Daily WHUFC News - 23rd December 2017

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

West Ham United welcome to Newcastle United to London Stadium for a festive fixture this weekend.

Read on for everything you need to know ahead of this contest!

Where and when?

West Ham United and Newcastle United will play at 3pm on Saturday 23 December.

The match will be played at London Stadium in Stratford.

How to follow:

Unfortunately, due to being a Saturday 3pm kick-off the match is not available for viewing in the UK. For worldwide broadcast schedules, click here.

Live match updates will be provided through the official West Ham Twitter account.

You can also follow the game live via our Matchday Blog on whufc.com.

You can also follow the match on our official Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat channels.

Meet the opposition:

0:24

Team news:

David Moyes will offer an update on his available team and squad ahead of Newcastle's visit to London Stadium during his press conference on Friday.

The West Ham United manager will meet with representatives of the media at Rush Green with the press conference scheduled for Friday afternoon.

What they say:
"Newcastle is a very important game in front of our own fans. It's going to be a big game for us. We want to get the points at home. We're going to have a game plan, we're going to follow it, and hopefully we can get the win."
Andre Ayew

Match Officials:

Referee: Lee Mason
Assistant Referees: Harry Lennard & Constantine Hatzidakis
Fourth Official: Stuart Attwell

How to get there:

By train:

There are four Underground stations that supporters should utilise to reach London Stadium: Stratford Station, Stratford International, Hackney Wick and Pudding Mill Lane.

Supporters are advised that:

Southend Victoria services will terminate at Billericay with a Rail
Replacement Bus service to Newbury Park connecting into the Central line toward London.
 Ipswich, Clacton-on-Sea, Colchester and Norwich services will terminate at Ingatestone with a Rail Replacement Bus service to Newbury Park connecting into the Central line toward London.
 Bishops Stortford to Stratford services will not run and fans are advised to travel via Liverpool Street then use the Central line to Stratford.

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Adrian eager to repay manager Moyes' confidence
WHUFC.com

Adrian wants to draw another blank when West Ham United host Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon. The Hammers have kept clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League matches, all of which the Spaniard has started, to rise out of the bottom three. Adrian, who has been superbly protected by his outfield teammates in victories over Chelsea and Stoke City and the home draw with Arsenal, is aiming to make it four in a row at London Stadium. Should he do so, he hopes it will further firm-up his place as West Ham's first-choice goalkeeper. "Personally, it was really important for me to come back to the starting eleven for the Manchester City game, when Joe couldn't play because of his contract," the No13 told the Official Programme, reflecting on the opportunity he got to replace Joe Hart at the start of December. "I produced a good performance and after this the manager has had confidence in me to keep playing, so I have to give him the same confidence on the pitch every time I have the opportunity. I am in a positive way now and feel in good form."

For the popular gloveman, returning to the team was reward for his positive attitude and approach to training, despite the disappointment of losing his place at the beginning of the current campaign. "To be honest, the start of this season was the hardest three or four months I have had at West Ham. At the end of last season, I got my position in the starting eleven again and I played well and we finished well so to be out of the team at the start of this season was hard for me.
"I knew that, if I worked hard, this opportunity would come, initially in the cup games, and possibly in the Premier League, to show my level."

Adrian's next test comes on Saturday afternoon against a Newcastle team managed by his fellow countryman Rafael Benitez. The Sevilla-born stopper has long admired the work of his compatriot, who led the Magpies to the Championship title last season, having previously won La Liga twice with Valencia and lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy with Liverpool. "I have known Rafa for a long time. He is a very good manager and did a very good job at Newcastle when they were in the second tier. "They started the season very well but they have not got good results in their last few games, so it's a good time for us to give our maximum in our own stadium and get the three points. "I wish him the best, but not on Saturday!"

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Team news: Kouyate returns to squad, but Noble ruled out
WHUFC.com

Cheikhou Kouyate should return to the West Ham United squad for Saturday's Premier League fixture with Newcastle United at London Stadium. The Senegal midfielder is set to be available again after missing the Hammers' last three top-flight matches with a hamstring injury suffered at Manchester City on 3 December.
The return of Kouyate, who has scored twice in 13 Premier League appearances this season, would be welcome, as captain Mark Noble will miss the meeting with the Magpies with his own hamstring problem. Noble was hurt initially in the goalless draw with Arsenal on 13 December and aggravated the injury after scoring in the 3-0 win at Stoke City last weekend. Meanwhile, Michail Antonio is facing a race against time to be fit after returning to training on Friday after overcoming a minor calf problem. "We have a doubt with Michail Antonio, who couldn't play in the Carabao Cup tie at Arsenal in midweek as he had a bit of a calf injury," manager David Moyes confirmed in his pre-match press conference. "That gives us a question mark about him. "Cheik Kouyate has trained this week, so we're hopeful that he'll be available again. "After that, I think the big one is that Mark Noble won't be available for the weekend as he has a bit of a hamstring injury."


Moyes will have other selection decisions to make, with Winston Reid, James Collins, Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell fighting for places at the back, should he opt for a five-man defence again. In goal, Adrian could return after ceding his place to Joe Hart for Tuesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Arsenal. In midfield, youngsters Declan Rice and Domingos Quina impressed at the Emirates while, up front, Diafra Sakho scored at Stoke last weekend after coming on as a substitute, while Chicharito, Andre Ayew and Andy Carroll could also come into consideration if Antonio is not fit enough to start. Sam Byram, Jose Fonte and Edimilson Fernandes are all out injured, with the latter undergoing surgery on an ankle problem earlier this week.

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Betway Insider's View of the Opposition: Newcastle
WHUFC.com

In their final match before Christmas, West Ham have the perfect opportunity to deliver their supporters with the best possible Christmas present: three points.
Today's visitors to the London Stadium, Newcastle United, are without a win in their last nine matches in the Premier League. Indeed, the only time the Magpies have avoided defeat during that period was last month's trip to West Bromwich Albion, who are winless since August themselves. David Moyes' side, then, should be confident of not just extending their unbeaten run in the top flight to four matches, but achieving back-to-back league victories for the first time this season.
The Irons, of course, beat Stoke 3-0 last weekend, keeping their third successive clean sheet in the process. A similarly steadfast performance in defence today would almost guarantee a positive result, as Newcastle have failed to score in both of their last two outings. The chances of the visitors getting anything whatsoever from the match appear slim, given that they haven't kept a clean sheet since these two sides met in August. West Ham are much-improved since then, however, especially going forward. Marko Arnautovic was tipped in this column to net against his former club, and he duly delivered. Arnautovic demonstrated all of the characteristics that could make him a Hammers hero in that match, and he is their likeliest scorer today. Moyes' men could well make an early breakthrough, too. Newcastle have trailed at half time in six of their previous seven matches, while West Ham were in front at the interval in their previous two wins.

Recommended bets
West Ham to win to nil - 23/10

West Ham to win the first half - 13/8

Marko Arnautovic to score - 21/10

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Moyes: Christmas challenges, Benitez battles and window shopping
WHUFC.com

David Moyes gave a wide-ranging press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League fixture between West Ham United and Newcastle United at London Stadium. The manager was asked about the challenge of managing during the busy Christmas period, his side's recent upturn in form, facing old foe Rafael Benitez and how preparations are going for the January transfer window.

Here is what the gaffer had to say…

Christmas is always a busy time

I've been involved in football since I was 16 and Christmas has always been a busy period, and this season is no different. It's different from the rest of the season, because you would normally have more preparation time and time to feed information back to the players, as well. In this period, you're moving on very quickly from one game to the next and you're concentrating on getting the players recovered and ready for the next game. I've never known it any different, so it's something you manage and get on with. As a player, you play twice in two or three days and it wasn't that nice, but if you're a professional footballer you understand that, if you want to come here and play in this country, you have to play over Christmas and New Year.

We still have a big job on our hands

I'm happy with the points we took last week and with our performances, but we are still a long way from where I want to go with the team. We're at the rung on the ladder. We've got a big job to do to make sure we stay away from the wrong end of the table, first and foremost, and we will take it a game at a time and try to improve our performances game by game. We've had about a month and we've been able to get some work into the players and give them a bit of feedback on how we want them to work. The players understand that it's not possible to get in all the training and preparation work required at this time of year because there just isn't the time.

Managers' lives will be difficult from now on

Paul Clement became the sixth Premier League manager to lose his job earlier this week. I know Paul well and he's a really good coach and is experienced now. He did great job at Swansea last season when he came in and took them up the table. I've experienced it as well. When you're at a club which has been regularly around the bottom of the table, it's very different to come in and completely change things around. Something has to change or one year you fall over. Unfortunately, the game we're in now means the manager's job is very short and we all understand it now and that's the way it's going to be. It's got worse. I remember when I was young manager coming in and used to look to Italy and think how terrible it was how they treated the coaches and managers there, getting rid of them so quickly, but we're up there now with how quickly we change managers around. We've got lots of foreign owners, which has changed the dynamics, the money which is in the Premier League now has made things greater, and it's getting much harder to play young players because of the profile of every game.
Virtually every game you're involved in now is a cup final, but we love the game and like to be involved in it. It won't change, but it changes if you're a manager who doesn't win enough games.

Ready for Rafa

I'm looking forward to facing Rafael Benitez and his Newcastle United team on Saturday. When I was at Everton, Rafa had some really good Liverpool teams. In fact, I look back and I think it would be harder to come up against a better Liverpool team than one which contained Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard, Sami Hyypia, Jamie Carragher, Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt – I could go on and on. They were really difficult to beat, but we had a few battles over the years. I missed Rafa in Spain as he arrived at Real Madrid just after I'd left Sociedad, but obviously we've come across each other over the years.

Let's put on a show for the home fans

We're at home and our crowd have done a brilliant job in helping us and nothing would please me more than giving them a great Christmas present of three points. We had a really good win against Stoke, who are one of our competitors, and we need to do it again against Newcastle as well. We're at home and we hope everyone is behind us, so hopefully we can get the win and we can all enjoy our Christmas period. We go into the game with big confidence, hoping to show our home supporters how we played at Stoke City. We've had a good week in the Premier League. There are a lot of things we're doing right, but I want us to be doing much better to get to where my vision is. At the moment, the small things of being hard to beat and picking up points are the things we can do.

January preparation is well under way

I would hope that once the window closed last summer, the work on identifying targets for the January transfer window started then. That's what has happened at other clubs I've been at, where you look at what might be available and what you might need come the next window. As managers, we do need a couple of windows to get players in or change things around, but you don't always get that period to do so. I'm hoping we can add to the squad but, as always, there's no guarantee that will happen. We've got areas we want to strengthen in and we have areas where we have a lot of players. I would really like players who I think could go into the team. The most important players at this period are the ones who are at West Ham and it's important they keep performing at the level they're at. They're the ones I'm really interested in.

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Collins: I'm sure we can get another three points
WHUFC.com

West Ham United complete their calendar year at London Stadium with the visit of Newcastle United this weekend. While the Hammers are unbeaten in their last three home Premier League matches, the Magpies arrive having lost nine and won just one of their last 13 top-flight fixtures. Those records might be irrelevant come 3pm on Saturday, but James Collins says there will be plenty of belief in the Claret and Blue camp as kick-off approaches. "We're full of confidence, as you might expect," said the No19. "A few weeks back, the confidence was low and people were probably fearing the worst with the games that we had, but it shows the character of the lads to come through and get seven points from the last three games. "We've got a big game against Newcastle, but our confidence is high and I'm sure we can get another three points. "We were happy we played Stoke last week after the power cut threatened to have the game postponed, because we thought it was a good time to play them, and hopefully that's the case again on Saturday."

He may be 34, but the veteran is still doing what he does best whenever he is called upon, most-recently in last Saturday's victory at Stoke. There, on his return after three months out with a calf injury, Collins pulled out his full defensive repertoire He made 18 trademark clearances, blocked three shots and made one vital interception to lead his team to another deserved clean sheet – his 73rd shutout in 270 top-flight appearances. "I enjoyed the game at Stoke! It was nice to be back in the team, a team that's been playing well, and to get the three points. "As usual, I used every bit of my body to get the ball away or stop it going in the net. You're always going to get that at Stoke, though, as they are that sort of team. It played into my hands a little bit, I thought I played well and thoroughly enjoyed it. "As a team, the boys have defended well in the last few Premier League games and we've got three clean sheets, which has really bred confidence. We got three goals last week, which was even better."

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Moyes hails old rival Benitez ahead of Newcastle clash
WHUFC.com

West Ham United manager David Moyes is looking forward to reigniting his rivalry with Rafa Benitez when his side take on Newcastle United. Moyes, in charge of Everton, would regularly play Benitez's Liverpool in the Merseyside derby a number of years ago, sparking a healthy competition between the two managers.
The two met 14 times while in charge of Everton and Liverpool respectively – between 2004 and 2010 – with Moyes's Toffees on the winning side on just three occasions in those contests. And the West Ham boss is ready to welcome his former Merseyside rival – and hopefully get one over on him – when Newcastle visit the London Stadium on Saturday. Moyes revealed his respect for Benitez, saying: "I think Rafa is a very good manager. I think you don't manage Liverpool, Inter Milan and Real Madrid if you're not a good manager. You don't get the big job unless you're a top manager. That's my opinion. Rafa is a very good manager. I think you don't manage Liverpool, Inter Milan and Real Madrid if you're not a good manager. "I will welcome him for a glass of wine after the game if he wants one."

The Newcastle test is West Ham's third match in a week, at the start of a busy festive period, after the Hammers played Arsenal in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday. Moyes admits he would have loved to have guided West Ham into the last four but is eager to continue his side's recent good form in the Premier League, having collected seven points from the last nine games. He added: "We put out a really strong team in the Carabao Cup. We've prepared ourselves to win the Premier League games, although I would have loved to have got to the semi-finals of the Cup. "I think my job, when I came here, was to make sure West Ham was a Premier League club. If you asked any West Ham supporter, being in the Premier League is where you want to be."

An aspect of recent good form has been the energy Michail Antonio and Marko Arnautovic have provided up front, something Moyes was only too happy to praise.
The manager indicated that he is looking to use all of his available striking options in the coming games however, hailing what Chicharito, Andy Carroll and DIafra Sakho bring to the team. "The way we're playing right now, I don't think anybody would have thought Michail Antonio and Marko Arnautovic would end up being the two forward players here. At the moment though it's given us pace, power and speed. "There's other games where I want to try other things, and we might need another formation in weeks to come. If I want to get more balls into the box for more opportunities I would say Chichartio would be ideal for that. For good crosses into the box, Andy Carroll is good for that. Diafra Sakho offers energy down the sides and a bit of unpredictability in his play, which is a little similar to the two boys in the team at the moment."

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West Ham United v Newcastle United
SAT 23 DEC 2017PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: London Stadium

TEAM NEWS
West Ham's Manuel Lanzini must serve a two-game ban after being found guilty of diving to win a penalty against Stoke last weekend. Mark Noble and Michail Antonio are injured but Cheikhou Kouyate is fit and Winston Reid returned from a ban to play in the League Cup exit at Arsenal.

Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic remains out with a back injury, and Jesus Gamez has had ankle surgery. Manager Rafael Benitez will assess several players with minor injuries. Jonjo Shelvey is still serving a suspension.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Simon Brotherton: "Sunderland fans may have been surprised by David Moyes' bullish claim this week that he could manage any club in the world. "Relegation under his guidance is still fresh in the memory on Wearside, but he has certainly raised hope at West Ham. Seven points from the last nine, with three clean sheets, wasn't the expected outcome from games against Chelsea, Arsenal and Stoke. "This match provides a decent chance of keeping their recent run of success going, with Newcastle on such a wretched run. "Last week's defeat at Arsenal saw them slip into the bottom three and led to the players cancelling their own Christmas party, which seems a wise move in the circumstances."

Twitter: @SimonBrotherton

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

West Ham manager David Moyes: My ambition is to be at the top, it always is, but doing that is small steps. It's a long journey. "Quite often supporters don't like that. We're not necessarily a club who will spend hundreds of millions to get there in the short term. "So we need to rely on our youth policy and trying to develop the club will get you there. It takes time."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION
West Ham have turned the corner but they have to be a bit careful here because Newcastle are on such a bad run - the Hammers cannot afford to think they can just turn up.

Prediction: 2-0

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

This is the 100th top-flight match between the clubs. Newcastle lead by 41 wins to West Ham's 33, with 25 draws.
West Ham have won their last two Premier League home games against Newcastle, having only beaten them once in the previous eight attempts in East London (W1, D3, L4).
West Ham United

Their tally of seven points from three games is as many as they managed in the previous 11 fixtures.
The Hammers have kept clean sheets in each of those three matches. They have only once gone four Premier League matches without conceding a goal, under Sam Allardyce in February 2014.
David Moyes is unbeaten in three successive Premier League fixtures for the first time since a four-match run in March 2014, when he was at Manchester United.
West Ham could win consecutive league matches for the first time since January.
Andy Carroll has gone 10 league games without a goal. He has failed to score in all eight Premier League appearances against his former club Newcastle.
Newcastle United

Newcastle are without a win in nine Premier League games (D1, L8) and could lose five in a row for the first time since an eight-match streak in May 2015.
They are in danger of spending Christmas Day in the Premier League relegation zone for the first time.
If Newcastle lose, they will equal the club record of 12 defeats after 19 matches of a top-flight season, set in 1977-78. They went on to be relegated in that campaign.
The Magpies have lost 71 Premier League games in London, more than any other side from outside the capital.
Rafael Benitez is unbeaten in his last nine Premier League games against David Moyes (W7, D2). He also won 10 of his 13 Premier League matches against West Ham, with his two defeats both coming in away fixtures.
Marko Arnautovic has scored two goals in his last three league games - double the amount he had scored in his previous 20.

SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-0 Probability of draw: 27%
Probability of home win: 48% Probability of away win: 25%
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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Moyes without trio for Newcastle test
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 22nd December 2017
By: Staff Writer

David Moyes says that he will be without three key players when Newcastle visit the Olympic Stadium tomorrow afternoon. West Ham go into the game having taken seven points from their last three Premier League outings, a hugely positive spell that was interrupted by Tuesday night's equally disappointing performance at Arsenal in which they failed to create a single shot on target. And Moyes will have to do without captain Mark Noble plus influential duo Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini, who sits out his final game of a two-match suspension. "Apart from Manu, we have a couple of other issues," he revealed in conversation with the Standard. "Michail Antonio has a calf strain, wasn't available for Tuesday and is touch and go for tomorrow. I don't think Mark Noble will be fit in time either - he has been suffering from a tight hamstring for a week or so and we can't take chances with that."

However there was some good news for Moyes with the impending return of a midfielder - an area in which the Hammers have looked woefully short in recent weeks and one in which Moyes had promised to strengthen in next month's transfer window. "The good news is that Cheikhou Kouyate is back in full training so we hope he will be available for tomorrow," confirmed Moyes. "We are short of numbers in midfield and that has to be a priority in January."

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Moyes 'dumbfounded' by Sakho rumours
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 22nd December 2017
By: Staff Writer

David Moyes has denied reports of a public spat between him and Diafra Sakho, insisting that the Senegal international was benched against Arsenal "purely for football reasons". It was reported after the match had finished (1-0 in Arsenal's favour) that Sakho had threatened to walk out of The Emirates after learning that was starting on the bench against the Gunners. However Moyes has denied reports of a bust-up with Sakho - who had previously fallen out with Moyes' predecessor Slaven Bilic - whilst insisting that there had been no row, despite several reports to the contrary. "I was dumbfounded when I heard there had been reports of a row between Diafra Sakho and myself before the Arsenal match," Moyes wrote in his weekly column for the Standard. "I can say categorically there have never been any cross words with Diafra since I've been at the club and I have been pleased with his performances when he has come off the bench in games. "He has never been in to see me about anything since I've been at the club so I was amazed when I was told about the allegations. I don't know where these allegations originated but certainly I wasn't aware of any of it until it was brought to my attention."

And the manager also refrained from commenting on suggestions that the wantaway Sakho's contract contains a £50,000 bonus should he be included in the starting XI and half that should he come on as a substitute. "I understand that details about bonus payments have also been in the public domain," he added. "I'm certainly not going to comment on that - financial details of a player's contract are between him and the club. "The boys up front have done well up to now and Diafra has played his part in that. We like his mobility and he weighed in with an important goal at Stoke last Saturday. "The decision to start with Chicharito and Andre Ayew, rather than Diafra, on Tuesday, was based purely on football considerations and nothing else."

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I miss Italy, says Ogbonna
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 22nd December 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham's in-form central defender Angelo Ogbonna had admitted that he misses home - but believes he's a better player as a result of playing in the Premier League. Ogbonna, speaking ahead of tomorrow's vitally-important clash with Newcastle United was talking to Italian media in the wake of Italy's failure to qualify for next summer's World Cup Finals in Russia. And despite missing the creature comforts one associates with being close to home, the 29-year-old former Juventus star admitted that he has blossomed as a player since moving to West Ham. "Of course I miss Cassino, where I grew up and Turin, where I spent my adolescence," he said. "These places made me what I am, but I don't regret leaving Italy. "I think I have changed a lot in England, especially from the point of view of character. Going abroad has made me stronger - and the Premier League is the most difficult championship in the world now."
Ogbonna also revealed that he was hugely disappointed to be part of the first Italian squad to fail to qualify for the World Cup since a 17-year-old wowed crowds in Sweden back in 1958 - and vowed to win a regular place back in the team. "To tell the truth, I don't know if my absence is political or technical," he mused. "It may have been political, but I hope not. It's strange not being considered - like Mario Balotelli, with whom I started the Blue path. "West Ham are improving now, but you need more than to simply play in an important league. My goal is to return to the national team since I've not been called up lately and I don't understood why. "It was assumed that we had to go to the World Cup just because we're Italy. It was taken for granted. If we want to start again and not waste the opportunity, we must realise that we cannot live in the past".

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Not fit for purpose
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 22nd December 2017
By: Paul Walker

So Manuel Lanzini will be watching with us tomorrow, no doubt shuffling about on the bench clutching professional footballers' latest accessory of choice, a hot water bottle.

Demarai Gray will, of course, be playing against Manchester United while Alvaro Morata is equally under-employed for Chelsea's trip to Everton. Those three decisions by the FA's so-called disciplinary system underline why the whole thing is just not fit for purpose.

A system based on guess work, opinion, knee jerk reaction, who shouts the loudest or just wholly inadequate process that makes the whole thing a shambles.

If a player can get a yellow card (admittedly his fifth of the season) and be banned for a bit of light-hearted 'celebration' after scoring a last seconds Cup semi-final winner - that's Morata - while two Spurs players can also get just a yellow card for horrendous career-threatening tackles and still not be banned, is beyond me. It's a disgrace.

Of course I am a little biased when it comes to the Lanzini saga, it happened right in front of me. But I don't want this to be a tirade about us and our misfortunes, all rival clubs think Lanzini is a nasty little cheat while we feel there is some reasonable doubt about the decision. That's the way of the world.

What concerns me is the arbitrary way the FA operate. No transparency, no logic or consistency. They have invented their own new vanity rule about diving, they have to be seen to be doing something. Manu was never going to win an appeal, that would have laid the FA wide open for even more abuse, their disciplinary system already considered a joke following the rumpus over the womens' national team.

My view, for what it is worth, on Lanzini is that it was borderline. On his long run from his own half he had been blatantly kicked by Kevin Wimmer, given a dig by Joe Allen and then gone down when Erik Pieters planted his thigh in the Argie's path and waited for the impact. Which Manu was looking for.

But there was contact, Pieters made no attempt to play the ball and admitted that contact was made. His manager Mark Hughes spent the whole weekend insisting there had been no contact. The referee's view as crucial, ten yards behind and a clear sight. He saw the contact and then blew for the penalty.

Regardless, it's over now. The FA acted presumably after a host of media called the FA's duty press officer on Sunday wanting a quote. He will have said, "we'll look in the morning", which gave everyone the 'FA to probe Lanzini dive' headline they wanted.

Various pundits, ex-players, managers, ex-officials had all had their say on MotD and Goals on Sunday, and the view was split, but with most accepting there had been contact.

By Monday, the FA cobbled together one of their early-morning trios of ex-manager, ex-player, ex-referee and that threesome had no doubt, 100 per cent dive. Ok, we appeal, and another trio, same vintage but independent this time (and the first panel wasn't?) and all three said, a dive. So we live with it, although surely there is some doubt with so many conflicting views.

No more than four hours after the decision is announced, Leicester's Gray wins a penalty against Manchester City (now stop laughing you lot, I can see the irony there). Kyle Walker clearly prodded the ball out of play, there was minimal contact if none at all, but Gray has perfected the art of diving forward while looking back over his shoulder to appeal to referee Bob Madley. That, in itself, is a technique worthy of a RADA card.

This time the FA find another faceless threesome for an offence equally, if not worse that Lanzini's, and this time they cannot agree. So there we have it, guesswork, opinion, back of a fag packet justice. Gray plays when he should be banned, Lanzini doesn't play. As I said, the debate over Manu's offence is not the point of this piece. You would expect me to be biased, but it is the FA I am gunning for.

If they are going to have their new pet ruling, it must be openly honest, transparent, the panel should always be the same three people so there is consistency. I don't believe they cannot find the same likely suspects for each hearing. The Pools Panel used to have the same old hands week after week, so you can find experienced people to administer a consistent level of decision making.

And then, of course, there is the long-held belief by many that the FA are scared of the top six. If they want, I can point them in the direction of serial offenders there who should be in the frame weekly.

And that's another thing. The FA should not pick and chose which offence to investigate. Every penalty decision in the Premier League, at least, each weekend should be reviewed as a matter of course. The view that they pick on soft targets continues to grow. Some virtual unknown from Everton, Oumar Niasse, was the only previous player banned for simulation this season.

We can all point the FA in the general direction of Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane, Sergio Aguero, Jesus, David Silva, Fabian Delph, to name most of City's divers, along with Eden Hazard, Carlos Sanchez, Ashley Young, Philippe Coutinho, Dele Alli, and of course Wilfried Zaha, the only one there not playing - just yet - for a top six club.

I mention Delph because he produced a shocking dive against us recently that produced the free-kick that Man City scored their winner from. I assume the FA cannot be bothered to look at spots of elevation that don't happen in the penalty area.

Start sorting that lot out, and the rest of us will hold our hands up and accept more readily any of our own players who are trying to qualify for their nation's Olympic diving team.

Of course, the FA can always hide behind their ruling that incidents cannot be investigated if the official has seen them, and acted upon them. Thus, Kane and Alli can get away with those horror tackles from last weekend because they were punished with a yellow.

If you can tell a referee he was wrong over not punishing a diver, you can surely tell them they are wrong for just dishing out a yellow when red was needed.

So, to sum up. The FA has to be open and even-handed. It must take on the big six as well as the rest. This time, we have suffered the loss of our most creative player. Next time it could be anyone. Justice should be consistent.

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

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Bournemouth's Harry Arter a transfer target for West Ham
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 23/12/17 8:01am
SSN

West Ham want to sign Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter during the January transfer window, Sky sources understand. Hammers boss David Moyes wants to sign a central midfielder next month and is also interested in Steven N'Zonzi of Sevilla and Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho. Carvalho came close to joining West Ham last summer but the clubs could not agree a fee. Republic of Ireland international Arter, who has won six caps for his country, has made over 200 appearances for Bournemouth since joining the club in 2010. The 27-year-old signed a new four-year contract with the Cherries last July but has struggled to hold down a starting place this season. West Ham could come up against Arter on Boxing Day when they travel to the Vitality Stadium to play Bournemouth. Moyes is also interested in signing a centre-back and a striker in January as he attempts to preserve West Ham's Premier League status.

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West Ham boss David Moyes says Manuel Lanzini has been harshly treated by the FA
By Mark Crellin
Last Updated: 22/12/17 5:13pm
SSN

West Ham manager David Moyes has slammed the decision to hand Manuel Lanzini a two-match ban for simulation. Lanzini became the second Premier League player to be suspended under the new rules regarding 'successful deception of a match official' following last weekend's win at Stoke. The Hammers took the lead through a Mark Noble penalty, awarded by referee Graham Scott after Lanzini went down under pressure from Eric Pieters. Stoke manager Mark Hughes said after the match he felt Lanzini had dived and the Argentine was subsequently hit with an FA charge, which was upheld on appeal by an independent regulatory commission. Lanzini will serve the second match of the ban when the Hammers entertain Newcastle on Saturday and Moyes says that, while he supports the new rule, his player has been harshly treated on this occasion, due to the debatable nature of the incident. Moyes said: "Referees do a great job in trying to keep the game moving and I think they do a great job in trying to give the right decisions. "Our referee was 10 yards from it, the defender stuck his leg out, and the player went over. I think he gave the referee a decision, and the referee took the decision. "The FA and the committee have gone against the referee, not against us, they have gone against their own people. "If they don't support them on decisions which are splitting the country, I think it is very difficult. "I think the rule brought in is a really good rule, but I am disappointed with the decision, because I think that similar situations have not been dealt with in the same way ours has.
"I feel that is a bit unfair - it is more than unfair."

Moyes has lifted the Londoners out of the relegation zone since taking charge, and they have a chance to claim more points when fellow strugglers Newcastle visit this weekend. But Moyes has asked supporters to be patient as he attempts to guide the Hammers up the Premier League table. "My ambition is to be at the top, it always is, but doing that is small steps," he said. "It's a long journey. "Quite often, supporters don't like that. We're not necessarily a club who will spend hundreds of millions to get there in the short term. "So, we need to rely on our youth policy, and trying to develop the club will get you there. It takes time." West Ham captain Mark Noble will miss Saturday's match, while winger Michail Antonio is a doubt with a calf problem. Moyes said: "I think the big one is that Mark Noble won't be available for the weekend, as he has a bit of a hamstring injury. "We have a doubt with Michail Antonio, who couldn't play in the Carabao Cup tie at Arsenal in midweek as he had a bit of a calf injury. That gives us a question mark about him."

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West Ham boss David Moyes postpones contact talks until the summer
By Rory O'Callaghan
Last Updated: 22/12/17 10:55pm
SSN

West Ham boss David Moyes insists he has no intention of discussing a new contract at the London Stadium until the end of the season. Moyes is currently five weeks into a six-month deal with the Hammers after replacing Slaven Bilic at the start of November. After an underwhelming start to his tenure, Moyes guided West Ham out of the Premier League relegation zone with a 3-0 win over Stoke last Saturday. However, the former Everton and Manchester United manager insists now is not the right time to be discussing his long-term future as he prepares his side to face relegation rivals Newcastle on Saturday. "I won't be talking about it with the club, or anybody, until the end of the season, when we're up, or down, or wherever," he said. "That's me saying it, not the club. I won't have any discussion until the end of the season. "I want to prove what I can do, to show what I can do, I want to see if I'm a fit for the club and if the club think I'm a fit for them as well. "The way football is now, I'm not interested in having a three or four-year contract any more. "I think it would be good for football clubs and maybe West Ham to have managers for three or four years, and in the main the owners have tried to do that. "But for me, personally, it tends to be a shorter brief now for managers. What did I sign at Manchester United, four years? And it ended up being 10 months."
Hammers striker Andy Carroll has been linked with a move away from the club in the January window but Moyes says the 28-year-old striker still has a future at the London Stadium. "I'll tell you what, I think Andy Carroll would be linked because he's one of a type, a wee bit of a dying breed, a Duncan Ferguson type," said Moyes. "But I think Andy Carroll will be a big value to us as the season goes on, and I would hopefully see Andy being here."

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West Ham v Newcastle preview: Upwardly mobile Hammers take on plummeting Magpies
Last Updated: 23/12/17 8:24am
SSN

West Ham will look to cash in on Newcastle's alarming run of form and continue to pull away from the relegation zone when they host the Magpies on Saturday afternoon. David Moyes has enjoyed an immediate impact in east London - victories over Chelsea and Stoke sandwiched a goalless draw with Arsenal - and those results have helped lift the Hammers out of the drop zone for the first time this season. Newcastle's slump has seen them lose eight out of nine Premier League games since beating Crystal Palace on October 21. They have already lost four times in December and have now replaced Saturday's opponents in the bottom three; the memory of them beating the Hammers 3-0 at the end of August must feel a very long time ago. But Rafa Benitez insists his side are working hard and just need some luck, saying after the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last week: "Sometimes you need a little bit of luck, sometimes it's the final decision. "We've had these situations in the last two or three games, losing to one goal, but at the same time you can see the reaction of the players and the effort they put on the pitch - that's the positive thing."

Team news
Andy Carroll faces a late fitness test having been absent recently due to a back problem. Cheikhou Kouyate could miss out due to a hamstring injury. Joe Fonte, Edimilson Fernandes (both ankle) and Sam Byram (thigh) are all absent.

In contrast, Benitez has a fully-fit squad to choose from with Jonjo Shelvey the only absentee from the Newcastle squad as he serves the second of a two-game suspension.

Opta stats
West Ham have won their last two home Premier League games against Newcastle - one more than they managed in their previous eight (W1 D3 L4).

After doing the double over West Ham in their first two Premier League seasons in 1993-94 and 1994-95, Newcastle have managed it just once since (in 2010-11).

West Ham have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three Premier League games - they've only kept four in a row in the competition once before, back in February 2014 under Sam Allardyce.

Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez says he can take positives from his side's effort in defeat at Arsenal and is confident they will get better results in weeks to come.

Newcastle haven't lost five consecutive Premier League games since May 2015, a run of eight under John Carver.

Rafael Benitez has won 10 of his 13 Premier League matches against West Ham (D1 L2), although his two defeats were away from home in January 2008 and December 2012.

The Spaniard has also won seven and lost none of his last nine Premier League encounters with David Moyes - his most recent meeting was a 2-1 win as Chelsea boss in Moyes' final match as Everton boss in May 2013.

Since Adrian came into the West Ham team against Man City, the Hammers have conceded just two goals in four games, keeping three clean sheets. With Joe Hart in goal, they kept three clean sheets in 14 games and conceded 30 goals.

Marko Arnautovic has scored two goals in his last three Premier League games - more than he'd scored in his previous 20 combined with West Ham and Stoke (1).

Merson's prediction
Newcastle put in a good performance against Arsenal and were unlucky. You look at games like that and think 'if you can play like that against Arsenal, why not against clubs lower down the league?' You have to do it week-in-week-out, against teams around you.
West Ham are playing really well. They were outstanding against Stoke. I am not sure Newcastle will be able to handle Marko Arnautovic. David Moyes is doing a great job.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 (8/1 with Sky Bet)

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West Ham EXCLUSIVE: Hammers have bid for Bournemouth star Harry Arter rejected
WEST HAM have had an opening £8million bid for Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter rejected by the South Coast club.
By TONY BANKS
PUBLISHED: 01:00, Sat, Dec 23, 2017 | UPDATED: 01:24, Sat, Dec 23, 2017
Express.co.uk

New Hammers manager David Moyes is a huge fan of the hard-working Cherries midfielder and has made him a key target for January. The West Ham manager believes the squad he inherited from Slaven Bilic is weak in central midfield, and is looking to bring reinforcements. Republic of Ireland star Arter has been in and out of Eddie Howe's struggling side this season, starting only 10 League games so far. The energetic midfielder only signed a new four-year contract in July, but Bournemouth could be ready to sell as they need to recoup funds. West Ham made an initial inquiry for Arter this week but were rebuffed. However Moyes, determined to get his man, is set to go back in when the window opens. Moyes wants to bring in three or four new players, with Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho another target.
New defenders are also on his shopping list, with West Ham ready to bid £20m fpr Swansea centre-back Alfie Mawson. Rebel striker Diafra Sakho, who rowed with Moyes over lack of games before the Carabao Cup defeat at Arsenal in midweek, wants to quit, but the Scot will not let the forward, rated at £15m, go until he has secured a replacement. West Ham could climb as high as 12th with a win over Newcastle today and the club's owners have been hugely impressed with the job Moyes has done so far. But he insists any talks over a new contract are on hold until the summer – and hinted if he does stay he would only sign another short-term deal anyway. He said: "I'm happy. I'm telling you now I won't be talking about it with the club or anybody until the end of the season when we're up or down or wherever. "I want to prove what I can do, I want to see if I'm a fit for the club and if the club think I'm a fit for them as well. That's what I'm trying to do."

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Mark Hughes has suggested a unique punishment for West Ham star Manuel Lanzini
ES Football Newsletter

Stoke City boss Mark Hughes has suggested Manuel Lanzini's ban for diving should apply for West Ham's next match against the Potters. Hughes was left fuming over referee Graham Scott's decision last Saturday to award a penalty when Hammers midfielder Lanzini went down in the Stoke box as he was challenged by Erik Pieters. The Football Association subsequently announced Lanzini had been charged with diving, and then, following his denial of the charge, that it had been upheld, with the Argentinian having to serve a two-game suspension. That ruled him out of Tuesday's EFL Cup quarter-final against Arsenal, and he will also miss the Premier League clash on Saturday with Newcastle, who are 18th, a point worse off than 17th-placed Stoke and two behind the 15th-spotted Hammers. The penalty Lanzini won last weekend was converted by Mark Noble to make it 1-0 in what finished as a 3-0 defeat for Hughes' men. Speaking about Lanzini on Friday, Hughes said: "The lad's been sanctioned, rightly in my view, for diving. "He missed the League Cup game and at the weekend they play Newcastle. So he misses one Premier League game when it could have been two. Newcastle get the benefit because he is not playing against them. "The only team who don't get any benefit is ourselves. So that needs to change. The referee needs to step up and get these key moments right."
Hughes was then asked if there was a case for the manager of the team a player dived against choosing the games the suspension applied for over the next 10.
And he said: "It doesn't seem that it is correct really. "In terms of what you suggest, I don't know if that would be possible. I don't think it would be viewed as the correct solution. "But maybe because the offence was against us he shouldn't be allowed to play against us in the return game. That is unlikely to happen but maybe that is a better option."

West Ham are scheduled to host Stoke on April 14.

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West Ham goalkeeper Adrian reveals early season snub was his hardest time in east London
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport

West Ham goalkeeper Adrian has revealed that the early months of this season were the hardest he's had to face at the club. The Spaniard, who exchanged the top spot with Darren Randolph (now at Middlesbrough) last season, was bumped back down to the understudy with the arrival of Joe Hart on loan over the summer. Having joined from Manchester City, England's first choice 'keeper started every Premier League game under Slaven Bilic, and also in the early weeks of David Moyes' reign. However, facing his parent club Hart was ineligible to play, giving Adrian a chance and the 30-year-old did not pass it up. Three clean sheets in four Premier League starts has put the pressure on Hart once more and, while admitting the start of this term was his lowest ebb in east London, Adrian thanked Moyes for the confidence he's shown him. "Personally, it was really important for me to come back to the starting eleven for the Manchester City game, when Joe couldn't play because of his contract," Adrian told the West Ham matchday programme ahead of their clash with Newcastle on Saturday. "I produced a good performance and after this the manager has had confidence in me to keep playing, so I have to give him the same confidence on the pitch every time I have the opportunity. I am in a positive way now and feel in good form. "To be honest, the start of this season was the hardest three or four months I have had at West Ham. At the end of last season, I got my position in the starting eleven again and I played well and we finished well so to be out of the team at the start of this season was hard for me. "I knew that, if I worked hard, this opportunity would come, initially in the cup games, and possibly in the Premier League, to show my level."

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David Moyes: I put Diafra Sakho on the West Ham bench purely for football reasons
The fee for this column is going to Crisis at Christmas. For information on the charity which helps the homeless go to crisis.org.uk
ES Sport

I was dumbfounded when I heard there had been reports of a row between Diafra Sakho and myself before the Arsenal match. I can say categorically there has never been any cross words with Diafra since I've been at the club and I have been pleased with his performances when he has come off the bench in games. He has never been in to see me about anything since I've been at the club so I was amazed when I was told about the allegations. I understand that details about bonus payments have also been in the public domain. I'm certainly not going to comment on that — financial details of a player's contract are between him and the club. I don't know where these allegations originated but certainly I wasn't aware of any of it until it was brought to my attention.
My sole focus is on the team and helping them to continually improve their performances and results. The boys up front have done well up to now and Diafra has played his part in that. We like his mobility and he weighed in with an important goal at Stoke last Saturday. The decision to start with Chicharito and Andre Ayew, rather than Diafra, on Tuesday, was based purely on football considerations and nothing else. We have at least six offensive players who can play up front for us and we need to give them all game time and match practice.
With regard to tomorrow's match against Newcastle, I am very disappointed that Manuel Lanzini is suspended. I thought he had his best game since I joined West Ham at Stoke and we will miss him badly. I don't like diving in the game and I applaud the FA for trying to do something about it. I'm 100 per cent behind eradicating simulation but what will be difficult is to find consistency. I believe, in Manu's case, there was enough doubt for the charge to be over-turned or actually not brought in the first place. There was a real split, for example, with the opinions of people in the football world. It wasn't a straightforward case in my eyes.
When I managed Real Sociedad, I saw an incredible number of players going down too easily, screaming their heads off. It seemed like, almost whenever that happened, the referees would blow their whistles for freekicks. I had an opportunity there to see how good players are at simulation. In Spain it wasn't seen as cheating but rather as doing the right thing for the team but over here it is not like that. We have a responsibility of trying to make the referee's life as easy as we can and in the case of Manu, the official was very close to the incident and had a clear view. The Stoke defender, with his challenge, gave the referee a decision to make as well as Manu, who had to decide the best way to avoid him. I don't think we have a major problem with it here. Undeniably it happens but I don't think we should make too big a deal out of it. The FA don't use the same three-man panel for every incident they decide to consider which might make consistency more difficult. On this occasion we can't do any more about it. We've tried but now we have to move on.

For tomorrow, apart from Manu, we have a couple of other issues. Michail Antonio has a calf strain and wasn't available for Tuesday and is touch and go for tomorrow. I don't think Mark Noble will be fit in time. He has been suffering from a tight hamstring for a week or so and we can't take chances with that. The good news is that Cheikhou Kouyate is back in full training so we hope he will be available for tomorrow. We are short of numbers in midfield and that has to be a priority in January. We've hardly had time to draw breath in the past couple of weeks and it's not about to calm down any time soon. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to the Christmas schedule. I enjoy it although, for the players, it is certainly a demanding time. We're in on Christmas Eve and then Christmas Day late afternoon before we head down to Bournemouth. The way the fixtures have panned out means we can then give the players a little bit of time off after the Boxing Day match and before our next game, against West Brom at home on 2 January. I know it's not a great time for the players because they have families. It's perhaps even harder for the foreign players because often their family network is not here with them.

In Spain, the clubs had a break starting around now. The players would return at the end of December and have another week's preparation before the next game. I do think we ought to have a week's break early in January in this country, although the fixture calendar doesn't make that straightforward unless maybe, we shorten the summer break.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and New Year.

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