Daily WHUFC News - 11th December 2017

Adrian: We have shown that we are a good team
WHUFC.com

Adrian has waited four months for his chance in the Premier League this
season, but has shown he was ready to grasp it with both hands after helping
the Hammers to victory over Chelsea on Saturday. A week after producing six
saves in the Hammers' creditable rearguard effort at Manchester City, he
retained his place for this weekend's London derby and vindicated the
manager's selection with the clean sheet which paved the way for a 1-0
victory. In truth, a magnificent display team defending meant the No13 was
not overworked, being called into action to make first half saves from
N'Golo Kante and Davide Zappacosta – but none after 28 minutes of the game.
Chelsea had almost 70 per cent of the ball, but were unable to break through
the lines and Adrian had praise for all ten players in front of him – and
the 55,000 Hammers in the crowd. "It's a massive result," he beamed. "The
three points is really, really important because of the position we're in
and also because we've won at home in front of our fans, playing very well
and front of a top team like Chelsea. "Always, I need to say thank you to
the fans for the support they give for the whole 90 minutes because we feel
it on the pitch. Everyone enjoyed it on Saturday and now we start preparing
for the next game against Arsenal. "The whole team defended really well,
very compact and all together. We showed we are a good team when defending
and also attacking, because we created some chances to score aside from
Marko's goal. "It's not easy to play against these top teams because they
have many attacking players on the pitch, but we did well against Manchester
City and were unlucky with the result. We did the same work against Chelsea
and we got a massive three points. "It's one of the top results I've had at
this ground. To beat Chelsea at home, on Saturday in the early game on TV,
was really important for us and for me to keep the clean sheet in my second
Premier League game of the season. Thank you to the team for helping me get
that. "The manager gave me the opportunity to play on Saturday, so I have to
show that I am ready for every game, and also I have to repay the confidence
that he has given to me to put me in the starting eleven.
"We have good goalkeepers at the Club and I have to keep working hard every
day with Joe. For now I am very happy because of the result and the clean
sheet, but we have done nothing and have to keep going like this. "If we
show the same performance as this we can beat any team in the Premier
League. It's very competitive, and if you are doing well and doing your
basics, you will have your chance."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Junior Hammers Christmas Party postponed
WHUFC.com

Today's Junior Hammers Christmas Party has been postponed due to adverse
weather conditions and safety concerns. Club officials at Chadwell Heath
have been assessing the situation this morning after heavy snowfall
overnight, and the difficult decision has now been taken for the safety of
all who were due to attend.
Junior Hammers who had tickets for today's party will have first refusal for
the rearranged event, the date of which will be announced in due course. We
sincerely apologise for any disappointment caused by the postponement and
look forward to welcoming all our young supporters to an alternative event
with the first team squad very soon.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marvellous Masuaku: Analysing Arthur's action-packed performance
WHUFC.com

While West Ham United's 1-0 Premier League win over Chelsea was undoubtedly
based on a whole team effort, Arthur Masuaku produced one of the most
eye-catching individual performances in London Stadium's brief history. The
left wing-back was a jack of all trades on Saturday, repeatedly driving the
Hammers forward in attack and helping his colleagues in defence whenever
required. With David Moyes' side focusing nearly two-thirds of their play
down the left flank, Masuaku was particularly to the fore, using his close
control, pace and elusiveness to regularly skip past his man, drive into the
final third and put Chelsea on the back foot.
West Ham United attacked down the left flank nearly two-thirds of the
timeAfter the break, in particular, his defensive attributes were more
apparent as West Ham successfully blunted Antonio Conte's champions to
record a first top-flight win and clean sheet in ten matches. The No24 ran
10.39km in total at an average of 6.42km/h, placing him fifth in distance
covered behind Mark Noble, Manuel Lanzini, Pedro Obiang and Pablo Zabaleta,
making 41 sprints and reaching a top speed of 32.03km/h. Only Michail
Antonio and Marko Arnautovic reached higher top speeds in a West Ham shirt.

Technically, Masuaku completed just 24 of his 32 pass attempts, but 23 of
those 32 attempts were made inside the Chelsea half, where space is at a
premium.
It was when he chose to run at the Chelsea defence that he really took full
effect. No player has completed more dribbles in a Premier League fixture
this season than the 23-year-old's eleven. Time and time again, the
Frenchman collected possession and his first thought was to get his head
down and drive forward into space, repeatedly testing right wing-back Davide
Zappacosta, his replacement Victor Moses and right centre-half Cesar
Azpilicueta. One such foray ended with a shot that zipped low and wide of
Thibaut Courtois' goal, while a succession of second-half dribbles relieved
the growing pressure on the home defence.

Like his compatriot Dimitri Payet before him, Masuaku has an ability to
carry the ball out of danger and turn the game around on his own, flipping
defence into attack in seconds. Further, no West Ham player had more touches
of the ball than Masuaku's 85. In fact, it was not even close, with Lanzini
a distant second with 63, and only two other Hammers touching the ball more
than 50 times.

Just before half-time, the former Olympiacos player was central to a
delightful passage of play featuring flicks, one-touch passing and movement
that ended with a chorus of 'Ole! Ole!' from the Claret and Blue Army.
Defensively, he was also important, winning 16 of his 22 duels, making five
clearances and two blocks, often doubling up with left centre-back Aaron
Cresswell to stifle Chelsea's attempts to break through the stubborn,
compact and disciplined West Ham defence. Moyes explained his decision to
draft him into the team was based on Masuaku's pace and ability to carry the
ball forward. On Saturday, against one of the best teams in Europe, he
justified his manager's decision fully. And then some.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE REAL WEST HAM FANS ACTION GROUP
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 10 DECEMBER 2017 AT 7:55PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by RWHAG

So, who are we?

We are exactly what our title says we are, The Real West Ham Fans Action
Group and we are here because we are sick of how the club is being run. We
want change and we are not stopping until we get the changes the fans want,
deserve and need. We left our home with a lot of promises being made, a lot
of which have not been lived up to. We can go on and on about the things
promised but most of you know what they were. When we moved to the London
Stadium a lot of fans were on such a high following the final year at the
Boleyn Ground that we lost track of what really is happening and what
exactly is going on at our great club. Many thought the day we left Upton
Park would never come but it has and many now wish that it never happened.

Why did we form and who formed us?

The reason we formed is because, as stated above, we want change and we want
our club back. We feel that as fans, we do not get the respect from the
board that we deserve. We want to watch football inside a football stadium,
not an athletics stadium. We have been branded as 'customers' over and over
again when all we are is passionate and loyal supporters who just want the
very best for the club. The action group was formed by Andy Swallow, Bill
Gardner, Micky Morgan and 'Moose' (not Ian Abrahams from Talksport radio!):
Four of the most passionate and loyal supports you could want at your club.
Since then we have been joined by Paul Laws who will be looking at the
provisions that the club make for disabled and elderly supporters as we do
not feel that these are currently of a sufficient standard. We have also
been joined by Harry Hamilton who will provide a voice for the younger
generation of supporters as they are the future of our club and we value
their views just as much as anyone else's. We feel that it is important to
reiterate that the Action Group is not in any way associated to the ICF or
FLA. We are our own group simply looking to make things happen for the
benefit of West Ham supporters.

When were we formed?

We formed in the last two to three weeks and the ever-growing support we
have received on Facebook and Twitter has been fantastic so we would like to
thank everyone for their support and offers to help out as and when they
can. We have gone from strength to strength and we intend keep growing and
growing: This is just the beginning. We will keep pushing for change and
once we are satisfied with the changes that have been made we intend to keep
the group going as a voice for the fans to get any problems we may face
ironed out nice and quickly.

Balloon protest

The balloon protest has been called off as confirmed by Andy Swallow on the
live video on Friday night. The suggestion was originally made as it was
felt that it would be a visible demonstration of how many fans are unhappy
with the way that the club is being run: Not a small group of fans, but
thousands of individuals. We decided to use black balloons as the colour
signifies to the board that we as fans feel that the club has died. We
selected the Newcastle game as we felt it would give us time to spread the
word and get our name out there to fans who do not use social media and do
not know who we are or what we are here for and give them a chance to show
their frustration and voice their opinion. However, we have since decided to
call of the protest as we feel that we will need more time to get the word
out. An announcement about the first plan of action will be made soon.

Harry Hamilton: Why I decided to get involved

When I was growing up the thing I always loved being told was that I was to
going West Ham on Saturday with my Dad. It meant everything to me. Getting
off the tube at Upton Park, walking down Green Street and smelling the
freshly-cooked burgers, walking past the bakery outside the station, hearing
'Bubbles' ring around the Queens, nothing ever made me happier. Now my Dad,
like a lot of people, is hating it at the new stadium, finding it a chore
and has effectively been priced out. This is the case for numerous
supporters. There are no concession prices for 'Category A' games: All
tickets are priced at between £50 and £80. When travel, food and drink are
included parents are looking at a bill of between £250 and £300 simply to
take their children to watch a game of football. Many people cannot afford
that. When we moved stadium, a big promise made by the club was the
provision of 'affordable football'. This clearly is not the case: Another
lie, another broken promise.

Another thing that has saddened many supporters has been the disappearance
of the vendors who used to operate on Green Street: The scarves, hats and
badges, the burger vans and the 'two for a pound' sweet stall. These are
people who fans had made friends with over the years. All of these
businesses were told they would receive help moving to the new stadium:
No-one would be left behind. So, where are they? None of them were given the
chance to make the move; in their place we have much more expensive, high
street brands. A burger and chips, for example, now costs £9. It is because
of things like this that I got involved.

During our meeting at the Boleyn pub on Monday numerous people told us that,
like my Dad, they now found going to watch West Ham a chore. Many said they
simply could not be bothered with the hassle because the club no longer
feels like West Ham. Hearing this hurt me: If the parents and grandparents
cannot be bothered anymore or find it a chore, what chance do the younger
generation have? The last thing the club needs is to be abandoned by the
younger generation in favour of other clubs. Without the fans, we have no
club. I cannot wait for the day I have a child of my own and I can take them
to watch West Ham but at the moment I do not think I would want to. This is
not the West Ham I want my child growing up knowing. I grew up loving West
Ham not because we were an amazing team on the pitch – let's be honest, we
never have been – I fell in love with this club because of the fans, the
ground and everything that came with it. Going into the Boleyn with my Dad
and his mates was a brilliant experience and I always came out smiling
having heard the songs and experienced the party atmosphere. To me, that was
what it was all about and at the moment I have never felt so far away from
the club, as have many other people I know who are of a similar age – and I
am only 20 years old.

Some people will agree with us, others may not. One thing we all must
remember is that everyone is entitled to their opinion, all of which must be
respected. When all is said and done, we are still West Ham United and we
all will always be united as one when we support the club.

COYI

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marko Arnautovic feels David Moyes' tough approach is helping West Ham
Last Updated: 10/12/17 12:05pm
SSN

Marko Arnautovic says the no-nonsense approach of new manager David Moyes is
helping West Ham to turn a corner. Arnautovic scored his first goal for the
club in Saturday's 1-0 win over Chelsea to seal Moyes' first win since
taking over from Slaven Bilic. "Every day we have to work hard under this
coach and there are no excuses," said Arnautovic. "Everybody needs to do his
main job and do two or three more jobs on the pitch. "We are working hard as
a team and I think you could see that in the game and if we continue to do
that, we will be hard to beat."
The victory was West Ham's first in the league since September, halting a
run of eight games without a win (three draws, five defeats). But the
Hammers remain in relegation trouble, sitting 18th in the table with 13
points from 16 matches, and Arnautovic acknowledges the busy festive period
will be crucial to their survival hopes. Arnautovic added: "We need to keep
up this level. It's a busy month and we're going to have a game every three
days so it's going to be hard, so we need to recover well and go again
against Arsenal on Wednesday."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MOYES IS LEARNING
By Blind Hammer 10 Dec 2017 at 17:00
WTID

Blind Hammer reflects on Moyes' new coaching setup

It was weird this morning. On the day after a West Ham game I woke up
feeling quite serene. For the first time for ages I felt there was a
steadying hand at the tiller of the West Ham defensive coaching setup.

After the Everton defeat I wrote that Moyes was not only a man in a hurry
but one who needed to learn fast in what direction he wanted to go.
Before and after his appointment there were despairing references to Moyes
as a "dinosaur that was going to rely solely on the long ball and parking
the bus. In particular his instant recourse to and reliance on the strengths
of Andy Carroll seemed ominous for the sort of football we could expect.

Yet after only a month in charge we find the guardian describing West Ham in
the following terms.
"Chelsea was deservedly beaten by opponents who were simply more organised,
more determined, and more athletic and who found a sting when on top."

Even a couple of weeks ago the notion that West Ham could be more organised
and athletic than a top four side seemed a pipe dream.

In complete contradiction to some of the early negative perspective Moyes is
showing early signs of intellectual flexibility and insight. He swiftly
identified our present vulnerability with a flat back 4, so easily exposed
in the Everton game. He responded by having the insight to move Creswell
into the left of a defensive 3. Cresswell responded by providing his best
performance of the season. This solidity provided the platform for Masuaku
to provide a rampaging man of the match performance at left wing back. He
stressed the Chelsea defence all afternoon. Conte tried to counter Masuaku
by introducing Moses to occupy and reduce his threat. In the event Moses
spent more time chasing Masuaku than the other way around. On the right,
Zabeleta had arguably his best performance in a West Ham shirt.
Moyes also seems able to unlock the mercurial talents of Arnautovic in a new
look forward line up. Moyes stressed post match that Carroll still had an
important role at the club but these were talents that would be needed for
some but not all games. Yesterday he wanted the pace and mobility of both
Arnautovic and Antonio. Even when Arnautovic was withdrawn he wanted the
greater mobility that Sakho offered. Moyes provided blunt
straightforwardness by criticising Antonio's physical collapse after the
game. He made it clear that he needed forwards who could play for 90 and not
65 minutes. MOYES IS SHOWING ABILITY TO GRAPS SOME uncomfortable NETTLES.
THIS WAS HUGELY DEMONSTRATED BY HIS RETENTION OF Adrian in goal. Adrian must
feel vindicated now after Sullivan's description of Hart as the best
goalkeeper he has ever worked with.

Above all what was encouraging for me was the evidence of intelligent
coaching. My in-stadium commentator told us that behind him were Alan Irvine
who was in constant communication on a mobile link to Moyes' earpiece. From
his high viewpoint he provided feedback on patterns of play and development
that Moyes would have found difficult to see from the touchline. On the
touchline the presence of Pearce which is vast amount of international and
club management and coaching experience was so much more reassuring to see
than Julian Dicks, legendary as a player but sadly not as a coach.

Last night when I got home I re-listened to the game on iPlayer. Pat Nevins
thought that all over the park Moyes had out thought Conte tactically.
Specifically he thought West Ham had trained to disrupt the previously
successful hazard Morata combination and link up play. Morata was also
nullified in the box through defenders ganging up on him. He praised how
generally West Ham's midfield quashed Chelsea's threat by not just effort
but also intelligence.
For me personally, I was gratified that we did not, every time we won a
corner, then concede an effort on our goal on the break. Special praise is
due to Obiang, who provided this covering security.

Finally yet again the Stadium provided an atmosphere to be proud of. The
nonsense that the arena is a soulless bowl was yet again disproven. The
atmosphere is dreadful when we are playing badly and do not appear to have a
clue. The same was true for Upton Park actually.
One Swallow does not make a summer but at last there is some reason for
optimism.
COYI
David Griffith

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'They're wrong': David Moyes responds to accusation made at West Ham fans
HITC
Antony Martin

The London Stadium was bouncing during West Ham United's home win over
Chelsea yesterday. Hammers boss David Moyes spoke to reporters in the
aftermath of his side's superb 1-0 win over Chelsea, and praised the home
fans for creating an atmosphere that helped his team win the game, as quoted
by the club's official website. West Ham desperately needed all three points
yesterday, and their victory took them level on points with 17th placed West
Bromwich Albion.
The Scot will be delighted with not only the manner in which his players
approached the game, but also with the part that the home crowd played in
the match.
There have been questions raised over the sometimes toxic atmosphere at the
London Stadium this season, but the Hammers faithful were in full voice
yesterday, cheering their side on from the very first whistle until the
last. Moyes addressed the media after the game, and suggested that anyone
who says there is a poor atmosphere at West Ham's stadium is wrong, as
quoted by WHUFC.com: "For anybody to say there is not a good atmosphere
here, they're wrong. They'd have to be here today to see the great
atmosphere inside the stadium. The supporters knew the game was on the edge.
We were fighting to not concede and the crowd were great and they played a
big part. They appreciated the effort the players are putting in, and if
they're putting that effort in, then supporters will cheer them. Ultimately,
we want to play our football better, but it can only be one step at a time."
Next up for the Hammers is a home game against Arsenal on Wednesday, and
they will have every chance of turning Arsene Wenger's men over if they
display the same determination and conviction they showed against Chelsea
yesterday.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham star explains how London Stadium is starting to become a fortress
for David Moyes
He also revealed his friendly rivalry with Joe Hart
Football London
ByTashan Deniran-Alleyne
18:15, 10 DEC 2017

West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian has said the 1-0 win over Chelsea is one
of the best results he's experienced at the London Stadium and revealed his
happiness at repaying David Moyes' faith. The form book was turned upside
down as a Hammers side which had failed to win a single league game since
the end of September toppled a Blues outfit which had been unbeaten in seven
top flight games prior to kick-off in East London. Marko Arnautovic's sixth
minute goal - his first since arriving for a club record fee from Stoke City
in the summer - proved to be the difference between the two rivals as United
moved level on points with West Brom in the table. Since moving into their
new surroundings at the start of last season, United suffered more
high-profile losses than they have victories and Adrian believes it doesn't
get much better than the success against the reigning champions of English
football top tier. "The whole team defended really well, very compact and
all together. We showed we are a good team when defending and also
attacking, because we created some chances to score aside from Marko's
goal," he told the club's official website. "It's not easy to play against
these top teams because they have many attacking players on the pitch, but
we did well against Manchester City and were unlucky with the result. We did
the same work against Chelsea and we got a massive three points. "It's one
of the top results I've had at this ground. To beat Chelsea at home, on
Saturday in the early game on TV, was really important for us and for me to
keep the clean sheet in my second Premier League game of the season. Thank
you to the team for helping me get that."
Adrian retained his place in between the sticks following an impressive
showing in the 2-1 loss at the hands of Manchester City as Moyes opted
against the option to recall Joe Hart to his starting XI and the Spaniard
admits he's grateful for the opportunity. "The manager gave me the
opportunity to play on Saturday, so I have to show that I am ready for every
game, and also I have to repay the confidence that he has given to me to put
me in the starting eleven," he added.
"We have good goalkeepers at the Club and I have to keep working hard every
day with Joe. For now I am very happy because of the result and the clean
sheet, but we have done nothing and have to keep going like this. "If we
show the same performance as this we can beat any team in the Premier
League. It's very competitive, and if you are doing well and doing your
basics, you will have your chance."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Joe Hart should not go to the World Cup if he can't keep West Ham place,
says Chris Sutton
TOM DUTTON
ES Sport

Joe Hart should not go to the World Cup if he can't win back his place at
West Ham, according to Chris Sutton. Hart was ineligible against parent club
City last week when stand-in goalkeeper Adrian seized his chance to impress.
The Spaniard made a string of fine saves despite defeat at the Etihad and
kept his place in the starting XI for the visit of Chelsea on Saturday.
Moyes revealed Hart 'encouraged' Adrian ahead of his first League appearance
at the London Stadium this season and the Hammers went on to keep their
first clean sheet since September and seal a shock victory over the
champions. But Sutton expects Hart to slip out of Gareth Southgate's World
Cup squad if he can't win back his spot. "That leaves him struggling for
England's World Cup squad, for me," he told BT Sport. "He has to play games.
How can Gareth Southgate take him to the World Cup if he doesn't play games?
"David Moyes has stumbled across it because of what happened at Manchester
City but there's not going to be a way back. "If David Moyes thought so much
of Joe Hart he would have played."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes: Joe Hart gave Adrian 'encouragement' before West Ham's derby
game against Chelsea
VAISHALI BHARDWAJ
ES Sport

David Moyes has revealed that Joe Hart reacted well to being replaced in the
West Ham side by Adrian, with the on-loan Manchester City goalkeeper giving
the Spaniard "encouragement" before the Hammers' London derby clash with
Chelsea on Saturday. Since arriving from City on a season-long loan deal in
the summer, Hart has started every Premier League game for West Ham but has
conceded 16 goals in his last six appearances for the Hammers. The England
international was ineligible to play against his parent club City last
weekend, which handed Adrian the chance to impress new West Ham manager
Moyes. The 30-year-old did just that as the Hammers were only narrowly
beaten 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium, which encouraged Moyes to keep Adrian in
goal for the visit of champions Chelsea on Saturday. And after Adrian made a
handful of fine saves in the 1-0 home win for West Ham, Moyes praised his
performance and admitted Hart had taken the Spaniard's inclusion in his
starting line-up positively. Moyes told reporters on Saturday: "I thought he
[Adrian] played very well. "Joe has been a great professional and took it
very well. He gave Adrian encouragement. "I have to praise Joe. I have two
really good goalkeepers. It was based on Adrian's performance against
Manchester City."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com