Daily WHUFC News - 16th September 2017

West Brom v West Ham United: All you need to know
WHUFC.com

After a returning to winning ways West Ham United will be eager to maintain
their good form away to West Brom on Saturday.

Check out the information below to find out everything you need to know
about this weekend's Premier League fixture with the Baggies - including
team news, recent form and how to follow the action!

Where and when?

West Brom v West Ham United will be played at The Hawthorns on Saturday 16th
September at 3pm BST.

The address for the stadium is: 9 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich B71 4LF

How to follow:

You can follow the game live via our Matchday Blog on whufc.com, with
updates also available on Twitter throughout the afternoon. You can also
follow the match in different ways on our official Instagram, Facebook and
Snapchat channels!

Due to being a Saturday 3pm kick-off the match is not available for viewing
in the UK. For worldwide broadcast schedules, click here.

Team news:

West Ham are set to have Marko Arnautovic available again after the Austrian
completed a three match suspension.

Captain Mark Noble missed the Huddersfield win due to injury and is going to
sit out the West Brom contest too, although could be back in contention for
Tuesday's game with Bolton Wanderers.

Manuel Lanzini and Edimilson Fernandes are also both out but could be back
in just a couple of weeks.

Match officials:

Referee: Paul Tierney
Assistant Referees: Simon Long and Derek Eaton
Fourth Official: Andy Davies

Meet the opposition:

West Brom have firmly established themselves as a Premier League side under
Tony Pulis, and with the Welsh manager's guidance the Baggies have become of
the division's toughest sides.

West Brom were defeated in their last league match, against Brighton, but
have enjoyed a very good start to the campaign and sit in the top half of
the table.

Saturday's opponents finished tenth last season and, after a decent summer
of investment in the squad, will be looking to climb even further with the
club under new ownership.

Player to watch:

Power, physicality and defensive nous will be crucial for this battle at the
Hawthorns - step forward James Collins.

The Welsh international made nine clearances against Huddersfield Town on
Monday evening, the most of any West Ham player, and was an experienced
influence in the team's first league clean-sheet of the season.

West Brom's strength across the field is now common knowledge in the Premier
League and Collins will be vital at both ends of the field if the Hammers
are to achieve a positive result.

Head-to-head:

A very late goal from Gareth McAuley stopped the Hammers from claiming a
come-back win against the Baggies the last time the two sides met, after
Manuel Lanzini had put Slaven Bilic's side ahead in the 86th minute.

The two sides have swapped wins throughout their competitive history. West
Ham have beaten West Brom 39 times since their first ever match in 1913, and
have lost 40 times. It's close!

Last five meetings:

West Ham United 2-2 West Brom, Premier League, 11 February 2017
West Brom 4-2 West Ham United, Premier League, 17 September 2016
West Brom 0-3 West Ham United, Premier League, 30 April 2016
West Ham United 1-1 West Brom, Premier League, 29 November 2015
West Brom 4-0 West Ham United, FA Cup, 14 February 2015

Did you know:

Chicharito likes to play against West Brom. The Mexican striker has
contributed to five goals (three goals and two assists) in five previous
matches against the Baggies.

How to get there:

Follow the M1 to Junction 19, merging onto the M6 towards
Coventry/Birmingham. Stay on the M6 until Junction 8 and then continue onto
the M5, leaving the motorway at Junction 1 on the A41 exit.

At the roundabout take the first exit onto Birmingham Road and the Hawthorns
is on the right just up the road.

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West Ham United and Spire Roding Hospital extend partnership
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce that Spire Roding Hospital has
extended its agreement as the Club's Official Private Hospital. Spire Roding
Hospital has been West Ham United's Official Private Hospital since November
2014, providing additional expert medical support for the Club's playing
staff and a range of private hospital services to patients in east and
central London and Essex. Spire Healthcare's mission is to bring together
the best people who are dedicated to developing excellent clinical
environments and delivering the highest quality patient care, and Spire
Roding Hospital continue to work closely with West Ham's own medical team,
including our new Head of Medical Services, Gary Lewin.
West Ham United Vice-Chairman Karren Brady said: "I am thrilled that we are
to continue our strong and successful relationship with Spire Roding
Hospital.
"Spire Roding was the first partner to align with the Club following
confirmation of our momentous move to London Stadium, and they have been
with us every step of the way on this exciting journey. "We are extremely
fortunate to have access to such an exceptional medical facility close to
London Stadium and our Rush Green training ground, and look forward to
strengthening our relationship even further in the coming seasons."

Hospital Director of the Spire Roding Hospital, Adrian Brady, said: "Spire
Roding Hospital is delighted to renew the partnership with West Ham United
Football Club.
"We are very proud to support the club and players again this coming season,
and value the strong links the hospital and club have within our community."
Spire Roding Hospital is based on Roding Lane, Redbridge and offers
comprehensive private hospital services to patients from east and central
London and Essex.

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'Start both Chicharito & Carroll' - Etherington looks ahead to West Brom
WHUFC.com

West Ham United travel to West Brom on Saturday as Slaven Bilic's side looks
to maintaining their winning form after collecting their first three points
of the season on Monday. Former West Ham winger Matthew Etherington spent
four years playing under current West Brom boss Tony Pulis at Stoke City and
has revealed how the Irons can get a positive result at the Hawthorns this
weekend.

'Provide service to Chicharito'

History tells us that Chicharito enjoys playing against West Brom. The
Mexican has contributed to five goals in five Premier League matches against
the Baggies, in the form of three finishes and two assists. Already this
season Chicharito has scored two league goals for the Irons and, given his
prolific nature against West Brom, supporters will be optimistic of another
finish this Saturday. Etherington has hailed the impact Chicharito has had
on the West Ham team so far and believes goals are almost a certainty if he
keeps getting service. "He needs service," Etherington said on the forward:
"He hit the bar on Monday and when he gets chances, more often than not,
he's going to hit the target and he's going to score goals. With the
attacking players that Bilic has got now, that are fit and raring to go, I'm
sure he will get it. "He just needs regular service and he will score goals.
I'm sure he'll get scoring more sooner rather than later after his couple
against Southampton."

'Keep Carroll in the team'

Another positive of Monday's 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town was the return
of Andy Carroll to the starting XI. The No9 was in terrific form against the
Terriers, dominating their defensive line and showing just how important he
is to the team. Carroll won 13 aerial duels against Huddersfield Town which
is the most won by any player in a Premier League game so far this campaign,
and Etherington is backing the striker to make a similar impact against the
Baggies. "Carroll is massively important. I think the team is a completely
different side, both offensively and defensively, when he is in it,"
Etherington said. "Hopefully now, after his injury problems, he will have a
consistent run of games the team. If he does stay fit then it's only going
to benefit West Ham and the Hammers will win games with Carroll." Slaven
Bilic lined up his team with both Carroll and Chicharito on Monday and
Etherington is keen to see the two forwards in the same starting XI again.
He added: "I definitely do want to see Chicharito and Carroll play regularly
together. They're two top players. Javier Hernandez and Carroll can
certainly play together."

'Take defensive responsibility'

West Brom's threat from set-pieces is a cornerstone of their style of play,
and indeed the philosophy that Tony Pulis builds his football teams around.
It has proven more than effective in recent seasons too. Last year the
Baggies scored 16 goals from corners, the most of any side in the Premier
League. Furthermore 21 of their 43 league goals came from set-pieces. "I
played under Tony Pulis for a number of years at Stoke City and I know
first-hand how much he works on set-pieces," Etherington said. "Set-pieces
are one of West Brom's main threats. Pulis defines it as a really important
part of the game and that's why they get plenty of goals from it. It's about
West Ham dealing with the aerial threat and taking responsibility when it
comes to marking men, because if they don't West Brom will score."
The Hammers lined up with a back-three against Huddersfield and Etherington
reckons a similar set-up, including Winston Reid, James Collins and Jose
Fonte, could prove crucial. He added: "The back-three – Reid, Fonte and
Collins - looked really good against Huddersfield. If Bilic decides to stick
with it then these are the type of players that will be needed in the team
to deal with West Brom. These players are really good in the air and against
West Brom they will be needed."

'Understand the threat West Brom possess'

Tactically West Ham will need to be at their very best to deal with West
Brom's experience, according to Etherington. The Baggies have an average
starting XI age of 29 years and six days this season, the oldest of any side
in the Premier League, and with that level of experience comes wisdom and
maturity. Having played for Pulis Etherington knows what West Ham will be
coming up against. The former midfielder said: "First and foremost, Pulis
teams are organised. Every player on the pitch knows their job and what
they've got to do. "They will be hard to break down and they will be hard to
play to play against. West Ham showed on Monday night that they can play in
a number of ways but if they try to pass it out from the back then West Brom
will be on top of them and pressing very quickly." If the Hammers can cope
with what West Brom's strength then Etherington reckons West Ham United have
the threat up front to cause the Baggies issues in return.
"If West Ham can deal with that threat and that physicality then they've got
the players going forward – the likes of Chicharito, Michail Antonio, Andy
Carroll, Mark Arnautovic is back – that can cause them problems."

'Take heart from the Huddersfield win'

The win against Huddersfield Town was huge for West Ham. It was one that
restored smiles to the fans' faces and put the first points on the board of
the new campaign. In April 2016, just 18 months ago, the Hammers secured
their joint-largest win at the Hawthorns. Goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and
Mark Noble earned Bilic's side a much deserved 3-0 victory. So how do the
Irons go to West Brom on Saturday and achieve a similar result? According to
Etherington a win will come from defensive resolution. high energy football
and spirit. Etherington beamed: "I thought the effort the lads showed
against Huddersfield was brilliant, and that needs to carry on now
throughout the rest of the season. The energy levels need to be high, just
like they were on Monday. "West Ham have got to be strong defensively and
work as a team. With the talent in the side and the recruitment over the
summer they should score goals, and score plenty of them. It's all about
being strong as a team defensively at the weekend."

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Betway Insider's View of the Opposition: West Brom
WHUFC.com

Their 3-1 loss to Brighton last weekend suggests this is a good time to play
West Brom. The Baggies are now winless in two games, having been held to a
1-1 draw at home to Stoke before the international break. Perhaps even more
significantly, Tony Pulis' side have scored just eight goals in their last
13 league outings, meaning the West Ham defence – emboldened after keeping
their maiden clean sheet of the campaign in Monday's 2-0 win over
Huddersfield – should be confident of keeping things tight at the back. The
fact the game is being played at the Hawthorns might be no bad thing,
either. Against Brighton, West Brom recorded over 50 per cent possession for
just the 10th time in 98 top-flight matches under Pulis. Interestingly,
their record in those matches is an unspectacular four wins and six defeats.
The key for Slaven Bilic's side, then, could be to allow their opponents to
have the ball and attempt to hit them on the counter-attack.

The back three/five the Croatian deployed against Huddersfield are all
reliable defenders, while Andre Ayew – who scored against the Terriers after
being introduced as a substitute – and Michail Antonio both have the legs to
stretch the West Brom backline. Conceding three goals to a team outside the
top seven was unusual for the Baggies – it didn't happen at all last season
– although Pulis would probably point to a lack of preparation time due to
the international break and a rare poor performance from Ben Foster as the
reasons for their tardiness. That might be the case, but given he was beaten
by one tame long-range effort and fumbled another (only to be saved by the
offside flag), it would be remiss of the Hammers not to pepper Foster's goal
from range, especially early on. It is also worth remembering that the two
top-flight fixtures between these sides last season produced 10 goals in
total. If West Brom defend as poorly as they did against Brighton, and West
Ham kick on from claiming their first three points of the season, then
Saturday's game might be just as entertaining.

Recommended bets

Michail Antonio to score West Ham's first goal – 9/2

West Ham to score first – 13/10

Over 2.5 goals – 6/5

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Michail Antonio's 'mellow zone' playlist
WHUFC.com

Wild Thoughts - DJ Khaled (ft. Rihanna)

This is one of Rihanna's recent tunes and it sums up the sort of vibe I like
to tap in to before I start playing. This is a mellow R&B/Soul playlist and
tracks like this get me in the zone.

Unforgettable - French Montana (ft. Swae Lee)

This has a nice, catchy little beat to it. French Montana has got loads of
variety in the sort of music he produces, with this mellow tune and also his
rap stuff, too. I really like it.

Questions - Chris Brown

I've loved Chris Brown's music since way back and he is still going strong
with this banging tune here. He's still doing it well. This is one for the
calm before the storm.

Redbone - Childish Gambino

Childish Gambino is a new entrant into my playlist. He's been around for a
long time and I don't normally like his music, but I'm a big fan of this
one. I really enjoy it.

Hurtin' Me - Stefflon Don & French Montana

This is another mellow tune which helps me to get into the right mindset and
just chill out ahead of the game. I like rap when I'm on holiday, but I
prefer something more relaxing before the game.

Swalla - Jason Derulo (ft. Nicky Minaj)

This one has been around for quite a while and it's all right. This is one
of those tunes which has been on my playlist for ages and is due to be
removed. Of all ten, this tune is one I might fast forward through!

That's What I Like - Bruno Mars

This is lovely stuff. I love Bruno Mars' little ballads. If he brings a tune
out I'm probably going to like it and add it to my playlist. People will see
me chilling to this in the dressing room just before the game.

Finders Keepers - Mabel (ft. Kojo Funds)

This is a nice mellow tune and is one that I can nod my head to and is my
current No1 song. Mabel is a young up-and-coming British R&B artist who is
really starting to make her mark on my playlist!

I Feel It Coming - The Weeknd (ft. Daft Punk)

Everyone knows The Weeknd! He has that special, high-pitched voice and it's
one of those things where I don't want to be chaotic before I go out onto
the pitch, so I enjoy his peaceful style of music.

All of Me - John Legend

The great John Legend. He always makes music about love and positivity, so
this tune is one I'll listen to because I've got to love the ball and
nurture it before I put it in the back of the net!

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Chicharito calls for consistency ahead of West Brom
WHUFC.com

Chicharito believes he and his West Ham United teammates must show they can
be consistent in both achieving good performances and earning positive
results when the side takes on West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. The
Hammers head to the Hawthorns on the back of a first Premier League win of
the season last time out, a 2-0 victory against Huddersfield Town on Monday.
A tricky test awaits the Mexican striker and the West Ham squad in Tony
Pulis's West Brom side, who have collected seven points from their opening
four league matches. Chicharito believes he and the rest of the side must
continue showing their full potential against the Baggies, and display
consistency in their performances. The 29-year-old told whufc.com: "Now we
have a very important away match in which we want to show that we can be
consistent. That's what we want now - to be very consistent. Not just in the
results but also in our performances."

Chicharito - who has scored two league goals so far this season for the
Hammers - is not just looking to this weekend's match with West Brom, but
also beyond.
Following the contest on Saturday West Ham United will host Bolton Wanderers
in the third round of the Carabao Cup, before returning to league action
with consecutive home games against Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City. And
the forward is targeting wins against both West Brom and the Championship
side in the Cup ahead of those two home league matches. Chicharito added:
"We managed to finally get a victory so we now want to go to West Brom, get
three more points and then focus on the Cup. We want to win that game too
and advance to the next round."

Tickets for the Cup clash with Bolton Wanderers are still available, on
general sale, and can be purchased here.

Adults can attend the third-round fixture from just £10 while kids can watch
their favourite Hammers play from just £5.

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Ladies have 'learned lessons' from previous Chichester encounter - De Carnys
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies manager Greg De Carnys believes his team has learned
from the loss to Chichester City two weeks ago as they prepare to take on
the side again on Sunday. The Ladies suffered a 4-1 defeat to Chichester a
fortnight ago in the FAWPL Cup, eliminating the Irons from the competition
at the first hurdle. West Ham will return to Oaklands Park this weekend
seeking a return to winning form and revenge for that loss, and De Carnys
says his side is ready for how Chichester will approach this league
encounter. "We've already played Chichester in the cup so we're going to be
ready," De Carnys told whufc.com. "We've learned some lessons from when we
played them a couple of weeks back. "It was a physical game, and we have to
be ready for that again. We have to be able to match that and we're going to
show that in our game. They're going to make it tough for us and we have to
be prepared."

In between the two matches with Chichester the West Ham Ladies also suffered
a disappointing loss to C&K Basildon but De Carnys has been happy with how
his squad has responded in training. The first team manager believes these
defeats can be used as a force for positivity and serve as a way of bringing
more out of the players, both individually and as a unit. He added: "The
team has responded really well considering how the last two weeks have gone.
We've tried to approach training with a positive mind-set and use the losses
as a way to make us stronger as a group. I think the girls have brought into
that. They always train hard but right now there's an extra determination in
the group."

Despite the losses there has been a marked improvement in performances by
the Ladies and De Carnys reckons this will eventually lead to regular
positive results.
"Good performances will eventually breed good results," he explained. "The
Cardiff win was a lovely feeling for everyone involved. It has given us the
taste for it and it's something we want to experience more. But you only get
to that through focusing on performance. "To win our first home game with
eight players in the team that played for us last season, when we didn't win
a game at all, shows the massive improvement we made. We realise the
challenges we have to face but hopefully our good performances will turn
into good results more often than not."

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West Ham's Slaven Bilic: I am confident Andy Carroll will stay fit for a
long period
SLAVEN BILIC
ES Sport

Andy Carroll is back fit, in our first team and no one, apart from Andy
himself, is happier than me about that. Everyone who was at the London
Stadium on Monday night to see us notch our first Premier League win on our
home turf, plus many more watching on television, will have seen what a
difference he makes to us. Inevitably, though, the questions have come thick
and fast. "How can you keep him fit? What are you doing to keep him fit?
Have you a special training regime for him?" They are all questions I have
been asked many times about Andy. The answers are probably very similar and
this time, as before, we hope he can stay fit for a long period for us. Am I
feeling any more confident this time that Andy will be with us longer? Yes,
I am. When I ask myself what is the reason for this, I have to be honest and
say there is nothing definite. I was confident last time as well. Last
season, Andy was really unlucky that he was injured almost freakishly during
a match in Romania and was out for four months. I am more confident this
time because I don't think he will be that unlucky again. We have changed
things, though. Last season, we would have put him in the team earlier, but
this season we decided: "No, you are going to train for one month and then
we will see."
Also, in the early stages of his rehabilitation, we pushed him a little
harder. If he felt something, we told him he had to go through the
discomfort — and he did that. It was a good decision because Andy is happy
and he looks good. You never know what might happen in the future but right
now, it's good. He is also more mature. He knows he must manage himself and
there are times when he needs to go in the gym rather than be out on the
training pitch. I know there have been players in England who hardly trained
but still did the business at the weekend: Ledley King for Tottenham and
Aston Villa's Paul McGrath come to mind. When you are a centre-back, though,
as those two were, it is different, but I would have no problem with us
following their example with Andy if that will make him constantly
available. He needs a special programme to strengthen the muscles around the
areas which have caused him problems. If you think, though, that players can
sit out training all week and then go out and play full on without getting
injured, you are deluding yourself. Another big positive for me was Michail
Antonio. Sometimes defenders will know what he intends to do, but stopping
him is another matter. We were hoping he would return to fitness quickly
because he is a beast but, in reality, after his serious hamstring injury he
also needed a few games. Now he has them under his belt, he is looking
better and better.

Don't forget, he had been out since April, had an operation, rehab, no
pre-season games and then played 45 minutes in one Under-23 match before we
picked him for Southampton. Now, he's almost back to his best, but maybe one
more week and he will be there. It is a huge year for him because of the
World Cup. If he maintains his form and fitness, he definitely has a chance
of going. I know Gareth Southgate is prepared to change things if it
improves his team. Nothing is bigger or better than representing your
country in the World Cup. It is the ultimate and Michail, plus Aaron
Cresswell, have a big chance of doing just that. We had more than two weeks
to mull things over following our defeat at Newcastle and my staff and I
thought carefully about systems and teams over the days that followed.
In the end, we decided on three at the back against Huddersfield. We used
that system before and we decided to revert to it to make things a little
tighter. The system, like any, has its pluses and minuses and will depend on
the players available and whether it is home or away. We do have the players
for it and I thought Pablo Zabaleta, at right wing-back, was one of our best
players.

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Slaven Bilic: Keeping all my West Ham players happy is a problem
SLAVEN BILIC
ES Sport

With Marko Arnautovic available again following suspension and Manuel
Lanzini getting closer to fitness, I am going to have more options soon. For
a manager, that is a positive problem but every Premier League club are in a
similar position now. The question of keeping everyone happy then is a
difficult one but unless you are really overloaded, every player can feel
that he is an important cog in the wheel. Unless players are in your team,
though, the reality is that very few of them are happy. Maybe, if there is a
young player, he is content for a few weeks just to be in the squad — but
they are talented footballers and they are hungry to play. Managers have to
be big enough to make decisions, such as substituting 'Chicharito' in the
second half against Huddersfield. I heard a few boos when I did that and I
understood because he is a fans' favourite and also a favourite of mine. The
reason why I did it was this. We didn't want to change the system but we
were dropping energy so we needed a player to come on to give us a boost. We
had that quality on the bench with Andre Ayew and the pitch was beginning to
look a bit big for Chicharito, who had done some long-distance travelling
during the international break. Maybe he would have recovered as the game
wore on but we wanted to change something and it was time. What we have to
do now is keep this level of concentration and determination. We proved it
against Huddersfield — the art is to keep doing it, against West Brom
tomorrow and beyond

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The heat is off West Ham boss Bilic - but for how long?
By Chris Bevan
BBC Sport

Monday's home win over Huddersfield took some of the heat off West Ham boss
Slaven Bilic - but for how long? The Hammers are off the mark this season,
and off the bottom of the table too, but Bilic remains the bookmakers'
favourite to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job and there
are several reasons why. Bilic's future is supposedly in doubt because of
questionable tactics and team selections, not just the fact his side had
started the season by losing three successive away games while the London
Stadium was unavailable. An apparent disagreement between the Croat and West
Ham's owners David Sullivan and David Gold, about why some signings did not
happen in the transfer window, has hardly helped his situation. Put
together, it does not offer a scene of stability and security that might
allay speculation his days are numbered. Bilic's contract is up in the
summer in any case, but what problems must he solve to see out the season,
let alone get a new deal? One positive for Bilic is that Sullivan and Gold,
who took control of the Hammers in 2010, are not known for having itchy
trigger fingers. They waited until West Ham were relegated from the Premier
League before sacking Avram Grant in 2011, and his successor Sam Allardyce
lasted four full seasons in the job. It was not results that led to
Allardyce leaving by mutual consent - he got them promoted then finished
10th, 13th and 12th in the top-flight - more the way his teams got them in a
pragmatic fashion that was unpopular with supporters. Therein lies a warning
for Bilic, whose side went back to basics against Huddersfield by often
launching the ball up towards Andy Carroll, and have played more long passes
than any other Premier League team this season.

Jermaine Jenas, who was at the London Stadium co-commentating for BBC Radio
5 live, said: "It was a low-risk strategy - going long and keeping the ball
away from danger. It worked, eventually. "But I am pretty sure that if this
is how it is going to be moving forward then Bilic's job is still at risk
because it was not pretty and it is not something that West Ham fans are
going to want to watch for the rest of the season." Trevor Sinclair, who
played more than 200 games for West Ham between 1998 and 2003, is confident
the team's playing style will improve soon. "Monday was about the result
more than the performance," he told BBC Sport. "And sometimes style has to
go out of the window, even at West Ham. "When you look at who Bilic had
available for that match, you can see why he played to their strengths - and
his gameplan worked. "Bilic was missing creative players like Marko
Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini against Huddersfield, and when he gets them
back he can return to playing the way the fans want to see. West Ham have
tried 304 long passes in four Premier League matches this season - the most
in the top-flight. Crystal Palace are the next highest with 303, followed by
Burnley with 296 "He kind of has to, really. I know from my time there that,
when people talk about the 'West Ham way', it is because some supporters did
not mind if we didn't win, as long as we entertained them. "Some of the fans
would always take playing a good style of football ahead of being successful
by playing the wrong way. "It is a tough one for Bilic because he needs to
play good football and get results, so he needs to find a balance between
the two."

Play Carroll and Hernandez up front together?

Hernandez only touched the ball 22 times against Huddersfield (l), the
fewest of any player to start the game. He managed two touches inside the
Terriers' area and two shots - one from inside the area that hit the bar in
the first half, the other with a free-kick that he curled wide just after
the break. He was replaced by Andre Ayew after 64 minutes
West Ham fans have already started to make their feelings clear - by booing
when Bilic took off £16m signing Javier Hernandez with the score at 0-0
against the Terriers. The former Manchester United striker hit the bar in
the first half but had been playing out on the left wing and had only one
other touch inside the Huddersfield area. His replacement, Andre Ayew,
seemed far better suited to the role. "The bottom line was Bilic knew he
could not leave Hernandez on the bench, even if it meant playing him out of
position," added Jenas. "He was their marquee signing this summer and he was
dragged off at 0-0 when he was not playing badly, so I can understand the
fans' annoyance."

Could playing two up front be the answer, and let Bilic get the best out of
Hernandez and Carroll?

"Unless you have other runners to take some of the focus away from him,
Carroll is easy to mark," Jenas explained. "All you do is pick up the second
ball, you don't even go and attack the first one. "West Ham can not play two
strikers like Manchester City do with Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero and
try to pass the ball and control the game like City do, without causing
themselves some problems defensively. "But there is definitely an argument
to say that, if they are going to go long like they did against
Huddersfield, then they need to get somebody next to him to make runs off
all the flick-ons he will win - and Hernandez would be ideal for that job."

Noble - finished, or not?

One issue that has split fans and pundits alike is the part that
long-serving Hammers captain Mark Noble has to play in midfield. "Bilic has
a big decision to make there," said BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson. "Noble is
looking a bit long in the tooth. "He is obviously such a top professional
and seems a brilliant bloke to have around the club too - the type who would
run things in the dressing room, all those kind of things - but it boils
down to whether he still warrants a place in the side. "Probably on
performances, you would have to say no. The midfield area is an issue for
them, which is why they were trying to sign Sporting Lisbon's William
Carvalho, even though Sporting denied it. "But even without Carvalho on
board, there might no longer be any room for Noble in the team." Noble, 30,
has spent his entire career at the club save for two loan spells at Ipswich
and Hull City. He started the first three games of the season but did not
make the squad that faced Huddersfield because of a minor knee injury.
Sinclair, who has known Noble since he was a teenager breaking into the
Hammers set-up, does not think we have seen the last of him, however. "I've
heard people say he is finished, but they have got short memories," Sinclair
explained. "I know Mark personally - I know him well - and there is still
plenty of football left in him. "I think a lot of what he does goes
unnoticed by the average fan because he is never going to be a midfielder
who breaks beyond the forward players or scores in the top corner from 30
yards. "Instead, he is a little bit of glue in front of the back four to
stop the ball reaching the opposition strikers. "He has got so much love and
loyalty for the club and he will be making sure he can get his fitness
levels right so he can give a good account of himself on the pitch. "As soon
as Slaven sees that, I am sure he will be back in the team."

Fans and players love Bilic - but how do the owners feel?

Bilic bettered Allardyce's league placings in his first season in charge,
finishing seventh in 2015-16, and followed that up with 11th place last time
out, despite the disruption of the club's move to a new home. He remains
popular with the fans despite the difficulties of the past 12 months, and
Sinclair thinks his team are definitely still trying for him too. "I always
look at the players' performances when a manager is under pressure," he
explained. "West Ham lacked desire against Newcastle at the end of August
but the way they applied themselves against Huddersfield did not suggest
they had thrown in the towel. I know that kind of spirited display did not
save Frank de Boer at Crystal Palace, but it is a good sign. "I think
Slaven came across really well in his post-match news conference too, not
just about what the club meant to him, but also that he was delighted with
the application the team had shown." With the fans on his side, and his
players behind him, could Bilic's biggest problem be the people who will
ultimately decide his fate - Sullivan and Gold? Their policy of saying so
much on social media about what is happening at the club has led to some
distinctly uncomfortable answers from Bilic when he has been asked about it
later. "Slaven probably just wishes they would shut up," says Lawrenson.
"Why not just leave him to get on with managing the team? That is difficult
enough anyway. "If West Ham keep picking up points and finish in mid-table
again, that should keep Bilic in the job and mean he is offered a new deal.
"I am sure he would want to stay if that happens - but you could not blame
him if has had enough of the owners anyway, and decided to go elsewhere."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Brom v West Ham preview: Marko Arnautovic returns
Last Updated: 15/09/17 11:50am
SSN

Slaven Bilic will be looking to build on West Ham's 2-0 victory over
Huddersfield when they visit West Bromwich Albion. Monday's clash at the
London Stadium was billed as an important game in terms of his future, but
his players answered his call with a positive performance and result.
However, Bilic has overseen three away defeats this season at Manchester
United, Newcastle and Southampton. Tony Pulis' men rarely give much away at
The Hawthorns, although they have only won one of their last six home games
in the Premier League.

Team news

Nacer Chadli and Oliver Burke are doubts for West Brom. Winger Burke has had
a scan on a hamstring injury and will be assessed while boss Pulis remained
tight-lipped on Chadli's problem. Hal Robson-Kanu is available again after a
ban and Gareth McAuley has recovered from a thigh injury while Gareth Barry
will equal Ryan Giggs' Premier League appearance record of 632 games if he
features.

West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic is back from suspension. Arnautovic is in
contention again after serving his three-match ban but Mark Noble is out
with a knock to his knee. The match will also come too soon for Edimilson
Fernandes and Manuel Lanzini who are recovering from ankle and knee injuries
respectively.

Opta stats

West Brom have won just two of their last 13 matches versus West Ham in the
Premier League (D8 L3), with both victories arriving at the Hawthorns (1-0
in April 2014 and 4-2 in September 2016).

West Ham have won just once in their last 10 Premier League away games (W1
D3 L6) and have kept only one clean sheet in their last 18 top-flight
matches on the road.

The Hammers won their first league game of the season with their 2-0 victory
over Huddersfield last Monday night - they will have the chance to win
successive Premier League games for the first time since January in this
fixture.

West Brom have attempted eight shots inside the six-yard box this season;
more than any other side in the Premier League.

Pulis has lost just one of his last six Premier League managerial clashes
versus West Ham, winning three and drawing two.

The average age of West Brom's starting XI this season has been 29 years and
six days old - the oldest in the Premier League so far in 2017-18.

Paul Merson's prediction

West Brom were poor against Brighton, it was like they thought they would
just turn up and not lose, but they were bad until they went 3-0 down, then
they had a go. West Ham got a good result on Monday, but a lot for them
depends on Andy Carroll. I think West Brom have the players who could cope
with him.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-0 (6/1 with Sky Bet)

Betting

West Brom are Sky Bet's 5/4 favourites for the victory with West Ham 11/5,
the same price as the draw. Salomon Rondon and Jay Rodriguez are tied at the
head of a wide-open first goalscorer market at 9/2, with Javier Hernandez
and Andy Carroll following closely behind at 5/1 apiece.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham and Slaven Bilic need tactical consistency this season
West Brom vs West Ham: Preview and prediction
DANNY MURPHY
ES Sport

Slaven Bilic must be left scratching his head at times because West Ham are
so inconsistent. They can play really well one week and then, the next
week, they do not compete. I think they will be fine this season but they
need a bit of consistency in who they play and what formation they use.
They had a good win against Huddersfield on Monday but they have had three
losses away from home. Marko Arnautovic is back from suspension and Javier
Hernandez can cause any team problems. But going to West Brom is tough and
I think West Ham would happily take a point if you offered it to them. We
had more than two weeks to mull things over following our defeat at
Newcastle and my staff and I thought carefully about systems and teams over
the days that followed. In the end, we decided on three at the back against
Huddersfield. We used that system before and we decided to revert to it to
make things a little tighter. The system, like any, has its pluses and
minuses and will depend on the players available and whether it is home or
away. We do have the players for it and I thought Pablo Zabaleta, at right
wing-back, was one of our best players.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham transfer news: Sporting Lisbon will not sell Hammers target William
Carvalho for anything less than £40m release clause
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Friday, September 15, 2017

Sporting Lisbon will not sell West Ham target William Carvalho for any less
than his £40million release clause, according to reports in Portugal. The
Hammers are said to have chased the gifted midfielder during the summer but
a proposal to sign him for £23m fell through. As a result of the transfer
dealings, the relationship between the two clubs has become extremely frosty
with Sporting president even labelling West Ham's owners, David Gold and
David Sullivan, the 'Dildo Brothers'.
Despite that, West Ham are still reportedly keen on a move for the Portugal
international when the January window opens. But now, according to A Bola,
any move is going to cost them nearly twice as much as the original
proposal. It has been reported that Sporting would not be willing to part
with the 25-year-old for any less than his £40m release clause.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SHOULD ANDY CARROLL'S FITNESS/GAME TIME BE MORE CLOSELY MANAGED?
By S J Chandos 15 Sep 2017 at 17:00
WTID

It was interesting to hear Alan Pardew's views on the need to manage Andy
Carroll's fitness more carefully. Pardew went as far as to suggest that
Carroll should be on a reduced schedule (not training Monday-Wednesday every
week) to get the maximum game time out of him. Slaven Bilic has subsequently
responded to this suggestion and confirmed that Carroll is already on a
structured training programme, although he still trains daily with the rest
of the squad. Bilic hoped that this new arrangement would continue to keep
Carroll fit and available for selection for the whole season.

It is clear that Carroll is injury prone and that the club needed to devise
some special arrangement to reduce the stresses and strains on his body.
Only in this way, can he hope to stay fit and available for the course of an
entire season, something he has not managed since he joined us from
Liverpool. While the training is taken care of, would it not also be good
policy to manage his playing time, alternating him between the starting line
up and the bench? We have Hernandez and Sakho available and they should make
this policy viable and practical. In this way, he will get regular physical
respite and avoid the physical stresses that come with continuous playing.
The end result should be that we get more valuable playing time out of
Carroll and he avoids the regular, drawn out injury absences. Then
everyone's a winner!

I sincerely hope that Bilic continues to select the three at the back, with
the wing backs pushing forward down the flanks. It suits our centre-backs,
we achieve greater defensive solidarity and it also optimizes the attacking
impact of Zabaletta and Cresswell. Fonte obvious likes the system and he put
in his best performance in a claret and blue shirt. Reid was his usual
solid, reliable self and Collins also did very well. However, I do wonder if
there is enough pace in that particular three to counter the speedier
attacks of some of the other PL team? In those situations it is likely that
we will need Ogbonna's pace at the expense of either Collins or Fonte. It
should not be a problem against WBA on Saturday, where physicality is likely
to be the order of the day, but it could be an issue in other forthcoming
fixtures. In those circumstances expect Ogbonna to be drafted in to the
centre of the three.

I was so please to see Andre Ayew make such a decisive impact from the bench
on Monday evening. I know that some fans have been disappointed with Ayew's
form since joining the club. But make no mistake, when Ayew is on form he is
a class act. He is that rare and valuable player, a goal scoring midfielder,
who is capable of weighing-in with ten plus goals per season. I still
remember his performance against us, at Upton Park in 2015-16. when his
passing, vision and finishing destroyed us. If he can recapture that type of
form and effectiveness, he will be a major asset for Bilic to deploy this
season.

Finally, it was good to see Sir Trevor Brooking receive an award from the
club on Monday evening to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his first team
debut in a 1967 away match at Burnley. From the Hammers line-up it seems
that it was a case of the glorious present (Moore, Hurst and Peters scored
our goals in a 3-3 draw) meeting the future (Brooking and Bonds debuted and
played alongside Frank Lampard Snr). I actually started attending matches in
the 1967-68 season and it certainly made me conscious of my age! But what
the hell, I am one of those fans who have had the privilege of watching the
club's greatest players in the post-war period (and very probably of
all-time). In that sense, advancing age does have its compensations!

SJ. Chandos.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Lawrenson comments on Mark Noble situation
HITC
Subhankar Mondal

West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble has not been playing well so far this
season. Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson has told BBC Sport that West Ham
United midfielder Mark Noble is looking a bit long in the tooth. Noble has
been on the books of West Ham his entire professional club football so far
and has a contract with the London club until June 2020, according to
Transfermarkt.com. The 30-year-old central midfielder is a good player, but
the Englishman has not been at his best so far this season. West Ham have
struggled in the opening weeks of the 2017-18 Premier League campaign and so
has Noble. The former England Under-21 international is the club captain,
but is it time for manager Slaven Bilic to drop him? Liverpool legend
Lawrenson has given his take on Noble's situation, and has suggested that
based on performances he does not have a place in the West Ham midfield.
"Bilic has a big decision to make there," Lawrenson told BBC Sport. "Noble
is looking a bit long in the tooth. "He is obviously such a top professional
and seems a brilliant bloke to have around the club too - the type who would
run things in the dressing room, all those kind of things - but it boils
down to whether he still warrants a place in the side. "Probably on
performances, you would have to say no. The midfield area is an issue for
them, which is why they were trying to sign Sporting Lisbon's William
Carvalho, even though Sporting denied it. "But even without Carvalho on
board, there might no longer be any room for Noble in the team." West Ham
will return to action on Saturday afternoon when they take on West Bromwich
Albion away from home at The Hawthorns in the Premier League.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Can Marko Arnautovic prove Jose Mourinho and Mario Balotelli wrong and help
West Ham shine?
HITC
Damien Lucas

When Marko Arnautovic was sent off for a wild elbow in his second game for
West Ham United it was hardly surprising for many. The Austrian
international became West Ham's record signing when Slaven Bilic splashed
out £25 million to take him from Stoke City. The move instantly divided
opinion with excitement at the prospect of his obvious talent matched by
scepticism over his attitude and consistency. For an insight into quite how
Arnautovic earned his reputation you only need to revisit comments from his
former Inter Milan teammate and fellow 'bad boy' Mario Balotelli and Jose
Mourinho. "The English press liked to talk about Mario - but I promise you
Marko will make me looking like the most boring guy in the world," Balotelli
said back in 2013. "He is one of the funniest and craziest people I have
ever met - there will never be a boring moment when he is around. It is
important to remember he is a very good player though. He has real strength
and toughness about him - he will adapt very well to the English game."
Jose Mourinho claimed Arnautovic had the 'attitude of a child' during a year
together at Inter Milan while former England boss Steve McClaren insisted he
was the 'craziest player he had ever managed' while at FC Twente. The
maverick forward has a lengthy rap sheet and those who had their doubts
about him were vindicated when, just 110 minutes into his West Ham career he
was needlessly and recklessly sent off for elbowing Southampton defender
Dale Stephens.
The Hammers have been through the mill since, losing that game 3-2 before a
3-0 defeat to Newcastle which cast serious doubts over his manager's job.
Mark Hughes insists Arnautovic has matured since becoming an established
Premier League player and a father He has served his three match suspension
and will return to West Ham's squad for the trip to West Bromwich Albion on
Saturday. Now it is up to him to prove people wrong and make a name for
himself in East London. |And after all Hammers fans love a maverick, just
ask Paolo Di Canio.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Paul Merson delivers his verdict on why rejuvenated West Ham will lose at
West Brom
HITC
Damien Lucas

Paul Merson has delivered his verdict on why a rejuvenated West Ham United
will slip back to losing ways at West Bromwich Albion this weekend. The
Hammers climbed off the bottom of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over
Huddersfield on Monday night. It was Slaven Bilic's first win of a torrid
league season so far and came courtesy of goals from Pedro Obiang and Andre
Ayew. The return to fitness of Andy Carroll was a key factor for the
Hammers, though, as the big striker dominated the Terriers throughout in his
first action since April. Bilic has been under pressure and the likes of
Rafael Benitez and Roberto Mancini have been linked with his job. The win
eased that pressure but Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson feels it could pile
back on to the Croatian as he predicts West Ham to lose at the Hawthorns on
Saturday despite Tony Pulis' side going into the game off the back of a 3-1
defeat. While Merson acknowledged Carroll's importance to the Hammers cause,
he told Sky Sports it will be futile against the Baggies. "West Brom were
poor against Brighton, it was like they thought they would just turn up and
not lose, but they were bad until they went 3-0 down, then they had a go,"
Merson said on Sky Sports. "West Ham got a good result on Monday, but a lot
for them depends on Andy Carroll. "(But) I think West Brom have the players
who could cope with him."
Carroll actually has a good goal record against West Brom and the Hammers
will travel to the Midlands with renewed confidence despite losing all three
of their league away games so far. A huge plus for Bilic is the return of
Marko Arnautovic to the fold after he was banned for three games following
his sending off for a stray elbow against Southampton.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham striker Andy Carroll is a 'modern day Duncan Ferguson,' says ex
Arsenal defender Martin Keown
Andy Carroll featured in West Ham's 2-0 victory over Huddersfield on Monday
The forward is reminiscent of former Everton striker Duncan Ferguson
Ferguson would pin you or wrestle you out of an aerial battle for the ball
By Martin Keown for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:38, 14 September 2017 | UPDATED: 01:08, 15 September 2017

Andy Carroll, who is set to play his 100th league match for West Ham,
reminds me of Duncan Ferguson. There are plenty of big centre forwards but
few who have the spring of these two. With Ferguson's height, you had to get
it absolutely right to beat him to an aerial ball. The Everton striker would
also use his huge physique to try to pin you, or to wrestle you out of the
path of the ball. To get the better of him, you had to have the element of
surprise. Christopher Schindler, the Huddersfield defender who faced
Carroll as West Ham won 2-0 on Monday night, will have enjoyed many a battle
with physical strikers in the Championship, but none with the athleticism of
Carroll. The West Ham striker is like Tarzan flying through the air. He is
utterly fearless and throws himself at the ball. On Saturday it will be
West Brom's defenders trying to find a way to block his flight path at
set-pieces. Carroll came up against a robust opponent in Schindler but that
inspired him to go up a gear. He loves the rough-and-tumble of battling
defenders. It is difficult to replicate the intensity of Carroll's play in
training. It looks like he gives super-human effort to everything he does on
the field. The way he plays is so demanding on his body and he will only
improve his fitness by playing more games. When Carroll is out injured, he
is criticised as an expensive luxury. But when he is available, he
completely changes the way West Ham play. Carroll is exactly what they
needed to kick-start their season.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic responds to plea to let Andy Carroll train "part-time" in bid
to keep West Ham striker fit
Ex-West Ham boss Alan Pardew suggested he wouldn't let the striker train
from Monday to Wednesday
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
22:22, 14 SEP 2017UPDATED22:24, 14 SEP 2017

Slaven Bilic has decided against taking Alan Pardew's advice to allow Andy
Carroll to be a part-time trainer. Ex-West Ham boss Pardew suggested earlier
this week that he wouldn't let the Hammers striker train from Monday to
Wednesday in order to prevent him picking up injuries. Carroll, 28, was
outstanding in Monday night's 2-0 win over Huddersfield as the Hammers
picked up their first win of the season. But Bilic, whose men go to West
Brom on Saturday, said: "That is impossible [not to let him train]. "It's
about making a balance. There are some players and Andy's one that you have
to find special treatment for. "But that doesn't mean that he can't train
the whole week. Most likely then he will get injured. On the other hand you
can't treat him as you're treating a 20-year-old. "You need to find a
balance. That is exactly what we are doing now. It looks good and we're
hoping that is going to last. Pardew had told Sky's The Debate Show: "If I
was West Ham manager, I wouldn't let him train. "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."

Meanwhile Bilic has warned his men not to get cocky after Monday night's
win, insisting there is still hard work to be done against a West Brom side
smarting from their defeat last week to Brighton. He added: "We were off
yesterday (Wednesday) and we had a meeting before training today to say that
if we think that because we beat Huddersfield we have done it, no. "We have
to build on this. We beat Huddersfield on Monday after training at our
stadium and we have to produce the fire in training more in games. "We have
to do it tomorrow and only then will we be in a position to get something
out of Saturday or any other game."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ian Wright takes swipe at West Ham board and delivers his verdict on Slaven
Bilic situation
HITC
Damien Lucas

Former West Ham United striker Ian Wright has been discussing the situation
surrounding Slaven Bilic at his old club. Bilic has been under intense
pressure this season after losing his opening three Premier League games and
having a public spat with the club's owners. He was also upset that he
offloaded a number of first team players in order to bring in Portugal
midfield duo William Carvalho and Andre Gomes - deals he believed were all
but done - only to see the club fail to deliver. The fallout from West Ham's
failure to land Carvalho has been embarrassing for co-owners David Sullivan
and David Gold and painful for fans to watch. The pressure has eased
somewhat after the Hammers won their first league game of the season 2-0
against Huddersfield last time out. But despite the result many supporters
still has reservations over both Bilic and the board. And Ian Wright told
Sky Sports' The Debate show he knows who he blames. "He seems to always be
under pressure for some reason Slav," Wright told The Debate. "It is
results, it does come down to results but the fact is every now and then
you'll hear the board (speak out) and (the press) will link them with
someone else. "I heard them linking with the Fulham manager (Slavisa
Jokanovic - as reported by the likes of Sky Sports) and you think to
yourself 'How can they do that to him, he's still in the job, he's still
trying to get it going'. "He'll lose a couple of games and then all of a
sudden 'He's got one more game or he's out' and they were saying the same
about (the Huddersfield) game. "I was quite pleased Slav turned that around
because they put in quite a good performance... I've got quite a lot of
affection for Slav to be honest and I know how much it means to him West Ham
and how much he wants to do well."

Wright and Bilic's relationship blossomed when they appeared as guests on
ITV's memorable coverage of Euro 2016 when the Croatian famously climbed on
the table to celebrate one of Dimitri Payet's goals for France. It speaks
volumes that former players like Wright, Tony Gale and Tony Cottee continue
to back the manager while players like Mark Noble, Andy Carroll and James
Collins have also publicly backed Bilic.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MATCH PREVIEW: WEST BROM V WEST HAM
By Dan Coker 15 Sep 2017 at 08:00 4 comments
WTID

Blast from the past

West Ham United arrived at the home of West Bromwich Albion for a Premier
League fixture on Tuesday the 2nd December 2014 having lost only two of
their previous ten matches. Take That were number one with 'These Days',
Paddington topped the UK box office and former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe
died on this day as victory in front of 23,975 at The Hawthorns pushed the
Hammers into the top five.

Craig Dawson ended Albion's 323-minute Premier League goal drought after
just ten minutes when he glanced in Graham Dorrans' free-kick but Kevin
Nolan nodded in to equalise in the 35th minute after Ben Foster had pushed
out Andy Carroll's spectacular overhead kick. Academy product James Tomkins
increased the pressure on Baggies boss Alan Irvine by heading in Stewart
Downing's corner in first-half stoppage time for his first goal in over two
years.

Sam Allardyce's West Ham would move up to third five days later but would
end the 2014/15 season in 12th position. West Brom would finish three points
behind the Hammers in 13th place. Diafra Sakho was the Irons' top goalscorer
with 12 goals from 26 appearances. Aaron Cresswell was voted Hammer of the
Year in his first season with the club, with Adrian runner-up for a second
consecutive campaign. Chelsea secured the title and Arsenal won the 2015 FA
Cup.

West Bromwich Albion: Ben Foster, Andre Wisdom, Craig Dawson, Joleon
Lescott, Chris Baird (Brown Ideye), Graham Dorrans, Craig Gardner (Silvestre
Varela), Chris Brunt (Youssouf Mulumbu), Saido Berahino, Stephane Sessegnon,
Victor Anichebe.

West Ham United: Adrian, Carl Jenkinson, James Tomkins, Winston Reid, Aaron
Cresswell, Kevin Nolan, Cheikhou Kouyate, Morgan Amalfitano (James Collins),
Mauro Zarate (Carlton Cole), Stewart Downing, Andy Carroll (Enner Valencia).



Club Connections

West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion have shared a decent number of
players over the years. These include:

Defenders: Danny Gabbidon, Peter McManus, David Burrows, Steve Walford, Gary
Strodder, Harry Kinsell.

Midfielders: Alan Dickens, Franz Carr, Freddie Fenton, Morgan Amalfitano,
Nigel Quashie.

Strikers: Geoff Hurst, Tudor Martin, David Speedie, Jeroen Boere, Frank
Nouble, John Hartson, Chippy Simmons, Vince Haynes, Tommy Green, David
Cross.

Archie Macauley played for West Ham and managed West Brom, while Sam
Allardyce played for the Baggies and managed the Hammers. Bobby Gould played
for both clubs and also spent a period as manager at The Hawthorns.

Today's focus though is on a player who played for both clubs in the 1990s.
Peter Butler was born in Halifax on the 27th August 1966. He started out at
Huddersfield in 1984 and spent two years with the Terriers, including a loan
spell with Cambridge. He moved to Bury but stayed for a matter of months
before making a permanent switch back to Cambridge. Butler signed for
Southend in 1988 and spent four years with the Shrimpers, which included a
loan spell back at Huddersfield.

The 25-year-old Butler, a 5'9 tenacious, tough-tackling midfielder, joined
Billy Bonds' West Ham United in the summer of 1992 in a £175,000 move and
made his debut on the 16th August 1992 in a 1-0 win at Barnsley. He became a
fixture in the side alongside Martin Allen in a central midfield brimming
with steel and grit, making 44 appearances in all competitions in his first
season, and scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 home win over
Peterborough on 9th February 1993. His second goal of the campaign came in a
4-0 triumph over Brentford, again at Upton Park, on 17th April 1993. Butler
was part of the team which clinched promotion to the Premier League on the
final day of the 1992/93 season against his former club Cambridge – the
match was the last played in front of the old South Bank.

'Butts' played in over half of the Hammers' matches back in the big time as
he savoured his first taste of top-flight football. He scored his only
Premier League goal against Coventry in a 3-2 home victory on 11th December
1993 and was Man of the Match in a game watched by legendary Hungarian
player Ferenc Puskas. Butler picked up a knee injury and missed the final
month of 1993/94 but had more than played his part in establishing the
Hammers as a Premier League side.

Butler made five appearances for new manager Harry Redknapp at the start of
the following campaign, with his final match in claret and blue coming in a
1-0 home victory over Aston Villa on 17th September 1994. Butler has since
stated on this very website that he "loved every minute" of his time with
West Ham and "felt honoured to have put that claret and blue shirt on my
back every game". He departed for Notts County for a fee of £350,000 in
October 1994. His mother was terminally ill at the time and passed away
suddenly – Butler wanted to move nearer to home to be near his father who
was also not well. Butler's three goals for the Hammers can be viewed in my
video below.

After three goals in 78 appearances for West Ham United, Butler spent two
years at Meadow Lane, taking in loan spells at Grimsby and West Brom. He
made his move to The Hawthorns permanent in 1996, making 65 appearances for
the club in total. He enjoyed two-and-a-half good seasons with West Brom
before being offered a coaching position at hometown team Halifax.

He left Halifax in 2000 and was offered a three-year appointment on a
sporting visa in Australia, joining Sorrento in the northern suburbs of
Perth, West Australia as Director of Youth Development. Butler played for
the club too, hanging up his boots in 2002. From there, he took a Technical
Director position at the East Malaysian FA before moving to Bali. He moved
on again, this time to Singapore where he coached the Singapore Armed Forces
side for eight months in 2004/05. Three months of consultancy work back with
the East Malaysian FA was followed by a move to Indonesia in 2006 to coach
Persiba Balikpapan. Butler, who can speak Malaysian and Indonesian, moved on
to Kelantan in Malaysia in 2008 before becoming Technical Director of
Burmese club Yangon United a year later.

Since 2010, Butler has managed Thai club BEC Tero Sasana, returned to
Kelantan and Persiba Balikpapan for second spells and managed Malaysian
outfits Terengganu and T-Team. He was manager of the Botswana national team
from 2014 until earlier this year. Butler, now 51, left his job as manager
of South African club Platinum Stars last week.

Referee

Saturday's referee is Paul Tierney. The Lancashire-based official has been
the man in the middle for one Championship and two League Two matches so far
this season. The 36-year-old has refereed the Hammers once before, in the
1-1 draw with Everton in November 2015 which saw James McCarthy's tackle on
Dimitri Payet put the Frenchman out of action for two months.

Embed from Getty Images

Possible line-ups

West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis has a doubt over Nacer Chadli while
Gareth McAuley is lacking match fitness. Oliver Burke and James McClean
should be available.

Slaven Bilic is without Mark Noble, Edimilson Fernandes and Manuel Lanzini.
Andre Ayew claimed a goal and an assist from the bench against Huddersfield
on Monday and is pushing for a return to the starting line-up. Marko
Arnautovic is available after suspension.

Possible West Bromwich Albion XI: Foster; Dawson, Hegazy, Evans, Nyom;
Krychowiak; Phillips, Barry, Livermore, Rodriguez; Rondon.

Possible West Ham United XI: Hart; Fonte, Reid, Collins; Zabaleta, Kouyate,
Obiang, Cresswell; Antonio, Carroll, Ayew.

Enjoy the game – Up The Hammers!

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