Daily WHUFC News - 16th February 2018

West Ham United Statement: Dialogue with Supporter Groups
WHUFC.com

West Ham United can today confirm the Club has reached out to the supporter
groups represented within the West Ham Groups United to meet to begin
constructive dialogue with the Club. Vice Chairman Karren Brady has today
written to the West Ham Groups United confirming: "My Chairmen David
Sullivan and David Gold have always been clear that, as a Board, we are only
the Custodians of the Club on behalf of our supporters. "We fully understand
that our supporters are the lifeblood of the Club. "We believe the groups
that have come together have nothing but the best interests of the Club and
its long-term future in mind. We understand they are seeking only
constructive dialogue with the Club to engender unity. Their intention is
only to bring positive suggestions to us as a Board that will help over time
to improve the Club and the supporters' matchday experience. "David
Sullivan, David Gold and I want to work with the supporters to make West Ham
United one of the most successful clubs in the country and we know and
understand that this only happens with collaboration and listening to our
supporters.
"To this end, I can confirm we have requested a meeting to take place with
representatives of the groups at the earliest opportunity. "We hope that
this will demonstrate how serious we are about listening and answering their
issues. Uniting the Club is our primary focus as a Board. "I hope the
meeting will help us to more fully understand the agenda that we all need to
work to together and that following the meeting we can aim for ongoing
constructive dialogue to deliver a better experience for our supporters."

Spokesman Danny Swallow from West Ham Groups United said: "The supporters of
the march have been concerned that the Board were not prepared to listen to
the fans' point of view. By agreeing to meet us those fears have rescinded.
We are looking forward to open and constructive talks to the benefit of all
West Ham United supporters."

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Lanzini: I'll be coming back from injury soon
WHUFC.com

Manuel Lanzini has revealed he is close to returning to the first team fold
following a hamstring injury. The Argentina international, who today
celebrates his 25th birthday, has missed West Ham's last four matches with
the problem but has stepped up his training as he moves ever nearer to
fitness and he cannot wait to be back. With five assists to his name this
season he leads the way for the Hammers alongside Aaron Cresswell when it
comes to creativity and he is looking forward to linking up with Marko
Arnautovic, Chicharito and new boy Joao Mario in attack. "I'm feeling good,"
the No10 confirmed. "My injury is getting better every day and I'm expect to
be back very soon. "I'm training hard and I expect to go back with the team
next week. "It's great that Marko is back now. He is a very good player and
we need him. "I'm also looking forward to playing with Joao Mario. He is an
important player and together we have good qualities.

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Hammers great Gale: I turned down Chelsea to join West Ham
WHUFC.com

West Ham United hero and Boys of '86 star Tony Gale shares five oustanding
moments from his 368 appearances in Claret and Blue...

JOINING THE HAMMERS WAS A NO-BRAINER

I signed for West Ham from Fulham in 1984 and made my debut at home to
Ipswich Town on 25 August. It was a baking hot day and not a very good game
which ended nil-nil. Mitch D'Avray and Alan Sunderland were up front for
Ipswich and Alvin Martin and myself were the centre-backs for West Ham.
There was nothing memorable about the game at all, but I can remember how
good the fans were and, because it was my debut, everything I did got
applauded, even passing it back to the goalkeeper! I thought to myself, 'I'd
have needed to score a hat-trick at Fulham to get this applause!'. They
really welcomed new players and were great with me.
Chelsea and West Ham wanted to sign me on the same day as my contract at
Fulham had run out. The Chelsea manager John Neal came to my house and then,
shortly afterwards, John Lyall and Eddie Bailey came around and it was a
no-brainer. I was from west London and was a Chelsea supporter as a kid, but
I lost that when I signed for Fulham because there was a big rivalry.
Stamford Bridge was only around the corner from my house, but John Lyall
came in and convinced me and my wife to go to West Ham. I didn't even talk
money with him. He spoke about my game at length, so he had studied me and
knew what he wanted me to do.
I'd also always had this thing about Bobby Moore. He had been at Fulham
after being at West Ham and John talked to me about wearing the No6 shirt
and that was brilliant, I loved that. I only had it for one season, though,
as Alan Devonshire came back from injury and, as my best friend, he asked if
he could have his shirt back and I said 'Of course you can' and went to No4.

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME ON A TERRIBLE PITCH

We played Chelsea on a terrible pitch at Stamford Bridge in late March 1986.
Alvin was suspended and he missed our two games over the Easter period,
Chelsea away and Tottenham at home, and we won both of them! We beat Chelsea
4-0 and Spurs 2-1 with Paul Hilton playing at centre-back and he did really,
really well alongside me. It was a tough task to come in for someone like
Alvin, but he did brilliantly. Focusing on the 4-0, we were both chasing the
title and we were playing against a team I'd chosen not to join in 1984,
despite being from west London and it being the club my family supported. I
had loads of people telling me they'd do us, but we just blew them away with
some wonderful counter-attacking football. Some of the movement was amazing,
Alan Devonshire glided across the mud and didn't get a speck of dirt on him,
and I even got an assist for Dev in that game! When you see how we played,
at such a pace, on a pitch like that, it was a dream.

TITLE-CHASERS

The 1985/86 season was amazing for everyone associated with the Club. We
were going for the title. It was us, Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea, then
Chelsea dropped out of the race, but we maintained a run of results when we
had loads of games in a short period of time. The winter had been terrible,
so we had games Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday! The games were coming
thick and fast but instead of hindering us, they helped us because the
momentum was with us and we were on the crest of a wave. It was 30 April and
we went a goal down to Ipswich at home – Alvin made a slight mistake and was
beside himself because he thought it might have cost us the title, so we
were trying to pick him up – but then Alan Dickens scored a great equaliser,
then Terry Butcher fouled Mark Ward in the penalty area and Ray Stewart
stepped up and bang. It came back out of the net harder than it went in! I
swear Upton Park was moving that night. I can remember coming back into the
dressing room after the game and thinking we were still in it. After driving
out of the car park, I remember going past The Boleyn on the corner of
Barking Road in my Dad's cab and it looked like that was moving as well! You
could see they were watching the highlights on TV inside and a goal went in
and the place erupted. It really was a special time to be a West Ham player.

AN UNEXPECTED WEEK TO REMEMBER

We had struggled through the early part of the 1988/89 season and were in
the relegation zone going into late November. Liverpool were a great side
and we had them at home in the League Cup fourth round under the lights at
Upton Park on the Tuesday night, then we had the local derby with Millwall
in the league on the following Saturday – and we won both of them! We ended
up beating Liverpool 4-1, then Millwall 1-0 at The Den, which was great.
Paul Ince scored two against Liverpool and got the winner at Millwall, too.
I remember us taking a huge following down there and the game had a right
edge. The only friends in the stadium were the two sets of players, as they
had a good set of lads! The Liverpool game was memorable because I scored a
free-kick, which was some going as the balls were a lot heavier in those
days. When Julian Dicks came in, he took over taking the set pieces, but I
got to take a few that season. I had taken the free-kicks at Fulham, but
when I came to West Ham I sat back and watched Mark Ward take them. He used
to blast them and hit the wall nine times out of ten! I took over the next
season, 1986/87, and scored one against Coventry in the first game and that
was it, John said I could take them. I tried to practice after training, but
the goalkeepers weren't keen on staying out and scoring against Wardy in
goal wasn't exactly hard!

SEEING RED WAS A MASSIVE SHOCK

I know it's boring, as everyone has asked me about it and I've spoken about
it a million times, but I'm going to mention the 1991 FA Cup semi-final,
when I was sent-off against Nottingham Forest. When I look back, if you're
talking about a fans' impact on a game, there could not have been one in the
history of football when the supporters made more noise when their team was
losing. To be losing 4-0 and still be singing and all you could hear was
'Billy Bonds' Claret and Blue Army' was incredible. As for my red card, it
was not a sending-off. It was the only time I was sent-off in my whole
career and if it had happened today, it would have been overturned by the
VAR straight away. The rules have changed since then, but that 'professional
foul' rule had only been implemented earlier that week to change how it was
to be interpreted by referees, who were to send-off players deemed to be
denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. The game was live on TV and it was
ruined when I fouled Gary Crosby and Keith Hackett sent me off. Keith has
admitted since that, if the incident had happened the weekend before, he
probably wouldn't even have booked me! It does rankle me as people remember
this incident, rather than me having played 368 games, been part of our
record-high league finish and the goals I scored…

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Kouyate: My teammates helped me get my confidence back
WHUFC.com

Cheikhou Kouyate has thanked his West Ham United teammates for supporting
him through a difficult period and helping him regain his best form. The
popular midfielder underwent wrist surgery last summer and played through an
ankle problem in the early part of the season, before being ruled out for
three games before Christmas with a hamstring injury. Kouyate admitted the
fitness issues played on his mind and affected his performances, but says
his fellow Hammers rallied around him, helped to rebuilt his confidence,
with the result being a series of outstanding performances since his return
to the side at Christmas "I love my teammates," he told whufc.com. "Marko
[Arnautovic], Arthur Masuaku and Manu [Lanzini] have helped me to get back
to my top level. They spoke to me a lot and told me 'take your confidence,
you are the best'. It's the same message from Adrian and from Jose Fonte. I
know that today I am getting back to my best and I have to thank my guys.
"Marko is unbelievable, but not only on the pitch but outside the pitch,
because we need people like him, like Arthur, Adrian, Manu, Jose, [Pedro]
Obiang and the captain. "I love Mark Noble, not only because he is a West
Ham boy and he is the captain, but I love him because he speaks with me and
he knows I had some problems, he knows everything about me and always says
'If you need something, I'm there for you'."

Kouyate's drop in form led to some supporters questioning his commitment on
social media and the Senegalese star conceded the criticism did play on his
mind before his friends, family and faith reminded him of his value. The
result has been a succession of typically all-action midfield performances
that have played their part in helping the Hammers climb out of the
relegation zone and move towards Premier League safety. With eleven matches
left to play, the No8 is determined to maintain his recent form and finish
the season strongly. "I had a hard moment, but this is life. It's very, very
difficult sometimes, but when you have difficult times, you never stop
working hard or let your confidence drop. "I have too many friends who are
helping me, including my wife and some very good friends who have sent me
messages and they have given me confidence. "I know I had some fans who were
angry with me and asking 'Why are you not playing good?', but I know this is
life and sometimes you play good and sometimes you play bad. Sometimes you
can't give your best because nobody knows what problems you have, and I am
over these problems and God is good and now I am starting to get back to my
best. "I have good people in my entourage, they're helping me and I like
that. Now, I want to continue to work hard until the summer and make
everybody proud of me."

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Lanzini set for first team return
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 15th February 2018
By: Staff Writer

Manuel Lanzini has confirmed that he will be back in contention for a first
team berth soon. The Argentina international has been sidelined for a number
of weeks but is expecting to return to regular training bext week - meaning
that he could be in contention for a place in the starting XI against
Liverpool the following weekend. "I'm feeling good," Lanzini told West Ham's
website. "My injury is getting better every day and I'm expect to be back
very soon. I'm training every day, hard, and I expect to be back with the
team next week." Lanzini sustained his latest injury an hour into the 1-1
draw with Bournemouth at the Olympic Stadium last month. He has made 20
appearances for West Ham this season, scoring three goals.

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WHY ARE WEST HAM THE MOST FOULED AGAINST TEAM?
By Blind Hammer 15 Feb 2018 at 08:00
WTID

Blind Hammer investigates why West Ham players suffer most, by a staggering
margin, from fouls.

There has been a lot of noise from Manchester city about the rough treatment
their hugely expensively assembled Galacticos attract. Guardiola appealed to
Referees to protect his stars whilst both Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva
complained of butchery and targeted violence.

Whilst city has endured their share of injuries it is a pale shadow of the
squad shattering injuries West ham have endured. The FA Cup squads West Ham
prepared only had a passing resemblance to a Premier league outfit. These
injuries, including Carroll's fractured ankle, suggested that they may be
attracting as much, if not more, rough play.

Fascinatingly this theory was born out by the BBC's investigation into
City's claims of fouling martyrdom. Using Opta statistics the BBC compiled a
League Table of the teams suffering most. City's claim for targetted
treatment was not born out. The Table is reproduced below.

Pos Team Fouled against
1. West Ham 324
2. Bournemouth 291
3. Man UT 287
4. Chelsea 280
4. Burnley 280
6. Crystal Palace 276
7. Tottenham 275
7. Swansea 275
9. Watford 269
10. Stoke 267
11. Southampton 261
12. Man City 258
13. Arsenal 257
14. Newcastle 255
15. Huddersfield 253
16. West Brom 247
17. Everton 242
18. Leicester 236
19. Liverpool 207
20. Brighton 195

Whilst statistics can invite as many questions as they answer, these figures
are dramatic. Teams are not all of a muchness and there is extensive
variation in records. West Ham is not only the most fouled against team,
they attract more fouls by a comparatively massive margin. West Ham in first
place suffers 33 more fouls than Bournemouth in second. This is easily the
biggest gap between teams. In contrast Bournemouth leads a pack of clubs
with very similar records. They have attracted only 4 more fouls than
Manchester United, whilst Chelsea is only 7 further behind. In fact the gap
between West Ham and the rest is startling. To reproduce the gap between
West ham and Bournemouth you would have to cover the records of a further 10
PL Clubs, ironically then you would arrive at Manchester city who suffer a
paltry 258 fouls, a huge 66 fouls less than West Ham. city are in fact very
average in this table of suffering, alongside Arsenal, another complainant
despite these statistics. Liverpool who also make similar complaints suffer
a staggering 117 less fouls than West ham.

This table gives insight into why West Ham are also consistently high in the
injuries table. There is a widespread myth that match impact injuries are
cleanly separated from muscle strains. This leads to the inaccurate belief
that West ham's strain injuries must solely realate to poor training
conditions. In fact muscle strains can be just as related to match trauma,
uncontrolled forced falling, the wear and tear of consistent rough treatment
and the direct impact of muscle weakening impact. I have personal experience
of this. For the last 2 years I have a history of hamstring problems. This
arose initially after a silent electric car, undetectable to a Blind person,
pulled out to strike me whilst I was crossing the road. THE UNPREPARED FALL
CAUSED ME TO PULL MY HAMSTRING. West Ham players endure these forced,
uncontrolled falls more than any other in the League.

These bald facts cannot be ignored. They can of course always be qualified
and refined. Fouls could be graded in terms of seriousness; they could be
graded in terms of where they occur on the pitch. However these margins
alone insist opponents deploy a premeditated fouling tactic. The sheer
torrential volume of fouls West Ham suffer require some explanation.

Theory 1. – The High Press
I believe it has been a conventional wisdom that it is possible to dominate
West Ham with a high press and encamp them in their own half. Watford
attempted this last weekend. Such an approach has the advantage of forcing
defensive mistakes in vulnerable areas, certainly a feature of our earlier
season form. Of course the risk of the high press is that teams are
vulnerable if they lose possession. The recourse then is to foul as soon as
possession is lost, if possible in a niggardly way which does not attract
referees attention, if necessary, in a cynical way whilst high up the pitch
to minimise any threat from the resulting free kick. The crucial aim is to
break up play and allow midfield and defenders to recover, retreat, and
prevent any break on their goal.

Theory 2. West Ham's Main offensive Threat Comes from runners.
Theory 2 is connected to Theory 1. In the face of the high press West Ham
rarely deploy intricate passing, instead relying on forceful runners to
releive pressure. The main weapons in this regard have been Arthur Masuaku,
Antonio when fit, and of course Marco Arnautovic. Lanzini is also likely to
have attracted more brutal attention. it is a high probability that these
players would figure most highly on any breakdown of most fouled against.

Theory 3- West Ham Midfield is Pedestrian
A more unflattering explanation is that it is relatively easy to foul West
ham midfielders. This focusses on the sometimes slow play involving players
such as Noble and possibly Obiang. These players are fouled more simply
because they are easier to track. The run of injuries to other faster
players would exacerbate this problem. There is no doubt that Noble becomes
much more effective when able to release a pass to a player like Marco
Arnautovic, Lanzini and more recently Mario.

So over to you. The facts are clear. Why do teams foul West Ham more than
any other team?
COYI
David Griffith

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Tottenham and West Ham on alert as Barcelona plan to sell Andre Gomes in the
summer
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Thursday, February 15, 2018

Tottenham and West Ham have been placed on red alert by the news Barcelona
want to sell Andre Gomes this summer. The midfielder moved to the Nou Camp
in 2016 from Valencia and big things were expected of him. However the
Portugal international has failed to sparkle for Barca and has been linked
with a move away for the best part of a year. Tottenham tried to strike a
loan deal for Gomes last summer, while West Ham made an enquiry in January.
And now both clubs will be on red alert as, according to AS, Barcelona are
finally ready to sell the 34-year-old this summer. The Spanish giants are
reportedly ready to cash in on Gomes so they can use the funds to bolster
other areas of the squad.

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Robert Snodgrass ready to give his all should West Ham come calling once
more
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport

Robert Snodgrass is ready to give his all for West Ham once more, should
David Moyes hand him a chance to prove himself next season. The Scotland
international, who moved to east London from Hull City in January 2017, is
excelling on loan with Championship side Aston Villa, having scored or
assisted seven goals in his last seven league games. Reports have suggested
that both parties are keen to agree a permanent deal following the
season-long loan at Villa Park. However, while the 30-year-old enjoys a
healthy working relationship with Villa manager Steve Bruce, Standard Sport
understands there is no such discussion on-going and that Snodgrass is ready
to throw everything into a second chance at London Stadium. The attacking
midfielder, who still has two-and-a-half years remaining on his West Ham
deal, was given just over 800 minutes of football to prove himself under
Slaven Bilic, before being deemed surplus to requirements by the Croatian.
Since Bilic's departure, though, there seems to have been a change in stance
on Snodgrass' future in Stratford. Despite ill-advised comments from David
Sullivan and Karren Brady on the Scot, Moyes seems keen and had looked into
the possibility of a recall in January, to no avail. The Hammers boss has,
time and again, pointed to an imbalance in his squad, with a number of
forwards keen on a left-hand-side berth, leaving him short on the right
wing, Snodgrass' favoured role. The ball is firmly in West Ham's court, but
should they decide to call on Snodgrass this summer, he's more than ready to
prove his worth.

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Four West Ham youngsters who could save David Moyes millions in the transfer
market
The manager - if he is still at the club next season - is expected to be
busy in the summer
Football London
BySam InkersoleWest Ham Correspondent
15:36, 15 FEB 2018

If David Moyes keeps West Ham in the Premier League and accepts a long-term
contract extension, he is likely to be very active in the transfer market
over the summer to put his own stamp on the squad. How much money he will
get to spend remains to be seen as co-chairman David Sullivan has revealed
he will be taking a step back from making transfer decisions (we'll see) so
Moyes will be in some sort of control over the incomings and outgoings from
Statford if he is still there. But, does the Scotsman have to spend a
fortune in the transfer market between May and August to strengthen the
squad? What about the players already there that could save him and Sullivan
from spending millions in the transfer market? We take a look at the
youngsters who should be first team regulars next season, be it in the
matchday squads or even in the starting eleven come the 2018/19 season.

Declan Rice

An easy one to start with as this season, he has been involved with the
first team pretty much all season long. He's not been a regular player but
the experience he will have gained from the matches he has played will be
invaluable. Rice is extremely highly-rated behind closed doors at Rush Green
and he has shown he has what it takes to make it when the Irishman has
played in the Premier League. With this season under his belt, Rice should
go from strength-to-strength and is in with a shout of being a first team
regular for the Hammers next season. If Moyes wants to strengthen his
defence, he doesn't need to look any further than putting the teenager in
the team. The fans will love it too.

Nathan Holland

Had the youngster not picked up a serious hamstring injury in November when
Moyes arrived at the club, it's not far off to say he would have been
involved with the first team by now. Holland is yet to return to action
having undergone surgery on a hamstring tear which has kept him out for
three months, though he is starting to make his way back to fitness. Moyes
was impressed with the winger when he did see him play in training as
Holland starred for the U23s before his injury, scoring three times in eight
PL2 games as the U23s found themselves in the top four in PL2. Holland went
on pre-season tour with Slaven Bilic last summer and did very well indeed
and it's almost certain he will be going on the 208/19 tour as well to get
another chance to impress.

Marcus Browne

The attacking midfielder has struggled with injuries recently and also an
unsuccessful loan stint at Wigan but along with Holland, is one of the
higher-rated youngsters at the club. He made just his sixth U23 appearance
of the campaign earlier this week and managed to score his first goal of the
season as well in the 2-2 draw with Spurs, which led to U23 coach Liam
Manning saying: "The goal will hopefully give Marcus a boost going forward
after he'd been out for a while, and his performances since he returned has
been superb. "He will hopefully continue to look a threat and you give him a
few more chances, he'll score those." If Browne can stay injury free for the
rest of the season, there is a big chance he could head on tour this summer
and get his first team break having spent two or three seasons on the
outside almost looking in.

Domingos Quina

The midfielder could have a big role to play next season - or he could be
sent out on loan, such is the decision to be made over him. When David Moyes
turned to the youngsters this campaign for cup games, Quina was the one who
got involved as the first name on the teamsheet ahead of the others but,
once again, has struggled with injuries. West Ham have an extremely good
talent on their hands and big clubs are sniffing around him again, just like
they were before the east Londoners snatched him up. Centre midfield is
where Quina is best and that is an area where West Ham have struggled this
season. Expect the teeanger to head on pre-season tour this summer and if he
impresses, then you never know.

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West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart wants move abroad
HITC
Will Butcher
@willbutcher8

Joe Hart has struggled at West Ham after joining on loan from Manchester
City. West Ham United loanee Joe Hart is considering a move abroad to
reignite his declining career, according to the Sun, as he remains stuck on
the substitutes bench at the London Stadium. Now in his thirties, Hart is
losing a grip on his career in the Premier League after joining the Hammers
on loan from Manchester City for the entire 2017-18 season back in the
summer. It has also scuppered his chances of being England's number one
goalkeeper at the World Cup in Russia this summer, with Jordan Pickford or
Jack Butland expected to replace the former Shrewsbury Town stopper as
number one. The £120,000-a-week ace is expected to look abroad for his next
career move, now, after impressing on loan with Serie A side Torino during
the 2016-17 season. He is expected to run down the final year of his
Manchester City contract with another loan move to a European side.

Should West Ham make a permanent offer?

Quite simply, no. For what Hart is earning and what he would cost, he is too
expensive to be warming the bench with the east Londoners as Adrian
continues to show him how it is done as the Hammers number one. Adrian of
West Ham United instructs his team during the Premier League match between
West Ham United and Watford at London Stadium on February 10, 2018 in
London, England. The only way in which Hart can show David Moyes what he is
capable of, and indeed England boss Gareth Southgate, is if Adrian suffers
an immediate dip in form or suffers an injury. But if he is to earn a
permanent deal and England's number one jersey, he must significantly
improve from his performances earlier in the season which saw him dropped by
the former Manchester United manager.

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Pablo Zabaleta can't afford to 'take breather' at West Ham like he did at
Manchester City
KEN DYER
ES Sport

It'S when the number of candles on their birthday cake begin to pose a fire
hazard, that most players begin to think more seriously about life after
football. If Pablo Zabaleta though, harboured any thoughts about winding
down and a quieter life when he left Manchester City last summer, to join
West Ham on a free transfer, he was under a misapprehension. For much of
almost a decade he was at Manchester City, the popular Argentine, or 'Zaba'
to his team-mates, was a member of a high quality squad which dominated
possession statistics. That meant that, when most needed, City's regular
right-back could sneak a 'breather.' No such luck for the 33-year-old
Zabaleta now though, not down in East London where this season, West Ham
have been trying desperately to finger-tip their way up the near vertical
rock face that is the Premier League table this season. Last weekend's 2-0
win over Watford lifted Zabaleta's West Ham to 12th place in the table, six
points behind Burnley in seventh spot but – far more importantly – still
only four in front of third-from-bottom Southampton. Zabaleta has missed
just one Premier League game so far this season – through suspension.
Minutes on the pitch so far total 2,376, a time only bettered by central
defender Angelo Ogbonna with 2,550. In all, the Argentine has played in 28
matches this season, a total equalled by Ogbonna and Cresswell. "Yes, it is
a bit different from Manchester City," he said. "There, of course, you have
strong players who can keep the ball so well and sometimes you can rest a
bit during the game. "This is different but it is what I expected from the
first day. We are not Manchester City, we don't have the same quality as
them but it is nice for me to have the experience of a new challenge and
prove to myself that I have enough in the tank to play at Premier League
level. "I am trying to work hard to keep myself fit and give the best for
the team. "I was playing as a right wing back against Watford after playing
two games in the midfield. I am ready to perform where the manager decides
he wants me. "We lost Pedro Obiang with injury and he is probably the only
defensive midfielder we had in the squad I have to use my experience
sometimes to play in different positions. It is not the first time I have
done it. "I can do the job, I continue to play every single minute, I am
keeping myself fit which is good and I am really happy with how things are
going. "I am 33 now, I am not getting any younger but I have only missed
one game this season, for five yellow cards. I am working hard to keep
myself fit and give my best for the team."

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Cheikhou Kouyate 'loves' West Ham skipper Mark Noble
HITC
Will Butcher
@willbutcher8

Mark Noble is renowned for his work as West Ham captain, and it has been
noticed by Cheikhou Kouyate. West Ham United midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has
told the club's official website that he "loves" captain Mark Noble
following talks with the Hammers skipper. Kouyate, 28, was one of a handful
of West Ham players that were criticised for their drop in form last season,
and to some degree at the start of the 2017-18 campaign. But the former
Anderlecht midfielder relied upon the guidance and wisdom of captain Noble,
stating that his central midfield partner spoke to him privately in order to
help the Senegal international regain his confidence and his form. Now,
Kouyate is one of the first names on David Moyes' team sheet alongside
Noble, with Pedro Obiang ruled out for the rest of the season and Josh
Cullen still considered inexperienced in the middle of the park. "I love
Mark Noble," Kouyate said. "Not only because he is a West Ham boy and he is
the captain, but I love him because he speaks with me and he knows I had
some problems. "He knows everything about me and always says 'If you need
something, I'm there for you'."
Kouyate is one of a number of players to improve their form under the
guidance of Moyes, with club-record signing Marko Arnautovic, Javier
Hernandez, Noble and Pablo Zabaleta all significantly improving under the
Scot. West Ham are next in action in nine days' time, as they do not play
this weekend following their 2-0 loss to Wigan in the FA Cup. Instead, they
have a week off, and will face Liverpool at Anfield on February 24. Kouyate
has three and a half years remaining on his current London Stadium contract,
which the Daily Star claim is worth £30,000 a week.

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