Four April fixture changes for West Ham United
WHUFC.com
All four of West Ham United's Premier League fixtures in April have new dates after being selected for live TV broadcast. The Hammers' game away at Chelsea will now be shown on Sky Sports on Sunday 8 April, with a 4.30pm kick-off, although this fixture is subject to change should the Blues be in UEFA Champions League action the following Tuesday.
Next up is the home match against Stoke City, which has been moved to an 8pm kick-off on Monday 16 April, live on Sky Sports.
The Hammers are in Monday Night Football action again the following week, when they travel to Arsenal on Monday 23 April. Kick-off is again 8pm, live on Sky Sports.
Sky Sports will also broadcast the home clash with Manchester City, now to be played on Sunday 29 April at 2.15pm. Again, this date is subject to change should Manchester City be scheduled to play in the UEFA Champions League the following Tuesday.
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Rice looking forward to Coaching Association session
WHUFC.com
The Academy of Football host their third Official Coaching Association session on Monday 5 March at Chadwell Heath and there is plenty in store for those attending to look forward to. First team stars Declan Rice and Josh Cullen – who both came through the Club's famous youth ranks to be part of David Moyes' first team squad – will open the evening with a Q&A, and it's a great opportunity for local coaches to pick the brains of young players who have come through the elite Academy pathway. Rice made his first team debut at the end of last season and has gone on to become an important member of the Hammers' squad this campaign.
Coaching AssociationSigned as a youngster from Chelsea, the defender – along with Cullen, who has been with the Club since he was nine – has been coached through the ranks at Academy. And the 19-year-old is looking forward to what should be an intriguing evening for those at Chadwell Heath.
He said: "I'm really looking forward to the evening. It will be great to meet all the coaches who at a local level do so much for grassroots football and hopefully the Q&A with myself and Josh will be valuable for them. "We'll be there to answer any questions about our experiences coming through the Academy, so I think it's set to be an interesting night for those who come along."
Along with the Rice and Cullen Q&A, Academy Director Terry Westley will also be running through the Academy's Individual Development Plans, before first team coach and former Hammer and England full-back Stuart Pearce takes a practical training session. Rice continued: "Stuart is also doing a training session, so the coaches will get a chance to see what our training is like in action and that will be great, too."
The Association has been set up by the West Ham United Academy of Football to provide opportunities for grassroots level coaches to learn from some of the best and most experienced staff in the Hammers set up and the professional game. The evening on Monday 5 March begins at 6pm. To book your place on the session, click here. You can also book a spot on the final session – in April – by clicking here and finding your chosen evening.
Alternatively, visit https://www.eticketing.co.uk/whufc, head to 'find tickets' and look for the Coaching Association.
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Visit our free Bobby Moore exhibition - late opening this Wednesday
WHUFC.com
To mark the 25th anniversary of the tragic passing of Bobby Moore, West Ham United are hosting a memorabilia exhibition in honour of our greatest-ever player.
The unique display is free to visit and located on the lower ground floor of the Stadium Store from Saturday 24 February - and will be open until 7pm on Wednesday 28 February, giving even more Hammers fans of all ages the opportunity to gain a close look at some of most prominent and prestigious artefacts and honours from Bobby's life and career.
These include the actual shirt he wore on his West Ham United debut against Manchester United on 8 September 1958, his 1964 FA Cup and 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup winning medals, his 1964 Footballer of the Year award and his 1966 World Cup finals cap, along with a replica of his World Cup winner's medal, a matchday programme and a match ticket personally signed by all eleven England players on that famous July day at Wembley.
Bobby Moore: West Ham United remembers – 25 years gone, never forgotten
Alongside the memorabilia collection is a stunning three-foot high bronze sculpture of Bobby, seen in public for the first time after being commissioned by his daughter Roberta as part of a series of six sculptures to mark the 25th anniversary.
West Ham United's Stadium Store will also be open until the later time of 7pm on Wednesday 28 February and Thursday 8 March.
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West Ham feature in new Kick It Out LGBT+ inclusion initiative
WHUFC.com
West Ham United striker Andy Carroll features in a new Kick It Out film promoting LGBT+ inclusion in football and emphasising that homophobic, biphobic or transphobic (HBT) discrimination has no place in the game.
LGBT+ inclusion remains a central part of the work done by Kick It Out, football's equality and inclusion organisation, and the film encourages supporters to report any abuse they witness or suffer – whether it's to a steward or to Kick It Out via its free reporting app.
The 90-second film, which you can view on this page, features Carroll alongside stars from all 20 Premier League clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur's Jan Vertonghen, Chelsea's Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata, Manchester United's Juan Mata, Manchester City's Vincent Kompany and Arsenal's Danny Welbeck.
Roisin Wood, CEO of Kick It Out, was delighted to work closely with every Premier League club and release the film at a time when the country is marking LGBT History Month.
She said: "Kick It Out have been campaigning for LGBT+ inclusion in football for a long time and it's wonderful that we've been able to bring all 20 clubs together for the first time in our history to take a stand against HBT discrimination. This is about the collective force of the game uniting to eliminate behaviour that has no place in the game.
"We also wanted to send out a positive message to fans across the world and make it clear that LGBT+ supporters are part of the foundations of football – just like any other fan."
Bill Bush, Executive Director of the Premier League, gave his endorsement to the film, adding: "This film produced by Kick It Out features all our member clubs and highlights the need to challenge homophobic, biphobic and transphobic behaviour across the sport.
"The Premier League is embraced across the world and we are proud to show our continued support for LGBT+ inclusion in football."
West Ham United are proud supporters of Kick It Out and the annual Football v Homophobia and Stonewall Rainbow Laces campaigns, all of which are aimed at eradicating discrimination and making LGBT supporters feel welcome at London Stadium.
The Club has also worked closely with its official LGBT Supporters Group, Pride of Irons, towards the same ends since its formation in 2015.
Pride of Irons founder Jim Dolan endorsed Kick It Out's campaign: "We don't want to be a group of people who go around grassing people up. What we want to do is challenge things and get people to understand we are not here to try and get people chucked out and change the culture of the Club – we want people to realise that we are part of that culture."
For more information about Kick It Out's Premier League and LGBT History Month inclusion initiative, click here.
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Collins: We need to focus on Swansea, go there and get a good result
WHUFC.com
James Collins says West Ham United 'cannot dwell' on their defeat at Liverpool and instead must focus all of their attention on Saturday's Premier League trip to Swansea City. The former Wales international and his teammates matched the high-powered Reds for 45 minutes at Anfield, only for a weak second-half display to allow Jurgen Klopp's team to run out 4-1 winners. Defeat on Merseyside saw the Hammers drop to within three points of the relegation zone ahead of a visit to the Liberty Stadium to face the 18th-place Swans. "We're going to have to go to Swansea and then host Burnley in the next couple of weeks and pick up our points from those games," said Collins. "I said to the boys in the dressing room that we cannot dwell on what happened at Liverpool, as better teams than us have gone to Anfield and been steamrolled, so we've got to look at the video, look at what we did right and what we did wrong and move on to a huge game in Wales on Saturday. "Morale in the camp is good. We had a good result against Watford and then a couple of weeks of good training, so spirits are high. We've got some great characters in that dressing room and we need to focus on Swansea, go there and get a good result."
Reflecting at greater length on Saturday's loss at Anfield, Collins felt it would have been a different game if West Ham had taken one of a number of first-half chances they created. Marko Arnautovic was denied by two acrobatic saves from Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius, while the Hammers also worked the ball into dangerous areas on a number of other occasions, but could not find a way past the German. Emre Can headed the Reds in front from a corner on the half-hour mark before the hosts took control after the break, adding further goals through Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, rendering Michail Antonio's breakaway strike a mere consolation.
Collins admitted the east Londoners were disappointed by their second-half performance. "If you look at the first half, we played well, but conceded from a set play. In the second half, they went up a few gears and scored three goals. Obviously, we're not happy with the way they went in, but they're a very strong team at Anfield. "We said in the dressing room, if we'd gone 1-0 up, it would have given us something to hang on to, so we were disappointed to go into half-time 1-0 down when we thought we'd played relatively well and coped with them. So, to come out in the second half and not play as we wanted to and concede some goals, we're obviously disappointed. "Liverpool have got a bit of everything. They suck you into a false sense of security and then, when they get around the box, it speeds up. We didn't deal with that in the second half."
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All change - April schedule altered
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 27th February 2018
By: Staff Writer
Each of West Ham's four April fixtures have been moved to satisfy TV companies, it has been confirmed.
The four matches - two at Stratford, two away - have all been re-scheduled at the behest of Sky Sports starting with the trip to Chelsea which will now begin at 4.30pm on Sunday, 8 April (unless Chelsea play the following Tuesday in the Champions League).
The following weekend United host Stoke City in a vital relegation battle - a game that has now been moved to Monday, 16 April (an 8pm start).
Following the visit of the Potters, West Ham visit the Emirates for another trip to North London where David Moyes' side will be hoping to take revenge for the Carabao Cup defeat back in December.
Finally, the re-jigged month ends with a trip to Champions elect Manchester City on Sunday, 29 April - a 2.15pm kick off, also to be broadcast on Sky.
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Liverpool 4-1 West Ham (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 27th February 2018
By: HeadHammerShark
"You say you lost your faith, but that's not where it's at
You had no faith to lose, and you know it"
- Bob Dylan, "Positively 4th Street"
I never admire our away support more than on days like these. On a morning when you can create clouds with your own breath and the cold can descend upon you like a blanket, it takes a certain type of person to make the trip to a fixture like this. It isn't so much that we we ended up losing this game 4-1, but that it always felt like we would lose 4-1. Not everyone can march so readily North knowing that cannon shot and thunder and Mo Salah are lying in wait.
Even though we knew this was coming, it still stings when it happens, mind you. There is always hope until there isn't, after all. But the Premier League is becoming less competitive with each passing transfer window and each UEFA subsidy to the bigger teams. And so it is our lot to travel to places such as Anfield and play a team assembled at vast cost by cherry picking the best players from Southampton, Hoffenheim, Southampton, Bayer Leverkusen, Hull and, well, Southampton and wonder just what exactly is the point of all this. Maybe we have always been cannon fodder, but I don't remember everyone being quite so readily understanding about it.
We haven't got Salah, or Money Money.
It's a curious time to be a fan of a Premier League minnow. The top six are so far away now that it isn't terribly realistic to expect very much when playing them. We've lost 4-0 at Old Trafford, 4-1 here, 2-1 at the Etihad and drawn 1-1 with Spurs. We've spent roughly 80 per cent of those games defending, earned a single point, and apart from the second half at Old Trafford - when we seemed unaware that the season had actually started - overall I think we've done alright.
It's not that I don't want us to be more competitive but these are shoulder shrug games. You take what you can get, hope it doesn't get too embarrassing and then focus on next week. For fans of smaller clubs, trips to places like Liverpool are just about reaffirming our place in the established order. Four goals. Four goalscorers who cost a hundred million quid between them. Four hours drive there. For shame.
Whether we should actually be considered as a minnow is perhaps a different question and one I'm not sure I have the energy to revisit today. Gross mismanagement and too many Sunday nights writing this blog will do that to a man.
But to those who go and watch games like this, I salute you. It's easy to write these fixtures off as one sided and predetermined when you don't go to watch them, but when you're there in the ground it can be chastening. Of course, when you win 3-0 it can be exhilarating too, but we all know that was a beautiful aberration. At a time when we all seem very focused on what exactly constitutes a "real" West Ham fan, I think those who undertake trips such as these deserve to be foremost in our thoughts.
***
"Cause you give it all away, you give it all away now
Don't let it come apart, don't want to see you come apart"
- Doves, "Caught By The River"
I believe that when watching a Premier League football team, if you ever arrive late for a game, you should never have to turn to a fellow fan and ask the fatal question - "Jesus Christ, is that Willie Nelson playing centre back for us?". And yet, these days, you never know at West Ham. We started this game with a back three of Aaron Cresswell, James Collins and Angelo Ogbonna and flanked them with nominal wing backs Pablo Zabaleta and Patrice Evra. That's a back line with an average age of thirty two, a Boer War veteran, one guy with rickets and three country music stars who think electric guitars are a bit fancy.
And which one of you was supposed to be marking Mane?
The cumulative effect of our nonsensical transfer policy was laid bare here as we faced up to one of the fittest, fastest teams around with an octogenarian defence and simply dared them to run past us. And they did. Zabaleta was up against Andrew Robertson, and the Scot had the time of his life gallivanting around like a West Brom player at a Spanish taxi cab rank. On the other side, Evra fared little better and seemed to be suffering from the same disease that afflicted Zabaleta when he first arrived whereby he thought he was still playing for a Manchester side. So up he pushed, and sure enough we frequently lost the ball and the hosts exploited the gaps in behind him. I am seriously wondering if having wing backs with a combined age of sixty nine is a great idea, guys.
In fairness, it wasn't just the defence where we struggled. Of the entire line up only Joao Mario and Manuel Lanzini were under 28 and one of them isn't even our player. I have despaired of this transfer policy for long enough that I hope you will forgive me a brief moment of schadenfreude when I say to David Sullivan - I fucking told you this was going to happen.
And so the slowest team around played the quickest and it went pretty much as you might expect. While it's easy to be critical of West Ham, it's only reasonable to acknowledge that Liverpool are an electric side. Between Jurgen Klopp and their enormous budget, they have weapons that we simply cannot cope with, and have destroyed far better sides than us. Going forward they attack with quicksilver precision, and Salah could have scored as early as the second minute. Then we were saved by the woodwork, as the game settle into a pattern of Liverpool swarming all over us, while we tried to break with pace on the counter-attack but failed to do so because breaking with pace is hard when half of your team were teenagers during Suez.
For all that, we were not without threats of our own. Having Marko Arnautovic up front allows us the luxury of having a top six player in a bottom half team, and that is something that most of our relegation rivals cannot say. The Austrian was on his own here as Javier Hernandez was dropped for Lanzini, and had a frustrating afternoon getting annoyed that his team mates weren't a bit better. Which is saying something when you think he played with Ryan Shawcross for all that time at Stoke.
At 0-0, Arnautovic latched on to a rare decent through ball and brilliantly conjured a chip on to the crossbar from just outside the box. Loris Karius did well to tip it on to the woodwork and with that probably went our best chance of getting something from the game. Even with all of Arnautovic, Mario and Lanzini on the pitch, we struggled to keep possession and without a truly dominant central midfielder who can carry the ball and get us forward, it is bordering on impossible to ever create very much in these sort of games.
Perhaps the most disappointing thing was the way we defended, as our calling card under Moyes has been to set up with a well-drilled defensive line and rely on the general excellence of our defenders to repel teams. The problem with that is it relies on us having some sort of parity further up the pitch and with Antonio on the bench and Lanzini looking every inch like he'd just returned from injury, we didn't have the necessary class to keep the ball in advanced positions.
And so it was that even though I thought we were fairly competitive in the first half, it was that special brand of competitiveness that requires you to be a fan of that particular side and be squinting very hard indeed. Football fans see positives everywhere because we are conditioned to do so. Thus, when Antonio arrived and scored immediately with a fine angled finish we all briefly began to construct a theoretical scenario in which a comeback was plausible. I thought that if ever Hernandez was going to come on, it was then, when that shaky Liverpool backline was rocking, but Moyes is glacial in his decision making and the moment passed, Mane scored the fourth, and by the time he brought him on it kind of looked like a punishment.
In the same vein, I took some positives from Zabaleta's continued Herculean efforts and conveniently ignored the way Robertson was breezing past him with alarming frequency. I similarly lauded a couple of fine Adrian saves and glossed over the remote controlled malfunction that saw him somehow being twenty yards from his goal when Roberto Firmino scored the Liverpool third. You can apparently buy drugs very easily on Merseyside, after all.
This went about as well as it looks like it would
So while we are reduced to clutching at the thinnest of straws, it's true that Liverpool were simply a great deal better than us. And while there is no doubt that we have every right to demand our team puts up a better show than this, it's also undeniable that under David Sullivan's stewardship we have gone backwards at breakneck speed. We simply aren't equipped to compete with these teams, and these kinds of results are inevitable until there is a massive overhaul of this squad by someone who knows that they are doing.
Once more, to those fans who travelled up - I salute your inexhaustible optimism.
***
"A picture is worth a thousand words"
- The Temptations, "Paradise"
The Temptations are not wrong. A pretty big game, is Swansea.
***
"They don't, they don't speak for us"
- Radiohead, "No Surprises"
Bet Bobby would have been delighted to have been associated with this
In some regards the off-field antics were more interesting than the game, as both fans attempted to out-dickhead each other. Liverpool fans got in early by booing 74-year-old Hammers debutant Patrice Evra, who is great to have around the place because of his terrific social media antics. He can no longer run, but we care not for such prosaic notions and with young Jose Fonte having left for the Orient, he represented a great opportunity to somehow increase the average age of our squad outside of the transfer window.
Anyway, Evra was roundly booed all day. Home fans maintained this was because he is a former Manchester United player, except that they also kept singing Luis Suarez songs at him, meaning that they were linking the booing to the time Suarez was found guilty of racially abusing Evra and banned for eight games. So just to reiterate - they booed him for being racially abused. Wonderful humour though.
Not to be outdone, some of our fans responded by holding up the banner above. In an era when it has become a badge of honour to tell the world how little you are offended by anything because you aren't a snowflake, I suppose that I run the risk of outing myself as hypersensitive here, but I need to say something - this banner is moronic and reprehensible. It is so stupid I had to double check that it wasn't a parody before writing this. It doesn't speak for me or any sensible West Ham fan, and the main thing it has done is set the cause of the fans' march back before it's even begun. You all thought you were starting in Stratford, but instead you'll be going from Chelmsford. Bravo.
Not that I need to explain this, surely, but comparing people to Hitler is generally a pretty bad idea. Hitler is in the conversation for the worst human being who ever lived. He killed people in their millions, and there will have been people in that crowd who lost loved ones to German bombs in World War II. I am sure that the people who came up with it thought it was a pithy line but it's just crass and almost criminally stupid. Wasting a few million quid on Robert Snodgrass and Matt Jarvis isn't equivalent to waging a war, changing the club badge doesn't equate to eugenics and a failed stadium move isn't the same as systematically exterminating millions of innocent people because they are Jewish.
Don't message me with any justifications for this bullshit, or tell me it's banter or tell me it's not a comparison with Hitler because not only is it a literal direct comparison with Hitler, but it is somehow an unfavourable one.
I am so sick of the fucking morons on our lunatic fringe who follow this club and are so much more vocal than the average punter, meaning that we literally have to say things to other fans like "Yeah, most of our supporters are great if you can just ignore the Hitler banner".
Here is a tip for those going on the march. Your cause is just - the Board have done things for which they deserve to be held to account, and they deserve to have to face that examination in the full light of the public glare. That publicity helps the cause because external pressures can be brought to bear on the owners and a supportive media and wider football community will help affect change. Win the PR battle, and you have a head start on winning the war.
But here's the thing - if you march singing songs about Karren Brady, or carry flags personally abusing the Sullivan family or even do something as unthinkably brainless as carry a banner comparing our Jewish chairman to Adolf Fucking Hitler, then you cede every piece of moral high ground that you might have. We are once more reduced to a rabble of hooligans and thugs who aren't worth listening to, and have nothing reasonable to say. I beg you not to take that route. Stick to the facts. The team is shit and the stadium isn't what was promised. That's plenty enough to be getting on with.
***
"Well she wrote me a letter
Said she couldn't live without me no more"
- The Box Tops, "The Letter"
And then just as I was about to hit "Publish", Karren Brady sent a letter to the various fans groups that she met recently, ahead of the proposed march before the Burnley game. I've commented a couple of times on this before, and explained that while I understand the reasons for the march, I'm concerned that without any tangible goals or demands, it runs the risk of being a protest about nothing.
The genesis of all this was a meeting where representatives of Real West Ham Fans, KUMB, Hammers Chat, WHUISA and other groups that I can't name as I haven't seen minutes, sat down with Karren Brady and discussed a wide range of topics. The letter covers these in detail and I think it's fair to say that the club are at least taking the fan dissatisfaction seriously now, which is to the great credit of all the fan groups involved. Don't underestimate the inroads they have made through a coherent start and impressive organisation.
There is definite movement on certain demands made by fans to make the ground more like home and also a pledge to better improve communication with supporters. All of that is fine by me and a welcome move towards a more collaborative approach rather then the ludicrously adversarial tone that has been adopted in the past. There is actually quite a lot here, even if it is two years too late.
But there is a wider point too. Why did it take the threat of thousands of fans marching to get movement on something so trivial as putting up a banner honouring Billy Bonds? If it takes that type of effort to get you to engage with fans properly then I would humbly suggest that someone somewhere in the organisation needs to go on a crash course in people. You don't get to call us customers when it suits you and then totally ignore the concept of customer service. It is bananas that the club have allowed things to degenerate this far before acting.
And yet, for all the words and waffle in that letter, it is not going to be anywhere near enough to placate fans. I have a certain, limited sympathy with the Board in the sense that the fans aren't totally united and thus the disparate demands make it impossible to please everyone. There are a lot of people who are very upset that the club badge was changed, for example, while I think it's just about the dumbest possible hill to die on. I accept that my view is no more or less valid than anyone else's, and that's why I joined WHUISA and voted for people to represent me. But therein lies the problem.
Apart from Payet?
The People's Front of Judea/Judean People's Front approach means that lots of issues are getting floated by lots of different groups and it results in a letter like this, which is like a freewheeling trip through a list of minor annoyances, and summarily fails to address the two main problems that underpin everything - namely, that the team are crap, everybody knows that turning that around will be a significant undertaking, and the stadium is not up to scratch.
Now, I should also say that the letter constitutes the club's version of the action points. This doesn't mean that there weren't other things raised in the meeting, but simply that the club don't want to engage on those points. Indeed, I know for a fact that Brady was directly asked to discontinue her column in The Sun and refused, even though it was detrimental to the club during the transfer window. File that one away folks - it tells us something.
My buddy @LeBigHouse has suggested that what the fans really need is a cut throat, razor sharp shithouse of a trade unionist to lead this fight, and I'm inclined to agree. Not because the people involved aren't representing their groups well, but because we need to narrow all this down to a laser focus.
Fan questions should focus on the two areas I highlighted above: You promised us a stadium that was fit for football and you haven't delivered - what are you going to do about it? You also promised us that the stadium would allow us to generate more funds and improve the team. Why are you still allowing the owner to have a crack at this as a hobby, rather than employing qualified professionals to do the job?
That's it. That should be the agenda. Everything else is nice and I've suggested some of them myself but they are ancillary to the current situation. Small incremental gains are fine when you've exhausted the big ticket ideas, but the club haven't come remotely close to that. The Board should have watched that game on Saturday and felt a burning shame for every single minute of it. Barring one glorious accident of a season in 2015/16 when the league was upside down, they have done nothing but mire West Ham in mediocrity while spending vast sums to trail behind smaller clubs. A good team would paper over these cracks, but the bad one we've had for eighteen months is widening them.
The sole nod to this in the letter is the line "My Chairmen have also asked me to reaffirm their commitment to the restructuring of our recruitment policy as David Sullivan outlined recently..." That's it. David is going to appoint a Director of Football in the summer, at which point it will be too late to do any actual planning for the transfer window because real clubs are doing all of that now. Wonderful.
I'm not disagreeing with anything much in Brady's letter but it's all obfuscation because that's all she's allowed us. Her comments on the stadium essentially say little more than "We promise to look at this", which is a coded version of saying "I'll ask the landlord, but they're skint and we ain't paying anything so, ho hum..." Reading all of that, the temptation is to say that the reality here is that while we are tenants of the stadium, the thing that we really want - to be closer to the pitch - is not actually in their power to give us.
And this, I think, is the heart of the problem. We want to be on the touchline again, in a ground that feels like home, in the electric swirl of a pulsating football match, watching a team that is good enough to justify the move. And for all the lip service that the club may pay to those cries, it's not really in their gift to be able to do anything much about any of it. The stadium isn't ours, and the people who make the decisions about the team seem immune to any form of blame. So on we march, and up go the banners, and out come the hearses, and all the while it turns out that letting in four goals against teams like Liverpool is now the status quo. What a mess.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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Is this enough from the board?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 27th February 2018
By: Paul Walker
So we have seen the whites of their eyes, certainly not the colour of their money but we do know where they draw the line in the sand over discussions with angry fans.
Intentionally or otherwise, when Karren Brady turned up at last week's five-hour meeting with the fans' alliance without David Sullivan (ill) or David Gold (too old or ill-informed), and with communications executive director Tara Warren and head of match day operations Ben Illingworth, it became clear very quickly what the board were not prepared to negotiate on.
Brady declined to consider questions about club finances, ownership and shares, plus transfer policy, because it was not her remit. So immediately, the core reason many will be marching for - a change of ownership - was not up for discussion. Frankly, it was never likely to be.
But that, and last night's (Monday) 5,000 word response from Brady to the previous week's lengthy debate, is hardly going to appease the rank and file who are marching on March 10 for change at the top. Full stop.
In the end it was always going to be this way. Brady has handled all the peripheral stuff; the badge, the memorial gardens, the legacy and museum, stewarding, retractable seating etc, etc but to drag our ownership into any meaningful discussion about their control of the club and the future, is a totally different matter.
The Real West Ham Fans Action Group, who have 16,000 plus on their books and have done a remarkable job getting the club to even this stage of negotiations, plus the associated groups like ourselves and other fans' organisations on the committee that met Brady, must, in all, speak for over 20,000 of our fan base.
The vast majority of this united front want an end to Sullivan's regime and will march ahead of the Burnley game under a banner of 'no confidence in the board.' So what was in Brady's letter is not going to solve the core problem, the anger of many is now too entrenched. This looks like a long, painful campaign.
Will Sullivan and Gold eventually get fed up with the hassle and sell. Who knows? Will they wait until the taxation levels drop on their profits on the stadium move? More likely. But with the club worth something like £500m now, they are going to want a lot of cash to walk away. Russians, Arab nations, the Yanks, please form an orderly queue because it is only you in the ball game now.
Frankly I expected more from Brady than what has transpired. I expected a large carrot to be dangled in front of fans to try to stop the march. A new badge now, maybe or other promises. But you know what us fans think about promises from this board!
Brady's letter took a long time last night to digest. But it is what we expected, hugely professional, a very political dialogue and complex. This lady has run rings round a Prime Minister, a Home Secretary, a London Mayor/Foreign Secretary, she doesn't do Sullivan's negotiating for nothing.
So what did we get? A list of what the club could do easily, what it couldn't do because we are tenants, what it blames the owners for and what the owners won't do.
There's a decree that no fan wearing other club colours (apart from our opponents that day, I assume) will be admitted to the stadium. There will be themed match day experiences, Westfield's might be a bit more assessable. Everybody gets the London living wage, our employees and those who work for the dreaded owners.
There will be another attempt to get ex-Boleyn stewards on board, and one on the senior supervisory team in each of the four areas of the stadium will be ex-Upton Park. Catering has improved, accessible shuttle buses are more frequent, stewards will be educated in the ways of football fans. The memorial gardens back at the Boleyn will be properly maintained long term (as if this even needs to be an issue).
Now our legacy. Historic club crests will be on show, significant moments in our history will be celebrated, club heroes (Moore, Hurst, Peters, Brooking, Bonds, Noble) will be honoured with permanent tributes. Billy Bonds especially. I await that with baited breath. The East Stand should be renamed, how difficult is that?
Flags of our 16 'core' crests will be on show for the Burnley game. They are going to ask someone if they can rename the main walkway from Stratford as the West Ham Way. Keep with me everyone, it gets better!
There's going to be a Fan Zone, much like the excellent one at West Brom and the one some of us experienced at Anfield. Heineken will install a 40ft-long mobile bar as a social hub, with legends on a stage and lots and lots of signs and flags letting us know this is the home of West Ham United. Just why the board didn't think ahead and sanction this sort of stuff 18 months ago, you can only guess.
And someone is going to ask someone in authority if the old stalls and food vendors outside the Boleyn can be re-integrated. E20 and Newham Council have to OK that, so don't hold your breath.
And the museum. The club have 1,000 items in store, they will put on occasional displays but look for a permanent site for a new museum. Seeing as we own doodle squat at the LS bar the club shop, your guess is as good as anyone's on that!
Now the badge (for me the least important item, sorry, try not to shot the messenger). There's been 16 since our formation, various colours, some with castles, some with just hammers, some with gold. Some that horrible yellow. The reason folk hate the current one is that is the symbol of the move, the Board.
The club explained away the consultations that got us this far. The voting etc. That 56 per cent wanted the current crest. But of how many votes? About 12,000 I was once told, so the new badge was wanted by about 7,000 folk out of 56,000.
Yes, I know, you don't vote you lose any right to complain but I always thought we were being rail-roaded here, and the 'London' tag was all about marketing abroad.
Anyway, the club are only prepared to talk again in 2020 ahead of the plans for our 125th anniversary, they'll want a new badge to flog for that, obviously, and will talk about a new permanent one after that. What else? Oh yes, ticket prices will be frozen again, we have been told (AGAIN) that our fixtures will always have priority at the OS (stop laughing at the back).
What next? Oh yes, retractable, removable, rebuildable seating. That's the owners' fault, of course. The club were given videos by the LLDC back in 2013 to pass on to us "in good faith". Hope you all got that, not our fault guv, sorry.
We now know that even with state-of-the-art retractable seating gliding in on golden clouds at the flick of a switch (like in Paris), it would get the fans no nearer to the action than we are now. The stadium configuration, shape, sight lines, roof cover, precludes that.
The club cannot be blamed for the retractable seating contractors going bust and the current cheapo scaffolding option we now have. But I would love to know just when the Board knew about that problem, and how long they continued to sell season tickets claiming they would have real retractable seats rather than ones that are torn down, dumped in a local goods yard and then refitted at laughable cost.
The solution is that the whole place is shut down for a year, we move to a temporary stadium (Orient, Dagenham maybe?) and the place is torn apart and refitted at even more laughable cost. Not going to happen with these ground owners and why would our Board offer to spend so much without getting people behind the goals any nearer to the action?
Of course the club will look at ways of tarting it all up, to get some seats (how?) closer to the pitch after discussions with E20 (and the new London Mayor I assume). Don't expect much change there any time soon then.
So how about any chat with Sullivan about the transfer policy debacle? Well Karren has covered that one… "My chairmen has also asked me to re-affirm their commitment to the re-structuring of our recruitment policy as David Sullivan outlined in his message to our supporters on the club's official site recently". Well that's OK then.
Oh, and she added: "They have also requested I reiterate their full commitment to ensuring a better match day experience. We have listened and want to work with you to rebuild a sense of belonging and unity." As long as you lot don't 'belong' much longer, I can hear you all cry. Ever get the feeling we are being 'played' and kept at arms length?
Finally, I would just like to add my thanks and congratulations to all those who have given up hours, days, months of their lives to get this campaign off the ground. Proper West Ham.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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Beware the Irons of March
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 27th February 2018
By: Staff Writer
Following lengthy discussions with West Ham United's Board last week, the West Ham Groups United (WHGU) coalition have announced plans to poll their members in order to determine the level of support for a protest march next weekend.
The march - which is being organised by the Real West Ham Fans Action Group (RWHFAG) and is expected to attract thousands of disillusioned Hammers fans - is set to take place in Stratford on the morning of the next Premier League home fixture, against Burnley on 10 March.
As a result of the RWHFAG's plans - and, no doubt, a fast-growing membership that has swelled to 16,000 since November - the Board invited the group and several prominent West Ham United-based websites and social media groups, including the West Ham United Independent Supporters' Association (WHUISA), Hammers Chat, West Ham TV and Knees up Mother Brown to a meeting at the stadium last week.
During discussions that lasted in excess of five hours, the Board - represented by Vice Chair Karren Brady and Executive Director Tara Warren - took questions on a range of subjects regarding many aspects of the club's perceived shortcomings including the general match day experience, memorabilia and heritage, finances and media exposure.
Later in the week Vice Chair Brady responded with a 5,000-word 'open letter' to WHGU addressing many - although not all - of the issues raised at the meeting.
And at a WHGU meeting on Monday evening, it was agreed that the open letter should be published via the coalition's various channels so that individual members of each group could have their say in order to determine whether the club's proposals were sufficient enough to satisfy supporter's demands and lead to the march being postponed or cancelled.
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POSSIBLE MOYES CHANGES AND THE SLIPPERY EEL
By Tony Hanna 27 Feb 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Sometimes you just have to take defeat on the chin and the weekends game at Liverpool is one of those times. Whether Mark Nobles comments about it being a free hit were taken in the wrong context or not, whether you agree with the formation or team selection, on the day Liverpool were just too good. Manchester City found out just a few weeks ago at Anfield that a Liverpool side with Salah, Firmino and Mane all on song are difficult to stop. They let in the same as us too – four. In fact this was the third consecutive match where Liverpool have put four past us. With games to play at Arsenal and Chelsea together with home matches against both Manchester clubs we must hope for more resolute defending if we have any ambition of gaining points from these games. In Sam's days he would have targeted the forthcoming home matches against Burnley, Southampton, Stoke and Everton. Avoid defeat in these four matches and win two of them and we should be safe. The bookies have us at 10/1 for the drop but it is impossible to have the same confidence as this log jam of relegation candidates shows no signs of clearing any time soon.
What will be interesting is to see if or how David Moyes reacts to the weekends loss. There are a few players that could come under the microscope. Firstly there is the goalkeeping situation. When Hart was dropped for Adrian, Moyes insisted that Hart would get his opportunity and play Premier League games again this season. I thought at the time that perhaps Moyes thought there would be a time when Adrian's position would again come under scrutiny. My preference would be for Adrian to stay between the sticks but after conceding three at Brighton and now four at Liverpool I would imagine if Hart was to get his chance again it may be now. Another who could be making way is Ginge. Winston Reid was warming the bench on the weekend and whilst he hasn't had the best of seasons this is another change that Moyes might consider. It is also conceivable that Cresswell could be the one making way for Reid in a back three and with Evra certainly showing some steel in the tackling department on his debut the back five may well have a very different look about it against Swansea. Whilst showing some nice touches at times it would be surprise me if Mario retains his place. A fully fit Lanzini offers a deal more and I have my doubts that Moyes will play the two together too many more times this season.
I would like to dedicate the remainder of my weekly article to a former player who earlier last month turned 65 years of age.
Every once and a while a player comes along that gets your blood pumping. That happened to me, and I am sure many others, when Johnny Ayris broke through into the West Ham first team in 1970. The little right winger stood just 5'5" tall and weighed nine and a half stone but with his superb dribbling skills he was to prove as slippery as an eel. At first sight he had the swerve of Stanley Matthews and the trickery of George Best and he seemed destined for the top. The next seven seasons were to tell a different story.
Born in Wapping in 1953 Johnny Ayris would spend hours smacking a ball against the sheds outside his parents council flat. He would often kick the ball onto the roof and guess where it would come down before catching it on his right foot. The young kid was addicted to practice and when he made it at West Ham his great love was training. He admitted later that "training was a joy – it was touch, it was pace, it was skill and I was lucky enough to have those attributes. I loved the training perhaps more than the matches and maybe I wasn't cut out to be a footballer, I should have pushed my case a bit more."
He made his debut at just 17 years of age at home to Burnley on the 3rd October 1970 and played a blinder setting up all three Geoff Hurst goals in a 3-1 victory. Ron Greenwood gave him a professional contract just two days later and it was not long before the North Bank were singing "we've got Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny Ayris on the wing" to the tune of Ging Gang Goolie. He continued to mesmerise defences until we played Chelsea at home nearly a year later on the 11th September 1971. Johnny was running rings around the notorious Chelsea hard man Ron "Chopper" Harris and the riled defender picked his moment 'to let him know he was still there.' Johnny was to later say "I'd been giving him the run around and he was getting really wound up and the crowd were on his back." One challenge later and Johnny Ayris had flipped over the back of Harris and he landed with a sickening thud. The young winger was all of a sudden having difficulty breathing and he was immediately subbed for Bobby Howe. Hospital tests showed that the injury had caused an air bubble to form in his lung, a condition he was to later to find out could be life threatening. Because of the injury Ron Greenwood would in the future only pick and choose the right games for him to play in, and even then a string of other injuries would curtail his ambitions. John is pictured right at the end of this very notable line up!
The whole incident had a lasting effect on his confidence but he said he felt no grudge towards Harris. Johnny was also to come off second best to the infamous Tommy Gemmill of Celtic in a match played for Bobby Moore's testimonial. John was to play only 69 games for West Ham over seven seasons, scoring just two goals. Following the Harris incident most of his time at West Ham was spent on the bench or in the background. Nicknamed "Rat" to his team mates because of his ragged looks, the Hammers fans dubbed him "Cyril Lord" after the carpet king, for his propensity for hitting the turf after having the rug pulled out from under him! Johnny Ayris loved every minute of his West Ham career but an incredible talent was wasted in some ways as his love of just playing overshadowed the real issue of playing professional football in a time where his light weight frame was no match for the battle hardened men of that era. Between December 1973 and October 1976 Johnny Ayris became our super-sub, making twenty five appearances of which 15 were from the bench. In many of the early matches he played though, he was one of the most exciting talents you would ever wish to see.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, February 28
Tuesday, February 27
Daily WHUFC News - 27th February 2018
Former Hammer relishing Dagenham & Redbridge friendly
WHUFC.com
Lifelong West Ham United fan Bondz N'Gala cannot wait to face his old Club
when Dagenham & Redbridge host the Hammers in a fundraising friendly next
month.
Now 28, Academy of Football graduate N'Gala was born in Forest Gate, joined
West Ham at 13 and spent six seasons in Claret and Blue, making his one and
only first-team appearance in a League Cup defeat at Bolton Wanderers in
September 2009. After spells with a host of Football League and National
League clubs, centre-back N'Gala returned to east London in summer 2017,
when he joined the Daggers. Now, he is set to face his old club for the
first time in a special match organised to raise much-needed proceeds for
the financially-stricken National League club on Wednesday 21 March, tickets
for which can be purchased here.
"Everybody at the club is really looking forward to the game, not only
because it will help raise some of the money we need, but also because it
should be a good, competitive game between two professional teams," said
N'Gala. "There is a massive crossover between the two clubs, with a lot of
people being fans of both and lots of players, like me, making careers with
Dagenham after leaving West Ham. This is a club that gives players a chance
and it is so important that we secure the future of Dagenham & Redbridge FC,
so please come down and support us on the night. "Our manager John Still is
a Newham boy like me and I know he is excited about welcoming the Hammers to
our stadium. We'd love to get a big crowd in and hopefully we can put in a
good performance and win the game, too!"
N'Gala has played more than 250 senior games during a well-travelled career
that has included stops at Plymouth Argyle, Yeovil Town, Stevenage, Barnet,
Portsmouth, Eastleigh, Dover Athletic and Leyton Orient. The defender
returned to the starting XI on Saturday and helped the Daggers to secure a
3-2 win over Chester at Chigwell Construction Stadium. With ten league games
to go, N'Gala's eye is on an unlikely promotion back to the Football League.
"It's great to be back in east London, being from Newham, so it's nice to be
back home rather than playing and living in another part of the country, as
I've been doing for most of my career! "We are doing quite well in the
National League, have won two of our last three games and are only a few
points outside the Play-Off places, so promotion is still very much an
achievable target for us, as it was at the start of the season. "We have
sold a few players, and we didn't start the season with a particularly big
squad but, if anything, the situation has pulled us closer together and we
are not letting it affect us. "If we could have a good game against West
Ham, raise some money, then go on and reach the Play-Offs and win promotion
at Wembley, that would be perfect!"
Seated and standing tickets for West Ham United's friendly at Dagenham &
Redbridge on Wednesday 21 March are available now from
eticketing.co.uk/whufc, over the telephone on 0333 030 1966 or in person
from the London Stadium Ticket Office priced at £10 Adults, £8 O65s and £3
U16s. Access on the night will be via the turnstile on Bury Road.
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Loan watch: Martinez debuts, Oxford celebrates, Burke secures point
WHUFC.com
Toni Martinez made his full debut for Real Valladolid, but was unable to
prevent his team falling to a 2-1 Spanish Segunda Division defeat at Cordoba
on Saturday.
The West Ham United loanee (pictured, above) played for the opening 56
minutes and Valladolid were leading 1-0 through Moyano's when the striker
was replaced by Chris Ramos. With Martinez off the pitch, Cordoba introduced
former Spain winger Jose Antonio Reyes from the bench and turned the game
around with goals from Sasa Jovanovic and Sergi Guardiola inside the final
17 minutes.
Elsewhere on the continent, Reece Oxford fared better, helping Borussia
Monchengladbach end a four-match losing streak by scoring a 1-0 German
Bundesliga victory at Hannover 96. Oxford (pictured, below) started his
second match in succession after returning to the club in January,
completing the full 90 minutes at right-back. Christoph Kramer was the
match-winner, netting 18 minutes from time to silence the
Niedersachsenstadion crowd and help Monchengladbach climb above their
opponents and up to seventh in the table.
Closer to home, Robert Snodgrass scored his seventh goal and registered his
eighth assist of the season as Aston Villa won 4-2 at Sheffield Wednesday in
the EFL Championship. Snodgrass assisted Glenn Whelan's equaliser to make it
2-2 on 67 minutes before completing the scoring from the penalty spot in the
third minute of added time after the Scot had himself been fouled by Daniel
Pudil.
Also in the Championship, Martin Samuelsen and Reece Burke were in action
for relegation-threatened Burton Albion and Bolton Wanderers respectively.
Samuelsen's Burton sank to 23rd after going down to a 1-0 home defeat by
Millwall, with the Norwegian playing the opening 85 minutes. Burke's Bolton
are 19th after securing a hard-earned goalless draw at Norwich City, with
the defender playing for 81 minutes before being replaced by Derik.
Finally, Moses Makasi was an unused substitute as Plymouth Argyle made it
six League One wins in a row to climb into the Play-Off places. The
Pilgrims' latest victory saw the Devon side defeat Bradford City 1-0 at Home
Park.
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Confident West Ham see off Norwich to make it three wins in a row
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's scholars made it three wins in a row with a deserved 3-0
U18 Premier League South victory at Norwich City on Saturday. Odysseas
Spyrides (pictured) scored twice in the first half to put the Hammers in
control at Colney Training Centre, before Louie Watson added a third after
the break. Victory took West Ham up to a season-high of ninth in the table,
pleasing co-manager Mark Phillips. "If I am being honest, I thought we were
well worth the three-goal win and the winning margin could have been wider,"
said Phillips. "It was a really good, confident and solid performance. "We
scored two in the first half, both from Ody with similar left-foot finishes,
and then Louie added a third in the second half. "That was certainly one of
the coldest football matches I've ever been involved in, but our win
certainly warmed everyone on our side up!"
Phillips believes West Ham's recent upturn in form – victories over
Leicester City and Brighton & Hove Albion preceded Saturday's success in
Norfolk – has been based on defensive solidity, giving the attacking players
a platform on which to go forward and win matches. "What has made a
difference is that we have welcomed Mason Barrett back from injury and Aji
Alese back from England duty and they have slotted in really well alongside
captain Ben Wells at centre-half. "Playing with three at the back has made
us really solid and given us a base to build from. We also had U16s in goal
and at right-back in Daniel Jinadu and Harrison Ashby and they both did
well. "Ody has also come back recently after being ruled out with a pelvic
injury and his goals have obviously helped." Weather permitting, next up for
the young Hammers is a home derby with Tottenham Hotspur at Little Heath on
Saturday morning. Phillips and his co-manager Steve Potts are looking
forward to seeing how their in-form team shapes up against a Spurs side
coached by none other than three-time Hammer of the Year Scott Parker.
"The forecast looks a bit dodgy but, if the game does go ahead, it will be
great to see Scotty again. Steve, of course, knows him very well from his
time here and he's a top lad and now well on his way to being a top coach.
"A lot of the players from both teams have also come up through the
age-groups together and know each other well, so it should be a really
interesting game. "We are in confident mood and we want to keep winning and
keep climbing the table."
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Zabaleta: We fell short in the second half at Liverpool
WHUFC.com
Pablo Zabaleta admitted the Hammers gave Liverpool a helping hand en route
to their 4-1 Premier League victory over the east Londoners at Anfield on
Saturday, saying their second half performance did not reach the standards
they have set themselves. David Moyes' team started the game well enough,
hitting the crossbar through Marko Arnautovic with the score at 0-0 after 15
minutes, but they conceded a 29th-minute opener to Emre Can from a set play
and then were powerless to stop Liverpool taking the contest away from them
after the break. Zabaleta was disappointed with the way the hosts were able
to create openings in the second period and says his team need to bounce
back quickly when they head to Swansea City this weekend. The No5 said:
"Every time you play against top teams they have good quality up front and
you have to make the perfect game to get something against the top sides. In
the second half we gave them too many chances.
"It was tough. Anfield is always a tough place to come and they were better
than us. First half we were good and had a few chances but in the second
half we weren't good enough. As a team they are very intense, they kept
coming forward and they can score goals. It's time to move on and just think
about the Swansea game. "Swansea are three points behind, everything is so
tight at the bottom half of the table, and we need to win the games like
this Saturday's at Swansea."
Reflecting further on Saturday's defeat, Zabaleta said Liverpool's front
three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane - who all scored -
will make things difficult for any defence that has to face them. "It is not
only against West Ham – we have seen they can score more than two or three
goals against top sides," he continued. "It is always hard any time you come
here. I think they are a really good team to be honest. "Those three guys up
front now are in a really good moment. They are difficult to play against.
They don't give a point of reference, they are so mobile. They are good
players. In the second half we gave them too many chances."
West Ham, who ended the weekend in 13th place with 30 points from 28 games,
will look to bounce back when they visit the Liberty Stadium on Saturday at
3pm.
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WHAT I WOULD DO TO IMPROVE THE LONDON STADIUM!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 26 FEBRUARY 2018 AT 9:01PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @DavidMrplumber
The situation with the owners, the fans, the stadium, E20 and the govt
cannot go on as it is. The current deal is abysmal for the tax payer and the
deal in return is also poor as WHU have no control whatsoever in the running
of the stadium. Compromise and alternative deals need to be struck by all
parties named above.
In all reality WHU are stuck with the stadium for the foreseeable
future,talk of rebuilding a new stadium elsewhere or knocking the stadium
down is nonsense and completely unrealistic at this point in time.
The billionaire owners/company's that some crave for are not exactly queuing
up around the corner even if the owners wanted to sell up, also the club in
its current state is severely lacking in appeal for any prospective buyer
anyway so we have to make the best of what we've got.
Here are my proposals to improve The LS short term within a sustainable and
reasonable budget and in doing so will maximise profits long term for both
WHU and E20!and help us, the supporters.
•If Athletics is to remain then a percentage of the cost of the installation
of retractable seating to be paid for by WHU which would make it a proper
multi use venue.
•£2.5m yearly rent paid by WHU to be raised significantly to a more
realistic amount to appease the govt and the tax payer.
•Stewarding to be employed and paid for direct by WHU for football games
only, all other events eg Rugby/live concerts, athletics etc the stewarding
to be provided by E20.
In return we'd want…
•Considerably more say/freedom in the running of the stadium.
•Front row seating to be "squared off" if possible.
•Capacity to be extended to 66k and more toilets installed to cater for
extra fans.
•A bigger share of catering profits, a bigger capacity stadium will offset
the loss of income to the LLDC, more fans means more profit!
•The surrounding gaudy green Astro turf to be removed and replaced with
claret or blue at the expense of WHU.
•A possible solution for the Stadium naming rights would be to divide it so
West Ham will be free to find their own sponsor say Vodaphone and would be
known as the Vodaphone Arena when the stadium is being used for football
only. E20 to find their own sponsor name and will be called the …… Arena
when being used for athletics, rugby, concerts etc!
If this is not a workable solution then a deal needs to be struck where WHU
get a considerably larger share of the profits gained from a single naming
rights partner.
•WHU to pay the council to take control of the access bridges on match days
only and some local businesses from UP to be invited to pitch their stalls.
How lovely for example would it be to see a Nathan's pie and mash stall?
•The main access bridge to be made "West Ham" eg ex players and legends
remembered/flags etc (as promised)along with a new statue of the 3 x World
Cup winners, the original to remain at Upton Park…..
To summarise I understand some of these suggestions may not be feasible
others may well be, other than the retractable seating most of my
suggestions with good negotiations between all parties could be in place
before the start of next season. What you may have noticed is that I'm
attempting to separate WHU from the stadium owners/operators but at the same
time generating extra turnover for both parties, appeasing both WHU
fans/owners and ultimately the government.
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HC INSIGHT – JOAO MARIO – PLAYER PROFILE
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 24 FEBRUARY 2018 AT 11:18AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
In the latest episode of #HCInsight, Joao Mario is the centre of attention
as well as the centre of West Ham United midfield.
Joao Mario was signed on loan last month from Inter Milan as Moyes looked to
inject more creativity into the side so Geo decided to take a look at the
Portuguese International and see what his strengths and weaknesses are from
his time at Internazionale and Sporting Lisbon as well as his first 3 games
in a claret and blue shirt.
With an investment of over £3m for his loan and a £38m summer price tag, he
doesn't come cheap, but is Joao Mario looking like he is worth it? Geo does
the research and Charlie does the superb graphics as Hammers Chat bring the
stats to The West Ham Way on this video.
For more West Ham related stats follow @redhammer8 on twitter as well as
@hammers_chat and we will feature their 4th episode of the series next week
on this website, as they take a look at another Portuguese International.
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Fans' alliance to discuss club proposals
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th February 2018
By: Staff Writer
The supporters' alliance that attended a recent meeting with the Board of
WHUFC to share its numerous concerns will reassemble this week in order to
discuss the club's proposals. The committee, that included members of the
Real West Ham Fans Action Group, KUMB, WHUISA, West Ham TV and Hammers Chat
will be gathering again to discuss the club's response to the intial meeting
with vice-chair Karren Brady and fellow Board member Tara Warren.
A number of points pertaining to the operation of the football club since
West Ham moved to Stratford were raised during last week's five-hour
meeting, ranging from continuing concerns over security at the stadium to
the negative influence Karren Brady's weekly tabloid newspaper column may
have had on the club. The Board have since responded with their proposals,
which will be discussed by the groups involved ahead of a prospective
follow-up meeting with the club at a date yet to be confirmed. The emergency
meeting between supporters and the Board of Directors was called by the club
after the RWHFAG announced its intention to stage a protest march against
the club's owners on 10 March.
Although supporters have cited many differing individual reasons for
intending to protest, all those in attendance at next month's peaceful
parade will be marching under a general banner of "no confidence" in West
Ham United's current Board, which stands accused of gross mismanagement of
the club both on and off the field.
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Liverpool v West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th February 2018
By: Ten Thousand Miles From The Boleyn
-5 Minutes: As kick-off time approaches their famous anthem rumbles around
the stadium. With a couple of exceptions, visits to Anfield have been so
horrible for the last half century that I can't bring myself to watch
Carousel any more.
Not a massive issue as it was never one of my favourite Rodgers and
Hammerstein musicals, but as Liverpool fans are renowned lovers of Show
Tunes (not that there's anything wrong with that) I'd bet there is a
parallel universe where there are currently fifty thousand Scousers singing
I'm just a girl who can't say no.
I live ten thousand miles from the Boleyn. So what do I know about anything?
I do know it's not easy living and working in the International Space
Station, particularly on match day when you miss half game because you're on
the wrong side of the planet. This is just one of the many reasons I never
pursued a career in a field that would have made me of any value in a
zero-gravity environment.
-2 Minutes: Commemorative Bobby Moore t-shirts for the travelling fans,
let's hope this doesn't become contentious. But it probably will.
There were a few negative responses to my first opinion piece regarding the
mood of discontent surrounding the club and the upcoming march. I could have
taken the criticism as a perfectly reasonable response from people who have
a far greater investment in the ongoing issues surrounding the stadium than
I do. But instead I decided to treat it as a vicious assault on my right to
free speech, casting doubt on my love of West Ham and questioning my very
Cockneyhood!
10 Minutes: I just know it's going to be a long night, surprised to see
we've had 15% possession but I suppose Adrian has held onto the ball quite a
bit.
When I was a child we lived in my Gran's house in Selsdon Road, off Green
Street and within the sound of the North Bank. I remember Christmas night
was about as East End as you could get; lots of drinking, dancing and a
round of "Sing us a song or show us your bum". Luckily, everyone preferred
to sing and traditionally Aunt Mary would give us all seventeen verses of
You don't get many of them to the pound, while Uncle Fred would treat us to
the popular love song; Step into the garden and kiss me under the plums! My
efforts were less successful as every year, after just a few bars of my ten
minute Tribute to Judy Garland the old man would call a halt, describing it
as "inappropriate".
30 Minutes: We're one-nil down, disappointing but nice to be able to
unclench for a few minutes.
Trying to follow West Ham while living on one of the Pacific Islands is also
challenging... probably. I don't know how things work there but I suspect
they must fall under the footprint of one of Murdoch's satellites, although
I prefer the idea of living like the characters in the 1950s classic The
Admirable Crichton, ingenious contraptions made from coconut shells and
having to coordinate your meals around kick-off time as the satellite dish
doubles as a wok. If that comment is at all culturally insensitive I
apologise to all the people of the Pacific Islands. I suppose I could have
said "but you can't say that any more", but that seems to be what people say
immediately after saying something racist.
57 Minutes: Adrian is caught in a conundrum. Decides to come out but is too
late, if he handles outside the box or gets anywhere near Firmino you know
he'll go down, followed by a red card and a three match ban... so he brings
down Zabaleta instead... good call.
We've been living in Australia for twenty five years and following West Ham
has never been easier. When we first arrived I had to wait until Thursday's
paper came out to see the score from the previous weekend, tucked away in a
column underneath the cane toad racing and dwarf throwing results. Thanks to
improvements in technology I have watched live, every Premier League game
we've played since 2008. The only thing all this new fangled technology
can't fix is the time difference.
59 Minutes: Antonio is on for the tiring Lanzini, not sure what difference
he can possibly... Bugger me, he's scored!
For most of the season the traditional 3pm kick-off happens at 2am on Sunday
morning down here. In the past I've tried recording the match and watching
it the next day but realised I can't logically affect the outcome with the
power of my will if it's already happened, also the urge to fast forward
when the opposition has the ball is too great. I tried staying up but
usually fall asleep before the match starts, so I now go to bed and get up
just before the teams come out. This is a time when you're no longer drunk
but not yet hung over, the period we should really be asleep and not the
ideal time to watch West Ham.
90 Minutes+: It's all over. I predicted a 3-1 defeat in my tipping contest
so not surprised by the result. I usually go back to bed angry,
disappointed, depressed or on occasion, pumped. Tonight it's just acceptance
of a painful reality... they're so much better than us. On nights like this
a job on the International Space Station doesn't sound that bad.
In the morning my memory of the match is less than reliable. Any attempt to
report faithfully on the events of the game is a waste of time, ending up
like something Fellini would have written if he'd decided to quit the cinema
and try his hand at football journalism. Like going to the match while
you're bread & drippin'... so I've been told.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be
attributed to, KUMB.com.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'It isn't a football place': Ex-West Ham boss Slaven Bilic takes aim at
Hammers' London Stadium switch
The Croatian coach oversaw the club's move in 2016, before being sacked
earlier this season
The Mirror
ByRob Guest
14:10, 26 FEB 2018
Former West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has taken aim at his former club, hitting
out at the London Stadium. Bilic led the Hammers to a seventh place finish
in the club's final year at Upton Park but experienced numerous teething
problems after the move, reports Football.London. Despite winning their
first Premier League game at their new home, they won just seven of their 19
league games on home soil, finishing 11th. Although the team are on course
to beat last year's total having already won five league games at home this
time around, fans still aren't happy with the stadium given the distance
they are away from the pitch.
Speaking to beIN Sport over the weekend, Bilic said: "It isn't a football
stadium." The Croat's comments come after he said in February 2016 that it
would be impossible for the club to recreate the atmosphere at Upton Park at
their new home. He declared at the time: "We will miss that. It's a
different stadium, it's going to be a different atmosphere. "It would be
very, very hard, almost impossible, to get that kind of atmosphere at the
new stadium. "I am not saying it is better or worse. At Upton Park and
Highbury, the old stadiums, the stands are as close to terraces as you can
get. "It was almost like terraces, you are so close to the players, whether
you sit or stand. In the new stadium it will be great to watch, it's
unbelievable comfort-wise. "People who went to the Rugby World Cup told me
the sound and atmosphere is unbelievable. It's very, very acoustic. "It will
be great. It will be a great stadium, definitely. But if you ask me about
the late-night kick-off, in the FA Cup, a little bit chilly, you cannot beat
Upton Park."
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West Ham set to reignite interest in Leander Dendoncker as David Moyes eyes
two midfield additions this summer
PLUS: Fiorentina are plotting a fresh bid for Hammers midfielder Pedro
Obiang in the summer
The Mirror
ByDarren Lewis
Adrian Kajumba
Football Reporter
21:06, 26 FEB 2018
West Ham will reignite their interest in Anderlecht midfielder Leander
Dendoncker in the summer. The Irons are big fans of the 22-year-old and
David Moyes failed in an attempt to land him last month. The midfield area
is one that Moyes is desperate to strengthen. West Ham failed with moves for
Stoke's Joe Allen, Norwich starlet James Maddison, Fulham's Tom Cairney and
Bournemouth's Harry Arter. But they are set to bring in at least two
midfielders this summer to add much-needed depth to their squad. Meanwhile,
Fiorentina are plotting a fresh bid for Pedro Obiang in the summer. The
Serie A side were keen on the now-injured West Ham midfielder in January.
And they are set to return as they brace for Croatian star Milan Badelj's
exit on a free transfer.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Lifelong West Ham United fan Bondz N'Gala cannot wait to face his old Club
when Dagenham & Redbridge host the Hammers in a fundraising friendly next
month.
Now 28, Academy of Football graduate N'Gala was born in Forest Gate, joined
West Ham at 13 and spent six seasons in Claret and Blue, making his one and
only first-team appearance in a League Cup defeat at Bolton Wanderers in
September 2009. After spells with a host of Football League and National
League clubs, centre-back N'Gala returned to east London in summer 2017,
when he joined the Daggers. Now, he is set to face his old club for the
first time in a special match organised to raise much-needed proceeds for
the financially-stricken National League club on Wednesday 21 March, tickets
for which can be purchased here.
"Everybody at the club is really looking forward to the game, not only
because it will help raise some of the money we need, but also because it
should be a good, competitive game between two professional teams," said
N'Gala. "There is a massive crossover between the two clubs, with a lot of
people being fans of both and lots of players, like me, making careers with
Dagenham after leaving West Ham. This is a club that gives players a chance
and it is so important that we secure the future of Dagenham & Redbridge FC,
so please come down and support us on the night. "Our manager John Still is
a Newham boy like me and I know he is excited about welcoming the Hammers to
our stadium. We'd love to get a big crowd in and hopefully we can put in a
good performance and win the game, too!"
N'Gala has played more than 250 senior games during a well-travelled career
that has included stops at Plymouth Argyle, Yeovil Town, Stevenage, Barnet,
Portsmouth, Eastleigh, Dover Athletic and Leyton Orient. The defender
returned to the starting XI on Saturday and helped the Daggers to secure a
3-2 win over Chester at Chigwell Construction Stadium. With ten league games
to go, N'Gala's eye is on an unlikely promotion back to the Football League.
"It's great to be back in east London, being from Newham, so it's nice to be
back home rather than playing and living in another part of the country, as
I've been doing for most of my career! "We are doing quite well in the
National League, have won two of our last three games and are only a few
points outside the Play-Off places, so promotion is still very much an
achievable target for us, as it was at the start of the season. "We have
sold a few players, and we didn't start the season with a particularly big
squad but, if anything, the situation has pulled us closer together and we
are not letting it affect us. "If we could have a good game against West
Ham, raise some money, then go on and reach the Play-Offs and win promotion
at Wembley, that would be perfect!"
Seated and standing tickets for West Ham United's friendly at Dagenham &
Redbridge on Wednesday 21 March are available now from
eticketing.co.uk/whufc, over the telephone on 0333 030 1966 or in person
from the London Stadium Ticket Office priced at £10 Adults, £8 O65s and £3
U16s. Access on the night will be via the turnstile on Bury Road.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Loan watch: Martinez debuts, Oxford celebrates, Burke secures point
WHUFC.com
Toni Martinez made his full debut for Real Valladolid, but was unable to
prevent his team falling to a 2-1 Spanish Segunda Division defeat at Cordoba
on Saturday.
The West Ham United loanee (pictured, above) played for the opening 56
minutes and Valladolid were leading 1-0 through Moyano's when the striker
was replaced by Chris Ramos. With Martinez off the pitch, Cordoba introduced
former Spain winger Jose Antonio Reyes from the bench and turned the game
around with goals from Sasa Jovanovic and Sergi Guardiola inside the final
17 minutes.
Elsewhere on the continent, Reece Oxford fared better, helping Borussia
Monchengladbach end a four-match losing streak by scoring a 1-0 German
Bundesliga victory at Hannover 96. Oxford (pictured, below) started his
second match in succession after returning to the club in January,
completing the full 90 minutes at right-back. Christoph Kramer was the
match-winner, netting 18 minutes from time to silence the
Niedersachsenstadion crowd and help Monchengladbach climb above their
opponents and up to seventh in the table.
Closer to home, Robert Snodgrass scored his seventh goal and registered his
eighth assist of the season as Aston Villa won 4-2 at Sheffield Wednesday in
the EFL Championship. Snodgrass assisted Glenn Whelan's equaliser to make it
2-2 on 67 minutes before completing the scoring from the penalty spot in the
third minute of added time after the Scot had himself been fouled by Daniel
Pudil.
Also in the Championship, Martin Samuelsen and Reece Burke were in action
for relegation-threatened Burton Albion and Bolton Wanderers respectively.
Samuelsen's Burton sank to 23rd after going down to a 1-0 home defeat by
Millwall, with the Norwegian playing the opening 85 minutes. Burke's Bolton
are 19th after securing a hard-earned goalless draw at Norwich City, with
the defender playing for 81 minutes before being replaced by Derik.
Finally, Moses Makasi was an unused substitute as Plymouth Argyle made it
six League One wins in a row to climb into the Play-Off places. The
Pilgrims' latest victory saw the Devon side defeat Bradford City 1-0 at Home
Park.
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Confident West Ham see off Norwich to make it three wins in a row
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's scholars made it three wins in a row with a deserved 3-0
U18 Premier League South victory at Norwich City on Saturday. Odysseas
Spyrides (pictured) scored twice in the first half to put the Hammers in
control at Colney Training Centre, before Louie Watson added a third after
the break. Victory took West Ham up to a season-high of ninth in the table,
pleasing co-manager Mark Phillips. "If I am being honest, I thought we were
well worth the three-goal win and the winning margin could have been wider,"
said Phillips. "It was a really good, confident and solid performance. "We
scored two in the first half, both from Ody with similar left-foot finishes,
and then Louie added a third in the second half. "That was certainly one of
the coldest football matches I've ever been involved in, but our win
certainly warmed everyone on our side up!"
Phillips believes West Ham's recent upturn in form – victories over
Leicester City and Brighton & Hove Albion preceded Saturday's success in
Norfolk – has been based on defensive solidity, giving the attacking players
a platform on which to go forward and win matches. "What has made a
difference is that we have welcomed Mason Barrett back from injury and Aji
Alese back from England duty and they have slotted in really well alongside
captain Ben Wells at centre-half. "Playing with three at the back has made
us really solid and given us a base to build from. We also had U16s in goal
and at right-back in Daniel Jinadu and Harrison Ashby and they both did
well. "Ody has also come back recently after being ruled out with a pelvic
injury and his goals have obviously helped." Weather permitting, next up for
the young Hammers is a home derby with Tottenham Hotspur at Little Heath on
Saturday morning. Phillips and his co-manager Steve Potts are looking
forward to seeing how their in-form team shapes up against a Spurs side
coached by none other than three-time Hammer of the Year Scott Parker.
"The forecast looks a bit dodgy but, if the game does go ahead, it will be
great to see Scotty again. Steve, of course, knows him very well from his
time here and he's a top lad and now well on his way to being a top coach.
"A lot of the players from both teams have also come up through the
age-groups together and know each other well, so it should be a really
interesting game. "We are in confident mood and we want to keep winning and
keep climbing the table."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Zabaleta: We fell short in the second half at Liverpool
WHUFC.com
Pablo Zabaleta admitted the Hammers gave Liverpool a helping hand en route
to their 4-1 Premier League victory over the east Londoners at Anfield on
Saturday, saying their second half performance did not reach the standards
they have set themselves. David Moyes' team started the game well enough,
hitting the crossbar through Marko Arnautovic with the score at 0-0 after 15
minutes, but they conceded a 29th-minute opener to Emre Can from a set play
and then were powerless to stop Liverpool taking the contest away from them
after the break. Zabaleta was disappointed with the way the hosts were able
to create openings in the second period and says his team need to bounce
back quickly when they head to Swansea City this weekend. The No5 said:
"Every time you play against top teams they have good quality up front and
you have to make the perfect game to get something against the top sides. In
the second half we gave them too many chances.
"It was tough. Anfield is always a tough place to come and they were better
than us. First half we were good and had a few chances but in the second
half we weren't good enough. As a team they are very intense, they kept
coming forward and they can score goals. It's time to move on and just think
about the Swansea game. "Swansea are three points behind, everything is so
tight at the bottom half of the table, and we need to win the games like
this Saturday's at Swansea."
Reflecting further on Saturday's defeat, Zabaleta said Liverpool's front
three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane - who all scored -
will make things difficult for any defence that has to face them. "It is not
only against West Ham – we have seen they can score more than two or three
goals against top sides," he continued. "It is always hard any time you come
here. I think they are a really good team to be honest. "Those three guys up
front now are in a really good moment. They are difficult to play against.
They don't give a point of reference, they are so mobile. They are good
players. In the second half we gave them too many chances."
West Ham, who ended the weekend in 13th place with 30 points from 28 games,
will look to bounce back when they visit the Liberty Stadium on Saturday at
3pm.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WHAT I WOULD DO TO IMPROVE THE LONDON STADIUM!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 26 FEBRUARY 2018 AT 9:01PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @DavidMrplumber
The situation with the owners, the fans, the stadium, E20 and the govt
cannot go on as it is. The current deal is abysmal for the tax payer and the
deal in return is also poor as WHU have no control whatsoever in the running
of the stadium. Compromise and alternative deals need to be struck by all
parties named above.
In all reality WHU are stuck with the stadium for the foreseeable
future,talk of rebuilding a new stadium elsewhere or knocking the stadium
down is nonsense and completely unrealistic at this point in time.
The billionaire owners/company's that some crave for are not exactly queuing
up around the corner even if the owners wanted to sell up, also the club in
its current state is severely lacking in appeal for any prospective buyer
anyway so we have to make the best of what we've got.
Here are my proposals to improve The LS short term within a sustainable and
reasonable budget and in doing so will maximise profits long term for both
WHU and E20!and help us, the supporters.
•If Athletics is to remain then a percentage of the cost of the installation
of retractable seating to be paid for by WHU which would make it a proper
multi use venue.
•£2.5m yearly rent paid by WHU to be raised significantly to a more
realistic amount to appease the govt and the tax payer.
•Stewarding to be employed and paid for direct by WHU for football games
only, all other events eg Rugby/live concerts, athletics etc the stewarding
to be provided by E20.
In return we'd want…
•Considerably more say/freedom in the running of the stadium.
•Front row seating to be "squared off" if possible.
•Capacity to be extended to 66k and more toilets installed to cater for
extra fans.
•A bigger share of catering profits, a bigger capacity stadium will offset
the loss of income to the LLDC, more fans means more profit!
•The surrounding gaudy green Astro turf to be removed and replaced with
claret or blue at the expense of WHU.
•A possible solution for the Stadium naming rights would be to divide it so
West Ham will be free to find their own sponsor say Vodaphone and would be
known as the Vodaphone Arena when the stadium is being used for football
only. E20 to find their own sponsor name and will be called the …… Arena
when being used for athletics, rugby, concerts etc!
If this is not a workable solution then a deal needs to be struck where WHU
get a considerably larger share of the profits gained from a single naming
rights partner.
•WHU to pay the council to take control of the access bridges on match days
only and some local businesses from UP to be invited to pitch their stalls.
How lovely for example would it be to see a Nathan's pie and mash stall?
•The main access bridge to be made "West Ham" eg ex players and legends
remembered/flags etc (as promised)along with a new statue of the 3 x World
Cup winners, the original to remain at Upton Park…..
To summarise I understand some of these suggestions may not be feasible
others may well be, other than the retractable seating most of my
suggestions with good negotiations between all parties could be in place
before the start of next season. What you may have noticed is that I'm
attempting to separate WHU from the stadium owners/operators but at the same
time generating extra turnover for both parties, appeasing both WHU
fans/owners and ultimately the government.
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HC INSIGHT – JOAO MARIO – PLAYER PROFILE
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 24 FEBRUARY 2018 AT 11:18AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
In the latest episode of #HCInsight, Joao Mario is the centre of attention
as well as the centre of West Ham United midfield.
Joao Mario was signed on loan last month from Inter Milan as Moyes looked to
inject more creativity into the side so Geo decided to take a look at the
Portuguese International and see what his strengths and weaknesses are from
his time at Internazionale and Sporting Lisbon as well as his first 3 games
in a claret and blue shirt.
With an investment of over £3m for his loan and a £38m summer price tag, he
doesn't come cheap, but is Joao Mario looking like he is worth it? Geo does
the research and Charlie does the superb graphics as Hammers Chat bring the
stats to The West Ham Way on this video.
For more West Ham related stats follow @redhammer8 on twitter as well as
@hammers_chat and we will feature their 4th episode of the series next week
on this website, as they take a look at another Portuguese International.
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Fans' alliance to discuss club proposals
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th February 2018
By: Staff Writer
The supporters' alliance that attended a recent meeting with the Board of
WHUFC to share its numerous concerns will reassemble this week in order to
discuss the club's proposals. The committee, that included members of the
Real West Ham Fans Action Group, KUMB, WHUISA, West Ham TV and Hammers Chat
will be gathering again to discuss the club's response to the intial meeting
with vice-chair Karren Brady and fellow Board member Tara Warren.
A number of points pertaining to the operation of the football club since
West Ham moved to Stratford were raised during last week's five-hour
meeting, ranging from continuing concerns over security at the stadium to
the negative influence Karren Brady's weekly tabloid newspaper column may
have had on the club. The Board have since responded with their proposals,
which will be discussed by the groups involved ahead of a prospective
follow-up meeting with the club at a date yet to be confirmed. The emergency
meeting between supporters and the Board of Directors was called by the club
after the RWHFAG announced its intention to stage a protest march against
the club's owners on 10 March.
Although supporters have cited many differing individual reasons for
intending to protest, all those in attendance at next month's peaceful
parade will be marching under a general banner of "no confidence" in West
Ham United's current Board, which stands accused of gross mismanagement of
the club both on and off the field.
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Liverpool v West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th February 2018
By: Ten Thousand Miles From The Boleyn
-5 Minutes: As kick-off time approaches their famous anthem rumbles around
the stadium. With a couple of exceptions, visits to Anfield have been so
horrible for the last half century that I can't bring myself to watch
Carousel any more.
Not a massive issue as it was never one of my favourite Rodgers and
Hammerstein musicals, but as Liverpool fans are renowned lovers of Show
Tunes (not that there's anything wrong with that) I'd bet there is a
parallel universe where there are currently fifty thousand Scousers singing
I'm just a girl who can't say no.
I live ten thousand miles from the Boleyn. So what do I know about anything?
I do know it's not easy living and working in the International Space
Station, particularly on match day when you miss half game because you're on
the wrong side of the planet. This is just one of the many reasons I never
pursued a career in a field that would have made me of any value in a
zero-gravity environment.
-2 Minutes: Commemorative Bobby Moore t-shirts for the travelling fans,
let's hope this doesn't become contentious. But it probably will.
There were a few negative responses to my first opinion piece regarding the
mood of discontent surrounding the club and the upcoming march. I could have
taken the criticism as a perfectly reasonable response from people who have
a far greater investment in the ongoing issues surrounding the stadium than
I do. But instead I decided to treat it as a vicious assault on my right to
free speech, casting doubt on my love of West Ham and questioning my very
Cockneyhood!
10 Minutes: I just know it's going to be a long night, surprised to see
we've had 15% possession but I suppose Adrian has held onto the ball quite a
bit.
When I was a child we lived in my Gran's house in Selsdon Road, off Green
Street and within the sound of the North Bank. I remember Christmas night
was about as East End as you could get; lots of drinking, dancing and a
round of "Sing us a song or show us your bum". Luckily, everyone preferred
to sing and traditionally Aunt Mary would give us all seventeen verses of
You don't get many of them to the pound, while Uncle Fred would treat us to
the popular love song; Step into the garden and kiss me under the plums! My
efforts were less successful as every year, after just a few bars of my ten
minute Tribute to Judy Garland the old man would call a halt, describing it
as "inappropriate".
30 Minutes: We're one-nil down, disappointing but nice to be able to
unclench for a few minutes.
Trying to follow West Ham while living on one of the Pacific Islands is also
challenging... probably. I don't know how things work there but I suspect
they must fall under the footprint of one of Murdoch's satellites, although
I prefer the idea of living like the characters in the 1950s classic The
Admirable Crichton, ingenious contraptions made from coconut shells and
having to coordinate your meals around kick-off time as the satellite dish
doubles as a wok. If that comment is at all culturally insensitive I
apologise to all the people of the Pacific Islands. I suppose I could have
said "but you can't say that any more", but that seems to be what people say
immediately after saying something racist.
57 Minutes: Adrian is caught in a conundrum. Decides to come out but is too
late, if he handles outside the box or gets anywhere near Firmino you know
he'll go down, followed by a red card and a three match ban... so he brings
down Zabaleta instead... good call.
We've been living in Australia for twenty five years and following West Ham
has never been easier. When we first arrived I had to wait until Thursday's
paper came out to see the score from the previous weekend, tucked away in a
column underneath the cane toad racing and dwarf throwing results. Thanks to
improvements in technology I have watched live, every Premier League game
we've played since 2008. The only thing all this new fangled technology
can't fix is the time difference.
59 Minutes: Antonio is on for the tiring Lanzini, not sure what difference
he can possibly... Bugger me, he's scored!
For most of the season the traditional 3pm kick-off happens at 2am on Sunday
morning down here. In the past I've tried recording the match and watching
it the next day but realised I can't logically affect the outcome with the
power of my will if it's already happened, also the urge to fast forward
when the opposition has the ball is too great. I tried staying up but
usually fall asleep before the match starts, so I now go to bed and get up
just before the teams come out. This is a time when you're no longer drunk
but not yet hung over, the period we should really be asleep and not the
ideal time to watch West Ham.
90 Minutes+: It's all over. I predicted a 3-1 defeat in my tipping contest
so not surprised by the result. I usually go back to bed angry,
disappointed, depressed or on occasion, pumped. Tonight it's just acceptance
of a painful reality... they're so much better than us. On nights like this
a job on the International Space Station doesn't sound that bad.
In the morning my memory of the match is less than reliable. Any attempt to
report faithfully on the events of the game is a waste of time, ending up
like something Fellini would have written if he'd decided to quit the cinema
and try his hand at football journalism. Like going to the match while
you're bread & drippin'... so I've been told.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be
attributed to, KUMB.com.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'It isn't a football place': Ex-West Ham boss Slaven Bilic takes aim at
Hammers' London Stadium switch
The Croatian coach oversaw the club's move in 2016, before being sacked
earlier this season
The Mirror
ByRob Guest
14:10, 26 FEB 2018
Former West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has taken aim at his former club, hitting
out at the London Stadium. Bilic led the Hammers to a seventh place finish
in the club's final year at Upton Park but experienced numerous teething
problems after the move, reports Football.London. Despite winning their
first Premier League game at their new home, they won just seven of their 19
league games on home soil, finishing 11th. Although the team are on course
to beat last year's total having already won five league games at home this
time around, fans still aren't happy with the stadium given the distance
they are away from the pitch.
Speaking to beIN Sport over the weekend, Bilic said: "It isn't a football
stadium." The Croat's comments come after he said in February 2016 that it
would be impossible for the club to recreate the atmosphere at Upton Park at
their new home. He declared at the time: "We will miss that. It's a
different stadium, it's going to be a different atmosphere. "It would be
very, very hard, almost impossible, to get that kind of atmosphere at the
new stadium. "I am not saying it is better or worse. At Upton Park and
Highbury, the old stadiums, the stands are as close to terraces as you can
get. "It was almost like terraces, you are so close to the players, whether
you sit or stand. In the new stadium it will be great to watch, it's
unbelievable comfort-wise. "People who went to the Rugby World Cup told me
the sound and atmosphere is unbelievable. It's very, very acoustic. "It will
be great. It will be a great stadium, definitely. But if you ask me about
the late-night kick-off, in the FA Cup, a little bit chilly, you cannot beat
Upton Park."
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West Ham set to reignite interest in Leander Dendoncker as David Moyes eyes
two midfield additions this summer
PLUS: Fiorentina are plotting a fresh bid for Hammers midfielder Pedro
Obiang in the summer
The Mirror
ByDarren Lewis
Adrian Kajumba
Football Reporter
21:06, 26 FEB 2018
West Ham will reignite their interest in Anderlecht midfielder Leander
Dendoncker in the summer. The Irons are big fans of the 22-year-old and
David Moyes failed in an attempt to land him last month. The midfield area
is one that Moyes is desperate to strengthen. West Ham failed with moves for
Stoke's Joe Allen, Norwich starlet James Maddison, Fulham's Tom Cairney and
Bournemouth's Harry Arter. But they are set to bring in at least two
midfielders this summer to add much-needed depth to their squad. Meanwhile,
Fiorentina are plotting a fresh bid for Pedro Obiang in the summer. The
Serie A side were keen on the now-injured West Ham midfielder in January.
And they are set to return as they brace for Croatian star Milan Badelj's
exit on a free transfer.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Sunday, February 25
Daily WHUFC News - 26th February 2018
Ogbonna: We need to move on to Swansea
WHUFC.com
Angelo Ogbonna says the Hammers will learn from the experience of defeat at
Liverpool as they prepare for next weekend's trip to Swansea City. The Swans
dropped back into the relegation zone on Saturday as they suffered a defeat
at Brighton by the same 4-1 scoreline as the Hammers faced on Merseyside.
Ogbonna is determined to ensure his team tighten up again and extend the gap
between themselves and the South Wales side when they meet at the Liberty
Stadium. I think we started the game well at Liverpool and the first half
was good," he explained. "But they are fantastic - Liverpool played a good
game with pace. I think 4-1 was too much though. "We went to Anfield to play
our game, and we're still positive of course. Now we have to focus on next
week's game at Swansea. "We have to forget the Liverpool game and look
forward. It's an important one next week, we are focused on improving our
position in the table and every game is important to get the big results."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
BILIC ON WEST HAM
By Blind Hammer 25 Feb 2018 at 17:00
WTID
Blind Hammer reports on Bilic's Radio Five Live remarks.
Slaven Bilic was the guest on Five Live's Sportsweek this Sunday. He made
some interesting comments on his time at West Ham.
ON Payet.
Payet was not difficult to manage generally. He was good in the dressing
room and not difficult throughout the first season. He was OK for the start
of the second season. Bilic did not believe that Payet's desire to move was
about money, as to be fair, the club had rewarded him. However he did want
to move back to France. When he could not do this he became silent and
withdrawn from the rest of the squad. The other players noticed this and
this is when Bilic eventually had to come out in public to report what the
issues were. The Manager has ultimate control but in the end you need your
best players playing for you, creating or scoring goals. If this is not
happening then it needs sorting out.
On his record at West Ham
The first season was incredible but he thought season 2 was very good as
well. Season 2 was good because of the difficulties that they had to
overcome. This was not only about the difficulty of adjusting to a new
Stadium but the incredible amount of injuries and surgeries that depleted
the squad throughout the season.
On Pressure
West Ham was not the most difficult and pressured job he has done. The most
pressured and difficult job he did was managing Croatia for 6 years WHERE HE
HAD TO COPE WITH THE EXPECTATIONS OF A WHOLE Nation.
On leaving West Ham.
Bilic did not have hard feelings about the sack. He said it was done in a
"nice and polite" way. Karren Brady was the messenger but of course he knew
it was likely to come. He said that he still felt he could have turned
things around at West Ham.
Later in the interview however he appears to have more ambivalent feelings
about this. He most surprisingly said that actually he should have left West
Ham at the end of season 2. He said to be fair that he had been desperately
tired, having worked nonstop in management for over 10 years. This need for
rest was why he had not already returned to management. He said that he had
already been contacted about his interest in alternative management jobs,
including contact from Premier League as well as clubs abroad. He had turned
them down because he still felt he was recuperating. Unless he received an
incredible offer, he did not plan to return to Management until the summer.
On David Moyes.
Bilic felt that Moyes had done a great job since he had gone to West Ham.
The big advantage Moyes has had over him was that he was able to come in and
go "right back to basics". This is always easier for a new Manager to do
coming in from outside compared to a Manager who already has a history
complicated by existing relationships established with players.
The full interview is available on BBC iPlayer.
COYI
David Griffith
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Angelo Ogbonna says the Hammers will learn from the experience of defeat at
Liverpool as they prepare for next weekend's trip to Swansea City. The Swans
dropped back into the relegation zone on Saturday as they suffered a defeat
at Brighton by the same 4-1 scoreline as the Hammers faced on Merseyside.
Ogbonna is determined to ensure his team tighten up again and extend the gap
between themselves and the South Wales side when they meet at the Liberty
Stadium. I think we started the game well at Liverpool and the first half
was good," he explained. "But they are fantastic - Liverpool played a good
game with pace. I think 4-1 was too much though. "We went to Anfield to play
our game, and we're still positive of course. Now we have to focus on next
week's game at Swansea. "We have to forget the Liverpool game and look
forward. It's an important one next week, we are focused on improving our
position in the table and every game is important to get the big results."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
BILIC ON WEST HAM
By Blind Hammer 25 Feb 2018 at 17:00
WTID
Blind Hammer reports on Bilic's Radio Five Live remarks.
Slaven Bilic was the guest on Five Live's Sportsweek this Sunday. He made
some interesting comments on his time at West Ham.
ON Payet.
Payet was not difficult to manage generally. He was good in the dressing
room and not difficult throughout the first season. He was OK for the start
of the second season. Bilic did not believe that Payet's desire to move was
about money, as to be fair, the club had rewarded him. However he did want
to move back to France. When he could not do this he became silent and
withdrawn from the rest of the squad. The other players noticed this and
this is when Bilic eventually had to come out in public to report what the
issues were. The Manager has ultimate control but in the end you need your
best players playing for you, creating or scoring goals. If this is not
happening then it needs sorting out.
On his record at West Ham
The first season was incredible but he thought season 2 was very good as
well. Season 2 was good because of the difficulties that they had to
overcome. This was not only about the difficulty of adjusting to a new
Stadium but the incredible amount of injuries and surgeries that depleted
the squad throughout the season.
On Pressure
West Ham was not the most difficult and pressured job he has done. The most
pressured and difficult job he did was managing Croatia for 6 years WHERE HE
HAD TO COPE WITH THE EXPECTATIONS OF A WHOLE Nation.
On leaving West Ham.
Bilic did not have hard feelings about the sack. He said it was done in a
"nice and polite" way. Karren Brady was the messenger but of course he knew
it was likely to come. He said that he still felt he could have turned
things around at West Ham.
Later in the interview however he appears to have more ambivalent feelings
about this. He most surprisingly said that actually he should have left West
Ham at the end of season 2. He said to be fair that he had been desperately
tired, having worked nonstop in management for over 10 years. This need for
rest was why he had not already returned to management. He said that he had
already been contacted about his interest in alternative management jobs,
including contact from Premier League as well as clubs abroad. He had turned
them down because he still felt he was recuperating. Unless he received an
incredible offer, he did not plan to return to Management until the summer.
On David Moyes.
Bilic felt that Moyes had done a great job since he had gone to West Ham.
The big advantage Moyes has had over him was that he was able to come in and
go "right back to basics". This is always easier for a new Manager to do
coming in from outside compared to a Manager who already has a history
complicated by existing relationships established with players.
The full interview is available on BBC iPlayer.
COYI
David Griffith
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Daily WHUFC News - 25th February 2018
Hammers defeated at Anfield
WHUFC.com
Liverpool 4 - 1 West Ham United
Premier League
Liverpool's attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane
all found the net as the Hammers fell to a 4-1 defeat at Anfield on
Saturday. Salah, Firmino and Mane have been winning plaudits all season and
they showed exactly what they are capable of, taking the game away from the
Hammers after the break. Emre Can's first half header got the goalscoring
underway, and although Michail Antonio briefly gave the visitors hope by
making it 3-1 just before the hour, Liverpool reasserted their authority
when Mane rounded off the scoring near the end. The Reds went within a
whisker of taking the lead as early as the third minute when Salah's touch
took him away from James Collins inside the area and his low shot was
touched onto the post superbly by Adrian. With six minutes on the clock the
Hammers fans sang as one in memory of Bobby Moore, on the 25th anniversary
of his passing. Nine minutes later, Marko Arnautovic so nearly gave the
visitors the lead when he found himself one-on-one with Joel Matip and opted
to take the shot on early, striking the crossbar with a deft lob. So much
has been said of Liverpool's three-pronged attack this season, so the
Hammers would have been bitterly disappointed to fall behind to a simple
goal from a corner, Emre Can rising to nod home from Salah's delivery.
Adrian's protests that he had been blocked by James Milner fell on deaf ears
and the hosts led. West Ham's threat had been sporadic, but they did look
dangerous when they got Arnautovic on the ball and he forced a save from
Loris Karius three minutes before the break when his long range shot swerved
in the air and needed tipping over.
The Hammers would have felt they were still in the game at the break, but
Liverpool took it away from them with a two-goal blast inside the first
twelve minutes of the second period. First, Salah rolled into the bottom
corner after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's persistence took him away from
Cheikhou Kouyate's attempts to tackle him, then Firmino made it 3-0, racing
onto Emre Can's ball over the top, beating Adrian to the pass and slotting
home. David Moyes introduced Michail Antonio from the bench in response, and
his first involvement was to cut the deficit, beating Karius after he was
sent through by Kouyate's raking pass. Liverpool kept on coming though and
Sadio Mane should have made it 4-1 with 20 minutes left, but he could only
hit the post with just Adrian to beat. Seven minutes later he made amends,
forcing home after Andrew Robertson crossed low from the left to round off
the home side's win.
Liverpool: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, van Dijk, Matip, Robertson, Can, Milner
(c), Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane (Moreno 87), Salah (Solanke 87), Firmino
(Lallana 82)
Subs: Mignolet, Lovren, Gomez, Henderson
Goals: Can 29, Salah 51, Firmino 56, Mane 77
West Ham United: Adrian, Zabaleta, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Evra, Noble
(c), Kouyate, Mario (Rice 83), Lanzini (Antonio 57), Arnautovic (Chicharito
83)
Subs: Hart, Reid, Hugill, Byram
Goal: Antonio 59
Booked: Collins, Kouyate
Referee: Stuart Attwell
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Claret & Blue Army wear Bobby Moore T-Shirts
WHUFC.com
The 3,000 West Ham United supporters who attended this weekend's Premier
League contest with Liverpool all received a specially-commissioned
commemorative t-shirt, in honour of Bobby Moore, provided by the Club.
Saturday 24 February 2018 marked 25 years since the tragic passing of Moore,
with West Ham's greatest son passing away after a brave battle with bowel
cancer.
As part of our tribute to the late, great Bobby Moore, West Ham United
provided the travelling Hammers fans at Anfield with a t-shirt donning the
image of the iconic defender, along with the words '25 years gone, never
forgotten'.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble: The 4-1 scoreline at Liverpool was a little bit harsh
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble admitted West Ham United had been punished for making 'individual
mistakes' in Saturday's 4-1 Premier League defeat at Liverpool. The Hammers
were well in the game during a competitive first half, when they hit the
frame of Loris Karius' goal and worked the German goalkeeper on a number of
occasions.
But from the moment Emre Can headed the Reds in front on the half-hour mark,
West Ham were up against it, and the game went away from them as Liverpool
added further goals from Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane,
rendering Michail Antonio's goal a consolation. "The first goal for us, the
set play, was really disappointing," said Noble. "In the first half,
especially, we played really well, played well on the ball and had two or
three really good chances. If we scored, it's a different kettle of fish.
"The second half was tough for us. We conceded the second goal [early on],
made a couple of individual mistakes, really, and they punish teams. They
did it to Manchester City here and scored four goals and pounced on
mistakes. "We hit the bar and had another shot that their 'keeper saved. If
only we could have been a little more clinical when we went forward. We got
in some really good positions. "There is no point making up excuses. They
were better than us today. They've got a fantastic front three with so much
pace, power and skill. They deserved to win. "To be fair, I think it's a
little bit harsh on us. It's not really a 4-1 victory, but it is what it is.
It's tough to take."
While Noble was disappointed with the result, he conceded that Liverpool are
simply are better team, with greater resources, and played well on the day.
"If we'd got anything out of the game we'd have been buzzing. Don't forget
they are competing for Champions League football. "The next three games for
us are massive and it was key that we came through this game without picking
up any injuries. "We gave it our best. I don't think you can say the lads
chucked it in, because they never did that, but at the end of the day they
were too good. That's why they pay so much money for their players."
West Ham now face three games against teams around them in the table, with a
trip to Swansea City followed by home games with Burnley and Southampton in
March. "We've got pick ourselves up and go again next week. These type of
games are a bonus. We've beaten Chelsea and drawn with Arsenal and picked up
some fantastic points, but to come here away from home, I thought conceding
four was a little bit harsh.
"These next three games are key for us."
Finally, the captain thanked the Claret and Blue Army for paying tribute to
Bobby Moore on the 25th anniversary of the late skipper's death, with all
3,000 donning commemorative t-shirts provided by the Club. "For us, he's a
fantastic part of our history and to have someone of his stature associated
with our Football Club, we need to keep his name strong in remembrance."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moyes: Our defeat at Liverpool was self-inflicted
WHUFC.com
David Moyes admitted his West Ham United team had simply been beaten by the
better side in Saturday's 4-1 Premier League defeat at Liverpool. Goals from
Emre Can, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane condemned the
Hammers to just their second top-flight loss of the calendar year and third
in 13 matches overall, with only Adrian's heroics preventing a heavier
defeat. The Hammers had chances of their own at Anfield, too, with Marko
Arnautovic hitting the underside of the bar with the game still goalless and
Michail Antonio netting a second-half goal just moments after arriving as a
substitute. "It was a tough day, but we played a good team in form, but
we've done quite well against the top teams since I've been at the Club and
I thought for periods today we also did quite well," said the manager.
"Especially in the first half, we created some chances and I thought we
played with bits of composure, albeit Liverpool were creating opportunities
and with the players they have got at their disposal, they're always going
to do that. "Our goal gave us a chance of getting back in the game. We
always thought we had a chance of scoring, but the thing was to keep their
front players quiet. We did a good job of that at times, but most of our
goals we conceded were self-inflicted, which hasn't been the case for us
this season, or certainly in the last six weeks, when we've been really
organised and not made individual mistakes. "We gave the ball away, got
caught on the ball and when you do that, Liverpool will punish you."
It was not all doom and gloom, though, as West Ham created chances
themselves, with Arnautovic and Pablo Zabaleta going close with the game
still poised at 0-0 before Can's 29th-minute opener. "With a little bit more
courage in the first half, I thought we could have gone in front if we could
have taken the opportunities, or could have taken control of the ball a bit
longer and kept possession. There were good things about it, but ultimately
we're playing against a team in really good form at the moment."
With the standings so congested in the bottom half, Moyes dismissed any
notion of this being a 'bonus' game and it being more important for his West
Ham team to beat the sides around them in the Premier League table. "You're
still looking to take points en route. We had a really good win against
Chelsea earlier this season and we picked up a point against Arsenal, so
we'll have to do that, but the other teams will be saying just the same.
"Every game is going to change the dynamics of the table. We're in a
relatively good league position, but not in a relatively good position
points-wise, because everybody is so closely bunched.
"It was important that we didn't lose by an even heavier margin, because
goal difference could be important come the end of the season."
Despite seeing their team beaten, West Ham's 3,000-strong travelling support
made themselves heard throughout the 90 minutes, by both cheering for their
team and singing the name of the late Bobby Moore in the sixth minute of
each half on the 25th anniversary of the late captain's death.
The Claret and Blue Army will hope for a more positive result when they head
to Swansea City next Saturday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Liverpool 4 - 1 West Ham United
Premier League
Liverpool's attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane
all found the net as the Hammers fell to a 4-1 defeat at Anfield on
Saturday. Salah, Firmino and Mane have been winning plaudits all season and
they showed exactly what they are capable of, taking the game away from the
Hammers after the break. Emre Can's first half header got the goalscoring
underway, and although Michail Antonio briefly gave the visitors hope by
making it 3-1 just before the hour, Liverpool reasserted their authority
when Mane rounded off the scoring near the end. The Reds went within a
whisker of taking the lead as early as the third minute when Salah's touch
took him away from James Collins inside the area and his low shot was
touched onto the post superbly by Adrian. With six minutes on the clock the
Hammers fans sang as one in memory of Bobby Moore, on the 25th anniversary
of his passing. Nine minutes later, Marko Arnautovic so nearly gave the
visitors the lead when he found himself one-on-one with Joel Matip and opted
to take the shot on early, striking the crossbar with a deft lob. So much
has been said of Liverpool's three-pronged attack this season, so the
Hammers would have been bitterly disappointed to fall behind to a simple
goal from a corner, Emre Can rising to nod home from Salah's delivery.
Adrian's protests that he had been blocked by James Milner fell on deaf ears
and the hosts led. West Ham's threat had been sporadic, but they did look
dangerous when they got Arnautovic on the ball and he forced a save from
Loris Karius three minutes before the break when his long range shot swerved
in the air and needed tipping over.
The Hammers would have felt they were still in the game at the break, but
Liverpool took it away from them with a two-goal blast inside the first
twelve minutes of the second period. First, Salah rolled into the bottom
corner after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's persistence took him away from
Cheikhou Kouyate's attempts to tackle him, then Firmino made it 3-0, racing
onto Emre Can's ball over the top, beating Adrian to the pass and slotting
home. David Moyes introduced Michail Antonio from the bench in response, and
his first involvement was to cut the deficit, beating Karius after he was
sent through by Kouyate's raking pass. Liverpool kept on coming though and
Sadio Mane should have made it 4-1 with 20 minutes left, but he could only
hit the post with just Adrian to beat. Seven minutes later he made amends,
forcing home after Andrew Robertson crossed low from the left to round off
the home side's win.
Liverpool: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, van Dijk, Matip, Robertson, Can, Milner
(c), Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane (Moreno 87), Salah (Solanke 87), Firmino
(Lallana 82)
Subs: Mignolet, Lovren, Gomez, Henderson
Goals: Can 29, Salah 51, Firmino 56, Mane 77
West Ham United: Adrian, Zabaleta, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Evra, Noble
(c), Kouyate, Mario (Rice 83), Lanzini (Antonio 57), Arnautovic (Chicharito
83)
Subs: Hart, Reid, Hugill, Byram
Goal: Antonio 59
Booked: Collins, Kouyate
Referee: Stuart Attwell
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Claret & Blue Army wear Bobby Moore T-Shirts
WHUFC.com
The 3,000 West Ham United supporters who attended this weekend's Premier
League contest with Liverpool all received a specially-commissioned
commemorative t-shirt, in honour of Bobby Moore, provided by the Club.
Saturday 24 February 2018 marked 25 years since the tragic passing of Moore,
with West Ham's greatest son passing away after a brave battle with bowel
cancer.
As part of our tribute to the late, great Bobby Moore, West Ham United
provided the travelling Hammers fans at Anfield with a t-shirt donning the
image of the iconic defender, along with the words '25 years gone, never
forgotten'.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble: The 4-1 scoreline at Liverpool was a little bit harsh
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble admitted West Ham United had been punished for making 'individual
mistakes' in Saturday's 4-1 Premier League defeat at Liverpool. The Hammers
were well in the game during a competitive first half, when they hit the
frame of Loris Karius' goal and worked the German goalkeeper on a number of
occasions.
But from the moment Emre Can headed the Reds in front on the half-hour mark,
West Ham were up against it, and the game went away from them as Liverpool
added further goals from Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane,
rendering Michail Antonio's goal a consolation. "The first goal for us, the
set play, was really disappointing," said Noble. "In the first half,
especially, we played really well, played well on the ball and had two or
three really good chances. If we scored, it's a different kettle of fish.
"The second half was tough for us. We conceded the second goal [early on],
made a couple of individual mistakes, really, and they punish teams. They
did it to Manchester City here and scored four goals and pounced on
mistakes. "We hit the bar and had another shot that their 'keeper saved. If
only we could have been a little more clinical when we went forward. We got
in some really good positions. "There is no point making up excuses. They
were better than us today. They've got a fantastic front three with so much
pace, power and skill. They deserved to win. "To be fair, I think it's a
little bit harsh on us. It's not really a 4-1 victory, but it is what it is.
It's tough to take."
While Noble was disappointed with the result, he conceded that Liverpool are
simply are better team, with greater resources, and played well on the day.
"If we'd got anything out of the game we'd have been buzzing. Don't forget
they are competing for Champions League football. "The next three games for
us are massive and it was key that we came through this game without picking
up any injuries. "We gave it our best. I don't think you can say the lads
chucked it in, because they never did that, but at the end of the day they
were too good. That's why they pay so much money for their players."
West Ham now face three games against teams around them in the table, with a
trip to Swansea City followed by home games with Burnley and Southampton in
March. "We've got pick ourselves up and go again next week. These type of
games are a bonus. We've beaten Chelsea and drawn with Arsenal and picked up
some fantastic points, but to come here away from home, I thought conceding
four was a little bit harsh.
"These next three games are key for us."
Finally, the captain thanked the Claret and Blue Army for paying tribute to
Bobby Moore on the 25th anniversary of the late skipper's death, with all
3,000 donning commemorative t-shirts provided by the Club. "For us, he's a
fantastic part of our history and to have someone of his stature associated
with our Football Club, we need to keep his name strong in remembrance."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moyes: Our defeat at Liverpool was self-inflicted
WHUFC.com
David Moyes admitted his West Ham United team had simply been beaten by the
better side in Saturday's 4-1 Premier League defeat at Liverpool. Goals from
Emre Can, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane condemned the
Hammers to just their second top-flight loss of the calendar year and third
in 13 matches overall, with only Adrian's heroics preventing a heavier
defeat. The Hammers had chances of their own at Anfield, too, with Marko
Arnautovic hitting the underside of the bar with the game still goalless and
Michail Antonio netting a second-half goal just moments after arriving as a
substitute. "It was a tough day, but we played a good team in form, but
we've done quite well against the top teams since I've been at the Club and
I thought for periods today we also did quite well," said the manager.
"Especially in the first half, we created some chances and I thought we
played with bits of composure, albeit Liverpool were creating opportunities
and with the players they have got at their disposal, they're always going
to do that. "Our goal gave us a chance of getting back in the game. We
always thought we had a chance of scoring, but the thing was to keep their
front players quiet. We did a good job of that at times, but most of our
goals we conceded were self-inflicted, which hasn't been the case for us
this season, or certainly in the last six weeks, when we've been really
organised and not made individual mistakes. "We gave the ball away, got
caught on the ball and when you do that, Liverpool will punish you."
It was not all doom and gloom, though, as West Ham created chances
themselves, with Arnautovic and Pablo Zabaleta going close with the game
still poised at 0-0 before Can's 29th-minute opener. "With a little bit more
courage in the first half, I thought we could have gone in front if we could
have taken the opportunities, or could have taken control of the ball a bit
longer and kept possession. There were good things about it, but ultimately
we're playing against a team in really good form at the moment."
With the standings so congested in the bottom half, Moyes dismissed any
notion of this being a 'bonus' game and it being more important for his West
Ham team to beat the sides around them in the Premier League table. "You're
still looking to take points en route. We had a really good win against
Chelsea earlier this season and we picked up a point against Arsenal, so
we'll have to do that, but the other teams will be saying just the same.
"Every game is going to change the dynamics of the table. We're in a
relatively good league position, but not in a relatively good position
points-wise, because everybody is so closely bunched.
"It was important that we didn't lose by an even heavier margin, because
goal difference could be important come the end of the season."
Despite seeing their team beaten, West Ham's 3,000-strong travelling support
made themselves heard throughout the 90 minutes, by both cheering for their
team and singing the name of the late Bobby Moore in the sixth minute of
each half on the 25th anniversary of the late captain's death.
The Claret and Blue Army will hope for a more positive result when they head
to Swansea City next Saturday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, February 24
Daily WHUFC News - 24th February 2018
Liverpool v West Ham United: All you need to know
WHUFC.com
The Hammers make the long trip to Liverpool on Saturday hoping to register
back-to-back wins for the first time in the Premier League this season.
While Anfield might not be the happiest of historical hunting grounds for
West Ham, they will take heart from the recent results there, which saw the
famous 3-0 win in the 2015/16 season followed by a creditable 2-2 draw last
term.
Where and when?
Liverpool v West Ham United
Premier League
Saturday 24 February 2018, 3pm
Anfield
How to follow:
This match is not being broadcast live in the UK, however supporters
overseas may be able to watch on television. Click here for broadcast
details in your territory.
Live match updates will be provided through the official West Ham Twitter
account.
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London 94.9FM
Team news:
West Ham United will be without Andy Carroll (ankle), Pedro Obiang (knee)
and Edimilson Fernandes (knee) through injury, while Arthur Masuaku serves
the fourth game of his suspension. David Moyes will have Winston Reid back
available after the Kiwi missed the victory over Watford due to a throat
infection.
Liverpool will be missing full-back Nathaniel Clyne with a back problem.
Their front three Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah all netted
in the 5-0 UEFA Champions League win at Porto last time out and could all
start together once again.
What they say:
You know when you go to Liverpool that it's going to be tough, but you have
to go there believing you can get something out of the game.
Winston Reid
Match Officials:
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Assistant Referees: Richard West and Mark Scholes
Fourth Official: Martin Atkinson
How to get there:
Lime Street Railway Station is Liverpool's mainline station for regional and
national journeys. It is two miles from Anfield.
By Train
Supporters travelling by car should note that essential works are taking
place between J6-8 of the M6 this weekend. As well as nighttime closures,
the northbound carriageway will be restricted to one lane during the day
time.
By Car
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Team news: Lanzini and Reid in squad for Liverpool fixture
WHUFC.com
David Moyes says Manuel Lanzini could return to his starting XI when West
Ham United take on Liverpool on Saturday. The Argentina attacking midfielder
has successfully recovered from a hamstring injury suffered in the Premier
League draw with AFC Bournemouth at London Stadium on 20 January. After a
month of treatment and rehabilitation, manager Moyes revealed the No10 could
be in line for a recall to his team at Anfield, but that a final decision
will not be made until the morning of the match. "It's good news, we've got
a lot of players back training," said the boss, when asked for his team news
in Friday afternoon's press conference at Rush Green. "We're getting much
closer to having a full squad. "Obviously we are without the long-termers
Andy Carroll, Pedro Obiang and Edi Fernandes, but in the main I think we're
getting very close to getting the players back. "Manu Lanzini could [return
this weekend]. He has been training, so he's an important player for us, but
he's not played any games, so it's one of those decisions we'll take
tomorrow. "I would be tempted to start him, but I'm certainly not going to
give my team news out, but all I can tell you is that he's back, he's
running around, he's training with us and hopefully that's him fit for the
rest of the season. "Winston Reid is back training and is back in the squad.
We had a practice match at the training ground over a week ago and he got
some minutes in that, so hopefully it did him some good."
West Ham have not contested a Premier League fixture since beating Watford
2-0 at London Stadium on 10 February, and Moyes says his players have
enjoyed the right mix of rest, recovery, hard work and preparation to ensure
they are ready to tackle the Reds come Saturday at three o'clock. "We had a
practice match and gave the players a little bit of time off, because
they're earnt it with the results and their performances up until now,
they've done a really good job. "I have got to say we've also worked them
hard because we're going into the business end of the season and we need to
be winning games and playing well and in good shape, so hopefully we'll get
the benefit in the coming weeks."
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Chicharito: We have a chance to finish the season strongly
WHUFC.com
Chicharito says a full-strength West Ham United have nothing to fear from a
Premier League trip to Anfield. The Hammers head to Liverpool with just two
players absent through injury – Andy Carroll and Edimilson Fernandes – and
on a run of just two defeats in their last 12 top-flight matches. While the
opening half of the season was mired in a succession of distractions,
including suspensions, injuries and a change of manager, the Mexico striker
believes Saturday's game will give a true reflection of what the squad can
achieve in the future. "We are recovering a lot of players, so we have a
chance to finish the season strongly," said the No17, who has three goals in
his last four appearances. "We want to keep winning, keep out of the
relegation zone and get to 40 points as soon as possible, then achieve even
more. Our main goal is to stay out of the relegation zone."
When Chicharito joined the Hammers last July, he was one of four
high-profile arrivals who it was hoped would spearhead a successful campaign
and a challenge for a UEFA Europa League spot but, for a variety of reasons,
things did not initially go to plan. The centre forward himself scored twice
at Southampton on just his second appearance, only for a hamstring injury
suffered on international duty to rule him out for four matches from late
November. However, the determined 29-year-old has since forced his way back
into David Moyes' starting XI and rediscovered the form which has seen him
score nearly 200 career goals for club and country. Now, he is full of
confidence and full of optimism for the future. "We had our targets, but
they changed," Chicharito continued, reflecting on the 2017/18 campaign so
far. "At the beginning of the season, we were aiming to qualify for European
competition, but now we are fighting against relegation, but that is sport,
that is football and part of life, so we need to accept it and try to be
better and get out and see what's going to happen next year. "If we have
all these players recovered, probably next year we are going to be fighting
for a European position, you never know."
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Reid: West Ham need to be 'at 100 per cent' to beat Liverpool again
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid is one of a rare breed – a West Ham United defender who has
both won and kept a clean sheet at Anfield! The New Zealand captain was part
of the Hammers side which famously scored a 3-0 Premier League victory over
Liverpool in August 2015, ending a 52-year run without a win at the Reds'
historic stadium.
And Reid, who also scored in a 3-1 home win over the same opposition in
September 2014, has enjoyed his battles with the Merseysiders down the
years, and is relishing the challenge of shackling Roberto Firmino, Sadio
Mane and the in-form Mohamad Salah when West Ham return to Anfield on
Saturday afternoon. "Liverpool have always been good attacking teams with
really good attacking players," observed the No2. "In the time I've been
here, they've had Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling, Daniel
Sturridge, Mario Balotelli, Christian Benteke, and now Salah, Firmino and
Mane, so they've always been very good going forward. "Especially that
season under Brendan Rodgers, when they finished second in 2014, they were
frightening going forward. They had Suarez and Sturridge and that was one of
the best strike partnerships I've seen. "This season, they've got a front
three and when you go to somewhere like Anfield, you have got to be on your
game, 100 per cent, and have to hope they are not completely on their game.
It's a game I think we're looking forward to, especially because of our
performances lately."
West Ham may have won at Anfield just once since 1963, but the present-day
Hammers travel to the North West in good spirits and on a run of just one
defeat in their last eight Premier League matches. That resurgence has taken
the Hammers up to 30 points and 12th in the table, but Reid says the Hammers
still have plenty of work to do in their final eleven games. "Ideally, we
want to get closer to 40 points as soon as possible as I think that will
free the team up because the pressure will be taken off us. We've been under
pressure from day one this year, as we lost the first three games and we
knew it would be uphill from there. "We've been building momentum lately,
but the league is so tight this year, it's going to go down to literally the
last game and it could be anyone. No-one is dead and buried. Everyone is
within a game or two of going up a few places or dropping back. "You know
when you go to Liverpool that it's going to be tough, but you have to go
there believing you can get something out of the game. We've done it in the
past, so we should go there and have some confidence, approach the game and
just try to do our best."
Reid himself is hoping for some game-time at Anfield after missing West
Ham's last five Premier League matches through a combination of injury and
illness. In his absence, James Collins, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell and
Declan Rice have all impressed at centre-half, while a fit-again Jose Fonte
is also eager for a first-team return. Competition for places is therefore
fierce, but Reid is experienced enough to know that everybody will be
required between now and the end of the season. "It's part of football and
you know you need more players than can start each game because there are
always going to be injuries. "As players, the only thing we can do is
prepare ourselves in the best possible way. We have three games and then a
break from the Premier League because of the international break and the FA
Cup, so we have to look to prepare ourselves correctly to collect as many
points as possible, whether we are playing five minutes or 90 minutes. All
the boys have been working hard."
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Jose Fonte departs for Dalian Yifang
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that Jose Fonte has agreed a deal to sign for
Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang for an undisclosed fee. The
Portuguese international spent 13 months with the Hammers, after joining the
Irons from Southampton in January 2017. The centre-back made 24 appearances
in Claret and Blue, including eight in the Premier League this season. Fonte
was on the bench for West Ham's last three league matches, after recovering
from an injury suffered in October. Everyone at West Ham United would like
to thank Jose for his efforts during his time at the Club and wish him a
successful future with Dalian Yifang.
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Bobby Moore time capsule to be reburied at his spiritual home
WHUFC.com
As the football world today remembers Bobby Moore exactly 25 years after his
tragic passing, West Ham United are honoured to announce a fitting and
symbolic tribute to the club's greatest son. The Bobby Moore time capsule –
originally placed by his widow Stephanie in October 1993 during the building
of the stand named after him at the Boleyn Ground – was retrieved in June
2017 by contractors reaching the final stages of the demolition process at
the redeveloped site.
To mark the 25th anniversary of Bobby's death from bowel cancer at the age
of just 51, on 24 February 1993, the time capsule is now to be reburied at
Upton Park directly under the location of the former centre circle – the
focal point of the Legacy Walk at Barratt London's new Upton Gardens
development.
Situated below the very spot where the legendary World Cup-winning captain
shook hands with hundreds of rival counterparts throughout his illustrious
15-year playing career at Upton Park, the time capsule will be laid in a
private ceremony in the coming weeks, fittingly led once again by Stephanie.
Containing mementos of his life and playing career donated by the Club,
supporters and Stephanie herself, the original capsule was buried in the
foundations of the Bobby Moore Stand at the Boleyn Ground on October 2,
1993, following the demolition of the old South Bank terrace the previous
summer.
Having been carefully extracted last summer, it will now be housed in a new
outer container, with a small number of new items added to tell the story of
the time capsule's journey and the legacy created since Bobby's passing,
including the millions of pounds raised in his name by the Bobby Moore Fund
for Cancer Research UK.
The charity has funded world class bowel cancer research and awareness
projects and aims to reach £25million this year to help beat bowel cancer
sooner.
Stephanie Moore MBE, said: "It seems like only yesterday I placed items in
Bobby's time capsule and by adding more mementos from the last 25 years, his
memory can continue to live on. I'd like to thank everyone at West Ham for
remembering Bobby on this particularly poignant anniversary and his
achievements for his club and country.
"Since he died, the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK has made huge
strides towards beating bowel cancer - survival is improving and has doubled
in the last 40 years. We still have so much more to do and I hope by
continuing to raise vital funds and awareness, we will beat this terrible
disease."
West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Gold added: "I watched Bobby Moore lead
West Ham United into battle on that very spot so many times, immaculate in
his number six shirt, and there could not be a more fitting location to
honour his memory at our former home.
"I was fortunate enough to witness Bobby's entire playing career from the
very beginning, and even more fortunate to get to know him personally later
in life when he worked for Sport Newspapers. He was a great man as well as a
great footballer.
"Although 25 years have passed since his tragic and premature death, the
esteem and national pride in which he is still held speaks volumes, and the
reburial of his time capsule at Upton Gardens ensures that the legacy of
Bobby Moore and West Ham United will proudly continue at our spiritual
home."
Gary Ennis, Barratt's Regional Managing Director for London and Southern,
said: "This time capsule honours someone who has not only had an impact on
his fans, but on a great many people who live in the local area of Upton
Park.
"Preserving the unique heritage of this location has been of key importance
to us in our development of Upton Gardens and we are proud to be working
with West Ham United to help preserve the memory of Bobby Moore through this
special event."
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Clyde Best on the day West Ham made football history
WHUFC.com
A true West Ham United pioneer celebrates his 67th birthday on 24 February
2018. Clyde Best was a ground-breaking figure, becoming the first black
centre forward to lead the line for the Hammers, ignoring terrible racist
abuse to become a true hero among West Ham supporters Having arrived, at the
age of 17, from the island of Bermuda in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1968,
Best impressed his youth-team manager John Lyall and first-team boss Ron
Greenwood sufficiently to earn a professional contract the following year. A
first-team debut arrived against Arsenal in August 1969, in front of nearly
40,000 fans at the Boleyn Ground – the first of 221 appearances in a Claret
and Blue shirt.
Eight days later, he scored the first of 58 goals in a League Cup win over
Halifax Town, but it was a game that Best did not score in which he arguably
takes more pride in than any other though. It was Easter Saturday 1972 and
Tottenham Hotspur were the visitors to the Boleyn Ground, where a crowd of
30,763 saw West Ham become the first English Football League club to select
three black players in their starting XI. Writing about that day in his
autobiography The Acid Test, published by deCoubertin Books in 2016, the
centre forward has fond memories of the day he lined up alongside Clive
Charles and Ade Coker in an unforgettable 2-0 victory…
"It turned out to be one of my most memorable games for West Ham – the
latest of many battles with Tottenham Hotspur. In terms of career
milestones, 1 April 1972 has to go down as a special landmark when Ron
Greenwood became the first manager to select not one, not two, but three
black players in the same league game: Clive Charles, Ade Coker and myself
all lined up in a 2–0 victory at Upton Park. It was April Fools' Day and the
cynics no doubt questioned whether we were really playing or had just been
sent out to warm up. "Ron was a pioneer in every sense of the word and later
selected Viv Anderson as the first black player ever to appear for England.
For all the recognition of Greenwood as a great coach and motivator, he
struck an equally telling blow to those who thought the colour of our skin
was an impediment to our ability to play. "Perhaps I also saw something of
myself in Ade. Here he was, aged seventeen, playing in a massive London
derby, feeling extremely nervous and being coached and helped by an old . .
. well, a twenty-year-old . . . team-mate. Ade, who got the second against
Spurs, ended up only making eleven senior appearances for us and disappeared
from the spotlight almost as soon as he had arrived. It's only my opinion,
but the size of Ade perhaps had something to do with that. He had great
touch but in those days most of us strikers were big guys and perhaps his
smaller stature hindered him. Had he played on the Continent, where power
was not such a prerequisite, he may have become a household name. He
eventually excelled in the NASL, and represented the USA during the
qualifying round for the 1986 World Cup, having taken US citizenship. "We
didn't really look at it as three black players in an otherwise white team.
It was more a case of, hey, we're all mates together. I think most English
clubs back then were naive and scared to give black players a chance. Some
of the best players in the world – like Pelé and Eusebio – were black but in
England we didn't get the same opportunities as we do now. Black players
have almost always had rhythm and movement but very few were given the
credit for that when I first arrived from Bermuda. A competitor should
always be judged on ability."
*The above excerpt appears courtesy of deCoubertin Books. The Acid Test is
also available from West Ham United's Stadium, Lakeside Thurrock and Liberty
Romford Stores now, priced £20.
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Moyes: Good form going to Liverpool, Arnautovic's fine form and Chicharito's
impact
WHUFC.com
David Moyes says the Hammers can head to Liverpool with confidence on
Saturday as they look to register back-to-back Premier League wins for the
first time this season. Moyes' side have been without a game for two weeks,
but were victorious against Watford last time out and could move into the
top ten should they continue a good recent run of results at Anfield. After
going a long 52 years without a win at the home of the Reds, they triumphed
3-0 in the 2015/16 season and have since followed that with 0-0 and 2-2
draws. So, despite Liverpool's obvious threat with attacking trio Roberto
Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane all in fine form, Moyes is hopeful the
Hammers can spring a surprise.
We can head to Anfield with confidence…
It's tough for any club going to Liverpool and I've not known it any
different over my time as a supporter of football, and as a player and a
manager. Everybody knows its tough going to Anfield, but we're looking
forward to it because we've got a bit of confidence and we're in a pretty
good run of form ourselves. It's not easy to stop Salah, Mane and Firmino,
that's for sure but we will do our best to try and contain them as much as
we can. They've got other good players as well but those three are talented
individuals who can do things on their own. I think when you're an attacking
team it gives you a better chance of winning games, first and foremost. I
think there will always be opportunities to score, no matter what team
you're playing against, that's football. You cannot predict the scores in
the Premier League, so we will go there with the players who are doing well
and hope that we can cause them problems as well. Back-to-back wins would do
good things for us, but not so much the back-to-back wins, but winning at
Anfield if we can would be a big confidence booster. We've done well against
the so-called bigger teams and we'll have to do a good job again to get a
result at Anfield.
Marko has the self-belief needed as a forward
In many ways I would say that he could play in any team in the world because
he has the footballing ability and he certainly has the self-belief, I can
tell you that.
Sometimes that's needed when you're a forward, to have that self-confidence
and a bit of arrogance. If he keeps at his form and doesn't lose his focus
and go back to how he was, I think he could play for any team. So long may
that continue. I'm sort of saying that because I want him to hear it. If I
think he's stepping back to any way back to how he was before I'm not going
to have it. I've told him that. He's at it, he's too good now and we need
him. His play has been consistent, he has contributed in scoring and making
goals. His effort has been very good and if he keeps that up we'll be more
than happy.
Chicharito is in fine condition
Chicharito has got himself in really good condition. I think he's prepared,
he's in a good place and his play has improved. I think we've improved as
well and got into a position where we're giving him more opportunities. I
have to say recently he has done a great job for us. When I first came here
he had an injury for month when he got back from Mexico and he's got himself
into a much better condition. He's seen himself going towards the World Cup
as well and knows exactly what he's playing for.
Bobby Moore
I'm glad we're honouring Bobby Moore tomorrow . Bobby Moore at this Club is
unique, he has legendary status and that's the case across the whole of
England for what he did with the national team. I think it's great that we
remember the ex-players and especially the special ones. For me, my biggest
memory [of Preston] is the days I had with Sir Tom Finney and how big a
legend he was there, and mainly in football as a whole. I think Bobby Moore
carries that as well. I'm delighted that the supporters will be backing it
and showing what they think of him. I'm looking forward to having dinner
with Eddie Jones, but I hope Scotland beat his England team this weekend!
I'm not an England fan! What I will say is that I was due to be with the
England rugby team on Tuesday but unfortunately for different reasons I
couldn't be there. Eddie will be having dinner with me and watch us train
hopefully in the next couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to having him in
and finding out he's a West Ham fan is even better. He's one of the finest
coaches in what he does. His management skills, his ability to win, he's
done something really special with the rugby team. I still hope Scotland
will beat England at the weekend though!
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Claret & Blue army to receive Bobby Moore tribute T-shirts
WHUFC.com
West Ham United supporters attending this weekend's Premier League contest
with Liverpool will receive a specially-commissioned commemorative t-shirt,
in honour of Bobby Moore, provided by the Club. Saturday 24 February 2018
will mark 25 years since the tragic passing of Moore, with West Ham's
greatest son passing away after a brave battle with bowel cancer. As part
of our tribute to the late, great Bobby Moore, West Ham United will provide
the 3,000 travelling Hammers fans at Anfield with a t-shirt donning the
image of the iconic defender, along with the words '25 years gone, never
forgotten'. Join us in honouring West Ham United's most inspirational
captain and revered player this Saturday, and wear the Bobby Moore t-shirt
with pride as the team take on Liverpool. For full information about the
tributes and events West Ham United have planned, to ensure Bobby Moore's
memory continues to be honoured, click here. For details about the free
Bobby Moore memorabilia exhibition at London Stadium, follow the link here.
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Betway Insider's View of the Opposition: Liverpool
WHUFC.com
Liverpool beat Porto 5-0 last time out, but there are reasons to believe
West Ham can achieve a positive result at Anfield on Saturday. As good as
the Reds were in that Champions League last-16 first leg, they have won just
four of their last eight matches at Anfield in all competitions. Jurgen
Klopp's side have been prone to underperforming at home all season. They
have already dropped points to Burnley, Everton and West Brom in the Premier
League, and were turfed out by the Baggies in the FA Cup last month. West
Ham, meanwhile, have developed a habit of taking points off top-six sides
under David Moyes. They beat Chelsea in December, and have since earned fine
draws against Arsenal and Tottenham.
Liverpool have only failed to score once in their last 20 matches in all
competitions, so it's reasonable to expect them to find the net here. But
their failure to keep a clean sheet in five successive outings at Anfield
will give Moyes more reason to believe that his side can continue their
climb up the league table. If West Ham are to score, then it will probably
be Javier Hernandez who makes the breakthrough. Chicharito is currently
enjoying his most prolific spell at the Hammers after joining from Bayer
Leverkusen last summer, scoring three times in his previous four top-flight
matches. The clinical Mexican also knows what it takes to score at Anfield,
having netted twice there during his time at Manchester United. There should
be goals in this game, and don't be surprised if they come late on.
Liverpool's last six home matches have all featured goals after the 76th
minute, while West Ham sealed their win over Watford last time out with a
late strike.
Moyes would relish a repeat of that on Saturday.
Recommended bets
West Ham to win or draw and BTTS
Javier Hernandez to score
Goal between the 76th and 90th minute
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Hammers to host free Bobby Moore memorabilia exhibition
WHUFC.com
To mark the 25th anniversary of the tragic passing of Bobby Moore, West Ham
United are delighted to announce the launch of a memorabilia exhibition in
honour of our greatest-ever player.
The unique display is free to visit and located on the lower ground floor of
the Stadium Store for the next two weeks, from Saturday 24 February, giving
Hammers fans of all ages the opportunity to gain a close look at some of
most prominent and prestigious artefacts and honours from Bobby's life and
career.
These include the actual shirt he wore on his West Ham United debut against
Manchester United on 8 September 1958, his 1964 FA Cup and 1965 European Cup
Winners' Cup winning medals, his 1964 Footballer of the Year award and his
1966 World Cup finals cap, along with a replica of his World Cup winner's
medal, a matchday programme and a match ticket personally signed by all
eleven England players on that famous July day at Wembley.
Bobby Moore: West Ham United remembers – 25 years gone, never forgotten
Alongside the memorabilia collection is a stunning three-foot high bronze
sculpture of Bobby, seen in public for the first time after being
commissioned by his daughter Roberta as part of a series of six sculptures
to mark the 25th anniversary.
West Ham United's Stadium Store will also be open until the later time of
7pm on Wednesday 28 February and Thursday 8 March.
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Ladies confirm signing of goalkeeper Connatser
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies are delighted to announce the signing of goalkeeper
Cara Connatser. The 23-year-old moves to the Hammers as part of the
partnership with the University of East London and is the latest player to
make the most of this initiative, following the likes of Ellie Zoepfl, Chloe
Burr and Daisy Davis. Connatser is thrilled to have put pen to paper with
the Hammers and can't wait to begin her playing career with the Club. "I'm
super pumped to be at West Ham United," Connatser told whufc.com. "I've
heard so much about the team here and I couldn't wait to see if the players
could live up to the hype. It is so much more than I expected. Being in this
team is so much fun. "I have been itching to get on the field since I
started training here. Since that first session, I've been asking to play
and now I'm going to get that chance, which is awesome. When Karen last
spoke to me she asked me if I was ready, and I know I am prepared to wear
the West Ham kit and show what I can do."
General manager and interim head coach Karen Ray has hailed the character
and ability of the Ladies' newest acquisition, and is expecting big things
of the shot-stopper. Ray said: "Cara is not only a fantastic goalkeeper, but
a great character. She brings great experience, having played at the highest
level of University soccer in America, and we hope that at West Ham United
we can provide Cara with the type of environment that will see her strive to
solidify her spot. "Our philosophy requires the goalkeeper to really connect
with her defenders all the way through to her forwards, and with Cara's
passion and ability to lead she will no doubt excel at this."
A student of UEL, it was another pupil at the University that Connatser
knows well that helped persuade her to make the move to West Ham. The
goalkeeper is good friends with fellow American Zoepfl, and seeing the
forward thrive at the Hammers is what convinced Connatser to join the Club.
"Ellie and I met at UEL but, while she came to London specifically to play
for West Ham, I originally came here for my tuition," Connatser explained.
"Watching Ellie come here though, and seeing how much fun she was having, it
made me a bit jealous. She was always telling me about how good training is
and the plan the Club has for the team. From that moment, I wanted to join
and play alongside her, and now I have that opportunity!"
Comfortable on the ball and ready to communicate with her team, Connatser
has indicated her style of goalkeeping involves a lot of talking with her
defenders, and the American is more than ready to stake her claim to a place
in the side, "One of the reasons I became a goalkeeper is because there's
only one of them in the team," she said. "Without a doubt, I am ready to
compete for that spot." She continued: "When people think of goalkeepers,
their minds go to the use of hands or punching the ball. For me, saving the
ball is only 30 per cent of goalkeeping; I try to save 70 per cent of shots
with my communication. "Honestly, the defenders might get annoyed with me,
with how much I shout and talk! I try to find the perfect amount. I don't
want to overdo it, so they end up tuning me out, but I do want to be a vocal
presence so they know I am there to help them. "What the Club and the team
is building towards is awesome, and I'm completely behind the plan in place.
I can't wait to help the team move forward. It's super exciting."
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Liverpool v West Ham United
SAT 24 FEB 2018PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: Anfield
BBC.co.uk
TEAM NEWS
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has a near fully-fit squad at his disposal
for the visit of West Ham. Joe Gomez is available after injury and Nathaniel
Clyne is in light training but remains some way off a return.
West Ham welcome back defender Winston Reid after a throat infection and
playmaker Manuel Lanzini after a hamstring problem. Arthur Masuaku continues
to serve his six-match suspension, while Jose Fonte has agreed a move to
China.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Guy Mowbray: "Whilst Liverpool have mainly trained in Spain during their gap
between games, West Ham have stayed at their Rush Green training HQ.
"Marbella or East London….hmm? "Not that you can question David Moyes'
decisions for West Ham so far. He's not only tightened things defensively,
but they're flowing up front too. It's no coincidence that their little
wobble at the turn of last month came whilst in-form Marko Arnautovic and
Manuel Lanzini were missing. "Nobody has gone missing, figuratively or
actually, for Liverpool since their own end of January blip. "They're
flying, they're firing, and most will expect them to win and be second on
Saturday night. Most - but certainly not Moyes. I reckon he'll fancy this."
Twitter: @Guymowbray
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on West Ham: "They are in a good moment as
well and they will show that. "You play against a wall of eight players, at
least, then they have two quick players, maybe Chicharito (Javier Hernandez)
and (Marko) Arnautovic, or (Manuel) Lanzini, a little bit hidden in
different areas ready for the counter-attack. "It's good organisation, a
clear plan, playing the players in their best positions. A few brave
decisions as well. David [Moyes] is very, very experienced and he knows what
he's doing."
West Ham manager David Moyes: "It's tough for any club going to Liverpool.
It always has been and I've never known it any different as a fan, player or
manager.
"But we are looking forward to it. In my last two seasons at Everton I
finished above them, so I will always remember that. "Over the years I have
done my best to get wins there, which has been hard, but finishing above
them was nice. "We've got a bit of confidence, we're in a good run of form
ourselves but it will be a big test."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
The Reds are unbeaten in the league at Anfield this season and we know how
they attack teams in their home games.
We also know that Liverpool's front players are in excellent form and I
don't see the West Ham defence coping with them.
Prediction: 3-0
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
The Hammers are unbeaten in their last three away games in all competitions
against Liverpool. However, their only victory in the past 48 attempts at
Anfield came in August 2015 (D14, L33).
West Ham's most top-flight defeats have come against the Merseyside clubs:
60 by Liverpool and 61 versus Everton.
Liverpool have won the last two Premier League meetings 4-0 and 4-1. They
last scored four goals or more in three consecutive games against a single
opponent when facing Norwich between 2012 and 2013.
Liverpool
The Reds are unbeaten in 15 Premier League matches at Anfield since losing
to Crystal Palace in April (W8, D7).
Liverpool are the division's form team with an unrivalled 19 points over the
past eight games.
Their only league defeat in 18 games spanning the last four months came at
Swansea in January (W12, D5).
Jurgen Klopp's 17 Premier League defeats as manager have been against sides
whose average position was 12th - which is where West Ham will start the
day.
Klopp failed to win any of his first four matches against West Ham as a
manager but has since guided Liverpool to successive victories over the
Hammers.
Mo Salah is averaging a goal or assist every 64 minutes in Premier League
games at Anfield this season, scoring 11 and setting up five. He has scored
19 left-footed goals in the division - the joint-most in a season, alongside
Robbie Fowler in 1994-95.
West Ham United
The Hammers have only lost two of their last 12 league games and earned 20
points during that period - twice as many as in their first 15 fixtures this
season.
They kept their first clean sheet in nine league games when beating Watford
2-0 last time out.
West Ham have not managed successive league victories for 13 months.
David Moyes has never won a competitive game against Liverpool at Anfield in
14 attempts as a manager (D7, L7).
Marko Arnautovic has directly contributed to 10 Premier League goals (7
goals, 3 assists) since Moyes took charge in November, more than any other
West Ham player.
Javier Hernandez has scored in three of his last four league games for West
Ham. He could score in three consecutive Premier League appearances for the
first time.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 2-0 Probability of draw: 12%
Probability of home win: 83% Probability of away win: 5%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale
at the University of Liverpool that is used to predict the outcome of
football matches.
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ALL YOU NEED IS A PLAN
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 23 FEBRUARY 2018 AT 9:47PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Andy Fletcher
"I feel like I haven't done well enough," explains David Sullivan as he
considers how swiftly and brutally West Ham United's grand ambitions have
unravelled after 18 troubled months at the London Stadium. "Nobody's done
well enough. I work my socks off but sometimes it's not good enough."
The cynics out there would respond to Mr Sullivan's comments – with some
justification – "We've heard it all before Mr Chairman!" Sullivan has the
power to execute change. He is the one blamed by many supporters for the
club's problems. Everything that has happened since the move to the London
Stadium has obviously had an effect on Sullivan. Criticism West Ham are the
most dysfunctional club in the Premier League hurts Sullivan. His insistence
that he and his fellow directors are the most honest, open people you'll
ever deal with is in fact his downfall for many supporters. Whatever your
views are on Sullivan's tenure the sheer bloody mindedness he has for
wanting West Ham to be successful should never be underestimated. Sullivan
along with David Gold has constantly denied they have any plans to sell the
club. His critics though are queuing up to lambast his time in charge and
feel he has made too many mistakes and now is the time for a change of
ownership.
The root causes of criticism lies at the relocation to the London Stadium
and what seems from the outside looking in, lack of investment in the squad.
Sullivan admits he is not entirely happy with the London Stadium, revealing
the club is pushing for it to look and feel more like West Ham's home. But
most tellingly, he finally admits the urgent need for a more 'professional'
approach to the clubs recruitment policies.
Sure it's okay feeling like a big club, but ultimately it's what you achieve
on the pitch that counts in the eyes of the majority of supporters. If you
compare the final season at Upton Park to the first season at the London
Stadium there is no denying it has been one step forward, two massive steps
backwards. Certainly in terms of relocating to the London Stadium it does
beg the question of why bother moving then?
The quality of football played that season was some of the best witnessed
since the halcyon days of the mid eighties under John Lyall. Let's not
forget either that defeats against Swansea and Stoke City in two of our
final three games ultimately cost us a place in the Champions League! The
form against the 'big' teams was almost unheralded. Away wins at 'fortress'
Anfield, victories at both the Etihad and Emirates and a draw at Old
Trafford proved what the team was capable of. The only real blips were the
defeats away to Tottenham and a loss at home to the Champions elect
Leicester City. Home wins against Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester Utd &
Tottenham and draws with Manchester City and Arsenal really whetted the
appetite for what was to come as we contemplated the move to the new stadium
with a degree of optimism.
You could argue the ambition was there with the move but did the club show
the same ambition when it came to recruitment for the following season? The
simple answer is No. If ever there was a time to go out and make a statement
and sign the quality required to push the team forward surely this was the
time to do it having just missed out on Champions League qualification.
This is where Sullivan would struggle to justify his role in the recruitment
process at the club. He will argue the money was spent and Slaven Bilic got
the players he wanted, but it is my belief that failure to qualify for the
Europa League threw a spanner in the works. The club were gearing themselves
up for the group stages, panicked and went out and bought quantity rather
than quality. The fact we exited early doors in the qualifying stages left
us with a squad bereft of real quality. Okay, no one could envisage what
would transpire with Dimitri Payet, but to lose your best player and not
replace him, again threw up questions about recruitment at the club.
Sullivan has been referred to as the club's director of football, although
he has tried distancing himself from that role. "Well, I'm not really the
director of football," he says. "I never go to the training ground." Bilic,
if we are led to believe had a policy of wanting older, proven Premier
League players. Sullivan's argument was that gave you an old squad and
players who you've seen the best of. Hold on a minute, didn't we just sign
Patrice Evra Mr Sullivan? It has also been said Sullivan up until now has
taken an active role in identifying transfers but again he deflects that
assumption when claiming the club mostly signed Bilic's targets. "I'm very
involved with physically bringing in the players," he says. "I'm not
involved in the strategy."
Many supporters feel Sullivan, has undermined his managers by talking too
much. Bilic was deeply unhappy when West Ham failed to sign William Carvalho
from Sporting Lisbon last summer. In a farcical episode Sullivan released a
statement detailing how close he was to a deal for the midfielder. "We're
not liars and we did make an offer." he says. I'm sure there are many
things Sullivan has said and done which he has gone on to regret but this
was just another example of our Chairman getting it horribly wrong again.
West Ham have broken their transfer record in the last two summers, spending
£20m on André Ayew and £24m on Arnautovic, but the squad lacks depth and is
over subscribed in certain areas, something Manager David Moyes has
continually pointed out. While Sullivan is now thinking about hiring a
director of football the hope is his change of heart isn't too late coming.
Appointing David Moyes as manager was not met with wide spread approval and
again Sullivan's head was on the chopping block. Only time will tell if it
was a shrewd appointment but to date you have to say if Moyes continues in
the same vein between now and the end of the season dragging this club
forward and preserving its status amongst the elite of English football then
Sullivan deserves some credit. But as in everything, questions will be asked
and the finger pointed if the worst case scenario were to happen and the
club relegated, that Sullivan while right to sack Bilic, the situation was
allowed to persist for too long.
When David Moyes arrived at West Ham, he admitted he had a point to prove.
He acknowledged that his reputation, established over 11 seasons at Everton,
had been significantly damaged by subsequent and less successful managerial
stints at Manchester United and then the disaster that was Sunderland. (And
we think we have it bad!)
For me there are similarities to be had when you compare Bilic and Moyes.
Both undoubtedly honest and straightforward men, Moyes has a steeliness
about him that Bilic lacked at times and his time at Everton proved him to
be one of the Premier League's best managers. His return journey and
reputation is some way from being completed, but it seems we are witnessing
a re-energised determined David Moyes who is proving his worth in East
London.
Survival will surely give Moyes the chance to establish himself at the club
and whilst his focus will be to preserve the club's status in the top flight
there now seems willingness from both parties to prolong his stay in East
London beyond this season. Moyes, who inherited a team languishing in 18th
place after two wins from their first 11 Premier League games and only nine
points on the board has turned things around to such an extent that dare we
say, there are now aspirations of a top ten finish.
Moyes readily admits he had a point to prove when he took over from Bilic.
He managed five clubs since starting out nearly 20 years ago, starting at
Preston and then going to Everton. His period at Manchester United is well
documented and then he experienced something he always wanted to do by
managing abroad, with Real Sociedad. The hunger in Moyes has returned you
sense, and those 20 years of managing at the coalface will be crucial
between now and the end of the season. Sullivan hoped he was getting the
version of Moyes who flourished at Everton for 11 years rather than the one
who seemed so defeatist at Sunderland. The early indications are we are
seeing the David Moyes at Everton and if he brings the same success and
stability to West Ham over the next few years then every West Ham fan will
be delighted.
Slowly but surely Moyes also seems to be winning over those fans uninspired
by his appointment. It has been well documented we have struggled since
moving to the London Stadium and whilst Moyes made a cautious start his
imprint on the team is now there for all to see. Organisation is one of his
greatest strengths. I always used to hate playing his Everton sides as they
were so difficult to beat. We are now working towards a similar scenario
under Moyes stewardship. There has been the odd blip along the way and I'm
sure there will be a few more between now and the end of the season but you
finally sense we are heading in the right direction.
West Ham needed somebody with experience, knowledge of the Premier League
and the players in it, and David Moyes was the right appointment at the
right time, someone to turn things around and get the best out of the squad.
Moyes has triggered quick improvements without the benefit of a pre-season.
Not an easy thing to do if you compare Alan Pardew's problems at West Brom.
Double training sessions have been the order of the day at Rush Green and
that intensity will not drop as we approach the business end of the season.
He is known to work his players relentlessly to ensure they have an edge on
opponents, pushing them to their limits in training, with the added belief
that matches will then be easier.
His man management skills are another great attribute and getting the very
best out of players. One of Moyes' toughest tasks when arriving was to turn
around the downward spiral of Marko Arnautovic's club record move to east
London. Arnautovic, signed in the summer for £25m and was without a goal in
nine appearances under Bilic. His contribution to the team was woeful, his
willingness to work for the cause was rightly questioned and you wondered
what an earth we had bought. The transformation in Arnautovic has been
phenomenal.
Moyes lost three of his first four league games leading into December.
However, a 1-0 win over reigning champions Chelsea proved to be the catalyst
for a reversal in form – and significantly Arnautovic scored the winning
goal to break his league duck. Under Bilic, Arnautovic was restricted to the
left wing but the Austrian has been granted licence to roam under Moyes.
Maybe the most telling fact has been his work rate. There has been a surge
of distance covered and sprints since Moyes took over. The Austrian is now
averaging over 11 km per game and 70 sprints, a stark contrast to the 9.8 km
and 46 sprints he was averaging before Moyes arrival. The turnaround has
coincided with the added work ethic and his attacking stats have soared to
levels beyond what may have been anticipated upon his arrival. At one stage
it had been reported that Moyes has been told he could sell the Austrian in
January, but in getting him to the levels he is at now has proved what an
asset he is and is just another example of Moyes experience in getting the
best out of players.
After what proved to be Slaven Bilic's final game in charge, the 4-1 home
defeat by Liverpool Aaron Cresswell acknowledged he and his team-mates had
let the manager down. Having formed an effective partnership previously with
Dimitri Payet down the Hammers' left, the statistics make it clear that
Cresswell's form has dipped, again Moyes saw something Bilic clearly didn't
and Creswell has been a revelation playing on the left side of a three man
central defence.
There is nothing any West Ham fan loves more than seeing youth being given a
chance. At Everton, Moyes nurtured a young Wayne Rooney, and blooded future
England internationals Jack Rodwell and Ross Barkley. He also put his faith
in Seamus Coleman, who he signed from Sligo Rovers as a raw 20-year-old and
would become a first-team mainstay. Like Everton, we are justifiably proud
of our respected academy, which has produced talents such as Rio Ferdinand,
Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard and Jermain Defoe. Moyes has won some early
credit from a supporter base nursing wounded pride by again putting his
trust in youth. Declan Rice has been a regular feature in the squad this
season, but also has a number of starts to his name. Having guided Coleman
from the fringes of his club side to the Republic of Ireland national side,
there is every chance Moyes will do the same with Rice. My only hope is
Reece Oxford doesn't jump ship because Rice and Oxford are the future.
While no official announcement has been made by the club regarding extending
Moyes stay, it seems he and the club are already looking to the future and
have begun planning for the long term at West Ham. Crucially you hope
mistakes made previously in the transfer market are a thing of the past and
Moyes revealed he was behind David Sullivan's decision to tear up the club's
archaic transfer policies. The plan was disclosed by Sullivan hours before
the Watford home game in an attempt to placate fans preparing to march in
protest at the way the club was run. Declaring Sullivan was ready to
surrender control over transfers following a miserable January window, Moyes
said: "I think the chairman's going to try to stand aside a little bit from
it and let it get run."
Moyes, who revealed any new scouting system would borrow from the one he put
in place during his decade at Everton, said: "I want the West Ham supporters
to think that, 'Yeah, David Moyes is the right man for the job'; I want the
West Ham board to think, 'David Moyes is the right man', and I also want to
see that West Ham's the right club for David Moyes because I'm ambitious. I
want to be challenging against the big boys. It took me years to build
Everton up and in the end, I got a job which I thought would make things a
bit easier to win and win cups and trophies. I'm happy to do that again, but
I don't know if I'd get the time I got at Everton to build up West Ham over
the years. You need to have the tools to be instantly successful, really,
and I need to know that, when it comes to it, we can do something, we can do
a bit of damage here."
The road to success is not easy to navigate but with hard work, drive and
passion – something Moyes does seem to have – you just never know what's
achievable. That's what makes the journey exciting. Whether we have the
right man in charge now only time will tell.
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Moyes welcomes return of key players
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 23rd February 2018
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes says he is delighted to be able to include Winston Reid and
Manuel Lanzini in his squad for this weekend's trip to Liverpool. The duo
are back in contention for a place in the starting XI having recovered from
recent injuries - much to the delight of Moyes, who returns to Merseyside
this weekend for a second time since joining West Ham back in November.
"It's good news, we've got a lot of players back training," he told the
assembled (and accredited-only) media. "We're without the long termers
[Andy] Carroll, [Pedro] Obiang and [Edimilson] Fernandes but in the main
we're close to getting the players back. "[Manuel] Lanzini is back training,
he's running around and hopefully that's him fit for the rest of the season.
He has a good chance of being involved after recovering from his hamstring
injury and that is great for us because we will need him in the weeks to
come. "[Winston] Reid is back and will be part of the squad too."
And he also revealed that although Saturday's test will no doubt prove to be
a tough one, with hosts Liverpool in good form of late, hopes are high for a
second successive Premier League victory following the 2-0 win over Watford
in United's last outing. "It's a tough game, but we're in a good run of form
ourselves," added Moyes, who also confirmed the sale of Jose Fonte to
Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang. "It will not be easy to stop Mane,
Salah and Firmino but we'll try to contain them - they have other players of
course but those three can create on their own. We'll go there and hope that
with the players we have in our team we will cause them problems as well.
"If we win at Anfield that would be a big confidence booster. We've done
well against what you'd call the big teams recently and we hope we can do so
again on Saturday."
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Liverpool v West Ham preview: Reds close to full strength for visit of
Hammers
Last Updated: 24/02/18 8:01am
SSN
Liverpool will be close to full strength when they host West Ham in the
Premier League on Saturday as they look to put pressure on the teams around
them. The Reds are currently in third place - one point ahead of Chelsea and
two behind Manchester United, who play each other live on Sky Sports on
Sunday - and recorded a storming 5-0 win against Porto in their previous
fixture. A win could see them temporarily go into second place, but Jurgen
Klopp is under no illusions about the difficulty of facing West Ham, saying:
"We need to be ready for a difficult game tomorrow because they - I don't
know exactly the results but - drew against Tottenham, lost with one goal at
[Manchester] City, stuff like that. It shows you need to do it. "They always
have opportunities with counter-attacks and set-pieces to score by
themselves. They will defend a little bit deeper, probably, and we need an
atmosphere that is ready for that as well."
The Hammers are currently 12th, although they remain four points from the
drop zone, and David Moyes knows how tough a trip to Anfield can be. "It's
tough for any club going to Liverpool," he said. "It always has been and
I've never known it any different as a fan, player or manager, everybody
finds it tough going to Anfield so it will be a tough game but we are
looking forward to it. "Over the years I have done my best to get wins
there, which has been hard, but finishing above them was nice [as Everton
manager]. We've got a bit of confidence, we're in a good run of form
ourselves but it will be a big test."
Team news
Liverpool have no real injury worries. Jurgen Klopp reported a couple of
players had minor issues but nothing that is likely to keep anyone out of
the squad for the Anfield encounter. Emre Can is available again after being
suspended for last week's Champions League victory over Porto, while Joe
Gomez could return to the starting line-up for the first time this month
after overcoming a knee injury.
Manuel Lanzini will return to the West Ham squad after a month out with a
hamstring injury. Winston Reid is also available after a throat infection
kept him out of the win over Watford a fortnight ago. But Andy Carroll,
Pedro Obiang and Edimilson Fernandes are still injured, Arthur Masuaku is
suspended and Jose Fonte has joined Chinese Premier League side Dalian
Yifang.
Opta stats
Liverpool have won their last two Premier League matches against West Ham,
4-0 in May 2017 and 4-1 in November 2017 - they haven't scored 4+ goals in
three consecutive PL games versus a single opponent since doing so versus
Norwich between 2012 and 2013.
West Ham are unbeaten in their last three away games in all competitions at
Liverpool, drawing the last two (W1 D2). Prior to their win in August 2015,
the Hammers had gone 45 matches without a win at Anfield (D12 L33).
Only against Everton (61) have West Ham lost more away matches in top-flight
than versus Liverpool (60).
Jurgen Klopp failed to win any of his first four matches against West Ham as
a manager (D2 L2), but has since guided his Liverpool side to two wins in a
row versus the Hammers.
David Moyes has never won against Liverpool at Anfield in all competitions
as a manager (D7 L7), failing to win with Everton, Man Utd and Sunderland.
David Moyes has collected 21 points in 16 Premier League games as West Ham
manager this season (W5 D6 L5), just three points shy of the tally he
managed last season for Sunderland (24).
Under Moyes, Marko Arnautovic has had a hand in 10 Premier League goals
(seven goals, three assists), more than any other Hammers player since the
Scot's first match in November.
Mohamed Salah is averaging a goal or assist every 64 minutes in home Premier
League games this season (11 goals, five assists).
Merson's prediction
I have no idea how West Ham can go about stopping Liverpool's front three,
they are very, very good. West Ham won't have written this game off but it
is a free swing, if they lose this game it doesn't affect them in the grand
scheme of things. PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0 (7/1 with Sky Bet)
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Jose Fonte left West Ham to keep his World Cup chances alive, says David
Moyes
By Husmukh Kerai
Last Updated: 23/02/18 4:17pm
SSN
David Moyes says West Ham defender Jose Fonte signed for Chinese Super
League side Dalian Yifang to increase his chances of playing at the 2018
World Cup.
West Ham confirmed the 34-year-old centre-back completed his move to Dalian
Yifang for an undisclosed fee on Friday. Fonte signed for the Hammers in an
£8m deal from Premier League rivals Southampton in January 2017, but only
made eight appearances in all competitions this season after suffering an
ankle injury.
The decision by former boss Slaven Bilic to sign Fonte from Southampton was
publicly ridiculed by West Ham co-owner David Sullivan, who told The
Guardian: "My kids begged me not to sign them."
Speaking ahead of Saturday's game against Liverpool, Moyes confirmed the
reasoning behind the defender's departure: "It's a choice the Jose wanted to
make at 34-years-old. He felt it was the right thing for his career at this
time. "It gives him the chance to try something new and he wants to get into
the Portugal squad for the World Cup. "If he was playing regularly he has a
better chance. He's just back from injury and has got himself back into
condition to play. We wish him good luck. He's been a really good
professional since I have been here."
One player Moyes maintains he does not want to lose is in-form Marko
Arnautovic. The West Ham boss believes the Austria international could play
for any team in the world as long as he keeps his focus. He said: "In many
ways [he can play for any team]. He has the football ability and he
certainly has the self belief, I'll tell you that. Sometimes that is needed
when you are a forward, you need that confidence and arrogance which he
certainly has. "I think he if he keeps up his current form and he doesn't
lose his focus and doesn't go back to the way he was [at the beginning of
the season], I think he could play for any team. He's shown at the moment he
can and long may that continue. "I'm saying it because I want him to hear
it. If I think he is stepping back in way to where he was I won't be having
it. I've told him that. He's too good now and we need him."
Moyes also confirmed defender Winston Reid is back in contention to play
against Liverpool on Saturday, while midfielder Manuel Lanzini could also
return after a month out with a hamstring injury. He continued: "We've got
our players back, we are close to a full squad. In the main, we are very
close. Lanzini could return this weekend. It's a decision we will take
tomorrow. Hopefully he stays fit for the rest of the season. "Reid is back
in the squad and training. The players have had some time off but have been
worked hard when in training. I would still have rather been in the FA Cup."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
The Hammers make the long trip to Liverpool on Saturday hoping to register
back-to-back wins for the first time in the Premier League this season.
While Anfield might not be the happiest of historical hunting grounds for
West Ham, they will take heart from the recent results there, which saw the
famous 3-0 win in the 2015/16 season followed by a creditable 2-2 draw last
term.
Where and when?
Liverpool v West Ham United
Premier League
Saturday 24 February 2018, 3pm
Anfield
How to follow:
This match is not being broadcast live in the UK, however supporters
overseas may be able to watch on television. Click here for broadcast
details in your territory.
Live match updates will be provided through the official West Ham Twitter
account.
You can also follow the game live via our Matchday Blog on whufc.com.
You can also follow the match on our official Instagram, Facebook and
Snapchat channels.
Live audio commentary will be available right here on whufc.com or BBC Radio
London 94.9FM
Team news:
West Ham United will be without Andy Carroll (ankle), Pedro Obiang (knee)
and Edimilson Fernandes (knee) through injury, while Arthur Masuaku serves
the fourth game of his suspension. David Moyes will have Winston Reid back
available after the Kiwi missed the victory over Watford due to a throat
infection.
Liverpool will be missing full-back Nathaniel Clyne with a back problem.
Their front three Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah all netted
in the 5-0 UEFA Champions League win at Porto last time out and could all
start together once again.
What they say:
You know when you go to Liverpool that it's going to be tough, but you have
to go there believing you can get something out of the game.
Winston Reid
Match Officials:
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Assistant Referees: Richard West and Mark Scholes
Fourth Official: Martin Atkinson
How to get there:
Lime Street Railway Station is Liverpool's mainline station for regional and
national journeys. It is two miles from Anfield.
By Train
Supporters travelling by car should note that essential works are taking
place between J6-8 of the M6 this weekend. As well as nighttime closures,
the northbound carriageway will be restricted to one lane during the day
time.
By Car
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Team news: Lanzini and Reid in squad for Liverpool fixture
WHUFC.com
David Moyes says Manuel Lanzini could return to his starting XI when West
Ham United take on Liverpool on Saturday. The Argentina attacking midfielder
has successfully recovered from a hamstring injury suffered in the Premier
League draw with AFC Bournemouth at London Stadium on 20 January. After a
month of treatment and rehabilitation, manager Moyes revealed the No10 could
be in line for a recall to his team at Anfield, but that a final decision
will not be made until the morning of the match. "It's good news, we've got
a lot of players back training," said the boss, when asked for his team news
in Friday afternoon's press conference at Rush Green. "We're getting much
closer to having a full squad. "Obviously we are without the long-termers
Andy Carroll, Pedro Obiang and Edi Fernandes, but in the main I think we're
getting very close to getting the players back. "Manu Lanzini could [return
this weekend]. He has been training, so he's an important player for us, but
he's not played any games, so it's one of those decisions we'll take
tomorrow. "I would be tempted to start him, but I'm certainly not going to
give my team news out, but all I can tell you is that he's back, he's
running around, he's training with us and hopefully that's him fit for the
rest of the season. "Winston Reid is back training and is back in the squad.
We had a practice match at the training ground over a week ago and he got
some minutes in that, so hopefully it did him some good."
West Ham have not contested a Premier League fixture since beating Watford
2-0 at London Stadium on 10 February, and Moyes says his players have
enjoyed the right mix of rest, recovery, hard work and preparation to ensure
they are ready to tackle the Reds come Saturday at three o'clock. "We had a
practice match and gave the players a little bit of time off, because
they're earnt it with the results and their performances up until now,
they've done a really good job. "I have got to say we've also worked them
hard because we're going into the business end of the season and we need to
be winning games and playing well and in good shape, so hopefully we'll get
the benefit in the coming weeks."
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Chicharito: We have a chance to finish the season strongly
WHUFC.com
Chicharito says a full-strength West Ham United have nothing to fear from a
Premier League trip to Anfield. The Hammers head to Liverpool with just two
players absent through injury – Andy Carroll and Edimilson Fernandes – and
on a run of just two defeats in their last 12 top-flight matches. While the
opening half of the season was mired in a succession of distractions,
including suspensions, injuries and a change of manager, the Mexico striker
believes Saturday's game will give a true reflection of what the squad can
achieve in the future. "We are recovering a lot of players, so we have a
chance to finish the season strongly," said the No17, who has three goals in
his last four appearances. "We want to keep winning, keep out of the
relegation zone and get to 40 points as soon as possible, then achieve even
more. Our main goal is to stay out of the relegation zone."
When Chicharito joined the Hammers last July, he was one of four
high-profile arrivals who it was hoped would spearhead a successful campaign
and a challenge for a UEFA Europa League spot but, for a variety of reasons,
things did not initially go to plan. The centre forward himself scored twice
at Southampton on just his second appearance, only for a hamstring injury
suffered on international duty to rule him out for four matches from late
November. However, the determined 29-year-old has since forced his way back
into David Moyes' starting XI and rediscovered the form which has seen him
score nearly 200 career goals for club and country. Now, he is full of
confidence and full of optimism for the future. "We had our targets, but
they changed," Chicharito continued, reflecting on the 2017/18 campaign so
far. "At the beginning of the season, we were aiming to qualify for European
competition, but now we are fighting against relegation, but that is sport,
that is football and part of life, so we need to accept it and try to be
better and get out and see what's going to happen next year. "If we have
all these players recovered, probably next year we are going to be fighting
for a European position, you never know."
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Reid: West Ham need to be 'at 100 per cent' to beat Liverpool again
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid is one of a rare breed – a West Ham United defender who has
both won and kept a clean sheet at Anfield! The New Zealand captain was part
of the Hammers side which famously scored a 3-0 Premier League victory over
Liverpool in August 2015, ending a 52-year run without a win at the Reds'
historic stadium.
And Reid, who also scored in a 3-1 home win over the same opposition in
September 2014, has enjoyed his battles with the Merseysiders down the
years, and is relishing the challenge of shackling Roberto Firmino, Sadio
Mane and the in-form Mohamad Salah when West Ham return to Anfield on
Saturday afternoon. "Liverpool have always been good attacking teams with
really good attacking players," observed the No2. "In the time I've been
here, they've had Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling, Daniel
Sturridge, Mario Balotelli, Christian Benteke, and now Salah, Firmino and
Mane, so they've always been very good going forward. "Especially that
season under Brendan Rodgers, when they finished second in 2014, they were
frightening going forward. They had Suarez and Sturridge and that was one of
the best strike partnerships I've seen. "This season, they've got a front
three and when you go to somewhere like Anfield, you have got to be on your
game, 100 per cent, and have to hope they are not completely on their game.
It's a game I think we're looking forward to, especially because of our
performances lately."
West Ham may have won at Anfield just once since 1963, but the present-day
Hammers travel to the North West in good spirits and on a run of just one
defeat in their last eight Premier League matches. That resurgence has taken
the Hammers up to 30 points and 12th in the table, but Reid says the Hammers
still have plenty of work to do in their final eleven games. "Ideally, we
want to get closer to 40 points as soon as possible as I think that will
free the team up because the pressure will be taken off us. We've been under
pressure from day one this year, as we lost the first three games and we
knew it would be uphill from there. "We've been building momentum lately,
but the league is so tight this year, it's going to go down to literally the
last game and it could be anyone. No-one is dead and buried. Everyone is
within a game or two of going up a few places or dropping back. "You know
when you go to Liverpool that it's going to be tough, but you have to go
there believing you can get something out of the game. We've done it in the
past, so we should go there and have some confidence, approach the game and
just try to do our best."
Reid himself is hoping for some game-time at Anfield after missing West
Ham's last five Premier League matches through a combination of injury and
illness. In his absence, James Collins, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell and
Declan Rice have all impressed at centre-half, while a fit-again Jose Fonte
is also eager for a first-team return. Competition for places is therefore
fierce, but Reid is experienced enough to know that everybody will be
required between now and the end of the season. "It's part of football and
you know you need more players than can start each game because there are
always going to be injuries. "As players, the only thing we can do is
prepare ourselves in the best possible way. We have three games and then a
break from the Premier League because of the international break and the FA
Cup, so we have to look to prepare ourselves correctly to collect as many
points as possible, whether we are playing five minutes or 90 minutes. All
the boys have been working hard."
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Jose Fonte departs for Dalian Yifang
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that Jose Fonte has agreed a deal to sign for
Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang for an undisclosed fee. The
Portuguese international spent 13 months with the Hammers, after joining the
Irons from Southampton in January 2017. The centre-back made 24 appearances
in Claret and Blue, including eight in the Premier League this season. Fonte
was on the bench for West Ham's last three league matches, after recovering
from an injury suffered in October. Everyone at West Ham United would like
to thank Jose for his efforts during his time at the Club and wish him a
successful future with Dalian Yifang.
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Bobby Moore time capsule to be reburied at his spiritual home
WHUFC.com
As the football world today remembers Bobby Moore exactly 25 years after his
tragic passing, West Ham United are honoured to announce a fitting and
symbolic tribute to the club's greatest son. The Bobby Moore time capsule –
originally placed by his widow Stephanie in October 1993 during the building
of the stand named after him at the Boleyn Ground – was retrieved in June
2017 by contractors reaching the final stages of the demolition process at
the redeveloped site.
To mark the 25th anniversary of Bobby's death from bowel cancer at the age
of just 51, on 24 February 1993, the time capsule is now to be reburied at
Upton Park directly under the location of the former centre circle – the
focal point of the Legacy Walk at Barratt London's new Upton Gardens
development.
Situated below the very spot where the legendary World Cup-winning captain
shook hands with hundreds of rival counterparts throughout his illustrious
15-year playing career at Upton Park, the time capsule will be laid in a
private ceremony in the coming weeks, fittingly led once again by Stephanie.
Containing mementos of his life and playing career donated by the Club,
supporters and Stephanie herself, the original capsule was buried in the
foundations of the Bobby Moore Stand at the Boleyn Ground on October 2,
1993, following the demolition of the old South Bank terrace the previous
summer.
Having been carefully extracted last summer, it will now be housed in a new
outer container, with a small number of new items added to tell the story of
the time capsule's journey and the legacy created since Bobby's passing,
including the millions of pounds raised in his name by the Bobby Moore Fund
for Cancer Research UK.
The charity has funded world class bowel cancer research and awareness
projects and aims to reach £25million this year to help beat bowel cancer
sooner.
Stephanie Moore MBE, said: "It seems like only yesterday I placed items in
Bobby's time capsule and by adding more mementos from the last 25 years, his
memory can continue to live on. I'd like to thank everyone at West Ham for
remembering Bobby on this particularly poignant anniversary and his
achievements for his club and country.
"Since he died, the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK has made huge
strides towards beating bowel cancer - survival is improving and has doubled
in the last 40 years. We still have so much more to do and I hope by
continuing to raise vital funds and awareness, we will beat this terrible
disease."
West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Gold added: "I watched Bobby Moore lead
West Ham United into battle on that very spot so many times, immaculate in
his number six shirt, and there could not be a more fitting location to
honour his memory at our former home.
"I was fortunate enough to witness Bobby's entire playing career from the
very beginning, and even more fortunate to get to know him personally later
in life when he worked for Sport Newspapers. He was a great man as well as a
great footballer.
"Although 25 years have passed since his tragic and premature death, the
esteem and national pride in which he is still held speaks volumes, and the
reburial of his time capsule at Upton Gardens ensures that the legacy of
Bobby Moore and West Ham United will proudly continue at our spiritual
home."
Gary Ennis, Barratt's Regional Managing Director for London and Southern,
said: "This time capsule honours someone who has not only had an impact on
his fans, but on a great many people who live in the local area of Upton
Park.
"Preserving the unique heritage of this location has been of key importance
to us in our development of Upton Gardens and we are proud to be working
with West Ham United to help preserve the memory of Bobby Moore through this
special event."
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Clyde Best on the day West Ham made football history
WHUFC.com
A true West Ham United pioneer celebrates his 67th birthday on 24 February
2018. Clyde Best was a ground-breaking figure, becoming the first black
centre forward to lead the line for the Hammers, ignoring terrible racist
abuse to become a true hero among West Ham supporters Having arrived, at the
age of 17, from the island of Bermuda in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1968,
Best impressed his youth-team manager John Lyall and first-team boss Ron
Greenwood sufficiently to earn a professional contract the following year. A
first-team debut arrived against Arsenal in August 1969, in front of nearly
40,000 fans at the Boleyn Ground – the first of 221 appearances in a Claret
and Blue shirt.
Eight days later, he scored the first of 58 goals in a League Cup win over
Halifax Town, but it was a game that Best did not score in which he arguably
takes more pride in than any other though. It was Easter Saturday 1972 and
Tottenham Hotspur were the visitors to the Boleyn Ground, where a crowd of
30,763 saw West Ham become the first English Football League club to select
three black players in their starting XI. Writing about that day in his
autobiography The Acid Test, published by deCoubertin Books in 2016, the
centre forward has fond memories of the day he lined up alongside Clive
Charles and Ade Coker in an unforgettable 2-0 victory…
"It turned out to be one of my most memorable games for West Ham – the
latest of many battles with Tottenham Hotspur. In terms of career
milestones, 1 April 1972 has to go down as a special landmark when Ron
Greenwood became the first manager to select not one, not two, but three
black players in the same league game: Clive Charles, Ade Coker and myself
all lined up in a 2–0 victory at Upton Park. It was April Fools' Day and the
cynics no doubt questioned whether we were really playing or had just been
sent out to warm up. "Ron was a pioneer in every sense of the word and later
selected Viv Anderson as the first black player ever to appear for England.
For all the recognition of Greenwood as a great coach and motivator, he
struck an equally telling blow to those who thought the colour of our skin
was an impediment to our ability to play. "Perhaps I also saw something of
myself in Ade. Here he was, aged seventeen, playing in a massive London
derby, feeling extremely nervous and being coached and helped by an old . .
. well, a twenty-year-old . . . team-mate. Ade, who got the second against
Spurs, ended up only making eleven senior appearances for us and disappeared
from the spotlight almost as soon as he had arrived. It's only my opinion,
but the size of Ade perhaps had something to do with that. He had great
touch but in those days most of us strikers were big guys and perhaps his
smaller stature hindered him. Had he played on the Continent, where power
was not such a prerequisite, he may have become a household name. He
eventually excelled in the NASL, and represented the USA during the
qualifying round for the 1986 World Cup, having taken US citizenship. "We
didn't really look at it as three black players in an otherwise white team.
It was more a case of, hey, we're all mates together. I think most English
clubs back then were naive and scared to give black players a chance. Some
of the best players in the world – like Pelé and Eusebio – were black but in
England we didn't get the same opportunities as we do now. Black players
have almost always had rhythm and movement but very few were given the
credit for that when I first arrived from Bermuda. A competitor should
always be judged on ability."
*The above excerpt appears courtesy of deCoubertin Books. The Acid Test is
also available from West Ham United's Stadium, Lakeside Thurrock and Liberty
Romford Stores now, priced £20.
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Moyes: Good form going to Liverpool, Arnautovic's fine form and Chicharito's
impact
WHUFC.com
David Moyes says the Hammers can head to Liverpool with confidence on
Saturday as they look to register back-to-back Premier League wins for the
first time this season. Moyes' side have been without a game for two weeks,
but were victorious against Watford last time out and could move into the
top ten should they continue a good recent run of results at Anfield. After
going a long 52 years without a win at the home of the Reds, they triumphed
3-0 in the 2015/16 season and have since followed that with 0-0 and 2-2
draws. So, despite Liverpool's obvious threat with attacking trio Roberto
Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane all in fine form, Moyes is hopeful the
Hammers can spring a surprise.
We can head to Anfield with confidence…
It's tough for any club going to Liverpool and I've not known it any
different over my time as a supporter of football, and as a player and a
manager. Everybody knows its tough going to Anfield, but we're looking
forward to it because we've got a bit of confidence and we're in a pretty
good run of form ourselves. It's not easy to stop Salah, Mane and Firmino,
that's for sure but we will do our best to try and contain them as much as
we can. They've got other good players as well but those three are talented
individuals who can do things on their own. I think when you're an attacking
team it gives you a better chance of winning games, first and foremost. I
think there will always be opportunities to score, no matter what team
you're playing against, that's football. You cannot predict the scores in
the Premier League, so we will go there with the players who are doing well
and hope that we can cause them problems as well. Back-to-back wins would do
good things for us, but not so much the back-to-back wins, but winning at
Anfield if we can would be a big confidence booster. We've done well against
the so-called bigger teams and we'll have to do a good job again to get a
result at Anfield.
Marko has the self-belief needed as a forward
In many ways I would say that he could play in any team in the world because
he has the footballing ability and he certainly has the self-belief, I can
tell you that.
Sometimes that's needed when you're a forward, to have that self-confidence
and a bit of arrogance. If he keeps at his form and doesn't lose his focus
and go back to how he was, I think he could play for any team. So long may
that continue. I'm sort of saying that because I want him to hear it. If I
think he's stepping back to any way back to how he was before I'm not going
to have it. I've told him that. He's at it, he's too good now and we need
him. His play has been consistent, he has contributed in scoring and making
goals. His effort has been very good and if he keeps that up we'll be more
than happy.
Chicharito is in fine condition
Chicharito has got himself in really good condition. I think he's prepared,
he's in a good place and his play has improved. I think we've improved as
well and got into a position where we're giving him more opportunities. I
have to say recently he has done a great job for us. When I first came here
he had an injury for month when he got back from Mexico and he's got himself
into a much better condition. He's seen himself going towards the World Cup
as well and knows exactly what he's playing for.
Bobby Moore
I'm glad we're honouring Bobby Moore tomorrow . Bobby Moore at this Club is
unique, he has legendary status and that's the case across the whole of
England for what he did with the national team. I think it's great that we
remember the ex-players and especially the special ones. For me, my biggest
memory [of Preston] is the days I had with Sir Tom Finney and how big a
legend he was there, and mainly in football as a whole. I think Bobby Moore
carries that as well. I'm delighted that the supporters will be backing it
and showing what they think of him. I'm looking forward to having dinner
with Eddie Jones, but I hope Scotland beat his England team this weekend!
I'm not an England fan! What I will say is that I was due to be with the
England rugby team on Tuesday but unfortunately for different reasons I
couldn't be there. Eddie will be having dinner with me and watch us train
hopefully in the next couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to having him in
and finding out he's a West Ham fan is even better. He's one of the finest
coaches in what he does. His management skills, his ability to win, he's
done something really special with the rugby team. I still hope Scotland
will beat England at the weekend though!
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Claret & Blue army to receive Bobby Moore tribute T-shirts
WHUFC.com
West Ham United supporters attending this weekend's Premier League contest
with Liverpool will receive a specially-commissioned commemorative t-shirt,
in honour of Bobby Moore, provided by the Club. Saturday 24 February 2018
will mark 25 years since the tragic passing of Moore, with West Ham's
greatest son passing away after a brave battle with bowel cancer. As part
of our tribute to the late, great Bobby Moore, West Ham United will provide
the 3,000 travelling Hammers fans at Anfield with a t-shirt donning the
image of the iconic defender, along with the words '25 years gone, never
forgotten'. Join us in honouring West Ham United's most inspirational
captain and revered player this Saturday, and wear the Bobby Moore t-shirt
with pride as the team take on Liverpool. For full information about the
tributes and events West Ham United have planned, to ensure Bobby Moore's
memory continues to be honoured, click here. For details about the free
Bobby Moore memorabilia exhibition at London Stadium, follow the link here.
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Betway Insider's View of the Opposition: Liverpool
WHUFC.com
Liverpool beat Porto 5-0 last time out, but there are reasons to believe
West Ham can achieve a positive result at Anfield on Saturday. As good as
the Reds were in that Champions League last-16 first leg, they have won just
four of their last eight matches at Anfield in all competitions. Jurgen
Klopp's side have been prone to underperforming at home all season. They
have already dropped points to Burnley, Everton and West Brom in the Premier
League, and were turfed out by the Baggies in the FA Cup last month. West
Ham, meanwhile, have developed a habit of taking points off top-six sides
under David Moyes. They beat Chelsea in December, and have since earned fine
draws against Arsenal and Tottenham.
Liverpool have only failed to score once in their last 20 matches in all
competitions, so it's reasonable to expect them to find the net here. But
their failure to keep a clean sheet in five successive outings at Anfield
will give Moyes more reason to believe that his side can continue their
climb up the league table. If West Ham are to score, then it will probably
be Javier Hernandez who makes the breakthrough. Chicharito is currently
enjoying his most prolific spell at the Hammers after joining from Bayer
Leverkusen last summer, scoring three times in his previous four top-flight
matches. The clinical Mexican also knows what it takes to score at Anfield,
having netted twice there during his time at Manchester United. There should
be goals in this game, and don't be surprised if they come late on.
Liverpool's last six home matches have all featured goals after the 76th
minute, while West Ham sealed their win over Watford last time out with a
late strike.
Moyes would relish a repeat of that on Saturday.
Recommended bets
West Ham to win or draw and BTTS
Javier Hernandez to score
Goal between the 76th and 90th minute
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Hammers to host free Bobby Moore memorabilia exhibition
WHUFC.com
To mark the 25th anniversary of the tragic passing of Bobby Moore, West Ham
United are delighted to announce the launch of a memorabilia exhibition in
honour of our greatest-ever player.
The unique display is free to visit and located on the lower ground floor of
the Stadium Store for the next two weeks, from Saturday 24 February, giving
Hammers fans of all ages the opportunity to gain a close look at some of
most prominent and prestigious artefacts and honours from Bobby's life and
career.
These include the actual shirt he wore on his West Ham United debut against
Manchester United on 8 September 1958, his 1964 FA Cup and 1965 European Cup
Winners' Cup winning medals, his 1964 Footballer of the Year award and his
1966 World Cup finals cap, along with a replica of his World Cup winner's
medal, a matchday programme and a match ticket personally signed by all
eleven England players on that famous July day at Wembley.
Bobby Moore: West Ham United remembers – 25 years gone, never forgotten
Alongside the memorabilia collection is a stunning three-foot high bronze
sculpture of Bobby, seen in public for the first time after being
commissioned by his daughter Roberta as part of a series of six sculptures
to mark the 25th anniversary.
West Ham United's Stadium Store will also be open until the later time of
7pm on Wednesday 28 February and Thursday 8 March.
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Ladies confirm signing of goalkeeper Connatser
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies are delighted to announce the signing of goalkeeper
Cara Connatser. The 23-year-old moves to the Hammers as part of the
partnership with the University of East London and is the latest player to
make the most of this initiative, following the likes of Ellie Zoepfl, Chloe
Burr and Daisy Davis. Connatser is thrilled to have put pen to paper with
the Hammers and can't wait to begin her playing career with the Club. "I'm
super pumped to be at West Ham United," Connatser told whufc.com. "I've
heard so much about the team here and I couldn't wait to see if the players
could live up to the hype. It is so much more than I expected. Being in this
team is so much fun. "I have been itching to get on the field since I
started training here. Since that first session, I've been asking to play
and now I'm going to get that chance, which is awesome. When Karen last
spoke to me she asked me if I was ready, and I know I am prepared to wear
the West Ham kit and show what I can do."
General manager and interim head coach Karen Ray has hailed the character
and ability of the Ladies' newest acquisition, and is expecting big things
of the shot-stopper. Ray said: "Cara is not only a fantastic goalkeeper, but
a great character. She brings great experience, having played at the highest
level of University soccer in America, and we hope that at West Ham United
we can provide Cara with the type of environment that will see her strive to
solidify her spot. "Our philosophy requires the goalkeeper to really connect
with her defenders all the way through to her forwards, and with Cara's
passion and ability to lead she will no doubt excel at this."
A student of UEL, it was another pupil at the University that Connatser
knows well that helped persuade her to make the move to West Ham. The
goalkeeper is good friends with fellow American Zoepfl, and seeing the
forward thrive at the Hammers is what convinced Connatser to join the Club.
"Ellie and I met at UEL but, while she came to London specifically to play
for West Ham, I originally came here for my tuition," Connatser explained.
"Watching Ellie come here though, and seeing how much fun she was having, it
made me a bit jealous. She was always telling me about how good training is
and the plan the Club has for the team. From that moment, I wanted to join
and play alongside her, and now I have that opportunity!"
Comfortable on the ball and ready to communicate with her team, Connatser
has indicated her style of goalkeeping involves a lot of talking with her
defenders, and the American is more than ready to stake her claim to a place
in the side, "One of the reasons I became a goalkeeper is because there's
only one of them in the team," she said. "Without a doubt, I am ready to
compete for that spot." She continued: "When people think of goalkeepers,
their minds go to the use of hands or punching the ball. For me, saving the
ball is only 30 per cent of goalkeeping; I try to save 70 per cent of shots
with my communication. "Honestly, the defenders might get annoyed with me,
with how much I shout and talk! I try to find the perfect amount. I don't
want to overdo it, so they end up tuning me out, but I do want to be a vocal
presence so they know I am there to help them. "What the Club and the team
is building towards is awesome, and I'm completely behind the plan in place.
I can't wait to help the team move forward. It's super exciting."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Liverpool v West Ham United
SAT 24 FEB 2018PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: Anfield
BBC.co.uk
TEAM NEWS
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has a near fully-fit squad at his disposal
for the visit of West Ham. Joe Gomez is available after injury and Nathaniel
Clyne is in light training but remains some way off a return.
West Ham welcome back defender Winston Reid after a throat infection and
playmaker Manuel Lanzini after a hamstring problem. Arthur Masuaku continues
to serve his six-match suspension, while Jose Fonte has agreed a move to
China.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Guy Mowbray: "Whilst Liverpool have mainly trained in Spain during their gap
between games, West Ham have stayed at their Rush Green training HQ.
"Marbella or East London….hmm? "Not that you can question David Moyes'
decisions for West Ham so far. He's not only tightened things defensively,
but they're flowing up front too. It's no coincidence that their little
wobble at the turn of last month came whilst in-form Marko Arnautovic and
Manuel Lanzini were missing. "Nobody has gone missing, figuratively or
actually, for Liverpool since their own end of January blip. "They're
flying, they're firing, and most will expect them to win and be second on
Saturday night. Most - but certainly not Moyes. I reckon he'll fancy this."
Twitter: @Guymowbray
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on West Ham: "They are in a good moment as
well and they will show that. "You play against a wall of eight players, at
least, then they have two quick players, maybe Chicharito (Javier Hernandez)
and (Marko) Arnautovic, or (Manuel) Lanzini, a little bit hidden in
different areas ready for the counter-attack. "It's good organisation, a
clear plan, playing the players in their best positions. A few brave
decisions as well. David [Moyes] is very, very experienced and he knows what
he's doing."
West Ham manager David Moyes: "It's tough for any club going to Liverpool.
It always has been and I've never known it any different as a fan, player or
manager.
"But we are looking forward to it. In my last two seasons at Everton I
finished above them, so I will always remember that. "Over the years I have
done my best to get wins there, which has been hard, but finishing above
them was nice. "We've got a bit of confidence, we're in a good run of form
ourselves but it will be a big test."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
The Reds are unbeaten in the league at Anfield this season and we know how
they attack teams in their home games.
We also know that Liverpool's front players are in excellent form and I
don't see the West Ham defence coping with them.
Prediction: 3-0
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
The Hammers are unbeaten in their last three away games in all competitions
against Liverpool. However, their only victory in the past 48 attempts at
Anfield came in August 2015 (D14, L33).
West Ham's most top-flight defeats have come against the Merseyside clubs:
60 by Liverpool and 61 versus Everton.
Liverpool have won the last two Premier League meetings 4-0 and 4-1. They
last scored four goals or more in three consecutive games against a single
opponent when facing Norwich between 2012 and 2013.
Liverpool
The Reds are unbeaten in 15 Premier League matches at Anfield since losing
to Crystal Palace in April (W8, D7).
Liverpool are the division's form team with an unrivalled 19 points over the
past eight games.
Their only league defeat in 18 games spanning the last four months came at
Swansea in January (W12, D5).
Jurgen Klopp's 17 Premier League defeats as manager have been against sides
whose average position was 12th - which is where West Ham will start the
day.
Klopp failed to win any of his first four matches against West Ham as a
manager but has since guided Liverpool to successive victories over the
Hammers.
Mo Salah is averaging a goal or assist every 64 minutes in Premier League
games at Anfield this season, scoring 11 and setting up five. He has scored
19 left-footed goals in the division - the joint-most in a season, alongside
Robbie Fowler in 1994-95.
West Ham United
The Hammers have only lost two of their last 12 league games and earned 20
points during that period - twice as many as in their first 15 fixtures this
season.
They kept their first clean sheet in nine league games when beating Watford
2-0 last time out.
West Ham have not managed successive league victories for 13 months.
David Moyes has never won a competitive game against Liverpool at Anfield in
14 attempts as a manager (D7, L7).
Marko Arnautovic has directly contributed to 10 Premier League goals (7
goals, 3 assists) since Moyes took charge in November, more than any other
West Ham player.
Javier Hernandez has scored in three of his last four league games for West
Ham. He could score in three consecutive Premier League appearances for the
first time.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 2-0 Probability of draw: 12%
Probability of home win: 83% Probability of away win: 5%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale
at the University of Liverpool that is used to predict the outcome of
football matches.
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ALL YOU NEED IS A PLAN
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 23 FEBRUARY 2018 AT 9:47PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Andy Fletcher
"I feel like I haven't done well enough," explains David Sullivan as he
considers how swiftly and brutally West Ham United's grand ambitions have
unravelled after 18 troubled months at the London Stadium. "Nobody's done
well enough. I work my socks off but sometimes it's not good enough."
The cynics out there would respond to Mr Sullivan's comments – with some
justification – "We've heard it all before Mr Chairman!" Sullivan has the
power to execute change. He is the one blamed by many supporters for the
club's problems. Everything that has happened since the move to the London
Stadium has obviously had an effect on Sullivan. Criticism West Ham are the
most dysfunctional club in the Premier League hurts Sullivan. His insistence
that he and his fellow directors are the most honest, open people you'll
ever deal with is in fact his downfall for many supporters. Whatever your
views are on Sullivan's tenure the sheer bloody mindedness he has for
wanting West Ham to be successful should never be underestimated. Sullivan
along with David Gold has constantly denied they have any plans to sell the
club. His critics though are queuing up to lambast his time in charge and
feel he has made too many mistakes and now is the time for a change of
ownership.
The root causes of criticism lies at the relocation to the London Stadium
and what seems from the outside looking in, lack of investment in the squad.
Sullivan admits he is not entirely happy with the London Stadium, revealing
the club is pushing for it to look and feel more like West Ham's home. But
most tellingly, he finally admits the urgent need for a more 'professional'
approach to the clubs recruitment policies.
Sure it's okay feeling like a big club, but ultimately it's what you achieve
on the pitch that counts in the eyes of the majority of supporters. If you
compare the final season at Upton Park to the first season at the London
Stadium there is no denying it has been one step forward, two massive steps
backwards. Certainly in terms of relocating to the London Stadium it does
beg the question of why bother moving then?
The quality of football played that season was some of the best witnessed
since the halcyon days of the mid eighties under John Lyall. Let's not
forget either that defeats against Swansea and Stoke City in two of our
final three games ultimately cost us a place in the Champions League! The
form against the 'big' teams was almost unheralded. Away wins at 'fortress'
Anfield, victories at both the Etihad and Emirates and a draw at Old
Trafford proved what the team was capable of. The only real blips were the
defeats away to Tottenham and a loss at home to the Champions elect
Leicester City. Home wins against Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester Utd &
Tottenham and draws with Manchester City and Arsenal really whetted the
appetite for what was to come as we contemplated the move to the new stadium
with a degree of optimism.
You could argue the ambition was there with the move but did the club show
the same ambition when it came to recruitment for the following season? The
simple answer is No. If ever there was a time to go out and make a statement
and sign the quality required to push the team forward surely this was the
time to do it having just missed out on Champions League qualification.
This is where Sullivan would struggle to justify his role in the recruitment
process at the club. He will argue the money was spent and Slaven Bilic got
the players he wanted, but it is my belief that failure to qualify for the
Europa League threw a spanner in the works. The club were gearing themselves
up for the group stages, panicked and went out and bought quantity rather
than quality. The fact we exited early doors in the qualifying stages left
us with a squad bereft of real quality. Okay, no one could envisage what
would transpire with Dimitri Payet, but to lose your best player and not
replace him, again threw up questions about recruitment at the club.
Sullivan has been referred to as the club's director of football, although
he has tried distancing himself from that role. "Well, I'm not really the
director of football," he says. "I never go to the training ground." Bilic,
if we are led to believe had a policy of wanting older, proven Premier
League players. Sullivan's argument was that gave you an old squad and
players who you've seen the best of. Hold on a minute, didn't we just sign
Patrice Evra Mr Sullivan? It has also been said Sullivan up until now has
taken an active role in identifying transfers but again he deflects that
assumption when claiming the club mostly signed Bilic's targets. "I'm very
involved with physically bringing in the players," he says. "I'm not
involved in the strategy."
Many supporters feel Sullivan, has undermined his managers by talking too
much. Bilic was deeply unhappy when West Ham failed to sign William Carvalho
from Sporting Lisbon last summer. In a farcical episode Sullivan released a
statement detailing how close he was to a deal for the midfielder. "We're
not liars and we did make an offer." he says. I'm sure there are many
things Sullivan has said and done which he has gone on to regret but this
was just another example of our Chairman getting it horribly wrong again.
West Ham have broken their transfer record in the last two summers, spending
£20m on André Ayew and £24m on Arnautovic, but the squad lacks depth and is
over subscribed in certain areas, something Manager David Moyes has
continually pointed out. While Sullivan is now thinking about hiring a
director of football the hope is his change of heart isn't too late coming.
Appointing David Moyes as manager was not met with wide spread approval and
again Sullivan's head was on the chopping block. Only time will tell if it
was a shrewd appointment but to date you have to say if Moyes continues in
the same vein between now and the end of the season dragging this club
forward and preserving its status amongst the elite of English football then
Sullivan deserves some credit. But as in everything, questions will be asked
and the finger pointed if the worst case scenario were to happen and the
club relegated, that Sullivan while right to sack Bilic, the situation was
allowed to persist for too long.
When David Moyes arrived at West Ham, he admitted he had a point to prove.
He acknowledged that his reputation, established over 11 seasons at Everton,
had been significantly damaged by subsequent and less successful managerial
stints at Manchester United and then the disaster that was Sunderland. (And
we think we have it bad!)
For me there are similarities to be had when you compare Bilic and Moyes.
Both undoubtedly honest and straightforward men, Moyes has a steeliness
about him that Bilic lacked at times and his time at Everton proved him to
be one of the Premier League's best managers. His return journey and
reputation is some way from being completed, but it seems we are witnessing
a re-energised determined David Moyes who is proving his worth in East
London.
Survival will surely give Moyes the chance to establish himself at the club
and whilst his focus will be to preserve the club's status in the top flight
there now seems willingness from both parties to prolong his stay in East
London beyond this season. Moyes, who inherited a team languishing in 18th
place after two wins from their first 11 Premier League games and only nine
points on the board has turned things around to such an extent that dare we
say, there are now aspirations of a top ten finish.
Moyes readily admits he had a point to prove when he took over from Bilic.
He managed five clubs since starting out nearly 20 years ago, starting at
Preston and then going to Everton. His period at Manchester United is well
documented and then he experienced something he always wanted to do by
managing abroad, with Real Sociedad. The hunger in Moyes has returned you
sense, and those 20 years of managing at the coalface will be crucial
between now and the end of the season. Sullivan hoped he was getting the
version of Moyes who flourished at Everton for 11 years rather than the one
who seemed so defeatist at Sunderland. The early indications are we are
seeing the David Moyes at Everton and if he brings the same success and
stability to West Ham over the next few years then every West Ham fan will
be delighted.
Slowly but surely Moyes also seems to be winning over those fans uninspired
by his appointment. It has been well documented we have struggled since
moving to the London Stadium and whilst Moyes made a cautious start his
imprint on the team is now there for all to see. Organisation is one of his
greatest strengths. I always used to hate playing his Everton sides as they
were so difficult to beat. We are now working towards a similar scenario
under Moyes stewardship. There has been the odd blip along the way and I'm
sure there will be a few more between now and the end of the season but you
finally sense we are heading in the right direction.
West Ham needed somebody with experience, knowledge of the Premier League
and the players in it, and David Moyes was the right appointment at the
right time, someone to turn things around and get the best out of the squad.
Moyes has triggered quick improvements without the benefit of a pre-season.
Not an easy thing to do if you compare Alan Pardew's problems at West Brom.
Double training sessions have been the order of the day at Rush Green and
that intensity will not drop as we approach the business end of the season.
He is known to work his players relentlessly to ensure they have an edge on
opponents, pushing them to their limits in training, with the added belief
that matches will then be easier.
His man management skills are another great attribute and getting the very
best out of players. One of Moyes' toughest tasks when arriving was to turn
around the downward spiral of Marko Arnautovic's club record move to east
London. Arnautovic, signed in the summer for £25m and was without a goal in
nine appearances under Bilic. His contribution to the team was woeful, his
willingness to work for the cause was rightly questioned and you wondered
what an earth we had bought. The transformation in Arnautovic has been
phenomenal.
Moyes lost three of his first four league games leading into December.
However, a 1-0 win over reigning champions Chelsea proved to be the catalyst
for a reversal in form – and significantly Arnautovic scored the winning
goal to break his league duck. Under Bilic, Arnautovic was restricted to the
left wing but the Austrian has been granted licence to roam under Moyes.
Maybe the most telling fact has been his work rate. There has been a surge
of distance covered and sprints since Moyes took over. The Austrian is now
averaging over 11 km per game and 70 sprints, a stark contrast to the 9.8 km
and 46 sprints he was averaging before Moyes arrival. The turnaround has
coincided with the added work ethic and his attacking stats have soared to
levels beyond what may have been anticipated upon his arrival. At one stage
it had been reported that Moyes has been told he could sell the Austrian in
January, but in getting him to the levels he is at now has proved what an
asset he is and is just another example of Moyes experience in getting the
best out of players.
After what proved to be Slaven Bilic's final game in charge, the 4-1 home
defeat by Liverpool Aaron Cresswell acknowledged he and his team-mates had
let the manager down. Having formed an effective partnership previously with
Dimitri Payet down the Hammers' left, the statistics make it clear that
Cresswell's form has dipped, again Moyes saw something Bilic clearly didn't
and Creswell has been a revelation playing on the left side of a three man
central defence.
There is nothing any West Ham fan loves more than seeing youth being given a
chance. At Everton, Moyes nurtured a young Wayne Rooney, and blooded future
England internationals Jack Rodwell and Ross Barkley. He also put his faith
in Seamus Coleman, who he signed from Sligo Rovers as a raw 20-year-old and
would become a first-team mainstay. Like Everton, we are justifiably proud
of our respected academy, which has produced talents such as Rio Ferdinand,
Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard and Jermain Defoe. Moyes has won some early
credit from a supporter base nursing wounded pride by again putting his
trust in youth. Declan Rice has been a regular feature in the squad this
season, but also has a number of starts to his name. Having guided Coleman
from the fringes of his club side to the Republic of Ireland national side,
there is every chance Moyes will do the same with Rice. My only hope is
Reece Oxford doesn't jump ship because Rice and Oxford are the future.
While no official announcement has been made by the club regarding extending
Moyes stay, it seems he and the club are already looking to the future and
have begun planning for the long term at West Ham. Crucially you hope
mistakes made previously in the transfer market are a thing of the past and
Moyes revealed he was behind David Sullivan's decision to tear up the club's
archaic transfer policies. The plan was disclosed by Sullivan hours before
the Watford home game in an attempt to placate fans preparing to march in
protest at the way the club was run. Declaring Sullivan was ready to
surrender control over transfers following a miserable January window, Moyes
said: "I think the chairman's going to try to stand aside a little bit from
it and let it get run."
Moyes, who revealed any new scouting system would borrow from the one he put
in place during his decade at Everton, said: "I want the West Ham supporters
to think that, 'Yeah, David Moyes is the right man for the job'; I want the
West Ham board to think, 'David Moyes is the right man', and I also want to
see that West Ham's the right club for David Moyes because I'm ambitious. I
want to be challenging against the big boys. It took me years to build
Everton up and in the end, I got a job which I thought would make things a
bit easier to win and win cups and trophies. I'm happy to do that again, but
I don't know if I'd get the time I got at Everton to build up West Ham over
the years. You need to have the tools to be instantly successful, really,
and I need to know that, when it comes to it, we can do something, we can do
a bit of damage here."
The road to success is not easy to navigate but with hard work, drive and
passion – something Moyes does seem to have – you just never know what's
achievable. That's what makes the journey exciting. Whether we have the
right man in charge now only time will tell.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moyes welcomes return of key players
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 23rd February 2018
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes says he is delighted to be able to include Winston Reid and
Manuel Lanzini in his squad for this weekend's trip to Liverpool. The duo
are back in contention for a place in the starting XI having recovered from
recent injuries - much to the delight of Moyes, who returns to Merseyside
this weekend for a second time since joining West Ham back in November.
"It's good news, we've got a lot of players back training," he told the
assembled (and accredited-only) media. "We're without the long termers
[Andy] Carroll, [Pedro] Obiang and [Edimilson] Fernandes but in the main
we're close to getting the players back. "[Manuel] Lanzini is back training,
he's running around and hopefully that's him fit for the rest of the season.
He has a good chance of being involved after recovering from his hamstring
injury and that is great for us because we will need him in the weeks to
come. "[Winston] Reid is back and will be part of the squad too."
And he also revealed that although Saturday's test will no doubt prove to be
a tough one, with hosts Liverpool in good form of late, hopes are high for a
second successive Premier League victory following the 2-0 win over Watford
in United's last outing. "It's a tough game, but we're in a good run of form
ourselves," added Moyes, who also confirmed the sale of Jose Fonte to
Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang. "It will not be easy to stop Mane,
Salah and Firmino but we'll try to contain them - they have other players of
course but those three can create on their own. We'll go there and hope that
with the players we have in our team we will cause them problems as well.
"If we win at Anfield that would be a big confidence booster. We've done
well against what you'd call the big teams recently and we hope we can do so
again on Saturday."
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Liverpool v West Ham preview: Reds close to full strength for visit of
Hammers
Last Updated: 24/02/18 8:01am
SSN
Liverpool will be close to full strength when they host West Ham in the
Premier League on Saturday as they look to put pressure on the teams around
them. The Reds are currently in third place - one point ahead of Chelsea and
two behind Manchester United, who play each other live on Sky Sports on
Sunday - and recorded a storming 5-0 win against Porto in their previous
fixture. A win could see them temporarily go into second place, but Jurgen
Klopp is under no illusions about the difficulty of facing West Ham, saying:
"We need to be ready for a difficult game tomorrow because they - I don't
know exactly the results but - drew against Tottenham, lost with one goal at
[Manchester] City, stuff like that. It shows you need to do it. "They always
have opportunities with counter-attacks and set-pieces to score by
themselves. They will defend a little bit deeper, probably, and we need an
atmosphere that is ready for that as well."
The Hammers are currently 12th, although they remain four points from the
drop zone, and David Moyes knows how tough a trip to Anfield can be. "It's
tough for any club going to Liverpool," he said. "It always has been and
I've never known it any different as a fan, player or manager, everybody
finds it tough going to Anfield so it will be a tough game but we are
looking forward to it. "Over the years I have done my best to get wins
there, which has been hard, but finishing above them was nice [as Everton
manager]. We've got a bit of confidence, we're in a good run of form
ourselves but it will be a big test."
Team news
Liverpool have no real injury worries. Jurgen Klopp reported a couple of
players had minor issues but nothing that is likely to keep anyone out of
the squad for the Anfield encounter. Emre Can is available again after being
suspended for last week's Champions League victory over Porto, while Joe
Gomez could return to the starting line-up for the first time this month
after overcoming a knee injury.
Manuel Lanzini will return to the West Ham squad after a month out with a
hamstring injury. Winston Reid is also available after a throat infection
kept him out of the win over Watford a fortnight ago. But Andy Carroll,
Pedro Obiang and Edimilson Fernandes are still injured, Arthur Masuaku is
suspended and Jose Fonte has joined Chinese Premier League side Dalian
Yifang.
Opta stats
Liverpool have won their last two Premier League matches against West Ham,
4-0 in May 2017 and 4-1 in November 2017 - they haven't scored 4+ goals in
three consecutive PL games versus a single opponent since doing so versus
Norwich between 2012 and 2013.
West Ham are unbeaten in their last three away games in all competitions at
Liverpool, drawing the last two (W1 D2). Prior to their win in August 2015,
the Hammers had gone 45 matches without a win at Anfield (D12 L33).
Only against Everton (61) have West Ham lost more away matches in top-flight
than versus Liverpool (60).
Jurgen Klopp failed to win any of his first four matches against West Ham as
a manager (D2 L2), but has since guided his Liverpool side to two wins in a
row versus the Hammers.
David Moyes has never won against Liverpool at Anfield in all competitions
as a manager (D7 L7), failing to win with Everton, Man Utd and Sunderland.
David Moyes has collected 21 points in 16 Premier League games as West Ham
manager this season (W5 D6 L5), just three points shy of the tally he
managed last season for Sunderland (24).
Under Moyes, Marko Arnautovic has had a hand in 10 Premier League goals
(seven goals, three assists), more than any other Hammers player since the
Scot's first match in November.
Mohamed Salah is averaging a goal or assist every 64 minutes in home Premier
League games this season (11 goals, five assists).
Merson's prediction
I have no idea how West Ham can go about stopping Liverpool's front three,
they are very, very good. West Ham won't have written this game off but it
is a free swing, if they lose this game it doesn't affect them in the grand
scheme of things. PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0 (7/1 with Sky Bet)
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Jose Fonte left West Ham to keep his World Cup chances alive, says David
Moyes
By Husmukh Kerai
Last Updated: 23/02/18 4:17pm
SSN
David Moyes says West Ham defender Jose Fonte signed for Chinese Super
League side Dalian Yifang to increase his chances of playing at the 2018
World Cup.
West Ham confirmed the 34-year-old centre-back completed his move to Dalian
Yifang for an undisclosed fee on Friday. Fonte signed for the Hammers in an
£8m deal from Premier League rivals Southampton in January 2017, but only
made eight appearances in all competitions this season after suffering an
ankle injury.
The decision by former boss Slaven Bilic to sign Fonte from Southampton was
publicly ridiculed by West Ham co-owner David Sullivan, who told The
Guardian: "My kids begged me not to sign them."
Speaking ahead of Saturday's game against Liverpool, Moyes confirmed the
reasoning behind the defender's departure: "It's a choice the Jose wanted to
make at 34-years-old. He felt it was the right thing for his career at this
time. "It gives him the chance to try something new and he wants to get into
the Portugal squad for the World Cup. "If he was playing regularly he has a
better chance. He's just back from injury and has got himself back into
condition to play. We wish him good luck. He's been a really good
professional since I have been here."
One player Moyes maintains he does not want to lose is in-form Marko
Arnautovic. The West Ham boss believes the Austria international could play
for any team in the world as long as he keeps his focus. He said: "In many
ways [he can play for any team]. He has the football ability and he
certainly has the self belief, I'll tell you that. Sometimes that is needed
when you are a forward, you need that confidence and arrogance which he
certainly has. "I think he if he keeps up his current form and he doesn't
lose his focus and doesn't go back to the way he was [at the beginning of
the season], I think he could play for any team. He's shown at the moment he
can and long may that continue. "I'm saying it because I want him to hear
it. If I think he is stepping back in way to where he was I won't be having
it. I've told him that. He's too good now and we need him."
Moyes also confirmed defender Winston Reid is back in contention to play
against Liverpool on Saturday, while midfielder Manuel Lanzini could also
return after a month out with a hamstring injury. He continued: "We've got
our players back, we are close to a full squad. In the main, we are very
close. Lanzini could return this weekend. It's a decision we will take
tomorrow. Hopefully he stays fit for the rest of the season. "Reid is back
in the squad and training. The players have had some time off but have been
worked hard when in training. I would still have rather been in the FA Cup."
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