Bill Green - 1950-2017
WHUFC.com
Everyone at West Ham United has been saddened by the passing of former centre-half Bill Green. Green, who played 40 times in Claret and Blue between 1976-78, died following a short illness on Monday at the age of 66. Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the defender joined nearby Hartlepool United as a teenager, spending four seasons in the first team before moving to Carlisle United in 1973. Green's first season at Brunton Park was outstanding as the Cumbrians won promotion to the First Division, following that by scoring Carlisle's first-ever top-flight goal against Chelsea in August 1974. West Ham spent £75,000 to bring Green to east London at the age of 25 in June 1976. The bearded defender debuted at Aston Villa two months later. He totalled 40 appearances over two seasons at the Boleyn Ground, both of which saw West Ham struggle in the lower half of the First Division table, and scored his only goal in a 3-1 win over Chelsea in March 1978. Unforunately, Green's final appearance came in a 2-0 home defeat by Liverpool the following month which confirmed the Hammers' relegation to the Second Division. Green joined Third Division Peterborough United in summer 1978 before enjoying four productive seasons with Chesterfield and hanging up his boots after a short spell with Doncaster Rovers in 1983. Eight years later, he embarked on a management career with Scunthorpe United and non-league Buxton, while he also worked as a scout for Wigan Athletic, Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County. Green joined Southampton in 2011 and had spent the last six years as the Saints' senior recruitment officer.
West Ham United would like to express the Club's sincere condolences to his family and friends at this sad time.
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Adrian aiming to seize Cheltenham chance – for a second time!
WHUFC.com
Things change fast in football these days – Adrian will tell you that. It is four years this week since the No13 pulled on a West Ham United jersey for the first time in a League Cup tie with Cheltenham Town at the Boleyn Ground. Tonight, the Spaniard is set to make his 124th Hammers appearance against the Robins at Whaddon Road. He will be the sole survivor of the 22 players who started West Ham's 2-1 win in August 2013. Adrian's debut was largely uneventful, save for the moment eleven minutes after half-time when he fouled Cheltenham winger Jermaine McGlashan, and Matt Richards stepped up to beat him from the penalty spot.
"It's unbelievable that the time has passed so quick," said the stopper, who went on to dislodge Jussi Jaaskelainen four months later. "Now I'm in my fifth season here, so it's a totally different situation, of course. "That was my first game in a West Ham shirt and a good result for us and I expect a good result again this time.
"I watched the highlights of that game this week and it was a very exciting night for me. I gave a penalty away, which is not the best thing a 'keeper can do on his debut, but the result was that Ricky and Rav scored and we won."
'Ricky and Rav' were Ricardo Vaz Te and Ravel Morrison, who put the Hammers 2-0 up before Adrian's aberration, setting West Ham on their way to starting a run which would ultimately end in a semi-final defeat by Manchester City. Fast forward four years and he is targeting another strong challenge for the trophy, but he knows West Ham will need to be on alert against a direct and physically strong Cheltenham side. "This is a cup game in a very exciting competition for us and we have to get a good result and get through to the next round," he said. "We have to be ready to play away from home on their pitch in front of their fans. It will be tough because they'll want to win as well, as it's a massive game with a Premier League team coming to their stadium. "We know their strategy and the kind of game they want to play, but we will play our game as well and also defend their set plays and concentrate on each ball they put into our box. "At the end of the day, though, we are West Ham and we have to be prepared to go there and get a good result."
The 30-year-old will also be eager to change another situation. After two-and-a-half seasons as first-choice stopper, Adrian lost his place to Darren Randolph, regained it in April, then lost it again to new signing Joe Hart earlier this month. Wednesday's live-televised Sky Sports Carabao Cup second-round tie will give him an opportunity to stake a claim to win his place back for a second time. "It's a great opportunity for me, the first time I have worn the West Ham shirt this season," he said. "I am 100 per cent ready and will always give my best to help the team. "Obviously as a player I want to play every game and I will work for this but now it is Joe's time and I have to support him and on Wednesday it is time for him to support me and I'm sure we will both be happy at the end because we will win the game."
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Eight reasons all West Ham United fans love James Collins
WHUFC.com
James Collins - West Ham United's 'Ginger Pele' - has long been a iconic defender and ambassador for the club. In honour of his 34th birthday today we've taken a look at eight reasons why every West Ham United fan has nothing but love for the Welsh defender.
He likes to score goals
James Collins is a defender, and a good defender at that! He's not afraid to tackle, battle and put his body in the way to stop West Ham United from conceding any goal. However that doesn't mean Collins doesn't like to get forward and score goals. Former teammate Dean Ashton revealed that the Welshman fancied himself as a striker and would often play himself in more attacking areas during training. Ashton told whufc.com earlier this month: "He likes to think he's a striker! He loves to get forward In training he always felt like he was a forward, not a defender." To be fair to Collins he has scored some big goals for the Hammers, and that leads nicely into...
His two goals vs Man Utd
Collins has netted eight goals for West Ham United across his entire career with the Irons, and two of those came in one match against Manchester United in 2013!
The FA Cup clash with the Red Devils in January 2013 saw Sir Alex Ferguson bring his team to the Boleyn Ground, and victory for the away side looked likely after a Tom Cleverley finish. However Collins was the hero of the day as the centre-back scored two headed goals either side of half-time, putting the Hammers in control of the tie. If not for a late Robin van Persie equaliser West Ham United would have been celebrating a famous win over Manchester United, but Collins' contribution to that game has never been forgotten.
He can poke fun of himself
When it comes to banter there's not many that have game as strong as Collins. The Welsh international is great at giving it but can also poke fun of himself as well. This can be best found on the 34-year-old's Instagram account and our favourite example is of this clip from February 2016, when West Ham United bested Liverpool in the FA Cup. Collins was more than happy to share the video and have a laugh at his own expense, with other posts also mocking his own hair-loss and playing style.
He tells it like it is
We know that Collins is always the first to enjoy a laugh within the West Ham United camp but the centre-back isn't afraid to speak some home truths as and when required. The defender displayed this trait earlier this year when, after a difficult run for the Irons, Collins admitted that the players had been hiding behind manager Slaven Bilic, and called on the team to take responsibility for their own errors. Collins said to the Mirror: "I don't see why in football the managers get so much stick sometimes when the players need to take responsibility. I said that to the boys. A lot of our boys have played in the Premier League for a long time.
"We need to take responsibility, step up to the plate, perform and take a bit of pressure off the gaffer." Such honesty and openness has only further endeared the battling Welshman further to the West Ham United faithful.
THAT block vs Swansea City
James Collins' commitment in defence has never been questioned. Simply put, the centre-back always gives everything he has to ensure the Hammers come out on top. There's no better example of this than the battle wounds Collins proudly displayed after a win over Swansea City in December 2015. Putting his body on the line, the No19 was caught by Swans' midfielder Ki Sung-yueng as he stopped the south Wales side from threatening the Irons' goal. After the match Collins showed off his own personal trophy from the match - a bulging lump on the back of his head.
He's committed to the cause
Collins left West Ham to move to Aston Villa in 2009 but the Newport-born defender was back with the Hammers in 2012, when the club returned to the Premier League under Sam Allardyce. Combining his current run with his four-year spell with the club previously, Collins now has nine seasons of service with West Ham and, according to the man himself, that won't be ending anytime soon. Speaking to whufc.com last month he said: "To think I've been a part of this Club for nearly ten years now is incredible. I'd love to finish my career here. I'd love to stay here for years to come!"
He's one with the fans
Collins' immense popularity with West Ham fans doesn't just come from his hardened defensive ability or never-ending commitment, but also with how much he gives back to supporters. Collins knows just how important the fans are to West Ham United and how much they give the team, and the Welshman showed exactly that after a particularly hard-fought win over Swansea City in April of this year. Following the match the centre-back walked over to a section of the London Stadium support, climbed over the barrier and entered the stands to join in the celebrations with the home fans. Collins took photos, shared in the jubilation and gave his match-worn shirt to a lucky fan. Nice work James!
He once entered the Miss Wales competition
Strictly speaking, Collins didn't actually enter himself in the competition to be Miss Wales 2014, but this image is so good we couldn't not include it! 'Ginger Pele' has a bit of an established reputation for being a dressing room joker but the team got their own back in February 2014, putting together a brilliantly photoshopped image of the defender. Andy Carroll shared the picture on social media, and it's absolutely fantastic!
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Bilic reveals Arnautovic regret over red card
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic has revealed that Marko Arnautovic apologised to his teammates 'three or four times' after being sent off in Saturday's Premier League defeat on Saturday. The Austrian was dismissed 33 minutes into the 3-2 loss at St Mary's Stadium after a clash with Saints defender Jack Stephens and Bilic was upset with his player for the part he played in his red card. West Ham were still only seconds away from salvaging a point thanks to Chicharito's double before Charlie Austin broke their hearts at the death and the boss said Arnautovic was remorseful after the match. Bilic said: "I had a chat. He's sorry and he apologised, I don't know, three or four times. He apologised in front of the whole team on the bus, in the dressing room, everywhere. "It's nice, but you can't do that. According to him, he didn't want to elbow [Stephens], but he probably wanted to push him a little bit. The problem is he [caught him], Arnautovic is big and it gave it an extra dimension. "We can talk about this and that, but the point is you can't do that. You can't do those kind of things. It happened, I'm fuming about it, but no more, not him or anyone else."
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Bruce eyeing Snoddy reunion
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 23rd August 2017
By: Staff Writer
Aston Villa are the new favourites to sign West Ham's out-of-favour Robert Snodgrass. The Championship club are hoping to take the Scottish international winger on loan for the remainder of the season, despite rivals Sunderland having been considered most likely to complete a deal until today. Snodgrass, who West Ham paid around £7.5million for just seven months ago when moving from Hull City is thought to be keen to team up with former boss Steve Bruce, currently in charge at Villa Park, once more. The 29-year-old was recently informed that he was surplus to requirements at the Olympic Stadium and according to reports, has already held preliminary discussions with representatives of the Championship club. When asked about his club's purported interest in Snodgrass on Monday, Villa assistant manager Colin Calderwood claimed he was unaware of the situation. "I've heard the rumour but I am not party to all that information, so I can't enlighten you," he told reporters.
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Lanzini linked with La Liga switch
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 23rd August 2017
By: Staff Writer
An Argentine journalist has claimed that Barcelona are interested in signing West Ham's attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini. The Catelonian giants recently parted company with Brazilian international Neymar for an estimated £198million - more than double the previous world record transfer fee. Since then, they have attempted to lure Liverpool's Brazilian international Philippe Coutinho to Spain - although the Merseysiders have thus far resisted all attempts to push through a move. As a result, Barca's net has widened further - and according to clarin.com reporter Matías Bustos Milla, they are keeping tabs on West Ham's Lanzini - who was ironically linked with a move to Liverpool, should Coutinho move to Barca. West Ham initially signed Lanzini on a season-long loan from Al Jazira in Saudi Arabia, before making the deal pemanent at the end of the 2015/16 campaign. The 24-year-old is yet to feature for West Ham this season having sustained a knock during the club's pre-season tour of Austria and Germany.
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Deja vu as Collins fears worst
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 22nd August 2017
By: Staff Writer
James Collins fears he may be made surplus to requirements by West Ham - for the second time in two years. The popular centre half, known by fans and friends alike as 'Ginge' was on the verge of leaving the club two years ago but was eventually awarded a new two-year contract, extending his stay at West Ham until the summer of 2018. At 33, the Welsh international is the same age as Jose Fonte, who has leapt ahead of Collins in Slaven Bilic's pecking order - with disastrous consequences, as witnessed at Southampton last weekend. And that has left the Newport-born defender - who was omitted from the 18-man squad that lost 3-2 at St Mary's - fearing the worst, as he enters what may be his final campaign at a club with whom he has become synonymous since returning from Aston Villa for a second spell in 2012. Ideally, Collins would like to extend his contract at West Ham further and remain at the club for another season, at least - although he has also expressed a desire to end his career at West Ham. However the defender - who is yet to feature for the first team this season - is concerned is that he may be moved on before the current window closes on Thursday, 31 August, against his wishes.
James Collins: West Ham stats
First spell (2005-2009): Pld 65, Gls 2
Second spell (2012-?): Pld 110, Gls 5
Total: Pld 175, Gls 7
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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic fuming with Marko Arnautovic after red card
Last Updated: 23/08/17 8:14am
SSN
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is still raging with record signing Marko Arnautovic for his red card against Southampton. The £25m summer signing will miss the next three games after being sent off during the 3-2 defeat for an elbow on Saints defender Jack Stephens. The Austrian apologised to fans, team-mates, and his manager for his actions but Bilic was still fuming at a press conference ahead of the Carabao Cup game at League Two Cheltenham on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports. The West Ham manager banged the table when asked how he felt about the incident saying: "You can't do those kind of things." "I am fuming, still now - you can feel. I am fuming, but it happened. But no more. Not him, not anybody else. I am confident the message got through. "The players they know and they can't let the team down and also of course him. And whoever does those kind of things will get the fine, of course. He will get fined. "He was angry at himself. He still is. He regrets it, so he is angry at himself. But he can't do it any more. "We had a chat. He said he is sorry, and he apologised, I don't know, three or four times - on social media, here, in front of the whole team, on the bus, in the dressing room, everywhere. Slaven Bilic gives his reaction to West Ham's late defeat to Southampton in the Premier League. Slaven Bilic gives his reaction to West Ham's late defeat to Southampton in the Premier League. "I said, 'Yes, it is nice.' Of course it is nice, but you can't do that. That's it. "How can he explain that? You can't explain that. You can't say I was late or whatever. "He didn't want to elbow him and he didn't elbow him like this, with a swinging arm. He wanted to probably get him somewhere here, in the side, to push him a bit because he was elbowed a few minutes before. "But his problem is their player went a bit down so he got him here, in the neck which is already nasty. It doesn't look good. "And second, Arnautovic is big. He is big [6ft 2in]. He is not [5ft 6in team-mate Manuel Lanzini]. He is big, massive - so it gives an extra dimension to it. But we can talk about this and that but you can't do that. "That is the point. "So let's not talk about how it happened. It is irrelevant. "Let's not waste time because the more you talk about how it happened the more normal it becomes, when you are analysing the things you shouldn't be analysing."
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William Carvalho to West Ham: What we know so far
STANDARD SPORT
ES Sport
West Ham are set to break their transfer record for a second time this summer as Slaven Bilic closes in on a deal for Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho.
The Hammers have already brought in Javier Hernandez, Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic and Sead Haksabanovic this summer, but are without a point in their opening two Premier League games. Bilic's defence has been exposed far too many times this season already, and Portugal international Carvalho would offer more protection in a holding midfield role as the east London club look to climb the table.
Here's what we know so far...
Is the deal close?
Talks are on-going between West Ham and Sporting over a deal for the 25-year-old midfielder, who is keen on the move to England. But with just over a week to go before the transfer window closes, there remains a gap between the clubs' respective valuations.
How much will he cost?
That gap between the clubs' valuations stands at £5million, with West Ham still some way off Sporting's £38m asking price. Slaven Bilic said on Tuesday that the Hammers are "still waiting" on the deal, but are ready to both buy and sell "in case something good comes on a plate".
What is West Ham's budget?
The Hammers have already spent some serious money this summer, with a club-record £23m deal for Marko Arnautovic and a £16m outlay on Javier Hernandez. Co-chairman David Gold and David Sullivan have given Bilic the green light to sign Carvalho, and a deal is still likely despite the difference in valuations.
Is he good enough?
Bilic's aim is to see pair Carvalho in midfield Cheikhou Kouyate to offer his defence more protection, with Mark Noble the likely casualty. Carvalho is not much of a goalscorer, but he was a key player as Portugal won Euro 2016 and impressed in the final with a possession-based performance against France. The 25-year-old has been linked with Arsenal, Manchester United and a host of other Premier League clubs in the past, though suitors were wary of his high price tag considering his age. However, the inflation of the transfer market has done little to Carvalho's value. While £38m would represent a club-record deal for West Ham, the midfielder will soon be worth far more if he makes an early impression in the Premier League.
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Cheikhou Kouyate set to return for West Ham's League Cup clash at Cheltenham
KEN DYER
ES Sport
West Ham, badly needing a victory following defeats in their first two Premier League matches, will be boosted by the return of midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate for tonight's League Cup tie at third-tier side Cheltenham. The Senegal international, who was injured in pre-season, is in the squad tonight for a match manager Slaven Bilic knows his team must win to ease the building pressure on him. Kouyate is likely to start on the bench but looks certain to see some action tonight, as Bilic tries to strengthen his midfield before Saturday's clash at Newcastle. Bilic's ultimate aim is to see the athletic Kouyate paired in midfield with Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho and talks are on-going between the clubs over a deal for the Portugal international. With just over a week to go before the transfer window closes, however, there remains a £5million gap between West Ham's most recent offer and Sporting Lisbon's £38m asking price. "We will see what will happen in the last week of the window," said Bilic. "If someone goes out, someone may come in. We are ready to do something both ways."
One probable departure is Scotland international Robert Snodgrass, who is wanted by Championship sides Aston Villa and Sunderland. Bilic, meanwhile, looks certain to make significant changes to his team for tonight's cup tie. With Winston Reid injured plus Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll not yet ready to come back, James Collins, Arthur Masuaku, Sam Byram and Pedro Obiang look likely to figure. Goalkeeper Adrian comes in for his first appearance of the season against the team he faced on his West Ham debut four seasons ago. "It's a great opportunity for me, the first time I have worn the West Ham shirt this season," said Adrian. "I am 100 per cent ready and will give my best to help the team."
Missing tonight will be another of Bilic's summer signings, Marko Arnautovic, who begins a three-match ban after being sent off against Southampton. "He has apologised three or four times [for his red card] — in the bus, in the dressing room. I told him, 'yes, that's nice but you can't do that'," said Bilic. "Let's not talk about how it happened. You just can't do things like that. "I'm fuming still now but no more can this happen, either with him or anyone else. I'm confident the message got through."
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David Gold has positive West Ham United team news
HITC
Subhankar Mondal
West Ham United will face Cheltenham Town in the EFL Cup this evening. David Sullivan, West Ham owner and David Gold, West Ham chairman look on during the Premier League match between Burnley and West Ham United at Turf Moor on May 21, 2017 in Burnley,... West Ham United co-chairman David Gold has taken to social networking site Twitter to send positive team news to the fans ahead of this evening's match against Cheltenham Town. Premier League club West Ham will take on League Two outfit Cheltenham away from home at the LCI Rail Stadium in the second round of the EFL Cup. Gold has revealed on Twitter that Cheikhou Kouyate will be part of the the Hammers' squad for the tie. The 27-year-old Senegal international, who can operate as a midfielder or as a defender, has been suffering with a knee problem. West Ham co-chairman Gold has also revealed on Twitter that Manuel Lanzini is back in training and has posted an image of him as well. The 24-year-old Argentina international attacking midfielder has been struggling with a leg injury.
David Gold, owner looks on prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool at London Stadium on May 14, 2017 in Stratford, England. Meanwhile, former Leeds United and Nottingham Forest midfielder David Prutton has predicted West Ham to win against Cheltenham this evening. Prutton has also predicted 27-year-old Senegal international striker Diafra Sakho to score for the Hammers. Prutton wrote on Skysports.com: "I'll be at this game on Wednesday and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it! "West Ham could use a victory after their poor start to the season in the Premier League, and anything but a win here will only heap more pressure on Slaven Bilic. "Cheltenham have not had the best start to the season themselves in League Two and, while I don't think West Ham will run away with it, they should get the win."
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MIDDLESBROUGH AND HULL ENTER RACE TO SIGN JOTA
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
ReadWestHam
West Ham have a long-standing interest in Brentford attacker Jota but are facing some fresh competition for the Spaniard. The Gazette report that Championship outfits Middlesbrough and Hull are looking to sign Jota this summer as they continue to bolster their squads ahead of a promotion campaign. Jota already has recorded three assists for Brentford this season but has missed the West London club's last two games with a suspect back injury amid rumours surrounding his future. We reported that West Ham saw an opening £3m bid turned down for the 26-year-old earlier this month but are yet to go in with another bid, but are planning on doing so when Robert Snodgrass' move away from the club is finalised as the club are working with a 'one in, one out' policy. Middlesbrough, the Championship's biggest spenders this summer, have seen a bid turned down by Brentford for their star man worth £4.5m plus add-ons, but are ready to come back with an improved bid and could go as high as £6m. Jota's contract expires next summer and is eager to complete a move to the Premier League before next week's transfer deadline. The player has agreed terms with West Ham and wants the move to happen, but a fee needs to be agreed.
Brentford value the attacker at £8m, but the Hammers were hoping to strike an agreement nearer the £6m mark. News of Middlesbrough's bid could force the Hammers to stump up a fee closer to Brentford's asking price if they want to get the deal done. Snodgrass didn't travel to Manchester United or Southampton with the first-team squad amid exit rumours and a loan move to Aston Villa is said to be nearing completion. Once this move is completed, West Ham will revisit a deal for Jota and hope they can strike a deal relatively quickly given the groundwork for the deal is already done.
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West Ham's London Stadium sees transformation back into football venue ahead of sell-out home game against Huddersfield
West Ham's versatile home has had a hectic schedule during the summer break
The London Stadium was used for gigs and the World Athletics Championships
Robbie Williams played at the venue before Usain Bolt sprinted there weeks later
Incredible time lapse footbage shows the change the stadium has gone through
By Kieran Gill for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 11:55, 23 August 2017 | UPDATED: 11:58, 23 August 2017
The London Stadium is being turned back into a football venue ahead of West Ham's first sell-out home match of the season on September 11. This summer has seen the home of the Hammers used for three concerts, the London Anniversary Games, World Para Athletics Championships and the World Athletics Championships. Here, Sportsmail has a time lapse to show how the London Stadium was transformed following West Ham's 4-0 loss to Liverpool in their last home game of the 2016-17 season. It will have been 120 days by the time Huddersfield Town are the visitors in less than three weeks' time. With that in mind, the retractable seating is being put back in place and the West Ham lettering reinstalled on the outside of the stadium. The sign has been stored and guarded 24-7 at a secure compound off-site while the finest athletes in the world were in action.
West Ham signage and branding around the stadium will also be returning after it was temporarily taken away. Contrary to reports, there are currently no plans to have a claret-coloured carpet fitted over the running track at a cost of £200,000 to the club. With talks to be held, it is likely to be green again. Construction workers are currently working daily to get the venue ready for Monday night football with Huddersfield on September 11.
LONDON STADIUM SUMMER PLAN
May 14 – West Ham 0-4 Liverpool – the London club's last home game of the 2016-17 season.
June 3 – Depeche Mode play in front of 80,000 people.
June 16, 17 – Guns N' Roses play twice in front of more than 150,000 people.
June 23 – Robbie Williams plays in front of a sell-out London Stadium crowd.
July 9 – London Anniversary Games.
July 14-23 – World Para Athletics Championships.
August 4-13 – World Athletics Championships.
September 11 – West Ham vs Huddersfield Town – their first home game of the 2017-18 season.
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MATCH PREVIEW: CHELTENHAM V WEST HAM
By Dan Coker 23 Aug 2017 at 08:00 0 comments
WTID
Blast from the past
West Ham United have met Cheltenham Town just once before in our history, also in the League Cup second round. The Hammers emerged victorious from that tie between the two clubs with a 2-1 win at the Boleyn Ground on 27th August 2013.
Ellie Goulding was number one with 'Burn' and Matt Damon topped the UK box office in Elysium as 23,440 were in attendance at Upton Park. The Hammers had picked up four points from their opening two Premier League matches, beating Cardiff 2-0 at home and drawing 0-0 at Newcastle. Manager Sam Allardyce gave debuts to summer signings Adrian and Razvan Rat as well as Academy product Leo Chambers, while Ravel Morrison made his first start in claret and blue.
West Ham's Matthew Taylor and Cheltenham's Matt Richards had both gone close with early free-kicks before Hammers' French international midfielder Alou Diarra had to be stretchered off after 34 minutes with a damaged anterior cruciate ligament that would keep him out of action for almost four months. Morrison was then booked for diving before he legitimately won a free-kick three minutes before half-time, which was sumptuously converted by Ricardo Vaz Te.
Morrison (pictured above) doubled the lead himself just 40 seconds into the second half, twisting and turning the Town defenders on the edge of the penalty area before placing a low right-footed effort just inside Scott Brown's post. Richards converted a penalty conceded by Adrian for a foul on Jermaine McGlashan just before the hour mark to give Mark Yates' men hope but the Hammers secured their passage to the third round.
The Hammers would march on to knock out Cardiff, Burnley and Tottenham before being painfully beaten 9-0 over two legs by eventual 2014 League Cup winners Manchester City at the semi-final stage. Of the 36 players involved in the matchday squads for this fixture just four years ago, only one remains as a player at their respective club – Irons goalkeeper Adrian. The Spanish stopper would be named runner-up in the Hammer of the Year voting for 2013/14, with Mark Noble claiming the main prize for the second time.
West Ham United: Adrian, Leo Chambers, James Tomkins, George McCartney, Razvan Rat, Alou Diarra (Mohamed Diame), Jack Collison, Matthew Taylor, Joe Cole (Stewart Downing), Ravel Morrison, Ricardo Vaz Te.
Cheltenham Town: Scott Brown, Craig Braham-Barrett, Ryan Inniss, Steve Elliott, Keith Lowe, Matt Richards, Russell Penn (Ashley Vincent), Jason Taylor, Jermaine McGlashan, Sam Deering (Byron Harrison), Terry Gornell (Zack Kotwica).
Club Connections
Michail Antonio made his Football League debut whilst on loan at Cheltenham from Reading. Alex Pike, who played in West Ham's Under-23 victory over Tottenham on Monday, played five games for Cheltenham on loan earlier this year. Others to have represented both clubs include:
Midfielders: Josh Payne, Danny Whitehead, David Noble, Grant McCann.
Striker: Bert Hawkins.
In addition, Martin Allen played for the Hammers before going on to manage Cheltenham.
Today's focus is on a former West Ham United striker who went on to manage Cheltenham. Bobby Gould was born on the 12th June 1946 in Coventry and began his career with his hometown club before moving to Arsenal for £90,000 in February 1968. He joined Wolves in June 1970 but moved to Black Country rivals West Brom just 15 months later. He signed for Bristol City in December 1972 before his move to east London.
Gould joined Ron Greenwood's West Ham United in November 1973 for £80,000 with the Hammers badly struggling in the bottom three of the First Division. He made his debut against one of his former clubs, Arsenal, on 24th November 1973 in a 3-1 defeat at the Boleyn Ground. Gould scored his first Hammers goal in a 3-1 defeat at Birmingham on 15th December 1973 and notched another in a 4-2 win at Chelsea on Boxing Day 1973. His first goal at Upton Park arrived on New Year's Day 1974 in another 4-2 win, this time over Norwich. Gould's last goal of 1973/74 came at Manchester City in a 2-1 defeat on 20th April.
The hard-working striker bagged a hat-trick in a 6-0 League Cup second round replay win over Tranmere at the Boleyn on 18th September 1974 and followed that with a brace in a 6-2 home win over Leicester three days later. Strikes in successive away games at Coventry and Everton in October secured 1-1 draws before he fired the fifth and final goal against former club Wolves in a 5-2 home win on 16th November 1974. Two more goals followed before Christmas, one in a 2-1 home win over Leeds and another in a 1-1 draw at Chelsea. Gould got the Hammers' ultimately triumphant FA Cup campaign off to a flyer by scoring in the 2-1 win at Southampton in the third round but would be ruled out for seven weeks, although he did score in his comeback game at Wolves in a 3-1 defeat. Another goal on the road came a month later at Sheffield United in a 3-2 loss but nine games without a goal at the end of the season cost Gould his place in the FA Cup Final team which defeated Fulham 2-0 – Gould was an unused substitute. His day in the Wembley sun was yet to come…
Gould put that disappointment behind him and scored at Stoke on the opening day of 1975/76 in a 2-1 win. Injury struck again and he would be out of the side for two months – his hard work building back to fitness paid dividends when he bagged the winner in a 2-1 triumph over Manchester United at Upton Park on 25th October 1975, his final goal in claret and blue. Gould played his final match as a Hammer in a 2-1 defeat at Derby on 15th November 1975 – he had joined the club when they were in the bottom two of the First Division and he left almost two years later with the club enjoying FA Cup holder status and sitting fifth in the top flight. Gould had played a significant part in lifting team spirit during his time at the club and departed having scored 19 goals in 62 appearances.
Five of Gould's 19 West Ham goals can be viewed in my video below – his first strike for the club at Birmingham, the fifth in the 5-2 win over former club Wolves, the FA Cup third round header at Southampton, his goal at Sheffield United and his winner against Manchester United.
Gould returned to Wolves in December 1975 for £30,000. He moved on to Bristol Rovers in October 1977 and had spells with Norwegian club Aalesunds and back in England with Hereford before hanging up his boots. He became Geoff Hurst's assistant at Chelsea and took caretaker control when Hurst was sacked at the end of the 1980/81 season. He had two spells as boss at former club Bristol Rovers with a period in charge back where it all began at Coventry sandwiched in between. He became manager of Wimbledon in 1987 and led them to an unlikely FA Cup fairytale when they won the trophy in 1988, defeating Liverpool in the Final, making up for Gould's non-appearance back in 1975. He went on to manage another former club, West Brom, before returning to Coventry in 1992 to lead them into the Premier League era. International management followed with a four-year spell in charge of Wales from 1995 to 1999. He returned to club management with Cardiff in 2000.
Gould's final full-time managerial post came in February 2003 when he took over at Division Two strugglers Cheltenham Town. With 20 games of the season remaining, Gould was faced with the task of pulling the club out of the relegation zone and preventing an immediate return to the Third Division. Despite all his experience he was unable to save them the drop and Town went straight back down. The 2003/04 season did not begin well for The Robins, who were lying in 19th place in the table after 14 games when Gould handed in his resignation following a run of six defeats in seven games. His departure came shortly after Cheltenham's 2-0 home defeat to Rochdale on 18th October 2003, almost ten months after his arrival at Whaddon Road.
Gould has since had brief spells with Peterborough and Weymouth. Now 71, he is a regular on TalkSport Radio and occasionally appears on BBC Radio 5Live's Fighting Talk. His elder son Jonathan was a goalkeeper at Coventry, Bradford, Celtic and Preston (amongst other clubs), while younger son Richard is Chief Executive of Surrey County Cricket Club. Bobby's grandson Matt is a goalkeeper for Stourbridge in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
Referee
Wednesday's referee will be West Midlands-based Oliver Langford, who will take on his second ever Hammers appointment – his only other match involving West Ham was the 4-1 win at Blackpool in February 2012. He sent off Robert Green, resulting in midfielder Henri Lansbury having to take over in goal. Green's red card was later rescinded with Sam Allardyce saying Langford had bowed to pressure from Blackpool's players after Green's challenge on Roman Bednar.
Langford has refereed five matches so far in 2017/18 – three in the Championship, one in League One and Bristol City's 5-0 home win over Plymouth in the League Cup first round. He has dished out 11 yellow cards in those five games and awarded two penalties.
Possible line-ups
Cheltenham Town manager Gary Johnson could give a first start to summer signing Kevin Dawson who was forced to miss the first three games of the season with a thigh injury but made his debut from the bench in Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Carlisle. Dawson was in Johnson's Yeovil side that played Manchester United at Huish Park in the FA Cup three seasons ago, with the Red Devils winning 2-0. Johnson favoured a 5-3-2 formation throughout pre-season, but has switched to 4-4-2 since the second half at Morecambe on the opening day of the campaign.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic could hand starts to Adrian, Sam Byram and James Collins. Saed Haksabanovic was omitted from the Under-23 side which beat Tottenham on Monday so could be in line for a place in the first team squad tonight. Cheikhou Kouyate is reportedly part of the travelling party but Robert Snodgrass, Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll are unlikely to be risked. Winston Reid is definitely ruled out through injury and Marko Arnautovic is suspended. Michail Antonio only made his first team return on Saturday so is unlikely to play a full game against his old club.
Possible Cheltenham Town XI: Flatt; Grimes, Forster, Boyle, Cranston; Winchester, Atangana, Dawson, Sellars; Eisa, Holman.
Possible West Ham United XI: Adrian; Byram, Fonte, Collins, Masuaku; Rice, Obiang; Fernandes, Ayew, Haksabanovic; Sakho.
Enjoy the game – Come On You Irons!
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West Ham's Slaven Bilic STILL livid with Marko Arnautovic 4 days after his Southampton sending off
Manager pounded desk in anger at Tuesday press conference as he fumed over £25m record buy's moment of madness
The Mirror
BYADRIAN KAJUMBA
22:30, 22 AUG 2017UPDATED22:41, 22 AUG 2017
Slaven Bilic is still "fuming" with record signing Marko Arnautovic — almost four days after his red card shame against Southampton. Arnautovic was sent off in the first half of West Ham 's 3-2 defeat at St Mary's for a sickening forearm smash on Saints defender Jack Stephens. And despite numerous apologies from the Austrian signed from Stoke this summer for £25million, who will now miss Wednesday night's banana skin Carabao Cup tie at League Two Cheltenham through suspension, Bilic's blood was still boiling on Tuesday. And the helpless desk in front of the Hammers' boss took a battering as Bilic tore into Arnautovic. "You can't do those kind of things," he said, with a raised voice and banging the table on every word. "I am fuming, still now — you can feel. I am fuming, but it happened. But no more. Not him, not anybody else. I am confident the message got through. "The players they know and they can't let the team down and also of course him. And whoever does those kind of things will get the fine, of course. He will get fined. "He was angry at himself. He still is. He regrets it, so he is angry at himself. But he can't do it any more. "We had a chat. He said he is sorry, and he apologised, I don't know, three or four times — on social media, here, in front of the whole team, on the bus, in the dressing room, everywhere. "I said, 'Yes, it is nice.' Of course it is nice, but you can't do that. That's it. "How can he explain that? You can't explain that. You can't say I was late or whatever. "He didn't want to elbow him and he didn't elbow him like this, with a swinging arm. He wanted to probably get him somewhere here, in the side, to push him a bit because he was elbowed a few minutes before. "But his problem is their player went a bit down so he got him here, in the neck which is already nasty. It doesn't look good. "And second, Arnautovic is big. He is big [6ft 2in]. He is not [5ft 6in team-mate Manuel Lanzini]. He is big, massive — so it gives an extra dimension to it. But we can talk about this and that but you can't do that. "That is the point. "So let's not talk about how it happened. It is irrelevant. "Let's not waste time because the more you talk about how it happened the more normal it becomes, when you are analysing the things you shouldn't be analysing."
Bilic meanwhile insists he does not feel under added pressure with the difficult start to the season – because it has never gone away. West Ham are already eyeing potential replacements for Bilic after losing their first two games of the season. He was feeling the heat last season as the Londoners battled against the drop during a turbulent campaign, before securing their safety with just two games to spare. As he prepared for Cheltenham, Bilic said: "Nothing surprises me but it looks like it never stopped to be fair. "But should I be under pressure now? No. We only started the season. I am the first one who wants as many points as possible but I don't feel the pressure apart from the pressure of the games that I am putting on myself."
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West Ham told they will have to spend £45.8m to land Primeira Liga star this summer
One potential move could be off the table for the Hammers
Football London
BYROB GUEST
06:30, 23 AUG 2017
It looks like West Ham will be priced out of a potential move for Benfica's Raul Jimenez. The Mexican forward has been linked with a move to east London all summer, yet the Portuguese club's eye-watering valuation will put a stop to Jimenez completing a move to the Hammers. According to Portuguese publication Record, the club would have to stump up €50million (£45.8m) if they wanted to sign the former Atletico Madrid striker. Given the club have splurged big money on Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic, as well as a potential £40m deal for Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho, it is extremely unlikely that Jimenez will join compatriot Hernandez in the capital. Record claim that both Everton, who have already submitted a €30m bid, and Ligue 1 side Monaco are keen on strengthening their attack by sealing a deal for the talented forward. Jimenez almost joined the Hammers in 2015 but he failed to show up for a medical as his alarm clock didn't go off on time. With Benfica valuing their play at €50m, it looks like the striker may once again miss out on a move to the capital.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, August 23
Daily WHUFC News - 23rd August 2017
Cheltenham Town v West Ham United: All you need to know
WHUFC.com
West Ham United take their first break from Premier League action on Wednesday as Slaven Bilic's side face Cheltenham Town in the Carabao Cup. The Hammers will be eager for a first win of the season in a match that could start a successful run in the tournament, towards Wembley and silverware.
Here's all you need to know about this week's match with Cheltenham Town, including team news, how to get there and the player to watch...
Where and when?
Cheltenham Town v West Ham United will be played at the LCI Rail Stadium on Wednesday 23 August 2017, at 7:45pm BST. The address for the ground is Whaddon Rd, Cheltenham GL52 5NA, although West Ham United fans should bear in mind that parking at the stadium is not available. Information on travel for this fixture can be found in the 'how to get there' section of this preview.
How to follow
West Ham United's second round Carabao Cup contest with Cheltenham Town has been selected for live broadcast by Sky Sports. Coverage will begin at 7:30pm and the match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Mix. You can also follow the game live via our Matchday Blog on whufc.com, with updates also available on Twitter throughout the evening. You can also follow the match on social media on our official Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat channels! Radio coverage will also be provided by BBC Radio Gloucestershire.
Team news
Slaven Bilic is likely to hand first team opportunities to a number of players yet to start in the Premier League this season for West Ham United. There could be a first chance with the senior side for summer signing Sead Haksabanovic, who did not play for the U23s in their contest with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.
Match officials
Referee: Oliver Langford
Assistant Referees: Mark Russell and Robert Merchant
Fourth Official: Referee: Brett Huxtable
Meet the opposition
Wednesday's opponents Cheltenham Town haven't experienced an amazing start to the season in League Two. The Robins have won just one of their opening three league fixtures, and lost 3-0 to Carlisle last time out.
Cheltenham endured a difficult campaign last season in League Two, narrowly avoiding relegation out of the division and into the National Leagues, and are looking for improvement this season under Gary Johnson.
Player to watch
It will be almost four years to the day that West Ham played Cheltenham Town last, and on that day Spanish goalkeeper Adrian made his debut for the Hammers.
Having been on the bench for the Hammers' first two matchers this campaign Adrian is likely to have the chance to remind manager Bilic of his ability on Wednesday. The shot-stopper is immensely popular with the West Ham United faithful and will be looking to stake his claim to the starting XI position on a regular basis in this Carabao Cup contest.
Head-to-head
West Ham United and Cheltenham Town have only met once in their respective histories, in a match that was played on 27 August 2013 at the Boleyn Ground.
That fixture was also a League Cup match - then known as the Capital One Cup - with the two sides again meeting in the second round. The Irons won that match 2-1 thanks to a free-kick from Ricardo Vaz Te and a cool finish by Ravel Morrison. Besting Cheltenham Town seemed to be a good omen for the Irons as the side reached the semi-finals of the competition that season.
Did you know?
Five players have played for both West Ham and Cheltenham Town:
Grant McCann played well over 200 games there in two loan spells and a permanent stay between 2003-07. He then played and coached alongside Jack Collison at Peterborough
Josh Payne was loaned to Cheltenham in 2008, aged 17. He is now with Crawley Town.
Emmanuel Onariase played the second half of last season on loan at Cheltenham. He's now with Brentford.
Holmar Orn Eyjofsson went there on loan in 2009. He never played for West Ham's first team, but went on to win the Norwegian title twice with Rosenborg and is now with Maccabi Haifa in Israel.
Academy right-back Alex Pike went on loan to the Robins last season.
How to get there
By car: West Ham United fans should note that a park-and-ride system has been implemented by Cheltenham Town for Wednesday evening's Carabao Cup fixture.
Supporters attending the match by car should park at Cheltenham racecourse where two coaches will ferry fans to the stadium.
These coaches will run pick-ups from the race course at 6:20pm, 6:40pm, 7:00pm and 7:20pm BST.
Returns to the race course will run from the stadium at 21:45, 22:05 and 22:25 BST. These return journeys are subject to change if the match goes to extra-time, and an announcement will be made over the stadium tannoy if required.
To get to Cheltenham racecourse follow the M40 and leave this road at junction 8, taking the A40 exit towards Oxford/Cheltenham.
Follow the A40 before joining merging onto London Rd/A435. Turn right at Hewlett Road and then turn right at Evesham Road/A435. The racecourse is just past the roundabout along this road.
By train: Cheltenham Railway Station is situated two miles away from the LCI Rail Stadium and Bus Service D will take supporters to the town centre, from where the stadium is just a short walk.
Otherwise fans should allow 45 minutes to walk from the station to the stadium.
Ticket information
All tickets for West Ham's trip to Cheltenham Town have sold out.
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Important travel information for West Ham supporters heading to Cheltenham
WHUFC.com
West Ham United travelling to Cheltenham Town by car on Wednesday should note that a park-and-ride system has been implemented for the Carabao Cup fixture. Supporters attending the match by car should park at Cheltenham Racecourse where coaches will ferry fans to the stadium. These coaches will run pick-ups from the race course at 6.20pm, 6.40pm, 7pm and 7.20pm BST. Returns to the race course will run from the stadium at 9.45pm, 10.05pm and 10.25pm BST. These return journeys are subject to change if the match goes to extra-time, and an announcement will be made over the stadium tannoy if required.
To get to Cheltenham racecourse follow the M40 and leave this road at junction 8, taking the A40 exit towards Oxford/Cheltenham. Follow the A40 before joining merging onto London Rd/A435. Turn right at Hewlett Road and then turn right at Evesham Road/A435. The racecourse is just past the roundabout along this road.
Supporters should also note that there is no space at the LCI Rail Stadium to accommodate flags or drums, so you are asked not to take them to the game.
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Holland: We showed character in Tottenham turnaround
WHUFC.com
Nathan Holland praised the character and desire shown by West Ham United's PL2 side as they overcame a two-goal deficit to beat Tottenham 3-2 on Monday afternoon. West Ham trailed 2-0 at half time, before goals from Dan Kemp, Josh Pask and an outstanding 25-yard curler from Holland completed the comeback, extending West Ham's unbeaten start to the season. "It shows our character and desire." Holland explained after the game. "Terry [Westley] didn't need to say much at half-time. "We all knew that wasn't the standards that Terry expects from us. Liam [Manning] and Terry expect much more from us and we wanted to show everyone what we are really about. "All of the lads did that, we dug deep and we got the win in the end."
West Ham came flying out of the traps after the restart, with Dan Kemp poking home Vashon Neufville's low cross on 49 minutes, before Holland's equaliser just six minutes later. In fact, Kemp and Holland were a constant threat to the Spurs defenders, especially in the second period. Their aggressive, direct running with the ball opened up the hosts on multiple occasions; a tactic that West Ham looked to exploit whenever the opportunity was presented. "We knew that the way they like to play is very open so if we could nick it and counter-attack, play very wide, then we can hurt them and that's exactly what happened in the second half," the former Everton man continued. "Obviously it's paid off with the goals."
The match was truly lit up on 55 minutes when Holland and Grady Diangana combined on the left flank. The Hammers' January signing eventually picked it up 25-yards out, on the corner of the penalty area, took a touch and then unleashed a stunning curling effort past Brandon Austin in the Spurs goal. As soon as it left his boot, there was nowhere else it was heading except the top corner. Not a bad way to open the account for 2017/18…
The West Ham winger is not new to scoring the odd screamer though, having already done something similar against Fulham and West Bromwich Albion last season. "When I came inside, I went for the far corner and as soon as I connected with it, I had a good feeling it was going in – luckily it did!" he laughed.
The win ensured West Ham preserved their unbeaten start to the new campaign, having already beaten Swindon Town and been held at home by Everton, but Holland is not getting carried away. "We've done very well so far" he admitted. "All the players have stuck to the task, worked hard and hopefully we can keep that going, starting on Sunday against Swansea."
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Antonio relishing Carabao Cup return to Cheltenham Town
WHUFC.com
Michail Antonio is relishing a return to the club which handed him his senior professional debut on Wednesday evening. The West Ham United star was just 18 when he joined struggling League One side Cheltenham Town on loan from Reading in February 2009. Despite Antonio's presence, and that of former Hammer Martin Allen in the Whaddon Road dugout, the Robins were unable to avoid relegation, but the winger will never forget what he learned during his three months in Gloucestershire. "They were in League One when I went there and we got relegated that season," recalled Antonio, whose Hammers tackle Cheltenham in the Carabao Cup second round this week. "I had come to Reading from non-league a few months before and then went back on loan to [my former club] Tooting & Mitcham and people were trying to smash me. "I went back to Reading and the very next day I went on loan to Cheltenham, so I literally went from grassroots football to Cheltenham. It was definitely better technically and stuff like that but it was hustle and bustle, hard challenges and everybody down there is fighting for everything and trying to get better."
Antonio himself fought and got better, impressing for Reading and Southampton before breakthrough spells with Championship clubs Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest propelled him to the Premier League two years ago. While he is now a top-flight regular, a household name and close to an England debut, the No30 will always relish the experiences he enjoyed – and endured – in the three months he spent with Cheltenham eight-and-a-half years ago. "When I went to Cheltenham on loan, my very first game was at Elland Road and I played for 12 minutes, got challenged by Patrick Kisnorbo and I injured three ligaments in my ankle, but because it was my debut I played on for 15 minutes and then had to call it a day," he said, grimacing as he remembers the pain of the injury he suffered at Leeds United. "I've never been back since I left, so it will definitely be nice to go back and see how the club is doing and meet the same people who were there when I was there all those years ago."
While Cheltenham will always have a special place in Antonio's heart, the 27-year-old will have no sentiment when he takes to the pitch in front of a capacity 7,000 crowd at Whaddon Road. Every West Ham fan would no doubt love a run in the Carabao Cup, but the powerful wideman says the tournament and opposition are irrelevant – he just wants to win football matches. "To be honest, the ambition of this Club has to be to win as many games as possible, in every competition," he said. "We're not focusing on the Premier League or on the Carabao Cup, we're only focusing on winning, that's the key."
Wednesday's tie will be screened live in the UK by Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Mix from 7.30pm. Alternatively, you can follow our Live blog on whufc.com from 6pm.
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Swansea tickets now on sale to Claret Members
WHUFC.com
Tickets for our London Stadium Premier League clash with Swansea City are now sale to Claret Members.
The Hammers saw off Paul Clement's Swans with a vital 1-0 home victory towards the end of last season when Cheikhou Kouyate struck a sweet winner from outside the box and you could be there when we go for another win against the South Wales side on Saturday 30 September.
As one of only three scheduled Saturday 3pm home kick-offs before Christmas, tickets for this match are expected to sell out quickly, so sign up for Membership now to ensure you can secure your seat!
Claret Membership benefits include:
Ticket priority on Premier League and Cup fixtures
Access to the Ticket Exchange – once a fixture is sold out, you can purchase seats which have been relisted by Season Ticket Holders
£5 discount on official away coach travel
Exclusive Claret Member access card
Additional merchandise discounts and offers
NEW: Exclusive monthly competitions – prize draws for signed shirts, memorabilia and money-can't-buy experiences
NEW: Invite to Junior Hammers party for Claret Kids
NEW: Attend PL2 matches at London Stadium for free
NEW: Attend West Ham Ladies home matches for free
Claret Members will also receive an FREE West Ham branded portable phone charger with Claret Kids receiving a FREE gift pack including face paint sticks, a bedroom wall poster and an exclusive Claret Kids scarf which you can't get anywhere else!
Claret Membership costs £40 for Adults and £25 for Kids, with International Membership subject to an additional £5 to cover shipping.
If you are on the Season Ticket Waiting List, you can take advantage of a £10 discount on Membership if you sign up before 8 September.
Meanwhile, just a handful of tickets for the derby with Tottenham remain for Claret Members. Click here to buy for this game or access the Ticket Exchange for Huddersfield now!
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Team news: Bilic to field strong Carabao Cup side
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic has insisted he will field a strong starting XI as his West Ham United side travel to Cheltenham Town for their Carabao Cup second round fixture on Wednesday night. With Michail Antonio playing his first minutes of the season against Southampton on Saturday and the likes of Manuel Lanzini and Robert Snodgrass only just returning to training, they may miss out. However, the Hammers boss is confident the team he puts out at Whaddon Road can win the game and secure a spot in the third round of the competition.
He said: "We will take a strong squad to Cheltenham. Maybe a few players will stay and obviously the players still not fit will not come. "Only with the players like Antonio – who came back after a long injury and played on Saturday – will we be thinking about Newcastle game. "Some of them are only in their first few days of training like Lanzini. But if it stays like that we have a really strong squad. "Today in training, for instance, we had all the other players available for training. They were fit and on the pitch without restrictions. Some of them are suspended – [Marko] Arnautovic – some it was their first training, like Snodgrass. "For tomorrow's game, there are only a couple of players that we won't take to travel. We have options and we want to give some a rest. We will see tomorrow which team we will put out but it will be a strong team because we want to win the game of course. "Winston Reid will not be fit but it's not a bad injury. He should be fit for the Huddersfield game after the international break."
New signing Joe Hart has started both games between the sticks in the Premier League so far, therefore Spanish stopper Adrian may be hoping for a chance to impress on Wednesday. There could be more minutes for Diafra Sakho, who has been introduced as a substitute twice so far this campaign, while Declan Rice will be keen to continue his fine form after his first senior start on the south coast.
West Ham suffered late heartbreak at St. Mary's on Saturday, conceding a stoppage time penalty in a 3-2 defeat to the Saints. But Bilic believes this early in the season, although the games are coming thick and fast, there is plenty of time to field a strong lineup at Cheltenham and still be in good shape for Newcastle United at the weekend. "It's not a big thing for others to play – it's the beginning of the season. There is an international break after the Newcastle game, so it's OK for them to play. "Wednesday until Saturday is enough time to recover. If we make changes it's because we have a good squad and can do that, although we will have a little bit of an eye on Newcastle but we will put a strong team out."
Wednesday's tie will be screened live in the UK by Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Mix from 7.30pm. Alternatively, you can follow our Live blog on whufc.com from 6pm.
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World Cup qualifying: Austria pick two new caps in squad to face Wales
BBC.co.uk
West Ham midfielder Marko Arnautovic is included in Austria's squad to face Wales in their World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium on 2 September. Arnautovic, who joined from Stoke for £24m in July, scored twice in the 2-2 draw in Vienna last October. Defenders Moritz Bauer of Rubin Kazan and SK Rapid's Maximilian Wober earn first call-ups from Marcel Koller. That sees Tottenham defender Kevin Wimmer left out, although the £15m West Brom target remains on standby.
Wales coach Chris Coleman will announce his squad on Friday, 25 August to face Austria and then Moldova in Chisinau three days later.
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Cole set for Ferdinand reunion?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 22nd August 2017
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammer Carlton is on trial with League One side Southend United. The Shrimpers - who are captained by Cole's friend and fellow ex-Hammer Anton Ferdinand - have taken the 33-year-old striker on trial with view to offering a permanent deal. "We've got Carlton in at the moment after a recommendation from Sam Allardyce," Blues boss Phil Brown, Allardyce's former assistant manager at Bolton told The Echo. "He will train with the first team. "He's returned from Indonesia and we all know what he's done in his career, so we'll be having a look at him and see where we go from there."
Cole is available on a free transfer having recently departed Indonesian club Persib Bandung, who he left after just six months when the club terminated his ten-month contract early. Speaking earlier this month, prior to the termination of Cole's contract, Bandung manager Umuh Muchtar slammed the former Hammer for what he perceived to be below-par performances. "He plays very badly compared to the other (foreign players) who have joined Persib," he moaned. "He had the worst performances."
And that prompted an angry response via social media from Cole, who wrote: "This direct attack on me for the whole season must stop. Look at yourself first before you point fingers at good people. "I was very surprised and disappointed what came out of Umuh Muchtar's mouth on Sky Sports News in England. And I would like to clarify I have a great relationship with Persib and everyone connected to the team. "But this manipulation of the media has to stop somewhere because when you intentionally try to damage my career that I have worked so hard for it starts to get personal."
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Desperately seeking Snodgrass
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 22nd August 2017
By: Staff Writer
Sunderland are still keen to try and lure Robert Snodgrass to the Stadium of Light ahead of the transfer deadline. However any bid from the Black Cats will be on a loan basis, according to manager Simon Grayson. "I can tell you now that we won't be buying Robert Snodgrass because of the fee and the wages that come with it," he said. "The only way we could get him is through a loan deal, or something like that. "There won't be too many clubs in the Championship who would be able to afford to buy Robert Snodgrass, and if they do then they have some serious money. "He's a player that I like and, like a lot of other managers, we will ask the question about his availability but it will be dictated by finances. "If someone in the Championship takes him, I don't think they will be able to afford his full wages."
West Ham are seeking to offload the former Hull winger before the transfer window closes - just seven months after signing him from Hull in a £10million deal.
Fellow Championship club Aston Villa have also expressed interest in signing the Scottish international.
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Sead Haksabanovic and the West Ham players likely to be involved at Cheltenham Town
Here's the players likely to make an appearance in the domestic cup tie
Football London
BYROB GUEST
20:03, 22 AUG 2017
Slaven Bilic could make a number of changes to his West Ham team as they travel to Cheltenham Town in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening. While the manager is expected to rotate some of his squad, the Hammers will still put out a strong side as they want to go far in the competition this season. After impressing for the club's youngsters in the Checkatrade Trophy win at Swindon Town last week, new signing Sead Haksabanovic could be handed his first-team debut at Whaddon Road. The attacking midfielder has yet to be involved in the first-team squad so far this campaign but it looks like he will be handed his opportunity in the cup. Diafra Sakho is another player that could also be given an opportunity from kick-off against the League Two side following his return from injury. The Senegalese striker, who spent the vast majority of last season on the sidelines, has featured off the bench in his side's defeats at Manchester United and Southampton. Given Andy Carroll is still missing through injury, Bilic could opt to rest Javier Hernandez and start with Sakho upfront. Michail Antonio could well start again after his return from injury, while Edimilson Fernandes will more than likely come back into the starting XI. There may also be a number of changes in defence with Bilic having plenty of options at the back.
Sam Byram could be handed a first start of the season in place of Pablo Zabaleta, with Arthur Masuaku handed a recall on the opposite flank after his disappointing display against Manchester United. James Collins may well come into defence, while Adrian could take Joe Hart's place in goal.
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Cheltenham v West Ham preview: Carabao Cup clash live on Sky Sports Football
Last Updated: 22/08/17 4:41pm
SSN
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has confirmed he is unlikely to risk winger Michail Antonio in the Carabao Cup tie at Sky Bet League Two side Cheltenham on Wednesday night. Antonio underwent a hamstring operation over the summer and made his first start in the Premier League match at Southampton before going off in the second half. The Hammers have lost their opening two games of the season, going down 4-0 at Manchester United and 3-2 at Southampton, and head to Whaddon Road for the clash, live on Sky Sports Football, targeting a first win of the season.
Cheltenham, meanwhile, haven't had the best start themselves and currently sit 20th in the League Two table after a win and two defeats. Versatile Irishman Kevin Dawson could make his first Cheltenham start after joining the Robins from Yeovil in the summer, but his debut was delayed following a thigh injury.
Cheltenham will have a clean bill of health if on-loan midfielder Jerell Sellars recovers from a knock which has forced him to miss the last two games.
Austria forward Marko Arnautovic is suspended after his red card on Saturday and defender Winston Reid (calf) continues to be assessed. Midfielder Manuel Lanzini is back in training after his knee problem, as is striker Andy Carroll (thigh) and Cheikhou Kouyate (knee).
This will be Cheltenham's fourth League Cup tie with Premier League opposition - they've lost all three in the second round, including most recently against West Ham in August 2013. The Hammers haven't been eliminated from the League Cup by a side in the fourth tier as a top-flight side since October 1972, when Stockport County won 2-1 at Edgeley Park. The Robins have never gone beyond the second round of the League Cup in their history. West Ham were last eliminated by fourth-tier opposition in the League Cup in August 2011, when Aldershot Town won 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground in a first-round match.
Prutton's prediction
I'll be at this game on Wednesday and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it! West Ham could use a victory after their poor start to the season in the Premier League, and anything but a win here will only heap more pressure on Slaven Bilic. Cheltenham have not had the best start to the season themselves in League Two and, while I don't think West Ham will run away with it, they should get the win.
Prutton predicts: 1-3 with Diafra Sakho to score first (30/1 with Sky Bet)
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Slaven Bilic: West Ham are 'ready' for transfers amid William Carvalho talks
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport
Slaven Bilic says West Ham are ready to both sell and buy players before the summer transfer window shuts. The Hammers have already brought in Javier Hernandez, Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic and Sead Haksabanovic this summer, but are without a point in their opening two Premier League games. Bilic insists that while he is happy with his squad following defeats to Manchester United and Southampton, he is looking to bring in one more player. William Carvalho is a target and talks are ongoing between the two clubs, but Bilic is still waiting on news regarding a potential deal. "We are still waiting for that," Bilic told Sky Sports News.
"We will wait and see what happens in the last week of the transfer window to see if somebody is going to leave or go out, or if somebody is going to come in.
"There is a week in front of us and, like most of the clubs, we are ready to do something both ways, in case something good comes on a plate."
Last season's January signing Robert Snodgrass has been linked with a move away from the club having not scored a single goal since making the move from Hull, though Bilic insists that he is no problems with the make-up of his squad. "I am happy with the squad now," he added. "I said that I would like to have one more and then after that if somebody leaves we have to fill that gap because we don't have a big, big squad. "This is our squad for the season, or at least until January."
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Bookies make West Ham second favourites to sign Carlos Tevez this summer - but could striker's return really happen?
HITC
Aiden Cusick
Tevez spent a season at West Ham United earlier in his career. The ambition shown by West Ham United during this summer's transfer window cannot be called into question, with established stars Javier Hernandez, Mark Arnautovic, Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta all arriving at the London Stadium. And based on Bet Victor's latest odds things could get better yet, with the Hammers second favourites to sign their former striker Carlos Tevez from Shanghai Shenhua before 3 September.
Only Barcelona (6/1) are currently more fancied than Slaven Bilic's side (8/1), but could the Argentine really return to West Ham?
Why it might happen?
Tevez has so far struggling to live up to expectation in China, scoring two goals and providing four assists in his 11 Shanghai appearances. Homesickness could be a factor, with the 33-year-old finding it hard to get on board with Oriental cuisine and having returned to Argentina during the league's ongoing hiatus (Sky Sports). Indeed, Shanghai's fear that Tevez could go AWOL was evidenced by their insistence he promised not to - in writing. Having kept the club in the Premier League a decade ago, he continues to be held in high regard by West Ham supporters.
Why it might not?
The same report claims the Argentine earns £650,000 a week in China, more than four times that of West Ham's highest paid player. And it would likely require a somewhat un-Tevez-like sacrifice for the London side to afford him. Besides, given his age, and the fact their priorities perhaps lie in other positions since signing Hernandez, the Hammers might not be that bothered anyway.
Verdict:
Unless another financial carrot is dangled, there are two likely outcomes here: Either Tevez sticks things out in Shanghai as promised, or returns for a third spell at Boca Juniors, having already admitted he misses the club and would go back 'for the fans'. Even if the latter doesn't happen this summer - Bet Victor are offering 12/1 on him signing for any South American club, by the way - one suspects it's a near certainty at some stage.
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BILIC NOT UNDER THREAT DESPITE EXIT RUMOURSFeatured Image
Date: 22nd August 2017 at 9:00pm
Written by: Forever Westham
West Ham are not looking to replace manager Slaven Bilic despite recent rumours over the safety of his job at the London Stadium, says sources at TalkSport.
Bilic has been with the East London club since the summer of 2015, and enjoyed a terrific first campaign in charge of the Hammers, guiding them to their best placed top flight finish in almost 15 years. In his second season in charge however, the Croatian found his side involved in relegation battle for much of the year, and having had a tough pre-season and start to the Premier League season with back-to-back defeats, rumours have circulated that Bilic could be on borrowed time at the London Stadium. The Hammers have lost both of their opening games of the new campaign, being humbled 4-0 by Manchester United in their opening fixture, before losing 3-2 to Mauricio Pellgerino's Southampton this Saturday. Despite the rumours of Bilic's future however, sources at the club have called such whispers "total rubbish", suggesting the Croat's job at the London Stadium is still very much safe.
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All Whites skipper Winston Reid misses fourth consecutive international football window
Last updated 09:23 23/08/2017
HANNAH MCKAY
Winston Reid is treated after injuring his calf during while warming up for a Premier League clash at Southampton last weekend. All Whites skipper Winston Reid will miss another international window through injury. New Zealand Football said on Wednesday that Reid will not be available for a pair of World Cup qualifiers against the Solomon Islands early next month. The 29-year-old West Ham United centre-back injured his ankle while warming up for an English Premier League game against Southampton last weekend. All Whites coach Anthony Hudson said it was once again very disappointing to not have the services of Reid, who has not been present for the last three international windows because of injury. "He's been through a tough period with regards to injury and I know he's incredibly frustrated not to be playing for his club and for his country. But we wish him a quick recovery and hope to see him back with us in our next games."
A replacement for Reid in the squad would be announced this week and Chris Wood will again lead the team, NZ Football said. The leading contenders to replace Reid were Sunderland under-23 defender Sam Brotherton and South Melbourne's Luke Adams. Brotherton was in the squad for the Confederations Cup, but did not play, while Adams played in the 2016 OFC Nations Cup win. West Ham also confirmed the news, manager Slaven Bilic saying Reid would not be fit for their English League Cup clash against Cheltenham Town on Wednesday (Thursday NZ time). Bilic added Reid is likely to return for a Premier League clash on September 11, their first match after the international break. "Winston Reid will not be fit, but it's not a bad injury," the Croatian in charge of the Hammers said. "He should be fit for the Huddersfield game after the international break."
The first leg of New Zealand's tie with the Solomon Islands will be played at North Harbour Stadium next Friday, September 1, with the return leg in Honiara four days later. The winner of the tie advances to an intercontinental playoff in November against the fifth-placed team from South American qualifying for a berth at next year's World Cup in Russia. Reid was carried off on a stretcher during the warm-ups before West Ham's Premier League clash with Southampton and the defender, who signed a six-year contract extension last week, was sorely missed as the his team crashed to a 3-2 defeat. After the match, Bilic was hopeful the injury would not sideline the Kiwi centre-back for long. "It was like irony, when I was talking to one of the physios," Bilic told reporters at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium. "On Monday, we were expecting the whole team to be fit, every player which hasn't been the case for the last five years. "And while we are talking in the dressing room, the other physio comes and he say, 'Winston hurt his Achilles.' And in the end, it wasn't the Achilles. It was the calf. "They say it's nothing serious, but we will see how things have to go with this. "At least it wasn't a rupture, at least we hope."
- Stuff
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BILL GREEN 1950-2017
By Dan Coker 22 Aug 2017 at 17:00
WTID
Former West Ham United centre-back Bill Green has passed away at the age of 66.
Bill Green was born in Newcastle on the 22nd December 1950 and attended St Mary's RC Boys' Technical School. He joined Hartlepool from school before making his debut as an 18-year-old on 15th September 1969 in a 1-1 Fourth Division draw at Newport. He made 131 appearances for Pools, scoring nine goals. He joined Carlisle in the summer of 1973 for £15,000 and captained the Cumbrians for the only top flight campaign in their history in 1974/75.
Bill signed for West Ham United at the age of 25 in June 1976 for a fee of £75,000. He made his debut on 21st August 1976 in a 4-0 defeat at Aston Villa in the First Division and scored his only goal for the Hammers in a 3-1 home win over Chelsea on the 25th March 1978. Blues forward Tommy Langley was in goal as John Phillips had been forced off through injury – Bill's strike gave the Hammers a 2-1 lead after David Cross had equalised, Pat Holland sealing the points with the third. Despite this victory, the Irons would be relegated at the end of the 1977/78 campaign and, after 40 appearances in claret and blue, Bill was on the move to Peterborough to become their record signing.
After a season at London Road, Bill would go on to captain Chesterfield, making 160 appearances between 1979 and 1983 before ending his playing career at Doncaster. He managed Scunthorpe from 1991 to 1993 and had a spell in charge at Buxton between 1994 and 1996. He had one game as caretaker manager at Sheffield Wednesday in 2002 and worked as Chief European Scout at Wigan and Derby. For the past six years he had been Senior Recruitment Officer at Southampton.
Bill Green passed away on Monday 21st August at the age of 66. I am sure all WHTID readers will join me in sending condolences and best wishes to Bill's family and friends at this sad time.
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We need to play 'like it is the last game of our lives' says West Ham boss Slaven Bilic ahead of Carabao Cup tie against Cheltenham
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has called on his team to play "like it is the last game of our lives" and kick-start the season with a Carabao Cup win at League Two Cheltenham. The Irons have lost both of their Premier League fixtures so far, going down first 4-0 to Manchester United and then 3-2 at Southampton, where they had fought back following the sending off of Marko Arnautovic only to concede a last-minute penalty. The future of the Hammers boss was in question this morning, according to reports, but talkSPORT sources have said their are no plans to replace Bilic. However, the Croatian is confident his players can come through at Whaddon Road to give themselves the perfect tonic going into Saturday's trip to Newcastle ahead of the international break. Bilic said at a press conference: "We need a win to get that boost, but it was a completely different feeling after the defeat at Manchester United and at Southampton, because there were a lot of positives on Saturday when we came back from 2-0 down with 10 men to equaliser. But of course we have zero points. "If we do some changes it is because we have a good squad and okay, with a little bit of an eye towards the Newcastle game, but we will of course put a strong team out."
The Croatian added: "We are a Premier League side, we are all professionals, it is part of our job to feel the pressure, it is always there. "We know it is going to be a difficult game, but it is up to us to make it less difficult with our performance. "We know they will play almost like a cup final, but there is only one thing we have to do to stop that and it is to play the game like it is the last game of our lives. "Only with that approach are we going to reduce their chances. "Normally we have a better team, but the (team on) paper means nothing when the game starts. "After a good performance against Southampton, now there is a platform for us before Newcastle to boost our confidence with a win, which means a lot in the club."
Bilic also confirmed he would still like to add another body before the transfer window closes, with Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho one reported target while Scotland winger Robert Snodgrass looks set for a loan move to Aston Vila. "Like most of the clubs we are ready to do something both ways in case something good comes, so that is a maybe," he said.
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Bilic dismisses reports Carroll could rejoin Newcastle
BY LONDON FOOTBALL NEWS 22/08/2017
Slaven Bilic has dismissed reports linking West Ham striker Andy Carroll with a return to Newcastle. The Magpies have been linked with a pre-deadline move for the injury-plagued Carroll, who they sold to Liverpool in 2011. But Hammers boss Bilic, whose team play Newcastle this weekend, suggested the reports are mere speculation. Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Bilic said: "He's always a very interesting character to be in the papers for whatever reason. "I think it's because we play Newcastle, he's from Newcastle, he's on the verge of coming back and you have to fill the papers."
Bilic added that he has been working to improve his team's defending following their poor start to the season. They have lost both their opening matches and conceded seven goals in the process, going down 4-0 at Manchester United on the opening day and then 3-2 against Southampton. "It is a thing that we are talking about," Bilic admitted. "Those three goals we conceded (against Southampton) came from individual mistakes and the players are very frustrated. "You can very easily stop these kind of situations, like the first goal against Southampton when it was obvious what they were going to do. "We are analysing it and encouraging the players to do what they have to do – and they will do it.
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Aston Villa lead race for Robert Snodgrass loan deal as West Ham put winger on market just seven months after £10m transfer
Aston Villa are unable to take Robert Snodgrass permanently due to FFP
Steve Bruce's side are keen to secure deal for Scotland international on loan
Championship side Sunderland are also interested in taking Snodgrass
Bruce has already suceeded in bold moves for John Terry and Josh Onomah
By Laurie Whitwell for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 13:42, 22 August 2017 | UPDATED: 13:42, 22 August 2017
Aston Villa have moved ahead of rivals in pursuit of signing Robert Snodgrass on loan. West Ham made the winger available for transfer just seven months after paying Hull £10million in the winter window, and Steve Bruce has made an ambitious bid. Bruce is unable to take Snodgrass to Villa Park on a permanent basis due to Financial Fair Play regulations but the club have proposed an attractive loan arrangement to West Ham. A number of clubs are tracking Snodgrass, including Sunderland, whose manager Simon Grayson worked with the Scotland international at Leeds United. But Bruce, who signed Snodgrass for Hull in June 2014, is said to be using his personal persuasion to win over the 29-year-old. Bruce has already succeeded this summer in bold moves for John Terry and Tottenham's Josh Onomah and views Snodgrass as an ideal recruit to add quality on the wing. Snodgrass missed the entirety of the 2014-15 season under Bruce through a serious knee injury but returned to help Hull to promotion the following campaign. He starred in the first half of last season, scoring six Premier League goals and providing a number of assists despite playing in a team at the bottom of the table, and Slaven Bilic committed a large chunk of his budget in his transfer. But West Ham have now decided Snodgrass is surplus to requirements, giving Bruce opportunity to add to his squad ahead of a planned promotion push.
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Carvalho to sign and Lanzini to stay - West Ham's transfer window: A look at the best and worst case scenario
A look at what could happen for the Hammers in the remaining days of the transfer window
Football London
BYROB GUEST
12:14, 22 AUG 2017
With just over a week until the transfer window slams shut, West Ham are expected to be busy in the transfer market over the coming days. Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho is dominating talk in east London at present, while there will also be one or two outgoings at the London Stadium. The club have enjoyed a successful transfer window so far following the arrivals of Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez, yet they have suffered two successive defeats in the league. Slaven Bilic was busy in the final week of transfer market last year and, once again, that looks like it will be the case this time around.
Here we take a look at the best and worst case scenarios for the club over the next week.
Best case scenario
William Carvalho
The best case scenario for the Hammers would see them finally complete the signing of Carvalho from Sporting Lisbon. The Portuguese international, who has reportedly agreed a five-year contract with the club, is set on moving to the capital, although a fee is the only thing holding up the transfer at present. Given that the Primeira Liga side want as close to £40million as possible for their prized asset, it looks like the clubs will have to compromise on a fee. Carvalho, who would help strengthen the team's midfield, would be an exceptional signing for the Hammers and Bilic will have his fingers crossed that the club can seal a deal. As well as incomings in east London, there will be movement going out of the club over the next week.
Manuel Lanzini
Manuel Lanzini and Diafra Sakho are two players that have been linked with a move away from the club, yet Bilic will be doing all he can to keep them in the capital. Following the news that Philippe Coutinho's move to Barcelona will not be going through, the club's supporters will be very pleased as that means Liverpool won't be launching a move for Lanzini.
Diafra Sakho
Reports emerging from France also suggest that Lazio and Bordeaux are interested in a potential move for Sakho before the transfer deadline. The Senegalese striker, who has only come back from a nightmare spell on the sidelines, has featured in both of the club's two opening Premier League games. Sakho is definitely part of Bilic's plan and the club need to make sure they keep hold of the forward.
Robert Snodgrass
While the club will be doing all they can to keep Sakho, Robert Snodgrass is one player that definitely looks like he will be departing the club. Bilic confirmed last week that the Scotland international is deemed surplus to requirements and that he is free to find another team. Sunderland and Aston Villa have been heavily linked with the player, while a number of Premier League and Championship teams are said to be keeping tabs on the winger. Having Carvalho, Lanzini and Sakho in a claret and blue shirt come the start of September, as well as Snodgrass moving on, would be the best case scenario for the club.
Worst case scenario
The worst case scenario for the Hammers is that they are unable to complete a deal for Carvalho. Although the move is believed to be edging closer, there is a risk that the transfer could potentially drag on into the closing stages of the window. The Euro 2016 winner would be a major coup for the club and David Gold and David Sullivan need to ensure it gets over the line. The Hammers can't afford to miss out on Carvalho, particularly given it is well-documented how many big-name players they missed out on last campaign. The danger for the club is they will dip into the loan market for a player if Carvalho doesn't sign. After missing out on some big players one year ago, Gokhan Tore, Jonathan Calleri and Simone Zaza all sealed loan moves to east London. Everyone knows how well those players did for the Hammers…
As well as potentially losing out on Carvalho, West Ham fans will be praying that the club don't finish the window with their current squad. While the Hammers have done extremely well in the transfer window, it's evident that the club still need a couple of additions here and there. It's going to be an interesting week coming up at the London Stadium.
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THE FINEST OF MARGINS
By Tony Hanna 22 Aug 2017 at 08:00
WTID
On Saturday the disaster that is Optus Sports (from last season the provider of Premier League games in Australia), decided to go into melt down mode and show no games at all. No warning, no refund and no apology. Unable to find a stream that would work and in the knowledge that we were down to ten men and one goal down I shrunk off to bed at half past midnight. I woke the next morning and Optus was up and running again and so promptly watched the 90 second goal package they provided for our game. I just shook my head as the events unfolded and my wife disappeared somewhere else to find something for me to kick. The next hour or so I tuned into WHTID to read the comments as they appeared and there was a lot of disagreement on how we performed. I wondered what side I might be agreeing with once I had watched the full game myself? I kept from commenting on the site as to be honest I didn't feel I was qualified not having watched more than a minute and a half of the game.
After watching the ninety second highlights package my main emotion was grievance. Bloody ref, stupid Arnie and how slow is Fonte? Typical West Ham! Why always us? After watching the full game later my overwhelming emotion was pride. I came away proud of our team and proud of our supporters. These games are so often decided by the finest of margins and had the match finished a minute earlier than it did we would all be talking about what a fantastic team effort that was to come from two down with only ten men. It doesn't stop me thinking Arnie was stupid or how slow is Fonte, but I do think the referees decisions were correct with the two penalties awarded and the sending off. However, the finest of margins came into play with the decisions the referee didn't give us and the fact that the ones he did give against us often go unpunished at so many other times. Put it this way. If Southampton had been playing at the Theatre of Moans they would never have got all three of those crucial decisions, however right they may have been. I might be wrong, but I do think we will finish above Southampton this season.
As for Slaven? I have always been an old fashioned supporter who wants to see whoever our manager is do well, a hope that in bad times he will turn things around rather than just get sacked. I still had splinters in the bum long after most West Ham fans had jumped the fence for Big Sam to go. You may all recall just how divisive that topic was, especially on the forums. It wasn't because I liked his style of football, it was because at that time he was West Ham's manager. I found Roeder's weakness irritating and I disliked Zola for his inverted wingers. I never wanted them sacked though. I just wanted them to learn from their mistakes and improve. I have disagreed about some of Bilic's tactics for some while now and even the players he picks and formations. It does not make me right though, I have no history of managing at the top level, so as long as he is boss he gets my support providing I think he is not totally inept or it is blatant that the players have stopped playing for him. I remember back in the 60's – the banners in the old Chicken Run calling for Greenwood to go? As a young supporter then I wondered why? Ron was West Ham. The lack of success did not bother me as I just loved our club for better or worse. When I started going to Upton Park I was watching a club that had been playing for over 60 years and we were only on our 4th manager! Whatever people think about our defending, Bilic has still got us to 7th and 11th in the past two seasons and it is far too early to start getting twitchy after just two games this season. If we are in trouble in December then a change may be what we need, but we are not Robinson Crusoe there – many other clubs will be taking the same course of action if expectations are not being met. If we were to change manager now who would / could we get and what real difference would it make? We would still have players that perform poorly at times, there will always be players that will be whipping boys and we will always have players that make mistakes? Any new manager going to fix all that up? Doubt it! But feel free to comment.
We have less than two weeks to go now before the transfer window is closed. The ongoing situation regarding potential signing William Carvalho has not changed. The bookies have him priced at 1-5 (83%) to join the Hammers with no money for any other outcome than him staying at Sporting Lisbon or signing for us. As I wrote in my article last week this one could go either way. It is a good sign that his odds are holding firm despite the talk of problems in the negotiations, but I would be much more confident if the odds were a bit shorter. There has been further money for Adrian to stay and his odds are now 4/7 (63%) to remain a Hammer with only Crystal Palace and Newcastle tipped as alternative destinations. With the possible arrival of Carvalho, the prices on Jack Wishere and Jota signing have both eased – Wilshere is a 9/2 (18%) chance and Jota is now 5/2 (28%). I am pleased to report that there has been more money for Manuel Lanzini to stay with his odds/chances firming to 2-9 (81%). Robert Snodgrass looks certain to be on his way as the bookies price him up at 10/1 (9%) to stay at the club with Newcastle, Sunderland, Villa and Celtic amongst the clubs showing an interest. I am sure we will be trying to sell the player rather than loan so this one might drag out until the last day.
Elsewhere, the Coutinho saga continues but it has always been my belief (by just reading the way they have been framing the market), that the toss of the coin that it is he will probably stay at Liverpool rather than move to Spain. This is reflected in the firming of the prices for Lanzini to stay at West Ham. The chances of Zlatan Ibrahimovic spending another year with the Moaners look good and with the arrival of Sanchez at Spurs, there has been good money for Kevin Wimmer to move to West Brom. There has also been late money to indicate that Chelsea might be looking at Leicester's Riyad Mahrez. The bookies updates have given us a good heads up on what has been happening in this transfer window. They don't get it right all the time but for me they normally provide better information than many ITK's. However, as I alluded to in one of the earlier articles, as the final days approach the markets will become much more volatile and in many ways unreliable. There are going to be some clubs that miss out on their targets and when desperation sets in anything can happen.
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West Ham striker set to leave with Lazio and Bordeaux interested
West Ham transfer news includes an update on the forward
Football London
Despite just making his first-team comeback, Diafra Sakho could potentially be about to leave West Ham. According to France Football, Bordeaux and Lazio are both interested in striking a deal with the Hammers for the Senegalese forward. Following an outstanding first season at Upton Park, where he scored 12 goals in 26 games for the club, Sakho has struggled with injuries over the past two years. The 27-year-old only managed four appearances for Slaven Bilic's team last season, with a combination of a hamstring injury and back injury keeping him on the sidelines for the majority of the campaign. After stepping up his recovery over the summer, Sakho has appeared as a substitute in both of West Ham's league games so far this season. The player may have doubts over the amount of game time he will get following Javier Hernandez's arrival in east London, but it looks like he will definitely be utilised by Bilic. Lazio have contacted the Hammers to register their interest in a potential deal for Sakho, while Ligue 1 side Bordeaux are keen on taking the player back to France. Given Lazio have Europa League football to offer, they could well hold an advantage over Bordeaux if the Hammers decide to allow Sakho to depart after three years in east London.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United take their first break from Premier League action on Wednesday as Slaven Bilic's side face Cheltenham Town in the Carabao Cup. The Hammers will be eager for a first win of the season in a match that could start a successful run in the tournament, towards Wembley and silverware.
Here's all you need to know about this week's match with Cheltenham Town, including team news, how to get there and the player to watch...
Where and when?
Cheltenham Town v West Ham United will be played at the LCI Rail Stadium on Wednesday 23 August 2017, at 7:45pm BST. The address for the ground is Whaddon Rd, Cheltenham GL52 5NA, although West Ham United fans should bear in mind that parking at the stadium is not available. Information on travel for this fixture can be found in the 'how to get there' section of this preview.
How to follow
West Ham United's second round Carabao Cup contest with Cheltenham Town has been selected for live broadcast by Sky Sports. Coverage will begin at 7:30pm and the match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Mix. You can also follow the game live via our Matchday Blog on whufc.com, with updates also available on Twitter throughout the evening. You can also follow the match on social media on our official Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat channels! Radio coverage will also be provided by BBC Radio Gloucestershire.
Team news
Slaven Bilic is likely to hand first team opportunities to a number of players yet to start in the Premier League this season for West Ham United. There could be a first chance with the senior side for summer signing Sead Haksabanovic, who did not play for the U23s in their contest with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.
Match officials
Referee: Oliver Langford
Assistant Referees: Mark Russell and Robert Merchant
Fourth Official: Referee: Brett Huxtable
Meet the opposition
Wednesday's opponents Cheltenham Town haven't experienced an amazing start to the season in League Two. The Robins have won just one of their opening three league fixtures, and lost 3-0 to Carlisle last time out.
Cheltenham endured a difficult campaign last season in League Two, narrowly avoiding relegation out of the division and into the National Leagues, and are looking for improvement this season under Gary Johnson.
Player to watch
It will be almost four years to the day that West Ham played Cheltenham Town last, and on that day Spanish goalkeeper Adrian made his debut for the Hammers.
Having been on the bench for the Hammers' first two matchers this campaign Adrian is likely to have the chance to remind manager Bilic of his ability on Wednesday. The shot-stopper is immensely popular with the West Ham United faithful and will be looking to stake his claim to the starting XI position on a regular basis in this Carabao Cup contest.
Head-to-head
West Ham United and Cheltenham Town have only met once in their respective histories, in a match that was played on 27 August 2013 at the Boleyn Ground.
That fixture was also a League Cup match - then known as the Capital One Cup - with the two sides again meeting in the second round. The Irons won that match 2-1 thanks to a free-kick from Ricardo Vaz Te and a cool finish by Ravel Morrison. Besting Cheltenham Town seemed to be a good omen for the Irons as the side reached the semi-finals of the competition that season.
Did you know?
Five players have played for both West Ham and Cheltenham Town:
Grant McCann played well over 200 games there in two loan spells and a permanent stay between 2003-07. He then played and coached alongside Jack Collison at Peterborough
Josh Payne was loaned to Cheltenham in 2008, aged 17. He is now with Crawley Town.
Emmanuel Onariase played the second half of last season on loan at Cheltenham. He's now with Brentford.
Holmar Orn Eyjofsson went there on loan in 2009. He never played for West Ham's first team, but went on to win the Norwegian title twice with Rosenborg and is now with Maccabi Haifa in Israel.
Academy right-back Alex Pike went on loan to the Robins last season.
How to get there
By car: West Ham United fans should note that a park-and-ride system has been implemented by Cheltenham Town for Wednesday evening's Carabao Cup fixture.
Supporters attending the match by car should park at Cheltenham racecourse where two coaches will ferry fans to the stadium.
These coaches will run pick-ups from the race course at 6:20pm, 6:40pm, 7:00pm and 7:20pm BST.
Returns to the race course will run from the stadium at 21:45, 22:05 and 22:25 BST. These return journeys are subject to change if the match goes to extra-time, and an announcement will be made over the stadium tannoy if required.
To get to Cheltenham racecourse follow the M40 and leave this road at junction 8, taking the A40 exit towards Oxford/Cheltenham.
Follow the A40 before joining merging onto London Rd/A435. Turn right at Hewlett Road and then turn right at Evesham Road/A435. The racecourse is just past the roundabout along this road.
By train: Cheltenham Railway Station is situated two miles away from the LCI Rail Stadium and Bus Service D will take supporters to the town centre, from where the stadium is just a short walk.
Otherwise fans should allow 45 minutes to walk from the station to the stadium.
Ticket information
All tickets for West Ham's trip to Cheltenham Town have sold out.
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Important travel information for West Ham supporters heading to Cheltenham
WHUFC.com
West Ham United travelling to Cheltenham Town by car on Wednesday should note that a park-and-ride system has been implemented for the Carabao Cup fixture. Supporters attending the match by car should park at Cheltenham Racecourse where coaches will ferry fans to the stadium. These coaches will run pick-ups from the race course at 6.20pm, 6.40pm, 7pm and 7.20pm BST. Returns to the race course will run from the stadium at 9.45pm, 10.05pm and 10.25pm BST. These return journeys are subject to change if the match goes to extra-time, and an announcement will be made over the stadium tannoy if required.
To get to Cheltenham racecourse follow the M40 and leave this road at junction 8, taking the A40 exit towards Oxford/Cheltenham. Follow the A40 before joining merging onto London Rd/A435. Turn right at Hewlett Road and then turn right at Evesham Road/A435. The racecourse is just past the roundabout along this road.
Supporters should also note that there is no space at the LCI Rail Stadium to accommodate flags or drums, so you are asked not to take them to the game.
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Holland: We showed character in Tottenham turnaround
WHUFC.com
Nathan Holland praised the character and desire shown by West Ham United's PL2 side as they overcame a two-goal deficit to beat Tottenham 3-2 on Monday afternoon. West Ham trailed 2-0 at half time, before goals from Dan Kemp, Josh Pask and an outstanding 25-yard curler from Holland completed the comeback, extending West Ham's unbeaten start to the season. "It shows our character and desire." Holland explained after the game. "Terry [Westley] didn't need to say much at half-time. "We all knew that wasn't the standards that Terry expects from us. Liam [Manning] and Terry expect much more from us and we wanted to show everyone what we are really about. "All of the lads did that, we dug deep and we got the win in the end."
West Ham came flying out of the traps after the restart, with Dan Kemp poking home Vashon Neufville's low cross on 49 minutes, before Holland's equaliser just six minutes later. In fact, Kemp and Holland were a constant threat to the Spurs defenders, especially in the second period. Their aggressive, direct running with the ball opened up the hosts on multiple occasions; a tactic that West Ham looked to exploit whenever the opportunity was presented. "We knew that the way they like to play is very open so if we could nick it and counter-attack, play very wide, then we can hurt them and that's exactly what happened in the second half," the former Everton man continued. "Obviously it's paid off with the goals."
The match was truly lit up on 55 minutes when Holland and Grady Diangana combined on the left flank. The Hammers' January signing eventually picked it up 25-yards out, on the corner of the penalty area, took a touch and then unleashed a stunning curling effort past Brandon Austin in the Spurs goal. As soon as it left his boot, there was nowhere else it was heading except the top corner. Not a bad way to open the account for 2017/18…
The West Ham winger is not new to scoring the odd screamer though, having already done something similar against Fulham and West Bromwich Albion last season. "When I came inside, I went for the far corner and as soon as I connected with it, I had a good feeling it was going in – luckily it did!" he laughed.
The win ensured West Ham preserved their unbeaten start to the new campaign, having already beaten Swindon Town and been held at home by Everton, but Holland is not getting carried away. "We've done very well so far" he admitted. "All the players have stuck to the task, worked hard and hopefully we can keep that going, starting on Sunday against Swansea."
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Antonio relishing Carabao Cup return to Cheltenham Town
WHUFC.com
Michail Antonio is relishing a return to the club which handed him his senior professional debut on Wednesday evening. The West Ham United star was just 18 when he joined struggling League One side Cheltenham Town on loan from Reading in February 2009. Despite Antonio's presence, and that of former Hammer Martin Allen in the Whaddon Road dugout, the Robins were unable to avoid relegation, but the winger will never forget what he learned during his three months in Gloucestershire. "They were in League One when I went there and we got relegated that season," recalled Antonio, whose Hammers tackle Cheltenham in the Carabao Cup second round this week. "I had come to Reading from non-league a few months before and then went back on loan to [my former club] Tooting & Mitcham and people were trying to smash me. "I went back to Reading and the very next day I went on loan to Cheltenham, so I literally went from grassroots football to Cheltenham. It was definitely better technically and stuff like that but it was hustle and bustle, hard challenges and everybody down there is fighting for everything and trying to get better."
Antonio himself fought and got better, impressing for Reading and Southampton before breakthrough spells with Championship clubs Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest propelled him to the Premier League two years ago. While he is now a top-flight regular, a household name and close to an England debut, the No30 will always relish the experiences he enjoyed – and endured – in the three months he spent with Cheltenham eight-and-a-half years ago. "When I went to Cheltenham on loan, my very first game was at Elland Road and I played for 12 minutes, got challenged by Patrick Kisnorbo and I injured three ligaments in my ankle, but because it was my debut I played on for 15 minutes and then had to call it a day," he said, grimacing as he remembers the pain of the injury he suffered at Leeds United. "I've never been back since I left, so it will definitely be nice to go back and see how the club is doing and meet the same people who were there when I was there all those years ago."
While Cheltenham will always have a special place in Antonio's heart, the 27-year-old will have no sentiment when he takes to the pitch in front of a capacity 7,000 crowd at Whaddon Road. Every West Ham fan would no doubt love a run in the Carabao Cup, but the powerful wideman says the tournament and opposition are irrelevant – he just wants to win football matches. "To be honest, the ambition of this Club has to be to win as many games as possible, in every competition," he said. "We're not focusing on the Premier League or on the Carabao Cup, we're only focusing on winning, that's the key."
Wednesday's tie will be screened live in the UK by Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Mix from 7.30pm. Alternatively, you can follow our Live blog on whufc.com from 6pm.
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Swansea tickets now on sale to Claret Members
WHUFC.com
Tickets for our London Stadium Premier League clash with Swansea City are now sale to Claret Members.
The Hammers saw off Paul Clement's Swans with a vital 1-0 home victory towards the end of last season when Cheikhou Kouyate struck a sweet winner from outside the box and you could be there when we go for another win against the South Wales side on Saturday 30 September.
As one of only three scheduled Saturday 3pm home kick-offs before Christmas, tickets for this match are expected to sell out quickly, so sign up for Membership now to ensure you can secure your seat!
Claret Membership benefits include:
Ticket priority on Premier League and Cup fixtures
Access to the Ticket Exchange – once a fixture is sold out, you can purchase seats which have been relisted by Season Ticket Holders
£5 discount on official away coach travel
Exclusive Claret Member access card
Additional merchandise discounts and offers
NEW: Exclusive monthly competitions – prize draws for signed shirts, memorabilia and money-can't-buy experiences
NEW: Invite to Junior Hammers party for Claret Kids
NEW: Attend PL2 matches at London Stadium for free
NEW: Attend West Ham Ladies home matches for free
Claret Members will also receive an FREE West Ham branded portable phone charger with Claret Kids receiving a FREE gift pack including face paint sticks, a bedroom wall poster and an exclusive Claret Kids scarf which you can't get anywhere else!
Claret Membership costs £40 for Adults and £25 for Kids, with International Membership subject to an additional £5 to cover shipping.
If you are on the Season Ticket Waiting List, you can take advantage of a £10 discount on Membership if you sign up before 8 September.
Meanwhile, just a handful of tickets for the derby with Tottenham remain for Claret Members. Click here to buy for this game or access the Ticket Exchange for Huddersfield now!
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Team news: Bilic to field strong Carabao Cup side
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic has insisted he will field a strong starting XI as his West Ham United side travel to Cheltenham Town for their Carabao Cup second round fixture on Wednesday night. With Michail Antonio playing his first minutes of the season against Southampton on Saturday and the likes of Manuel Lanzini and Robert Snodgrass only just returning to training, they may miss out. However, the Hammers boss is confident the team he puts out at Whaddon Road can win the game and secure a spot in the third round of the competition.
He said: "We will take a strong squad to Cheltenham. Maybe a few players will stay and obviously the players still not fit will not come. "Only with the players like Antonio – who came back after a long injury and played on Saturday – will we be thinking about Newcastle game. "Some of them are only in their first few days of training like Lanzini. But if it stays like that we have a really strong squad. "Today in training, for instance, we had all the other players available for training. They were fit and on the pitch without restrictions. Some of them are suspended – [Marko] Arnautovic – some it was their first training, like Snodgrass. "For tomorrow's game, there are only a couple of players that we won't take to travel. We have options and we want to give some a rest. We will see tomorrow which team we will put out but it will be a strong team because we want to win the game of course. "Winston Reid will not be fit but it's not a bad injury. He should be fit for the Huddersfield game after the international break."
New signing Joe Hart has started both games between the sticks in the Premier League so far, therefore Spanish stopper Adrian may be hoping for a chance to impress on Wednesday. There could be more minutes for Diafra Sakho, who has been introduced as a substitute twice so far this campaign, while Declan Rice will be keen to continue his fine form after his first senior start on the south coast.
West Ham suffered late heartbreak at St. Mary's on Saturday, conceding a stoppage time penalty in a 3-2 defeat to the Saints. But Bilic believes this early in the season, although the games are coming thick and fast, there is plenty of time to field a strong lineup at Cheltenham and still be in good shape for Newcastle United at the weekend. "It's not a big thing for others to play – it's the beginning of the season. There is an international break after the Newcastle game, so it's OK for them to play. "Wednesday until Saturday is enough time to recover. If we make changes it's because we have a good squad and can do that, although we will have a little bit of an eye on Newcastle but we will put a strong team out."
Wednesday's tie will be screened live in the UK by Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Mix from 7.30pm. Alternatively, you can follow our Live blog on whufc.com from 6pm.
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World Cup qualifying: Austria pick two new caps in squad to face Wales
BBC.co.uk
West Ham midfielder Marko Arnautovic is included in Austria's squad to face Wales in their World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium on 2 September. Arnautovic, who joined from Stoke for £24m in July, scored twice in the 2-2 draw in Vienna last October. Defenders Moritz Bauer of Rubin Kazan and SK Rapid's Maximilian Wober earn first call-ups from Marcel Koller. That sees Tottenham defender Kevin Wimmer left out, although the £15m West Brom target remains on standby.
Wales coach Chris Coleman will announce his squad on Friday, 25 August to face Austria and then Moldova in Chisinau three days later.
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Cole set for Ferdinand reunion?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 22nd August 2017
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammer Carlton is on trial with League One side Southend United. The Shrimpers - who are captained by Cole's friend and fellow ex-Hammer Anton Ferdinand - have taken the 33-year-old striker on trial with view to offering a permanent deal. "We've got Carlton in at the moment after a recommendation from Sam Allardyce," Blues boss Phil Brown, Allardyce's former assistant manager at Bolton told The Echo. "He will train with the first team. "He's returned from Indonesia and we all know what he's done in his career, so we'll be having a look at him and see where we go from there."
Cole is available on a free transfer having recently departed Indonesian club Persib Bandung, who he left after just six months when the club terminated his ten-month contract early. Speaking earlier this month, prior to the termination of Cole's contract, Bandung manager Umuh Muchtar slammed the former Hammer for what he perceived to be below-par performances. "He plays very badly compared to the other (foreign players) who have joined Persib," he moaned. "He had the worst performances."
And that prompted an angry response via social media from Cole, who wrote: "This direct attack on me for the whole season must stop. Look at yourself first before you point fingers at good people. "I was very surprised and disappointed what came out of Umuh Muchtar's mouth on Sky Sports News in England. And I would like to clarify I have a great relationship with Persib and everyone connected to the team. "But this manipulation of the media has to stop somewhere because when you intentionally try to damage my career that I have worked so hard for it starts to get personal."
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Desperately seeking Snodgrass
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 22nd August 2017
By: Staff Writer
Sunderland are still keen to try and lure Robert Snodgrass to the Stadium of Light ahead of the transfer deadline. However any bid from the Black Cats will be on a loan basis, according to manager Simon Grayson. "I can tell you now that we won't be buying Robert Snodgrass because of the fee and the wages that come with it," he said. "The only way we could get him is through a loan deal, or something like that. "There won't be too many clubs in the Championship who would be able to afford to buy Robert Snodgrass, and if they do then they have some serious money. "He's a player that I like and, like a lot of other managers, we will ask the question about his availability but it will be dictated by finances. "If someone in the Championship takes him, I don't think they will be able to afford his full wages."
West Ham are seeking to offload the former Hull winger before the transfer window closes - just seven months after signing him from Hull in a £10million deal.
Fellow Championship club Aston Villa have also expressed interest in signing the Scottish international.
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Sead Haksabanovic and the West Ham players likely to be involved at Cheltenham Town
Here's the players likely to make an appearance in the domestic cup tie
Football London
BYROB GUEST
20:03, 22 AUG 2017
Slaven Bilic could make a number of changes to his West Ham team as they travel to Cheltenham Town in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening. While the manager is expected to rotate some of his squad, the Hammers will still put out a strong side as they want to go far in the competition this season. After impressing for the club's youngsters in the Checkatrade Trophy win at Swindon Town last week, new signing Sead Haksabanovic could be handed his first-team debut at Whaddon Road. The attacking midfielder has yet to be involved in the first-team squad so far this campaign but it looks like he will be handed his opportunity in the cup. Diafra Sakho is another player that could also be given an opportunity from kick-off against the League Two side following his return from injury. The Senegalese striker, who spent the vast majority of last season on the sidelines, has featured off the bench in his side's defeats at Manchester United and Southampton. Given Andy Carroll is still missing through injury, Bilic could opt to rest Javier Hernandez and start with Sakho upfront. Michail Antonio could well start again after his return from injury, while Edimilson Fernandes will more than likely come back into the starting XI. There may also be a number of changes in defence with Bilic having plenty of options at the back.
Sam Byram could be handed a first start of the season in place of Pablo Zabaleta, with Arthur Masuaku handed a recall on the opposite flank after his disappointing display against Manchester United. James Collins may well come into defence, while Adrian could take Joe Hart's place in goal.
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Cheltenham v West Ham preview: Carabao Cup clash live on Sky Sports Football
Last Updated: 22/08/17 4:41pm
SSN
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has confirmed he is unlikely to risk winger Michail Antonio in the Carabao Cup tie at Sky Bet League Two side Cheltenham on Wednesday night. Antonio underwent a hamstring operation over the summer and made his first start in the Premier League match at Southampton before going off in the second half. The Hammers have lost their opening two games of the season, going down 4-0 at Manchester United and 3-2 at Southampton, and head to Whaddon Road for the clash, live on Sky Sports Football, targeting a first win of the season.
Cheltenham, meanwhile, haven't had the best start themselves and currently sit 20th in the League Two table after a win and two defeats. Versatile Irishman Kevin Dawson could make his first Cheltenham start after joining the Robins from Yeovil in the summer, but his debut was delayed following a thigh injury.
Cheltenham will have a clean bill of health if on-loan midfielder Jerell Sellars recovers from a knock which has forced him to miss the last two games.
Austria forward Marko Arnautovic is suspended after his red card on Saturday and defender Winston Reid (calf) continues to be assessed. Midfielder Manuel Lanzini is back in training after his knee problem, as is striker Andy Carroll (thigh) and Cheikhou Kouyate (knee).
This will be Cheltenham's fourth League Cup tie with Premier League opposition - they've lost all three in the second round, including most recently against West Ham in August 2013. The Hammers haven't been eliminated from the League Cup by a side in the fourth tier as a top-flight side since October 1972, when Stockport County won 2-1 at Edgeley Park. The Robins have never gone beyond the second round of the League Cup in their history. West Ham were last eliminated by fourth-tier opposition in the League Cup in August 2011, when Aldershot Town won 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground in a first-round match.
Prutton's prediction
I'll be at this game on Wednesday and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it! West Ham could use a victory after their poor start to the season in the Premier League, and anything but a win here will only heap more pressure on Slaven Bilic. Cheltenham have not had the best start to the season themselves in League Two and, while I don't think West Ham will run away with it, they should get the win.
Prutton predicts: 1-3 with Diafra Sakho to score first (30/1 with Sky Bet)
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Slaven Bilic: West Ham are 'ready' for transfers amid William Carvalho talks
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport
Slaven Bilic says West Ham are ready to both sell and buy players before the summer transfer window shuts. The Hammers have already brought in Javier Hernandez, Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic and Sead Haksabanovic this summer, but are without a point in their opening two Premier League games. Bilic insists that while he is happy with his squad following defeats to Manchester United and Southampton, he is looking to bring in one more player. William Carvalho is a target and talks are ongoing between the two clubs, but Bilic is still waiting on news regarding a potential deal. "We are still waiting for that," Bilic told Sky Sports News.
"We will wait and see what happens in the last week of the transfer window to see if somebody is going to leave or go out, or if somebody is going to come in.
"There is a week in front of us and, like most of the clubs, we are ready to do something both ways, in case something good comes on a plate."
Last season's January signing Robert Snodgrass has been linked with a move away from the club having not scored a single goal since making the move from Hull, though Bilic insists that he is no problems with the make-up of his squad. "I am happy with the squad now," he added. "I said that I would like to have one more and then after that if somebody leaves we have to fill that gap because we don't have a big, big squad. "This is our squad for the season, or at least until January."
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Bookies make West Ham second favourites to sign Carlos Tevez this summer - but could striker's return really happen?
HITC
Aiden Cusick
Tevez spent a season at West Ham United earlier in his career. The ambition shown by West Ham United during this summer's transfer window cannot be called into question, with established stars Javier Hernandez, Mark Arnautovic, Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta all arriving at the London Stadium. And based on Bet Victor's latest odds things could get better yet, with the Hammers second favourites to sign their former striker Carlos Tevez from Shanghai Shenhua before 3 September.
Only Barcelona (6/1) are currently more fancied than Slaven Bilic's side (8/1), but could the Argentine really return to West Ham?
Why it might happen?
Tevez has so far struggling to live up to expectation in China, scoring two goals and providing four assists in his 11 Shanghai appearances. Homesickness could be a factor, with the 33-year-old finding it hard to get on board with Oriental cuisine and having returned to Argentina during the league's ongoing hiatus (Sky Sports). Indeed, Shanghai's fear that Tevez could go AWOL was evidenced by their insistence he promised not to - in writing. Having kept the club in the Premier League a decade ago, he continues to be held in high regard by West Ham supporters.
Why it might not?
The same report claims the Argentine earns £650,000 a week in China, more than four times that of West Ham's highest paid player. And it would likely require a somewhat un-Tevez-like sacrifice for the London side to afford him. Besides, given his age, and the fact their priorities perhaps lie in other positions since signing Hernandez, the Hammers might not be that bothered anyway.
Verdict:
Unless another financial carrot is dangled, there are two likely outcomes here: Either Tevez sticks things out in Shanghai as promised, or returns for a third spell at Boca Juniors, having already admitted he misses the club and would go back 'for the fans'. Even if the latter doesn't happen this summer - Bet Victor are offering 12/1 on him signing for any South American club, by the way - one suspects it's a near certainty at some stage.
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BILIC NOT UNDER THREAT DESPITE EXIT RUMOURSFeatured Image
Date: 22nd August 2017 at 9:00pm
Written by: Forever Westham
West Ham are not looking to replace manager Slaven Bilic despite recent rumours over the safety of his job at the London Stadium, says sources at TalkSport.
Bilic has been with the East London club since the summer of 2015, and enjoyed a terrific first campaign in charge of the Hammers, guiding them to their best placed top flight finish in almost 15 years. In his second season in charge however, the Croatian found his side involved in relegation battle for much of the year, and having had a tough pre-season and start to the Premier League season with back-to-back defeats, rumours have circulated that Bilic could be on borrowed time at the London Stadium. The Hammers have lost both of their opening games of the new campaign, being humbled 4-0 by Manchester United in their opening fixture, before losing 3-2 to Mauricio Pellgerino's Southampton this Saturday. Despite the rumours of Bilic's future however, sources at the club have called such whispers "total rubbish", suggesting the Croat's job at the London Stadium is still very much safe.
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All Whites skipper Winston Reid misses fourth consecutive international football window
Last updated 09:23 23/08/2017
HANNAH MCKAY
Winston Reid is treated after injuring his calf during while warming up for a Premier League clash at Southampton last weekend. All Whites skipper Winston Reid will miss another international window through injury. New Zealand Football said on Wednesday that Reid will not be available for a pair of World Cup qualifiers against the Solomon Islands early next month. The 29-year-old West Ham United centre-back injured his ankle while warming up for an English Premier League game against Southampton last weekend. All Whites coach Anthony Hudson said it was once again very disappointing to not have the services of Reid, who has not been present for the last three international windows because of injury. "He's been through a tough period with regards to injury and I know he's incredibly frustrated not to be playing for his club and for his country. But we wish him a quick recovery and hope to see him back with us in our next games."
A replacement for Reid in the squad would be announced this week and Chris Wood will again lead the team, NZ Football said. The leading contenders to replace Reid were Sunderland under-23 defender Sam Brotherton and South Melbourne's Luke Adams. Brotherton was in the squad for the Confederations Cup, but did not play, while Adams played in the 2016 OFC Nations Cup win. West Ham also confirmed the news, manager Slaven Bilic saying Reid would not be fit for their English League Cup clash against Cheltenham Town on Wednesday (Thursday NZ time). Bilic added Reid is likely to return for a Premier League clash on September 11, their first match after the international break. "Winston Reid will not be fit, but it's not a bad injury," the Croatian in charge of the Hammers said. "He should be fit for the Huddersfield game after the international break."
The first leg of New Zealand's tie with the Solomon Islands will be played at North Harbour Stadium next Friday, September 1, with the return leg in Honiara four days later. The winner of the tie advances to an intercontinental playoff in November against the fifth-placed team from South American qualifying for a berth at next year's World Cup in Russia. Reid was carried off on a stretcher during the warm-ups before West Ham's Premier League clash with Southampton and the defender, who signed a six-year contract extension last week, was sorely missed as the his team crashed to a 3-2 defeat. After the match, Bilic was hopeful the injury would not sideline the Kiwi centre-back for long. "It was like irony, when I was talking to one of the physios," Bilic told reporters at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium. "On Monday, we were expecting the whole team to be fit, every player which hasn't been the case for the last five years. "And while we are talking in the dressing room, the other physio comes and he say, 'Winston hurt his Achilles.' And in the end, it wasn't the Achilles. It was the calf. "They say it's nothing serious, but we will see how things have to go with this. "At least it wasn't a rupture, at least we hope."
- Stuff
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BILL GREEN 1950-2017
By Dan Coker 22 Aug 2017 at 17:00
WTID
Former West Ham United centre-back Bill Green has passed away at the age of 66.
Bill Green was born in Newcastle on the 22nd December 1950 and attended St Mary's RC Boys' Technical School. He joined Hartlepool from school before making his debut as an 18-year-old on 15th September 1969 in a 1-1 Fourth Division draw at Newport. He made 131 appearances for Pools, scoring nine goals. He joined Carlisle in the summer of 1973 for £15,000 and captained the Cumbrians for the only top flight campaign in their history in 1974/75.
Bill signed for West Ham United at the age of 25 in June 1976 for a fee of £75,000. He made his debut on 21st August 1976 in a 4-0 defeat at Aston Villa in the First Division and scored his only goal for the Hammers in a 3-1 home win over Chelsea on the 25th March 1978. Blues forward Tommy Langley was in goal as John Phillips had been forced off through injury – Bill's strike gave the Hammers a 2-1 lead after David Cross had equalised, Pat Holland sealing the points with the third. Despite this victory, the Irons would be relegated at the end of the 1977/78 campaign and, after 40 appearances in claret and blue, Bill was on the move to Peterborough to become their record signing.
After a season at London Road, Bill would go on to captain Chesterfield, making 160 appearances between 1979 and 1983 before ending his playing career at Doncaster. He managed Scunthorpe from 1991 to 1993 and had a spell in charge at Buxton between 1994 and 1996. He had one game as caretaker manager at Sheffield Wednesday in 2002 and worked as Chief European Scout at Wigan and Derby. For the past six years he had been Senior Recruitment Officer at Southampton.
Bill Green passed away on Monday 21st August at the age of 66. I am sure all WHTID readers will join me in sending condolences and best wishes to Bill's family and friends at this sad time.
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We need to play 'like it is the last game of our lives' says West Ham boss Slaven Bilic ahead of Carabao Cup tie against Cheltenham
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has called on his team to play "like it is the last game of our lives" and kick-start the season with a Carabao Cup win at League Two Cheltenham. The Irons have lost both of their Premier League fixtures so far, going down first 4-0 to Manchester United and then 3-2 at Southampton, where they had fought back following the sending off of Marko Arnautovic only to concede a last-minute penalty. The future of the Hammers boss was in question this morning, according to reports, but talkSPORT sources have said their are no plans to replace Bilic. However, the Croatian is confident his players can come through at Whaddon Road to give themselves the perfect tonic going into Saturday's trip to Newcastle ahead of the international break. Bilic said at a press conference: "We need a win to get that boost, but it was a completely different feeling after the defeat at Manchester United and at Southampton, because there were a lot of positives on Saturday when we came back from 2-0 down with 10 men to equaliser. But of course we have zero points. "If we do some changes it is because we have a good squad and okay, with a little bit of an eye towards the Newcastle game, but we will of course put a strong team out."
The Croatian added: "We are a Premier League side, we are all professionals, it is part of our job to feel the pressure, it is always there. "We know it is going to be a difficult game, but it is up to us to make it less difficult with our performance. "We know they will play almost like a cup final, but there is only one thing we have to do to stop that and it is to play the game like it is the last game of our lives. "Only with that approach are we going to reduce their chances. "Normally we have a better team, but the (team on) paper means nothing when the game starts. "After a good performance against Southampton, now there is a platform for us before Newcastle to boost our confidence with a win, which means a lot in the club."
Bilic also confirmed he would still like to add another body before the transfer window closes, with Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho one reported target while Scotland winger Robert Snodgrass looks set for a loan move to Aston Vila. "Like most of the clubs we are ready to do something both ways in case something good comes, so that is a maybe," he said.
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Bilic dismisses reports Carroll could rejoin Newcastle
BY LONDON FOOTBALL NEWS 22/08/2017
Slaven Bilic has dismissed reports linking West Ham striker Andy Carroll with a return to Newcastle. The Magpies have been linked with a pre-deadline move for the injury-plagued Carroll, who they sold to Liverpool in 2011. But Hammers boss Bilic, whose team play Newcastle this weekend, suggested the reports are mere speculation. Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Bilic said: "He's always a very interesting character to be in the papers for whatever reason. "I think it's because we play Newcastle, he's from Newcastle, he's on the verge of coming back and you have to fill the papers."
Bilic added that he has been working to improve his team's defending following their poor start to the season. They have lost both their opening matches and conceded seven goals in the process, going down 4-0 at Manchester United on the opening day and then 3-2 against Southampton. "It is a thing that we are talking about," Bilic admitted. "Those three goals we conceded (against Southampton) came from individual mistakes and the players are very frustrated. "You can very easily stop these kind of situations, like the first goal against Southampton when it was obvious what they were going to do. "We are analysing it and encouraging the players to do what they have to do – and they will do it.
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Aston Villa lead race for Robert Snodgrass loan deal as West Ham put winger on market just seven months after £10m transfer
Aston Villa are unable to take Robert Snodgrass permanently due to FFP
Steve Bruce's side are keen to secure deal for Scotland international on loan
Championship side Sunderland are also interested in taking Snodgrass
Bruce has already suceeded in bold moves for John Terry and Josh Onomah
By Laurie Whitwell for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 13:42, 22 August 2017 | UPDATED: 13:42, 22 August 2017
Aston Villa have moved ahead of rivals in pursuit of signing Robert Snodgrass on loan. West Ham made the winger available for transfer just seven months after paying Hull £10million in the winter window, and Steve Bruce has made an ambitious bid. Bruce is unable to take Snodgrass to Villa Park on a permanent basis due to Financial Fair Play regulations but the club have proposed an attractive loan arrangement to West Ham. A number of clubs are tracking Snodgrass, including Sunderland, whose manager Simon Grayson worked with the Scotland international at Leeds United. But Bruce, who signed Snodgrass for Hull in June 2014, is said to be using his personal persuasion to win over the 29-year-old. Bruce has already succeeded this summer in bold moves for John Terry and Tottenham's Josh Onomah and views Snodgrass as an ideal recruit to add quality on the wing. Snodgrass missed the entirety of the 2014-15 season under Bruce through a serious knee injury but returned to help Hull to promotion the following campaign. He starred in the first half of last season, scoring six Premier League goals and providing a number of assists despite playing in a team at the bottom of the table, and Slaven Bilic committed a large chunk of his budget in his transfer. But West Ham have now decided Snodgrass is surplus to requirements, giving Bruce opportunity to add to his squad ahead of a planned promotion push.
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Carvalho to sign and Lanzini to stay - West Ham's transfer window: A look at the best and worst case scenario
A look at what could happen for the Hammers in the remaining days of the transfer window
Football London
BYROB GUEST
12:14, 22 AUG 2017
With just over a week until the transfer window slams shut, West Ham are expected to be busy in the transfer market over the coming days. Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho is dominating talk in east London at present, while there will also be one or two outgoings at the London Stadium. The club have enjoyed a successful transfer window so far following the arrivals of Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez, yet they have suffered two successive defeats in the league. Slaven Bilic was busy in the final week of transfer market last year and, once again, that looks like it will be the case this time around.
Here we take a look at the best and worst case scenarios for the club over the next week.
Best case scenario
William Carvalho
The best case scenario for the Hammers would see them finally complete the signing of Carvalho from Sporting Lisbon. The Portuguese international, who has reportedly agreed a five-year contract with the club, is set on moving to the capital, although a fee is the only thing holding up the transfer at present. Given that the Primeira Liga side want as close to £40million as possible for their prized asset, it looks like the clubs will have to compromise on a fee. Carvalho, who would help strengthen the team's midfield, would be an exceptional signing for the Hammers and Bilic will have his fingers crossed that the club can seal a deal. As well as incomings in east London, there will be movement going out of the club over the next week.
Manuel Lanzini
Manuel Lanzini and Diafra Sakho are two players that have been linked with a move away from the club, yet Bilic will be doing all he can to keep them in the capital. Following the news that Philippe Coutinho's move to Barcelona will not be going through, the club's supporters will be very pleased as that means Liverpool won't be launching a move for Lanzini.
Diafra Sakho
Reports emerging from France also suggest that Lazio and Bordeaux are interested in a potential move for Sakho before the transfer deadline. The Senegalese striker, who has only come back from a nightmare spell on the sidelines, has featured in both of the club's two opening Premier League games. Sakho is definitely part of Bilic's plan and the club need to make sure they keep hold of the forward.
Robert Snodgrass
While the club will be doing all they can to keep Sakho, Robert Snodgrass is one player that definitely looks like he will be departing the club. Bilic confirmed last week that the Scotland international is deemed surplus to requirements and that he is free to find another team. Sunderland and Aston Villa have been heavily linked with the player, while a number of Premier League and Championship teams are said to be keeping tabs on the winger. Having Carvalho, Lanzini and Sakho in a claret and blue shirt come the start of September, as well as Snodgrass moving on, would be the best case scenario for the club.
Worst case scenario
The worst case scenario for the Hammers is that they are unable to complete a deal for Carvalho. Although the move is believed to be edging closer, there is a risk that the transfer could potentially drag on into the closing stages of the window. The Euro 2016 winner would be a major coup for the club and David Gold and David Sullivan need to ensure it gets over the line. The Hammers can't afford to miss out on Carvalho, particularly given it is well-documented how many big-name players they missed out on last campaign. The danger for the club is they will dip into the loan market for a player if Carvalho doesn't sign. After missing out on some big players one year ago, Gokhan Tore, Jonathan Calleri and Simone Zaza all sealed loan moves to east London. Everyone knows how well those players did for the Hammers…
As well as potentially losing out on Carvalho, West Ham fans will be praying that the club don't finish the window with their current squad. While the Hammers have done extremely well in the transfer window, it's evident that the club still need a couple of additions here and there. It's going to be an interesting week coming up at the London Stadium.
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THE FINEST OF MARGINS
By Tony Hanna 22 Aug 2017 at 08:00
WTID
On Saturday the disaster that is Optus Sports (from last season the provider of Premier League games in Australia), decided to go into melt down mode and show no games at all. No warning, no refund and no apology. Unable to find a stream that would work and in the knowledge that we were down to ten men and one goal down I shrunk off to bed at half past midnight. I woke the next morning and Optus was up and running again and so promptly watched the 90 second goal package they provided for our game. I just shook my head as the events unfolded and my wife disappeared somewhere else to find something for me to kick. The next hour or so I tuned into WHTID to read the comments as they appeared and there was a lot of disagreement on how we performed. I wondered what side I might be agreeing with once I had watched the full game myself? I kept from commenting on the site as to be honest I didn't feel I was qualified not having watched more than a minute and a half of the game.
After watching the ninety second highlights package my main emotion was grievance. Bloody ref, stupid Arnie and how slow is Fonte? Typical West Ham! Why always us? After watching the full game later my overwhelming emotion was pride. I came away proud of our team and proud of our supporters. These games are so often decided by the finest of margins and had the match finished a minute earlier than it did we would all be talking about what a fantastic team effort that was to come from two down with only ten men. It doesn't stop me thinking Arnie was stupid or how slow is Fonte, but I do think the referees decisions were correct with the two penalties awarded and the sending off. However, the finest of margins came into play with the decisions the referee didn't give us and the fact that the ones he did give against us often go unpunished at so many other times. Put it this way. If Southampton had been playing at the Theatre of Moans they would never have got all three of those crucial decisions, however right they may have been. I might be wrong, but I do think we will finish above Southampton this season.
As for Slaven? I have always been an old fashioned supporter who wants to see whoever our manager is do well, a hope that in bad times he will turn things around rather than just get sacked. I still had splinters in the bum long after most West Ham fans had jumped the fence for Big Sam to go. You may all recall just how divisive that topic was, especially on the forums. It wasn't because I liked his style of football, it was because at that time he was West Ham's manager. I found Roeder's weakness irritating and I disliked Zola for his inverted wingers. I never wanted them sacked though. I just wanted them to learn from their mistakes and improve. I have disagreed about some of Bilic's tactics for some while now and even the players he picks and formations. It does not make me right though, I have no history of managing at the top level, so as long as he is boss he gets my support providing I think he is not totally inept or it is blatant that the players have stopped playing for him. I remember back in the 60's – the banners in the old Chicken Run calling for Greenwood to go? As a young supporter then I wondered why? Ron was West Ham. The lack of success did not bother me as I just loved our club for better or worse. When I started going to Upton Park I was watching a club that had been playing for over 60 years and we were only on our 4th manager! Whatever people think about our defending, Bilic has still got us to 7th and 11th in the past two seasons and it is far too early to start getting twitchy after just two games this season. If we are in trouble in December then a change may be what we need, but we are not Robinson Crusoe there – many other clubs will be taking the same course of action if expectations are not being met. If we were to change manager now who would / could we get and what real difference would it make? We would still have players that perform poorly at times, there will always be players that will be whipping boys and we will always have players that make mistakes? Any new manager going to fix all that up? Doubt it! But feel free to comment.
We have less than two weeks to go now before the transfer window is closed. The ongoing situation regarding potential signing William Carvalho has not changed. The bookies have him priced at 1-5 (83%) to join the Hammers with no money for any other outcome than him staying at Sporting Lisbon or signing for us. As I wrote in my article last week this one could go either way. It is a good sign that his odds are holding firm despite the talk of problems in the negotiations, but I would be much more confident if the odds were a bit shorter. There has been further money for Adrian to stay and his odds are now 4/7 (63%) to remain a Hammer with only Crystal Palace and Newcastle tipped as alternative destinations. With the possible arrival of Carvalho, the prices on Jack Wishere and Jota signing have both eased – Wilshere is a 9/2 (18%) chance and Jota is now 5/2 (28%). I am pleased to report that there has been more money for Manuel Lanzini to stay with his odds/chances firming to 2-9 (81%). Robert Snodgrass looks certain to be on his way as the bookies price him up at 10/1 (9%) to stay at the club with Newcastle, Sunderland, Villa and Celtic amongst the clubs showing an interest. I am sure we will be trying to sell the player rather than loan so this one might drag out until the last day.
Elsewhere, the Coutinho saga continues but it has always been my belief (by just reading the way they have been framing the market), that the toss of the coin that it is he will probably stay at Liverpool rather than move to Spain. This is reflected in the firming of the prices for Lanzini to stay at West Ham. The chances of Zlatan Ibrahimovic spending another year with the Moaners look good and with the arrival of Sanchez at Spurs, there has been good money for Kevin Wimmer to move to West Brom. There has also been late money to indicate that Chelsea might be looking at Leicester's Riyad Mahrez. The bookies updates have given us a good heads up on what has been happening in this transfer window. They don't get it right all the time but for me they normally provide better information than many ITK's. However, as I alluded to in one of the earlier articles, as the final days approach the markets will become much more volatile and in many ways unreliable. There are going to be some clubs that miss out on their targets and when desperation sets in anything can happen.
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West Ham striker set to leave with Lazio and Bordeaux interested
West Ham transfer news includes an update on the forward
Football London
Despite just making his first-team comeback, Diafra Sakho could potentially be about to leave West Ham. According to France Football, Bordeaux and Lazio are both interested in striking a deal with the Hammers for the Senegalese forward. Following an outstanding first season at Upton Park, where he scored 12 goals in 26 games for the club, Sakho has struggled with injuries over the past two years. The 27-year-old only managed four appearances for Slaven Bilic's team last season, with a combination of a hamstring injury and back injury keeping him on the sidelines for the majority of the campaign. After stepping up his recovery over the summer, Sakho has appeared as a substitute in both of West Ham's league games so far this season. The player may have doubts over the amount of game time he will get following Javier Hernandez's arrival in east London, but it looks like he will definitely be utilised by Bilic. Lazio have contacted the Hammers to register their interest in a potential deal for Sakho, while Ligue 1 side Bordeaux are keen on taking the player back to France. Given Lazio have Europa League football to offer, they could well hold an advantage over Bordeaux if the Hammers decide to allow Sakho to depart after three years in east London.
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