Daily WHUFC News - 4th November 2017

West Ham United v Liverpool: All you need to know
WHUFC.com

West Ham United welcome Liverpool to London Stadium on Saturday evening in
their final match before the International break.

Read on for vital travel information, team news and everything else you need
to know ahead of this weekend's fixture...

Where and when?

West Ham United v Liverpool will be played on Saturday 4 November at London
Stadium with kick-off scheduled for 17:30.

How to follow:

West Ham's match with Liverpool will be shown live on BT Sport, on BT Sport
1 and BT Sport 4K UHD. The coverage of Saturday's game will begin at 17:00.

You can also follow the game live via our Matchday Blog on whufc.com, with
updates also available on Twitter throughout the afternoon. You can also
follow the match in different ways on our official Instagram, Facebook and
Snapchat channels!

Team news:

There is good news for the Hammers in the shape of Winston Reid and Aaron
Cresswell's fitness – both will be fit and available for selection against
the Reds.

On the other hand, Slaven Bilic's team will be without full-back Pablo
Zabaleta who picked up his fifth yellow card of the season on Saturday and
misses out through possession.

And frustratingly, the injury list is also long. James Collins has been a
long-term absentee and won't be ready for action at the weekend, while Jose
Fonte – who limped off against Crystal Palace – is also out.

Finally, Sam Byram and Michail Antonio have also picked up knocks and won't
be in the squad on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have their own problems. Sadio Mane and Nathaniel Clyne
are definitely out, while Philippe Coutinho also looks set to watch the game
from the sidelines.

Gini Wijnaldum – who hobbled off in the Reds' Champions League clash on
Wednesday – may be a doubt, as could Dejan Lovren.

Match officials:

Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Assistant Referees: Stephen Child and Eddie Smart
Fourth Official: Craig Pawson

Meet the opposition:

Four wins, four draws and just two losses from the opening ten league
matches is a decent start to the season for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, who
currently sit sixth in the top flight.

Having finished in the top four last campaign the Reds are fighting in the
Champions League this season as well and fans will be hoping for a similar
level of success this season as the Merseyside outfit look to push on.

One of England's most iconic and successful club, Liverpool is always a
tough test.

Player to watch:

Joe Hart put in a man of the match performance for the Hammers last week in
the draw with Crystal Palace, making a string of excellent saves at Selhurst
Park.

While Liverpool are expected to be without some of their top names the Reds
still come with an abundance of attacking talent and Hart will once again
need to be on top of his game to keep out the threat that Liverpool possess.

The England international has three clean-sheets to his name this season and
would love to add a fourth this weekend.

Head-to-head:

While West Ham's last result against Liverpool wasn't what supporters were
hoping for, the Irons recent form against the Reds is quite impressive.

The Hammers have won four of their last eight matches in all competitions
against the Merseyside club, losing just two of those games.

One of those losses was the last fixture played against Klopp's side, a 4-0
defeat, but prior to that the Irons were unbeaten in five matches against
Liverpool.

Last five meetings:

West Ham United 0-4 Liverpool, Premier League, May 14 2017
Liverpool 2-2 West Ham United, Premier League, December 11 2016
West Ham United 2-1 Liverpool, FA Cup, February 9 2016
Liverpool 0-0 West Ham United, FA Cup, January 30 2016
West Ham United 2-0 Liverpool, Premier League, January 2 2016

How to get there:

There are four train stations that supporters are recommended to utilise to
reach London Stadium.

Stratford Station makes use of the Central and Jubilee lines as well as the
DLR, Overground and TfL Rail.

Stratford International also uses the DLR line and National Rail.

Hackney Wick makes use of the London Overground. Fans are advised that
Pudding Mill Lane DLR Station is closed due to maintenance work, so please
plan an alternative route.

Supporters are also advised that a replacement bus service is in operation
between Shenfield and Stratford - please check the TfL website for further
information.

Any other information:

The latest in the free Hammers Collectables card range will be available at
this Friday's contest, with Manuel Lanzini the newest first team star to be
featured.

Under-16 supporters should see their nearest Supporter Liaison Officer at
London Stadium on Friday to continue building their collection.

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Rice up for Player of the Month award
WHUFC.com

West Ham United centre-back Declan Rice has been nominated for October's
Premier League 2 Player of the Month. The defender appeared three times for
the U23 side in all competitions in October, helping Terry Westley's men
victories over Manchester United and Bristol Rovers. Rice and the rest of
the defence helped the Hammers to a goalless draw in the other fixture, away
from home at the youngster's former club Chelsea. The 18-year-old's moment
to remember from the month came at Wembley, however, as part of the first
team side which came from behind to beat London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 3-2
in the Carabao Cup.
Rice started alongside Cheikhou Kouyate and Angelo Ogbonna at the back and
remained solid in the Hammers' terrific second 45, standing strong as Spurs'
two-goal lead was overturned. After that victory, he said: "Being my first
game at Wembley, after coming here to watch as a fan many, many times, to
get onto the pitch and beat Tottenham was an amazing moment for me. "After
the first half, most people thought we were down and out, but we had a big
get-together at half-time in the changing room and second half we came out
and showed what we're about. "I've never been part of something like this
before. I can't stop smiling. It's the best night of my life!"
Rice was also introduced as a second half substitute against Crystal Palace
last weekend, making his fifth Premier League appearance of the season. The
Academy graduate is up against Joshua Dasilva (Arsenal), Alex Babos (Derby),
Lukas Nmecha (Manchester City), Lewing Wing (Middlesbrough), Elliott
Embleton (Sunderland) and Harry Burgoyne (Wolves) for the award. The winner
will be announced on Friday next week.

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Ayew's Palace strike nominated for PL Goal of the Month
WHUFC.com

Andre Ayew's spectacular strike at Crystal Palace has been nominated for the
Premier League's October Goal of the Month - and you can help him win by
voting now. Ayew's 43rd minute screamer at Selhurst Park rounded off a
successful month for the Ghana international, who also notched twice in the
Carabao Cup victory at Tottenham Hotspur. The Hammers forward is on a
shortlist of seven for the prize, alongside Liverpool's Phillippe Coutinho
for his goal at Newcastle United, Pedro for Chelsea against Watford, Sofiane
Boufal's individual effort for Southampton against West Bromwich Albion and
Jamie Vardy's goal for Leicester City against Everton. Three of Manchester
City's seven goals against Stoke City are also in line for the award -
Fernandinho, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane.

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Cresswell: Hammers want to repay fans against Liverpool
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are fully committed to repaying the faith the supporters
have put in the players this weekend against Liverpool, according to Aaron
Cresswell. The Irons return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon
when they welcome Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool to London Stadium. Cresswell and
his teammates head into the contest on the back of a 2-2 draw with Crystal
Palace, which came after a late equaliser for the Eagles by Wilfried Zaha.
The left-back can understand why fans were frustrated by that result and
insists he and the rest of the side are set on repaying that loyalty and
putting things right against the Reds.
"We know it's frustrating at times," Cresswell said. "If you're a fan
sitting there you can understand why and we certainly fully understand. We
need to come together as one. "We've been working hard week in and week out
to put it right. We want to generate that atmosphere, against a team like
Liverpool, and put it right."

West Ham currently sit 16th in the Premier League and Cresswell believes it
would be easy to say that the club deserves to be higher up the table, such
is the quality in team. The 27-year-old insists however that talk is cheap
and it's down to the players and the coaching staff to show the Club is
worthy of competing higher in the division And Cresswell reckons a run of
positive results can bring that belief. He added: "It's easy for me to sit
here and say we should be higher but in reality, we are not. We're the only
ones that can affect that. "It's not a nice situation to be in and we need
to get higher up the league. It's still early on and it's very congested
down towards the bottom end of the table, and to be fair it's the same
higher up. "You get two wins on the bounce and it's all rosy. But in the
Premier League it's not easy. We want to get a positive result."

Cresswell has also hailed the form of both Club and international teammate
Joe Hart after the goalkeeper made a string of phenomenal saves in the match
with Palace. Hart was once again named in the England international squad
for the upcoming friendlies with Germany and Brazil and Cresswell has
praised the shot-stopper's influence around the club since joining on loan
from Manchester City. "Even before Joe joined here, we'd watched him over
the years and he's not got so many England caps for nothing. He's been at
the highest levels and won some big trophies," Cresswell said on Hart. "It's
a great thing to have him. On Saturday, he showed some unbelievable saves –
one of which he didn't even know anything about it! He's fantastic for us,
he's great around the place, and a great communicator. As a defender, he's
great to have behind you."

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Hammers to mark Remembrance Day at Liverpool game
WHUFC.com

West Ham United will mark Remembrance Day around Saturday's Premier League
match against Liverpool. Fans can view a Second World War Spitfire plane on
display outside London Stadium and make donations to the Royal British
Legion poppy sellers. Before the game, there will be a performance from the
Royal Air Force Air Cadets Band and Sir Trevor Brooking will read John
McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields, before a Guard of Honour is formed by
members of the Royal British Legion and servicemen from the G Company 7
RIFLES West Ham Army Reserve Centre. Joint-Chairman David Gold, Liverpool
CEO Peter Moore, Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales and West Ham fan Matt
Woollard will lay wreaths in the centre circle. A minute's silence will be
held, the Last Post will be played by a bugler, while supporters in the East
Stand will be invited to create a special Remembrance mosaic, honouring
those who bravely laid down their lives for us.

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Fernandes: I'm progressing all the time with the Hammers
WHUFC.com

Edimilson Fernandes has learned a lot over his first 18 months in claret and
blue and is ready to use that knowledge as he continues to progress for the
Hammers.
The 21-year-old Swiss international arrived in east London having played
only 63 senior games for his first club FC Sion, but has wasted little time
in taking his talents to the Premier League, featuring regularly in Slaven
Bilic's matchday squads. With seven appearances under his belt this term,
including starts as the Hammers took on Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace
last week, Fernandes is desperate to help the team kick-on and rediscover
their form. "The more I play, the more I progress and I have the coach's
confidence, so I am enjoying the amount of football I am playing at the
moment," he said. "It was a big decision to leave Sion when I did – I made
my debut and came through the youth ranks there, so it was hard to leave,
but I also also pleased to embark on a new adventure and I am very happy
here."

Fernandes was frustrated not to pick up a second win in succession when
Wilfried Zaha's last-gasp leveller denied the Hammers at Crystal Palace, and
is ready for the test of facing Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool on Saturday. He
added: Of course it is always frustrating to concede a late goal, and last
week it happened with 10 seconds to go, so I felt disappointed and that went
for the whole team, but we are looking forward to Liverpool and working hard
to get a good result in that game. "It's a very big game this weekend and
I'm sure we can perform well and get a good result. "Of course we will try
to take advantage [of any vulnerability]. We have to be confident in
ourselves and I'm sure we can produce a good performance."

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Captain Noble honours local Servicemen
WHUFC.com

Mark Noble made a special delivery to a group of very special people on
Thursday afternoon. The West Ham United skipper headed to the West Ham Army
Reserve Centre - close to where he grew up in Canning Town - and presented
match tickets for Saturday's Premier League clash against Liverpool to the G
Company 7 Rifles. The Rifles will be at London Stadium to form a guard of
honour as part of the Remembrance tributes in memory of the men and women
who have lost their lives in conflict since the First World War.
After presenting the tickets and a special West Ham United shirt embossed
with a poppy to Captain Lee Flitcroft and his team, Noble was given a tour
of the barracks and shown a display of the weaponry, equipment and supplies
carried by Servicemen during tours of duty. "It has been an honour to be
here," he said. "I have so much respect and admiration for these guys and
what they do for our country." "We play a sport, and I know it means so
much to everyone, but it is a sport at the end of the day. What these guys
do is life and death. "We get disappointed when we lose a game, but we all
go home to our families in good health. Sometimes, these men and women
don't. "To come and speak to them, and see the equipment they have to carry
on 12-hour shifts – sometimes longer, it's phenomenal, and a real pleasure
for me. "In my view, the soldiers who are going on tours and fighting for
our country are the real heroes."

Captain Flitcroft added: "It has been fantastic to see Mark, and an honour
to have him here at the West Ham Army Reserve Centre. "Most of the guys here
support West Ham, and they have been buzzing all week to meet Mark and show
him some of the stuff that we do and share some of our experiences. "We have
been involved in the club's Remembrance tributes now for around ten years,
and we really look forward to that date on the calendar when we get the
chance to be a part of a fantastic tribute. "West Ham fans have always shown
it such great respect, and it is a huge honour for us."

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West Ham United's December and January fixture changes confirmed
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's final fixture changes for December and January have been
confirmed.

The Hammers will now travel to Tottenham Hotspur for their Premier League
derby at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 31 December, with kick-off at 2.15pm.

Meanwhile, the home meeting with West Bromwich Albion will now be played on
Tuesday 2 January at 7.45pm.

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West Ham United v Liverpool
SAT, 04 NOV 2017PREMIER LEAGUE
17:30
Venue: London Stadium
BBC.co.uk

TEAM NEWS

West Ham's Winston Reid returns from a calf problem, while Aaron Cresswell
is fit despite being forced off with a dead leg at Crystal Palace on
Saturday. Michail Antonio, Sam Byram, Jose Fonte and James Collins are all
injured, while Pablo Zabaleta is suspended.

Georginio Wijnaldum is doubtful with an ankle problem so Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain may start his first league game for Liverpool. Philippe
Coutinho will not feature because of a thigh injury. Sadio Mane is back in
training following a hamstring injury and could feature as a substitute.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Steve Bower: "After the almost weekly discussion about Slaven Bilic's
future, the West Ham boss will be hoping for a performance more akin to
their Carabao Cup comeback against Tottenham than their capitulation in
their last home game against Brighton. "They will take hope from the fact
that no team has conceded more Premier League away goals than Liverpool, who
face a swift return to the capital following their horror show against Spurs
at Wembley. "If Liverpool are to make it back-to-back Champions League
campaigns next season then this is a fixture they need to take something
from. "One thing is for sure - if the Hammers have a lead in stoppage time,
the ball won't be heading into the Liverpool penalty area."

Twitter: @SteveBowercomm

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on his future: "Yes, of course I need
something personally. I am in a position I don't want to be in. I have been
there for quite a time now. "Every win, even in the cup but especially in
the league, it will take us and me out of that position and put us in a more
comfortable position. Every game you don't win puts you in a worse position.
"I do think I can turn it around, otherwise I wouldn't be here."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "I'm happy that we have this record at
home...but if you want to be really successful you cannot leave points in
other cities.
"Two of our away games were big defeats, but a lot of other teams will lose
there."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Liverpool won comfortably at London Stadium at the end of last season and I
think they will win again. But I hope it doesn't mean Bilic will lose his
job - because that would be ridiculous.

Prediction: 0-2

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

None of the last 12 Premier League meetings in east London have been drawn -
West Ham have four victories and Liverpool eight since a 1-1 draw in
December 2001.
The Merseysiders won 4-0 at the London Stadium in May, their biggest league
victory away to West Ham since January 1976.
Liverpool have lost three of their last six Premier League games against the
Hammers (W2, D1) - as many defeats as in the previous 25 meetings.
West Ham United

Defeat would leave the Hammers with nine points. The last time they had
fewer than 10 points after 11 league games was in 2010-11, a season which
saw them relegated from the top flight.
Seven of West Ham's nine Premier League wins at the London Stadium have been
by 1-0 scorelines.
They have conceded four Premier League penalties this season (all scored) -
no other side has given away more than two.
Andre Ayew has scored three goals in his last two games in all competitions
for West Ham - more than he had managed in his previous 10 appearances this
season.
All 41 of Javier Hernandez's Premier League goals have been scored from
inside the penalty area.
Joe Hart has conceded 29 goals in 17 Premier League games against Liverpool
during his career; five more than against any other side.
Liverpool

The Reds could win back-to-back league games for the first time since
August. Those victories (against Crystal Palace and Arsenal) are also the
last time they kept consecutive clean sheets in the top flight.
All but one of the 16 league goals Liverpool have conceded this season have
come away from home - the highest tally in the top flight.
The last time they conceded more goals in their opening five away league
games was in 1953-54, a season which ended in relegation.
Daniel Sturridge has scored five goals in seven league appearances against
West Ham.
Sturridge is two short of 50 Premier League goals for Liverpool. He can
become the seventh player to reach the milestone, after Robbie Fowler,
Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt.

SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 26%
Probability of home win: 22% Probability of away win: 52%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale
at the University of Liverpool that is used to predict the outcome of
football matches.

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THE YOUTH SITUATION, FRUSTRATION AND MISMANAGEMENT UNDER BILIC!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 2 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 9:15PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Written by @StevenMcCarthy9

One of the things I keep hearing about Slaven is how much he loves the club,
now I don't want to get involved in saying whether or not this is true!But
as West Ham fans I think the majority of us will say that one of the best
things about supporting our wonderful club, has always been the youth
prospects we develop and introduce into the side!
Yet as Ex and a few of the people I've spoken to at the club will back, Slav
and his team have been to watch our youth side just once in the 2 and a
quarter seasons he has been here! For me, that is completely unacceptable,
regardless of what club you are at, if the Manager, assistant manager or a
member of his trusted staff do not watch the academy sides then there is a
big problem.

I can understand people saying that maybe there is a lack of quality players
who can really break into the first team coming through, but the
conversations I've had with people at the club about Oxford, Rice and
numerous prospects, all mirrored the sentiments that our academy possess
talents of the highest quality! Bilic gave Oxford his first League start
against Arsenal, and we all know how well that went…so why have we seen both
a change in Bilic's approach to Academy players and youth introduction? I
personally believe that Billic has awful youth management skills, with the
handling of the previously mentioned Oxford and this seasons youth prospect
in the excellent Declan Rice, being simply atrocious in my eyes.

Rice was substituted in a similar manner to Oxford, at half time after a
mistake that led to a goal.
Surely this is one of the most cruel things for a player at any level to
face, let alone a youngster attempting to break through.With Oxford it was
against Leicester and Rice it was Newcastle, however both mistakes were also
made when older more experienced players were culpable for their part in the
goals. Rice has subsequently featured in part after this mistake, but Oxford
has never been the same since. And whilst you could argue this to be proof
of Oxford lacking the mental strength required to play at the highest level,
I think we should we also be questioning why a talent once hailed as a
future England captain, has so dramatically fallen from grace! Not only
unable to secure a regular starting position, squad place or challenge the
first team here or even Reading, then I think we need a serious look at Man
Management.



I believe that of course whilst there are multiple factors that could be to
blame, the lack of intensity and standard in Billic's training playing a
significant role. We all saw the damming stats on Monday Night Football
about our total lack of sprints and distance covered, but this has been a
worry for over a year now! Players leaving have condemned the standard of
training and people often under estimate just how much that can impact a
footballers overall game.
If you don't train to a high level, you lose that match sharpness, the
ability to run that extra yard at the same speed or frequency! But far more
relevant to this article, you massively inhibit the development of youth
players, who unless they stay after hours with coaches, on the pitch or in
the gym are left with a standard of training that wasn't fit for Reading
Football Club….

Our integration for academy players over the past few seasons has been
shocking, particularly in attacking positions.
Billic was seemingly unwilling to give either Fletcher or Martinez much of a
chance up top, and given the struggling competition at times, though injury
or simply a total lack of form, I find this baffling and also a bit
maddening.
What I do not understand is why you would not take a gamble in a cup
competition. West Ham fans are a hard bunch to please, I think all of us are
pretty openly going to admit that, however if you play a team with 3 or 4
youngsters in a cup game, not only will we give you leeway, we will really
get behind and support the decision! We may lose, but I guarantee that
you'll have the fans respect by trying to develop that title of Academy of
Football.

I'll end the article on a slightly different tone, because for me our
Academy staff have always deserved more praise from the footballing world.
By increasing Academy involvement, not only would you boost overall youth
team and staff morale, but you also give the fans something to feel proud
of. The incredible people working with our youngsters are so passionate
about what they do, and you compliment their work in a way that I think only
proud parents and mentors can understand when they witness someone they have
developed succeed.
I want to see us bring through players from the academy and I want to see
them succeed, but more importantly, I want to see them given the best chance
to succeed! The future talent in the likes of Martinez, Holland,
Cullen,Quina and Saed all deserve a chance, I don't believe they are going
to get under the current manager. Whilst I realise that not all of them will
be world beaters, I trust our academy staffs judgement and the performances
they are giving for them to believe that they should get a chance in the
first team.

I'm @StevenMcCarthy9 and thank you for reading my rant!

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TACTICAL PROFILE: RAFA BENITEZ
AUTHOR: BEN COOPER. PUBLISHED: 3 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 10:00AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Disclaimer! This is in no way a news article. I am unaware of the club's
exact intentions and this is purely an opinion piece on tactics. I am behind
the team and the manager, whomever may be in charge.

As a scientist I tend to question how things work and how they function.
With all the talk of a managerial change at the club I find myself thinking
about how things may play out for us in the short to long term. With the
odds stacked against him, it would be a safe bet that Slaven Bilic will be
replaced in the near future, whether that be over the coming weeks, or at
the end of the season. Whilst I do find this an exciting prospect, as we
have a good set of players and the right appointment may get the most out of
the talent we currently employ, we cannot get away from the risks that
change will bring. The correct decision will not be obvious, you just have
to look at the catastrophic failure of Frank de Boer at Palace, a prime
example of an incompatibility between managerial style and the playing
staff. Whoever comes in will need to bring something to the table, the real
risk here is a sideways step, or worse, a backwards one.

So who is in the frame? It is no secret that there is a list of potential
candidates for the job, and I find myself imagining how they would fit with
us as no doubt many of you are. So lets jump straight in with the man who
had all but signed for us as manager in 2015, before his dream job was
offered to him. I am talking of course about Rafa Benitez. Rafa is a winner,
make no mistake, he has won trophies all over Europe. His biggest
achievement is hard to pin down as there are so many, but what stands out
for me is two la liga titles in three years with Valencia, competing against
a Real Madrid side boasting the talents of Luís Figo, Raul, Roberto Carlos,
and Zidane. He won two trophies at Inter with a thin squad and little
financial backing. Even with the disgusting treatment he got from Chelsea
and their fans, and the fact that everyone knew he would be gone at the end
of the season, they still won the Europa league. The winning goal coming
from a training ground set piece routine executed well by the players who
were still playing for him despite his situation. You shouldn't mention
Benitez without talking about 'that night in Istanbul', a tactical battle
that saw Liverpool come out a different team in the second half, helping
Rafa topple Ancelloti to complete one of football's greatest ever comebacks.
I hope you will forgive me for not mentioning a certain other cup final.

A remarkable CV aside, this article is about tactics. Rafa is known as a
'details man'. He studies the opposition and works out how to best exploit
their weaknesses. A prime example of this would be our recent trip to
Tyneside where we were beaten, and beaten well. In this case he overloaded
the midfield cutting off our attacking options. We didn't really adjust to
this, so it was essentially a one move checkmate. However, he is very
consistent in formation, often employing a 4-2-3-1. He sees a team as a
system in which players must fit, where everyone has detailed instruction.



If we look at his current team Newcastle, they fall into 4-5-1 without the
ball, where they defend with intensity and are hard to break down. At the
time of writing only Spurs and the two Manchester clubs have conceded fewer
goals. The midfield is tasked to win the ball back and initiate very quick
vertical transitions. Atsu and Ritchie are expected to play with width,
although Ritchie has a license to cut inside with Pérez floating in and
around the right side half space which often causes overloads in that area.
The striker, often Gayle or Mitrovic is tasked with disrupting the
opposition defense and making gaps for long through balls. Their aggressive
wing play does leave them vulnerable to attack in both the left and right
half spaces but the midfield pairing of Hayden and Merino are well drilled
and often get across to extinguish the danger. They have an average
possession of 44% and only a 73% passing accuracy. They currently average
one goal per game, as do we. Their football is far from entertaining but it
has been effective thus far, and I see them finishing comfortably above the
other two promoted sides. I put this down to a clever manager working with
what he has, and getting the best out of his players.

It is not always negative with Rafa, remember his Chelsea team putting 8
goals past a Villa side who were on a six game unbeaten run? They could have
scored 10 that day with some exceptional attacking play. We recently decided
to try and sit and protect a two goal lead against the league's lowest
scoring team. Something I just cannot get over in a hurry.

I think that Rafa Benitez would certainly take us forward from where we are
today. I think we have the players to suit his current style of play and we
would pick up points as a result. The only slight concern would be the
midfield being disciplined enough to fulfill their defensive duties. He
would bring a very much needed period of stability with what I think will,
at least in the very beginning, be results based football. Asking questions
of the opposition rather than going all out with flair. But how long would
that be acceptable? How long would he be given if the football is not as
exciting as we would hope for? Bianca Westwood raised this very good
question on this week's radio show. I don't think it would take very long at
all. Our squad, especially in advanced positions is far stronger than
Newcastle's. Rafa is a man who believes in balance between defence and
attack, a very sensible stance in my opinion. I think Rafa would not need to
change the team much at all, he would just need to tighten up the defence
and have everyone get on board with his approach. A front 4 of Lanzini,
Hernandez, Antonio, and Ayew could play with much more freedom if the team
behind them follow a disciplined, defence first mentality. This focus on
defensive solidarity is something that Sam Allardyce was criticised for,
unfairly in my opinion as he had, lets face it, a championship level team
for the majority of his time at the club. He started playing some excellent
football when he employed the 4-4-2 diamond formation with the right
players. One of the many things Rafa does have on Big Sam though is his
enthusiasm for youth players, he did great things with the Liverpool
academy, the fruits of his labour being enjoyed by Jurgen Klopp today.

This article was supposed to encompass several of the managers that we have
been linked with but I think that would be too long. I will wrap it up here
and perhaps write additional tactical profiles in the near future. Let me
know your thoughts in the comments or on twitter.

@mrben471

@WestHamWaycouk

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ARE THE KIDS GOOD ENOUGH?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 3 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 9:50PM
TheWesTHamWay.co.uk
Written by @farehamhammer

During the last ten years or so every time the Club has been on a bad run
there has been an echo "Play the kids, they will play for the shirt!" I
would just shake my head. You can play for the shirt all you want but if
you're not good enough, you won't make one ounce of difference. West Ham,
during the halcyon days of Ron Greenwood, became world renowned as The
Academy of Football. Due to The Club playing stylish, inventive football on
the deck. Football with a smile on its face. At the same time bringing
through talented youngsters which were schooled to play the type of football
associated with the Club. Greenwood, would like nothing more than seeing a
youngster with the ball at his feet expressing himself. Youngsters thrived
at West Ham, and the door to the first team spot was always open. If you
were good enough you played. Time after time, our youngsters graduated into
the first team and flourished.

But those screaming: "Play the kids" up until recently were living in the
past. Believing that every kid emerging from The Academy, was going to be
the next: Moore, Peters, Hurst, Brooking, Devonshire and the rest. The harsh
reality being those days were long gone. The Academy was producing quantity
not quality. You only need to look at where some of these graduates ply
their trade now and had to accept the harsh reality that our youth were
simply just not good enough. People had difficulty accepting this reality,
and on one occasion Sam Allardyce got crucified for throwing the youngsters
"To the wolves" For playing the "kids" against Nottingham Forest in the FA
Cup. This after match, moaning that Sam was not giving the youngsters a
chance. The "kids" were 21 & 22. At that age you should be knocking on the
first team door. The youngsters were simply not good enough! Even my
personal favourite, Sebastian Lletget a skilful attacking midfielder never
made the grade. It is a tough world making it as a professional footballer
at any Club in the first place!

Like the one 'West Ham won the world Cup'. The belief that we were still The
Academy of Football, was stale in the extreme. Nothing more than a myth. The
title of The Academy of Football was a mantle that Southampton Football Club
could rightly claim. Talented player after talented player has graduated
through The South Coast Club's Academy into the first team 16, 17 and 18
years of age. If you are good enough Southampton Football Club will play
you! In an earlier article I stated, "That it was time for The Academy to
start delivering". If not questions would have to be asked of Terry Westley,
The Academy Director. However after many lean years, The Club is well on its
way to reclaiming its title of The Academy of Football. We have a real
talented group of youngsters at The Club, whom I believe should be given the
chance to play at senior level.



The youngsters who really excite me are Declan Rice, Reece Oxford, Domingos
Quina, Toni Martinez, Sead Haksabanovic, Nathan Holland and my favourite
Martin Samuelsson. Sadly at 22 I don't think Josh Cullen or Reece Burke are
going to make it at The Club. Hands up here – Terry Westley has done a
fantastic job on bringing the youngsters on. Even when players have returned
to The Club, with their confidence at a low ebb, due to a loan not working
out for whatever reason. Westley has rebuilt their confidence, and got them
playing to the top of their game again. I'm not saying that the youngsters
should be playing in every match or in whole games, but they should and MUST
get game time. The frustrating thing is Slaven Bilic, not having any
intention of fully integrating them into the first team squad at all. Christ
on a bike! Even Sam, would have the youth playing against the first team on
a Friday! Slaven does not go and watch youth matches, or get them to train
with the first team. What chance does a youngster have of breaking into the
first team, when the manager shows no interest? Talk about coming up against
a brick wall!

This is unlikely to change, as long as Slaven Bilic is manager of West Ham
United. He is a dead man walking and knows it. Gone at the end of the
season, without a shadow of a doubt. I don't even think Slaven wants to be
at The Club anymore, if the truth be known. I have seen The Board lackey's,
promote the failed Derby and Luton manager and our Academy Director Terry
Westley credentials to become full time manager. Westley would be the cheap
option and should not get the job full time in a million years! But he may
well be a sensible option short term option, and could well stabilise The
Club. Also opening the door to the youth, as far as a first team squad is
concerned. Ron Greenwood used to say: "Football at its best, is a game of
beauty, intelligence and art over brawn. Despite what the gloom and gloom
merchant say all is not bleak. We have senior players and youth players who
are capable of delivering on Ron Greenwood's vision on how the game should
be played. Time to return to The Club's roots, let The Kids play!

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

COYI!!

Farehamhammer!!!

(Edited by Danny Twigg)

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v Liverpool preview: Sadio Mane pushing for shock recall
Last Updated: 03/11/17 6:34pm
SSN

Slaven Bilic will be looking to guide West Ham away from danger against
Liverpool on Saturday evening. The Hammers bounced back from a miserable 3-0
home defeat to Brighton with a 3-2 victory at Tottenham in the EFL Cup but
the pressure on Bilic has intensified again after drawing 2-2 with Crystal
Palace last weekend. Despite registering a comfortable victory against
Huddersfield last time out, Liverpool are seven points worse off in the
league than at this stage last season. They won 4-0 in this fixture at the
London Stadium last campaign but clean sheets have been scarce, demonstrated
by them possessing the worst defensive record on the road in the Premier
League. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says Sadio Mane could return against
West Ham on Saturday while Adam Lallana will train with the first team next
week.

Team news

West Ham winger Michail Antonio is out with a hamstring problem. The Hammers
are also short in defence with Pablo Zabaleta suspended and Sam Byram, Jose
Fonte and James Collins injured. But Aaron Cresswell has shaken off the dead
leg which forced him off at half-time against Crystal Palace and fellow
defender Winston Reid should be fit after missing out at Selhurst Park.

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane could be in line for a surprise recall. The
Senegal international's return from a hamstring injury is a fortnight ahead
of schedule and after joining full training on Thursday manager Jurgen Klopp
said he looked like he could play 25 minutes. Klopp will make late decisions
on midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum (ankle) and defender Dejan Lovren (thigh)
but playmaker Philippe Coutinho (adductor) is definitely out.

Opta stats

None of the last 12 Premier League meetings between these sides at West Ham
have ended as a draw - West Ham have won four and Liverpool eight since a
1-1 draw in December 2001.

Liverpool have lost three of their last six Premier League games against the
Hammers (W2 D1) - as many as they'd lost in their previous 25.

West Ham have conceded 10 goals in their last eight home Premier League
games, despite keeping five clean sheets in that run - four of those goals
were scored by Liverpool in their last visit to the London Stadium.

Of the 18 sides to have played in both of the last two Premier League
seasons, only Crystal Palace (24) and Swansea City (30) have won fewer
points in home matches than West Ham United (31) over this period.

Liverpool's 15 goals conceded away from home this season is the most by a
team in the Premier League - indeed, it's the most the Reds have shipped
after five away games of a season since 1953-54 (16), when they were
relegated from the top-flight.

Joe Hart has conceded 29 goals in 17 Premier League games against Liverpool
during his career; five more than he's let in against any other side.

Merson's prediction

West Ham last week, seriously… Antonio should be on the verge of getting a
two-week fine for what he did. I honestly cannot believe what he done, it
was unbelievable. I am going to go for Liverpool to win here. I just think
they will have too much firepower for them defensively. So I am going to go
3-1, as how are Liverpool ever going to keep a clean sheet?!

Paul predicts: 3-1 (Sky Bet odds 4/1)

Betting

Liverpool are Sky Bet's 8/13 favourites for the win with West Ham priced at
4/1, while the draw is a 3/1 chance. The Reds will be looking to gain ground
on the leaders but are all but written off in the title race at 100/1, while
their hosts are 5/2 joint fifth favourites for relegation. Javier Hernandez
is considered the Hammers' main threat at 7/1 to score first.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
OPPOSITION Q&A WITH LIVERPOOL
By Jeff Gayle 3 Nov 2017 at 17:00
WTID

Our final match before the enforced break (don't you just hate International
weeks?) sees us take on Liverpool at The London Stadium kicking off on
Saturday at 5.30pm. Ahead of the game I had a chat with Duncan Oldham of
koptalk to discuss everything Claret & Blue and Red.

You have got us in the tea-time fixture this Saturday, hopefully you'll be a
bit tired after your midweek game – are you feeling confident?
It's difficult to be confident following Liverpool these days due to our
well documented defensive problems. We come into the game off the back of
that Champions League win over minnows Maribor but that scoreline doesn't
really prove anything. It honestly depends as to which Liverpool turns up.
It looks like both sides will have injury problems to deal with. I think
most neutrals would expect Liverpool to come away with something but
honestly, nothing would surprise me at the moment.

Jurgen Klopp is now into his third season at Anfield (similar to Slaven
Bilic) are you happy with the progress that he has shown? How do you compare
his reign to the days of Brendan Rodgers?
The statistics appear to show that there isn't a huge difference between
them both but we have to remember that Brendan had Luis Suarez at his
disposal. I don't see a lot difference in the way their teams play. Both
managers presented attacking football but neither manager sorted the defence
out. Klopp's failure to consider another centre-back other than Virgil van
Dijk and his insistance that he didn't need a clinical striker recruiting in
the summer left me completely baffled. Despite the present frustrations, I
feel that Klopp will adapt to the Premier League. Some of his decisions have
been confusing and I'm disappointed that he haven't seen some gems brought
in from Germany but that's not necessarily his fault.

After successively finishing in a Champions League spot last season, where
do you think Liverpool will stand at the end of this campaign?
Based on current form, we would struggle to finish 4th. If we can get a
result against you and built on that it will hopefully make things easier.
If we lose at the weekend and continue to underperform, there could be a
huge inquest at the end of the season. We expect much better than what we've
being seeing of late.

Where do you think West Ham can realistically finish the season?
Surely finishing just inside the top half of the table or just below the
fold is possible but I can't see that happening under Bilic. A lot of faith
has been shown in him but are West Ham wasting crucial time by standing by
him?

Which three teams do you think will suffer relegation and who will lift the
title this season?
Swansea, Huddersfield, Palace to go down. Manchester City to win the title.

We've spoken about Jurgen Klopp, how do you rate West Ham's Slaven Bilic?
I thought he was going to do much better. He just looks lost at times. He
seems like a nice enough guy but I think he's a dead man walking which isn't
nice to see. As an outsider looking in, the players come across as not
giving their all for him. You're better placed than me to know why that may
be if that's the case. If he's lost the dressing room, the trigger needs
pulling. He looks authoritative but I'm not convinced.

You must be a tad annoyed with all the speculation regarding Philippe
Coutinho, are you resigned to him leaving you come January? Have you come to
terms with this new reality of Liverpool not being the premier destination
for talent it was in the past?
It's understandable. Who wouldn't want to play for Barcelona? As long as he
conducts himself professionally and does the business until he's sold,
that's all the fans want to see. I'm not sure if he will leave in January
but he won't be at Anfield next season. I just can't see it. Even if
Barcelona ended their interest, PSG are very keen too and his pal Neymar is
there.
While London is an attractive destination for players and their partners,
Manchester City and Manchester United continue to attract some of the best
names. Our owners cannot compete with the Premier League's successful and
wealthier clubs. Until there is a shift in ownership I cannot see us ever
being able to compete properly again.

There seems to be a great deal of unrest as to the performance of the
goalkeeper and defence in general – are you happy with the make-up of your
squad?
Our goalkeepers aren't good enough, our centre-backs are not good enough,
our midfield can attack but not defend and we don't have a clinical striker
at the club. We need a new spine. The arrival of Naby Keïta can't come quick
enough but even if we land Virgil van Dijk to strengthen the defence, that's
not going to be enough to solve our problems.

West Ham fans have great memories of finally beating you at Anfield two
years ago: apart from that woeful day at the FA Cup Final in Cardiff, do any
particular memories of West Ham/Liverpool games of the past come to mind?
?It was a great day! But what about our 4-1 win over you in December 2013.
It felt nice to silence Allardyce. Sorry.

If you could have any current West Ham player in your first team who would
you choose and why?
?I feel tempted to say Joe Hart as our 'keepers don't offer much but I quite
like Manuel Lanzini.

Which Liverpool player(s) will be key to your hopes this season? Apart from
Coutinho, who in your current squad would stand comparison with the great
Liverpool players of the past?
None of them are currently good enough to be in any of the successful
Liverpool sides I grew up watching. Coutinho stands out (just like Sterling
did) as he doesn't have a lot of greatness around him. Salah's performances
have been very encouraging. Where would we be without his goals? Mane is a
great player too.

How do you expect Liverpool to setup against West Ham on Saturday/
Team/formation prediction?
Expect to see a 4-3-3 as usual. We have a few injuries so it would be too
complicated to list the various permutations as I'm not sure who will be
deemed fit just yet. I doubt there'll be any surprises.

Prediction for score?
I hate predictions as I regret them if I don't put money on them and they
come off! I'm going for a Liverpool win though!

Big up! to Duncan for his time. This is a hard one to call. Our overall win
record against Liverpool is a mere 20%, rising to 36% at our place. My heart
says a win, with Big Andy coming off the bench to power the ball home,
unfortunately my head sees us spurning a hard fought victory by giving away
a last minute penalty. 1 – 1. Come on you Irons!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MATCH PREVIEW: WEST HAM V LIVERPOOL
By Dan Coker 3 Nov 2017 at 08:00
WTID

Blast from the past

Today's blast from the past features a 3-1 victory on the 9th of October
1982, with West Ham United welcoming the previous campaign's title-winners
Liverpool in front of 32,500. Musical Youth were number one with 'Pass the
Dutchie', The Entity was in UK cinemas and, two days later, Henry VIII's
flagship the Mary Rose was raised from the River Solent 437 years after it
had sank.

The Irons went into the game on the back of four successive league wins – a
5-0 home win over Birmingham had been followed by a 2-1 triumph at West Brom
and a 4-1 home victory over Manchester City before a 3-2 win at Arsenal. The
Hammers took a first-half lead against the champions at the Boleyn Ground
when centre-back Alvin Martin sidefooted home his third goal of the season
after Bruce Grobbelaar had failed to deal with Jimmy Neighbour's centre.

The Irons doubled their lead in the second half when Paul Goddard held off
Mark Lawrenson and crossed for the onrushing Geoff Pike to convert his first
goal in 13 months. Reds midfielder Graeme Souness fired home a reply with a
fierce shot which Phil Parkes could only help into the top corner before
Goddard assumed the role of creator again, this time flicking on Parkes'
goal-kick to Neighbour and racing on to the return pass to square a ball
beyond Grobbelaar for Sandy Clark (pictured above) to grab his fifth goal in
six games and send the Hammers to the dizzy heights of second in the First
Division table. The goals from this game can be viewed in my video below.

John Lyall's West Ham would end the season in eighth place while Bob
Paisley's Liverpool retained their First Division title. 25-year-old Alvin
Martin won his third Hammer of the Year title, with Phil Parkes voted
runner-up. Paul Goddard and the late Francois van der Elst were the Irons'
top goalscorers in 1982/83 with 12 goals from 46 and 47 appearances
respectively. Manchester United won the FA Cup.

West Ham United: Phil Parkes, Ray Stewart, Billy Bonds (Neil Orr), Alvin
Martin, Frank Lampard, Jimmy Neighbour, Paul Allen, Geoff Pike, Alan
Devonshire, Sandy Clark, Paul Goddard.

Liverpool: Bruce Grobbelaar, Phil Neal, Alan Hansen, Phil Thompson, Alan
Kennedy (Craig Johnston), Mark Lawrenson, Sammy Lee, Ronnie Whelan, Graeme
Souness, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush.



Club Connections

Andy Carroll welcomes his former club. Julian Dicks played for both clubs
and is now First Team Coaching Assistant with the Hammers. A whole host of
players join the duo in having turned out for both West Ham United and
Liverpool, particularly over the last 25 years. These include:

Goalkeepers: Charles Cotton, David James.

Defenders: Alvaro Arbeloa, Rob Jones, Glen Johnson, Paul Konchesky, Rigobert
Song, Neil Ruddock, Thomas Stanley.

Midfielders: Don Hutchison, Yossi Benayoun, Joe Cole, Victor Moses, Paul
Ince, Ray Houghton, Javier Mascherano, Stewart Downing, Mike Marsh.

Strikers: Craig Bellamy, Peter Kyle, Titi Camara, Robbie Keane, David
Speedie, Neil Mellor, Charlie Satterthwaite, Danny Shone, Tom Bradshaw.

George Kay made 237 league appearances for the Hammers between 1919 and
1926, becoming the first-ever player to play more than 200 league matches
for the club. Kay was also the West Ham captain in the 1923 FA Cup Final. He
went on to manage Liverpool between 1936 and 1951, winning the First
Division title in 1947.

Today's focus falls on a player who spent just under a year with the Hammers
before joining Everton. Born in Dudley on 25th October 1968, David Burrows
spent three years playing for West Brom before a five-year stint at
Liverpool. He was signed by Kenny Dalglish's Reds for £550,000 in October
1988, making his debut two days later in a 0-0 draw against Coventry at
Anfield. The presence of Steve Staunton limited Burrows' first team
opportunities in his first season at Liverpool.

Burrows, an England Under-21 international, joined his team-mates in
mourning for the 96 fans who lost their lives at the Hillsborough disaster
in April 1989 – he, along with the rest of the squad, attended a number of
supporters' funerals. Burrows missed out on a place in the matchday party
for the 3-2 FA Cup final victory over Everton in 1989. With Staunton more
frequently deployed in midfield in 1989/90 and Dalglish prepared to rotate
his squad more, Burrows played more regularly and won his first honour with
Liverpool when they clinched the League title, finishing nine points clear
of Aston Villa. When Dalglish resigned in 1991 and was replaced by Graeme
Souness, Burrows again found his chances more restricted, though he did
score his first Liverpool goal on 31st August 1991 in a 3-1 victory over
Merseyside rivals Everton at Anfield. Souness gave Burrows a starting place
for the 1992 FA Cup Final which Liverpool won at Wembley, beating Sunderland
2-0.

After 193 appearances and three goals for Liverpool, the 24-year-old 'Bugsy'
joined Billy Bonds' West Ham United on 17th September 1993 in a deal which
saw Julian Dicks move to Anfield with Burrows and Mike Marsh moving in the
other direction to Upton Park. The flame-haired left-back got off to a great
start in claret and blue, contributing to an impressive 2-0 win at Blackburn
on his debut the day after signing, and scoring from a free-kick on his home
debut in a 5-1 League Cup second round first leg triumph over Chesterfield
on 22nd September 1993. Burrows' second and, ultimately, final goal for the
Hammers was the early opener in a 3-1 home win over Manchester City on 1st
November 1993, slamming home an indirect free-kick inside the penalty area
after a Keith Curle back-pass to goalkeeper Tony Coton. Both of Burrows'
goals for the Hammers can be viewed in my video below.



Burrows helped the Hammers consolidate in their first Premier League season,
finishing 13th in 1993/94 and reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. He
started the first four matches of the 1994/95 campaign but his final match
for the Hammers was a 3-1 home defeat to Newcastle on 31st August 1994 –
Harry Redknapp had taken over as manager and, after two goals in 35
appearances in claret and blue, 'Bugsy' was returning to Merseyside to sign
for Everton. West Ham legends were involved in both Burrows' arrival at and
departure from Upton Park – after joining the Hammers in a move which saw
Dicks depart, Burrows joined the Toffees in another part-exchange deal in
September 1994 with Tony Cottee returning to Upton Park. Dicks was to return
to east London himself a month later.

Burrows joined Mike Walker's Blues in September 1994 but his time at
Goodison was short-lived, spending just six months at the club and making 23
appearances before new manager Joe Royle sold him to Coventry in March 1995
for a fee of £1.1m. After five years with the Sky Blues, Burrows struggled
to regain his starting place after returning from injury and moved to
Birmingham on a free transfer in the summer of 2000. Sheffield Wednesday
signed Burrows on a free transfer in March 2002 but injuries once again
dogged him, forcing him to quit the professional game in May 2003.

Burrows, who turned 49 last month, emigrated to France with his wife and
three children; he spent a few years turning out for his local side in the
Dordogne. In April 2014 Burrows appeared for the Liverpool Legends team in
the Hillsborough charity match where he showed that he hadn't lost his
competitive edge with some crunching tackles on Jari Litmanen.

Referee

Saturday's referee will be Neil Swarbrick. The Lancashire-based official
took charge of two of West Ham United's highlights from 2013/14, the 0-0
draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and the 2-1 League Cup quarter-final
victory against Tottenham at White Hart Lane. He also officiated in two
league matches involving the Hammers in 2012/13, those being the 4-1 home
win over Southampton and the 3-0 defeat at Sunderland. He was the man in the
middle for the controversy-laden 2-1 home defeat to Arsenal in December
2014, disallowing Alex Song's volley from distance for offside, awarding the
Gunners a penalty for a Winston Reid foul on Santi Cazorla and failing to
award the Hammers an injury-time penalty for a clear tug on Morgan
Amalfitano. Swarbrick was also the referee for the FA Cup penalty-shoot-out
triumph over Everton in January 2015, sending off Aiden McGeady in the
process.

Swarbrick's only appointments involving the Hammers in 2015/16 were for our
two trips to the North East; our 2-2 draw at Sunderland in October 2015,
when he sent off Jeremain Lens, and the 2-1 defeat at Newcastle in January
2016. Two of his three Hammers matches last season saw our best two goals of
the season – Dimitri Payet's stunning solo effort in the 1-1 home draw with
Middlesbrough in October and Andy Carroll's scintillating scissor kick in
the 3-0 home win over Crystal Palace in January. He was the referee for our
4-0 home defeat to Liverpool in May and most recently officiated our 3-0
defeat at Newcastle in August.

Possible line-ups

West Ham United, defeated only twice in their previous nine games, are
without the suspended Pablo Zabaleta, as well as the injured Sam Byram, Jose
Fonte, James Collins and Michail Antonio. Winston Reid and Aaron Cresswell
have both resumed training and are likely starters. None of the last twelve
Premier League meetings against Liverpool in East London have ended level,
with West Ham winning four and Liverpool claiming eight victories since a
1-1 draw in December 2001.

Liverpool are without Adam Bogdan, Danny Ward, Nathaniel Clyne, Georgino
Wijnaldum, Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane, while Dejan Lovren and Phillipe
Coutinho are major doubts. The Reds have the lowest number of headed
clearances in the Premier League so far this season.

Possible West Ham United XI: Hart; Kouyate, Reid, Ogbonna; Fernandes, Noble,
Obiang, Cresswell; Ayew, Lanzini; Chicharito.

Possible Liverpool XI: Mignolet; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Gomez, Moreno;
Milner, Henderson, Can, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah, Firmino.

Enjoy the game – Come On You Irons!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Michail Antonio apologised for 'moment of madness' at Selhurst Park in phone
call with Slaven Bilic
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport

Slaven Bilic has dismissed any notion that Michail Antonio has been
withdrawn from Saturday's game against Liverpool due to his mistake against
Crystal Palace last weekend. The forward, who gave away the ball with
seconds to go at Selhurst Park allowing their hosts to break and equalised,
picked up a training injury on Monday while preparing for the visit of
Jurgen Klopp's side. Having had a torrid time of it with injuries in the
last year, it is no surprise that Antonio has faced another setback, though
there were questions as to whether or not he was withdrawn simply to ease
the pressure after such an error. Bilic was quick to refute the suggestions,
and revealed that Antonio called him to apologise for his 'moment of
madness'. "Antonio is not one of those that you will take out of the firing
line," Bilic said. "He is brave and he was the first one who said [it was
his fault] in the dressing room after the game and he called me. "It hurt
him, there is not one of them that doesn't care. You see on him that he
cares, but no he wanted, he couldn't wait for the game against Liverpool but
unfortunately it happened [the injury]."
"Nobody blamed him from the club, I said straight away in the dressing room
when you are hot and hyped and frustrated I said: 'Yeah, of course, but guys
it is not only him, four of you were in the position' where he thought 'Oh
my god, I should cross the ball' because that is a great opportunity for us.
"I spoke to Mikey [Antonio], he said 'sorry for my moment of madness'. "I
was there and I told him 'Mikey you knew, especially you, that it is ten
seconds to go' and he said 'Of course I knew because from 85th minute I was
doing that.
"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andre Ayew provides boost for West Ham boss Slaven Bilic, writes Danny
Murphy
DANNY MURPHY
ES Sport

Will Andre Ayew be the player to shake West Ham out of their slump? The
forward has not always been trusted by Slaven Bilic, but he has three goals
in his last two matches. Ayew scored twice when West Ham won that amazing
Carabao Cup game against Tottenham at Wembley, coming back from 2-0 down to
take it 3-2. He followed that up with a brilliant strike at Crystal Palace
last weekend, to put his team 2-0 up. While I maintain West Ham will not be
involved in the relegation fight, they do need to start putting some decent
results together. Much has been made of Liverpool's shaky defence, but
they also lack creativity, especially with Sadio Mane out and Philippe
Coutinho struggling to be fit for the weekend because of a thigh injury.
Three of Watford's four victories in the league have been away from Vicarage
Road, which shows what a dangerous team they can be if you leave them room
on the counter-attack. This is another tricky game for Everton. I know
Watford lost at home to Stoke last week but they showed against Arsenal and
Chelsea that they have the firepower to trouble the best teams. Even though
David Unsworth is in charge after Ronald Koeman's departure, Everton still
look vulnerable. After doing so much good work, Watford don't want to go
into the international break with back-to-back defeats.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic column: I know the stats but my West Ham players are fit enough
SLAVEN BILIC
ES Sport

There is no denying the 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace felt like a defeat, such
was the way we conceded that late goal. The inevitable criticism followed
and my position was again in the spotlight. I understand the way it works
these days and I admit we are not in a great position. I also understand
that, should things go against us when we play Liverpool, there will be more
of the same. All that is out of my control, though, and has not affected the
way we have prepared for this big match. We have collected a few injuries
this week but let's keep things in perspective. We have just beaten Spurs
and earned a point against Palace, both away from home. Some people would
have taken that after our defeat by Brighton. I have heard some of the
criticism which has come our way since last weekend, especially that we are
bottom of the table in both distances covered and sprints this season. I
have all these statistics and more. They are not the best but in two of the
games we had players sent off in the first half and that changes things a
lot. The inference from the stats is that the players are not fit enough but
I don't see us being over-run. We certainly finished strongly against Spurs
and worked hard at Palace. Against Brighton, after the third goal, we quit a
little because the game was over. We are not flying and the stats don't lie
but they don't tell you everything. Apart from the Brighton game, we have
improved our stats significantly.
One other thing. The match at Wembley against Spurs was demanding and we
planned to make changes in the second half at Palace. Unfortunately, Jose
Fonte and Aaron Cresswell were injured during the game so we had to rethink
things. That is not an excuse but an explanation. Toni Martinez again proved
he has a bright future by scoring twice for the Under-23s as they reached
the Checkatrade Trophy knockout stage. Some of our fans would like him in
our squad and I understand that. I also want young players to succeed. But
we have Andre Ayew in good form, Chicharito scored last week, Andy Carroll
is again a valuable player for us and Diafra Sakho is fit again.
If we had said before the Spurs and Palace games we would win one and draw
the other, many would have taken that. Of course, you go into every game
optimistic that you will win but following the Brighton defeat, which was
very poor, I wanted to see a big improvement and for much of both games I
did.
When you lose two valuable points by conceding in the 97th minute, it feels
for a day or two like a defeat simply because it could - no, should - have
been avoided. The goal was difficult to take and Michail Antonio has borne
the brunt of the criticism. Mainly, I know, the blame fell on him because he
had the ball and he could make the decisions. I've spoken to him several
times this week and he knows it. He does not make excuses. He said he
couldn't wait until tomorrow's game to make things right but then he felt
his hamstring in training this week so is not available. It is not the
hamstring which was repaired last season and I would expect him to be fit
for our first game after the international break, at Watford. When I spoke
to him this week he said he knew there were only seconds to go and he knew
he just had to keep the ball because he had been doing it for about 10
minutes before that. What complicated it a little was that the Palace
defender had tried to foul him but Michail had got away from him, so didn't
have an opponent close to him, as he would have expected. He is the best in
our team at keeping the ball because he is such a physical specimen but he
saw several of our players in the box and decided to try to find one of
them. I said to the players straight after the game, when the temperature
was still high, that it was not only Michail. He would not have crossed the
ball if there hadn't been three players up there. If there had been no one,
he would have kept the ball for the final few seconds. Maybe we were too
optimistic, too positive, but in that moment we didn't think of the team. It
was a difficult start to the week and we lost temporarily a bit of morale
but these players are a resilient bunch, as has been proved many times. We
have conceded five points to late goals in three matches - against
Southampton, Burnley and now Palace - but in two of those, we had a player
sent off in the first half.
As for Liverpool, they are really good up front. They also have injuries but
they still have players who can damage you. At the back they have had their
issues but that is the way they play. Real Madrid are similar. They are very
open, want to press high and mainly look forward. It is not very easy to be
a centre-back in their team. The way Liverpool play, you have to give
something. If you want to be more solid you maybe sit 10 yards deeper but
they don't play that way.

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