From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com
Hello everyone.
I want to start by thanking each and every West Ham United fan for their fantastic support at London Stadium – it made a massive difference and clearly inspired the team to victory. It has been a difficult week for everyone associated with the Club, but the staff and players ignored any distractions and produced a performance we can all be immensely proud of. We deserved it. Everybody was united and worked together with the manager and the players to get a vital win. We totally deserved it. I said last week that we had two 'cup finals' and we have won the first. Now we go to Middlesbrough next Saturday with confidence and I am sure we can win the second, too. The team worked hard in the first half and kept Crystal Palace's chances to a minimum. They have got some dangerous players, but the way we played kept them quiet, aside from one set piece and a couple of long-range shots. Slaven changed the formation and made a change at half-time and we took control of the game completely after half-time. James Collins and Sam Byram were both back in action after spells out injured and they showed the importance of having a strong squad. Michail Antonio was in bed with the flu on Friday and showed great determination and commitment to play and create all three of our goals. I have great admiration for what he did for us and to get three assists in the space of 18 minutes was terrific.
Andy Carroll was brilliant, too. He never stops working for the team and he scores some absolutely fantastic goals. That was surely the best of his career and I'm sure we will be replaying that again and again all season long. The atmosphere inside London Stadium was special, especially in the second half, when it was as loud as it has been all season. Now, we go forward looking positively to the next game and with the real chance of closing the gap on the teams in seventh, eighth and ninth in the table. While Slaven and the players concentrate on next weekend, the Board and the recruitment team are working hard on prospective new signings. We have already made a number of bids on players to improve the squad, but the January transfer window is the most challenging time of the year to buy, and so far it has proved very frustrating. We will keep working hard to bring in quality to improve the squad and I hope to have more positive news to bring you soon. While we keep working behind the scenes, I want to thank you all again for creating a wonderful atmosphere and inspiring the team to a vital victory.
We proved today what a strong force we can be when we are all pulling in the same direction, and I am sure we will do exactly the same at the Riverside Stadium next Saturday.
Thank you again.
Come on you Irons!
David Sullivan
Joint-Chairman
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Stat's a Fact - 3 is the magic number
WHUFC.com
Three really was the magic number on Saturday as West Ham United bagged their first three points of 2017 with a resounding 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at London Stadium.
Despite going in at the break goalless, second half strikes from Sofiane Feghouli, Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini secured the Hammers a third win in four against their South London rivals.
After defeat to Manchester United on 2 January, Saturday not only marked the Hammers' opening three points of 2017 but their first three goals of the year as well.
Sofiane Feghouli tapped in his first ever league goal for the club following excellent work down the left-hand side by Michael Antonio, while Andy Carroll's 79th minute bicycle-kick will undoubtedly go down as an immediate contender for goal of the season. The Hammers' No9, acrobatically, got on the end of another Michail Antonio cross to fire past the despairing Wayne Hennessey.
Antonio was again the provider for West Ham's third as he played through Manuel Lanzini who, 18-yards out, deftly chipped the Palace keeper in the final few minutes of the 90 to complete the rout.
Amazingly, despite West Ham's second half dominance, the hosts only recorded three shots on target during the match…three shots on target, three goals – perfectly clinical!
Michail Antonio's contribution was felt throughout and despite not bagging a goal for himself, he did complete those three valuable assists - his first of any kind this season.
Defensively, Mark Noble and Pedro Obiang shared three tackles each while Winston Reid's three successful aerial duels were vital as the Hammers kept a Crystal Palace front-line, including the dangerous Christian Benteke, quiet throughout.
For the opponents, James Tomkins went closest when his effort slid past the back post but otherwise, Crystal Palace's attacking opportunities were very few and far between. Yohan Cabaye's 62 successful passes were the most by any player on the pitch, however 25 separate cases of lost possession may have contributed to Palace's eventual downfall.
Bilic can also take credit for his half-time substitution which saw Sam Byram replace Angelo Ogbonna and the Hammers move to four at the back. Byram, who's 45 minutes yesterday were his first since 1 October, impressed on his return and will have encouraged a number of onlookers who are hopeful that he can fill the West Ham's right-back position.
All in all though; a clean sheet, three points and three goals are all big positives for the Hammers as they look ahead to next week's match with Middlesbrough at The Riverside.
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Obiang - The whole Club pulled together
WHUFC.com
Team effort was the key to victory over Crystal Palace, says Pedro Obiang
Hammers No14 delighted for Sofiane Feghouli after Algerian nets first Premier League goal for the Club
Spaniard keen to kick on with Hammers in sight of league's top half
Pedro Obiang says Saturday's 3-0 London derby over Crystal Palace was a true team effort.
The Spanish midfielder believes the three point haul was just reward for the whole Club pulling together – from fans to the eleven on the pitch – after a testing week.
Sofiane Feghouli, Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini scored the goals, but it was about more than just the headline makers as the Hammers moved up to 12th in the Premier League table.
"It was a nice moment," beamed the No14. "We wanted to make the fans happy and it's a great result.
"We could feel the support for everybody. We've answered with three points and everyone is happy."
As a Hammers player who took time to find his feet in east London, Obiang was particularly happy for Feghouli, who notched his first league goal in Claret and Blue to get his team rolling.
He continued: "For everybody it's difficult when you arrive as a new player in a new country, with new things. In that situation you need to stay calm and Sofiane knows we need him.
"Now he has scored maybe [it will all change for him]. Sam Byram has come in too, and whenever he has time to play he does really well. This is what a squad is all about."
Obiang also felt a change in tactics at the break paid off, as the Hammers were able to convert a 0-0 interval scoreline into their emphatic victory.
He added: "The manager and players know that sometimes you have to change something. In the situation on Saturday, we needed to change how we attacked because in the first half we gave a lot of space to them and they played. In the second half it was totally different.
"We needed to press, and we have the players to play football. On Saturday we had Lanzini, Feghouli, Antonio all playing really well and we need to continue."
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Rice enjoying different partnerships
WHUFC.com
Declan Rice is enjoying playing with a number of different centre-back partners this season
The U23s captain is preparing for a Premier League 2 clash with Brighton and Hove Albion on Monday (7pm)
The PL2 side are looking for their third consecutive victory
Declan Rice says he is enjoying forming a number of different centre-back partnerships for the U23s this season.
Rice has been partnered with Alex Pike, now on loan at Cheltenham Town, Reece Oxford, Reece Burke, Tunji Akinola and Noha Sylvestre over the course of the campaign.
But the youngster, who turned 18 on Saturday, has enjoyed adapting to different central defensive partnerships.
"I wouldn't say it's that hard because we all train together every day and you get to know everyone's games," said Rice.
"We always talk about what we're going to do before the games and we've always got each others back during the match as well.
Most recently, Rice partnered Oxford at the heart of the defence as West Ham United PL2 ran out 2-1 winners over Norwich City last Monday.
We always talk about what we're going to do before the games and we've always got each others back during the match as well
Declan Rice
"It's a good partnership," Rice explained. "We are becoming stronger every time we play because we're starting to understand each other's games. I've had a couple of partners this season but playing with Reece is really good.
It's been a breakthrough season for Rice so far – he was named captain of the PL2 side at the age of just 17 and also began training with the first team.
Slaven Bilic named the Irish U21 centre-back on the bench for the Boxing Day win at Swansea City, and Rice now wants to improve even more to make his first team debut.
"I wasn't even supposed to go in but I got a text to say I was going to be in Xmas Eve, Xmas Day and on the bench Boxing Day.
"It was an amazing feeling because I had my family up in the stands and even though I didn't get on it was great to be a part of. I've got to keep playing well and progressing and then hopefully I can get on the pitch."
Rice will be involved for the PL2 side as they aim for to build on two impressive wins against Wolves and Norwich City.
Terry Westley's men take on Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Elite Performance Centre (7pm) on Monday – the third time the sides will have met this season.
The Hammers are yet to beat the Seagulls this campaign, but Rice is expecting a better performance from the young Irons this time round.
"Brighton like to sit back, defend as a unit and hit teams on the counter attack. They can be hard to break down but we just have to be patient and hopefully we can win again."
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Simone Zaza: West Ham misfit joins Valencia on loan
BBC.co.uk
Juventus striker Simone Zaza has joined Valencia on loan until the end of the season after his spell at West Ham was ended prematurely. The 25-year-old had signed for the Hammers on a £4.3m season-long deal last summer but only played 11 times and failed to score. According to reports, had Zaza played 14 games the Premier League club would have had to buy him outright for £20m. The Italy forward was signed by Juve from Sassuolo for £12.75m in 2015. He scored eight goals in 24 appearances for the Italian Serie A champions before joining West Ham last August. Valencia are struggling in La Liga and are currently in 17th position.
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Marseille poised for Payet talks
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 15th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
A delegation from Marseille are flying into London this week with view to securing the transfer of Dimitri Payet. However the group, led by Marseille's president Jacques-Henri Eyraud are likely to face stiff resistance from West Ham, who are still publicly refusing to part company with their star asset even though he has effectively gone on strike. The French party are scheduled to fly to London tomorrow morning (Monday) ahead of a day of talks with Payet and his representatives, including agent Jacques-Olivier Auguste. Eyraud and his entourage also hope to meet with West Ham chiefs before returning to France later in the day.
It has been suggested elsewhere that L'OM are seeking to tie up a permanent deal for the French international but loan him back to West Ham for the remainder of the current campaign.
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West Ham And The Fallen Hero
KUMB,com
Filed: Sunday, 15th January 2017
By: HeadHammerShark
Ever fallen in love with someone? Ever fallen in love? In love with someone, ever fallen in love In love with someone, you shouldn't have fallen in love with? - The Buzzcocks
Oh Dimitri. Say it ain't so. Not you. We've got a memorable song for you and everything.
At this point, the only surprising thing about Payet wanting to leave West Ham is that he didn't somehow injure Andy Carroll as he handed in the transfer request.
The Broken Bridge
What a Stygian set of affairs. What a fuck up. What a disappointment.
From the point that he smacked in that last minute winner for France in the opening game of Euro 2016 it has felt different. I suppose it's not hard to see why. At that moment, in the host country, in a city still reeling from terrorist atrocities, Dimitri Payet scored a wonder goal and elevated himself beyond West Ham and into the footballing stratosphere. By the time he struck, Pogba and Griezmann had already departed the stage and it was the kid from La Reunion who became a national hero. Suddenly he was being talked about as a transfer target for Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain. We had all hitched our wagon to his star, with no notion of quite how far he would take us.
On British TV Slaven Bilic was celebrating on an ITV table and somehow we convinced ourselves that this demonstrated a bond between them, or was symbolic of Payet being one of our own. The boy from La Reunion was now the boy from Loughton. Except in retrospect it now looks like Bilic was prostrating himself before a departing son.
After Euro 2016 things suddenly took a turn for the strange. Payet wasn't popping up in the Club's endlessly cheery summer updates, nor was he playing in any pre-season games. His post tournament rest period went on so long that he wasn't fit to start our opening league game at Chelsea, and then was absent until the infamous Watford game on September 10th. Tellingly this was after the transfer window had closed, giving credence to the notion that he was unsettled even back then.
Naturally we started the season with all the impetus of a Jeremy Corbyn policy launch and by the end of September had lost four games in a row and five of our first six. If Payet was disaffected when the Club refused to sell him during the summer, then it's hard to imagine his mood being improved as Arthur Masuaku and Simone Zaza arrived and promptly started losing balls in the lake behind the goal at training.
The Ruby In The Smoke
Thereafter followed his wonder goal against Middlesbrough when he scored the best individual goal I have seen since Di Canio's volley and he briefly seemed to be the energised talisman of last year. Looking back at old columns I can see that I described it thusly:
3.10.16 - Middlesbrough
If you haven't seen this goal, stop reading and go and do it now. If you want yet more persuasion, imagine Beethoven being at a Robbie Williams concert and thinking "thank fuck I'm deaf", before walking on stage, pushing the fat prick off the side and sitting down and playing Symphony No.5 in full. That's what it was like.
The problem was that even though Payet seemed to have been reborn somewhat, the team were spiralling. The awful start had scuppered any fanciful notions of the Champions League, and with our summer signings being very Poundworld when they needed to be Waitrose it was hard to imagine any scenario in which we would be able to get Payet to stick around.
If there is one thing that football fans specialise in, however, it is widely misplaced optimism and thus there wasn't a widespread sense of fatalism. Most fans seemed distracted by the transfer failings, the stadium failings, the public communication failings and well, whatever failing we wanted to focus on. There was no shortage.
A memory of better times. October.
Payet had been worrying me all season though, and I wrote this after the League Cup quarter final defeat at Man Utd.
1.12.16 - Man Utd
However underwhelmed he is by the team around him, he has to get on with it. I have written before that his sale was inevitable once it became clear that we were going to be a bottom half team this season, but what we cannot afford now is for Payet to go into a tailspin in pursuit of a move in January.
Please note, I'm not including this to make myself look prescient. I get stuff wrong constantly. I once described Gerard Pique as "presumably having a football career as a result of winning a competition on the back of a cereal packet" and Lassana Diarra as "being made entirely of pasta".
The point is more that I write The H List in the immediate aftermath of each game and therefore the articles are supposed to reflect the emotional journey of being a West Ham fan. One week you're down, the next week you're down a bit further. That's how it goes. Reading back over the season so far there seems to have been plenty of games where Payet visibly looked distracted, half arsed and uninterested. By the time we got to Arsenal things seemed to have reached a nadir, although with West Ham that is always a dangerous thing to assume.
5.12.16 - Arsenal
Farewell Payet then. I've said it for a few consecutive performances but he doesn't seem terribly perturbed by events unfolding around him.
By the time we got into the next transfer window, it simply seemed a matter of time:
3.1.17 - Man Utd
Maybe I'm doing him a disservice, but Payet hasn't looked as sharp this year as he did last, and by the end of this game he was walking around with his hands on his hips like Robert Duvall on that beach in Apocalypse Now. I'd personally give him a rest on Friday night, as the last thing he needs now is another energy sapping defeat at our soul sapping stadium. If nothing else, none of this is helping his transfer value for the now inevitable summer departure.
Again, none of this makes me a remarkable soothsayer, it just makes me a cynic who happens to write down my opinion each game and therefore have a record of my thoughts on this particular topic. The signs have been there all season.
I Was A Rat!
Much of my opinion on this was formed after the Bilic press conference, and my initial tendency was to side with Payet. That won't surprise many of you who have been reading recently and will know that I think the work of the Club hierarchy this season has been largely incompetent.
Who could blame him for not wanting to play for this team? I don't want to watch them, so I get where he is coming from. The devil lies in the detail though.
Has he said that he doesn't want to play or that he will not play? These are two subtly different things. I do not want to go to work on Monday but I will go. That is not the same thing as me refusing to go.
After the bombshell of the Bilic presser, the story quickly became however that Payet was on strike. Looking back, Bilic does say that he is "refusing to play for the Club" and if that is indeed the case then it is inexcusably reprehensible.
If Payet is indeed on strike then he is dead to me. I'm removing the tattoo, taking down the petition to rename the A406 as the "Payet > Ozil Highway" and renaming my youngest daughter. He can, in the common parlance of the time, do one.
But there are two sides to every story and we have yet to hear his. It won't be long. Shortly we will doubtless see a promo interview on a French TV station talking about the unhappiness of his family, his unceasing love for the West Ham fans and how he just wants to go home. You can definitely get a decent tan in Loughton, but it ain't the Cote d'Azur, after all.
It is not without irony that I link to this column at the West Ham way site. it contains far more background to the story and essentially states that Payet has been unhappy all season and is definitely on strike. I don't think releasing our transfer stories is helpful, but I can't deny that this kind of thing probably is useful for the Club given that they are now essentially in a PR war with their best player, which barely scrapes into the top ten most ridiculous things to have happened at West Ham in my lifetime.
And what are we to make of it all?
Well, I don't blame Payet for being unhappy with the direction of the team. He is the best player and he is entitled to want the Club to surround him with good players. They have summarily failed to do that, and we all agree with him so it would be hypocrisy to say otherwise.
The reality is that the Club would have been been better off selling him after Euro 2016, but they simply couldn't have done so. They were selling tickets to their new stadium on the basis of a Payet led team and would have been derided as small time shysters lacking ambition had they moved him on and replaced him with Robert Snodgrass. They might be about to do that now, but they've already sold their 50,000 season tickets.
I can't blame them for holding on to him. Anything else would have been met with opprobrium and immediately reminded West Ham fans everywhere of the Club's storied history of selling on any decent players as soon as they can. Sullivan and Gold were attempting to sell a vision of something different and thus their hands were tied. That decision came at a cost of millions as his transfer fee will undeniably be lower now than last summer, but it bought them some credibility with the fanbase that was crucial to filling the stadium.
But all of these ignores a simple fact. Payet is paid £125,000 a week and was paid a £1m loyalty bonus just last year in a masterstroke of irony from his agent. He is fantastically remunerated by any standards, and to withhold his labour on these grounds is disgraceful, if utterly unsurprising behaviour.
That said, I am afraid that I don't buy into the argument that he owes anybody loyalty. He has been well paid at West Ham and he has played well for West Ham. He is a French footballer seeking to maximise his career earnings, and was a well established player with Champions League experience and international caps before he joined us. We didn't put him on any map other than that of the English football world, and as a result this idea that we have elevated him is a bit incongruous.
What he owes us is the simple half of his labour agreement. He signed a contract and it requires him to play football. So he should play fucking football until he signs with someone else. There are plenty of others out there who don't have the ability to play professional football and would love to like me, my daughters, my dad, Chris Smalling and 50,000 West Ham season ticket holders. He might be famously "naturally indifferent" but Payet is spitting in a lot of faces with this stance, with the greatest irony of all being that his manager came up with the template for hanging around to "save" a team and then fucking off for pastures new.
Not everyone is good enough to be a pro, Dimitri
The Subtle Knife
Fair play to Marseille for their artful tapping up however. It remains to be seen whether they will get their man in this transfer window but they have done everything in their power. The manager, Rudi Garcia, and players are already making eyes at him via the press and doubtless there is plenty that has happened away from the public eye.
I'd get angry but what's the point? UEFA don't give a shit and I would want us to do the same to a transfer target where it was the only way to get him.
But it creates a painful, but unarguably fascinating, situation for the neutral. What do we do? Banishing Payet serves the purpose of calling his bluff by presumably fining him for each week that he refuses to play. If they are true to their word then that could save them about £3m in wages before a summer sale.
The issue is that with each passing week Payet gets less fit - a low base line to start with - and his fee decreases. Each week on strike renders him a bigger rebel and a bigger problem and therefore those dreams of getting £30m disappear into the dust. It is for that reason that I can actually see him playing for us again.
Marseille's reported bid of £19m - or 69% of a Fellaini put another way - was a insult but indicative of how this thing works. Payet's agent is banking on his behaviour being so disruptive that the Club have no choice but to cut bait and offload him for a reduced fee. The tapping up club are happy as they shell out less in fees, and the agent and Payet get healthy sign on payments. It's worked for them twice before already and doubtless will work here.
What a mess. What a Stygian mess.
So, for once, I side with Sullivan. Send Payet to rot and tell anyone who wants to buy him the price is the price and any lowballing is an insult to the Club and the player by undervaluing him.
Once the transfer window passes, then Payet faces six months without playing and, crucially, earning. At some point there has to be some value to him in coming back into the fold, putting a bit more effort in and getting out of Dodge in the summer.
Maybe that's all a bit fanciful. The better odds are surely on Marseille upping their bid to something like £25m and West Ham taking the option to let him go, but don't be surprised if we all get one last chance to boo him before June. Might make it a bit uncomfortable for him to walk past his inevitably defaced mural though...
The Tiger In The Well
The great irony of all of this is that the person who come out with the most credit is Slaven Bilic. Just a week ago he was within the crosshairs of the Board, with the Club taken the bizarre (*) decision to publish a Martin Samuel article on the official site that essentially told the fans to stop whinging about the stadium and start laying the blame where it ought to be laid - with Bilic.
(*) I say bizarre, but these days, perhaps not so much
With his emotional, wrought, dare I say it - passionate - press conference performance Bilic has bought himself some breathing space. Now he has his own scapegoat - "We lose Payet, but we might gain the team" he said during his elegiac address to the media. Clearly things haven't been copacetic behind the scenes for sometime but Bilic ironically has some leeway now. He can lay the blame for the disjointed performances, the lack of intensity in training and all other manner of issues at Payet's door and now he has to rebuild. A fanbase determined to brand Payet as a snake will probably afford that to him too.
There's a lot to consider here, and ultimately there's a lot that we don't know.
I suppose the piece that gets missed, but which is ultimately is the biggest cost is that paid by the fans. A reduced transfer fee doesn't annoy me too much as we'd only waste it anyway, and a loss of wages to a millionaire isn't a problem either.
As a team we'll survive but probably worsen in the long run, especially as our attempt to replace him will be fraught with danger, likely be expensive and probably be a disaster.
But for the fans it's a kick in the teeth. My daughter was visibly upset when I told her, to try and forewarn against playground taunts. All those kids lost their hero this week and that's a great shame. We all remember the first time we lost a hero and it's painful. The realisation that the hero frozen on your wall is a drugs cheat, a racist, a sexual abuser or in the case of Paolo di Canio, a worryingly devout Fascist.
Farewell then Dimitri. You gave us great joy and then you turned out to be just like the rest. We fell in love with someone we shouldn't have fallen in love with.
What a mess.
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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Scott Hogan's move from Brentford to West Ham held up by proposed add-ons
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 15/01/17 9:18pm
SSN
Scott Hogan's move from Brentford to West Ham is currently being held up due to a dispute over the proposed add-ons in the deal, according to Sky sources.
The Hammers have agreed to pay £9m up-front for the 24-year-old, who has only 18 months left to run on his contract at the Sky Bet Championship club. Brentford value Hogan at £15m and want a further £6m structured into the deal, but West Ham have so far only offered £3m in additional payments. Sky sources understand West Ham have had three bids for the former Rochdale forward turned down. Hogan has enjoyed a prolific campaign in front of goal and has netted 14 goals in 26 matches for Brentford. He was an unused substitute during Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Championship leaders Newcastle United, with Bees manager Dean Smith saying he was left out of the starting 11 "in the long term interests of the football club".
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Simone Zaza joins Valencia on loan from Juventus
By Paul Vinnell
Last Updated: 15/01/17 6:18pm
SSN
Simone Zaza has joined Valencia on loan from Juventus for the rest of the season. The Italian international spent the first half of the season on loan at West Ham after arriving last summer in a deal which was to become permanent if he played in 14 games. However Zaza failed to score in his 11 appearances for the Hammers and manager Slaven Bilic made it clear he had no future with the club. Juventus accepted an offer from Valencia to take him on loan for the rest of the season and the 25-year-old competed a medical before signing his contract on Sunday. The deal will see Valencia pay Juventus an initial £1.75m loan fee with an obligation to buy Zaza at the end of the season for £14m with a further £1.5m in add-ons, provided two conditions are met. They are that Valencia are not relegated from La Liga, and that he makes over 10 appearances for them.
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Marseille and West Ham to hold Dimitri Payet talks
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 15/01/17 2:54pm
SSN
Marseille's president Jacques-Henri Eyraud will meet with high-level West Ham officials on Monday to discuss a deal for Dimitri Payet, according to Sky sources.
The Hammers beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday without their France playmaker, who this week told Slaven Bilic he no longer wants to play for the club.
West Ham will not consider offers of less than £30m for Payet, who cost them just £10.5m when he arrived from Marseille in the summer of 2015.
It is understood Marseille are the only club interested, and initially a compromise deal was put forward which would have seen Payet loaned back to Bilic's side for the rest of the season. The prospect of that deal going through receded when West Ham supporters made their feelings plain on Saturday, repeatedly chanting for last season's player of the year to leave.
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"For f***'s sake!" Slaven Bilic gets ANGRY when asked Dimitri Payet question in West Ham press conference
The Hammers boss was not in the mood to talk about the wantaway star after his side's stunning win over Crystal Palace
The Mirror
BYJAKE POLDEN
13:42, 15 JAN 2017UPDATED14:04, 15 JAN 2017
Slaven Bilic is so fed up of discussing Dimitri Payet he swore in his latest press conference when asked another question about the wantaway playmaker. The above video shows the West Ham boss talking after his side's brilliant 3-0 win over Crystal Palace and captures the very moment he blows his top. "For f***'s sake," says the Croatian as he tells the reporters to ask him questions about Andy Carroll - who scored a stunning goal in the game - Mark Noble and Darren Randolph.
He adds that these are the players who deserve to be talked about, not the Frenchman who is refusing to play for the Hammers after handing in a transfer Bilic's men proved they could pick up a result - and put on a great show - without their talisman at the London Stadium on Saturday. Sofiane Feghouli put the hosts ahead in the second half when his close-range effort beat Wayne Hennessey for his first Premier League goal. Manuel Lanzini sealed the win in the 86th minute, but it was Carroll's strike moments earlier that took all the plaudits. The former Liverpool striker latched onto the end of a Michail Antonio cross and doubled his side's lead with a stunning overhead kick. The win moves the Hammers up to 12th on 25 points, while Palace find themselves on joint points with Hull City in the relegation zone, following the Tigers' win over Bournemouth.
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Dimitri Payet offers English football its latest stomach-churning slice of preposterousness
Payet is public enemy No.1 at West Ham after making it clear to manager Bilic that he wants to leave
The Mirror
BYNEIL MOXLEY
13:20, 15 JAN 2017UPDATED13:31, 15 JAN 2017
English football took a giant step towards its day of reckoning this week. That date has been heading towards us for two decades, but we must now be somewhere near the tipping point. Surely. After years of grotesque pay hikes, flightly, over-indulged players, cash-obsessed owners and the purely selfish motives of the controlling league, how much further can the public's love affair with this gloriously mad past-time be pushed? This week's stomach-churning slice of the preposterous was provided by Dimitri Payet. Yes, take a bow oh Ferrari-driving-ants-in-his-pants-mister-one-time-doyen-of-Upton Park. Your actions have pushed our cherished national game just a little bit closer towards the edge of oblivion. It clearly wasn't enough for your to sign that five-year contract just 11 months ago on £125,000-a-week. Did that mean nothing? Obviously not, no. Did it also mean nothing that you were revered, living in possibly the world's greatest city playing for fans who worshipped the ground you walked on – even if their song in your honour was hackneyed beyond belief? Again, no. It's the parents I feel sorry for.
Having forked out fortunes for a new West Ham shirt they'll have paid another few quid to put Payet's name on back – now it's being quite rightly dragged through the mud. How much longer can the average fan compute this wanton disregard for the club that pays any player's wages when they are treated in such contemptible fashion? Last February, Payet couldn't wait to get hold of that quill and sign his name. He should have inked it in his own blood. This week, who knows, one person might have said: 'Enough's enough. I am not prepared to invest financially or emotionally in a player who treats me and my club like that."
And once it starts, who knows where it might end? Every man, woman or child who has heard the click of a turnstile does that. But clearly it is being abused as never before. It doesn't matter to Payet that he is/could be the apple of the Eastend's eye. No more than it mattered to Carlos Tevez at Manchester City, or others before him, who have toyed with their employers and supporters who hold them in such unwarranted esteem. What's more, the sight of such opulence is starting to wear thin. Two-hundred grandsworth of Ferrari. Are you sure? We are not talking here about a player at the top of his profession. West Ham aren't Premier League bottom-feeders – but neither are they threatening an assault on the top six, either. It would warm the soul if Hammers' owners David Sullivan and David Gold who, having offered the deal in good faith, made him do community service. He can go and spend some time in a primary school – because if he isn't prepared to play, then he can recompense the club in other ways. But that won't happen. And, knowing them as I do, the owners will not want £125,000-worth of cash dripping out of their club for no return. You see, footballers are the keepers of fans' dreams. But the game is rapidly turning into a nightmare. There's no honour among clubs. None among players who cheat and connive their way around football pitches in a brazen attempt to con officials. Referees are undermined at almost every turn, if not by the cameras and the pundits then by the managers who would rather bawl them out than criticise one of their own players. It's against this sordid background that the bond between a club, its' supporters and the players on the pitch is being tested. Sadly, that tie has been stretched just that little bit more this week. And for fans who are being asked to keep the faith it's becoming increasingly difficult – particularly when that trust is being abused by players like Payet. Football has been the golden goose for the past 20 years, laying golden eggs for everyone in the frontline. How much longer can it go on before we all tire of it? Would it really be so bad if the bottom fell out of the market? Sky subscriptions are down by 20 per cent. The first signs that this ridiculous trough of cash may not be replenished. And if it is the beginning of the end, people this week will look back and point to players like Dimitri Payet and say: 'You're partly to blame for this.' And they will be well within their rights to do so.
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Dimitri Payet transfer latest: Marseille president flying to London to convince West Ham to sell
Jason Burt, chief football correspondent
15 JANUARY 2017 • 7:52PM
The telegraph
Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud will fly into London on Monday to try and persuade West Ham United to sell their rebel player, Dimitri Payet. A bid of just under £20million – plus £2.5million should Marseille qualify for the Champions League – has already been rejected by West Ham for Payet who has told the club he will never play for them again. West Ham have publically stated that Payet is not for sale but if an offer closer to their valuation of £40million is made for the French international he is expected to leave before the January window closes. West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan met with Payet's agent Jacques-Olivier Auguste on Friday with the Premier League club again offering to allow the 29-year-old to leave this summer if he will see through the rest of the campaign.
However Payet, who is claiming he is suffering from a back injury and has been banished from the first-team squad by West Ham manager Slaven Bilic, who is exasperated, is insisting he wants to go this month and largely for personal reasons. Payet's partner has returned to Marseille with the couple's children, it is understood.
Even so Payet has been agitating for a move since returning from the Euros last summer – although West Ham received no offers until this month's bid from Marseille who he left in 2015 to join them. Telegraph Sport revealed on Friday that West Ham had even paid Payet, who signed a new five-year contract only last February, making him the highest-paid player in the club's history, a £1million loyalty bonus last September.
Eyraud will meet with West Ham officials and it is hoped that a compromise solution can be found although it is unlikely that the French club will substantially increase their offer for Payet. However all parties hope that some kind of understanding can be reached because they recognise how damaging the situation is.
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NOTHING LANGUID FROM LANZINI
By Zaman Siddiqui 15 Jan 2017 at 18:00 176 comments
WTID
We haven't had it easy this season moving into our new home with relegation a possibility. Just when 2017 was starting to look brighter, Payet requested a move elsewhere. With our star man out, we had to show everyone that we are not a one-man team. We needed something going into this match and we got it: a gem was unearthed and polished ready for the game.
Enter Manuel Lanzini. The Jewel had a reputation to uphold of scoring in crucial matches. In May 2013, he scored in the Superclásico derby after just 43 seconds against the Boca Juniors. He is still remembered by the River Plate fans for that moment of magic. No stranger to a difficult climate having played for al-Jazira with Summer temperatures of 45C, he delivered in the way only an Argentinean legend could.
Having scored into an open net, he went and jumped into the crowd who embraced the new legend in the making. What a way it was to assert his position at the top! Manu has scored a goal in each of his four PL appearances against Crystal Palace; double the amount he's scored against any other PL club. It was reminiscent of Tevez scoring his first goal against Tottenham, as yet another Argentine ran into the crowd scoring in a derby.
He has been left out of the starting XI on a few occasions, however Lanzini knew the importance of playing, regardless of whether it was his preferred position or not, as he was took on more defensive roles. Even Antonio got the message, as he has been directly involved in more Premier League goals than any other West Ham player this season – 11 (eight goals, three assists). It is important that our current players take initiative in light of recent events.
Slaven has the full support of the club and fans alike, as he has handled the situation terrifically. When Payet revealed his true intentions of leaving, it was seen as a sign of betrayal. Why was he not upfront when Slav had asked him a few days before when he had the chance? The manager has handled the situation very well. Despite what was happening, he even invited Sam for "a glass of wine after the game whatever the result." He probably didn't want to appear disrespectful, so didn't say pint of wine, though that's probably what Big Sam ordered. That's our Slav! He can read the situation well.
Bilic was right to have a meeting to discuss things with Payet. You don't even need to have any affiliations with the club or watch the matches to know that Payet is unhappy. His last Instagram post of him in a West Ham shirt was back in October! It is no surprise that Payet wants to leave. He hasn't even seemed that bothered this season. In 2010, while with Saint-Etienne, he was accused of showing a lack of aggression by teammate Yohan Benalouane. When team captain Blaise Matudi suggested the same thing, the pair had to be separated.
The following year, when his club said he could not move to PSG, he refused to turn up for training and was demoted to the reserves. The Frenchman hasn't changed at all. He may have the talent, but that is the only reason why he has been tolerated. I'm afraid it will take a lot more than a free kick for his standing at the club to change. At the moment, Payet says he has a bad back to avoid being docked wages. With a move to the wealthy Chinese Super League the second-likeliest transfer according to the bookies, it is clear what Payet has his heart set on.
The first half was very nervy with both sides struggling to get a foothold of the match. Even though we have more than enough quality to beat Palace, we were under a bit of a malaise as we hadn't played without Payet for quite some time. The expectation was immense. But some of our players were really up for it. Carroll's passing was simply unreal, and he also did well in the air. Lanzini was getting constantly fouled whenever he was looking dangerous. So far, we didn't look too different without Payet, as Lanzini stepped up. We didn't pose much of an attacking threat, but neither did Palace.
Tomkins had the best chance of the game so far, but dragged his shot wide from close range. It reminded me of when we comfortably scored against Rob Green when we played for QPR a few seasons ago or like when Paul Koschesky's poor backpass was intercepted by Carroll who scored. Wins on those days was a good sign watching this match. At HT, it was goalless.
Now, Slav must have had an awful lot of pressure on him during that HT team talk. We will never know what was said, but it was the unheard harbinger that massively eased everyone around the club. It has given us tremendous belief that we can turn it around. I think Carroll says it best: "No player is bigger than the club. We showed that today and came together as a team to get a result." Truer words were never spoken. If it's Dimitri, then just make the la-la sound. Turn it into a sing-song tune to annoy him as well. Our enhanced Dimi chant is catching up as well.
There were several good performances out there. Given that most of us were closely examining the attacking players (as we played without one of our top creators – had to be said), it is wonderful to see our most attacking players all play a part in those goals. For all three of them to score (Carroll, Feghouli, and Lanzini) showed that they wanted to desperately win this. Even when we were 1-0 up, we still put a bit of emphasis on attacking… and it worked! The big man Andy Carroll could have headed the goal in. But what's the fun in that? Palace have conceded too many worldies. Dele Alli, Andy Carroll, a move with over 20 passes with Lanzini scoring, and a good free-kick from a garcon mauvais (that's French for "bad boy") have scored them. We went from losing 5-0 at home to winning 3-0! That is easier said than done.
A special mention has to go to Michail Antonio. He deserved to show off another 90's celebration, but got three assists instead. He is the first West Ham player to provide three assists in a Premier League game since Paolo Di Canio vs Coventry in April 2000. Cult hero. Now just don't go all political like Paolo did with his fascism, and turn into Mikhail Gorbachev. Then, we'll have no reason to doubt you. At the moment, he is quickly turning into Mr. West Ham. Sure, he came from Tooting & Mitcham in South London, but he rejected Spurs. That's our man!
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Michail Antonio was in bed with flu yesterday, got out of bed pulled on his shirt & played magnificently today - that's dedication for you
4:50 PM - 14 Jan 2017
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Finally, we have to sign a striker sooner or later. It is worth keeping in mind that spending a lot of money is not necessarily the answer. Palace spent £32.5M to get Benteke, but he was missing in the match. He even missed a penalty against us in the reverse fixture. At the time, we thought that it was a good buy from them. But given the fact that he has only scored eight goals in the league so far this season, you have to be smarter then that. Given our record of Championship purchases has been good, we need to keep spending there until one of them flops, Then we'll know that our luck has changed. We can expect a draw at the very least against Boro given that they have failed to score in five of their last seven Premier League games, recording just one win in that period. But it is all about the three points to be quite frank.
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West Ham United rebel Dimitri Payet will only move to Marseille as he seeks a move away from the London Stadium after refusing to play
Marseille have had a £20million bid rejected for West Ham's Dimitri Payet
Officials from French club are scheduled to arrive in London in the next 24 hours
West Ham are determined not to lose Payet this month but he wants to leave
By SAMI MOKBEL FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 17:18, 15 January 2017 | UPDATED: 19:54, 15 January 2017
Dimitri Payet will only consider a move to Marseille with talks over a proposed switch to accelerate this week. Having seen an offer in the region of £20million rejected by West Ham, officials from the French club are scheduled to arrive in London in the next 24 hours to thrash out a deal to take the forward back to his homeland. West Ham are determined not to lose Payet this month - but that will not stop Marseille from pursuing the France international. Sportsmail understands Marseille are preparing an improved £25million offer for Payet. Whether that fee will be enough for West Ham to reconsider their stance remains to be seen, with the Hammers hopeful of other interested parties entering the fray as they look to maximise their profit on a player they signed for £10.7million in 2015. But Payet only wants a move to Marseille - the club he left to join the Hammers. It comes as reports in France on Sunday night said that Payet's wife Ludivine had travelled to Marseille over the weekend. If a deal to sign Payet fails this month, Marseille are willing to strike a deal with West Ham that would see the 29-year-old join in the summer. Payet is determined to leave West Ham this month and is refusing to play for the club. He missed their 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday. After the game, West Ham striker Andy Carroll criticised his team mate's attitude, saying Payet had made it tough for the other players. He said: 'I don't think any player is bigger than the club. That's what the lads believe, the manager, all the staff and the fans. We showed we're a tight group and got three points for it. 'We have answered a few of the critics, with everything that has been going in during the week and everyone talking. I have received a lot of calls and messages and it has been the same for the other players.'
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Monday, January 16
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