Squad competition is fierce, says Kemp ahead of Spurs
WHUFC.com
West Ham United winger Dan Kemp says the competition amongst the attacking players in the Premier League 2 squad is fierce ahead of the side's London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday. Academy Director and manager of the team Terry Westley has the likes of Sead Haksabanovic, Martin Samuelsen, Nathan Holland, Grady Diangana and Joe Powell – as well as Kemp – currently fit to choose from. A trio of new signing Haksabanovic, Norway international Samuelsen and former Everton man Holland started behind Toni Martinez in attack against Swindon Town last week, and the Hammers were devastating going forward, scoring three times to beat the League Two outfit. And Kemp – who scored the winner from the bench in the 3-2 win at the County Ground – insisted the competition for places in the starting XI is healthy. "We're all pushing each other on every day," said the England U19 international. "There is loads of competition but my job is to keep doing the best I can in training and in games and to make sure that I am starting. "It's definitely healthy to have that though. As long as you're strong minded, and not mentally weak, it's good. You've got to really believe you deserve to be in the team.
"Obviously we're all good friends as well but ultimately it comes down to pushing each other on, congratulating each other but knowing you want to start and adding pressure onto yourself to do that. "So everyone is really looking forward to Spurs. We beat them in pre-season and although that's only a friendly, it builds confidence. We'll go into the game positively and with loads of confidence from that and from Tuesday." The clash at Spurs' Enfield training centre will be the first of three competitive meetings this season, with the London rivals having been drawn together in the Premier League International Cup. West Ham were 3-2 winners in the pre-season meeting just a couple of weeks ago, and with that in mind as well as Tuesday's victory of the same scoreline, Kemp is in high spirits.
"I'm personally really confident at the moment too. On Tuesday, it was great to come into the game and straight away do a few good dribbles and then score pretty quickly after that. To score the winner was brilliant, and it was a great feeling to run over to the fans! "Obviously I'm an attacking player and I want to score, that's my job, so I feel like I did it the other night and it's just even more helpful that it's given us the three points. "These games are good for us to show people what we can do. Obviously to score the winner is special for me personally, but it was a good competitive game and it means a lot. "Hopefully we can do the same again at Tottenham and get the win."
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Cresswell proud of West Ham United's character despite defeat
WHUFC.com
Aaron Cresswell has hailed the excellent character shown by West Ham United in the battling defeat at Southampton. It took a late and debatable penalty for the Saints to best the Hammers on Saturday, having secured an early and seemingly unassailable advantage in the first half. The south coast side had stormed into a 2-0 lead through Marco Gabbiadini and Dusan Tadic, while West Ham United had Marko Arnautovic sent off, but still Slaven Bilic's side battled for a result. It seemed like the Irons' hard work and determination had paid off as Chicharito scored twice with terrific prowess either side of half-time to draw West Ham United level. But a draw was not meant to be as Charlie Austin tucked away a spot-kick in stoppage time to give the Saints the victory. Despite the loss Cresswell believes there is cause for optimism in the performance and is delighted with the character West Ham United showed in battling back from 2-0 down. "I would say we showed great character," Cresswell said: "We were 2-0 down and we had gone down to ten men and then we came back into the game. I think we fully deserved it, the way we reacted to the decisions that went against us in the game. "I think it's great character from us but it's really disappointing to lose."
The left-back enjoyed a decent outing, creating four chances for his teammates and playing the crucial cross that led to Javier Hernandez's second goal. Cresswell was keen to stress the hard work West Ham United had done over the week following the loss to Manchester United, and feels that commitment was also seen in the match at St Mary's. The defender is now keen to look forward to this week's matches with Cheltenham Town and Newcastle United. "To be fair we had worked hard all week in the build-up to the game. Some of the decisions were harsh. You look at it from our point our view. We'd worked our backsides off for sixty minutes," Cresswell added. "There's optimism. We're feeling down now with the defeat but we've got to work hard and get ready for Cheltenham and Newcastle."
The Hammers could welcome back playmaker Manuel Lanzini for the match with Newcastle at the weekend and Cresswell is eager to see the Argentinian back in the team. "He was arguably our best player next season so of course he's been a big miss for us," Cresswell added: "We'll welcome him back but we've got to work on the things we do wrong and put them right."
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Loan watch: Frustration continues for Bolton pair
WHUFC.com
Josh Cullen and Reece Burke started for Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, both completing 90 minutes though the Trotters were beaten 2-1 by Derby County.
The Hammers pair, who have both featured in all three of the side's Championship matches so far this campaign, could not help Phil Parkinson's men to a point against the Rams. Gary Rowett's visiting men raced into an early lead when Dave Nugent scored from close range just eight minutes in. And things went from bad to worse for the hosts less than a quarter of an hour later when the former England international grabbed his second of the afternoon at the Macron Stadium, heading home Johnny Russell's cross. Bolton steadied the ship from then on in, and did halve the deficit in injury time when Gary Madine pounced, but it was too little too late for Cullen and Burke's side who slipped into the bottom three in England's second tier after the defeat. Bolton host Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup second round.
Meanwhile, Reece Oxford recovered from an ankle injury in time to be named on the bench in Borussia Monchengladbach's opening Bundesliga match and derby win over FC Koln on Sunday. The hosts were dominant throughout and scored the game's only goal four minutes after half time, when right-back Nico Elvedi bagged his first in Borussia colours, converting Ibrahima Traore's cross. Oxford's men are next in action on Saturday when they travel to Augsburg in the Bundesliga.
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Ogbonna: Chicharito is really important for us
WHUFC.com
Angelo Ogbonna has expressed his admiration for Chicharito after West Ham United's courageous 3-2 Premier League defeat at Southampton. The Hammers were reduced to ten men and fell 2-0 down at St Mary's Stadium before roaring back into the game courtesy of two goals from the Mexico striker. However, a controversial late penalty denied Ogbonna and company a point and left them bottom of the table after two matches. "At the end it was so disappointing, but I am also very proud of the team because we played really good with ten men," said the Italian, who was drafted into the starting XI just moments before kick-off after Winston Reid suffered a calf injury in the warm-up. "It was a huge effort. We showed our character out there. We wanted to do better than last week when we played away at Manchester United and conceded four goals. We said we cannot give up this game and we have to show that we are not lazy on the pitch. "We wanted to do our best even though we were playing away and show that this is a new season and at the end, we just thought 'Oh my God'. We didn't expect that."
While the Hammers lamented their luck on the south coast, there were plenty of reasons to be optimistic ahead of Saturday's trip to winless Newcastle United.
Chicharito was outstanding and scored two trademark goals, while Declan Rice continued to build his reputation with another assured display in central midfield.
"It is not just Chicharito [who played really well], I think Rice as well," the No21 observed. "The first game was a really good test for him. Chicharito has shown his character a lot and he won't give up. He is really important for us. "There are a lot of positive things to come out of this game. I thought we played better than them definitely and were down by one man for 60 minutes."
While West Ham looked threatening in front of goal, scoring twice and having eight shots on target, the Hammers conceded three goals, including two penalties.
Slaven Bilic's side have now conceded seven goals in two matches, but Ogbonna does not believe the team have underlying defensive issues, and is optimistic they can keep a clean sheet at St James' Park. "This is the Premier League," he said. "Everyone is scared because we conceded four goals to Manchested United, but on Saturday they did the same to Swansea. "I think it is the high level of the league with a lot of good players. Manchester United can lose the next game and we can win at Newcastle United."
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Defender buzzing after netting Tottenham winner
WHUFC.com
Centre-back Josh Pask admitted he was buzzing after volleying home the winner in West Ham United U23s' 3-2 London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur on Monday afternoon. The defender, who missed large chunks of last campaign through injury, smashed in the visitors' third at Spurs' training ground to complete a superb Hammers comeback against their rivals. The hosts had gone 2-0 up in a comfortable first half but succumbed to intense West Ham pressure early in the second as Dan Kemp fired in his second in as many games before Nathan Holland equalised with a cracker. And Pask was delighted to bag the all-important third after centre-half partner Tunji Akinola had knocked down cleverly with his head. "It was a great feeling for me," said Pask. "I haven't scored in a while so coming back from a couple of injuries, of course it was good to score. I'm buzzing – it's always good to get a goal, to be fair. "Tunji did well to head the ball back towards me, and it was a pretty easy finish, I just kept my composure and volleyed it in. "Especially with the rivalry, we're all buzzing after that and we'll go again on Sunday in loads of confidence from today. It's been a decent start to the season with two wins from three, so it's so far, so good."
Manager Terry Westley lamented his side's first half performance after the game but there could be no complaints as the east Londoners raced out the blocks in the second half, stunning their opponents to eventually take home maximum points. Despite the disappointment at half time, Pask was convinced his team were always likely to find a way back into the game, he revealed afterwards. "In the first half, we were lethargic and Spurs came out strong to be fair to them. Second half though, we had a team talk and Terry gave us a good talking to, and that got us going for the second half and we came out firing. "We scored three quick goals in the second half so we'll take that and we defended very well for the rest of the game. "I knew we would have a chance to get back into it if we scored early. We have goals in our team – we know when we are attacking well we can score goals against anybody. "That's what it felt like after Kempy scored, that we were always going to get more. We have Martin [Samuelsen], Nathan [Holland], Toni [Martinez], Grady [Diangana] as well as Kempy…we have firepower and we have goals and like you can see, we scored three in about 15 minutes. "We're definitely confident going forward and we'll look to keep doing that same thing throughout the rest of our games."
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Westley on Tottenham win: I won't repeat what I said at half time!
WHUFC.com
Terry Westley praised the way his U23 side turned their performance around to beat Tottenham Hotspur on Monday having come back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.
The Academy Director was left mightily disappointed after Spurs put themselves in a comfortable position during the first half, outplaying the Hammers in every department. But after some stern words at the break – which the boss declined to repeat – the visitors came out firing and scored three quick goals to turn the game on its head. Dan Kemp halved the deficit just four minutes into the second period before Nathan Holland equalised with a screamer from long range. Centre-back Josh Pask then stunned Tottenham, volleying home after Tunji Akinola's knock-down to make it 3-2 and the Hammers held on to win their first Premier League 2 Division 1 three point-haul. After the full-time whistle, Westley said: "We're delighted with the second half performance and the character of the team, but if you're talking about the first half performance, we were miles off. "If you're talking about Premier League players, we wouldn't have been able to get back into the game. You're not getting back in that game in a top flight match. Whether it was because it was a training ground game, we didn't start aggressive enough and we didn't run hard enough. "You can talk about tactics, technical ability…sometimes it's just about running hard enough and if your man runs you better run with him. We didn't do that first half by any stretch. "Second half, we turned it around. You wouldn't want to repeat what I said at half time! It certainly wasn't about tactics or formations. It was about it being a local derby – this game should mean something. To be fair to us, we showed it afterwards. "To a man, we got after them and made it more difficult, scoring an early goal and the momentum carried us through right to the very end."
The youngsters have begun their 2017/18 campaign in fine form, and remain unbeaten with two wins from three matches. And despite the disappointing opening 45 on Monday, a couple of names did stand out throughout the game in Westley's eyes. "Vashon Neufville was terrific – probably the pick – and then the whole team were all up to an eight out of ten from a three first period," he continued. "It was that big a change. "I'm pleased for Josh Pask – he gave away a penalty first half which was dubious to say the least, so for him to get the winner was nice. "Second half, Nathan Holland was outstanding. He carried the ball, went past people, he scored a wonderful goal – that's a wonderful goal at every level. First half, it was like his twin brother who can't play – second half he was brilliant.
"If you can repeat that second 45 performance against Swansea [on Sunday], we have a good chance."
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Ray: West Ham United Ladies must make dominance count after Gillingham defeat
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies General Manager Karen Ray says the team put in a dominant performance despite falling to a 1-0 defeat to Gillingham on Sunday.
The Ladies put in a convincing showing at Priestfield Stadium in their first match of the season but ultimately lost the game thanks to an 89th minute finish from Gillingham's Kallie Balfour. West Ham otherwise bossed the game with the Ladies holding the majority of possession and creating a number of excellent chances, but struggled to find that clinical moment in front of goal. Ray admitted she is disappointed following the defeat but believes the Ladies can take a number of positives from the opening day loss. "It's very frustrating to not get something out of the game, especially when you look at the number of chances we had," Ray said. "There is no doubt that we finish every game with a clear dominance in possession, now we have to convert the chances we are creating in the final third to goals. "Overall we played well, and I think the young players who came off the bench gave a very good account of themselves. They showed a real hunger for the game and their energy lifted the team."
Amber Stobbs in particular looked lively in Sunday's fixture, bamboozling the Gillingham defence on a number of occasions and creating goalscoring opportunities for her teammates. West Ham's dominance in the match failed to provide a winning result but Ray reckons losing on Sunday will only fire up the Ladies further to right those wrongs against Cardiff City in the next contest. Ray added: "I believe we will see a reaction from the Ladies for our upcoming game against Cardiff City. Everyone was disappointed with the result yesterday but the beauty of football is how quickly we can turn that around and switch our focus."
West Ham United Ladies: Yardley; Kmita, Wheeler, Austin, Auguste; Long (Ezekiel-Meade 50), Cooper, Miller (Chitae-Samuriwo 45), Stobbs, Burr, Peters (Wealthall 65)
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London Stadium 2017/18 opener sold out!
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to confirm that our opening home match of the 2017/18 Premier League season has sold out.
With three weeks remaining until newly-promoted Huddersfield Town visit London Stadium on Monday 11 September, all available seats have been snapped up by Claret Members.
The news comes a month after the full allocation of 52,000 Season Tickets – the highest number in London - sold out, with supporters on the Waiting List rushing to claim the seats available after a record renewal rate of 90% at the end of May.
Hammers fans have yet again shown their incredible support to ensure that Slaven Bilic's men will walk out to a packed house against the Terriers, when new signings Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and Javier Hernandez are set to perform at their new home for the first time.
Hernandez admits he can't wait to step out in front of 57,000 fans at London Stadium, and has already been hugely impressed by the devotion and loyalty of the Hammers fans.
"It is incredible that the first home game is sold out," said Chicharito. "I knew before I arrived here that the West Ham supporters were very passionate and loyal but now I can really see just how special they are.
"One of the main attractions in signing for West Ham was the thought of walking out in front of nearly 60,000 people at a magnificent stadium, and I can't wait to experience that for the first time.
"For us as players, it is a wonderful feeling to know that we have such great support behind us, and it gives us great confidence at the start of the season."
Manager Bilic added: "Of course, it is fantastic that we have already sold out the first home game against Huddersfield, but it doesn't surprise me.
"Our supporters are a unique group, they hold a special bond with the team and I have always felt that – during my time here as a player and throughout the last two years as manager.
"When we really needed them last season, they were there to push us on, and already they are showing that they are going to be fully behind us once again when we kick off the new campaign.
"On behalf of my players and my staff, I would like to say thank you again to the fans for the backing and the support they give us.
"It is a huge motivation for us as we prepare for the start of the new season on Sunday, and we are all determined to repay them with success and some fantastic memories at London Stadium this season."
For any supporters looking to secure access to home tickets this season without a Season Ticket, the best way is to become a Claret Member. Only two Premier League games last season reached General Sale, so becoming a Claret Member really is the best way to ensure you are able to secure a seat for games at London Stadium.
Membership is priced at just £40 adults and £25 under-16s and entitles you to priority on home tickets, access to our ticket exchange, a £5 discount on official away coach travel, access to exclusive events, retail offers throughout the season and a unique gift pack.
However, our patient supporters on the Waiting List can take advantage of a £10 discount on Membership if signing up before 8 September – the only to guarantee an opportunity to watch the excitement at London Stadium this season!
For more information, or to sign up today, please click here.
If you missed out on a ticket for Huddersfield, you will still have the opportunity to be there to watch our exciting new signings Chicharito, Pablo Zabaleta and Joe Hart on home turf for the first time as the Ticket Exchange is now open.
Tickets will become available to purchase as Season Ticket Holders who can't attend relist their seats, giving other supporters the chance to see the Hammers in action while earning Club Cash towards future ticketing purchases themselves. Claret Members can now purchase from the Ticket Exchange.
Furthermore, as the Hammers' first home match of the new campaign falls on a Monday evening, supporters will be able to upgrade Junior Season Tickets for Adult tickets at a discounted rate. Click here for full information.
A limited number of tickets for the unmissable London derby against Tottenham Hotspur are still available for Claret Members. Hurry to secure yours now! Click here to purchase.
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Chicharito and Zabaleta welcome fans to London Stadium
WHUFC.com
West Ham United fans from all over the world descended on the London Stadium Store to meet Chicharito and Pablo Zabaleta on Monday. Hundreds of supporters had a grey late summer's afternoon brightened by spending time with their heroes, collecting autographs and posing for selfies. The Hammers' new Mexican striking superstar attracted dozens of supporters of his hometown club Guadalajara, many of whom departed wearing the Claret and Blue of West Ham. For the No17, who grew up idolising his own heroes in the red and white of Guadalajara and green of Mexico, the importance of spending time with those who cheer you on is huge. "I grew up like them, asking for signatures and for photographs from everyone!" he smiled. "My Granddad was a footballer and my Dad as well, so I always tried to the autographs and photos from the other players. "This type of event lets us be close to the fans who make our stadium full and travel all over the country to away games or watch our games on television, so they are very important for us as well." "My favourite thing I got was not a signature or a photo but there was a goalkeeper for Mexico called Jorge Campos who was a legend in my country and I don't know why, but when I was a kid I loved to play as a goalkeeper, so my Dad got me his gloves and his shirt! "At that moment, he was very popular because of the colour of the uniforms that he wore, so I think that was the best thing I collected when I was a child!"
Alongside the hundreds of local parents and schoolchildren dressed proudly in their West Ham shirts were Chicharito fans from all over Mexico, including many from his home city of Guadalajara, where he began his prolific career at the age of nine. "He is really humble and he teaches that if you want to achieve great things in your life, you just need to keep going and never give up and be confident – that's why this guy means so much to us," said Guadalajara native Juan Alvarez, who is studying at Durham University. "We went to Southampton and I became a Hammer with all the fans, I'm going to Newcastle and I'm going to follow the Club from now." "We love Chicharito and we are really lucky to be here to meet him!" said Ana Galindo, who lives in Sonora in Mexico's north west. "He is special because he is the best Mexican football player and we really feel good about his accomplishments."
Also waiting patiently were newlyweds Cruz and Elizabeth Pena, who made meeting their hero a must-do on their honeymoon in London! "We are so happy to be here to meet Chicharito!" Cruz told whufc.com. "He is the biggest player in Mexico, so he's really important in our town and he's also a great guy. "This is very important and maybe I'm going to give Chicha a kiss if it's not a problem. This is the best moment of my honeymoon!"
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AWAY DAYS: CHELTENHAM
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 21 AUGUST 2017 AT 10:13PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Craig Podevin @CraigPodevin
And so our cup adventure starts. I think we played very well to come back and level from 2-0 down with 10 men against Southampton away from home too! Some of the negativity has been well over the top. I'm expecting to see a weaker 11 for this game, but let's hope the players coming into the side have a point to prove.
General information:
Stadium: LCI Stadium
Capacity: 7,066 (3,912 seats)
Address: Whaddon Road, Cheltenham, GL52 5NA
Away seating: 1,100
Despite being built in 1927 and being the home of Cheltenham Town since 1932, the LCI stadium didn't host senior football for 67 years. Two of the stands have been renovated/built in the last 20 years, including the Hazlewoods Stand (2005) and the Thomson & Bancks stand (2001). There is a small electronic scoreboard on top of the roof of the Hazlewoods Stand.
The view of the playing area is said to be good. Away fans are seated in the Hazlewoods Stand and sometimes, if required, the Thomson & Bancks stand.
Travel:
Train
Cheltenham Railway Station is over 2 miles from the stadium, so it is advised to get a taxi or bus from the station to the ground. Bus service D runs from the station car park to the Town Centre every 10 minutes and costs £3.40 for an all day ticket. From the town centre, it's a short walk to the stadium down Prestbury Road. You can get the bus going the other way after the game, where it stops outside a Tesco near the station.
Car
If you wish to drive, enter GL52 5NA in your sat nav or follow directions below.
From the M25, leave Junction 16 onto the M40. Continue on the M40 until Junction 8, where you come onto the A40. Stay on the A40 until you come to the B4075 on your right and turn down there. At the end of the road, turn left, then right onto Cleeve View Road (Berkhampstead School will be on the corner). At the end of Cleeve View Road, turn left, and you will see the ground on your right.
Parking
Parklands Social Club (mentioned below in the food and drink section) has car parking available for £4 if you wish to park your car there.
There are limited spaces available to park at the stadium (at a cost of £5), but you can pre-book with Cheltenham by calling 01242 573 558 (*according to grimsby-townfc.co.uk). There isn't much space for street parking nearby.
Food and drink:
A club bar nearby called Robins Nest allows a limited number of away fans for £1 admittance.
Kemble Brewery Inn on Fairview Street is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, which has always proved popular when visiting football grounds on away fixtures.
10 minutes away from the stadium lies the Sudeley Arms and Conservatory pubs on Prestbury Road with a chip shop in between them. To find these from the stadium car park, turn left at the end of the road, straight over the roundabout and the Sudeley Arms will be on your left with the Conservatory on the right.
Very near the ground is the Parklands Social Club, which has a few TV screens.
Inside the ground, you can choose from burgers (£2.80), a half pounder with cheese (£4), hot dogs (£3), gourmet pies (£3.20), bacon rolls (£3), Cornish pasties (£3) or sausage rolls (£2.50).
Let's hope this fixture can be the start of a memorable cup run for us this year. Stay safe and enjoy the game, Come On You Irons! -@CraigPodevin
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TIME TO BRING RIO HOME!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 21 AUGUST 2017 AT 9:17PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by FarehamHammer @farehamhammer
No we are not in a crisis, we are not going to be relegated, and I still think we will flourish this season. Nothing has changed, we still have work to do in this window. Requirements remain the same: defensive midfielder, a creative midfielder, a striker. This is because there is more chance that Donald Trump will stay off Twitter for the week than Sakho and Carroll lasting a season, without being injured at least twice, it is La La land stuff to think otherwise. The shrewdest bit of business this window however would be to bring Rio Ferdinand back to the club as defensive coach. If Gold and Sullivan could get Big Sam to bring in Teddy Sheringham as attacking coach, they can likewise do the same to Slaven, regarding bringing Rio Ferdinand in. It would give the whole club a lift!
I like Slaven, but alarm bells are starting to ring, even amongst his most loyal supporters and questions must be asked. His backroom staff need a dramatic overhaul, we don't even look fit for starters. Time to get rid of Miljenko Rak, the 70 year old Fitness Coach, and replace him with a younger Fitness Coach. It must be bye bye Julian Dicks, the sacked former Grays Athletic Coach who is nothing more than a BBC -bibs, bags, cones man. Only appointed as a sop to the fans. Many have deep reservations about our centre backs not without reason. Yes, they get very little protection from a woeful midfield, which hopefully we will rectify soon. Even so, Slaven's decision to send both, Reece Oxford and Reece Burke on loan without a replacement is ABSOLUTELY POTTY!
As things stand we are only a few injuries away, from potentially having a back four consisting of Zabaleta at right back, with a centre back pairing of Fonte and Collins. An absolute F++++++ disaster! You and I, could get behind that defence and cause havoc that partnership would turn slower than sour milk. That is the ridiculous position we find ourselves in. Gold and Sullivan, MUST bring a centre back in is the cry no doubt. But they shouldn't have to and would not have had to if we had Rio Ferdinand in as defensive Coach. Imagine how much quicker both Reece's and Declan Rice would develop under the watchful eye of Ferdinand? They would be ready in no time, instead our manager sends them out on loan, leaving us paper thin at centre back in particular. Fearing for our lives that we don't land up playing the likes of Chelsea, relying on a defence consisting of Dad's Army. It is not just the centre backs that would develop under Rio, the whole first team squad would. I could see the likes of Aaron Cresswell and Sam Byram in particular, really develop as top class defenders under the former England player.
One of the biggest problems with the West Ham defence is we don't function as a unit. At times we resemble the keystone cops! A good defensive unit has won many a football match. Ferdinand has played in some of the best units in the business, and won many a trophy in the process. He is a winner and a leader, which would rub off on the defence. Tony Carr once said to me, that a footballer can have all the talent in the world and still not make the grade for a whole host of reasons. Temptations off the field, simply not being mentally strong enough, the life of a footballer with all the trappings and fame, can still be a lonely world. Rio Ferdinand having been there and got the t-shirt, he would be able to spot the pitfalls early and help players who otherwise might be lost to the game for good. Time to bring Rio Ferdinand, one of our own, leader of men back home.
Even with Rio back home, the defence needs protection from the midfield, once again the midfield's soft underbelly was exposed against Southampton. No movement, no pace, no invention, simply cannot keep possession of the ball. A defensive midfielder is a must and very quickly. We have been on the verge of signing William Carvalho for an eternity. A great defensive midfield who can spot a pass early. Yes, I would welcome him but I do have reservations on spending the amount of dough on him that it would take to sign him. This is why: IF he can go on strike to force a move to us, what happens if he has a great first season and the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal come calling? I fear he would do exactly to us what he is attempting to do to Sporting. We certainly don't want a Dimitri Payet part two do we? It would make perfect sense, if The Club looked at other options besides Carvalho. If big bill signs him I would get right behind him as I do any player who dons The Claret and Blue. It has not the best of starts but certainly not a crisis. Bring him home ….bring Rio home. We are more than a football club, we're a way of life! COYI!!!
Farehamhammer!
(Edited by Danny Twigg)
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SPURS UNDER 23 2 V 3 WEST HAM UNITED UNDER 23
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 21 AUGUST 2017 AT 9:32PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Jack Lebeau @JackLebeau65
It was an amazing comeback for West Ham U23 today as we beat our London rivals Spurs 3-2 in a thrilling encounter at their own training ground.
Well, first of all, what a game to go and see for free at midday on a Monday afternoon (despite the weather!) The facilities at their training ground looked incredible & it was a beautiful place. Enough of talking up Spurs though!
We started the better side and should have been in-front if it were not for Martinez missing a couple of great chances, both after some brilliant play from Dan Kemp. We dominated early proceedings but Spurs did eventually get into the game and with that brought some chances for the home side. Inevitably, they took the lead going 1-0 up after a Josh Pask deflection sent the ball rolling into the back of the net. Spurs doubled their lead just before half-time from the penalty spot via Edwards who blatantly dived to win the penalty himself.
It took us just 18 minutes though in the second half to complete an incredible comeback with Kemp notching the first within just four minutes of the whistle to begin the second half, expertly tapping home from a beautiful Neufville cross.
Spurs' defenders continued to struggle with the threat of Man of the Match Dan Kemp, but it was his opposite winger Nathan Holland (amazing in the second half, constantly opening up Spurs' midfield & defence), who netted the equaliser with a lovely curled shot into the far right-hand side of the net. Pask finally overturned the scores volleying home from an Akinola knock-down.
Spurs began to do what they do best and put the pressure on, but our defenders responded well & were solid in dealing with the threat their attackers posed. Alex Pike for example notably cleared the ball off the line late on despite Spurs fans & players claiming the ball had actually gone over!
In reality, the scores could of been a lot higher if it were not for Trott, Pask & Neufville keeping us in the game & Martinez missing a huge number of chances. It's a weird one with Martinez as after being so deadly in front of goal last season, he has struggled to finish his chances in his three games this season, maybe he is more suited to playing at CAM? Who knows, but he was better off the ball today further back.
Interestingly, I stood next to what was clearly a scout whilst at the game, and he was making notes about all of our players throughout. Here's what I managed to oversee; Holland is quick & has a great first touch, Pike has good mentality, Samuelsen goes down easily, Martinez closes down well. He also had loads to note on Neufville & Kemp but I couldn't read any of them.
I thought the assessment of Samuelsen going down too easily was a bit unfair today. I'd say in general I agree with him but he was clamped a couple of times today and did go off with a knock at half-time as a result. Pike started well but faded as the game went on, but he led the back-line very well & should be captain of that side, not Makasi. Also have to say Noha Sylvestre was very impressive & solid at DM when he played for half hour; rarely misplaced a pass & got himself out of some tricky situations when challenged by two Spurs' players at once.
I'd say a draw would have been more of a fair result but I can't complain with us getting the three points in the manner we did! That's now four points from two games in the higher division after also drawing with last season's champions Everton 0-0.
West Ham U23's next game is at Dagenham's Chigwell Construction Stadium on Sundayagainst Swansea (free for ST Holders of both us & Dagenham) with kick-off at 1pm, then we play Spurs U23 again (at Stevenage's Lamex Stadium) on Thursday 31st August in the cup (7:45pm KO).
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Hackett - Mason had a stinker
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 21st August 2017
By: Staff Writer
Former referee Keith Hackett has criticised Lee Mason for his performance in West Ham's 3-2 defeat at Southampton on Saturday. Hackett, who was in charge of the 1991 FA Cup semi final during which Tony Gale was infamously sent off (and has a KUMB Award named after him as a result) hit our at Mason following his performance in Saturday's Premier League clash at St Mary's. Critical of Mason's decision not to dismiss Mark Noble, Hackett also insisted that the decision to award the hosts a last minute penalty was "soft". "The big talking point of the weekend, for me, was the performance of Lee Mason at Southampton," Hackeet told the Telegraph. "He really struggled and I've questioned his ability before to look comfortable and control a game at Premier League level.
"Mason is a very experienced official but he doesn't relax. Mark Noble was clearly off the ground with two feet and it was a clear red card for the challenge on Mario Lemina, yet the referee lets it go. "By allowing Noble to get away with it, other players suddenly think they can take control, and we'd already seen an outrageous elbow from Marko Arnautovic, which got him sent off. "Then there was the penalty, for Southampton's winning goal, which we all feel was a soft one. But when the referee has an indifferent performance and he makes the big calls, they are questioned by all of us."
Hackett also called for assistant referees to be granted accees to video replays, as is the case now with both rugby and cricket. "As the season unfolds, with a limited number of top referees since we've lost Mark Clattenburg, it will only become more important that we utilise it," he insisted.
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Southampton 3-2 West Ham (And Other Ramblings)
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 21st August 2017
By: HeadHammerShark
It's impossible, it feels to me, to be able to accurately convey the feeling of being a West Ham fan to other people. We can try, certainly, but the reality is that all football fans are convinced they are on a rollercoaster journey of zeniths and nadirs that is unmatched anywhere else in the world.
There are Manchester United fans who will genuinely look you in the eye and tell you without irony that it is agony supporting their team, despite the fact that the entire sport is geared towards making sure they win. That's just the essence of being a fan. We all need to feel it's a glorious test of loyalty.
A look that just screams "experienced, error free defending"
But this game... this game might just be the very essence of supporting West Ham. The perfect distillation of agony and ecstasy, bravery and incompetence, Hernandez and Fonte, stupid David Sullivan decisions and even stupider David Sullivan decisions. I want you to pull up a chair, sit down there, pull on your Robert Snodgrass replica top and let me tell you about the day that West Ham went to St Mary's and West Hammed the absolute almighty fuck out of this game of football.
***
The story begins months ago, in March 2015, when Winston Reid signed a new six and a half year deal with the club. This would have taken him to his age 33 season which everybody knows is when centre backs are just about to hit their prime. Because of this our genius Director of Football, Professor David Sullivan, decided that we also needed to buy out another two years of Reid's career meaning that on the cusp of this game he signed yet another contract extension. This pointless endeavour now means that we get to pay Reid right the way up until he is 35 years old. Remember gang, long term planning is for wusses.
The way you can tell this is a good idea, by the way, is simply by checking how many 35 year old centre backs started in the Premier League this weekend. None. Boy, it feels great to be a trailblazer. West Ham, ladies and gentlemen.
Anyway, flush with his new contract Reid promptly got injured in the warm up for this game because of course he fucking did. There is nothing more West Ham in the universe than new signings getting stretchered off, even when they're just contract extensions.
Into the team came Angelo Ogbonna, himself a recent recipient of a long term extension whilst recovering from an operation, who had been dropped after doing a passable impersonation of a kindly doorman at Old Trafford last week - "None shall pass! Except you! And you! Oh go on then, you too!". So one game into the season, half of the back four who had presumably been training together all pre season were out. We were rapidly approaching peak West Ham and the game hadn't even bloody started.
***
It's been a bad week for statues in the South. In the US they are wanting to pull down these unmoving, rigid monuments to another time, and replace them with something more appropriate. At West Ham we just buy them from Southampton for £8m. And so it was that Jose Fonte had a first half here that could have been painted by Hieronymous Bosch, so hellish was it.
Jose Fonte marks Manolo Gabbiadini for the opening goal
Despite having stocked up on cod liver oil before the start, Jose looked miles off the pace. Saints hadn't scored at home since April, but if doctors were going to prescribe treatment for such ailments this West Ham team would be at the top of the list. As such it took all of eleven minutes for Manolo Gabbiadini to run in behind the Portuguese and score the exact same goal he scored against us in February. On another day I might have questioned Joe Hart's positioning but until he plays with an actual back four in front of him there's no point making any judgements.
Things somehow got worse from there as we looked hopelessly ineffective going forward and totally disorganised defensively. Southampton could have had a second before Marko Arnautovic - another of Professor Sullivan's new arrivals - decided that the only possible way to improve things was to elbow Jack Stephens in the face. It led to a deserved red card, and in reality is the kind of incident where the perpetrator can consider himself lucky to only get a three match ban. On a day when our new signings seemed to forget they were no longer at their previous clubs, the Austrian went full Stoke at the moment we least needed it.
Arnautovic's lapse was so brainless that it would almost four minutes before any other West Ham player did something so stupid. This time, Fonte got himself the wrong side of Steven Davis and made up for it by dragging him down by the neck. It was a blatant penalty and even though Dusan Tadic - the worst penalty taker in the universe - took the kick it deflected off Hart and in.
***
The first thirty eight minutes of this game were a painful dagger to the notion that this West Ham team is going to be different. On a day when the sun was broiling, and the heat was like a character in the action that needed to be acknowledged and factored into the plot, this was supposed to be the day our season started. Many fans were content to write off the opening day debacle at Old Trafford - you can't expect to win there, they said. If we can't expect to win there with a team bought and constructed with the sole purpose of winning right now then we'll never win there, I thought, but that's an argument for another day.
The weather was glorious. Players were returning. Hope was rising. This was the start.
It should have been a home game, of course. If it had, you rather fancy things might have turned out differently. It's rare for teams to concede two penalties and have a player sent off in a home match, even in a stadium as sterile as ours. On another day, in our postcode, it is possible Tadic wouldn't have even been on the pitch to take his penalty. His early mistimed lunge at Hernandez might have returned a different colour card if fifty thousand home fans had been able to give their opinion on it. As it was, referee Lee Mason waved a yellow and cultivated the sense of injustice that seemingly led Arnautovic to remove his cerebrum.
At 2-0 and a man down, it was impossible to see a way back. Only proper teams fight back from such situations. Teams who are organised, pacey and motivated can face such odds and defy them. This just isn't in the West Ham DNA, to be honest. In my thirty years of watching, such comebacks can be counted on one hand, like the number of actual jokes in the entire run of The Big Bang Theory. True West Ham fans were hunkering down, preparing for the worst. Maybe keep it to 4-0 against this team who haven't scored in 500 minutes and that won't be a bad result. We'll go again next week. We always do well at Newcastle, don't we?
And then, hope.
***
Let's face it, if the first half of this game was everything shit about supporting West Ham, then the second was the reason we all go. This was a reason to believe. This was life affirming.
Michail Antonio has been out for months. He started this game, somewhat surprisingly but then between injuries and the failure of Professor Sullivan's January arrival - Snodgrass - we're a bit light on wide players. Antonio eased his way into the action, but when we needed him most he stood up like Ethan Hawke in Dead Poets Society. "Oh captain, my captain. I'll do your running". A man light, he simply took on the work of two men and began to carry the ball through the weak looking home midfield with energy and purpose.
West Ham's second half. Fuckin' A
Our first came on the cusp of half time, when Antonio had no right to turn or shoot but managed to do both, and Fraser Forster parried weakly for Hernandez to score the kind of unremarkable but entirely necessary goal that it feels we have been doing without for years.
At 2-1 down, there wasn't much more reason to believe than the simple fact that that's what we're supposed to do, but the second half was different in almost every way. Where we lacked cohesiveness and purpose we now had unity and ambition. Antonio was doing yeoman labour, but Hernandez was covering himself in glory too. Shifted to an unfamiliar left sided position he dutifully did his defensive work and when the time came, made slamming home the equaliser look far easier than it was.
The truth of that second half is that we were as good then as we were inept in the first. Young Declan Rice and Mark Noble held the midfield and Cresswell and Zabaleta coped manfully with the twin Southampton creative threats of Redmond and Tadic. Indeed, it was only when James Ward-Prowse joined the fray that the home side looked like being an attacking threat again. There was no pace to our play particularly - there can't be with such a slow team - but through repeated and persistent knocking on the door Cresswell and Sakho prised it open just enough for the Little Pea to slip through and give us hope. A comeback from absolutely nowhere, the kind to have you belting out "Bubbles" long into the night, and falling headfirst back in love with everything you believed when you first fell in love with football.
West Ham, ladies and gentlemen.
***
Remember though, we're telling the story of West Ham here, a walking Greek tragedy of a football team. Whilst it's easy to blame the late lapse on some sort of lifelong gypsy hex, the reality is the team were exhausted by their efforts with ten men and a pre season fitness regime that seems to have produced a team in the image of Dawn French. It's almost as though playing German third division teams isn't great preparation for the Premier League.
West Ham are about to salvage a point, you say?
And so it came to pass that a long, searching Ward-Prowse pass arced into our area with just seconds to go. The target was home centre back Maya Yoshida, who would have needed to have been Spiderman to have actually done anything with it. At that precise moment, it was possible to see why Professor Sullivan was so keen to sign 32 year old Zabaleta. The Argentine used all his experience to usher the ball out of play and shepherd us to an unlikely, but season launching point. Except he didn't. Of course he fucking didn't.
I can see Zabaleta's point of view. He's been making that challenge for years at Manchester City and not getting pinged for it. Had he been playing for Manchester City in this game it wouldn't have been given. It was a marginal call, and when in doubt Premier League referees will always err on the side of a decision that won't be analysed for twenty minutes on Monday Night Football, or require a column from Jeff Winter in a newspaper. The problem is that games between West Ham and Southampton don't attract that kind of attention, so referees will just make normal, regular decisions. He's lost the protection of the Abu Dhabi millions.
To call Lee Mason a cheat for awarding a penalty is to fundamentally misunderstand referees. They don't care who wins so long as they get an easy life. They're humans and so they act like humans. They get most things right, some things wrong and every now and again they can be influenced by large crowds. That's not cheating.
Would that penalty have been given for Southampton against Manchester City? No. Would it have been given at the Olympic Stadium? Less likely, but possibly. Would I have wanted it if it had been up the other end? You bet your life I would. We can't complain - Zabaleta just needs to remember who he's playing for now. It's the entire bloody reason we signed him, after all.
After that, the penalty was taken by a player that Professor Sullivan publicly insulted last season, who promptly scored his first goal in nine months after our captain convinced him to put it the other side because Joe Hart knew what way he was going. West Ham, ladies and gentlemen.
***
So what are we supposed to make of all this? I guess it depends upon how you choose to view results so far. If last season is a single, discrete event that you have wrapped up and parked on a shelf then I guess it is too early to make judgements. One away game against the best looking, most expensive team in the league and another where we played the majority of the game with ten men are no barometer of anything. Equally, our best player has yet to appear and as is customary at this time of year, we have plenty of injuries. Other teams hit the opening weeks at full speed, whereas we use them to get our players fit. It's little wonder we get off to such routinely awful starts.
But for those who see Bilic's reign through the longer lens, then this is all just the continuation of the same old stuff. Since we were last at St Mary's we've played 16 games and won 3. That's the sort of nonsense that got Allardyce fired, and he never had the kind of financial backing that Bilic is getting. More tellingly is that fact that we've kept only four clean sheets in that time, despite him playing three different goalkeepers, and at least seven different defensive set ups that I can remember.
Guys, why is nobody defending?
Some of you will scream about injuries, as though this is somehow new or unique. Injuries are so endemic to West Ham that it is time to stop thinking of them as an unusual circumstance and instead accept that they are a simple fact for West Ham managers. Bilic will always have someone injured and so he needs to develop a way of playing that is less dependent upon individuals and more built towards the strengths of the group. I despised Allardyce's style of play, but I accept that he fashioned a system that meant players could come and go and not be confused by what they were supposed to be doing. Does anybody think our current system amounts to much more than "Oh well, Lanzini will be back soon"?
Having watched Bilic's teams for two seasons I have no idea how he wants to play. He asked for pace in his team this summer and got none, so now I don't know if he's a shill for the board or if he's changed his mind and he is happy having a side this pedestrian. We are lacking depth in the centre of midfield and yet Reece Oxford is off playing in the Bundesliga for reasons I cannot fathom. He doesn't seem to think either of his left backs are any good and signed a goalkeeper when he had a perfectly good one already. Perhaps the most obvious example of the totally disjointed thinking surrounding the club was spending £10m on Robert Snodgrass to replace Payet, replacing him with £24m Marko Arnautovic six months later and then banishing him from the squad altogether when he might have been very useful on a day like this one. He is currently being hawked round Championship sides with Professor Sullivan apparently bemused that his value has dropped so much in six months. Someone please explain to the Professor that perhaps the problem is he overpaid unnecessarily to start with.
It's worth remembering all of that when you read about the board quibbling over a £5.5m gap in the valuation of William Carvalho with Sporting Lisbon. Perhaps if someone at the club - ANYONE - had more of an idea about squad building and transfers, we wouldn't have to worry about such a relatively small amount.
***
In the end, I've landed here. I'm terrified about the parallels to 2002/03, but it's far too early to judge this particular team. If nothing else, Bilic is still clearly able to motivate his team to play for him, and that is certainly worth something. I think you have to give them ten games, the return of Lanzini and (I guess?) Carroll before making any firm pronouncements.
But equally, saying "It's just two games" is disingenuous bullshit. None of these problems are new - none of them. Read what Rich Sprent had to say about all of this after the game on Saturday. The facts are dismal reading - 92 goals conceded in the last 50 league games played! How is that sustainable? £20m on Andre Ayew and still no obvious answer to where he should be playing? A sudden drop in net spend after years spent wasting it like a wedding planner? It's not really a surprise that the team play so incoherently when all around them is chaos.
I've been off the Bilic bandwagon for a while now, despairing of those many gutless surrenders against the top teams last season, but I'm not seeing any reason to jump back on it here. When he does eventually go, it will because of a myriad of reasons. A failure to stand up to the Board when needed, a misplaced belief that he could build a system around a player as unreliable as Carroll and probably the Payet thing too. But in the end, it will boil down to the simple fact that his teams have never, ever been able to defend. It's incredible considering his playing career, but there it is. A team managed by a centre half, that can look glorious going forward and like Gloria Hunniford defending.
West Ham, ladies and gentlemen.
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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Javier Hernandez impressed by West Ham's spirit despite early-season defeats
Last Updated: 21/08/17 7:18pm
SSN
Javier Hernandez is encouraged by the spirit at West Ham despite defeat in his first two games for the club. Two goals from the summer signing hauled the Hammers back from 2-0 down to 2-2 at Southampton on Saturday after Marko Arnautovic had been sent off. And while a late penalty gave Saints the points, Hernandez saw enough in his side's never-say-die attitude to leave him positive about the season ahead. He told Sky Sports News: "We need to look forward, we need to be positive. We cannot stay in the good memories or the bad memories. "That's the good thing about football - you have the chance of revenge every weekend or every two games per week. That's a good thing."
West Ham were beaten 4-0 at Hernandez's old club Manchester United on the opening weekend, but the £16m striker had the chance to show his predatory instincts at St Mary's. He said: "It gave me a lot of confidence, not only because I scored the goals but because of the spirit of the whole team. "I was lucky to score two, but we showed spirit and hunger and we want to prove in every match we will fight until the end to get a good result."
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West Ham eyeing up Slaven Bilic replacements just 2 games into the new season after back-to-back losses
Bosses who spent big on new faces this summer have been rewarded with two defeats and seven goals against
The Mirror
BYNEIL MCLEMAN
22:30, 21 AUG 2017
West Ham are already weighing up potential successors to Slaven Bilic following their disappointing start to the season. Former Croatia national team coach Bilic is under scrutiny and the Hammers have begun drawing up contingency plans with only two rounds of Premier League games played. Co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan are known for their reluctance to make mid-season managerial changes and Bilic's current contract is up at the end of the season, but they are wary of being dragged into another relegation battle after last season's struggles. And a failure to oversee a quick upturn in results could leave Bilic in danger and force the Hammers hierarchy to reassess sooner. West Ham travel to fourth-tier Cheltenham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday before back-to-back games against promoted sides Newcastle (away) and Huddersfield (home) either side of the international break. Ironically, the Magpies' Rafa Benitez is one manager who remains well-thought of at West Ham, despite turning them down in 2015 to take the Real Madrid job, and he is unhappy with the Tyneside club's summer transfer business. Bilic has been heavily backed in the transfer window this summer with Pablo Zabaleta, Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez all arriving.
But West Ham have started the season with two defeats at Manchester United and Southampton, despite a stirring initial fightback from 2-0 down at St Mary's despite being reduced to 10 men by Arnautovic's dismissal. Their trend of conceding late goals has also continued, with three more shipped in the final four minutes of their opening two fixtures. Transfers and who has the final say on who West Ham sign has also been another source of tension behind the scenes, with Bilic's influence in that area understood to have been reduced. The 48-year-old was on shaky ground last season after the club flirted with relegation during a turbulent first season at the London Stadium, but he was kept on after talks with the board at the end of the campaign. However his hopes of making a strong start to this new season have not been helped by circumstances beyond his control. West Ham are having to play their first four games away from home due to the London Stadium being used for the recent World Athletics Championships. He has also been unable to field his strongest side yet, due to injuries. Manuel Lanzini, Cheikhou Kouyate and Andy Carroll have yet to feature this season. Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell made their first starts at Southampton. But on the day they returned, Bilic suffered another injury setback when defender Winston Reid went off on a stretcher after damaging his calf during the warm-up. In addition, he will be without Arnautovic for three games following the Austrian's straight red card in the first half at St Mary's.
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West Ham ready for William Carvalho transfer chase to drag on until very end of the summer window
Sporting Lisbon need to sell but hope rival interest will help them net close to the midfielder's £40m buyout clause
The Mirror
BYADRIAN KAJUMBA
22:30, 21 AUG 2017
West Ham are braced for their club-record bid to land William Carvalho to go right to the wire. Sporting Lisbon are playing hardball over the Euro 2016 winning midfielder, who boss Slaven Bilic hopes to make his fifth summer signing. The Portuguese side need to sell but, with rival interest, they are holding out for as close to the 25-year-old's £40m buyout clause as possible. And the Hammers are ready for negotiations to go as far as the last few days of the transfer window as they try to reach a compromise.
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Gareth Southgate considering dropping Joe Hart for Jack Butland as England number one
Telegraph.co.uk
John Percy
21 AUGUST 2017 • 10:30PM
Jack Butland is moving ahead of Joe Hart in the battle to become England's No. 1, with Gareth Southgate considering the Stoke City goalkeeper for the World Cup qualifier in Malta. Southgate made a personal trip to watch Butland in Stoke's 1-0 win over Arsenal at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday and is giving serious thought to recalling him for the international games next month. Hart's place is under threat after conceding seven goals in two games since joining West Ham United on loan and Butland is now in line to make his first international appearance since the friendly against Germany in March 2016.
Butland suffered a fractured ankle in that game in Berlin and was stretchered off, enduring a frustrating 13 months without playing after a string of setbacks. But the 24-year-old returned to the Stoke team at the end of last season and Southgate named him in the squads for England's World Cup qualifier against Scotland and the friendly in France in June. Southgate is keen to see Butland in competitive action for the national team and is set to start him in the qualifier against Malta on September 1 if his impressive form continues. England also play Slovakia three days later in a qualifier at Wembley.
Hart remains admired within the England set-up, with his experience still regarded as crucial, but there is now a genuine chance for Butland to stake a claim. Butland was a regular for the England under-21s during Southgate's time in charge and was appointed as captain. Those leadership qualities are seen as essential for England's future, with Southgate attempting to establish a core of young players with responsibility, including new captain Harry Kane. Everton's new £30million signing Jordan Pickford is also seen as a future England No. 1 while Burnley's Tom Heaton and Southampton's Fraser Forster are admired within the Football Association. Butland, however, is now seriously in Southgate's thoughts to become the first-choice and looks set to get his opportunity next month. Mark Hughes, the Stoke manager, believes the £3.5million signing from Birmingham could become one of the best goalkeepers in the world. "Jack wants to be the best he can be and that's all you hope for in players, that attitude – and he has the means to do it as well. He's an outstanding keeper technically and he's got the physical attributes to be a top line keeper, we all understand that," he said. "Clearly he has had a set-back with the injury and he needs to move on from that by having a good season, really impressing and moving up a level."
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WEST HAM ENTER RACE TO SIGN GRZEGORZ KRYCHOWIAK
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
ReadWestHam
West Ham are still trying hard to secure a deal to sign William Carvalho from Sporting this summer but are readying contingency plans if that isn't to be.
One of those plans is to make a move to sign Grzegorz Krychowiak from PSG, but the Hammers will face competition from Chelsea for the Poland international.
Krychowiak was signed by PSG last summer for €33m from Sevilla but struggled to make his mark in the side last season and has been made available for transfer this summer. The Hammers are desperate to bring in a defensive midfielder and Krychowiak is one of the best talents on the market right now, but being at PSG, there's every chance that West Ham would be unable to meet his wage demands, making a loan move for the player much more likely than a permanent transfer. Porto's Danilo Pereira and Benfica's Ljubomir Fejsa have both also been mentioned as alternatives to Carvalho.
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ARE WE NEARING THE END OF THE MARK NOBLE ERA?
By Iain Dale 21 Aug 2017 at 17:00
WTID
It still seems touch and go as to whether we will, in the end, clinch the signing of Sporting Lisbon midfield general William Cavalho. If he does sign for us, there could be severe implications for our current midfield four of Mark Noble, Cheikhou Kouyate, Pedro Obiang and Edimilson Fernandes. And then of course there's the new boy on the block, Declan Rice. Rice, it should be pointed out, is a centre back who is doing a sterling job as a defensive midfielder, but given our performance yesterday, perhaps a move back to central defence might happen sooner rather than later. But I digress.
If you pay £30 million pounds for a player and he's your record signing it's a fair bet he becomes the first name on the team sheet. But assuming we continue to play in a 4-2-3-1 formation, two other players could become very unhappy indeed. Given Pedro Obiang's performances last season, when he was probably our second best and most consistent player (behind Michail Antonio) he could reasonably expect to be a first choice pick this season. He's also been rewarded with a new five year contract. However, his performance against Manchester United saw him relegated to the bench yesterday.
Edimilson Fernandes has proved to be an excellent signing. He is certainly one for the future and last season it was clear that Slaven Bilic saw him supplanting Mark Noble sometime this season. Trouble is, Cavalho might well be the one to do that.
Then there's Kouyate, who has been an absolute star since he joined us from Anderlecht. He's a man mountain and has the added advantage of also being able to play in central defence. He can also score goals and tends to venture forward more than Noble or Obiang.
So if you had to pick a first choice defensive midfield two from Cavalho, Kouyate, Obiang, Noble and Fernandes, who would you pick?
Surely it would have to be Cavalho and Kouyate. I suspect there will be some away games where we play a defensive midfield three. Even then, I wonder how many of us would pick Mark Noble ahead of Obiang or even Fernandes.
It's an awful thing to write, isn't it? But it seems to me that Mark Noble's days as an automatic first pick might be drawing to a close. Perhaps his main role this season will be to try to change the course of a match from the bench. But here's the thing: Isn't Fernandes more likely to be able to do that?
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Winston Reid injury adds to West Ham defensive woes amid transfer search
KEN DYER
ES Sport
West Ham will be without Winston Reid for Saturday's clash at Newcastle, adding to the problems for a side without a win in their first two matches and with seven goals conceded.
Reid injured a calf muscle in the warm-up before their 3-2 defeat at Southampton and although manager Slaven Bilic has since revealed the injury is "not serious", the central defender will not have recovered in time for the match at St James' Park.
Reid, who recently signed a new long-term deal, will also miss New Zealand's two World Cup qualifiers against the Solomon Islands but should be fit to return after the international break for his club's first home match, against newly-promoted Huddersfield, on September 11.
Bilic sees no need to strengthen the central defensive positions, despite another poor defensive display on Saturday.
"We have enough centre-backs in our team if they stay fit," he said. "You can't have eight players in one situation. We have one position we want to fill unless someone else goes and we have to fill in."
That priority is a defensive midfielder, with West Ham's bid to sign Portugal international William Carvalho edging closer.
Carvalho's club, Sporting Lisbon, are holding out for £38million while West Ham's latest offer is £30m, with another £6m in player-related bonuses. The player is keen on the move and talks are continuing.
West Ham's defence have taken the brunt of criticism after the first two matches of this season, but the lack of defensive cover in front of them has not helped.
Carvalho, who was outstanding in Portugal's victorious Euro 2016 campaign, would significantly help to fill that gap, along with the imminent return of Cheikhou Kouyate from injury.
With Sunderland keen on Robert Snodgrass and Newcastle being linked with a move for their former striker Andy Carroll, there could still be more West Ham transfer action before the window closes on Thursday week, with Ghana striker Abdul Majeed Waris being linked with a £12m move from French club Lorient.
One major positive for Bilic following the Southampton defeat was the form of Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, who scored both West Ham goals.
"It's almost impossible to mark Chicharito because he doesn't only have one movement and you can lose him," said the West Ham boss. "We are very pleased that he is our player. He was our target and it was a long shot but we never gave up on him.
"We had to fight with a few other clubs but we were delighted when we did it [the deal] because we knew what we were getting. He showed on Saturday what he is all about."
Bilic will be far less impressed by another of his new signings, Marko Arnautovic, following his red card for elbowing Jack Stephens.
The forward now misses three games and Bilic said: "I am not going to talk about the red card or the two penalties but I can say it was a big blow for the team to be let down and to play with 10 men for the majority of the game."
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WEST HAM TO HOLD SNODGRASS TALKS WITH SUNDERLAND
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
ReadWestHam
West Ham are still trying to trim down their squad before the transfer window closes next week and Robert Snodgrass is the most likely candidate to leave the club.
Simon Grayson has been very public in his interest in signing Snodgrass having managed him at Leeds earlier in their respective careers but has ruled out a permanent move for the winger because he would be too expensive.
I can tell you now that we won't be buying Robert Snodgrass because of the fee and wages that come with it.
The only way we'll get him is a loan deal. There won't be too many clubs able to afford him in the Championship, if they can they have serious money. But he's a player I like and will ask the question about his availability, like a lot of other managers.
Snodgrass signed for West Ham in a £10.2m deal from Hull last January but has failed to impress during his time at the club at Slaven Bilic is keen to offload the Scotland international.
The Northern Echo report that talks between West Ham and the Championship club will take place in the next 24 hours to discuss a loan deal for Snodgrass, but Sunderland would be required to pay the majority of his £70,000-a-week wages.
Sunderland are one of the favourites to land Snodgrass this summer with the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle also being linked with the former Norwich midfielder, and make use of these free bet offers if you plan on backing a transfer to go through before the window closes.
West Ham will look to replace Snodgrass with Brentford attacker Jota who is valued at £8m by the West London club.
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West Ham youngsters pull off superb comeback to beat Tottenham
BY LONDON FOOTBALL NEWS 21/08/2017
West Ham's youngsters pulled off a great comeback to win 3-2 at Tottenham on Monday after being two goals down at half-time. Dylan Duncan's deflected effort put the hosts ahead in the Premier League 2 game at Hotspur Way and they doubled their lead when Marcus Edwards netted with a penalty after being fouled by Tunji Akinola. The Hammers hit back after the break, with Vashon Neufville crossing for Dan Kemp to score before Nathan Holland curled in the equaliser And Akinola atoned for his earlier error by setting up Josh Pask for the winner. Arsenal's Under-21 side will play Manchester City's in a Premier League 2 game at the Emirates Stadium this evening.
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"Brutal attack" - former ref wants West Ham winger Arnautovic banned for five games
Arnautovic was rightly given his marching orders after an horrendous elbow at St Mary's
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
09:06, 21 AUG 2017
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett says Marko Arnautovic should be banned for five games after his "brutal" elbow on Jack Stephens as West Ham lost to Southampton on Saturday. The Hammers record signing was given a straight red card just past the half hour mark at St Mary's after clattering into the Saints defender and despite his protests, the Austrian can have absolutely no complaints over the decision. Arnautovic apologised to his team mates at half time and then to the Hammers fans post-game on Instagram following his dismissal, which will see him banned for at least three games anyway. However, giving his verdict on You Are The Ref, Hackett called for an immediate five-game ban for Arnautovic and for anyone else who is caught using their elbows and getting sent off. Hackett - who called Arnautovic's challenge "outrageous and brutal", said: "The referees failure to detect this challenge contributed to West Ham's Arnautovic deciding foolishly to take matters into his own hands by committing an outrageous brutal act, deliberately using his elbow on an opponent. "This should be a five match ban! It is my belief that at the moment we are witnessing too many challenges that are reckless and with excessive force. The PGMOL need to call a meeting with the Premier League, PFA and LMA to express their concerns so that everyone understands the seriousness of these challenges."
Hackett also complained about Mason missing a "blatant" red card for Mark Noble, who launched into a pretty awful, studs up challenge on Mario Lemina that went unpunished.
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A CANNED HISTORY OF LONDON STADIUM'S RETRACTABLE SEATING
By Sean Whetstone 20 Aug 2017 at 17:00
WTID
A plan to downsize the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games is "flawed" and "not in the interests of the East End", a London Assembly committee said way back in 2010 before the London 2012 Olympics were .
The then committee chairman and West Ham fan Len Duvall said the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) should have carried out an "open and thorough analysis" of various options earlier. He said: "Put simply, an elite 25,000-seat athletics stadium is not, and was never going to be, in the long-term interests of the East End or of the taxpayer"
Fast forward to 2013 and The London Legacy Development Corporation started its search for a contractor to deliver £20m retractable seating system at the former Olympic Stadium. The tender was eventually awarded to a company Alto Seating who designed the seating with SAPA UK providing the Aluminium retractable decks and GallowGlass tasked with the moving of the seats. It was originally budgeted around £300,000 to move the seats.
A case study on The Welding Institute website" "Sapa was contracted to provide seating decks as part of the redevelopment of London's Olympic Stadium, the centrepiece of the London Olympic Park and one of the venues for this year's Rugby World Cup. Sapa Extrusions, based in Harderwijk in the Netherlands, had to deliver 3500 retractable decks for the stadium.The seating decks were to be made from extruded aluminium, incorporating joints made using friction stir welding (FSW)."
In 2015 Primary contractor Alto Seating went into voluntary administration weeks before the Rugby World cup owing GallowGlass £712,000 and leaving SAPA to carry on the project alone.
In 2016 LLDC CEO, David Goldstone gave evidence at the London Assembly Budget Monitoring sub-committee about the rising cost of the London Stadium and the impact of the failed retractable seating system.He confirmed an extra £21m was spent on the doomed seating system last year and estimated costs could reach as high £8m per year to move the seats backwards and forward unless a better solution can be found.
Speaking about the increase Goldstone explained: "A chunk of it was to do with the very unfortunate failure of the seating contractor who had been hired to install new seating system that happened just before the Rugby world cup last summer. We were left with a partially installed system so we had to step in and make it ready for that event. The (retractable seating) had been a joint venture, one partner did the main design and another installed the system, one partner went bust and the other partner inherited it but wasn't a suitable long term contractor. They took it forward during 2016 but we had to settle out with them in 2016 because they weren't a suitable long term"
On the question of annual running costs of the retractable seating costing up to £8m per year to run Goldstone admitted that was an estimate of moving between football mode and athletics each year. He said it was an estimated cost but it was not a confirmed amount and they were in a tendering process at the moment for a long term operator to move the seats and they just received the tenders in at the last few days. Goldstone confirmed "We are not pretending it's not an issue but we know what the confirmed costs will be in the near future"
On 1st February 2017 Stadium owners E20 signed a five-year contract with PHD Modular Access Services Ltd of which Project 7 construction is part of their group.
Last month London Stadium seating contractors Project 7 construction published a video on youtube to show how the lower tier seats move from football mode to music concert mode. The video below shows seven rows of seats removed from the East stand before the West stand is pushed back section by section on air skates. The north and south lower stands are lifted and moved in modules by cranes. The north and south lower stands are lifted and moved in modules by crane with the video proudly claiming 500 unique crane lift movements are required for the operation. Possibly the most shocking fact of the whole video is the boast that it takes 32,000 man hours to achieve the full move.
Costs of the new contract have not been revealed despite a freedom of information request from myself but the quoted 32,000 hours at London Living Wage of £9.75 per hour would cost £312,000 per move so manpower would cost close to a million without the cost crane hire and associated costs factored in.
The new five-year seating contract can be viewed HERE
This week Project 8 was busy converting the London Stadium back to football mode following the completion of 2017 IAAF World Championships on Sunday.
Stadium owners E20 Stadium LLP are contractually obliged under the contract with West Ham to return the stadium to football mode by August 25th this year.
In a Freedom of Information response received this week, E20 Stadium says: "All four of the stadium's stands are scheduled to be in their football positions by the 25 August. The stadium will be ready for West Ham's first home match on 11 September 2017. Given that the stadium will be in football mode prior to West Ham's first home match, no breach is anticipated."
Long gone are the promises of 'State of the art retractable seating' which has since been rebranded as relocatable seating.
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RICE OR ROPE ? THINGS CAN AND WILL ONLY GET BETTER
By HamburgHammer 21 Aug 2017 at 08:00
WTID
Another subpar weekend football wise for me and also one that drove home the point again how bizarre football can be. While I don't particularly care about the exploits of Hamburg SV I still look out for their results by force of habit and because I want most Hamburg based teams to do well.
So what happened in HSV's league opener on Friday ? They scored the winning and only goal after 15 minutes already, but lost their goalscorer to injury in the process of celebrating that goal. The player apparently brushed the corner flag at an awkward angle and did his cruciate ligament which will result in him now being out for the first six months of the season.
As I said, bizarre!
Then came the West Ham game which has been discussed on here at length already. Quite a game it was too, with plenty of incidents, a brave fightback from our lads and a heartbreaking penalty decision right at the end. Then again, most teams will lose a game in which their record signing gets himself an early shower in the first half for stupidly elbowing an opponent in full view of the referee and in which they also concede two penalties.
It was pretty much a stereotypical West Ham game, some rush to the blood, some fight and guts, some clumsiness, basically shooting yourself in the foot while also rarely getting the rub of the green. I wasn't happy with the defeat because Southampton were there for the taking. Then again we are still missing some key players like Lanzini, Kouyate and Carroll (who may be Newcastle bound after all if you believe the latest rumours).
I choose to focus on the positives though. Young Declan Rice had another good game and showed maturity beyond his years. The reaction of our players in this game filled with adversity was nothing but positive, in no short measure helped by the fox in the box qualities of our Little Pea Chicharito. We finally have a proper finisher in our ranks who will get 20 goals a season easily, provided he gets the right service and manages to stay healthy and injury free.
I reckon there will be plenty of movement still in this transfer window, both in terms of players in (Carvalho/Jota/another CB) and out (Snodgrass/Carroll/Obiang ?), but first and foremost we really need to work hard in training to make sure our players defend a lot better as a unit, not just the defenders but the entire team. I am always impressed whenever a team is on the move all the time during a game, running, chasing, closing opposition players down, we need a lot more of that and if that means a different training routine or fitness regime, then so be it.
You know I have always been a massive Bilic fan and I still am. But I am not blinkered enough to ignore the fact that a manager will not remain in his job for long if his teams concede 3 or 4 goals on a regular basis. Of course the mistakes are essentially down to the players on the pitch, but Bilic needs to make sure the players are sharp and focused when they are stepping out onto that pitch, we need to cut down the number of mistakes in our games drastically.
Is it possible that maybe Bilic is too much of a mate with his players, too much of a Mr.Nice Guy ? That can work well with a certain group of players. Others may exploit that kind of laissez faire attitude though or respond in a manner not conducive to successful football. As Bilic's job is on the line this season too, with him being in the final year of his contract, I feel he has no other chance than to develop a more ruthless streak with players.
No reason for us fans though to fetch some rope to hang ourselves just yet or run a hot bath with the hairdryer sitting on the edge nearby. It's been a bad start to the season, granted, but in all honesty, did we expect anything else when the fixture list was released ? The preseason games didn't exactly fill me with confidence either, but the best way for our players to gain confidence is by winning games when it counts. Let's win a few and watch the confidence return and grow among our squad.
Starting with the Cup game at Cheltenham and yet another away game at Newcastle. I am so relieved that our games will ALWAYS take priority over everything else that happens at the London Stadium…;-))
Quick Concordia update. Yesterday brought a highly frustrating 1:1 draw at home to Victoria Hamburg and the game bore a few similarities to the West Ham game the day before.
There was a red card (second yellow) which led to Concordia having a man advantage for the last 20 minutes, being 1:0 up already at this point. At that stage you would have expected the home team to calmly dominate possession, maybe add another goal or two to put the game to bed. But Cordi for some unexplainable reason decided to ignore the man advantage, just sitting deep instead, letting Victoria have plenty of the ball to really push for the equaliser with ten men.
And indeed they scored from a very dodgy penalty just a few minutes before the final whistle. I always thought it couldn't be a penalty if the goalkeeper clearly got to the ball first with his gloves and holding on to it.
Yet the striker went down after clashing with the goalkeeper who, remember, had already reached and secured the ball with both hands before making contact with the attacker. I have rarely seen a dodgier penalty being given, but, just like West Ham, Concordia shot themselves in the foot by not winning the game earlier, making the man advantage count when they had the chance. Yes, the referee was a stubborn old Custard, strutting around the pitch like a peacock on his stag night, but the lads shouldn't have allowed a situation to develop giving the referee the opportunity to point towards the spot.
Very disappointing – instead of being in the promotion chasing pack Cordi are now already firmly rooted in the bottom third of the table after four games played. The great thing for both of my teams of course is: From where we are things can only get better, the only way is up. How far and how quickly ? We'll see. COYI!
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Slaven Bilic not planning defensive reinforcements despite West Ham's frailties
Nick Szczepanik , st mary's
20 AUGUST 2017 • 10:30PM
Telegraph.co.uk
The signing of William Carvalho, the Portugal holding midfield player, from Sporting CP of Lisbon cannot come soon enough for West Ham United. Slaven Bilic, the Hammers' manager, spoke enthusiastically after the 3-2 defeat at Southampton about the performance of £16m signing Javier Hernandez, who had scored twice. But the team's defending means that Hernandez may have to net a hat-trick in every game if his goals are to secure any points.
West Ham have now conceded seven times in two games, and although they will not be the last team to let four in at Old Trafford, as they did on the opening day of the season, three at St Mary's, where Saints had not scored in their previous six games, is a different matter.
As a former international defender, Bilic must be very concerned. True, Bilic lost Winston Reid, arguably his best defender, to a calf injury in the pre-match warm up, and Marko Arnautovic's ugly elbowing of Jack Stephens left West Ham a man short for an hour.
But Nathan Redmond was given five yards of space by Pablo Zabaleta in which to control a pass from Manolo Gabbiadini and return the ball to him for Southampton's first goal. Gabbiadini had run alone from the centre circle to the penalty area to receive Redmond's pass on the blind side of former Saints captain Jose Fonte. At the very least, the considerable physical presence of Carvalho would make such runs longer and more hazardous for opponents.
Fonte was at fault again for the second goal, pulling back Steve Davis to concede a penalty after his initial challenge on the Northern Ireland midfield player failed to win the ball. But again, nobody had tracked Davis or put any pressure on the pass to him. Dusan Tadic has a poor record from the penalty spot and hit his kick straight at Joe Hart, fortunate that the ball went in anyway off the goalkeeper's legs. But if it had rebounded, only Aaron Cresswell was following up and Tadic would have had a simple and unchallenged tap-in.
The third goal was almost unforgivable bearing in mind how hard West Ham had previously fought to level the match. James Ward-Prowse's diagonal cross – unchallenged of course, even in injury time - should have been meat and drink for any Premier League central defender. Fonte, however, was ball-watching and allowed Maya Yoshida to attack the space behind him. Zabaleta, with the best view of the situation, decided on the risky strategy of nudging Yoshida rather than defending the cross properly.
The gamble did not pay off. Again it was a penalty and again only one West Ham player followed up in case Charlie's Austin's kick had been saved or hit the post. Austin suggested that West Ham captain Mark Noble had even helped him by claiming, in an eventually self-destructive piece of gamesmanship, that Hart knew which way the kick would go. Austin changed his mind and scored.
"I've got to be honest, I think we got out of jail," Austin said. "Whether it was a penalty or not, I don't know. I think if went against us, it's a harsh one. But that doesn't matter for us, it's three points."
To some extent, it does not matter for West Ham either - the important thing is to prevent such situations from developing. Carvalho should help there but Bilic does not plan to upgrade elsewhere. "We have enough centre backs in our team, if they stay fit of course," he said. What is it they say about quality, not quantity?
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Are Slaven Bilić's Training Methods Causing West Ham's Slow Start?
Posted by Jack Coogan | Published on August 20, 2017
Fronthestands.co.uk
Under Slaven Bilić, West Ham have continuously gotten off to slow starts. In 2015/16 the Hammers did beat Arsenal 2-0 on the opening day, but proceeded to lose to Leicester and Bournemouth at home in back to back weeks, conceding six goals in the process. During the 2016/17 season, West Ham won only one of their first seven matches, conceding 17 goals over those seven games. Now this season, Bilić's men have conceded seven in the opening two games, losing them both. But, why does this seem to be a recurring theme for the Irons under the Croatian's leadership?
Embed from Getty Images
Many have pointed out the fact that West Ham have often looked unfit at the start of the season over the past few years. This is especially relevant for the past two seasons. During the 2016/17 campaign, the Hammers conceded 17 goals after the 75th minute, that's 26% of the goals they conceded. Only two teams who weren't relegated conceded more that late in matches. Now the Irons have already conceded three goals after the 75th minute, only two matches in. This has caused many to question Bilić's training methods, and rightly so.
These aren't just random hypothesis' either, many players who have left the club on loan have stated that training was much more rigorous at their new club. Last season, when Reading took Oxford out on loan, Jaap Stam claimed that the young defender had been surprised at the intensity of training at the club. Reading's manager was quoted saying, "Reece Oxford has been surprised at the level of intensity in training at Reading, compared to at West Ham."
This isn't the only incident of this happening either. Last season when Enner Valencia was sent on loan to Everton, the Ecuadorian also had a lot to say about the Hammers' training methods. In one of Valencia's first interview's at Everton, he told the media, "I have enjoyed training with my new team-mates, it's different to my last team – it is a little bit harder." This is only two incidents indicating that West Ham's training methods aren't up to par with other teams, but there are most likely many more who have not said anything.
During the Hammers' pre-season training camp in Germany, the intensity in training was reportedly being upped by not the manager Slaven Bilić, but by summer signings Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta. It is a very worrying sign for West Ham that more experienced players feel the need to take it on themselves to make training harder and more intense.
This is also the second season in a row that West Ham have started with multiple key players out injured. Last season the Hammers had key players such as Dimitri Payet, Sofiane Feghouli, André Ayew, Andy Carroll, Manuel Lanzini, and Angelo Ogbonna miss significant time in August. These injuries woes have continued this season, with Michail Antonio, Manuel Lanzini, Andy Carroll, and Cheikhou Kouyaté all missing time this August.
Embed from Getty Images
That's without mentioning that Winston Reid left pre-game warmups against Southampton on a stretcher earlier today. These injury problems are not just bad luck either. Last season, West Ham led the league in injuries, allocating 82 over the course of the campaign. The Irons were the only club to have more than 40 injuries lasting 14 or more days.
It's not hard to see that Bilić's coaching staff plays a massive part in West Ham's recurring slow starts. With the amount of injuries the Irons have to start off with each season makes it extremely hard for the club to get results against relatively healthy squads early on in the season. Something needs to change at West Ham, or these slow starts will become an even more repetitive theme for the Hammers than they already are.
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Tuesday, August 22
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