Daily WHUFC News - 27th February 2017

Stat's A Fact - Resilient on the road
WHUFC.com

West Ham United left Vicarage Road with mixed emotions after a hard earned
1-1 draw against Watford on Saturday evening.

The hosts went in front from the penalty spot inside the opening three
minutes, however it was West Ham who went on to dominate much of the
remainder of the match, and could in fact have claimed all three points.
Eventually, it was second-half substitute Andre Ayew who got the Hammers
back on level terms, tapping in from close range to score his second goal in
claret and blue.

The Hammers had more than one chance to square things up and were
unfortunate on two occasions in the first half to have not clawed level. The
impressive away performance continued in the second period and the
equalising goal was the very least that West Ham United deserved.

The draw extended West Ham's excellent away record this season. In fact,
since the 3-2 defeat away at Tottenham Hotspur on 19 November, the Hammers
have been beaten just once on the road in the Premier League (seven
matches); a run which included dominating wins against Swansea City and
Southampton, as well as credible draws at Old Trafford and Anfield.

Slaven Bilic's side controlled the majority of possession at Vicarage Road,
having 64.2 per cent of the ball: only once this league season have West Ham
had more possession – home or away.

They made a total of 461 passes during the match- over 200 more than the
hosts (259)- at a success rate of 80 per cent. Astonishingly, six of West
Ham's starting eleven made more individual passes than any one of Watford's
players.

José Fonte's 73 passes was the most by a single player on the night, with
Winston Reid's 91 per cent topping the pass-success charts.

In the middle of the park, the Hammers dominated too. The duo of Mark Noble
and Pedro Obiang made a combined 107 passes at a success rate of 87 per cent
– far superior to the combined effort of Watford's midfield trio Tom
Cleverley, Valon Behrami and Etienne Capoue.

From the front-men, Manuel Lanzini was again the stand-out performer. The
Argentinian had to work as hard off the ball as he did on it, however still
attempted eight dribbles, 51 passes and covered almost eleven kilometres on
the evening. Counterpart, M'Baye Niang was Watford's best forward but
completed fewer passes, fewer dribbles and covered less ground than Lanzini.

The courage and determination shown will give immense encouragement to
Slaven Bilic and the Hammers fans. Ahead of the visit of Chelsea on 6 March,
the manager will know that the same work rate, resolve and togetherness will
certainly be required if West Ham United are to secure a positive result
against the current Premier League leaders.

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Westley - The apprenticeship is now crucial
WHUFC.com

Terry Westley says the apprenticeship stage for footballers, between the
ages of 17-23, is crucial in modern day football
The Academy Director was speaking on the talkSPORT Sports Breakfast Show
Westley also said the number of youngsters that train with the first team
show that the talent is there

Terry Westley believes the number of West Ham United youngsters that have
trained with the first team shows that the Club possesses hugely talented
individuals.

The Academy of Football boss was speaking to talkSPORT on Thursday morning
and admitted that it is much harder for teenagers to break into first teams
of Premier League football clubs, compared to 20 years ago.

He did, however, stress the importance of the "apprenticeship" stage – the
ages when players develop with the U18s, U23s and out on loan.

"There is players – you look at our club, we've got Josh Cullen, Marcus
Browne, Martin Samuelsen, Reece Oxford, Reece Burke, Domingos Quina –
they're all young players that are in and around [the first team] and we
have got a manager at our club who they train with on a daily basis," said
Westley. "They go in the first team group with Mark Noble and [Andy] Carroll
and [James] Collins and they hold their own.

"There's not only players from Europe now, they're from all over the world
so you can make that step, like Reece [Oxford] did against Arsenal a season
ago, but that apprenticeship may take longer.

"It's much more difficult to get into the first team at 17 now. That
apprenticeship is more between the ages 17 and 23 and I think Reece Oxford
is in that bracket. He's got to continue to work, maybe go out on loan and
play games.

"But he is a top, top young player and will come through the West Ham ranks
when Slaven feels he's ready for the team.

Westley also spoke about the reasoning and process behind the signing of
18-year-old winger Nathan Holland in January.

Holland has hit the ground running in claret and blue, scoring three goals
in his last three U23 matches which resulted in Westley comparing him to a
"young Ryan Giggs" after the 2-0 win over Fulham last Monday.

"He's been a good player for a long time, if you consider he's played for
England in all the various age groups from 15," Westley added.

"He became available a month ago and someone said 'Nathan Holland might be
available' and I had seen the boy play for England three years ago. It was
one of them when you look at your programme and put a line underneath his
name and think this boy is going to be one big talent.

"He'd been at Everton since he was nine. I think they've got in the region
of about 35 U21 players and he's also a late developer, so those sorts of
players can go missing, a bit like Martin Samuelsen at Manchester City. He's
a late developer and, in the system, those ones can go under the radar.

"He went from being a very talented schoolboy to then taking a dip and
Everton and Nathan Holland came to an agreement that he would be available
for a move. We instantly stepped in and took him."

"I don't think Nathan is ready for that yet [a loan move]. He's only just
come into our club and it's a completely different move for the boy. We want
to keep him for a little while and we've seen a completely different boy in
terms of he's enjoying himself and the confidence he showed playing in the
main stadium the other day."

Terry Westley's U23s travel to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier
League Cup on Monday (7pm). You can follow the action from 6pm at whufc.com
via our live blog.

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What a puzzling feeling: thoughts from a 1-1 draw
KUMb.com
Filed: Sunday, 26th February 2017
By: Adam Smith

Excuse the brevity and scattered nature of my thoughts, but my heart rate
remains high after the lack of Success at the end of that match. With that
said, an away draw is a positive, right? Then why does it feel so wrong?

With a 3rd minute penalty Troy Deeney put Watford ahead as the headaches
from West Ham fans set in earlier than usual on match day. Cheikhou Kouyate
looked uncomfortable as a right back thought the game and was the guilty
party for the clumsy tackle on former Hammer Mauro Zarate, which led to the
early goal from the spot.

His willingness to step into the line up in any position does deserve
recognition. However, a natural defender - whether it be centre back Jaime
Collins, or left back Arthur Masuaku - would provide more reliability in the
position. Kouyate did manage to pressure up the wings and showed creativity
with the ball on his foot, but he needs to be in the middle of the field to
really make an impact.

Defending the centre, Winston Reid and Jose Fonte successfully quelled the
Watford attack throughout the match. Fonte does deserve some more
recognition because he covered behind Kouyate who over-extended in attack.
Forced to defend the wing more often than anticipated, Fonte was terrific on
the evening helping stabilise the back end. Both Reid and Fonte seemed to
rely on Randolph sending the ball down the pitch as their midfielders often
could not advance the ball forward.

While incorporating the keeper is necessary at times, the West Ham attack
was deflated by the reliance on the 'keeper to find them downfield. It is
worth mentioning Fonte nearly tied the game up on a ricocheted header that
came to him off a West Ham corner, however it was pushed aside denying the
defender his first West Ham goal.

Patience with the ball in attack is a growing strength of the West Ham side
in recent weeks. Coming off a game where they had 65 per cent possession,
the Hammers followed up with another impressive effort, holding on to the
ball for 64 per cent against Watford. West Ham can score off the rush in
games where possession does not favour them, with the likes of Antonio and
Lanzini breaking away, but the upside to the possession game is limiting
chances against and making the most of chances for.

A disciple of the possession game and emerging offensive threat is Sofiane
Feghouli. Again, Feghouli looked dangerous attacking from the wing. He
maximised his space by slowing play down when outlets were limited, and
forced Watford to foul him by upping his pace at the drop of a dime.
Feghouli also crossed the ball in with intent multiple times, nearly finding
Antonio's head from a seemingly benign location. In recent weeks, he has
played himself onto the field and Bilic will be hard-pressed to find a
reason to remove him.

Up front, Michail Antonio started alone for his second match in a row. To
his credit, he looked more dangerous than his did against West Brom, and
commanded attention within the box, drawing towering Watford defender Younes
Kaboul regularly. Responsible for creating the goal, Antonio showed an
incredible burst of speed and displayed his ability to shoot in stride when
he nicked both posts, setting up Andre Ayew for an equalising tap in. But
Antonio's antics are something that need to be reeled in and addressed.

Eventually assessed a second yellow and subsequent red card off a bone-head
play where he intentionally touched the ball with his hand, Antonio was
eaten alive by the refereeing tonight. It is not a new, fresh, or sexy story
line, but poor refereeing had implications on the outcome of the match.

The mentality must be different to what Antonio showed, when this is
happening. His first yellow came off what he thought was a pull on his back
in Watford's 18-yard box on a developing play via a throw in. When it was
not called, Antonio lunged in on the clearing attempt tagging the defender
in obvious fashion. Antonio continued to play borderline through the night,
attacking overly aggressively, and eventually decided it would be wise to
slap the ball on his way down from a slip. His skills and output are too
valuable to West Ham to be wasted on plays like that, regardless of how
poorly the match was called.

Moving forward West Ham now prepare for what should be a heated match
against top-sitting Chelsea. The Hammers will have nine days in between
today's match and their next, hopefully providing the likes of Sam Byram and
Andy Carroll enough time to heal up and return to the line up. With Antonio
facing a one match ban for his red card, Mark Noble may have had his
position saved for another week after a lacklustre effort against Watford.

Snodgrass should review this game as an example of overplaying the ball and
trying too hard to notch a goal for his new team. His name was said more
than anyone else's in the first half, but he missed two terrific
opportunities within the box to score. Also, his crosses seemed low and off
target whether by corner or free kick, a skill he prides himself on, and one
of the reasons he was brought in. Simply marked as an off game, Snodgrass
should rebound against Chelsea with his usual grit and hardnosed effort, not
to mention his silky crosses.

Now for some quick positive notes as revealed in the emotional roller
coaster this match turned out to be. Lanzini remained elusive and
threatening, driving the West Ham attack and upping the play of Cresswell
who looked back in form, banging screaming crosses in from the wing. Also,
Ayew looked the man West Ham thought he would be when they signed him in the
summer. Capitalising off Antonio's double post shot, Ayew cleaned up the
ball and secured one point for the squad. Ayew also played a role in
creating that run, nodding the ball at centre on a great header.

Lastly, and most predictably, Pedro Obiang remained in top form this match,
tackling everything in sight, winning balls for the Hammers. It appears his
tacking record has given him a reputation amongst referees as he seems to
have earned the benefit of the doubt on close calls as well.

It would not be a match day if my heart rate didn't rise, and the neighbours
didn't look on concernedly. But a draw away should be hailed as a positive,
especially when you seal the game with ten men on the field. Much like
against West Brom, the claret and blue seem a class above their mid-table
competition, but need to show some finish to cement this feeling. They go
again against Chelsea, an opportunity to turn some heads and wreak some
havoc.

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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OS nominated as Stadium of the Year
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 26th February 2017
By: Staff Writer

The Olympic Stadium has been shortlisted in a competition to find the best
stadium of 2016.

The new base of West Ham United has been selected as one of the finalists,
after the original list of 29 stadiums was whittled down to a final
shortlist of just 10.

The list - which includes all modern stadia opened to the public during 2016
- was selected by a panel of five accomplished architects including Peter
Bordas (Hungary), Przemek Kaczkowski (Poland), Mårten Leringe (Sweden),
Robert Mankin (USA) and Andy Simons (England).

And the ten sites selected for the final are as follows:

* Allianz Stadion (Vienna, Austria): SK Rapid
* Cape Coast Stadium (Cape Coast, Ghana): Ebusua Dwarfs
* Dacia Arena (Udinese, Italy): Udinese
* Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, USA): Miami Dolphins
* Medical Park Arena (Trabzon, Turkey): Trabzonspor
* Olympic Stadium (Stratford, London): West Ham Utd
* Sivas Arena (Sivas, Turkey): Sivasspor
* Stadion FK Krasnodar (Krasnodar, Russia): FK Krasnodar
* Stadion Miejski (Bielsko-Biala, Poland): BKS Stal, Podbeskidzie
* Vodafone Arena (Istanbul, Turtkey): Besiktas

The panel's winning stadium will be confirmed on Monday, 6 March - whilst a
second award, in which public votes are used to determine the winner will be
announced 24 hours later. To cast your votes, visit stadiumdb.com and select
your five favourite stadia.

'Stadium of the Year' is a non-commercial competition launched seven years
ago by Stadiony.net and StadiumDB.com, both of whom specialise in football
stadiums. It is the largest open vote of its kind.

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Slaven Bilic hopes West Ham's Andy Carroll will be fit for Chelsea clash
By Allan Valente
Last Updated: 26/02/17 11:21am
SSN

Slaven Bilic is hopeful that Andy Carroll will be fit for West Ham's next
match against Chelsea a week on Monday. The injury-hit striker missed
Saturday's 1-1 draw against Watford at Vicarage Road with a groin problem
but Bilic expects to see him back in full training by Wednesday at the
latest. Carroll has scored four goals in his last four matches and Bilic
hopes the 28-year-old will be available for the visit of Antonio Conte's
Premier League leaders to the London Stadium on Monday Night Football on
March 6. "The guys from the medical department have told me he's going to
start training Tuesday or Wednesday," Bilic said. "He ran on Friday and
Saturday morning with no negative reaction, so hopefully. Me and my medical
department are fighting. They say Wednesday, I say Tuesday. "Then hopefully
four or five days of training, that is always enough for Andy to shine in
the next game. So hopefully he is going to be able to play against Chelsea."

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Watford forward Mauro Zarate out for at least six months after rupturing
cruciate ligaments in West Ham draw
Zarate was carried off, in tears of pain and requiring oxygen, in Saturday's
1-1 draw with his former club
The Mirror
BYMIKE WALTERS
16:41, 26 FEB 2017

Watford playmaker Mauro Zarate faces at least six months out after scans
confirmed he has ruptured cruciate ligaments in his right knee. Zarate was
carried off, in tears of pain and requiring an oxygen mask , in Saturday's
1-1 draw with his former club West Ham on only his third appearance for the
Hornets. On his Instagram account, Zarate – who moved to Vicarage Road from
Fiorentina for £2.3million last month - broke the bad news in three
langauges, saying: "Thank you everyone for your messages in this horrible
moment. "With sadness I inform you the results show anterior cruciate
ligament rupture plus a grade one injury of medial collateral ligament. "I
will face this with all my strength and be back stronger than ever." Watford
have had terrible luck with injuries this season. Among the long-term
casualties was another Argentine playmaker, record £13m signing Roberto
Pereyra, whose season was ended by major knee surgery in December.

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