I've gone back down to play with
them, they haven't changed one bit and credit to them for that."

The Irishman, capped internationally at under-21 level, was nominated
alongside players from Arsenal, Manchester City, Derby County,
Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Wolves and was clearly delighted to have been
chosen as the top player. "It makes me feel special, there was a load of
other good players up for the award but luckily I was the pick of the bunch,
so I'm happy!" he said. Rice was the only player nominated to have featured
in the Premier League after he replaced Jose Fonte during the Hammers' 2-2
draw against Crystal Palace but it was his performance at Wembley Stadium
against Spurs which he admits was his best game in October. "Beating
Tottenham at Wembley has to be the highlight. That was a very special moment
for me! "I still can't get over that game, how we managed to get the win but
it was a great result and a great day for me."

As well as thanking his coaches, Rice explained how he has never enjoyed his
football as much he does right now, placing significant importance on that
aspect of his game. "Its key, you've got to enjoy what you do because
football doesn't last long. You've got to come in, be happy and enjoy your
football and that's what I'm doing with the lads. It's working." West Ham
United's Premier League 2 team are next in action when they host Derby
County at London Stadium on Friday 17 November. Tickets are free for Season
Ticket Holders and Claret Members - click here for full ticket information.

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Rice: David Moyes's training has 'been really good'
WHUFC.com

'So far so good' is the sentiment from Declan Rice after new manager David
Moyes completed his first week of training at Rush Green. Speaking after he
collected the award for PL2 October Player of the Month, Rice was full of
praise for his new manager who has had an instant impact in his opening few
days at West Ham United. "Training has been really good" the 18-year-old
said. "He's come in, already spoken to most of the lads and we know how he's
going to work."

The players have trained each day since Moyes joined the club on Tuesday and
Rice admitted the sessions have been tough but is excited about what the
future holds. "The manager had us doing double sessions on Wednesday and
that was really tough but we know how he's going to work and the boys,
myself included, are really looking forward to it."

The squad will rest over the weekend before reconvening on Monday morning
ahead of an important week in the build up to Moyes' first match, away to
Watford, on 19 November.

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Moyes: Fresh start for squad
WHUFC.com

David Moyes insists that every member of his squad will be given a chance to
impress as the new manager looks to find a winning formula at West Ham
United.
On Friday Moyes rounded off what has been an intense first week of training
since his appointment on Tuesday morning and has been delighted with the
attitude shown by the players present. Those away on international duty will
return next week and the Scotsman is looking forward to getting everyone
together.
"It's a clean slate for the entire squad," said the 54-year-old. "They've
all worked very hard this week and responded in a positive manner to
everything we've asked of them. "It will obviously take time for the players
to fully understand our style and methods but the initial signs are very
encouraging – they've bought into what we are trying to do and that's a good
base for us to build on." Contrary to reports, Moyes hasn't made decisions
on the futures of any players, believing it's far too early to do so having
not seen the full squad at close quarters yet due to the international
break. The likes of Marco Arnautovic, Chicharito, Edimilson Fernandes, Joe
Hart, Cheikhou Kouyate, Diafra Sakho and Winston Reid will all come back
into the fold ahead of the fixture with Watford next Sunday.

Moyes added: "I'm looking forward to welcoming back the players who are on
international duty and working with the full squad ahead of the game at
Watford next Sunday "Everybody will get their opportunity to impress us and
there have certainly been no decisions made about individuals. "There's a
lot of quality here and I'm confident the players will all bring something
different to the table. They will need to work hard but they aren't afraid
of doing that, which has been good to see. "Working together as a unit will
be key, with the aim to try and collect positive results which will see us
climb the table."

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Hammers drawn to play Doncaster or Blackpool in Youth Cup third round
WHUFC.com

West Ham United U18s have been drawn to play either Doncaster Rovers or
Blackpool in the third round of this season's FA Youth Cup. The match will
be played at the Chigwell Construction Stadium – the first time in five
years the Hammers have been drawn at home at this stage - with date and time
still to be confirmed.
Doncaster Rovers and Blackpool will contest their second round tie at the
Keepmoat Stadium on the 14th November. Blackpool U18s progressed to the
second round of the FA Youth cup with a 3-0 victory away to Bradford City,
while Doncaster Rovers produced a superb comeback to beat Walsall 4-3 at
home. West Ham United last won the competition in 1999 when they thrashed
Coventry 9-0 over two-legs in a one-sided affair. Featuring the likes of Joe
Cole and Michael Carrick, the Hammers won 3-0 away at Highfield Road and
then claimed a 6-0 victory at Upton Park - an aggregate scoreline that
remains, to this day, the heaviest in Youth Cup final history. In the same
season, the Irons also won the FA Premier Academy League to claim a League
and Cup double. The Hammers have won the competition three times and are
fourth in the overall winners list, with Manchester United leading the way
on ten. West Ham's U18s will be hoping to pass the third round after having
fallen at the same stage last season when they suffered a heart-breaking
exit on penalties to Stoke City.

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Remembrance Day: The story of Matty Woollard
WHUFC.com

West Ham United were delighted to welcome Blesma veteran Matt Woollard to
London Stadium for last weekend's Premier League clash with Liverpool. Matt,
a lifelong Hammer, had his lower right leg amputated after being injured
while serving in Afghanistan ten years ago. The infantryman stepped on a
landmine during a morning patrol, suffering burns to his upper limbs and
losing his right foot. Matty was in a critical condition for a number of
weeks and underwent months of gruelling rehabilitation as he came to terms
with adapting to life with a prosthetic limb. The West Ham supporter
participated in our pre-match memorial service, joining Co-Chairman David
Gold in presenting a wreath on the pitch prior to a minute's silence in
memory of all those who have given their lives in service to this country.
"It was a huge honour to be asked to attend Saturday's match with
Liverpool," Matt said. "I've been a West Ham fan ever since I was a little
boy.
"It was also a privilege to be asked to be a part of the memorial service
prior to the match. The chance to remember my fallen brothers alongside
thousands of my fellow West Ham fans is something that will live with me
forever."

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Carroll recalls the day the West Ham fans made him feel loved
WHUFC.com

Andy Carroll fondly remembers the day the Claret and Blue Army made him feel
at home, calling for him to stay at West Ham United…

The Build-Up

Until New Year's Day 2007, West Ham United and Reading had lived separate
lives, meeting just six times in 47 years and co-existing as football clubs
blissfully ignorant of each other's existence. Then the Royals thrashed the
Hammers 6-0, much to the delight of the Reading supporters. In return, West
Ham manager Alan Curbishley, in his post-match conference, slammed the
so-called 'Baby Bentley' generation of Premier League footballers who craved
all the rewards without the painstaking effort on the pitch to earn them.
Whether or not Curbishley's public shaming of the players played a part is
debatable, but the Hammers recovered from the Madejski Stadium embarrassment
to survive in the division via the most miraculous of escapes. The
following season, West Ham took four points out of six from Reading as the
Berkshire club were relegated on goal difference. The two clubs would next
come face to face on 10th December 2011, when West Ham, now managed by Big
Sam, made the short journey down the M4 to take on Brian McDermott's side.
Two red cards for Joey O'Brien and Jack Collison and a 3-0 defeat ensured a
day to forget for the Irons. Six months later, Reading were promoted to the
Premier League as Champions while West Ham had to grind out promotion via
the Play-Offs. Allardyce drastically improved his squad following promotion,
welcoming in eleven new players, including the shock signing of England
centre forward - Andy Carroll - on a season-long loan from Liverpool.
Carroll was absent as the Hammers lost at Reading for a third consecutive
time, 1-0, on 29 December 2012, when again the home supporters gleefully
mocked their visitors. However, when the already-relegated Royals visited
the Boleyn Ground on 19 May 2013, the Big Man was in the starting XI and
potentially playing his final game in Claret and Blue colours.

The Match
0:48

West Ham United headed into their final game of a successful and wonderfully
consistent 2012/13 season lying comfortably in tenth place. The
newly-promoted Hammers had never been higher than sixth or lower than 14th
all season, never having to fear a relegation battle on their return to the
top flight. The same could not be said of the opposition. One win in their
opening 19 matches, Reading spent almost the entire campaign in the bottom
three and were relegated with three games to spare. Andy Carroll had played
his part over the campaign: seven goals and four assists in 24 appearances
meant the Big Man was West Ham's joint top scorer with captain Kevin Nolan.
So, the stage was set for an end-of-season party at the Boleyn Ground, with
the two old friends battling to finish the season as West Ham's leading
marksman. West Ham started the match with a strong line up: Jaaskelainen in
goal, with Demel and O'Brien either side of the robust Collins and Reid.
Noble, Nolan and Diame completed the three-man midfield with Joe Cole and
Vaz Te out wide. Carroll was the lone striker up top. The home side stormed
into a 2-0 lead as Carroll provided the assist for both Nolan's opener and
West Ham's second, scored by 2012 Play-Off final hero Ricardo Vaz Te.
Reading threatened to spoil the day when Garath McCleary and Adam Le Fondre
netted, but two late goals from Nolan saw him complete a perfect hat-trick
and lead the Hammers to a 4-2 victory. Remembering past encounters with
Reading, the Claret and Blue Army thoroughly enjoyed not only their own win,
but their opponents' demise. "We got a good result that game," Carroll
confirmed. "The lads had played against Reading the season before and they
got beat in the Championship, so they weren't happy about that in the
dressing room beforehand and wanted to put it right! "Obviously we did that,
with Kev getting a hat-trick. We were battling to finish as top scorer and
he beat me. It didn't matter though, as I just thought that whole day was
brilliant. "The atmosphere was just brilliant, as it was so often at Upton
Park."

The Reaction

There were seven minutes to go in the first half of West Ham's win over
Reading when the home fans first broke into a chorus of 'Andy Carroll, we
want you to stay!'. The centre forward had assisted both goals and produced
one of his best all-round displays in a Claret and Blue shirt. At the final
whistle, Carroll and his teammates returned to their dressing room to pull
on t-shirts emblazoned with the message 'THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT', before
returning to the sun-baked pitch for a lap of mutual appreciation. The No8 –
Carlton Cole wore the No9 – was joined by his daughter Emilie Rose, and the
pair wore broad smiles as they made their way around the famous old stadium.
"My favourite game for West Ham was the last game of my first season,"
Carroll confirmed. "It was against Reading and the fans were just great to
me. "They all sang my name afterwards and told me they wanted me to stay,
which was wicked. I was on loan that season and it obviously meant a lot to
hear them singing my name. "Emilie Rose thought they were singing for her
and every time she came to a game after that, she asked me why the fans
weren't clapping her! "I enjoyed being part of that squad under Big Sam, who
had signed me the day before the deadline. We had a good dressing room and
he brought everyone together. " We finished tenth and had a great season."

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Auguste: Ladies eager to return to action against Coventry
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies have made the most of their short break from action
but are eager to return to the field against Coventry United, according to
Jasmine Auguste. The Ladies enjoyed a rare weekend off from competitive
football last week, having played seven competitive matches in October. The
Hammers have won their last two matches heading into this Sunday's match
with Coventry and Auguste, while admitting it was relaxing to have a weekend
without a fixture, says the side is keen to get back into action and
continue their good run. "On one hand, it was nice to have a bit of a break
but on the other the girls, including myself, have been keen to get back on
the pitch, Auguste told whufc.com. "We've obviously had training, which is
always good, but I woke up last Sunday eager to play football and represent
the team. "Being with the girls and getting into game-mode, and then working
hard for a result, is always enjoyable. The break was good but you can't
beat that feeling, especially after beating QPR and Worthing in our last two
matches."
Greg de Carnys's side play against a Coventry team that sit fifth in the
Premier League Southern Division, having won five of their nine league
matches this campaign. West Ham were bested by Coventry 2-1 in the reverse
fixture last month – a game memorable for a fantastic long-ranged effort
from Andreya Ezekiel-Meade – and Auguste says the Ladies have learned from
their errors in that game and are confident of picking up a win this time.
She continued: "Coventry are a very strong side. They were strong last
season and were very good when we played them a few weeks ago. They play
very well but I think we were very unfortunate when we played them last
time. "We've gone away, looked at what we did wrong against them and where
we can improve. We can see the errors we made that lead to their goals.
We've put all that into practice and I've got a good feeling going into this
game. "We're very confident. We've fixed what went wrong last time and I
feel like we can get three points."

A 3-1 win over QPR two weeks ago was followed by a 2-0 victory at Worthing
just a couple of days later in the Isthmian League Cup, and defender Auguste
feels the results are down to the graft the Ladies are putting in on the
training pitch. The left-back also reckons the winning form is helping to
build a stronger team spirit among the squad. "To get results and keep
winning games is really gratifying. It proves that the hard work we are
putting in during training is working. The plan we are working to achieve as
West Ham Ladies is clearly going well as well. "There's a really good group
of players here at the moment and that's only been enhanced by the girls
that signed in the summer. With the team winning as well, we're naturally a
happier team which makes everything seem easier."

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IT'S TIME TO CURE OURSELVES OF BGN (BOLEYN GROUND NOSTALGIA)
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 10 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 9:40PM
TheWestHaMWay.co.uk
View from Across the Pond….

By @WestHamAmerican

I remember during the summer, only two years ago, the narrative for West Ham
was so different: A seventh place finish, European football, a masterful
Frenchman creating chances and scoring goals, and above all, a brand new
stadium. During that summer, with the smell of success still in the air,
most of West Ham's social media regulars spent their summer defending their
club against claims of an unfair deal to acquire the use and possession of
the Olympic Stadium. Local London newspapers breathlessly released story
after story detailing the raw points of the not-so-transparent negotiations.

"Taxpayers to supply West Ham's corner flags and goal nets!"

By August it was almost fun to provoke the random Spurs supporter or even
Leyton Orient fan on Twitter when they decried the burden that West Ham had
put on the London taxpayer. And then something strange happened….

As the new season progressed, the enthusiasm went away. There were sight
line issues from the stands, the stewards were overly militant, and of
course there was that athletic track keeping even the first row of seats far
off the pitch. Coupled with Cresswell and Ayew suffering early injuries
and an embarrassing exit from Europe, (and the unseen drama that Dimitri
Payet was causing the team) by October a good portion of the West Ham
supporters were ready to give the stadium to Orient.

"Bring Back the Boleyn!"

Living half a world away, I think I understand the psychology behind the
longing to return to Upton Park. All your fond memories are from that spot.
The time your grandfather took you to the grounds as a child and the boys
came back to score a stoppage time winner. All of those memories are fond,
and so far, there are few fond memories at the new stadium.

"We should have never left the Boleyn. That place was a fortress!"

I might be a recent convert to the West Ham religion but from what I
understand over the past 40 years we were relegated at that fortress five
times and won only one FA Cup during those four decades. So I think it's
important to filter out nostalgia for the good times that are memories of
Upton Park, and get behind this team for the sake of the future. That sad
but blunt fact is that London Stadium still offers West Ham the best chance
to compete with the traditional top six clubs. Almost doubling the seating
capacity, allows for an additional revenue stream that puts West Ham at
least on a better financial trajectory.

I realise that the common Twitter narrative says that Mr. Sullivan won't
spend as freely as we all suggest he should, but that fact is: while he is,
no doubt, wealthier than you or I, he still doesn't have the means to
compete evenly with the big clubs. All Premier League clubs have the same
distributions from broadcasting sources, so we have no advantage there. I
can tell you West Ham has no apparel or clothing sales in America, unlike
the other large clubs in England and Europe who market kits and shirts all
over the world, so there is no revenue advantage there. Ticket sales are
the only advantage West Ham can boast when trying to earn their way into the
top ten. Obviously a 66,000 seat venue is worth more than a 35,000 seat
venue. Basically, West Ham's supporters need to make peace with the London
Stadium, athletic track and all.

Hopefully, West Ham someday can buy out full ownership of the stadium. I
suspect the London Legacy Development Board will one day decide that it is a
money-losing millstone around their necks and to sell it to WHUFC at a
discounted price will be the best move for the local taxpayer. Its'
possible our mysterious new board member from America could aid in the
financing of that, as his firm specialises in providing capital for large
ventures that most banks wouldn't consider. If that happens, maybe the
track could disappear and the capacity could be increased. Possibly even a
Dortmund-style safe standing area to amp up the atmosphere. But even if
NONE of this comes to be, West Ham is going to be playing their matches at
the London stadium whether you like it or not. In the same way we are
giving David Moyes a fair look, it's important we give the stadium another
shot. I'm afraid without the enthusiasm of 60,000 supporters we might find
ourselves facing Fulham and Forest next year, instead of Arsenal and
Liverpool.

I understand the one variable that affects the feel of a stadium more than
anything is victory. It's hard to keep the excitement in the air when Joe
Hart is diving all over the turf and we are down 3-0 in the 60th minute.
But if this coach or a future coach gets the spark going, and these talented
transfers like Hernandez and Arnautovic begin to live up to their potential
and the Hammers start climbing the table, I think we need to put our London
Stadium resentments aside and make it as much a fortress as an Olympic
stadium can be. Two weeks from today, when Leicester comes to town, would
certainly be a good day to start.

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I feel cheated
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 10th November 2017
By: Ian Morgan

As a fan who has been going to West Ham since the early '90s, I'm not new to
seeing a poor side that's lacking belief, fight or passion. I've seen the
previous relegation fights and struggles.

But added to all of that was a enjoyable experience in the Championship and
a couple of decent seasons under Big Sam. Also the fifth place finish and
the flair of that Harry Redknapp team. The promotion side in the Billy Bonds
era. And of course the final season at the old place!

But now, I feel that the heart has truly been ripped out of our club.

I wasn't expecting instant success but we have been fed a string of lies.
Getting us to accept that leaving our home of more than 100 years was what
we needed, it now seems a bitter pill to swallow.

So, January 2010. Gold and Sullivan purchased the majority sharehold in the
club, and brought along with them Karren Brady. Everyone was jumping from
the rafters, the club saved from the rack and ruin of the Icelandic bank
disaster.

Their first priority was to take over the Olympic Stadium and move us out of
Upton Park and onto the infamous 'next level'. A year later and relegation
under Avram Grant, when it was there for all to see - he was no longer the
man to 'keep us up' and still they didn't act.....so, relegation.

Nonetheless, we accepted our fate and rebuilt in the Championship under Big
Sam. With the deal for our move to Stratford now rubber-stamped, the process
began of convincing the fans.

No vote allowed, but we were told we would take up residence for the
beginning of the 2016/17 season. Fans forums galore and the promise of a
home that we would leave us "in no doubt was the true home of West Ham
United".

Images and drapes of former players and the glory days gone by. The statue
of our three World Cup winners! We were even going to have 'claret and blue'
seats.....what a future it looked!

Instead, the truth. Wven on the eve of our final home game at Upton Park,
the talks had started with our MARQUEE £40 million, 20 goal a season
striker. Yet, somehow the 'marquee striker' turned out to be a Millets
pop-up tent.

So, in the form of Zaza, we had another of the famous loans with view to a
permanent deal on our books. We were told "we have never seen David Sullivan
work so hard in a window", then "we tried our best". They only used that one
on us three times!

Anyway, the first game in our new 'home' and I couldn't help but be totally
underwhelmed with what we have been delivered:

- No sign of the digital wrap
- No drapes of former players
- No statues
- No free wi-fi
- Barely any claret and blue seats
- Rubbish non-retractable seating
- And changing our badge to adopt the word 'London'

Plus:

- Scaffolding
- Concrete blocks
- Rows of empty white seats
- Black and claret tarpaulins
- Gaps behind the goal the size of the old Chicken Run

The Board show little, if any, respect to our former players. Many of whom
now feel so unwelcome that they will not step foot inside the place. The
players you have chosen as 'Club Ambassadors' hardly set the pulses racing.

"A place where you are left in no doubt that you have arrived at the home of
West Ham United," is how the stadium was described by Karren Brady.

If that's what she thinks is fitting, then Lord Sugar should call her out on
her own ability to deliver a product. He should be able to fit it in whilst
slagging our club off and making a laughing stock of us to his BBC audience.

But still, you could forgive them the first season and put it down to the
massive change, but what's to follow, for me, was the final straw.

We had three away games to start the season, when we were told West Ham
United would be the 'main tenant' and that we would have PRIORITY when it
came to our fixtures.

Any sign of what little identity we had in our 'home ground' was stripped
for the Anniversary Games. In fact they couldn't even be bothered to put it
back to how they found it when we left in May.

The Sir Trevor Brooking Stand's claret tarpaulin sign is still half covered
in white, empty seats. We've been made to feel as welcome as the staff and
stewards make you feel at the kiosks. And let's not get started on the
Westfield security!

Moving on, there will be no home game on Boxing Day for the Hammers for the
foreseeable future. Great!

Our recent visit to Wembley showed what can be achieved. Spurs have made the
Wembley surroundings more like 'home' for just one season than we have done
with our 99-year lease.

Their former heroes are at every game proudly wearing club ties and jackets.
But it's ok, we have put up a tribute to the late great Bobby Moore - that
should appease the 'customers', at least.

On to the squad and manager. If Slaven Bilic wasn't fit for purpose and they
had question marks over his position going into his final season, why was he
not replaced in the summer!?

The players all knew he has just the one year left, it's there for all to
see. There was a serious lack of effort, as was the case with Big Sam in his
last six months in charge once they knew he was going.

If, three years ago, someone had offered me the squad we have now I'd have
bitten their hand off. But in truth, we have an aging defence and the lack
of real investment (as shown by our net spend) has left us lagging behind
other, comparable teams.

These are teams that we should be more than competing with, but instead we
are currently looking up at. This is hardly "the next level"...

To compete with the 'big clubs' we were informed that we must sell Upton
Park and move - that's what they said. And as someone who doesn't expect
instant success, I'd buy into what I was sold, but this is far from the
dream.

So I put it to Mr Gold, Mr Sullivan and Lady Brady - you haven't delivered
on so many levels, so in the words of Lord Sugar:"YOU'RE FIRED!"

I don't trust you! I don't believe in your lies! Lie after lie after lie...
broken promises galore... you can call yourself fans, but no fan of this
club would have delivered to us what you have! You'll never really care like
what we do. FACT!

Terrence Brown and those before you never promised the earth, so we didn't
expect it. But the constant rubbish you have fed us has now taken its toll!

I can't even motivate myself to come to watch. I don't want to watch the
club I love any more, in a stadium David Sullivan claimed 95 per cent of us
are happy in! You don't know or respect your fans customers and you don't
want to, either!

And if your statement of intent regarding moving us to "the next level" is
Mr David Moyes, then you're even worse than I thought you could be.

Now, not everyone will agree with this but it's all about opinions - and
this is mine! Anyway, rant over. I must now go and look for the heart and
soul you have ripped out of me.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be
attributed to, KUMB.com.

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Tottenham eyeing West Ham's Manuel Lanzini for potential transfer between
the bitter London rivals
Boss Mauricio Pochettino is a long-term fan of fellow Argentinean now under
new management after David Moyes' arrival
The Mirror
ByDarren Lewis
22:30, 10 NOV 2017

Mauricio Pochettino is monitoring the progress of West Ham star Manuel
Lanzini. The Tottenham boss is a big fan of the 24-year-old playmaker and
has been ever since Lanzini scored against his team at White Hart Lane two
years ago. Although the relationship between the neighbouring London clubs
is not a good one, Pochettino has kept tabs on his £35,000-a-week
Argentinean countryman ever since. Lanzini continues to be among West Ham's
best players, one around whom new boss David Moyes will be keen to build.
But he has been coveted by a number of clubs. Everton has an approach
rejected in the summer before they switched their attentions to Swansea's
Gylfi Sigurdsson. He has also been tipped to succeed Philippe Coutinho at
Liverpool should the Anfield giants eventually relax their hard-line stance
on keeping the Barcelona target. Lanzini first joined West Ham in July 2014,
on loan from Al Jazira of the UAE, before the move permanent in a
£9.4million deal. His contract expires in 2020, with the Hammers yet to tie
him down to a long-term deal.

More Lazy journalism from the The Mirror.. so Potch and Manu are
Argentinian... must be gonna sign him then! -PeterR

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West Ham face injury nightmare as Javier Hernandez limps off with suspected
hamstring issue
It didn't look good at all for the forward
Football London
ByGreg JohnsonEditor
22:46, 10 NOV 2017

David Moyes' start to life as West Ham manager has taken a blow as his lead
striker Javier Hernandez was taken off injured on international duty for
Mexico.
He appeared to have suffered a hamstring issue and was helped off the pitch
after pulling up in pain and being unable to continue during his country's
3-3 draw with Belgium. Fans of both the Hammers and El Tri were left
concerned by the sight of the forward, who also goes by the nickname of
'Chicharito', say down on the pitch and complaining of problems in his
thigh. Hernandez has scored four of West Ham's 11 goals in the Premier
League this season, more than a third of their overall total. If he is out
for any considerable period of time the challenge of climbing up the table
from their current position in the relegation zone will only become harder.
Speaking after the game Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio said that he had
no update on the player's condition. West Ham have faced other injury issues
up front of late with Andy Carroll, Michail Antonio and Diafra Sakho all
missing games or playing while half fit. The Hammers will be hoping that
Hernandez's problem will not be as severe as it first appeared.

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Targeted by Moyes for £37m in 2014, West Ham want William Carvalho again
despite controversy
HITC
Olly Dawes

West Ham United are reportedly eyeing a new move for Sporting's William
Carvalho. According to The Mirror, West Ham United are considering a new
January move to sign Sporting CP midfielder William Carvalho – almost four
years since new manager David Moyes wanted him. The Hammers brought in Moyes
as their new manager on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after parting ways with
Slaven Bilic, with the 4-1 home defeat to Liverpool proving to be his final
game in charge.
Moyes will now have the international break to work with his new players in
the hope of sparking a turnaround when West Ham take on Watford a week on
Sunday.
Moyes may be looking to make January additions despite only having a
contract until the end of the season, and The Mirror claim that a new move
for William Carvalho is being weighed up. West Ham wanted to sign Carvalho
over the summer before matters turned sour between West Ham and Sporting CP,
as reported by the London Evening Standard after the end of the summer
transfer window. Now, it's believe that West Ham are eyeing a new January
bid for the midfielder, though they will surely be hoping to smooth over
relations with Sporting before making any move – and renewed interest is no
huge shock after Moyes' arrival.
Portugal's midfielder William Carvalho attends a training session ahead of
the Russia 2017 Confederation Cup football tournament in Kazan on on June
16, 2017.

As reported by The Mirror in March 2014, Moyes wanted to bring Carvalho to
Manchester United in a huge £37million move, and whilst that deal didn't go
through after Moyes was sacked, it would be little surprise to see him
launch a new bid. A powerful holding midfielder with composure on the ball
and a superb passing range, Carvalho could be the injection of real quality
that West Ham need in the middle of the park, competing with Pedro Obiang,
Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate - but it could take a huge fee and some
relationship work with Sporting to help Moyes finally land his man.

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Bilic claims he has had offers after West Ham sacking
HITC
Will Butcher

Slaven Bilic was sacked by West Ham United on Monday after the club slipped
into the Premier League relegation zone. Slaven Bilic has told the London
Evening Standard that he has already received offers from other clubs
despite only being sacked by West Ham United on Monday morning. The Croatian
boss was dismissed after the Hammers slipped into the relegation zone
following a 4-1 loss to Liverpool last Saturday, leaving West Ham with just
two league wins all season. It has seen the former Besiktas and Croatia
manager replaced by ex-Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland manager
David Moyes, who joined the club less than 24 hours after Bilic had left. he
49-year-old stated that other sides have called the now-unemployed manager
to enquire, but Bilic has stated that he is in "no rush" to get back into
management and is looking to spend time with his family. "I am going to have
a break with the family now. I don't want to jump straight back into
something," Bilic said. "Last year - and even now - I have had calls from
clubs in other countries, but I want to rest a little bit. "I want to stay
in London with the family and maybe go home to Croatia before the end of the
year. I can't see myself doing anything before next January at the earliest
but then we will see what is happening. There is no rush."
Bilic, who has also managed Hajduk Split and Lokomotiv Moscow, had a win
percentage of just 37.84 per cent from his 111 league and cup outings as
West Ham boss. It remains to be seen when and where Bilic will re-enter the
world of management, with his reputation taking a knock after a
disappointing spell towards the end of his West Ham tenure.

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Sky Sports pundit Craig Bellamy has spotted one massive difference in David
Moyes since joining West Ham
HITC
Olly Dawes

West Ham United appointed David Moyes as their new manager on Tuesday.
Pundit and former West Ham forward Craig Bellamy has told Sky Sports' The
Debate that he thinks David Moyes seems more 'bullish' with the Hammers than
he ever did with Sunderland. Having been thumped 4-1 by Liverpool on
Saturday evening, West Ham took the decision to sack manager Slaven Bilic on
Monday, after a turbulent 18 months. West Ham wasted no time in finding
Bilic's replacement, as the Hammers landed David Moyes on a contract until
the end of the season on Tuesday. The Scot, 54, enjoyed a superb 11-year
spell with Everton having joined from Preston North End in 2002, with his
exploits at Goodison Park earning him a 2013 move to Manchester United as
Sir Alex Ferguson's replacement. Moyes' career has nosedived since, lasting
just 10 months at Old Trafford, then lasting just a year at Real Sociedad in
Spain, before suffering relegation with Sunderland last season. Moyes now
has one last chance to rebuild his reputation as a top manager, but his
appointment has not gone down well with Hammers fans, who feel that the club
may be doomed under Moyes' stewardship. Now though, former West Ham forward
and current pundit Craig Bellamy has told Sky Sports' The Debate that he
thinks Moyes is already showing one major difference from his time at
Sunderland – more bullishness. Bellamy suggested that Moyes' interviews as
Sunderland boss were draining last season, but he know appears to be back to
his Everton best, adding that he has proven over the years that he is a good
manager, but he does understand the scepticism from fans. "I do understand
it, but that was bullish, he was back - I didn't see that at Sunderland,"
said Bellamy. "I felt that every interview drained me, I don't know what he
was doing to his players, and he just didn't look himself. That was the best
I've seen him for a good few years, and I'm glad because he's a good
manager. He's proved it in the years at Everton, the job he did there was
brilliant, and that's why he end up getting the Manchester United job," he
added.

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All Whites captain Winston Reid on the hunt for pranksters, with Shane
Smeltz a victim of mistaken identity video
Stuff.co.nz

All Whites captain Winston Reid says the team is fully prepared for the Peru
clash in Wellington. Winston Reid might be a star of the English Premier
League, but that doesn't make him exempt from getting pranked in the All
Whites camp. With noted trickster Rory Fallon back in the squad for the
World Cup playoff against Peru, the amount of hijinks in this week's camp in
Wellington was always expected to increase. And it would seem the captain,
Reid, who has played 180 games for West Ham United in one of the world's
toughest football leagues, was the recipient of someone's antics. All Whites
vice-captain Chris Wood, left, explains how his captain, Winston Reid,
right, was pranked this week, while coach Anthony Hudson enjoys the story.
He didn't divulge exactly what had happened, but remained on the hunt for
the culprit at Friday's pre-match press conference when answering a question
about whether there had been any pranks in the camp this week.
All Whites coach Anthony Hudson is confident his team is ready to take on
Peru. "Are you going to answer that?" Reid said, looking in the direction of
vice-captain and fellow Premier League player Chris Wood, who was sitting
two seats down past a smiling coach in Anthony Hudson. "Hey, I had nothing
to do with it," replied Wood, with a broad smile and a laugh, before
elaborating on the situation, again not giving too much away. "There have
been a few things that have been happening over the last few days. Winston
was the brunt of one of them and decided to get his own back from what I
hear. "He's picked on a candidate that wasn't involved, but it's nice to
see we've got a bit of nice spirit in the team."
That led to the obvious question of who was the target of Reid's
retribution. "I just basically picked the wrong guy...sorry Shane," Reid
said, with veteran striker Shane Smeltz apparently the one who bore the
brunt of his return of pranking serve. While details of this set of pranks
were not made public, earlier in the week striker Jeremy Brockie recalled an
entertaining tale of when a prank from Fallon almost went horribly wrong at
a camp before the 2010 World Cup. "We were in Switzerland for a couple of
games and we were rooming by ourselves and a couple of us had to go and do
media. I came back to my room a little bit earlier because I was done first
and I could hear giggling going on in my room. "Him [Fallon], David Mulligan
and Jeremy Christie had got my room key, gone into my room and switched it
all around. The mattress wasn't on my bed, it was in the bath and it was
touching a light, and it had not caught on fire, but smoke was starting to
come off it."
If that was the standard for pranks back then, well you can only imagine
what might be going on now with Fallon back in the mix. The humorous break
from what was generally a serious pre-match press conference on Friday
indicated the relaxed mood the All Whites seem to be in. Hudson himself has
appeared the most confident, calm and happy as he has ever been during his
three years in charge, while the normally reticent Reid came out of his
shell a bit more as well. While that might mean little come kickoff in
Saturday's first leg at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, a relaxed and happy
leadership group should flow down to the rest of the squad and help ease the
pressure on some of the less experienced players.

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Craig Bellamy and Steve Lomas react to news Stuart Pearce is set for West
Ham role
HITC
Damien Lucas

Former West Ham United stars Craig Bellamy and Steve Lomas have reacted to
news that Stuart Pearce could be named the club's new assistant manager.
West Ham sacked Slaven Bilic this week with the side languishing in the
Premier League relegation zone after a 4-1 drubbing at home to Liverpool.
The Hammers quickly replaced him with David Moyes, who has been out of work
since being relegated with Sunderland last season. The appointment was met
with anger and apathy from the club's disillusioned supporters who feel it
proves the board lacks ambition. Moyes confirmed in his first press
conference as Hammers boss that he was in talks with former Hammer of the
Year Stuart Pearce over becoming his assistant in East London. That was
welcomed by supporters as well as former Hammers Steve Lomas and Craig
Bellamy who praised the potential appointment on Sky Sports' The Debate.
"Pearcey's got vast knowledge of the game," Lomas told The Debate. "I don't
think he'll take any nonsense from the players on the training pitch. He'll
be honest with them, he'll be firm with them, he'll say well done but he
won't let players cruise through training."
And Bellamy said he was hugely impressed by Pearce when playing under him as
part of Great Britain's 2012 Olympics football team. "I worked with him at
the Olympics and I thought he was brilliant I really did, I thought he was
different class," Bellamy said. "And I'm surprised he hasn't gone on (up the
footballing ladder) since then as well."
Former England football player, Stuart Pearce speaks during day two of
Soccerex Asia on December 5, 2016 in Doha, Qatar. A ringing endorsement if
ever there was one, not that Pearce needed it given his reputation among the
club's support. Some fans may have wanted a bigger, younger or next
generation coaching team but one thing is for sure, under Moyes and Pearce
there will be no half measures in training or on the pitch come match day.
And if that means West Ham start to climb the table then it is a great fit
for the rest of the season at least.

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A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY REPEATING... WILL THE BOARD EVER LEARN..?
By Dan Coker 10 Nov 2017 at 08:00
WTID

Regular readers of my blogposts and comments here will know I've been a
staunch Slaven Bilic supporter. I was championing his arrival to the club
over a year before he actually joined and remain steadfast in my view that
he would have been a resounding success as our manager without the underhand
comments and undermining which came from above (either directly from our
chairmen or indirectly from their leaks to the media and fansites).

I was tremendously disappointed to hear on Monday that Slaven had been
relieved of his duties as West Ham United manager. His first season showed
just what a good manager he can be – not many managers, in one season, lead
their teams to victories at the homes of Manchester City, Arsenal and
Liverpool while also getting draws away to Manchester United and Chelsea. We
did not lose to any of those teams in the league that season and also beat
Tottenham at the Boleyn.

How, then, does a manager go from getting such good results, our highest
league finish for 14 years, our first top-flight positive goal difference
since the best season in our history and an FA Cup quarter-final to what we
have seen at times over the last season-and-a-bit? Dimitri Payet obviously
made a huge difference – but his signing was top of Slav's wish list. Slaven
was supported with the players he wanted in his first season – he knew what
was needed to help us push on in the following campaign but was left
frustrated as, in his own words, the board "did not go big or go early" on
his top targets.

Despite this, and a difficult transition to life at London Stadium, Slav
reached another Cup quarter-final and an 11th-placed finish. He became the
first manager in our history to record top-11 finishes in his first two
top-flight seasons. The board supported him with four decent signings in the
summer just gone but, crucially, did not deliver William Carvalho – a player
Bilic was so keen on that he sanctioned the sales of eleven players to
secure his signature.

Despite my support for him, I obviously appreciate that Slav was not, and is
not, the perfect manager. However, he proved that he had real promise in
that first season but, when your chairman comes out and says you have to
prove you're not a "one-season wonder" while simultaneously handing bumper
new contracts to players based on just one campaign, the power is handed on
a silver platter to the players. From that point onwards, the outstanding
work of the first season started to unravel. He was not given the conditions
within which to succeed, as he had been in the first campaign – the
undermining had started.

Incidentally, I see the re-writing of history and sullying (pun intended) of
Slav has started. Daily Mirror writer Darren Lewis, a close associate of
David Sullivan, wrote in an article at the start of this week that Bilic
"did not want" Carvalho – the very same writer wrote in September that
"Bilic still wants" Carvalho in the January window having been unable to
sign him in the summer!

And so we move on to Slav's replacement – David Moyes. By way of a minor
comparison, Slav illuminated his time with us with good results at big clubs
– he took two wins and four draws from nine games at the homes of the
traditional top four teams of the last 15-20 years (Man Utd, Chelsea,
Arsenal and Liverpool). Moyes is yet to win in 57 away league matches at the
homes of those clubs. Let's, for now though, ignore Man Utd, Real Sociedad
and Sunderland and focus instead on Moyes' real success – Everton Football
Club. What allowed Moyes to be successful at Everton was stability and job
security. He finished seventh in his first full season but the Toffees
dropped to 17th in his second campaign. If Slav had experienced a bottom
four finish the year after his first season finish of seventh, there is
little doubt he would have been out of a job in May. Immediately after that
flirtation with relegation, Moyes took Everton into the top four but they
dropped again the following season to 11th. Again, is this something our
board would have tolerated as being "in line with their ambitions", to use
their words from Monday?

In a nutshell, Moyes was allowed to get things wrong. He was supported with
little, if any, undermining coming from the boardroom. No 'two games to save
your job', no leaks of players he didn't fancy or club statements of players
he refused to sign. Will Moyes be allowed to operate and flourish in the
same way under Sullivan, Gold and Brady? I would like to think so, but I
just can't see it. Before we've kicked a ball under the management of Moyes,
Sullivan has already found a newspaper interview with The Sun too much to
resist and has labelled his new manager "a gamble". How about that for
unequivocal support?

There are two scenarios I can foresee. The first is that Moyes doesn't do
well and is gone in the summer – our second 'dead man walking' of the
season. The second is that he is given support, as well as funds, and
impresses – he lifts us up the table, stays into next season and we again
secure mid-table status.

If the second of those scenarios occurs however, I actually fear for Moyes.
He is not a big name manager – he's not Mancini, Pellegrini, Ancelotti,
Benitez and he's never won anything (Community Shield aside) at football's
top table. Our board will actually believe that they could do better still
if we are in a decent position and their delusions of grandeur will set in.
They will believe that, for the 'next level', they will need a manager of
the aforementioned ilk. If that happens, the undermining that crippled Slav
for 18 months will begin, in turn, for Moyes. Polls after bad results, leaks
to the media and fansites, club statements which throw the manager under a
bus. It happened with Allardyce, it happened with Bilic and I can almost
guarantee it will happen with Moyes.

And what will happen to West Ham United in this case of history repeating?
We will be back where we are now, going round in circles with no long-term
plan, no strategy and plenty of short-term thinking. The gap to the next
level, meanwhile, will grow ever wider – and that is the best case scenario
if Moyes does well! I shudder to think what will become of us if he doesn't.
As manager of West Ham United, I will support David Moyes as I have the
previous incumbents of the post – I hope his new employers assess their
treatment of their recent managers and decide to take a very quiet back seat
in order to allow him to do his job to maximum effect.

I'd like to end this article with a thank you to Slaven Bilic. Thank you for
those days at the Emirates and the Etihad, thank you for our first win at
Anfield in 52 years (and in some style, "parking the bus but leaving the
handbrake off – and all that"). Thank you for taking us to Cup
quarter-finals in three consecutive seasons for the first time since
1989-91. Thank you for galvanising the club's support in that final season
at Upton Park – for wins over Chelsea and Tottenham in our final matches
against them at our spiritual home. And thank you, most importantly, for my
best night supporting our great football team – that last Boleyn stand
against Manchester United. Your emotion at the final whistle that night will
be my abiding memory of your time as our manager.

To David Moyes – I wish you good luck. One way or another, I think you're
going to need it…

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com