Zabaleta delighted to shine in wing-back role
WHUFC.com
Pablo Zabaleta was thrilled to play his part at both ends of the pitch as West Ham United got off the mark for the 2017/18 season with a 2-0 victory over Huddersfield Town on Monday. The Argentina international featured in a wing-back role, giving him the licence to get forward as well as performing his usual duties in protecting the Hammers' goal. It was an all-action performance from Zabaleta, who contributed to a well-earned clean sheet along with supplying two crosses and two key passes to help put pressure on the Terriers' goal. He told whufc.com: "I played as a wing-back against Huddersfield. It's been a long time since I played in that position, but I was happy with the performance. "I always tried to support in attack and also always try to be in the right position defensively. Overall I think we were solid at the back. "We needed a performance like that as defenders, because in the last three games we conceded ten goals. That wasn't good enough, so I'm very happy with the performance overall. The whole team did great. "A clean sheet like Monday's brings confidence back and hopefully we can continue playing in that way."
Zabaleta was also delighted to make his London Stadium bow in a winning effort. He added: "It was great to play my first game at London Stadium. The atmosphere was fantastic – I came here with City last season and was impressed with the atmosphere. "Of course, it was great to experience it as a West Ham player on Monday. Thank you to the supporters – they were great, they were behind the team and I'm pleased with the performance. We needed to win a game like this."
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Fonte: Keeping a clean sheet was massive
WHUFC.com
Jose Fonte hailed Slaven Bilic's decision to switch to a back three for Monday's confidence-boosting 2-0 Premier League victory over Huddersfield Town. The West Ham United manager changed his tactics after seeing his side lose their opening three top-flight matches, all away from home, and concede ten goals in the process. On his return to London Stadium, Bilic opted to return to the system that served his team so well in the closing weeks of last season, recalling Fonte and the fit-again Winston Reid alongside James Collins in an experienced central defensive trio. The reward was a dominant display against the previously unbeaten Terriers, who the Hammers restricted to just two shots on target on their way to a first clean sheet in six Premier League matches. A clean sheet was massive," Fonte confirmed. "As a defender, it's the worst possible feeling conceding three or four goals every game. It's unbelievable. "We managed to keep a clean sheet, we felt safe and secure with the system we played. It worked well when we used this system last year and, in this game, the manager reverted to last year and it was very successful. "We're really buzzing and happy with the result. Of course, it's an important win after a few difficult weeks. Obviously, it's three points and nothing more than that, but three points that will give us a little but more confidence. "We are pleased with the win because it shows we have a great squad and now we can keep going and picking up points after points."
The UEFA Euro 2016 winner looked rock steady on his return to the starting XI after missing the 3-0 defeat at Newcastle United, making two tackles and two interceptions and blocking Tom Ince's goal-bound shot, while also seeing his header deflected into the path of Andre Ayew for the Hammers' second goal.
While he was proud of his own display, and that of the team, Fonte was also pleased that the players produce the goods for manager Bilic after a difficult few weeks for the Croatian. "He is a passionate manager and a great manager and he deserved this because he's been under a lot of pressure, of course, as we all know. This is the business that we arein. "It was important for him and it was important for us to show our attitude and that we are always with our manager and I'm pleased for him because it was his birthday and we gave him what he wanted. "We are experienced enough to know we are all under pressure. This is our job and we get criticised for everything, so the best way to deal with it is to go to the training ground and work harder than ever and that's what we've been doing, training as hard as we can to put things right."
Next up for Fonte and company is a trip to The Hawthorns to take on Tony Pulis's West Bromwich Albion, who go into Saturday's game on the back of a 3-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion.
"There are no easy games in the Premier League, as we all know," the centre-back observed, "and West Brom will be a very tough game, but we are progressing and preparing for that game and we look forward to it."
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Top 3 'Forgotten' Foreign Debuts: Chris Scull remembers...
WHUFC.com
West Ham TV's 'Watch With' presenter and lifelong Hammer Chris Scull makes lists of things and asks if you remember them. Today, it's his Top 3 'Forgotten' Foreign Debuts...
Let's face it, when supporting West Ham in the '90s and '00s, there was nothing more exciting than signing a foreign, exotic sounding player you'd never heard of. Somehow, the knowledge that your team had in its midst a player of unquantified ability makes the world seem unlimited in its potential; the birds sing, hopes soar high. Then they actually play and do something like scythe Gary Neville in half on their debut (Boogers), or go shopping at Harvey Nicholls instead of pulling on the shirt at Stockport away (Răducioiu), or refuse to play at all until they're handed the number 10 shirt (Futre). You get the idea.
Anyway, we're all aware of the well-known successful foreign imports; DiCanio, Miklosko, Tevez (still feels too soon to mention a certain Frenchmen here). But few catch the eye immediately and burn bright. Well, here is their moment. Ladies and gentlemen, the Top 3 forgotten foreign debuts...
3. Marc Rieper, 10 December 1994, Leeds United 2-2 West Ham United
In 1994, Leeds away was a game I'd mentally write-off. Especially when you're 2-0 down after 24 minutes and watching on teletext. But somehow we pulled a draw out of the bag with two Jeroen Boere goals; and telephoning clubcall that day (50p a minute), I remember hearing one name I didn't recognise: 'Marc Rieper'.
Excuse the list within a list, but there are several curious things to note about Marc Rieper. a) He never had any gel in his hair, it being in a state of constant fluff. b) He was a really good defender at a time when we hadn't indulged in such a player for several years. And c) he won the fans over quickly. We liked him so much that we made him his own bespoke chant. I say 'chant', it didn't follow the pattern of any chant I'd heard before or since. We'd just shout "RIE-PER, RIE-PER, RIE-PER' relatively tunelessly.
2. Frederic Kanoute, 26 March 2000, West Ham United 2-1 Wimbledon
In the many years I've been coming to watch West Ham matches, I've never heard a reaction to a debut like I did with Freddie Kanoute. He came on loan from Lyon, and was literally the best player I'd ever seen on their debut, so good in fact, that our whole home support started chanting at manager Harry Redknapp to "sign him up". I need to say that again in italics for emphasis: our home support sung in unison for the manager to make a loan signing permanent, after a single game. After that day, 29 league goals in 84 games, that's how good he was.
Then came the relegation season of 2002/03. A record points relegation partly borne out of him being injured for a good while, as well as him missing a late penalty against Arsenal in August; that otherwise would have seen us safe if it had gone in.
As preparations for the division below began, we're forced to sell a huge swathe of our squad and Freddie was no exception. If we're honest with ourselves, it's probably because he went to Spurs that he appears in the 'forgotten' category here. But I would add that in 2005, he wanted to come back. Pardew wanted him back; and then fan pressure against a return, bad blood from his move to Spurs, officially ended Kanoute's homecoming.
Freddie went on to sign for Sevilla, score and win in the Europa League final in 2006, then score as many La Liga goals as Ronaldinho the season after.
1. Tomas Repka, 15th September 2001, Middlesbrough 2-0 West Ham United
If Julian Dicks was 'The Terminator', Repka was 'ED-209'. On the pitch, he appeared to be made of granite and seemed to possess the humanity of a slab of the stuff.
He came in as a club record signing, £5.5m from Fiorentina. Fiorentina! As in 'The Land of Batistuta!'. A club record as well. All eyes on his debut at the Riverside. Two yellow cards, Repka sent off on the 80th minute. We lose 2-0. RIght.
"Okay, no problem. Fine Tomas, you get a red card on your debut, bad luck fella. Sit out your suspension, come back for your second appearance"... He comes back for appearance two, Blackburn away, sent off again, we lose 7-1. Riiiight.
Despite that start, and despite relegation in 2003, Tomas stuck around and slowly morphed into a much loved and able member of the team.
He announced his departure halfway through the 2005/06 season and played a last league game (number 167 with absolutely zero goals) against Fulham at home, with everyone in attendance aware this was his last game for us. We won 2-1. At full time, we chanted his name. He applauded us back. Then, in a moment I still scarcely believe, started to cry. He was human after all.
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Secure your ticket to watch the Hammers
WHUFC.com
Tickets for West Ham United's matches at London Stadium in September and October are currently on sale, so don't miss your chance to be there for the big moments this season.
Coming up over the next few weeks there's Cup football under the lights when we take on Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup third round, the return of Friday night football when Brighton & Hove Albion visit east London, the unmissable derby against Tottenham and more.
Book your tickets online by clicking here, or call the Ticket Office on 0333 030 1966. Phone lines are open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday
West Ham United v Bolton Wanderers
Tuesday 19 September, 7.45pm
It's affordable family football at London Stadium when Bolton Wanderers visit in the Carabao Cup third round. Tickets are priced from just £5 kids and £10 adults, while you could treat yourself to hospitality from just £59+VAT per person.
Book tickets here
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur
Saturday 23 September, 12.30pm
Tickets for this huge London derby are available via the Ticket Exchange where Season Ticket Holders who are not able to attend the game have listed their ticket for resale. Please note that only supporters with a previous booking history can purchase tickets for this fixture.
Book tickets here
West Ham United v Swansea City
Saturday 30 September, 3pm
Additional tickets have become available due to the away team returning part of their allocation. The newly available tickets are now on general sale. Tickets are priced from £15 kids and £30 adults.
Book tickets here
West Ham United v Brighton & Hove Albion
Friday 20 October, 8pm
Friday Night Football returns to London Stadium when we take on Premier League newcomers Brighton and tickets are now on sale exclusively to Claret Members.
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A REFLECTIVE LOOK BACK AT THE CLUBS' PREVIOUS OWNERS
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 12 SEPTEMBER 2017 AT 10:07PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Chris Sheppard @chris_whu62
I read Dave's, from SD&CC, opinion piece on the board, it was heartfelt & made a number of good, valid points, there are, as ever, contrary opinions & I'd like to set out in this article my own.
I'll start by giving a brief summary of my background as far as West Ham United are concerned; it's safe to say that both the club & the East End in general, are deeply rooted in my DNA, my great uncle was killed in the Last Stand of the 13th Battalion Essex regiment, the 'West Ham Pals' at Cambrai in November 1917, aged just 17 & my great, great uncle, Edward Reeves, was on the board of the club, as well as being the official photographer! Interestingly he was also part of the clubs' migration from Hermit Road, Canning Town to the Memorial Grounds, West Ham & then to the Boleyn.
My Dad grew up watching the club from the North Bank, strangely enough he also believed the clubs directors to be 'bloody crooks' during the 1950's, (he also called Lester Piggot a crook as well!). I first set foot in the Boleyn in 1967, becoming a season ticket holder 10 years later, which I held until 1991. I travelled all over the country & Europe, including friendlies, acted as a steward on the football specials on occasion & most recently served on the Supporters Advisory Board 2016/17.
Enough about me, so what have I learned about the club in all those years? My opinion is that until the Cearns's family stepped away from the club we were run like a corner chop, a family business, that, until Terrance Brown, (who made himself the 2nd highest paid football chairman in the land), we never even had a full time chairman. The problem with Brown is that he was an accountant, a bean-counter, everything was the bottom line with him, he had neither the skills or the wherewithal to be able to invest money into the club, not even after the most successful season in our history, 85/86.
Selling to the Icelandic's gave the vast majority of us renewed hope, the guys had vision for us, player investment, a new stadium on the West Ham Bus Garage site, the backers were the Icelandic Bank, what could possibly go wrong? In true West Ham style not only did the bank go under, but the entire country went bankrupt! The dreams, visions & promises were built on sand & it crumbled quickly; enter Gold, Sullivan & Brady.
There is no doubt when they arrived the club was a mess, the way they turned it around was impressive & we should all be grateful for that. I was fully behind them all the way at this point, at long last the club seemed to be on a professional footing – doing things the right way. By now I was living in the Midlands, I had friends who were Birmingham City fans, they warned me; 'they will promise you the earth, they will tell you about top players they will bring to the club, they will go on about taking the club to the next level, then they will fail to deliver on all counts'. My defence was that Birmingham was a business venture, at West Ham they would run it like fans not as a vehicle to make money. I was wrong.
The appointment of Avram Grant &, more importantly, the failure to get rid of him, was the first seed of doubt that the owners really had the ability to deliver. I stood by them & welcomed the appointment of Sam Allardyce, no matter what people say, he was what we needed at the time.
The move to the Olympic Stadium was then pitched to us; higher attendance, increased revenue, 'World Class Players', 'State of the Art retractable seating', cheaper tickets, I was very supportive of the move, it was a no brainer wasn't it? The reality was so different.
Leaving the Boleyn was not much of an emotional wrench for me, I considered it to be the equivalent of 'Trigger's Broom', once the terraces had disappeared it was no longer the place I grew up watching in. I bought all the promises the board made about the London Stadium & it was the failure to deliver much of what was promised that has made me hostile towards the owners with the lack of professionalism shown only hardening that stance.
I understand that football is a business, however nobody goes into football to make money, break-even is the best you are going to achieve if you want to remain competitive, the alternative is to become a selling club, something we'd like to get away from.
I don't question David Sullivan's worth ethic, or the fact that he loves the club, however I have to ask myself if I were in his position would I act the same? The answer is a resounding NO. Look at the level of debt which they claim to have reduced, from what I can see all that's happened is that the debt has been reduced only to be replaced by loans from Gold & Sullivan at a 7% interest rate. Think about that a minute, if you were such a big fan with such a huge fortune, would you charge the club you profess to love interest on a loan? It's like doing the same to a family member, albeit on a much larger scale. Let's put that into perspective; the accounts as of March 2016 show accrued interest payments due to the owners of £12.3m, that's only £700k short of our net transfer spend this season. Is this really going to take us to the 'next level'?
The transfer dealings of the club are little short of ludicrous, West Ham have always been a club on low transfer fees & higher salaries, that has been the model for many years, but the game has changed, if you want to compete with the best then you have to do both, or not make wild promises. We can't even be talked about in the same breath as Tottenham these days, as much as it grieves me to say it, they are the example of a perfectly run club, we are light years behind them on all fronts.
As for transfer policy, do we have one? 'Only players with PL experience', well that narrows down the field doesn't it? Does that also mean we'd turn down the likes of Messi? It's nonsense, we just need to do our homework better. It seemed to be a haphazard, scattergun approach last season, a complete disaster, but they seemed to have learned their lesson, with 4 solid signings, only to then ship out 17 players, leaving us in a position where we are unable to list 25 senior professionals, it's simply asking for trouble.
The fact is that if we don't have the money to spend then we have to spend it wisely & do more extensive research on the players we want to bring in, they're out there, make no mistake, but we are simply unable to find them. Why is this? I get the impression that David Sullivan is far too 'hands on', he seems to be playing a real life version of Football Manager, that's not what his role should be. I don't want our owners anywhere near transfer targets, they should have just 2 roles, finance & appointing managers, that is it, the rest they should leave to the manager &, preferably, a Director of Football, then stay firmly in the background.
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UNITED WE MUST STAND!!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 12 SEPTEMBER 2017 AT 9:52PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @farehamhammer
We faced a huge 90 minutes against Huddersfield Town, ninety minutes that could have made or broke our season. It all came down to Monday night. We are in hell right now people, believe me. So many different factions destroying our club. Either we heal as a team, G&S, Slaven, Players and fans, or we will crumble and die. As in life football is a game of inches. You win or lose by an inch as was shown by Obiang's goal. We can stay as we are now, near the bottom of the league and at war with each other, or we can fight back together inch by inch… till we are back in the light. My fellow Hammers we simply CANNOT afford to do anything, but fight back together, till we are back into the light. If we had lost on Monday, I feared it would have been a repeat of the Avram Grant season and we would end up being relegated. This would be catastrophic for the club. Fear not we won and we won well against Huddersfield Town.
Much has been said about protests being made against The Board on Monday night. Believe it or not the club is not in a terrible state and no Gold and Sullivan have not been a total disaster for the club. Let's face facts here: When they took over, the club was on life support. It was in a bloody mess from top to bottom, talk about being run to the ground. It started off with Terry Brown trying to flog the club, to a second hand used car salesman from Kent called Kia Joorbachien. All of a sudden one is watching Transfer Deadline Day on Sky, they announce West Ham have signed two Argentinian internationals. Stunned? I did not even think Terry Brown knew where Argentina was, never mind sign two internationals!
What a price we paid to secure those International's, on what amounted to a season long loan. A fine of £5.5m and £25m to Sheffield United in an out of court settlement. Our great club's name tarnished in some cases forever .Mr Joorbachien never did end up buying West Ham United but that did not prevent Terry Brown hawking the club around in his desperation to sell the club. Then it happened! WTF??!! Once again Sky Sports to the rescue! A black cab pulls up outside The Boleyn, out steps a bald headed character looking like something from Star Wars, announces he has bought the club. Biscuit Baron's we were told. They took the biscuit alright! I often hear people say if it was not for the world banking crisis of 2008, we would have done far better under BG and co. "Eggy's heart was in the right place "Well one can chalk that one off! BG bought the club with loans, all transfers were bought on the back of loans. TWICE we had to be refinanced under the BG and Eggy.
BG left the day to day running of The Club to good old Eggy. Who never had a clue, signing the likes of Freddie Ljungberg on £95 grand per week? Ljungberg would cry off from playing match after match because of headaches. A few years later I bumped into Ljungberg, at Glasgow International Airport. By then Ljungberg was playing for Celtic. I managed to have a chat with him, I told him I was a Hammer and asked him "What was the highlight of your stay at West Ham?" His reply? "Absolutely none." At least he was honest! Eggy did not stop there, deciding to sign Kieron Dyer, who FAILED two medicals and give him £85 grand per week. Dyer spent almost an entire four years in the sickbay. Those were just two of Eggy's deal's that left West Ham staring financial Armageddon in the face. When the Icelandic's hit a financial Iceberg and departed, they handed the keys to what amounted to The Club Secretary, Scott Duxbury. The same Duxbury, whose lies to The Premier League over The Tevez affair cost The Club £5.5 million. Our best players got sold, everything was mortgaged to the hilt .No investment in the first team, an Academy that had long forfeited its crown of being called The Academy of Football. We were basically out for the count. Like or loathe G&S but it is fact when they bought The Club, they walked into the bloody blitz not The Ritz. A shambles we most certainly were.
The sitting USA President at some point on the campaign trail, always asks his audience: "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" The audience break into a chant of: Four more years! Four more years! Thinking of the quality of our first team squad and an Academy that is starting to flourish again. One may not break out into a chant of seven more years G&S but you would have to concede that G&S have not been a total disaster. Don't get me wrong, I was far from happy with the transfer window. I think the best word to describe all our post transfer feelings, can be described in one word: Frustration. We are three or four quality signings away from having a really good squad. So near but so far. One of the biggest problems the board is having at the moment is managing fans expectations. Some thought that as soon as we moved into the London Stadium, we will have reached 'The next level'.
I fully understand that to a point. Sure we have extra revenue, due to moving into the new stadium but the trouble is that only really kicks in, in about three to four years' time. It's like a young couple moving from a two bedroom house to a four bedroom house, in most cases they will have to do any renovations needed bit by bit as and when they can afford it. Eventually they do complete renovations and they have a stunning house. Same with West Ham. We have moved into our new home with a bit of patience-we will get there. Unfortunately football is not a reality TV show, where you can pick up the phone, and have people voted out of The Club at the drop of a hat. What is clear is that the club desperately needs a cash injection, to help it really compete against the big boys. David Sullivan the major shareholder has about £500m in liquid assets-Meaning for all the will in The World, he cannot afford to sign three or four players at a time costing 30-40m. I can see Sullivan buying out David Gold, then going all out to seek new investment. I laugh when I hear people say, I hope we are bought out by a Billionaire. That's not as easy as it sounds, there are plenty of crooks who are billionaires as Orient fans will testify too. Look what has happened to Leeds, Blackburn, Charlton, and Blackpool to name a few. Let's see how Tony Xia at Aston Villa pans out shall we. A new broom does not always sweep clean.
No doubt the media were hoping for protests against The Board, Dildos on the pitch rounded off by: YOUR GETTING SACKED IN THE MORNING!! SACKED IN THE MORNING! SACKED IN THE MORNING! To Slaven Bilic. So they could take the piss in the tabloids on Tuesday morning: Hammers in crisis! Hammers in meltdown! But thankfully we didn't give them this! I will always remember meeting one of the hammer greats, Malcolm Allison, about ten years before he died, I was a nipper then and with Dad. He is sitting at a table having a few drinks with four other people. Dad goes over introduces himself and Big Mal, as he was called, invites us over to his table. Allison was fairly quiet to begin with, after a few beers he starts to open up, what that man knew about football was mind boggling. He spoke to the one bloke about Wolves and the other about Luton Town. He then turns to Dad and I, and talks about West Ham and "Robert" Moore as he called him. He told us how he had TB, a killer disease at the time. West Ham had got promoted and he was back to full fitness but the manager picked Bobby Moore over him. I CANNOT fully describe the look anguish on Allison's face. It hurt him so badly decades later. He said the manager was right though! It also marked the beginning of the end of his time at West Ham. He then turned to Dad and said: "Do you know what hurt the most? Not Robert taking my place in the team. But having to leave West Ham "He then stood up, still an imposing figure at about 70-72, raises his arms aloft, head up towards the sky and sings Bubbles. I still get a tingle in my back now when I think of it.
It's not about Gold or Sullivan, It's not about Slaven, it's about West Ham. It's all about West Ham, all about West Ham United.
We're more than a football club, we're a way of life!
COYI!!
Farehamhammer!!!
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£40m loan for West Ham to move into Olympic Stadium 'may never be repaid to council'
PIPPA CRERAR
The Evening Standard
An East London borough has admitted that a £40 million loan which helped Premier League club West Ham move into the Olympic stadium may never be repaid.
Newham council said the loan was "damaged" and would only be recouped if the sports and music venue started making money. But town hall insiders said the borough appeared to have given up any hope of getting back the cash because of the poor financial performance of the stadium. Newham insisted that it had not "written off" the loan and that downgrading its status was merely "prudent and responsible" accounting in response to the stadium's "challenging" first year in its new guise. But councillors and residents expressed concern as the borough, one of the most deprived in the country, is facing cuts.
Newham Labour councillor Rokhsana Fiaz, a member of the audit board and the council's chairman of scrutiny, said: "It's alarming for residents to read about a £44.4 million impairment relating to a loan Newham council has given to refurbish West Ham's stadium via a company it owns. I've asked for urgent clarification and details including any further financial implications facing Newham council. "Residents need reassurances that their money hasn't been wasted and that the financial benefits promised from this much-heralded council investment continue to flow."
The £40 million deal was agreed by the council in 2012, through its subsidiary company Newham Legacy Investments Ltd, with the London Legacy Development Corporation. The joint venture, through the umbrella company E20 Stadium, was to pay for the refurbishment and transformation costs of the stadium after the Games to make it suitable for football. The LLDC originally invested £257 million for refurbishment costs and West Ham just £15 million. A year later West Ham was granted the 99-year stadium lease by then-Mayor Boris Johnson in a deal which has been mired in controversy ever since.
A spokesman for Newham said: "The loan is shown, for accounting purposes, as currently 'impaired', or damaged, due to the current financial performance of the stadium. It is not a write-off of the loan... it was widely anticipated that the first full year of trading would be particularly challenging. "Newham council is working with the Greater London Authority, the London Legacy Development Corporation and our other stadium partners on a range of options to improve the financial performance of the stadium. The future value of our loan, and its treatment in our accounts, is directly linked to that future performance."
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Reunited: former Hammers join forces
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 13th September 2017
By: Staff Writer
Victor Obinna has been reunited with fellow former Hammer Benni McCarthy - at Cape Town FC. The 30-year-old Nigerian winger has been out of the game since being released on a free transfer by German side SV Darmstadt last January, but last night signed a permanent contract with the Blue and Gold Army.
Cape Town City FC is excited to announce the signing of former @Inter and @WestHamUtd striker Victor Obinna! 🇳🇬#iamCityFC #Obinna17 pic.twitter.com/5Xs3OEQsAZ
— Cape Town City FC (@CapeTownCityFC) September 12, 2017
And during his spell at the Cape Town Stadium, Obinna will be working under Benni McCarthy who has been head coach since replacing Eric Tinkler back in June - his first managerial appointment. The two players previously featured alongside easch other at West Ham during the ill-fated 2010/11 campaign that saw the Hammers end the season bottom fo the Premier League table, under Avram Grant. Grant was the first of the trio to depart West Ham, being sacked as he was in the player's tunnel by vice-Chair Karren Brady immediately after the final game of the campaign at Wigan Athletic.
Obinna - whose main contribution to West Ham was being dismissed during the first leg of the Carling Cup semi final against Birmingham City - returned to parent club Inter at the end of his season-long loan before going on to represent the likes of Malaga, Lokomotiv Moscow and MSV Duisberg. Meanwhile McCarthy - who was pilloried during his spell at West Ham for being overweight and ineffective - left the club my mutual consent in April 2011, after which he spent two years with Orlando Pirates before announcing his retirement in June 2013 at the age of 35.
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Out of position, but in form
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 13th September 2017
By: Staff Writer
Pablo Zabaleta was one of the stars of West Ham's 2-0 win over Huddersfield on Monday night. Widely praised for his energetic performance, the 32-year-old full back rolled back the years at wing back to show that there's plenty of gas left in the tank yet - putting to bed claims that the Argentine international's legs had gone. Unsurprisingly, Zaba was doubly delighted with the team's first clean sheet of the league campaign and his own performance - especially so as it had been some considerable time since he was asked to play such an attacking role. "I played as a wing-back against Huddersfield and it's been a long time since I played in that position," he told the club's website. "But I was happy with the performance. I always tried to support in attack and also always try to be in the right position defensively. "We needed a performance like that because in the last three games we conceded ten goals. That wasn't good enough, so I'm very happy with the performance overall. The whole team did great. "A clean sheet brings confidence - and hopefully we can continue playing in that way."
Equally delighted with the clean sheet was goalkeeper Joe Hart - who played alongside Zabaleta at Manchester City - for whom it was the goalkeeper's first in 22 league appearances. "It was about time, too!" said Hart. "I thought the defenders were fantastic and they protected me really well, so I didn't really have much to do. I just want to make as many saves as I can and whether we keep a clean sheet or not, I'm not really interested as long as we win! "We needed a performance. The result was obviously more important and to get the two together was nice. We're a group and we stick together. Bilic has a lot of faith in us and it was important that we stuck together in the game and got the result."
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Patience is a virtue for Ox
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 13th September 2017
By: Staff Writer
Reece Oxford is still waiting to make his first Bundesliga start, with a month of the season having already passed. The on-loan Hammer has been restricted to a place on the bench for Monchengladbach's opening three league games of the campaign, despite calls from some fans for his immediate introduction to the starting XI.
The 18-year-old, who has recently returned from a spell on the sidelines was an unused substitute for the 1-0 win against Cologne on the opening day of the season, the 2-2 draw at Augsburg and the 1-0 home defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend. And with Die Fohlen fans generally disappointed by the team's start to the new season, several have taken to the club's Forums to call for Oxford's inclusion. "It is a mystery to me why he does not play," wrote Monchengladbach supporter Borowka. "For Oxford, I hope he gets his chance soon," added BurningSoul. "If players who we sign as a 'prospect player' do not get a chance, then it will be damned hard to bring in such rough diamonds as Benes, Cuisance or Oxford in future."
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Former West Ham manager has an interesting idea on how to end Andy Carroll's injury woes
Andy Carroll has struggled with injuries since arriving at West Ham
Football London
COMMENTS
BYKEVIN BEIRNE
21:30, 13 SEP 2017
Since making the move to West Ham from Liverpool, Andy Carroll has brought Hammers fans a mix of frustration and delight. When he is on his game, he can be one of the most dangerous marksmen in the country but his fitness issues have held back his development and have left West Ham high and dry too many times.
With the Hammers needing to turn things around quickly in order to save Slaven Bilic's job, a former West Ham manager thinks he may have the solution to the Carroll conundrum.
Former Hammers boss Alan Pardew says the solution is simple: Carroll should not be expected to train. "If I was West Ham manager, I wouldn't let him train," Pardew said on Sky Sports' The Debate. "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, I just wouldn't let him, and say he can do a little bit of work on Thursday, Friday he can play in a seven-a-side, and then play on Saturday." "Once he's fit and he's playing, he doesn't need a lot of work. The way he plays, he's kind of in the game and out of the game, so he can rest for periods, and let him rest; because when he's on the pitch, what he actually does physically is a lot of big, physical stuff, not running around, closing people down, so he doesn't need to have ten miles in him. "That boy is a fantastic footballer, but Slaven does have to be very, very clever with him to try and work out his schedule so that he doesn't overcook him in training, because a lot of his injuries, he picks up in training."
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Newham Council admit £40m loan to help West Ham move in to Olympic Stadium may never be repaid until venue turns a profit
The east London borough have classified the £40m loan as 'impaired'
Council haven't 'written off' the loan but fear it may never be repaid
£40m deal was agreed by the council following the London Olympics in 2012
It helped facilitate West Ham's move into the stadium last year
By ADAM SHERGOLD FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 17:03, 13 September 2017 | UPDATED: 17:29, 13 September 2017
Newham Council has admitted that the £40million loan to help Premier League club West Ham move into the Olympic Stadium may never be repaid. The east London borough said the loan was 'damaged' and not currently being paid off because the stadium was failing to make a profit. Newham stressed the loan had not been 'written off' but appear to give up any hope of getting back the cash. The admission has sparked concern from councillors and residents as the borough, one of the most deprived in the country, faces further austerity. The £40m deal was agreed by the council back in 2012 through its Newham Legacy Investments Ltd (NLI) in conjunction with the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC). The money paid for the conversion of the stadium from the London 2012 athletics venue into a football ground up to Premier League standards. It is now known as the London Stadium. The LLDC had initially invested £257m towards the refurbishment costs and West Ham contributed £15m as they were granted a 99-year lease on the stadium by then-Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
According to the Newham Recorder, NLI currently owes £44.4m after declaring a loss of £41.6m for 2015-16 and a further deficit of £2.5m in 2016-17. It is because of a poor year financially for the London Stadium, which hasn't made the expected income from events. Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales said last week the council was working with the Greater London Authority and the LLDC to 'improve the financial performance of the stadium.' He said: 'It was an honour to host the para-athletics and the IAAF World Championships, but in future years large music concerts are likely to raise more revenue.'
Newham Labour councillor Rokhsana Fiaz told the Evening Standard: 'It's alarming for residents to read about a £44.4million impairment relating to a loan Newham council has given to refurbish West Ham's stadium via a company it owns. 'I have asked for urgent clarification and details including any further financial implications facing Newham Council. 'Residents need assurances that their money hasn't been wasted and that the financial benefits promised from this much-heralded council investment continue to flow.'
A spokesman for Newham said: 'The loan is shown, for accounting purposes, as currently 'impaired', or damaged, due to the current financial performance of the stadium. 'It is not a write-off of the loan... it was widely anticipated that the first full year of trading would be particularly challenging. 'Newham council is working with the Greater London Authority, the London Legacy Development Corporation and our other stadium partners on a range of options to improve the financial performance of the stadium. 'The future value of our loan, and its treatment in our accounts, is directly linked to that future performance.'
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Why Marko Arnautovic's suspension could see him miss even more time from the West Ham starting XI
Marko Arnautovic returns from suspension ahead of this weekend's game at West Brom
Football London
BYROB GUEST
15:54, 12 SEP 2017
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic looks like he will have a selection headache ahead of Saturday's game at West Brom. With Manuel Lanzini and Mark Noble potentially returning from injury, Bilic will also be boosted by the return of Marko Arnautovic from suspension. It's a good dilemma for the manager to have.
While the Croat will want to start with Lanzini if he is fit, the same cannot be said about Arnautovic. The Austrian's red card at Southampton back in August could prove to be a costly mistake for the club's record signing. After registering their first win of the Premier League season last night, Bilic may elect to start with the same team that beat Huddersfield when his side travel to The Hawthorns. However, if he does slightly alter his team, it might be just to accommodate the Argentine. The manager changed formation at the London Stadium last night, electing to go with three attackers as he chased his side's first win of the season.
Andy Carroll's presence upfront, as well as Michail Antonio's pace, certainly helped, while Javier Hernandez cut a frustrated figure out on the left. Although the Mexican struggled to make an impact in the game, it would be a big decision from the manager to bench the former Manchester United man. Given Bilic was seriously angry with Arnautovic's dismissal at St Mary's, the attacker may just have to bide his time on the bench. While he's a brilliant option to introduce from the sidelines, the 28-year-old wants to make a big impression for his new club to show the supporters exactly why he was brought to east London. Arnautovic would have started in the 3-0 defeat at St James' Park if he wasn't suspended, and he probably would have done likewise last night. The former Stoke City man would be perfect to work off Carroll in an attacking three, but would Bilic drop Antonio or Hernandez after last night's win? Antonio's versatility gives the manager the option to play him as a wing-back, although you wouldn't want to move him back after the trouble he caused going forward last night As well as that, Pablo Zabaleta certainly doesn't deserve to be dropped following his impressive display against the Terriers. Unless Bilic changes formation against West Brom, Arnautovic will more than likely start from the bench. The player would have wanted to make an instant impact for the Hammers, yet his red card means he may just have to bide his time over the coming weeks before the supporters see the best of him. The red card may well prove costly to Arnautovic in his first few months as a West Ham player.
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Slaven Bilic reveals the reason behind his controversial change in West Ham's win over Huddersfield
Many supporters questioned the decision to substitute Hernandez after an hour against Huddersfield Town
Football London
COMMENTS
BYROB GUEST
17:26, 12 SEP 2017
Slaven Bilic has revealed the reason why Javier Hernandez was substituted during West Ham's victory over Huddersfield Town last night. Eyebrows were raised when the Mexican was replaced by Andre Ayew just after the hour mark, especially as the game was still goalless. A number of fans booed the decision, yet Bilic made the right call as the Ghanaian added his side's second goal after Pedro Obiang had opened the scoring. After operating through the middle in the club's first three league games, the former Manchester United man was pushed out wide to accommodate the returning Andy Carroll. Despite struggling to make his mark in the game, Bilic admitted that Hernandez's substitution wasn't down to a poor performance. Bilic, speaking post-match, said: "I noticed a little bit that Hernandez was getting a little tired with those longer runnings and it was the perfect time for Andre to come on. "It was not because Javier did not have a good game it was a time to get fresh legs on the pitch."
Following the win over the Terriers, Bilic could once again elect to start with Hernandez and Michail Antonio either side of Carroll for this weekend's game at West Brom.
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Three realistic William Carvalho alternatives for West Ham in January
HITC
Damien Lucas
The fallout from West Ham United's doomed pursuit of Portugal star William Carvalho means the deal is probably beyond resurrection. Slaven Bilic had targeted the Sporting Lisbon midfielder as the missing piece of his West Ham jigsaw. But the club failed to land the player and the very public row which has ensued since has been embarrassing for all involved, particularly Hammers owners David Sullivan and David Gold. Money talks in modern day football. But such is the acrimony between West Ham and Sporting Lisbon, any hopes of resurrecting the deal seem remote. Quality defensive midfielders don't grow on trees and the good ones cost big money. So what are the realistic alternatives for Bilic in January, if indeed he survives as boss until then.
Luiz Gustavo
Brazilian Luiz Gustavo is best known for his time at Bayern Munich but excelled during a spell with Bundesliga rivals Wolfsburg. He was sold to Marseille for £9million in the summer but things have not started well for the fiery star with L'OM suffering a poor start to the season conceding nine goals in two games of late.
A bid similar to that submitted for Carvalho of around £23m could tempt the French side to sell and the 29-year-old would fit perfectly into that hole in the Hammers team. A superb reader of the game, Gustavo's biggest strength is to break up play and he has come of the best interception stats in Europe. He may be Brazilian but his qualities are destructive rather than creative, just what Bilic is looking for.
Milan Badelj
The anchor at the heart of a steadily improving Fiorentina side is Milan Badelj. As a Croatian international Bilic will be well aware of the 28-year-old's abilities. Badelj has gradually built a reputation as one of the best defensive midfielders in Serie A and indeed wider Europe. Like Gustavo Bedelj's quality is in breaking up play but like Carvalho he also becomes a deep sitting playmaker and is known for his bursts forward quickly turning defence into attack.
Asier Illarramendi
At 26 Real Madrid reject Asier Illarramendi would represent the best business by West Ham if they can lure him to East London from Real Sociedad. The Spaniard was snapped up Madrid during Carlo Ancelotti's time at the club but never quite made the step up to replace Xabi Alonso. It was one of David Moyes' first - and only - good moves to bring Asier back to Real Sociedad during his ill-fated spell as manager there because he has flourished ever since. On paper statistics show he is in the top five defensive midfielders in Europe so he won't come cheap. But he would undoubtedly be the best long term investment for the Hammers.
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Shanghai Shenhua boss slams "overweight" former West Ham striker Carlos Tevez
Shanhai Shenhua manager Wu Jingui has told Carlos Tevez he is not physically ready to play
Football London
BYROB GUEST
10:39, 13 SEP 2017
Carlos Tevez's miserable start to life in the Chinese Super League has hit a new low. After only managing two goals in 12 appearances for Shanghai Shenhua, the former West Ham player has been told he will be spending time on the sidelines until he sorts out his fitness. Branded as being 'overweight' by manager Wu Jingui, Tevez is apparently not physically ready to take to the pitch for the Chinese side. Linked with a return to east London last season, the Argentine's latest problems in China will no doubt see reports of him returning to Boca Juniors gather even more pace. "I won't pick him right now. He's not ready physically. He's not fit to play," said Wu. "He is overweight, along with [Fredy] Guarin. I have to take responsibility for the team and the players as well. "If you are unable do your utmost to play, there's no point in picking you. I have coached lots of big stars, and my players are never picked on reputation."
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Bilic explains why he took risky decision with Javier Hernandez
By Eshlin Vedan - September 13, 2017
Futnsoccer.net
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has revealed why he substituted Javier Hernandez during his side's 2-0 win over Huddersfield on Monday. At the time, many questioned whether it was correct to take off the Mexican especially as the score was locked at 0-0 at the time. Despite a number of fans jeering the decision, it turned out to be a match winning move in the end. Andre Ayew, who came on for Hernandez, went on to provide an assist which allowed Pedro Obiang to open the scoring and he then doubled the Hammers lead by netting himself five minutes later. Bilic has since revealed that he opted to substitute Hernandez not because he was disappointed in him but because he felt that the player was tired. He said, "I noticed a little bit that Hernandez was getting a little tired with those longer runnings and it was the perfect time for Andre to come on. It was not because Javier did not have a good game it was a time to get fresh legs on the pitch."
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