Daily WHUFC News - 23rd October 2017

Hammers fall to County Cups defeat at Crystal Palace
WHUFC.com

A spirited fight-back was not enough for West Ham United Ladies to avoid
losing at Crystal Palace Ladies 3-1, leading to their elimination from the
County Cups.
A controversial penalty and a close-ranged finish had put Palace in control
with a two-goal lead at half-time in Sunday's fixture, leaving the Hammers
with it all to do in the second period. A clever curling finish from Julie
Melfald with 15 minutes to play dragged the Ladies back into contention, but
a well-worked goal for Palace secured the home side's victory towards the
end of the game. The Hammers made three changes to their starting XI from
the last contest with Rosie Kmita, Paige Anderson-James and Molly Peters
struggling with injuries. The former duo at least made the bench while the
trio were replaced by Mollie Kmita, Andreya Ezekiel-Meade and Kelly
Wealthall in the side. The opening goal of the match came in dubious
circumstances as the referee awarded Palace a free-kick, only to then change
his mind and give the home side a penalty. Nikita Whinnett put the Eagles in
front from the spot on 15 minutes. A lively Kelly Wealthall stole possession
moments later and her shot was straight at the goalkeeper, before Burr
received the ball from a lovely pass by Chantelle Mackie, but her effort was
well-saved by Lynch. The Hammers were made to pay for that missed
opportunity as Palace went two ahead. Cherie Rowlands made a great save to
deny McRoberts but Elliie Stenning was on hand to smash home the rebound.
Burr again came close with a wonderful dipping effort that looked destined
for the top corner, if not for an incredible save, while Wealthall was able
to nip around Lynch only for the angle to be made too narrow by her touch.

Greg de Carnys made two changes at the start of the second half with Melfald
and Dayna Chong entering the fray, meaning all three had been used after
Anderson-James entered the fray after just 16 minutes, only to be removed at
half-time due to injury. The Hammers almost found a way back into the
contest within minutes of the restart as Amber Stobbs just failed to latch
onto a clever free-kick. The home side could have secured the win as
Rowlands was forced into an excellent save from a Bailes effort, but with 15
minutes to go substitute Melfald fired home a left-footed shot from outside
the area to half the deficit. Palace had hit the post as well, prior to
Melfald's well-taken goal, and the West Ham finish gave the away side hope
of getting back into the match in the final few minutes. But Palace found
the third that they had been threatening in the 82nd minute as an excellent
flicked pass allowed Bailes to fire into the net from close range.

West Ham United Ladies: Rowland; Mackie, Wheeler, Austin, Auguste; M Kmita,
Burr, Ezekiel-Meade (Anderson-James 16'- Chong 46'), Cooper, Stobbs;
Wealthall (Melfald 46')
Subs not used: Walker, R Kmita
Goals: Melfald 74'

Crystal Palace Ladies: Lynch; McRoberts, Foreman, Bailes, Paye (Collins
79'), Holdaway, Sherwood (Chandler 62'), Haydock, Whinnett, Goss (Davenport
76'), Stenning
Subs not used: Collins, Bryan
Goals: Whinnett 15' (p), Stenning 29', Bailes 82'

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First-half performance cost Ladies against Crystal Palace – De Carnys
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies' first half performance cost them the chance to
progress through the County Cups in the 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace,
according to Greg de Carnys. A dubious penalty and a close-ranged goal put
the Hammers two goals down heading into half-time, and while substitute
Julie Melfald halved the deficit on 74 minutes, a late finish secured
Palace's victory and eliminated the Irons. While the Ladies put in a lively
and encouraging performance in the second half the first period was cause
for concern for first team manager De Carnys, who has called on his team to
play to their full potential for the full 90 minutes. And the coach says
lessons need to be learned from Sunday's cup defeat. "We are disappointed
with our performance in the first half," De Carnys told whufc.com: "We need
to be prepared to up our game more from the start. It shouldn't come from
anything that happens at half-time. It shouldn't come from me, it should
come from the girls, and that's something that we've had a stern word about
in the changing room. "The second half we upped our game and there were
higher levels of performance from individuals on the pitch. I'm disappointed
because, in the second half, we showed we've got better players than were on
display in the first.
"Performing at a high level is not easy. It requires the players to be
really well prepared and doing things off the pitch right as well. As we
talk about the Club progressing and becoming more professional these are
lessons that the players have to learn quickly."

The side was also disrupted by a number of injury set-backs both before and
during the match. Molly Peters missed the game through injury while Paige
Anderson-James and Rosie Kmita, who started the last match, were only fit
enough for the bench. Anderson-James was brought on for Andreya
Ezekiel-Meade early on as the forward struggled with a knock, but the
substitute had to be taken off again at half-time due to a recurrence of her
problem. Kelly Wealthall, who started up front in Peters's absence, also was
withdrawn at the interval due to an injury. De Carnys added: "We had to make
changes to the starting XI due to injuries. Rosie [Kmita] and Paige
[Anderson-James] were on the bench but Molly [Peters] couldn't feature.
"Then we had to bring off Andreya [Ezekiel-Meade] because she was
struggling. Paige came on but could only play the rest of the first half
before we needed to substitute her as well. Add to that losing Kelly
[Wealthall] and that's all our options used before 46 minutes is on the
clock. "That obviously exasperates a difficult afternoon but we will assess
the severity of these knocks this week."

While De Carnys feels his Ladies gave a poor account of themselves in the
first half the opening goal – a penalty kick – did not help matters. The
referee had initially awarded a free-kick but a quick consultation with his
linesman saw the official change his mind and give the penalty. De Carnys
admits he didn't have the clearest view of the incident but feels the
decision to give a spot-kick was harsh. "I was quite a way from the incident
but from where I looked I had the same feeling as the referee – that the
foul was outside the box. I think the linesman has given it after."

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Ex-Blue Kemp disappointed not to beat Chelsea
WHUFC.com

West Ham United U23s "bossed the game", according to winger Dan Kemp, but
could only record a goalless draw with Chelsea on Sunday. The Hammers
travelled to Aldershot Town's Recreation Ground to take on the Blues on the
back of two consecutive Premier League 2 Division 1 wins but were left
frustrated as they failed to break the deadlock. The visitors were the more
dangerous side throughout, creating the best openings and forcing goalkeeper
Jamie Cumming into action on a number of occasions.

Sead Haksabanovic, playing his first Hammers match since his first team bow
against Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup, came closest to scoring the
game's only goal when his superb scissor-kick shot was tipped round the
post. But Chelsea stayed compact at the back and frustrated Terry Westley's
men, who now have seven points from their last three league matches. Kemp –
a former Blues academy star – took the positives from the point, however,
when he spoke to West Ham TV after the full-time whistle. "We were a bit
disappointed in the end," he admitted, "but it's never a bad result away at
Chelsea getting a point. "We felt that we totally bossed the game. We felt
we dominated, had more chances so we're disappointed in a way. But it was a
good performance and the only thing missing was the goal.I thought the back
four were brilliant today, Vashon [Neufville], Dec [Rice], Pasky [Josh Pask]
and Johno [Ben Johnson] did well but especially Dec and Pasky kept the
forward out the game. I didn't really feel like he got into the game because
of them. Trotty as well did very well. "[The scissor kick] was a very good
effort from Sead. He had a really good game today. I felt that we had too
much for them with him, me, Nathan [Holland], Toni [Martinez] going forward
and Dec and Pasky at the back. At the front we had too much for them and
combined well together."

During the first half, Kemp was brought down in the penalty area by Chelsea
defender Trevoh Chalobah – brother of Watford's Nathaniel – but the referee
waved away the Hammers' strong spot-kick appeals. And after the game, the
winger looked back on the decision with frustration. "I felt that it was
almost a stone-wall [penalty]. I don't understand how the referee didn't
give it. "He said there was contact but that's something you have to get on
with. We did that and kept playing.
But we are getting more and more confident with every game and I think we
can compete with anyone in the league. We have got some great players and a
great squad, not just the players that start. "We have got a lot still to
come back [from injury] and we're really confident at the moment. We're
looking forward to keep improving and keep winning."

Kemp spent ten years as a youngster at Chelsea and played with a number of
the Blues who faced the Hammers on Sunday. And the England U19
international, who has gone from strength-to-strength since joining the east
Londoners in November 2015, looked back on his time there with fondness. "I
have a lot of great memories at Chelsea, and it was lovely to see them all
again and they were good to me. "It was nice to see the boys again and I
feel really content with the way I played. It was one of my better games
this season and it is always nice to do it against your old club. You always
have that little bit extra to give against them.
"Now, our focus is on Saturday and that's what is great about this league;
you play against very high quality opposition in the league. We will train
hard this week and look forward to another big game [against Manchester City
at Dagenham and Redbridge] on Saturday."

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'Rice is one of the best young centre-backs in England' - Westley
WHUFC.com

Academy Director Terry Westley labelled Declan Rice as one of the best young
central defenders in the country after West Ham United's PL2 side were held
to a 0-0 draw at Chelsea on Sunday afternoon. Rice, who was playing just his
second Premier League 2 fixture of the season, produced a man of the match
performance and, wearing the captain's armband, led his side superbly as
they secured a first clean sheet since the opening day of the season. "There
was one stand out player on the pitch today and that was Declan Rice." Terry
Westley explained. "His whole demeanour, the way he goes about the game, the
way he drives the team and his all-round ability, which covers all of that –
he was the stand out player on both sides."

The Republic of Ireland international received high praise for his
performances towards the end of the 2016/17 campaign, eventually making his
First Team debut on the final day of the Premier League season. And his form
has continued in to this term where he has established himself as a regular
in Slaven Bilic's match day squads – all at just 18 years of age. "If there
is a better young centre-back in the country, I haven't seen him, at least
not playing in under-23 football" said Westley. Rice was one of a number of
top performers in Hampshire as West Ham controlled much of the possession
against a highly-rated young Chelsea outfit. Dan Kemp, Nathan Holland, Sead
Haksabanovic and Conor Coventry all impressed and for Westley, there was
just one thing missing. "I think we edged the game and if you're coming to
Chelsea and you're disappointed that you haven't won, it shows the strides
we've come. "Our four attacking players were too much for them, I can't
remember Nathan Trott having to make a save. If I was critical, our final
ball in to the box wasn't quite good enough to open them up today."
"Holland, Kemp and Sead [Haksabanovic] in particular really caused them
grief and it would have been nice to round it off with a win but you have to
learn to stay in the game as well."

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Bobby Zamora: My West Ham Scrapbook
WHUFC.com

Former West Ham United striker Bobby Zamora picks out his favourite memories
of his time in Claret and Blue...

Scoring on my home debut against Cardiff City in February 2004

Growing up as a West Ham fan, going to the Boleyn Ground as a kid and
singing 'Bubbles', I couldn't believe I was out on the pitch playing there.
Hearing 'Bubbles' two minutes before the game, it sent shivers down my spine
and I was singing along with it! It was my home debut, I ran out onto the
pitch and we won 1-0 and I scored the winning goal. It was what dreams were
made of. I had come from Spurs, but everyone knew I was a West Ham fan and I
didn't hear a single peep about Spurs, so it didn't bother me at all. The
West Ham took to me straight away and obviously scoring on my debut helped
me kick on from there.

The Championship Play-Off semi-final win over Ipswich Town in May 2005

I've got some great memories of the Play-Offs, of course, and none more so
than our win over Ipswich Town in 2005. We'd beaten Ipswich the previous
year, too, but lost to Crystal Palace in the final, then we had to face them
again. The 2004/05 season itself was not great for us, in terms of where we
finished, but we were on a roll at the right time. The volley for my second
goal at Portman Road was lovely and something people weren't expecting.
Marlon put the ball across and there was nothing the 'keeper could do. That
win set us up nicely for the final and when you're in that run of form as a
team, and myself as a striker, you feel nothing can go wrong and we hoped it
would continue into the Play-Off final.

Scoring in the 2005 Play-Off final win over Preston North End

As I said, I do like a Play-Off! The 2005 final was a cagey affair to be
honest and one goal was always likely to be enough to win it for either
side. Matty Etherington got down the left and put the ball over and the fact
I didn't make a great connection with it is probably what done the 'keeper!
I'd had a bit of a taste of it before with Spurs, but to be able to get the
team you love and support up into the Premier League was magnificent. That's
where all of us wanted to play, so to score and do it in front of so many
friends and family, including people I'd gone to games with as a kid, was a
great feeling. We had a great team spirit. I loved going into training, the
banter with all the lads was brilliant. It was just a great set of lads who
enjoyed a laugh and a joke, but we also put in the hard work so we could get
the results we needed.

2006 FA Cup final heartache

We got to the FA Cup final under Alan Pardew in 2006 and what a game it was,
as well! It had absolutely everything. I remember being gutted not to start.
Dean Ashton had been injured towards the end of the season and I'd come in
and done quite well, but Deano came back in. To be fair, the team done
brilliant and obviously it went down to a penalty shootout. We had practised
penalties at Chadwell Heath, where Ludo Miklosko had brought in Petr Cech to
help us out, and I remember taking three left-footed and three right-footed
and scoring them all! I was confident and knew where I wanted to go and what
I wanted to do. I hit the target and I still don't think it was a bad
penalty, but Pepe Reina chose the right way and saved it. We came so close
in the game itself and then by taking it to penalties, and losing it can't
take away from what an amazing season it was for us, really.

Scoring the first-ever away Premier League winner at the Emirates

We had been the last-ever visiting team to win at Highbury in February 2006,
when I scored in a 3-2 win over a very strong Arsenal team. When we went
there in April 2007, though, we were desperate for a win. Despite our
troubles, I really enjoyed that season. We had a great group of lads and
really shouldn't have been down where we were. Some of the players we had
were ridiculous. It just happened that we were down there but we showed that
spirit and togetherness again to pull through. We weathered the storm and
managed to become the first team to win at the Emirates and I managed to
score a nice goal too! I always felt we could win every single game we
played and this showed that.

Curling home a vital winner against Everton in April 2007

After winning at Arsenal, we'd been beaten heavily by Sheffield United and
Chelsea and were still right in it with a few games to go. We played Everton
at the Boleyn Ground with four matches to go and needed a win badly to boost
our chances of beating relegation. If you watch the goal again, it looks
like I take it quite nonchalantly, but it felt almost like a training
session the way it was backheeled to me by Yossi Benayoun and I took a touch
and smashed it into the top corner.
That win set us up very nicely and put us on the roll for the final three
games, which we won against Wigan, Bolton and Manchester United.

Completing the Great Escape at Old Trafford

What a fantastic afternoon that was! I had a really good understanding with
Carlos Tevez and the winning goal came after a one-two between us and a
little ricochet and he finished it really well. I absolutely loved playing
with him. We played a sort of 4-5-1 formation that season and the one of had
to fill in on the right wing when we were defending, so whenever we lost the
ball, we'd look at each other and laugh because one of us would have to
sprint back 50 yards to do some defending! We both had to do and had a
really good understanding which made it a pleasure playing alongside him. It
was a little bit surreal, that day, because they'd already won the Premier
League and you could tell they wanted to win that last game under their
fans. But then we won, so everyone in the stadium was happy, so it was a mad
vibe. It was a very special day.

*Bobby Zamora is a founder of the Legacy Foundation, which aims to bring
sport, education and high-quality housing to the areas that need it most,
and provides coaching for Football Escapes.

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RICE SHINES IN UNDER 23S DRAW WITH CHELSEA
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 22 OCTOBER 2017 AT 6:13PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Jack Lebeau

West Ham U23 visited Aldershot early this afternoon looking to climb up the
Premier League 2 table. An out-of-form Chelsea side, who had not won since
August 18th, stood in their way though.

The first half was very drab with neither side creating any brilliant
chances to go ahead. Chelsea's frustration mainly come down to Rice & Pask
forming a very solid centre-back partnership whilst West Ham's best chances
came through Haksabanovic, who was feeling very greedy on a number of
occasions, despite other players being in more space and in a better
position to score.

Kemp fared well up against Nathan Chalobah's younger brother Trevoh despite
him being twice the size of him!

Joe Powell replaced Quina at the start of the second half with Terry Westley
clearly looking to attack Chelsea as much as possible in the second half. We
started the second half really well too with both Martinez & Haksabanovic
coming incredibly close with brilliant shots within the first five minutes
of the re-start.

Trott got called into action mid-way and made a great save to keep the
scores level. Unfortunately, despite being the better side in the second
half, West Ham couldn't take advantage and the game ended 0-0. Man of the
Match for me would probably be Declan Rice purely because he won everything
both on the floor and in the air throughout. Notable mentions have to be for
Kemp & Holland though. Rice showed his class and we really do have a top
youngster on our hands here.

A few people have asked me who i'd bring into the side from the U23s for the
cup game against Spurs this week (if any), and my answer would be Martinez,
Rice & one of either Haksabanovic or Holland. Everyone knows how good Rice
can be so that is a no-brainer, and he should never have been dropped after
just one mistake against Newcastle, especially after being our best player
of the season up to that point. Martinez's goal-scoring record has been
phenomenal for the U23s so he also deserves a chance especially on the back
of a hat-trick against Manchester United last week. Meanwhile, West Ham have
appeared to be struggling out wide this season so either Haksabanovic or
Holland could inject some much needed enthusiasm and pace into our game.

I've also been asked about Terry Westley's potential takeover of the
first-team should Bilic be sacked or resign. Simply put, there's every
chance he could do well for us. He's passionate, very vocal, has motivated
the U23 players really well, developed them and got them playing good
football too. The players clearly want to play for him which is always a
good factor as well.

West Ham U23s next game is actually on Saturday at 1pm (an annoying clash
with the first-teams game against Palace) against Manchester City at
Dagenham's ground. As always, tickets are free for Season Ticket Holders, £3
for kids & £5 for adults. I'd definitely recommend seeing an U23 game soon
if you haven't already – they seem to be one of the only positive things
about the club at the moment.

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EXWHUEMPLOYEE EXCLUSIVE: A MANAGER SITUATION UPDATE
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 22 OCTOBER 2017 AT 10:41PM
TheWestHamWayco.uk

So the performance against Brighton on Friday was littered with problems,
faults and errors. I don't want to spend the whole article talking about
them and probably will end up discussing it on the radio show.

In a nutshell it was dreadful and a performance like that has seen most fans
now seem to turn against the manager, myself included. Now whilst you can
argue the players need to take the ultimate responsibility, they do, but in
modern football the buck always stops with the manager. You could also say
that he should have been 100% fully backed by the club too and it hasn't
always felt like that but whatever is the case the situation isn't good and
for me and many others Slav's time is now up.

In my opinion, and I will elaborate on this on the radio show, the training
isn't up to standards. I have heard this from multiple sources and many
explayers have said this after leaving the club. Even players such as Reece
Oxford and Robert Snodgrass who are technically still our players have
commented. The players always look unfit and I would also question how
effective in their role some of the backroom staff are. In the past you
could always name West Ham's coaches and assistant manager etc now I would
really struggle to name anyone other than Julian Dicks and then I am not
clear on his role either.

I also believe now that some players do not want to play for Bilic, again
from what I have heard and what some players have said and there is clearly
an issue with academy players being selected for squads too. This could
explain why a lot of players look lost on the pitch, some unclear on their
roles and unmotivated. Perhaps they do not respect or want to play for the
manager anymore? I can only speculate but these issues seem more and more
obvious as more confirm them.



I would also like to clarify my comments on Bilic offering to resign after
the Newcastle game. I hadn't intended for this to be public information as
it seems wrong but it was already on social media so I confirmed it and it
has gone viral. The offer of resignation never went to anyone senior it was
in the dressing room at the end and why David Sullivan would not have heard
of it happening. This information has been confirmed to me by a number of
sources but apparently he said to the players "If you do not want to play
for me, I need to walk" to which the players said they did and persuaded him
to stay. Therefore Bilic saw that as the unity that he needed to continue,
allegedly.

I feel for Bilic, I have defended him on social media and the radio show for
ages now and I really want him to do well but Friday's performance was very
hard to defend and I think this is now felt by the board.

I think everyone feels it is time for him to go and that a new manager
should be brought in but the managers that we would target have all made it
clear they would rather move in the summer and that they do not want to walk
out on their teams in the middle of a season. You have to admire their
loyalty but question if we really did push out the financial boat would they
really be that loyal? I know we like Mancini, he has been on the radar for
a while as has Wagner of Huddersfield. Another manager who almost joined us
in the past, before Real Madrid moved in, is Benitez but I think he doesn't
want to go until the summer and also has a large compensation figure which
needs to be paid if he does go. Pellegrini is someone who I got wind of a
while ago and had heard he was seriously under consideration. At this point
he wasn't even in the bookies list of potential managers and you could get
35-1 on him, then within a few weeks he went to 3-1 favourite. Other
managers in the frame are Dyche of Burnley and Silva of Watford. The
problem is none of them, at this point, want to join until the summer.

This means that we could look at a caretaker option for six months, whilst
that might appeal to the club it might not appeal to potential managers. A
simple search on transfer market website shows the managers that could fall
into this category including old managers of ours: Redknapp, Pardew and
Allardyce. I have been told that the first two are not wanted by the club
and that Big Sam would not see our offer as appealing. There are many other
names on the list, some quite appealing, but the chairmen are unsure that
any of them are any better than the options we have and this includes
academy manager Westley at this point. They will continue to explore these
options and try to find a replacement but at this point no one stands out
and no one is guaranteed to join.

This in effect means Slav is guaranteed a few more games whilst options are
considered. He could win them and we would find ourselves back in the
position again where he buys himself sometime and actually makes it all the
way to the summer. I think the club are worried that there are genuinely no
better options than Slav and that they hope he turns it around or that a
really good candidate makes themselves clear. It is a very difficult and
worrying situation for the club to be in and if anything changes I will
update you.

We have former Hammer of the Year Matthew Etherington on the radio show this
week who has previously been very pro Bilic, speaking about his new opinions
and with inside knowledge of what is felt by some of the players, this
should make a great show. I have deliberately held off my opinion and
knowledge of Slav's time at the club but will go into these in more details
on the radio, I would also like to point out that the West Ham Way Pre
Match event is selling very fast. Below is where you can get your tickets
for the Danny Gabbidon event
https://www.tickettailor.com/checkout/view-event/id/119305/chk/39ef

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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic given two games to save job
By Kaveh Solhekol
Last Updated: 22/10/17 9:01pm
SSN

West Ham owners have decided Slaven Bilic will remain as manager - for the
time being, according to Sky sources. It is understood Bilic is being given
the next two games to save his job - at Spurs in the Carabao Cup on
Wednesday and at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday. The
Croatian's job is on the line following the 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton
on Friday. Despite extensive investment in new players in the summer with
the arrival of striker Javier Hernandez and goalkeeper Joe Hart, the club
have won only two of nine league games this season and have slipped to 16th
in the table. Sky Sports News reported that the club board were meeting on
Saturday to discuss Bilic's future. Co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold
have a track record of standing by their managers, but it is understood that
the club's hierarchy were "very worried" by what they saw during Friday's
heavy loss at the London Stadium. Two goals from Glenn Murray and a Jose
Izquierdo strike condemned the Hammers to their worst start to a season
since 2010, taking just eight points from nine games. Bilic's contract runs
out at the end of the season, and Sullivan backed the Croatian ahead of
Friday night's game admitting he felt it was "morally wrong" to sack
managers and said he wants to give him opportunity to see out his three-year
contract. Speaking after Friday's defeat, Bilic said: "It is very hard for
me to say anything clever in this moment apart from it's very disappointing.
As manager I take full responsibility."
Asked if he was confident he will be given the opportunity to turn West
Ham's form around, he added: "The board will do what they are going to do.
"It is their decision. We have been in this situation before and we got out.
As a manager you take the credit and as a manager you take the full
responsibility. I don't want to hide. I'm not worried [about the sack]. I'm
doing my best." Bilic was appointed at West Ham in June 2015 when he
replaced Sam Allardyce, who left by mutual consent.

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Harry Kane set to be rested for League Cup encounter with West Ham
The Englishman scored twice in Tottenham's win over Liverpool
Miguel Delaney @MiguelDelaney
The Independent Sport

Mauricio Pochettino says he will likely rest Harry Kane for Wednesday's
fourth-round League Cup tie at home to West Ham United on Wednesday, but
insisted that the free-scoring striker is not injured despite going off
holding his hamstring at the end of Tottenham Hotspur's 4-1 thrashing of
Liverpool. The Argentine said that it was merely tiredness after a hectic
schedule, and that is why he will seek to give the 24-year-old a break,
after he scored twice against Jurgen Klopp's side.
"He was tired at the end," Pochettino said. "It was a massive effort,
Bournemouth [last week], Real Madrid [on Tuesday] and today. It's normal
he's a little bit tired. It will not be a problem. "Maybe, yes [I rest him].
We have many games ahead, Wednesday and then Man United [at Old Trafford on
Saturday]. It's important to know he played two games in the national team
before Bournemouth, so a massive effort from him. He's not a machine, so
maybe Wednesday he needs to rest. "He's amazing, one of the best strikers in
the world."

Before the game, Kane was one of two Tottenham players to have the privilege
of meeting Diego Maradona, along with Pochettino. The Spurs manager had
previously played with his compatriot when at Newell's Old Boys, and still
seemed in awe of the football great. "I saw him before in the manager's
room. It was difficult to let him go because when you're in front of
Maradona you want to speak with him. It was emotional. I hadn't seen him for
over 20 years. For me he was the best player ever in football. And he
remembers every single moment we shared at Newell's. Off the pitch a great,
great, great personalty, a great person. I hope to see him tomorrow at the
Fifa awards."

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