Arnautovic and Lanzini star in four-star show
WHUFC.com
Huddersfield Town 1-4 West Ham United
Premier League, John Smith's Stadium, Saturday 13 January 2018
Three goals in a devastating 16-minute spell at the start of the second half
gave West Ham United a memorable 4-1 Premier League victory at Huddersfield
Town.
The Hammers were ruthless in front of goal with Marko Arnautovic and Manuel
Lanzini in unstoppable form. The No10 scored twice, while Arnautovic
registered a goal and two assists as his fine run of form continued. David
Moyes' resurgent side have lost just one in eight, are up to eleventh in the
table and have completed their first league 'double' of the season. Earlier,
Mark Noble had given the visitors a 25th-minute lead with a cool finish from
inside the area, before Joe Lolley – whose error gifted Arnautovic the ball
in the lead up to Noble's goal – atoned for his error by levelling from the
edge of the box. West Ham did not let their heads drop and attacked in
clinical fashion on the game's resumption, taking the game away from their
hosts with those three unanswered goals – the first within 12 seconds of the
restart through Arnautovic. The Hammers welcomed back Arnautovic, James
Collins and Aaron Cresswell from injury and the trio all came straight into
the starting eleven. However, it was the hosts who saw most of the ball
inside the opening ten to 15 minutes, although all they had to show for it
was a header glanced wide of the target by Christopher Schindler from a
right-wing corner. West Ham slowly began to impose themselves on the
contest, with Lanzini and Arnautovic looking to link up in attack, and it
was the latter's persistence which led to their opener Huddersfield
goalkeeper Jonas Lossl played the ball short to Lolley, but the midfielder
was not reckoning on Arnautovic closing him down so quickly. The Austrian
stole the ball and played it through to Noble, who calmly finished inside
the near post. After taking the lead, West Ham looked relatively comfortable
in the advantage until Lolley took up the mantle to make up for his error
five minutes before half-time. He drove at the Hammers' defence, and as they
backed off he took advantage of the space to curl a fine shot beyond the
grasp of Adrian.
The Hammers did not let that setback affect them though as they set about
Huddersfield with wonderful efficiency at the start of the second period.
Straight from kick-off the visitors made it 2-1. After Lanzini kicked-off,
the ball was played long forward to Cheikhou Kouyate, whose touch found
Arnautovic. His flick left Tommy Smith standing and there was no doubt the
Austrian would fire home for his sixth goal in seven top-flight matches.
With 56 minutes on the clock Arnautovic was involved again to set up a
beautiful goal for Lanzini. After fine work from the impressive Kouyate and
Pedro Obiang, the No7's stepover bamboozled Zanka and allowed him to pass
through perfectly for Lanzini to slam home from 15 yards. Huddersfield could
not live with the Hammers' attacking duo and they combined again for the
fourth just five minutes later, as Arnautovic burst into the box, running
from right to left. He couldn't pull the trigger, but Lanzini was there in
support and he fired into the roof of the net to give Lossl no chance.
Terriers debutant Alex Pritchard had a deflected free-kick which Adrian did
well to readjust and save 15 minutes from the end, but there was no way back
for the hosts as West Ham continued their unbeaten start to 2018.
Huddersfield Town: Lossl, Smith (Kongolo 71), Zanka, Schindler, Malone,
Hogg, Mooy, van La Parra, Lolley (Pritchard 65), Ince, Depoitre
Subs not used: Coleman, Sabiri, Williams, Mounie, Hefele
Goal: Lolley 40
Booked: Smith
West Ham United: Adrian, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Zabaleta, Obiang,
Kouyate, Noble, Masuaku, Lanzini (Rice 85), Arnautovic (Ayew 82)
Subs not used: Hart, Chicharito, Burke, Cullen
Goals: Noble 25, Arnautovic 46, Lanzini 56, 61
Booked: Cresswell
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Attendance: 24,105
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Moyes revels in historic Huddersfield victory
WHUFC.com
David Moyes praised his 'terrific' West Ham United side after they scored a
4-1 Premier League victory at Huddersfield Town. The Hammers were inspired
at the John Smith's Stadium, going ahead through Mark Noble, then recovering
from conceding an equaliser to score three more times in a devastating
16-minute spell immediately after half-time – first through Marko Arnautovic
and then twice through Manuel Lanzini. While he was not getting carried
away, Moyes was rightly proud of becoming the fourth manager to 200 Premier
League wins in front of the watching Sir Alex Ferguson. "We've got a long
way to go, but the players have done brilliantly well since we came in and a
lot of praise must go to them," said the Scot. "I thought they were terrific
today, beating an opponent who was one of the teams around us in the league,
so it's really important."
With six goals and three assists in his last seven Premier League
appearances, Arnautovic is in the form of his life, but it was his work-rate
– his challenge set up Noble for the opener – which impressed the manager as
much as anything else. "I'm really pleased with Marko. Everybody told me he
hadn't performed before I came, but everybody knew how good he was at Stoke
City, and that's why we paid a big fee for him. Giving him a freer role up
front has given him a chance to show other sides to his game as well, with
the effort and the way he has worked. "Manu could have played him in a
couple of times in the first half but he didn't get the pass. In the end, it
was Marko playing in Lanzini to score, so his all-round play was very good.
He's done really well. "The two centre forwards were a threat all day. Every
time it went to them, it looked like they were causing problems. It was a
real, terrific team effort. Everyone worked hard and did their jobs and I
have to praise them all."
Moyes confirmed that Arnautovic's goal just seconds into the second half,
when he beat Huddersfield captain Tommy Smith to Cheikhou Kouyate's flick
before slamming low past Jonas Lossl, was the turning point of the game.
"Undoubtedly the goal in the opening seconds of the second half was a
game-changer. You need bits to go for you in football matches and we got a
goal right from the kick-off, which gave us a great start to the second
half." That goal put West Ham on course to join Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and
Harry Redknapp among the select band of bosses with 200 Premier League
victories to their names. "Those names are all great managers so to be in
that position is great. I've enjoyed it, I've had good times, I've had bad
times but ultimately you want to win the games and I'm glad I've won a few!"
West Ham have now climbed to their highest position of the season, and Moyes
has challenged his players to keep their run going when they host AFC
Bournemouth at London Stadium next weekend. "I think you stay up in the
division by winning your home games and we've sorted it out in the main and
have picked up there, but when you're not doing that you've got to win a few
games away from home. "We've had a couple of really good wins away from home
and we're also scoring goals. We are a threat and have people capable of it,
and people on the bench capable of it as well, so at this moment in time I
think we're capable of scoring. "I'd like to give them better service, so
let's keep hoping that we keep winning the games that we need to."
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We were just on fire in Huddersfield win - Arnautovic
WHUFC.com
Marko Arnautovic said West Ham United were 'on fire' during the 16-minute,
three-goal salvo that downed Huddersfield Town. The Hammers went into
half-time level at 1-1 at John Smith's Stadium, but the Austrian's superb
strike just 12 seconds into the second period put his side on the way to a
comprehensive 4-1 Premier League victory. With six goals and three assists
in his last seven top-flight appearances, the No7 is in the form of his West
Ham career so far, but was keen not to take all the praise for himself. "I
thought our performance was good, even in the first half, when we just
couldn't complete the final pass," said Arnautovic. "We had a lot of space
in front and we just always missed the last pass. "But in the second half,
it was just on fire and even then we missed some last passes. It could have
been a festival for goals but unfortunately... not unfortunately, because we
scored four goals so we are very happy because this was a massive win for
us!"
Arnautovic said the Hammers always felt they could turn their season around
after collecting just ten points from their opening 15 games. With 15 from
their last eight top-flight matches, the Hammers are up to eleventh and
targeting a strong top-half finish, rather than a nerve-jangling relegation
battle. "We know that we have a lot of quality in the squad but the first
ten or 12 games were not West Ham. We try hard, we work hard and first of
all we try to defend and hold a clean sheet, then in front we have to be
creative and score goals. We've done that in a couple of games now. "We are
doing well, but the season is not over. We've got some very hard games to
come, so we're going to keep going."
Arnautovic's interplay with Lanzini was mesmeric at times, with the pair
combining superbly for West Ham's third and fourth goals. The former
unsurprisingly enjoys playing alongside the diminutive Argentinian, who
scored his second and third of an improving season, while also adding two
assists to take his tally to an impressive eight in 17 appearances. "We
always try to do our best, but Manu Lanzini told me I never give him any
assists for goals, but today he got two! Now I think he needs to be quiet
until the next game! "Well done also to the defence. They always worked and
did a brilliant job, and also a massive shout to our fans, who were perfect,
like always. We keep going."
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Huddersfield Town 1-4 West Ham United
By Emma Sanders
BBC Sport
West Ham manager David Moyes says the board "want to add more players" after
his side thrashed Huddersfield 4-1. The Scot refused to blame the club's
owners for a lack of transfer activity so far in the January transfer
window, explaining it was "just the difficulty of the month". Saturday's win
means Moyes is just the fourth manager to win 200 Premier League matches.
His side have gone five games unbeaten in all competitions, move five points
away from the drop zone and overtake Huddersfield in the process. It was
skipper Mark Noble who led the way - pouncing on a lazy pass from goalkeeper
Jonas Lossl to put the visitors in front. Joe Lolley equalised with a superb
curling effort before Marko Arnautovic scored within seconds of the restart.
He later assisted Manuel Lanzini twice as the visitors ran away with it in
the second half - inflicting just a fourth home defeat on Huddersfield this
season. David Wagner gave league debuts to new signings Terence Kongolo and
Alex Pritchard, and said they will "help Huddersfield reach their target" of
securing Premier League safety. "The two signings we made very much made
sense," Wagner said. "I am absolutely happy they are with us."
The Terriers remain four points above the relegation zone before a trip to
Stoke and a home match against Liverpool. Arnautovic was forced to miss the
1-1 draw with Tottenham on 4 January but was straight back into the starting
line-up at John Smith's Stadium. Moyes knew he needed his best players on
the pitch and Arnautovic did not let him down - contributing two assists and
a goal. He terrorised Huddersfield's defence all afternoon and, despite not
making much impact in the first half, there were signs he would become a
danger. His link-up play with Lanzini was on show in the opening stages as
the pair created space for each other out wide and constantly switched
positions. The dynamism and creative flair ultimately opened things up, but
it was Arnautovic's determination off the ball that got the early
second-half goal as his side regained the lead. He weaved in and out of
defenders to create Lanzini's first before the pair linked up again to make
it 4-1 and seal the victory. Arnautovic said his team were "on fire in the
second half" - but it was his partnership with Lanzini that earned the three
points.
Although the defeat does not cause too much damage to their league position,
it was one of the heaviest Huddersfield have suffered this season. They have
lost at home on four occasions in all competitions - to Manchester City,
Chelsea and Tottenham, who are all competing in the Champions League. That
shows what a good result it was for Moyes' side, but also puts into
perspective the success Huddersfield have had so far this season. Their
performance against West Ham was out of character. They made three key
errors which Wagner described as leading to "own goals" as the Hammers
unpicked them in the second half. Lossl's weak pass to Lolley in the first
half kick-started a string of individual errors and, although Arnautovic was
creative in his own right, he was helped immensely by a poor Huddersfield
display.
Moyes' Premier League record puts him behind only Sir Alex Ferguson (528),
Arsene Wenger (468) and Harry Redknapp (236), and he said having his name
alongside those "great managers" was a "good feeling". "I'm just glad I have
managed to win a few," he joked. Since being appointed West Ham manager, he
has turned things around and the Hammers are now creeping their way slowly
up the table. The festive period was a particularly impressive one for
Moyes' side. They have picked up eight points from their past five games,
including draws against Tottenham and Bournemouth away from home. Victory at
John Smith's Stadium has given them some distance above the drop zone but
they still have a long way to go before securing safety.
Hammers on the up - the best of the stats
West Ham have won eight points in their past four Premier League away games
(W2 D2 L0), as many as in their previous 15 combined.
Some 69% of Huddersfield's home goals conceded in the Premier League this
season have been against London clubs (11/16).
Huddersfield have conceded seven goals in their past two Premier League
games, this after conceding six across their previous six.
Lanzini scored his first ever double in the Premier League, on what was his
78th appearance in the competition.
What the managers say
Huddersfield 1-4 West Ham: David Moyes praises 'terrific' Hammers
West Ham manager David Moyes: "We have a long way to go but the players have
done brilliantly well since we came in and they did very well today. "I'm
really pleased with Marko Arnautovic. Everybody knew how good he was at
Stoke and maybe giving him a freer role up front has given him a chance to
express himself.
"Andy Carroll wasn't fit. We decided not to bring him to the game because we
have a game on Tuesday."
West Ham's goals were too easy - Wagner
Huddersfield head coach David Wagner: "It's not about the position in the
table - this is a good one - but our performance was below par, especially
individually.
"The first three goals [for West Ham] were more or less like own goals. We
are not able to win a football match in the Premier League by doing that. It
is too easy and that is why we lost. "There were things which we cannot do
at this level. We made three of those mistakes in one game - hopefully we
will make none in the next."
Man of the match - Marko Arnautovic
What's next?
Huddersfield travel to Stoke in Saturday's 15:00 GMT kick-off while West Ham
host Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday in their FA Cup third-round replay (19:45).
Moyes' side return to league action on Saturday against Bournemouth (15:00)
at home.
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HUDDERSFIELD 1-4 WEST HAM – MATCH REPORT
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 13 JANUARY 2018 AT 6:36PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Match Report by @WestHamAmerican
A flurry of goals early in the second half of play gave West Ham a 1-4
victory in the premier league today over Huddersfield Town as David Moyes
grabbed his 200th league victory and West Ham secured a much needed three
points while away at John Smith's Stadium today.
The opening half featured none of the Hammers' usual suspects at forward, as
Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho were not on the roster. Havier Hernandez,
after a sub-par FA cup tie, spent the day on the bench. Moyes did have both
Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic up top and they made the most of their
opportunity but waited until the second half of play to come to life.
The first 45 minutes were largely forgettable football other than Mark Noble
capitalizing off a poor pass from Hudderfield's keeper as the errant Jonas
Lossl pass was snatched up by the West Ham captain and he put it past the
near post to take the early lead.
The Terriers' fans were brought back into the match moments before the break
when Joe Lolley cut through traffic and fired a beautiful left-footed shot
that curled beyond Adrian's reach. With the score knotted 1-1 neither
manager made any half time changes to the lineup.
Whatever David Moyes said in the changing room, it must have motivated his
side as Arnautovic took a pass from Kouyate and having only Tommy Smith to
beat he fired it from the edge of the penalty area and scored only 14
seconds after the kick off.
Now playing on the front-foot, West Ham were in attack mode and Arnautovic
seemed somewhat determined to involve Lanzini more as he took the ball
through the defense and played the Argentine through. Lanzini then sent it
past Lossl into the far corner of the net.
The Arnie- Lanzini combination found a fourth when Arnautovic drove into the
penalty area, and was taken down by Christopher Schindler. He managed to
play to Lanzini before he lost possession and once again Manu sent Lossl the
wrong direction and the visiting club picked up a 1-4 lead.
Other than the early goal, West Ham's defending was more spirited than other
matches against bottom-half of the table competition. James Collins playing
in place of Winston Reid added some stability to the back line. In the 73rd
the hosts looked to climb back into the match as Alex Pritchard took a free
kick from only 25 yards in front of goal. The ball deflected off of
Johnathan Hogg and almost was disaster for the Hammers, if not for Adrian's
spirited dive to the right to push it away from goal.
The final moments saw neither side threaten too seriously. After four
minutes of added time, Jon Moss ended things and West Ham found themselves
11th in the Premier League table. January and February might turn out to
be the club's best chance to earn permanent safety as there are no top ten
opponents a visit to Liverpool on February 24. The near-term challenge for
Moyes, besides a non-productive January transfer window, is how to set up
for a FA cup replay Tuesday night against Shrewsbury Town. The League One
side showed no fear last week. Weighing any risk to the likes of Lanzini
and Arnautovic while they are playing in good form is a tough call for the
manager. An honest run at the FA Cup would be good for West Ham, but only
five points from safety it's a bit of a gamble.
Huddersfield Town: Lossl, Smith, Malone, Schindler, Zanka, Hogg, Mooy, Van
La Parra, Ince, Lolley, Depoitre.
Subs: Kongolo (71'), Sabiri, Coleman, Williams, Pritchard (65'), Mounie,
Hefele
West Ham: Adrian, Cresswell, Zabaleta, Ogbonna, Collins, Masuaku, Obiang,
Noble, Kouyate, Lanzini, Arnautovic.
Subs: Hart, Hernandez, Burke, Cullan, Rice (85'), Ayew (83')
Referee: Moss
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David Moyes hails West Ham team effort in win over Huddersfield
Last Updated: 13/01/18 7:18pm
SSN
David Moyes praised his forwards but insisted it was a team effort as West
Ham won 4-1 at Huddersfield in the Premier League. West Ham manager David
Moyes hailed his team's collective performance after they brushed aside
Huddersfield with an impressive 4-1 victory at the John Smith's Stadium.
Manuel Lanzini scored twice to add to strikes from Mark Noble and Marko
Arnautovic as the Hammers moved up to 11th in the Premier League table. West
Ham are upwardly mobile under the Scot, with eight points in their last four
away games, and the victory was Moyes' 200th as a Premier League manager.
"It's a really big win," he said. "The teams from 10th down, anyone can beat
the other on any given day so it's a big win for us. "I was a bit
disappointed going in 1-1 at half-time, and we told them that. I was
disappointed with bits of our play but right from the off [in the second
half], we got a break and Marko scored. "I was delighted with the front two,
who caused them problems all day, but it was a real team effort. They all
worked hard doing their jobs so I have to praise them all."
Moyes also praised the travelling support who were treated to a clinical
display of counter-attacking football after the break, and he hopes the
recent improvement in form will attract more players to the club this month.
Moyes becomes the fourth person to achieve a double century of Premier
League wins after Alex Ferguson (528), Arsene Wenger (468) and Harry
Redknapp (236) - and the 54-year-old is understandably proud of his
achievement. "I am proud because it's not easy to manage in the Premier
League," he added. "It's difficult to stay in the jobs for a long period of
time. I was very fortunate in the early part of my career to have good
chairmen who gave me time to collect those wins. "It's a good achievement
and there's some really big names who have won those number of games and
more as well."
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Huddersfield 1-4 West Ham: Manuel Lanzini scores twice as Hammers romp to
win
By Ben Grounds
Last Updated: 13/01/18 7:53pm
SSN
West Ham produced a devastating second-half display to thump Huddersfield
4-1, with Manuel Lanzini scoring twice to give David Moyes the 200th Premier
League win of his managerial career. Mark Noble capitalised on a mix-up
between Jonas Lossl and Joe Lolley to give the Hammers the lead with a cool
finish (25), before Lolley made amends five minutes before the interval with
a sublime equaliser for the Terriers. Marko Arnautovic restored West Ham's
lead just 11 seconds into the second period when he latched onto Cheikhou
Kouyate's flick, and the Austrian then turned provider for Lanzini's first
away Premier League goal since November 2016 (56).
Lanzini completed the rout five minutes later following another swift
counter-attack as the Hammers moved above their opponents into 11th in the
table, with Huddersfield dropping to 13th place. Moyes has now completed a
double century of wins in the English top flight, with only Harry Redknapp,
Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson - watching on from the stands at the
John Smith's Stadium - having achieved more. After a cagey opening, West Ham
profited from a disastrous breakdown in communication between Huddersfield
'keeper Lossl and Lolley from a goal-kick, as Arnautovic forced the
midfielder into conceding possession on the edge of his own penalty area,
allowing Noble to sweep in the 50th goal of his career. But Huddersfield,
and in particular Lolley, responded well to the setback. Lanzini over-ran
the ball to Mathias Jorgensen and, once Tom Ince had invited Tommy Smith
forward from the right, the ball was worked wide by Aaron Mooy to Lolley and
he stepped inside Noble to curl a wonderful strike into the bottom corner.
David Wagner's side finished the half in the ascendancy but they were made
to pay for a sluggish start to the second period as, from the kick-off,
Angelo Ogbonna's long ball forward was flicked on by Kouyate to Arnautovic,
who lifted the ball over Smith before firing low to Lossl's left and into
the net. The Terriers were rocked by the bolt out of the blue, and their
problems increased as, five minutes later, Arnautovic sped away from
Christopher Schindler to lay the ball into Lanzini's path and the
Argentinian flashed his shot across Lossl for a slick third. Moyes was
delighted to call upon Arnautovic after he recovered from a hamstring
injury, and further signs of his blossoming relationship with Lanzini were
on show for West Ham's fourth as the Austrian winger spun Schindler on the
touchline before allowing Lanzini to take the ball off his toes to cut
inside and blast his second into the roof of the net.
Opta stats
This was David Moyes' 200th win as a manager in the Premier League, becoming
the fourth person to achieve this feat after Alex Ferguson (528), Arsene
Wenger (468) and Harry Redknapp (236).
West Ham have won eight points in their last four Premier League away games
(W2 D2 L0), as many as in their previous 15 combined.
69 per cent of Huddersfield's home goals conceded in the Premier League this
season have been against London clubs (11/16).
Huddersfield have conceded seven goals in their last two Premier League
games, this after conceding six across their previous six.
Marko Arnautovic is the sixth player to score in 3+ consecutive Premier
League away games for West Ham and first since Diafra Sakho in October 2014.
Mark Noble has now scored (35) or assisted (27) 62 Premier League goals for
West Ham - only Paolo Di Canio (78) has had a hand in more for the club.
The managers
David Wagner: "It was a frustrating day because we made too many easy
mistakes. The first is an individual mistake that should never happen. With
the second one we needed to be stronger and we tried to play offside for the
third. "West Ham have creative individuals who were able to hurt us. We had
too many players who were below par today. "We have to make sure this never
happens again, but we know exactly what went wrong. Unfortunately not
everything in football goes to plan."
David Moyes: "It's a really big win. The teams from 10th down, anyone can
beat each other on any day so it's a big win for us. "I was a bit
disappointed going in 1-1 at half-time, and we told them that. I want our
fans to see what we can be like, we're giving fans a reason for coming away
from London for away games. "We had fantastic support and hopefully this
attracts more players to the club."
Moyes hails team effort
David Moyes praises his forwards but insists it was a team effort as West
Ham won 4-1 at Huddersfield in the Premier League.
The pundit
Matt Le Tissier: "Arnautovic was outstanding this afternoon. He was
different class and was the difference between the two teams He was a thorn
in the Huddersfield side. "I don't know what Moyes has done to him, but he
looked like an absolute world-beater today. "Once West Ham got in front in
the second half, Huddersfield over-committed men forward and Lanzini was
able to profit from that. On the counter, they looked very dangerous."
Man of the match - Marko Arnautovic
Arnautovic was absent from West Ham's goalless draw with Shrewsbury Town in
the FA Cup third round, but David Moyes' decision to protect him was
vindicated as the Austrian returned to torment the Huddersfield defence with
another display of his improvement since the Scot's arrival. It's now six
goals in his last seven games for Arnautovic, who provided Manuel Lanzini
with both his strikes - meaning for the first time in his Premier League
career, the forward was involved in three goals in a single game.
What's next?
Huddersfield will look to regroup when they head to the bet365 Stadium to
face Stoke City next Saturday, while West Ham have an FA Cup third-round
replay against Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday before entertaining Bournemouth at
the London Stadium next Saturday.
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HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1, WEST HAM 4. SING IT, MICK!
By David Hautzig 13 Jan 2018 at 17:20
WTID
Players and managers often have Matchday routines and plans. So did I. You
see, today is my sons eleventh birthday. He was supposed to take his first
archery lesson this morning while my daughter was at school (yes, her
current school has morning classes on Saturday). Then we were going to go
out for lunch, come home to open presents, make his chosen dinner of
Spaghetti & Meatballs, play with the aforementioned presents, and then call
it a night. However, Mother Nature interfered yet again. Ice, freezing rain,
and snow after 60 degrees and torrential rain yesterday made the roads
treacherous. I expected to be home alone during the match, but that didn't
happen. And on your kid's birthday, you shouldn't say NO to a request
because you are watching West Ham. At least I wouldn't. Thankfully, he
didn't ask for much and I had a lovely morning watching football.
As always, there was drama for West Ham before a ball was kicked. Andy
Carroll didn't make the trip because….exactly. Rice was dropped because….no
clue. Moyes only named six subs to the bench because….temporary insanity? I
know the U23 squad played yesterday and Moyes reportedly decided it was more
important for certain players to play that match than sit today. But he
couldn't decide on one? Whatever.
The first opportunity of the match fell to Huddersfield when they won a
corner in the sixth minute. The delivery was good, as was the flick on into
the space right in front of Adrian. Fortunately for West Ham nobody on the
home side made a run to go for that second ball and it rolled out for a goal
kick.
As the first half moved into the 20th minute, The Hammers started to at
least try to assert themselves a bit more. Lanzini made a couple of runs, as
did Arnautovic, and Kouyate just mistimed a run onto a pass from Ginge. But
despite that bit of endeavor, there was still no end product. In fact, there
wasn't even an attempt on goal. The only positive ball came from the reborn
Noble, but it only went out for a goal kick.
I'm so used to watching West Ham make silly mistakes and get punished for
them that when they happen to the opposing team I barely know how to react.
In fact, I generally expect to see a good chance wasted. So when Lossi sent
a short goal kick in the 26th minute to Lolley and Arnautovic pressured
Lolley into losing the ball to Noble all alone in front of the Huddersfield
goal, I saw Noble channeling his inner Carlton Cole (bless him) and skying
it to the atmosphere. Instead, he showed experience and skill and easily
slotted it home for his 50th career goal.
Huddersfield 0
West Ham 1
Irony. Only one different letter from Irons. Yet so appropriate for our
club. In the 42nd minute, Huddersfield broke down the right. The ball came
to Lolley. The man responsible for West Ham's opener. Noble, the man who
scored after that error, had a chance to challenge Lolley on the right side
of the box ran right past him. Lolley then had nothing but pasture in front
of him and ran into it. He cut to his left and let rip a left footed
screamer that beat a diving Adrian.
Halftime
Huddersfield 1
West Ham 1
I won't lie. I was with my son when the second half started. I tried to keep
an eye on the clock to know when to get back downstairs for the start of the
second forty five minutes. So when I did get back to the IPad plugged into
the television, I had to put my glasses on to make sure I saw the screen
correctly. The replays were thankfully as wonderful as the live action.
Arnautovic showed the kind of skill we lived for from DiCanio and Le Snake
by passing to himself over Smith's head and drilling it past Lossi only
eleven seconds after the re-start.
Huddersfield 1
West Ham 2
Minutes after West Ham regained the lead, they won a corner. Cresswell's
delivery found Ogbonna in the box. His bouncing header was touched by
Kouyate and looked destined for the back of the net. But Mooy was stationed
on the line, and perhaps on another day before goal line technology a bad
ref or linesman would have ruled it a goal. But technology was there, and
the ball only went halfway in. Horseshoes and hand grenades as they say.
The visitors stayed on the front foot, and after some nifty one touch
passing between Kouyate, Obiang, and Arnautovic the latter was sent free by
Kouyate. Lanzini cut across and into the box, and our Austrian Talisman
rolled a perfectly weighted ball to the little Argentine. Smith held his
hand up, but since the linesman is decidedly not a preschool teacher he
didn't call on the Huddersfield right back. Lanzini ran onto the ball and
put a low shot past Lossi.
Huddersfield 1
West Ham 3
Huddersfield was obviously in a position where they had to chase the game.
West Ham were ready to pounce, almost to a degree I had a hard time
believing. Kouyate, having his best game in ages, won the ball on the right
side of the West Ham penalty area. His long ball was brought down by
Arnautovic, and he was off to the races. He wanted to finish what he
started, but Schindler caught up to him and forced Arnie to rethink his
plan. Which he did, with a pass to Lanzini in the box. A delightful finish
into the top corner was next, and West Ham were up by three.
Huddersfield 1
West Ham 4
The home side had a chance to make the final fifteen minutes a bit more
interesting when new signing Alex Pritchard stepped up to take a free kick
from twenty five yards out. His shot was poor, but it took a deflection off
the wall and Adrian had to dive down to his right to palm the ball out for a
corner. West Ham were given a small gift on the ensuing set piece when
Smith's shot from inside the box clearly went off Obiang and out for what
should have been another corner. Instead, Moss pointed to Adrian for a goal
kick. After that, it was just good ol' Moysie shutting them down.
Final Score
Huddersfield 1
West Ham 4
No, you can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime you find
You get what you need
I am going to guess that most West Ham fans despaired and expected the worst
when Lolley equalized. I know I would have settled for a draw at that point.
A second half goal explosion was about as likely as a progressive comment
from Donald Trump. For all of the calls for a young, aggressive manager, I
don't think we have the infrastructure and management to support such a
project. Eight years in and if there has been progress under the current
regime I'd love for someone to point it out to me. That's why I was OK with
Moyes coming in and am willing to give him a shot at this longer term.
We are now eleventh in the table, albeit a table tighter than the suit I got
married in. But to start the run of games that by most accounts will define
our season with a comfortable win away from home is brilliant.
Happy Birthday, Son.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss David Moyes eyes raid on old side Everton for young midfielder
Tom Davies
The Hammers are also set to offer Declan Rice a new contract, but it's
unlikely Robert Snodgrass will return early from his loan spell at Aston
Villa
The Mirror
ByNeil Moxley
22:30, 13 JAN 2018
David Moyes will test Everton's resolve to keep hold of midfielder Tom
Davies. The West Ham boss is keen to take the teenager to the London Stadium
as he seeks to rebuild the Eastenders. Toffees' chief Sam Allardyce has a
top-heavy squad at Goodison Park and will listen to offers for several of
his players. Whether that includes Davies remains to be seen – but Moyes
wants to add the 19-year-old to his engine room. Allardyce does not have a
reputation for blooding young talent and Everton supporters would be unhappy
if one of their academy graduates was allowed to leave on the cheap. Former
boss Ronald Koeman handed the England youth international his chance in the
first team last season. Since then, he has built up a considerable body of
experience without establishing himself and Moyes is hoping to trade on that
– as well as handing Davies a hefty pay rise. The Scot has been assessing
his resources in the capital and wanted to bring Robert Snodgrass back from
his temporary spell at Aston Villa. However, the Hammers banked a hefty
loan fee from Villa – understood to be in the region of £2million – and
Steve Bruce would demand that was repaid before any move could be
sanctioned. Snodgrass, 30, also suffered the embarrassment of Hammers
co-owner David Sullivan questioning his £10.2m signing from Hull last
January. Sullivan said his kids begged him not to buy Snodgrass, although
previous boss Slaven Bilic wanted the deal done. It is understood the fact
that cash needed to change hands has scuppered any chance of the Scotland
international returning from Villa during the window. Meanwhile, West Ham
are set to offer Declan Rice a new contract that will more than double his
wages. The 18-year-old defender has made a huge impression on Moyes and his
assistant Stuart Pearce. He has played in central defence and also in
midfield and was outstanding against Tottenham in the 1-1 draw in the
Premier League. Rice was also one of the few Hammers to come out of the
goalless draw at Shrewsbury in the third round of the FA Cup a week ago with
any credit. Rice – who has played for the Republic of Ireland at Under-21
level and is rated by Irish boss Martin O'Neill – has a deal that runs out
next year and currently earns around £10,000 a week.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, January 13
Daily WHUFC News - 13th January 2018
Huddersfield Town v West Ham United: All you need to know
WHUFC.com
A trip to Huddersfield Town awaits the Hammers this weekend as David Moyes's
side returns to league action.
Read on for everything you need to know about Saturday's fixture!
Where and when?
Huddersfield Town against West Ham United will be played at the John Smith's
Stadium on Saturday 13 January 2018.
The fixture is scheduled for a 3pm kick-off.
How to follow:
Unfortunately, due to being a 3pm kick-off the match is not available for
viewing in the UK. For worldwide broadcast schedules, click here.
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.
Team news:
David Moyes will provide a complete update in regards to his team news
during his pre-match press conference on Friday.
Stay tuned to the Club's official channels for extensive coverage ahead of
this weekend's contest with Huddersfield Town.
Match Officials:
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Assistant Referees: Eddie Smart and Andy Halliday
Fourth Official: Mike Dean
Last Five Meetings
West Ham United 2-0 Huddersfield Town, Premier League, September 11 2017
West Ham United 3-0 Huddersfield Town, League Cup, September 29 1997
Huddersfield Town 1-0 West Ham United, League Cup, September 16 1997
West Ham United 3-0 Huddersfield Town, Division One, March 4 1972
Huddersfield Town 4-2 West Ham United, FA Cup, February 26 1972
How to get there:
Trains are available from King's Cross and Euston, usually with one change,
and tends to take just under three hours. Huddersfield Railway station is
just a 15 minute walk away from the John Smith's Stadium
The majority of the drive to Huddersfield is up the M1, before joining the
A637. Join the A442 and then take a right onto Waterloo Road. Turn onto
Albany Road, then Crossley Lane, before following Long Lane to the Stadium.
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Attitude of players and staff has been spot on - Moyes
WHUFC.com
David Moyes has praised the attitude of his players and backroom staff alike
after making an encouraging start to life as West Ham United manager. The
Scot passed two months in charge having chalked up impressive Premier League
victories over Chelsea, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, as well as
creditable draws with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and AFC
Bournemouth. Reflecting on his time the helm, Moyes told West Ham TV his
squad had responded well to his demanding methods. "I think there has been
progress in terms of what the team looked like," he began. "Slaven [Bilic]
is a good friend of mine and I would never be critical of anything that went
on before. "The players wanted a bit of direction and leadership and I think
we've tried to give them that. "As well as that, we've said 'Here are the
ground rules boys. If you don't want to stick to the ground rules, we'd
rather not have you, so just go away. But if you do though and you work at
it, we'll include everybody and we'll try to give you an opportunity'. "And,
to be fair, everybody has done it. They've all mucked in. We've had big
thrills with some of the results we've had, but we know that we need to make
massive progress on loads of other things."
It is all well and good asking players to run harder and further, of course,
but that alone will not be enough to stifle a Premier League attack. So,
just how have Moyes and his staff made West Ham a more difficult team to
break down? "We've done a lot of work. We've worked with the back four and
back five. In the opening games I had, we had a couple that could go either
way and then some really tough games, and it's the really tough games where
we've been well-organised, disciplined and hard to play against. "It's been
in some of the other games where we've had a bigger struggle, so that's the
bit we need to improve on.
"We've got a little bit of a model which we use against the better teams to
try and make sure that we don't lose, but ultimately we've got to find a
better model so we can win the games we should be winning with much more
ease or more often."
Key to finding that 'better model' will be Moyes' backroom staff, comprising
assistants Alan Irvine, Stuart Pearce and Billy McKinlay and goalkeeper
coach Chris Woods. And the manager revealed he could further expand his
team, should things continue to go well in the future. "I actually think
that when I was offered the chance to come to the club, I wanted to come
mob-handed with a staff, because I don't want to miss a trick here. I don't
want anything to go on that I don't know about. I want everything covered.
"I think you do need the staff. We work really long hours as it is, but what
you've got is they literally all offer me something different, which is
great. "Alan Irvine is like a professor with it. He is so detailed, he
spends hours and hours on it, he's a brilliant coach and a very
knowledgeable coach, so he gives me that. "Stuart Pearce gives me great
motivation and leadership and is somebody who you should look up to,
somebody who plays every game. He is full of it before every game and is
great with the players and is actually very good with the young players as
well, spending time with them. "Billy McKinlay is a bit more light-hearted,
but he was a very good midfield player and he has a really good eye for a
player as well. He's good at looking at players and spotting things. He is
somebody who worked with me just recently and I think he has got better and
he is improving all the time. "Chris Woods is one of the best goalkeeper
coaches there is and has been for a long time. "So, I've got a good team
around me and maybe in time we'll add and keep the staff growing to make
sure we give them all the best people."
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Club statement: Conclusion of Livermore incident
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have issued an indefinite ban to the supporter involved in a
verbal altercation with West Bromwich Albion's Jake Livermore. After a full
investigation conducted by the Club, which included statements from
supporters in close proximity of the incident and evidence from Jake
Livermore and West Bromwich Albion officials, the individual was found to
have violated a number of London Stadium ground regulations and will be
unable to attend home or away matches with immediate effect. Inciting or
abusive behaviour will not be tolerated at London Stadium, and we urge any
supporters who witness similar behaviour on matchdays to report it
anonymously by texting or calling 07860 404069, where all information is
treated in the strictest of confidence.
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Chicharito has crucial role to play for Hammers - Moyes
WHUFC.com
David Moyes is adamant Chicharito has a crucial role to play for West Ham
United this season despite admitting the form of other forwards has kept the
Mexican out of the starting XI in recent weeks. The incredible effort of
fellow summer signing Marko Arnautovic and energy of Michail Antonio has
limited Chicharito to a place on the substitutes bench in the last few
games, although the striker did start the FA Cup contest with Shrewsbury
Town last weekend. Rumours of a potential move away from West Ham for
Chicharito have circulated this week but Moyes has knocked away these
reports, hailing the 29-year-old's ability. Chicharito was injured when
Moyes took charge of the Hammers, prompting the Scotsman to consider other
options up front, but the boss is certain he will need the striker's knack
for finishing between now and the end of the campaign. "The form of Marko of
Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio, at the start, has probably made it
difficult," Moyes said. "When I joined, Javier was injured and we had to go
with Marko and Michail up front in different games. They've both done really
well.
"Chicharito is a really good player and his finishing ability is as good as
there is anywhere. He thrives on balls in the box and maybe in a lot of
games we've not had that service to give him. "We've got players like
Chicharito who need supplying in the box. We've got Andy Carroll who
probably needs to be supplied with crosses. We've got Andre Ayew who looks
for good balls into feet in and around the box. We've got very different
forward players who I think we will need at very different times in games.
"We can do with them all being fit so I've got options in the games."
Chicharito and Moyes previously worked together at Manchester United, with
the Mexican earning a reputation for scoring important goals from the bench
for the Red Devils. Moyes pointed to the level of competition at Manchester
United then and at West Ham now up front but insists he knows Chicharito has
the quality to be a regular starting striker for the Hammers. "At United,
Sir Alex Ferguson used to play him from the bench quite a lot," Moyes
recalled. "I was well aware, when I joined Manchester United, that
Chicharito would want more minutes. Also, I had Wayne Rooney, Robin van
Persie and Danny Welbeck, to name a few. "The competition at football clubs
is hard, but if you're a good player then you get there, and Chicharito is a
good player."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Betway Insider's View of the Opposition - Huddersfield Town
WHUFC.com
Following their battling draw at Tottenham, West Ham have a real opportunity
to continue their climb up the Premier League table at Huddersfield on
Saturday. That point at Wembley moved the Hammers from 18th to 15th, and
means the club have taken five points from their previous three league games
– a fine return that reflects their improvement over the last month. David
Moyes' side have suffered just one defeat in eight top-flight matches, with
the 12 points they have accrued in that time more than twice as many as the
club managed in the first 15 games of the season. The Irons have played some
of their best football away from home, too. They are unbeaten in their last
three on the road, with the draw at Bournemouth and win at Stoke preceding
last week's result at Spurs.
Even better, Huddersfield's recent form at the John Smith's Stadium is not
great. The Terriers have failed to win any of their three previous home
matches in the league, with the defeat to Chelsea last month followed by
draws against Stoke and Burnley. Saturday's match should be an entertaining
one. West Ham have scored in each of their previous three matches on the
road, including two three-goal hauls at Stoke and Bournemouth respectively.
And even though Huddersfield have failed to net in their last two league
outings, they did score in four successive matches before that. That
sequence included four goals at Watford, while the Terriers will be
encouraged by the fact the Hammers have conceded in their last four league
matches. Don't be surprised if the match is defined by late drama, either.
Four of West Ham's last five league games have featured goals between the
75th and 90th minute. The Hammers scored three of them – against West Brom,
Bournemouth and Stoke respectively – claiming seven valuable points in the
process. Moyes should be confident of claiming at least one more on
Saturday.
Recommended bets
West Ham double chance and BTTS - 15/8
Time of last West Ham goal 75-90 minutes - 3/1
Over 2.5 goals - 7/5
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Moyes: Signings, away form, and a season-defining run
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager David Moyes spoke to the media on Friday afternoon
ahead of this weekend's Premier League tie with Huddersfield Town. With the
January transfer window in full swing, the boss was asked about potential
signings and departures from the Hammers, as well as his available squad for
this Saturday's match, his thoughts on David Wagner, and much more…
Ins and outs?
As expected, much of the press conference centred on possible incomings and
exits at West Ham during the January transfer window. Media reports have
linked players both into and out of London Stadium this month, with Moyes
confirming the Club have entered bids for new players, but these offers have
been turned down, and therefore there is not anything to report. "We've got
nobody lined up just now or people we could say we're definitely going to be
bringing in," the manager confirmed. "We've made bid for players but they've
been turned down. I want to do my business right so I keep them private. I
respect the football clubs that we're talking to. "It's difficult with the
cost and I think why the questions have been about players being sold or
coming in. People are only really interested in that news but, there's not
much going on because of the cost." The Scotsman also revealed he wants to
keep all of his available strikers this month, and is only interested in
adding balance to his team. "I don't want any of my strikers to go. We've
got no players here that we want to leave. We need to add to our squad and
ideally, we will strengthen. "My intention is not to let anybody go. What I
will say is we've got four or five strikers and the competition is tough for
all of them. I'm happy with that though and it would take an awful lot of
money in this window to prise any of them out. "My interest is in balancing
up the squad and bringing people in in the areas we are short, rather than
areas we are full in. I need to get the areas we are short in fuller and
make sure we add to the squad if we can. If somebody comes in with offers we
can't stop them but we can stop them by saying no to anything we don't want
to have."
'We've got players coming back'
Moyes was asked about his squad for Saturday's match against Huddersfield
Town and which, if any, of his injured players would be available for a
return to action. Without putting a time frame on either's return, the
manager did indicate that defenders Jose Fonte and James Collin were nearing
a comeback. The boss confirmed: "We've had a lot of injuries. There's a few
who will make it back, and there's a few that we still have doubts about.
"We've got Jose Fonte on the way back and hopefully we've got Ginge on the
way back as well."
Moyes pointed to the busy fixture list as part of the reason behind his
side's, and indeed every Premier League teams', struggles with injuries. "I
think in this time of the season, after the amount of games players have
played at every Premier League club, you can't be sure about who is going to
be fit and who isn't. What I can say is we will have a few coming back for
this game, hopefully, against Huddersfield."
'This is a really important period for us'
The contest against Huddersfield Town on Saturday is the first of five
Premier League matches in which the Hammers will play teams that are tenth
or lower in the division, with all of them no more than five points away
from the relegation zone. Moyes believes this run of games will be of vital
importance to his team as they strive to secure their status in the English
top flight for next season. The Scotsman also reckons that the bottom half
of the division is so tight that any side could beat another without it
being a shock result. Moyes said: "This is a really important period for us.
We have come through a difficult period. When I joined the Club there were a
couple of games at the start but then we went into a heavy period, not only
in the number of fixtures but also with the teams we were playing. "I think
we're going to into a period of games where we're playing teams around us
and there's been no clear conclusion on any of our games. We lost to
Newcastle, we drew to Bournemouth, we beat West Brom and Stoke City, but I
think the games are very hard to call. "I think between now and the end of
the season, the bottom ten to 12 teams, the results between them won't be
foregone conclusions. We have to try and win the games to make sure we're a
Premier League club."
'We can bring Huddersfield into the relegation battle'
The Terriers sit 11th in the Premier League table but are without a win in
their last four matches in the top flight, and sit just two points above the
Hammers in the division. Having just been promoted from the Championship
last season, the job done by the Yorkshire Club has been praised by Moyes,
but the West Ham boss is eyeing a jump over Huddersfield this weekend. The
manager has warned however that David Wagner's men are capable of playing in
a number of ways, which could catch his men out. "Huddersfield have done
great," Moyes hailed. "They've got off to such a good start in the Premier
League. I think what it's meant is there is a lot of team who think they
might not be near the bottom, and we're all trying to grab them back and
bring them into the pack. If we can beat Huddersfield we'd bring
Huddersfield back in amongst us. "I think they are able to do a few things.
I think they can play, their style is good and they will play from the back
at the right times. I think they've got a team that has come up and is
confident in what they do. I think they come with momentum which helps them,
and overall, they've got some good attacking players that we will need to be
mindful of."
'Terrific Wagner'
"Huddersfield have always been one of the clubs I'd watch regularly at
different times and I think the job David Wagner has done there is
terrific," Moyes admitted during his press conference. Wagner took charge of
the Terriers in 2015 and, having kept the Terriers in the Championship,
guided the side to the Premier League through the play-offs in the 2016/17
campaign. That success has rightly earned the coach plaudits across the
globe and Moyes has added his voice to them. "I think the job he's doing in
the Premier League is terrific as well. They're more than fighting, they are
easily competing and showing they can do the job. Great credit to them.
They've come up the leagues and I think momentum is a big thing."
Home & Away
Huddersfield boast four wins and four draws from their home form in the
Premier League this campaign, ensuring a tough test for the Hammers this
weekend.
Despite this Moyes is confident that his side can claim the victory on
Saturday. The manager added: "I think they have six wins and they're going
really well, Huddersfield. It will be a hard game up there. Their home form
is how they probably got promoted. Hopefully we can come away with three
points." The Hammers claimed an unforgettable away win at Stoke City in
December, with goals from Mark Noble, Marko Arnautovic and Diafra Sakho
securing a big 3-0 win for the Irons. And the boss reckons it is this level
of away performance that will get his team results on the road. On the win
at Stoke Moyes said: "We nailed it that day and I think we need that level
of performance to come in a few more occasions. We've got quite a few games
coming at home at London Stadium between now and the end of the season, but
if we can get some wins away it will make our job much easier."
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Adrian: I wish to end my career at West Ham United
WHUFC.com
West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian has made clear his wish to finish his
career in Claret and Blue. Fresh from an impressive return to the first-team
during which his three clean sheets helped the Hammers climb out of the
relegation zone, the No13 has committed his future to the Club. The
recently-turned 31-year-old says he is benefiting from playing every week
again and will continue to give his all for the Club and fans with whom he
shares a special bond. "It's one of my wishes to finish playing here at West
Ham. I played the last five seasons here and 114 games in the Premier
League, even more in the cup," said Adrian, who could make his ninth
consecutive Premier League appearance at Huddersfield Town on Saturday. "My
contract expires at the end of next season, then we have to decide. I am now
31 and can probably still play for a long time. So why not West Ham? "I am
very happy here in London and at this Club. I have a special relationship
with the fans from the beginning of my time here. Now I have to enjoy
playing and give my best every week until the end of the season to stay in
the Premier League and to finish in the highest position possible."
The popular goalkeeper, who is an active social media user, says he likes to
show fans more of himself by sharing memorable moments from his daily life,
inside and outside the Club. "I like to share with them the moments that I
am living here – my life, my sensation after the game, before the game, or
in the week. I want to show the fans a bit of myself. "They see me on the
pitch but it's important in the era of social media to share with them a bit
of my everyday situations."
However, the No13 stopped short of allowing social media, or anything else
for that matter, distracting him from the pitch. The Spaniard remains stoic
in his commitment and professionalism for the Irons. "I always try to give
my best and I think we are in the best profession in the world because we
are doing something we love – playing football. "I like to show my passion,
and I like to show on the pitch that I am 100 per cent concentrated on the
game. I love winning games. I am very angry when I have lost. I get very sad
when I have lost. Some players don't show this but it's all down to the
personality of everyone."
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Westley hails U23's 'first-class performance' against Leicester
WHUFC.com
A 'first-class performance' against Leicester City caps a great week for the
West Ham United U23s, according to Academy Director Terry Westley, after his
side fought to a 0-0 draw with the Foxes. Leicester, sat second in Premier
League 2 Division 1, proved to be a tough test for the Hammers on Friday at
the Chigwell Construction Stadium, but a solid defensive and hardworking
outing by the Irons allowed the home team to claim a deserved draw and
point. The determined showing came just four days after West Ham beat
Manchester United U23s 3-0 away from home and Westley believes this most
recent match was just as good, albeit in a completely different way. "I
thought it was a first-class performance on a difficult pitch against a very
physical and strong side," A beaming Westley told whufc.com. "In many ways,
that was as good as our Manchester United performance, but in a totally
different way. Technically, against Man United, we were very good, but
tonight we had to be resolute. We had to defend set plays and long throws,
and balls going through the centre of the pitch."
Leicester boasted the likes of Premier League winner Robert Huth and
big-money signings Adrien Silva and Ahmed Musa in their team but the
Hammers, who named nine players aged 20 or under in their starting XI, were
more than worth their share of the points. The Academy Director couldn't be
more thrilled with the fighting spirit his team showed against these top
calibre players. Westley continued: "It was like an old-fashioned,
combination reserve team game from many years ago, when first team players
played. I counted about £47 million worth of players out on the pitch.
"Robert Huth is a very experienced Premier League champion so Toni Martinez
had to really fight him, and he showed what he could do and how hard he
works. The same could be said with Diangana, Samuelsen, Quina, Coventry and
Makasi. Without the football, they really worked hard tonight. "The two
centre-backs were colossus. Young Aji Alese is only 16 and it was only his
second game back. He was fully spent in the dressing room after the match.
It was an outstanding performance, for me."
Four points from the two games this week puts Westley's side on 21 points; a
number that he points out was enough to keep sides safe from relegation last
season. Now that amount has been reached Westley wants his side to push on
even more and reckons his player's efforts will see a few involved in the
first team on Tuesday, when Shrewsbury Town visit London Stadium in the FA
Cup. "We've now got 21 points. Everyone stayed up last year with 21 points.
Our first target, with nine games to go, has been reached, and our players
and staff deserve great credit," Westley added. "We said we want to make
sure we're not struggling and we haven't done that, touch wood. The next
target, which we set ourselves around Christmas, was if this group could
finish in the top six. A win against Leicester would have taken us third so
we are there or there about. "It's been a great week. We will report again
on Sunday and one or two of our side will be challenging to get in the
manager's plans for Tuesday against Shrewsbury Town at London Stadium.
That's obviously where we want people to be and this week has done nobody
any harm whatsoever."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes column: Michail Antonio injury fears could force West Ham to buy
a player in January
DAVID MOYES
ES Sport
We've negotiated the tough Christmas and New Year schedule pretty well but
just when you take a deep breath and look forward to some normality again,
that January transfer window opens up and all the speculation goes up
several gears. I discovered quickly that, at West Ham, not a day goes by
without us being mentioned with this or that player. The window has only
been open for less than two weeks but already, so I believe, we've been
linked with a grand total of 30 players. Like most, if not all managers, I
don't much like this window. I don't think it works for many people
although, having said that, it can be useful if something unforeseen happens
and your priority changes. We could have that scenario here. Michail Antonio
has not fully recovered from a groin problem. Our medical people believe it
could clear up in a couple of weeks but if not it could be more serious.
We're not sure yet but if it is the latter — and that would be a real shame
— we will need to go out to try to make a suitable signing this month
because we will need someone who plays down that righthand side. That apart
though, a lot about this window is an unwelcome distraction.
It's not unusual in the Premier League, for example, for players who are not
in their club teams to think they can move on when, in fact, they can't. Of
course, transfers are a vital part of football but I'm convinced, if you
look back over previous seasons, there have been too many deals done in
January, which haven't worked out. Sometimes the euphoria associated with
the signings has masked the reality they haven't actually been that good.
Maybe doing nothing much this month is the more sensible strategy and if you
are in the happy position of being 100 per cent safe and with a large, fit
squad, you can enjoy a quiet January.
If you're not in that fortunate place though — and not many are — you have
to look to see what you can do to improve your team. The problem is that
clubs are not, in the main, open to selling but if they are it's usually
players who are either not being selected regularly or who are coming
towards the end of their contracts. On the 30 or so players linked with us,
I am sure that West Ham fans will know the vast majority of those won't
happen but we will keep looking for a couple who will improve us. The agents
are working hard naturally but, in terms of strikers, I don't necessarily
believe we need another one this month. This can change in the next couple
of weeks but right now, there are other areas of the squad which I would
look at first. We've used all our strikers in this busy period and, for
example, we had Andre Ayew and Chicharito up front against Shrewsbury. In
other games, such as against Tottenham, we haven't had a great deal of the
ball and it has been tough for a player like Chicharito because we haven't
been able to provide him with the service upon which he thrives. I know
Chicharito well and he needs balls in the box and we need to get to the
by-line more and cut the ball back to him. He's an instinctive type of
striker with an ability to know where the ball is dropping in the box,
rather than someone you could build from or use in other ways. We're trying
to use all our assets up front, though, and give them an opportunity, when
we can, to showcase their talents.
The next group of games, starting at Huddersfield on Saturday, will be a big
test for us. The players involved in most, if not all the recent games, had
a couple of days off at the beginning of the week but they're back training
hard. There's not a lot between many teams in the Premier League. Against
West Brom it went to the 94th minute before we scored the winner and, at
Bournemouth, it could have gone either way but ended as a draw. Even against
Newcastle, we were behind, got back into the game and then missed a penalty
as we lost 3-2. These games coming up will be tight but we have to do better
because, although we've only lost one out of our past eight, we haven't
played as well as I would have hoped in some of them. We are making
progress. We are trying to be hard to beat but we're still conceding too
many goals. We have doubts about Winston Reid and Andy Carroll but James
'Ginge' Collins is back with us, as is Aaron Cresswell, Marko Arnautovic and
Manuel Lanzini. There is no hiding the fact that we didn't play well in the
FA Cup at Shrewsbury last Sunday but one of the positives was young Josh
Cullen in midfield. He was one of our best players and showed a great deal
of character and courage to play on after he had been kicked in the face and
lost a tooth. These things are noticed by people. They see you rolling up
your sleeves, going back and getting on with it and they are impressed. I'm
expecting him to be in the squad for tomorrow's game. We are trying to get a
gum shield made for him to protect his mouth.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Huddersfield Town v West Ham United
SAT 13 JAN 2018PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: John Smith's Stadium
BBC.co.uk
TEAM NEWS
Huddersfield new signings Terence Kongolo and Alex Pritchard are in line to
make league debuts for the club. Michael Hefele and Phillip Billing are back
in training but Chris Lowe, Martin Cranie and Collin Quaner will all miss
out.
Marko Arnautovic is in contention for the Hammers after recovering from a
hamstring strain, as is James Collins. However, Winston Reid is a doubt with
a groin injury and Aaron Cresswell remains sidelined by a back problem.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Steve Wilson: "It may not have made too many headlines, but no team outside
the top five in the Premier League have taken more points from the last
seven games than West Ham. "Those who were sceptical about the appointment
of David Moyes may be having to think again. "Huddersfield aren't winning
too many, but they're winning just enough. Their season has been terrific so
far, but with 16 games left no sensible Terrier's fan should rule out the
possibility of their side running out of steam. "Mind you, any slump is
unlikely to be as dramatic as the one which afflicted their last top-flight
season. In 1971-72, Huddersfield failed to win any of their last 16 matches
and scored only four times, two of which were own goals!"
Twitter: @Wilsonfooty
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Huddersfield Town head coach David Wagner: "To be totally honest the West
Ham away game was one of the performances, with Swansea maybe, where I think
we really underperformed. "We know that West Ham is a very big name, with a
great squad with very good individuals and a very good manager as well.
"They are in good form at the minute so there are a lot of reasons why we
have to be better than what we were in the first game; this is our aim to be
our best."
West Ham United manager David Moyes: "I think this is a really important
period for us. When I joined we went into a heavy period with a number of
fixtures and the teams we were playing. "Huddersfield have done great. If we
can beat Huddersfield we could bring them back in amongst us. "I used to
watch Huddersfield games quite regularly. The job Wagner has done is
terrific. They are more than fighting, they are competing and doing the job.
They deserve great credit."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham are the only teams to have beaten
Huddersfield at home this season, but I just don't see the Hammers losing
here.
Prediction: 1-1
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham registered their first Premier League win of the season in
September's return fixture, inflicting a first defeat on David Wagner's
side.
Huddersfield have won 10 of their last 12 home league games against West
Ham, but they have not hosted this fixture since November 1971.
Huddersfield Town
They have gone four games without a Premier League win since their 4-1
demolition of Watford on 16 December (D3, L1).
The Terriers have scored just two goals in those four games.
They have lost their last four Premier League matches against London
opposition by an aggregate score of 14-1.
West Ham United
The Hammers have lost just once in their last seven Premier League games
(W3, D3).
They have, though, registered just one away win all season; 3-0 v Stoke on
16 December.
West Ham are two short of 400 Premier League away goals.
If West Ham lose, it will be the fourth time they've lost to at least three
different promoted sides in the same Premier League season.
David Moyes is one shy of becoming the fourth manager to win 200 Premier
League matches, after Alex Ferguson (528), Arsene Wenger (468) and Harry
Redknapp (236).
Marko Arnautovic has scored four goals in his last four Premier League
appearances.
Andy Carroll has eight goals in his last eight Premier League starts in the
month of January.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 28%
Probability of home win: 42% Probability of away win: 30%
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.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Antonio concern could force transfer window move
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 12th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes says that the continuing uncertainly regarding Michail Antonio's
groin injury could lead to him having to sign a replacement during the
current transfer window. Antonio has not featured for the Hammers since
being withdrawn an hour into West Ham's 3-2 defeat at home to Newcastle on
December 23. And according to Moyes, he could be sidelined for some time yet
- leaving the club with no option but to seek an alternative. "Our medical
people believe it could clear up in a couple of weeks but if not, it could
be more serious," Moyes said in his latest column for the Standard. "We're
not sure yet but if it is the latter - and that would be a real shame - we
will need to go out to try to make a suitable signing this month because we
will need someone who plays down that right-hand side."
With regards to other injury news ahead of this weekend's trip to
Huddersfield, Moyes revealed that James Collins is one of several players
available for selection once again - whilst confirming that long-term injury
victim Jose Fonte is likely to be ready again shortly. However there are
fresh problems for the manager to content with ahead of this weekend's
Premier League clash. "We have doubts about Winston Reid and Andy Carroll,"
stated Moyes, "but James Collins is back with us - as are Aaron Cresswell,
Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moyes: all quiet on the Sakho front
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 12th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes says that he is "not aware" of any impending bids for wantaway
striker Diafra Sakho. The Senegal international was closely linked with a
£12million move to Crystal Palace earlier this week but according to Moyes,
there is no indication that the move is imminent - or welcome, according to
the manager. "I'm not aware of anything with Diafra Sakho so I couldn't give
you an update on that," he told the media at his pre-match press conference.
"We're more than happy to keep Diafra. We like him and he's been good since
we've been here. "I don't want any of our strikers to go. We need to add to
our squad. We need to strengthen and my intention is not to let anybody go.
It would take a lot of money to prise any of them out of West Ham."
However Moyes was rather less dismissive when asked about the possibility of
fellow forward Javier Chicharito moving on at some point this month -
insisting that his place was under threat due to the excellent performances
of others. "I think the form of Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio has
made it difficult for Javier Hernandez," he added. " "When I joined he was
injured, so I had to go without him up front. Chicharito is a really good
player. His finishing ability is a good as anyone. At Manchester United I
also had Wayne Rooney, Van Persie and Danny Welbeck. Competition at football
clubs is hard."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson keeps 'quiet' on Diafra Sakho deal
By Calum Wilson
Last Updated: 12/01/18 3:39pm
SSN
Roy Hodgson is keeping "quiet" Crystal Palace's linked move for Diafra Sakho
but says the club are "working overtime" on signings. According to Sky
sources, Palace have agreed a fee with West Ham for Sakho understood to be
between £10m and £12m. The Senegal international is yet to start a Premier
League game for the Hammers this season, scoring four goals in the 17 games
he has featured in this term. The Palace boss is keen to sign another
striker in January, with first-choice forward Christian Benteke having
scored just once so far in this campaign. Asked about the club's pursuit of
Sakho, Hodgson said: "I'm not prepared to talk about any players. There is
bound to be conflicting reports. "It would be very foolish of me to start
commenting on anybody at the moment. "We are doing it as best we can and as
professionally as we can. "It is better to keep quiet on the subject."
Hodgson has previously revealed that Palace need to sign up to seven players
in the January window and the former England boss says everyone at Selhurst
Park is working hard to bring players in. "Our plans have never changed,"
Hodgson said. "We have known almost from the moment I came to the club that
we were light in certain areas. "We didn't have enough of a certain type of
player in areas of the field. "We have always been thinking that when the
January transfer window comes around that we will try and resolve some of
these problems. "We have been thinking about that since I came in September
and the people who are working on this, our scouting department, Doug
Freedman, Steve Parish and our owners are working overtime to try and
identify people."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes has no intention of selling Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez
Last Updated: 12/01/18 4:03pm
SSN
David Moyes has no intention of letting Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez
leave during the January transfer window, despite the West Ham manager
admitting he has plenty of attacking options. National newspaper reports
have linked Carroll with a move to Premier League defending champions
Chelsea while Hernandez has struggled for game time since Moyes' arrival in
November. West Ham also have Andre Ayew, Michail Antonio and Marko
Arnautovic as forward options but Moyes said it would take a substantial
offer "to prize them away". "I don't want any of them to go," Moyes said,
ahead of the Hammers' trip to face Huddersfield. "We have got no players
here who we want to leave. We need to add to our squad. So, ideally, we
strengthen. My intention is not to let anyone go. "What I will say is we
have got four or five strikers and the competition is tough for all of them.
"If we were (to let them go) it would take an awful lot of money in this
window to prize them away."
Hernandez, a £16m summer arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, has been limited to
four goals in his 21 appearances for West Ham and made one league start
since Moyes' tenure began. The former Manchester United manager insisted the
Mexico international is a "really good player", despite suggestions he did
not fit Moyes' game plan. "You would have to say the form of Arnautovic and
Antonio at the start (of my tenure) has made it difficult," added Moyes.
Huddersfield, who may give new signing Alex Pritchard his debut, can move
closer to top-flight safety by beating fellow strugglers West Ham on
Saturday. "When I joined, nine-10 weeks ago, Javier was injured so we had to
go with Marko and Michail up front in different games. "They have both done
really well. Chicharito is a really good player. His finishing ability is as
good as there is. He thrives on balls in the box. "Maybe in a lot of games
we have not been able to give him that service. You would be hard pushed to
say he would necessarily be playing ahead of the two other players I
mentioned at the moment."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Huddersfield Town v West Ham United preview: Alex Pritchard set for Terriers
debut
Last Updated: 12/01/18 4:50pm
SSN
Huddersfield Town, who may give new signing Alex Pritchard his debut, can
move closer to Premier League safety with victory in a six-pointer against
West Ham United on Saturday. David Wagner's team have picked up 16 of their
24 points this season at home, but have not won in their last three games -
if they fail to secure victory this weekend, it will be their longest run
without a win in the Premier League. West Ham, meanwhile, won the meeting
earlier this season 2-0 to hand Huddersfield their first-ever Premier League
defeat. The Hammers have taken 12 points from their last seven games as
David Moyes has built a team which is now hard to beat - as shown by the
recent 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur. Pritchard could make his debut against
West Ham. The midfielder completed his permanent move to the John Smith's
Stadium from Norwich on Friday morning and is expected to go straight into
Wagner's squad. Recent loan signing Terence Kongolo hopes to make his
Premier League bow in central defence, but forward Collin Quaner, plus
defenders Chris Lowe and Martin Cranie, will miss out through injury.
Meanwhile, Michail Antonio is still missing from the West Ham squad for the
trip to Huddersfield. The winger's groin problem is taking longer than
expected to clear up, while defender Winston Reid and striker Andy Carroll
are doubts. But James Collins, Aaron Cresswell, Marko Arnautovic and Manuel
Lanzini have all shaken off knocks to return to the squad.
Opta stats
Huddersfield have won 10 of their last 12 home league games against West Ham
(W10 D1 L1), though this is the first such meeting since a 1-0 win in
November 1971.
The Hammers lost their last visit in any competition to face Huddersfield -
1-0 in a League Cup match in September 1997. However, they won the second
leg 3-0 to progress on aggregate.
West Ham have picked up five points in their last three Premier League away
games (W1 D2 L0), two more than they had earned in their opening nine on the
road this season (W0 D3 L6).
If West Ham lose, it will be the fourth time they have lost to at least
three different promoted sides in the same Premier League season (2001-02,
2006-07 and 2009-10). As it stands, only Middlesbrough (5) and Sunderland
(4) have done this on that many occasions.
Merson's prediction
Another six-pointer! West Ham are another inconsistent side, having held
Tottenham before never looking like scoring at Shrewsbury in the FA Cup -
they wouldn't have scored if they were still playing now! The Terriers are
strong at home, though, and I'm not sure whether West Ham will be able to
cope with their pressing game. With that in mind, I fancy David Wagner's men
to get another huge three points for their survival bid. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1
(9/1 with Sky Bet)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Crystal Palace's move for West Ham striker Diafra Sakho in doubt
Last Updated: 12/01/18 7:44pm
SSN
Crystal Palace's move for West Ham striker Diafra Sakho is in doubt,
according to Sky sources. It was reported on Thursday that Palace had agreed
a fee for Sakho of between £10m and £12m. However, sources close to the deal
now suggest not everybody at Palace is convinced they should be trying to
sign Sakho. One source close to the deal has even suggested Roy Hodgon's
side have pulled out of the move. Hodgson was asked about the Sakho deal on
Friday but refused to be drawn on the issue, saying he preferred to keep
"quiet". With the Sakho deal seemingly on the rocks, the south London side's
focus may now move to Fiorentina striker Khouma Babacar. Sky Italy reported
on Thursday that Palace have put in a bid for the 24-year-old Senegalese
striker.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham offered chance to sign Newcastle centre-back Chancel Mbemba
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 12/01/18 11:53am
SSN
West Ham have been offered the chance to sign Newcastle centre-back Chancel
Mbemba, according to Sky sources. Mbemba moved to Newcastle from Anderlecht
for £8m in 2015 but has had limited opportunities to play this season. West
Ham are keen to sign a central defender this month, with Swansea's Alfie
Mawson their top target, but the Welsh club are reluctant to sell the
England U21. Newcastle would want to make sure they have a replacement
before sanctioning the sale of Mbemba. And West Ham would be happy to
include Diafra Sakho, who is in talks over a £10m move to Crystal Palace, as
part of any potential deal. There are now doubts over whether Palace's deal
for striker Sakho, who has struggled for first-team games at the Hammers,
will be completed. Whatever happens, Sky Sports News has been told that
Sakho will definitely be leaving West Ham this month.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MATCH PREVIEW: HUDDERSFIELD V WEST HAM
By Dan Coker 12 Jan 2018 at 08:00
WTID
22nd November 1952 – West Ham United recorded a 1-0 win at Huddersfield, Al
Martino was number one with 'Here In My Heart', George Cole was in UK
cinemas in British comedy Top Secret and, three days later, Agatha
Christie's play The Mousetrap started its run at the New Ambassadors Theatre
in London – it is still running in London 65 years later, having transferred
next door to St Martin's Theatre in 1974.
25-year-old Irish centre-forward Freddie Kearns (pictured) scored the only
goal of the game at Leeds Road in front of 22,267, Ted Fenton's Hammers
securing our second (and most recent) league win away to the Terriers. The
Irons' only victory at Huddersfield since came in the FA Cup in 1969.
The Hammers went on to finish the 1952/53 Second Division season in 14th
place, while Andy Beattie's Huddersfield ended up second and were promoted.
Kearns was the Irons' top goalscorer with twelve goals from 23 appearances.
Sheffield United topped the Second Division, Arsenal won the First Division
title and Blackpool won the FA Cup in the 'Matthews Final'.
West Ham United: Ernie Gregory, George Wright, Malcolm Allison, Harry
Kinsell, Frank O'Farrell, Derek Parker, Terry Woodgate, John Gregory,
Freddie Kearns, Albert Foan, Ken Tucker.
Club Connections
A small number of players have worn the shirts of both West Ham United and
Huddersfield Town. 2008 Hammer of the Year Robert Green is currently on the
Terriers' books but is yet to make an appearance for them. Others who have
represented both clubs include:
Defenders: Kenny Brown, Dickie Pudan, Archie Taylor, Simon Webster, Elliott
Ward, David Unsworth.
Midfielders: Peter Butler, Diego Poyet, Mark Ward.
Strikers: Dave Mangnall, Jack Foster, George Crowther.
Lou Macari managed both clubs, while Chris Powell played for West Ham and
managed Huddersfield. Sam Allardyce played for the Terriers and managed the
Hammers.
Today's focus though falls on a former Hammers defender who had a loan spell
at Huddersfield. Steve Walford was born on the 5th January 1958 in Highgate
and began his career as a centre-back at Tottenham in 1975. After struggling
to make it at White Hart Lane, Walford became part of a select club to swap
Tottenham white for Arsenal red when Terry Neill signed the 19-year-old for
£25,000 in 1977. He featured as a late substitute in the 1979 FA Cup Final,
when the Gunners beat Manchester United 3-2. Walford signed for former
Hammer Ken Brown's Norwich for £125,000 in March 1981 and experienced
relegation and promotion with the Canaries.
After just over two seasons at Carrow Road, the 25-year-old Walford signed
for John Lyall's West Ham United in the summer of 1983 for £160,000. He made
his debut at left-back in a 4-0 home win over Birmingham on 27th August 1983
and scored his first goal for the club in his next appearance two days
later, the winner in a 1-0 victory at Everton. Walford made it two goals in
his opening four appearances in claret and blue when he netted in a 3-1 home
win over Leicester on 6th September 1983 but this would prove to be his
final league goal for the club, despite this early flourish. The Hammers'
early season form in 1983/84 saw them top the First Division table
throughout September but the club would fall away to finish ninth.
Walford would only score two more goals for the club, both in the League Cup
second round tie against Bristol City in 1984/85 – he scored in the 2-2
first leg draw at Ashton Gate before netting again in the 6-1 second leg win
at the Boleyn Ground. His goal in the first leg can be viewed in the video
below
Walford would make 33 appearances in the famous 1985/86 campaign, with 27 of
these games coming in the league as the Hammers claimed their highest ever
league finish of third. The emergence of George Parris put Walford's
position under threat however and he only made 13 league appearances in
1986/87. Walford's final appearance for the Hammers was on 7th March 1987 in
a 2-1 First Division defeat at Charlton but he would remain at the club
until 1989, by which time Julian Dicks had arrived from Birmingham and made
the left-back berth his own – first-team football did arrive for Walford
though through a two-month loan spell at Huddersfield in 1987, for whom he
made twelve appearances. Walford also had loan spells at Gillingham in 1988
and West Brom in 1989. After registering 147 appearances for West Ham
United, and scoring four goals, the 31-year-old Walford moved to Lai Sun in
Hong Kong.
Walford returned to England to play for Wycombe under Martin O'Neill the
following year and, after a brief spell at Wealdstone, returned to Wycombe
as O'Neill's assistant. He has since worked with the Northern Irishman at
Norwich, Leicester, Celtic, Aston Villa and Sunderland and has won the
English League Cup twice, the Scottish Premier League three times, the
Scottish Cup three times and the Scottish League Cup once. Walford, who
turned 60 last Friday, is currently assistant manager of the Republic of
Ireland (he is pictured above at Euro 2016) and also had a brief spell
doubling up as Neil Lennon's assistant at Bolton.
Referee
The referee on Saturday will be Jonathan Moss. The Yorkshire-based official
has sent off a player in six of his last nine appointments involving the
Hammers – the 4-3 defeat to Bournemouth in August 2015 saw Carl Jenkinson
sent off, while the 2-1 win over Chelsea last October saw Nemanja Matic
dismissed (then-Blues manager Jose Mourinho was also sent to the stands).
Moss issued a red card to Jordan Ayew of Aston Villa in February with the
Hammers going on to win 2-0 while, going further back, Burnley's Michael
Duff was also sent off by Moss in our 1-0 home win over the Clarets in May
2015.
Moss also issued a red card to Cheikhou Kouyate in the 5-1 FA Cup fifth
round win at Blackburn in February, although this was later rescinded.
Arguably the 47-year-old's most controversial Hammers appointment was the
2-2 draw at Leicester in April 2016 when he sent off Jamie Vardy and awarded
two penalties, the second arriving deep into stoppage time as the Foxes
rescued a precious point. Moss' most recent match in charge of the Hammers
was last month's goalless draw with Arsenal at London Stadium.
Possible line-ups
David Wagner is likely to be missing centre-backs Martin Cranie and Jon
Stankovic, left-back Chris Lowe and strikers Elias Kachunga and Collin
Quaner. New loan signing from Monaco, Terence Kongolo, could start in the
centre of defence.
David Moyes could have Aaron Cresswell, Reece Oxford and Marko Arnautovic
available but Jose Fonte, Edimilson Fernandes and Diafra Sakho are injured.
Winston Reid and Michail Antonio are doubts, while James Collins is back in
training but may not be risked. Sam Byram is also nearing a return.
Possible Huddersfield Town XI: Lossl; Smith, Zanka, Kongolo, Malone; Mooy,
Williams; van La Parra, Ince, Lolley; Mounie.
Possible West Ham United XI: Adrian; Zabaleta, Rice, Ogbonna, Cresswell,
Masuaku; Noble, Obiang, Lanzini; Arnautovic, Carroll.
Enjoy the game – Come On You Irons!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes calls on Premier League to look abroad in order to revitalise
January transfer window
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport
David Moyes feels that a tweaks to the January transfer window would make it
a more enjoyable experience for everyone. The West Ham boss, who is keen to
add to his squad this month as they fight against relegation, said he wasn't
surprised with the amount of players the Hammers had been linked with in
recent weeks - his count was 30. With clubs often forced into panicked deals
during the winter window, it is a notoriously difficult time for business to
be done. With the announced changes to the summer window this year setting
the precedent for the January window to be altered, Moyes feels something
can be done to improve the experience.
"I think that we need something to be able to change if we want a window,"
the Scotsman told reporters. "I don't think we need a month, I think we
should probably take it down to a week and then we wouldn't have all the
problems. "Maybe there's a week where the work has to get done and if it
doesn't get done then you don't do it. Something like that would quicken it
up and make it much easier. "I think it can be unsettling for players but
also it can be a time when you can improve your side if you can find the
players to do so."
While he admitted a cutting the window to a week may be somewhat of a
drastic move, the former Manchester United boss cited an example from the
continent as a way of streamlining proceedings in the UK. In Italy, on
deadline day, clubs are each allocated a room at a Milan hotel. Gathered are
directors, executives, agents, journalists and occasionally players
finalising all their business in a swift manner, before delivering the
required paperwork to the governing body in an adjacent building, before the
deadline.
When is the winter transfer window open around the world?
Country Active
Argentina January 8 to February 7
Australia January 3 to January 31
Austria January 7 to February 6
Belgium January 1 to January 31
Brazil January 10 to April 2
China January 1 to February 28
Colombia December 11 to February 9
Denmark January 5 to January 31
England January 1 to January 31
France January 1 to January 31
Germany January 1 to January 31
Italy January 3 to January 31
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Netherlands January 3 to January 31
Northern Ireland January 1 to January 31
Norway January 8 to March 31
Poland February 1 to February 28
Portugal January 3 to February 2
Republic of Ireland December 1 to February 22
Russia January 23 to February 22
Scotland January 1 to January 31
Spain January 1 to January 31
Sweden January 8 to March 31
Switzerland January 16 to February 15
Ukraine January 31 to March 2
USA February 7 to May 1
Wales January 1 to January 31
It's a well oiled system, and one Moyes thinks could work in the Premier
League. "In Italy all the clubs come to same hotel for one day," he added.
"All the chief execs all the people and they do the transfer business in the
one day. "I don't think the January is one that managers enjoy, it gives you
the chance to add but it can also be unsettling as well.
er
"Could it work in the Premier League?
"Cameras and that get into the meeting and they try to get the deals done on
the day. That's the way it works in Italy and it's done by midnight. "You
have to get it done by midnight to rubber stamp the deals, agents everybody
is in there.. "Maybe it would be better if we had a day like that here in
England, instead of transfer deadline day where everyone is wearing a yellow
tie?"
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Javier Hernandez not tempted by Los Angeles move as West Ham prepare to
offload £16m striker
West Ham set to offload striker Javier Hernandez after just six months at
club
They signed the Mexico international from Bayer Leverkusen last summer
But £16m Hernandez has failed to hold down a first-team place this season
Hernandez is keen to remain in the Premier League despite LAFC offer
By Matt Barlow for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 12:14, 12 January 2018 | UPDATED: 12:14, 12 January 2018
Javier Hernandez is not tempted by a move to the United States despite
interest from new MLS team LAFC. West Ham are prepared to listen to offers
for Hernandez who was signed for £16million from Bayer Leverkusen last
summer. The Mexican has scored only four times and has been unable to hold
down a regular place in the side under either Slaven Bilic or David Moyes.
LAFC declared an interest in the 29-year-old striker and were keen for him
to link up with Mexico team-mate Carlos Vela. Hernandez, however, has made
it clear his preferred option would be to stay in Europe, and ideally in the
Premier League if he is to leave West Ham.
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David Moyes' comments on what West Ham players wanted are another sad
indictment on Bilic
HITC
Antony Martin
The West Ham United players have made huge strides under Moyes. Hammers boss
David Moyes spoke exclusively with the club's official website, and opened
up on how the players wanted a more organised regime when he took the reigns
at the London Stadium following the sacking of Slaven Bilic. Moyes has
actually performed admirably in his role as West Ham boss, guiding his side
out of the relegation zone up into 15th position in the table, and he has
overseen some superb results including a win over Chelsea and draws with
Arsenal and Tottenham. The Scot's appointment as manager of the Hammers was
not exactly greeted with much optimism in east London, but it is fair to say
that their opinion has changed over the past couple of months, with the West
Ham players putting in real shifts every week. Moyes spoke to the club's
official website, and explained how his no-nonsense approach to the Hammers
job has paid dividends thus far, highlighting how the players needed
direction and leadership when he took over: "The players wanted a bit of
direction and leadership and I think we've tried to give them that. As well
as that, we've said 'Here are the ground rules boys. If you don't want to
stick to the ground rules, we'd rather not have you, so just go away. But if
you do though and you work at it, we'll include everybody and we'll try to
give you an opportunity'."
Whilst the Scot's words are undoubtedly true, they seem to be another
damning indictment on Slaven Bilic's time in charge. It was painfully
evident that the West Ham players seemed lost and utterly without any kind
of direction during the Croatian's latter days in charge, and Moyes words
have now all but confirmed that.
It is debatable whether it was Bilic who should have been giving his players
better direction, or if the players themselves should have been more
proactive, but one thing is for sure, Moyes has found a solution to the
Hammers' problems since he replaced the 49-year-old in November.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
A trip to Huddersfield Town awaits the Hammers this weekend as David Moyes's
side returns to league action.
Read on for everything you need to know about Saturday's fixture!
Where and when?
Huddersfield Town against West Ham United will be played at the John Smith's
Stadium on Saturday 13 January 2018.
The fixture is scheduled for a 3pm kick-off.
How to follow:
Unfortunately, due to being a 3pm kick-off the match is not available for
viewing in the UK. For worldwide broadcast schedules, click here.
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.
Team news:
David Moyes will provide a complete update in regards to his team news
during his pre-match press conference on Friday.
Stay tuned to the Club's official channels for extensive coverage ahead of
this weekend's contest with Huddersfield Town.
Match Officials:
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Assistant Referees: Eddie Smart and Andy Halliday
Fourth Official: Mike Dean
Last Five Meetings
West Ham United 2-0 Huddersfield Town, Premier League, September 11 2017
West Ham United 3-0 Huddersfield Town, League Cup, September 29 1997
Huddersfield Town 1-0 West Ham United, League Cup, September 16 1997
West Ham United 3-0 Huddersfield Town, Division One, March 4 1972
Huddersfield Town 4-2 West Ham United, FA Cup, February 26 1972
How to get there:
Trains are available from King's Cross and Euston, usually with one change,
and tends to take just under three hours. Huddersfield Railway station is
just a 15 minute walk away from the John Smith's Stadium
The majority of the drive to Huddersfield is up the M1, before joining the
A637. Join the A442 and then take a right onto Waterloo Road. Turn onto
Albany Road, then Crossley Lane, before following Long Lane to the Stadium.
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Attitude of players and staff has been spot on - Moyes
WHUFC.com
David Moyes has praised the attitude of his players and backroom staff alike
after making an encouraging start to life as West Ham United manager. The
Scot passed two months in charge having chalked up impressive Premier League
victories over Chelsea, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, as well as
creditable draws with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and AFC
Bournemouth. Reflecting on his time the helm, Moyes told West Ham TV his
squad had responded well to his demanding methods. "I think there has been
progress in terms of what the team looked like," he began. "Slaven [Bilic]
is a good friend of mine and I would never be critical of anything that went
on before. "The players wanted a bit of direction and leadership and I think
we've tried to give them that. "As well as that, we've said 'Here are the
ground rules boys. If you don't want to stick to the ground rules, we'd
rather not have you, so just go away. But if you do though and you work at
it, we'll include everybody and we'll try to give you an opportunity'. "And,
to be fair, everybody has done it. They've all mucked in. We've had big
thrills with some of the results we've had, but we know that we need to make
massive progress on loads of other things."
It is all well and good asking players to run harder and further, of course,
but that alone will not be enough to stifle a Premier League attack. So,
just how have Moyes and his staff made West Ham a more difficult team to
break down? "We've done a lot of work. We've worked with the back four and
back five. In the opening games I had, we had a couple that could go either
way and then some really tough games, and it's the really tough games where
we've been well-organised, disciplined and hard to play against. "It's been
in some of the other games where we've had a bigger struggle, so that's the
bit we need to improve on.
"We've got a little bit of a model which we use against the better teams to
try and make sure that we don't lose, but ultimately we've got to find a
better model so we can win the games we should be winning with much more
ease or more often."
Key to finding that 'better model' will be Moyes' backroom staff, comprising
assistants Alan Irvine, Stuart Pearce and Billy McKinlay and goalkeeper
coach Chris Woods. And the manager revealed he could further expand his
team, should things continue to go well in the future. "I actually think
that when I was offered the chance to come to the club, I wanted to come
mob-handed with a staff, because I don't want to miss a trick here. I don't
want anything to go on that I don't know about. I want everything covered.
"I think you do need the staff. We work really long hours as it is, but what
you've got is they literally all offer me something different, which is
great. "Alan Irvine is like a professor with it. He is so detailed, he
spends hours and hours on it, he's a brilliant coach and a very
knowledgeable coach, so he gives me that. "Stuart Pearce gives me great
motivation and leadership and is somebody who you should look up to,
somebody who plays every game. He is full of it before every game and is
great with the players and is actually very good with the young players as
well, spending time with them. "Billy McKinlay is a bit more light-hearted,
but he was a very good midfield player and he has a really good eye for a
player as well. He's good at looking at players and spotting things. He is
somebody who worked with me just recently and I think he has got better and
he is improving all the time. "Chris Woods is one of the best goalkeeper
coaches there is and has been for a long time. "So, I've got a good team
around me and maybe in time we'll add and keep the staff growing to make
sure we give them all the best people."
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Club statement: Conclusion of Livermore incident
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have issued an indefinite ban to the supporter involved in a
verbal altercation with West Bromwich Albion's Jake Livermore. After a full
investigation conducted by the Club, which included statements from
supporters in close proximity of the incident and evidence from Jake
Livermore and West Bromwich Albion officials, the individual was found to
have violated a number of London Stadium ground regulations and will be
unable to attend home or away matches with immediate effect. Inciting or
abusive behaviour will not be tolerated at London Stadium, and we urge any
supporters who witness similar behaviour on matchdays to report it
anonymously by texting or calling 07860 404069, where all information is
treated in the strictest of confidence.
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Chicharito has crucial role to play for Hammers - Moyes
WHUFC.com
David Moyes is adamant Chicharito has a crucial role to play for West Ham
United this season despite admitting the form of other forwards has kept the
Mexican out of the starting XI in recent weeks. The incredible effort of
fellow summer signing Marko Arnautovic and energy of Michail Antonio has
limited Chicharito to a place on the substitutes bench in the last few
games, although the striker did start the FA Cup contest with Shrewsbury
Town last weekend. Rumours of a potential move away from West Ham for
Chicharito have circulated this week but Moyes has knocked away these
reports, hailing the 29-year-old's ability. Chicharito was injured when
Moyes took charge of the Hammers, prompting the Scotsman to consider other
options up front, but the boss is certain he will need the striker's knack
for finishing between now and the end of the campaign. "The form of Marko of
Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio, at the start, has probably made it
difficult," Moyes said. "When I joined, Javier was injured and we had to go
with Marko and Michail up front in different games. They've both done really
well.
"Chicharito is a really good player and his finishing ability is as good as
there is anywhere. He thrives on balls in the box and maybe in a lot of
games we've not had that service to give him. "We've got players like
Chicharito who need supplying in the box. We've got Andy Carroll who
probably needs to be supplied with crosses. We've got Andre Ayew who looks
for good balls into feet in and around the box. We've got very different
forward players who I think we will need at very different times in games.
"We can do with them all being fit so I've got options in the games."
Chicharito and Moyes previously worked together at Manchester United, with
the Mexican earning a reputation for scoring important goals from the bench
for the Red Devils. Moyes pointed to the level of competition at Manchester
United then and at West Ham now up front but insists he knows Chicharito has
the quality to be a regular starting striker for the Hammers. "At United,
Sir Alex Ferguson used to play him from the bench quite a lot," Moyes
recalled. "I was well aware, when I joined Manchester United, that
Chicharito would want more minutes. Also, I had Wayne Rooney, Robin van
Persie and Danny Welbeck, to name a few. "The competition at football clubs
is hard, but if you're a good player then you get there, and Chicharito is a
good player."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Betway Insider's View of the Opposition - Huddersfield Town
WHUFC.com
Following their battling draw at Tottenham, West Ham have a real opportunity
to continue their climb up the Premier League table at Huddersfield on
Saturday. That point at Wembley moved the Hammers from 18th to 15th, and
means the club have taken five points from their previous three league games
– a fine return that reflects their improvement over the last month. David
Moyes' side have suffered just one defeat in eight top-flight matches, with
the 12 points they have accrued in that time more than twice as many as the
club managed in the first 15 games of the season. The Irons have played some
of their best football away from home, too. They are unbeaten in their last
three on the road, with the draw at Bournemouth and win at Stoke preceding
last week's result at Spurs.
Even better, Huddersfield's recent form at the John Smith's Stadium is not
great. The Terriers have failed to win any of their three previous home
matches in the league, with the defeat to Chelsea last month followed by
draws against Stoke and Burnley. Saturday's match should be an entertaining
one. West Ham have scored in each of their previous three matches on the
road, including two three-goal hauls at Stoke and Bournemouth respectively.
And even though Huddersfield have failed to net in their last two league
outings, they did score in four successive matches before that. That
sequence included four goals at Watford, while the Terriers will be
encouraged by the fact the Hammers have conceded in their last four league
matches. Don't be surprised if the match is defined by late drama, either.
Four of West Ham's last five league games have featured goals between the
75th and 90th minute. The Hammers scored three of them – against West Brom,
Bournemouth and Stoke respectively – claiming seven valuable points in the
process. Moyes should be confident of claiming at least one more on
Saturday.
Recommended bets
West Ham double chance and BTTS - 15/8
Time of last West Ham goal 75-90 minutes - 3/1
Over 2.5 goals - 7/5
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Moyes: Signings, away form, and a season-defining run
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager David Moyes spoke to the media on Friday afternoon
ahead of this weekend's Premier League tie with Huddersfield Town. With the
January transfer window in full swing, the boss was asked about potential
signings and departures from the Hammers, as well as his available squad for
this Saturday's match, his thoughts on David Wagner, and much more…
Ins and outs?
As expected, much of the press conference centred on possible incomings and
exits at West Ham during the January transfer window. Media reports have
linked players both into and out of London Stadium this month, with Moyes
confirming the Club have entered bids for new players, but these offers have
been turned down, and therefore there is not anything to report. "We've got
nobody lined up just now or people we could say we're definitely going to be
bringing in," the manager confirmed. "We've made bid for players but they've
been turned down. I want to do my business right so I keep them private. I
respect the football clubs that we're talking to. "It's difficult with the
cost and I think why the questions have been about players being sold or
coming in. People are only really interested in that news but, there's not
much going on because of the cost." The Scotsman also revealed he wants to
keep all of his available strikers this month, and is only interested in
adding balance to his team. "I don't want any of my strikers to go. We've
got no players here that we want to leave. We need to add to our squad and
ideally, we will strengthen. "My intention is not to let anybody go. What I
will say is we've got four or five strikers and the competition is tough for
all of them. I'm happy with that though and it would take an awful lot of
money in this window to prise any of them out. "My interest is in balancing
up the squad and bringing people in in the areas we are short, rather than
areas we are full in. I need to get the areas we are short in fuller and
make sure we add to the squad if we can. If somebody comes in with offers we
can't stop them but we can stop them by saying no to anything we don't want
to have."
'We've got players coming back'
Moyes was asked about his squad for Saturday's match against Huddersfield
Town and which, if any, of his injured players would be available for a
return to action. Without putting a time frame on either's return, the
manager did indicate that defenders Jose Fonte and James Collin were nearing
a comeback. The boss confirmed: "We've had a lot of injuries. There's a few
who will make it back, and there's a few that we still have doubts about.
"We've got Jose Fonte on the way back and hopefully we've got Ginge on the
way back as well."
Moyes pointed to the busy fixture list as part of the reason behind his
side's, and indeed every Premier League teams', struggles with injuries. "I
think in this time of the season, after the amount of games players have
played at every Premier League club, you can't be sure about who is going to
be fit and who isn't. What I can say is we will have a few coming back for
this game, hopefully, against Huddersfield."
'This is a really important period for us'
The contest against Huddersfield Town on Saturday is the first of five
Premier League matches in which the Hammers will play teams that are tenth
or lower in the division, with all of them no more than five points away
from the relegation zone. Moyes believes this run of games will be of vital
importance to his team as they strive to secure their status in the English
top flight for next season. The Scotsman also reckons that the bottom half
of the division is so tight that any side could beat another without it
being a shock result. Moyes said: "This is a really important period for us.
We have come through a difficult period. When I joined the Club there were a
couple of games at the start but then we went into a heavy period, not only
in the number of fixtures but also with the teams we were playing. "I think
we're going to into a period of games where we're playing teams around us
and there's been no clear conclusion on any of our games. We lost to
Newcastle, we drew to Bournemouth, we beat West Brom and Stoke City, but I
think the games are very hard to call. "I think between now and the end of
the season, the bottom ten to 12 teams, the results between them won't be
foregone conclusions. We have to try and win the games to make sure we're a
Premier League club."
'We can bring Huddersfield into the relegation battle'
The Terriers sit 11th in the Premier League table but are without a win in
their last four matches in the top flight, and sit just two points above the
Hammers in the division. Having just been promoted from the Championship
last season, the job done by the Yorkshire Club has been praised by Moyes,
but the West Ham boss is eyeing a jump over Huddersfield this weekend. The
manager has warned however that David Wagner's men are capable of playing in
a number of ways, which could catch his men out. "Huddersfield have done
great," Moyes hailed. "They've got off to such a good start in the Premier
League. I think what it's meant is there is a lot of team who think they
might not be near the bottom, and we're all trying to grab them back and
bring them into the pack. If we can beat Huddersfield we'd bring
Huddersfield back in amongst us. "I think they are able to do a few things.
I think they can play, their style is good and they will play from the back
at the right times. I think they've got a team that has come up and is
confident in what they do. I think they come with momentum which helps them,
and overall, they've got some good attacking players that we will need to be
mindful of."
'Terrific Wagner'
"Huddersfield have always been one of the clubs I'd watch regularly at
different times and I think the job David Wagner has done there is
terrific," Moyes admitted during his press conference. Wagner took charge of
the Terriers in 2015 and, having kept the Terriers in the Championship,
guided the side to the Premier League through the play-offs in the 2016/17
campaign. That success has rightly earned the coach plaudits across the
globe and Moyes has added his voice to them. "I think the job he's doing in
the Premier League is terrific as well. They're more than fighting, they are
easily competing and showing they can do the job. Great credit to them.
They've come up the leagues and I think momentum is a big thing."
Home & Away
Huddersfield boast four wins and four draws from their home form in the
Premier League this campaign, ensuring a tough test for the Hammers this
weekend.
Despite this Moyes is confident that his side can claim the victory on
Saturday. The manager added: "I think they have six wins and they're going
really well, Huddersfield. It will be a hard game up there. Their home form
is how they probably got promoted. Hopefully we can come away with three
points." The Hammers claimed an unforgettable away win at Stoke City in
December, with goals from Mark Noble, Marko Arnautovic and Diafra Sakho
securing a big 3-0 win for the Irons. And the boss reckons it is this level
of away performance that will get his team results on the road. On the win
at Stoke Moyes said: "We nailed it that day and I think we need that level
of performance to come in a few more occasions. We've got quite a few games
coming at home at London Stadium between now and the end of the season, but
if we can get some wins away it will make our job much easier."
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Adrian: I wish to end my career at West Ham United
WHUFC.com
West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian has made clear his wish to finish his
career in Claret and Blue. Fresh from an impressive return to the first-team
during which his three clean sheets helped the Hammers climb out of the
relegation zone, the No13 has committed his future to the Club. The
recently-turned 31-year-old says he is benefiting from playing every week
again and will continue to give his all for the Club and fans with whom he
shares a special bond. "It's one of my wishes to finish playing here at West
Ham. I played the last five seasons here and 114 games in the Premier
League, even more in the cup," said Adrian, who could make his ninth
consecutive Premier League appearance at Huddersfield Town on Saturday. "My
contract expires at the end of next season, then we have to decide. I am now
31 and can probably still play for a long time. So why not West Ham? "I am
very happy here in London and at this Club. I have a special relationship
with the fans from the beginning of my time here. Now I have to enjoy
playing and give my best every week until the end of the season to stay in
the Premier League and to finish in the highest position possible."
The popular goalkeeper, who is an active social media user, says he likes to
show fans more of himself by sharing memorable moments from his daily life,
inside and outside the Club. "I like to share with them the moments that I
am living here – my life, my sensation after the game, before the game, or
in the week. I want to show the fans a bit of myself. "They see me on the
pitch but it's important in the era of social media to share with them a bit
of my everyday situations."
However, the No13 stopped short of allowing social media, or anything else
for that matter, distracting him from the pitch. The Spaniard remains stoic
in his commitment and professionalism for the Irons. "I always try to give
my best and I think we are in the best profession in the world because we
are doing something we love – playing football. "I like to show my passion,
and I like to show on the pitch that I am 100 per cent concentrated on the
game. I love winning games. I am very angry when I have lost. I get very sad
when I have lost. Some players don't show this but it's all down to the
personality of everyone."
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Westley hails U23's 'first-class performance' against Leicester
WHUFC.com
A 'first-class performance' against Leicester City caps a great week for the
West Ham United U23s, according to Academy Director Terry Westley, after his
side fought to a 0-0 draw with the Foxes. Leicester, sat second in Premier
League 2 Division 1, proved to be a tough test for the Hammers on Friday at
the Chigwell Construction Stadium, but a solid defensive and hardworking
outing by the Irons allowed the home team to claim a deserved draw and
point. The determined showing came just four days after West Ham beat
Manchester United U23s 3-0 away from home and Westley believes this most
recent match was just as good, albeit in a completely different way. "I
thought it was a first-class performance on a difficult pitch against a very
physical and strong side," A beaming Westley told whufc.com. "In many ways,
that was as good as our Manchester United performance, but in a totally
different way. Technically, against Man United, we were very good, but
tonight we had to be resolute. We had to defend set plays and long throws,
and balls going through the centre of the pitch."
Leicester boasted the likes of Premier League winner Robert Huth and
big-money signings Adrien Silva and Ahmed Musa in their team but the
Hammers, who named nine players aged 20 or under in their starting XI, were
more than worth their share of the points. The Academy Director couldn't be
more thrilled with the fighting spirit his team showed against these top
calibre players. Westley continued: "It was like an old-fashioned,
combination reserve team game from many years ago, when first team players
played. I counted about £47 million worth of players out on the pitch.
"Robert Huth is a very experienced Premier League champion so Toni Martinez
had to really fight him, and he showed what he could do and how hard he
works. The same could be said with Diangana, Samuelsen, Quina, Coventry and
Makasi. Without the football, they really worked hard tonight. "The two
centre-backs were colossus. Young Aji Alese is only 16 and it was only his
second game back. He was fully spent in the dressing room after the match.
It was an outstanding performance, for me."
Four points from the two games this week puts Westley's side on 21 points; a
number that he points out was enough to keep sides safe from relegation last
season. Now that amount has been reached Westley wants his side to push on
even more and reckons his player's efforts will see a few involved in the
first team on Tuesday, when Shrewsbury Town visit London Stadium in the FA
Cup. "We've now got 21 points. Everyone stayed up last year with 21 points.
Our first target, with nine games to go, has been reached, and our players
and staff deserve great credit," Westley added. "We said we want to make
sure we're not struggling and we haven't done that, touch wood. The next
target, which we set ourselves around Christmas, was if this group could
finish in the top six. A win against Leicester would have taken us third so
we are there or there about. "It's been a great week. We will report again
on Sunday and one or two of our side will be challenging to get in the
manager's plans for Tuesday against Shrewsbury Town at London Stadium.
That's obviously where we want people to be and this week has done nobody
any harm whatsoever."
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David Moyes column: Michail Antonio injury fears could force West Ham to buy
a player in January
DAVID MOYES
ES Sport
We've negotiated the tough Christmas and New Year schedule pretty well but
just when you take a deep breath and look forward to some normality again,
that January transfer window opens up and all the speculation goes up
several gears. I discovered quickly that, at West Ham, not a day goes by
without us being mentioned with this or that player. The window has only
been open for less than two weeks but already, so I believe, we've been
linked with a grand total of 30 players. Like most, if not all managers, I
don't much like this window. I don't think it works for many people
although, having said that, it can be useful if something unforeseen happens
and your priority changes. We could have that scenario here. Michail Antonio
has not fully recovered from a groin problem. Our medical people believe it
could clear up in a couple of weeks but if not it could be more serious.
We're not sure yet but if it is the latter — and that would be a real shame
— we will need to go out to try to make a suitable signing this month
because we will need someone who plays down that righthand side. That apart
though, a lot about this window is an unwelcome distraction.
It's not unusual in the Premier League, for example, for players who are not
in their club teams to think they can move on when, in fact, they can't. Of
course, transfers are a vital part of football but I'm convinced, if you
look back over previous seasons, there have been too many deals done in
January, which haven't worked out. Sometimes the euphoria associated with
the signings has masked the reality they haven't actually been that good.
Maybe doing nothing much this month is the more sensible strategy and if you
are in the happy position of being 100 per cent safe and with a large, fit
squad, you can enjoy a quiet January.
If you're not in that fortunate place though — and not many are — you have
to look to see what you can do to improve your team. The problem is that
clubs are not, in the main, open to selling but if they are it's usually
players who are either not being selected regularly or who are coming
towards the end of their contracts. On the 30 or so players linked with us,
I am sure that West Ham fans will know the vast majority of those won't
happen but we will keep looking for a couple who will improve us. The agents
are working hard naturally but, in terms of strikers, I don't necessarily
believe we need another one this month. This can change in the next couple
of weeks but right now, there are other areas of the squad which I would
look at first. We've used all our strikers in this busy period and, for
example, we had Andre Ayew and Chicharito up front against Shrewsbury. In
other games, such as against Tottenham, we haven't had a great deal of the
ball and it has been tough for a player like Chicharito because we haven't
been able to provide him with the service upon which he thrives. I know
Chicharito well and he needs balls in the box and we need to get to the
by-line more and cut the ball back to him. He's an instinctive type of
striker with an ability to know where the ball is dropping in the box,
rather than someone you could build from or use in other ways. We're trying
to use all our assets up front, though, and give them an opportunity, when
we can, to showcase their talents.
The next group of games, starting at Huddersfield on Saturday, will be a big
test for us. The players involved in most, if not all the recent games, had
a couple of days off at the beginning of the week but they're back training
hard. There's not a lot between many teams in the Premier League. Against
West Brom it went to the 94th minute before we scored the winner and, at
Bournemouth, it could have gone either way but ended as a draw. Even against
Newcastle, we were behind, got back into the game and then missed a penalty
as we lost 3-2. These games coming up will be tight but we have to do better
because, although we've only lost one out of our past eight, we haven't
played as well as I would have hoped in some of them. We are making
progress. We are trying to be hard to beat but we're still conceding too
many goals. We have doubts about Winston Reid and Andy Carroll but James
'Ginge' Collins is back with us, as is Aaron Cresswell, Marko Arnautovic and
Manuel Lanzini. There is no hiding the fact that we didn't play well in the
FA Cup at Shrewsbury last Sunday but one of the positives was young Josh
Cullen in midfield. He was one of our best players and showed a great deal
of character and courage to play on after he had been kicked in the face and
lost a tooth. These things are noticed by people. They see you rolling up
your sleeves, going back and getting on with it and they are impressed. I'm
expecting him to be in the squad for tomorrow's game. We are trying to get a
gum shield made for him to protect his mouth.
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Huddersfield Town v West Ham United
SAT 13 JAN 2018PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: John Smith's Stadium
BBC.co.uk
TEAM NEWS
Huddersfield new signings Terence Kongolo and Alex Pritchard are in line to
make league debuts for the club. Michael Hefele and Phillip Billing are back
in training but Chris Lowe, Martin Cranie and Collin Quaner will all miss
out.
Marko Arnautovic is in contention for the Hammers after recovering from a
hamstring strain, as is James Collins. However, Winston Reid is a doubt with
a groin injury and Aaron Cresswell remains sidelined by a back problem.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Steve Wilson: "It may not have made too many headlines, but no team outside
the top five in the Premier League have taken more points from the last
seven games than West Ham. "Those who were sceptical about the appointment
of David Moyes may be having to think again. "Huddersfield aren't winning
too many, but they're winning just enough. Their season has been terrific so
far, but with 16 games left no sensible Terrier's fan should rule out the
possibility of their side running out of steam. "Mind you, any slump is
unlikely to be as dramatic as the one which afflicted their last top-flight
season. In 1971-72, Huddersfield failed to win any of their last 16 matches
and scored only four times, two of which were own goals!"
Twitter: @Wilsonfooty
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Huddersfield Town head coach David Wagner: "To be totally honest the West
Ham away game was one of the performances, with Swansea maybe, where I think
we really underperformed. "We know that West Ham is a very big name, with a
great squad with very good individuals and a very good manager as well.
"They are in good form at the minute so there are a lot of reasons why we
have to be better than what we were in the first game; this is our aim to be
our best."
West Ham United manager David Moyes: "I think this is a really important
period for us. When I joined we went into a heavy period with a number of
fixtures and the teams we were playing. "Huddersfield have done great. If we
can beat Huddersfield we could bring them back in amongst us. "I used to
watch Huddersfield games quite regularly. The job Wagner has done is
terrific. They are more than fighting, they are competing and doing the job.
They deserve great credit."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham are the only teams to have beaten
Huddersfield at home this season, but I just don't see the Hammers losing
here.
Prediction: 1-1
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham registered their first Premier League win of the season in
September's return fixture, inflicting a first defeat on David Wagner's
side.
Huddersfield have won 10 of their last 12 home league games against West
Ham, but they have not hosted this fixture since November 1971.
Huddersfield Town
They have gone four games without a Premier League win since their 4-1
demolition of Watford on 16 December (D3, L1).
The Terriers have scored just two goals in those four games.
They have lost their last four Premier League matches against London
opposition by an aggregate score of 14-1.
West Ham United
The Hammers have lost just once in their last seven Premier League games
(W3, D3).
They have, though, registered just one away win all season; 3-0 v Stoke on
16 December.
West Ham are two short of 400 Premier League away goals.
If West Ham lose, it will be the fourth time they've lost to at least three
different promoted sides in the same Premier League season.
David Moyes is one shy of becoming the fourth manager to win 200 Premier
League matches, after Alex Ferguson (528), Arsene Wenger (468) and Harry
Redknapp (236).
Marko Arnautovic has scored four goals in his last four Premier League
appearances.
Andy Carroll has eight goals in his last eight Premier League starts in the
month of January.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 28%
Probability of home win: 42% Probability of away win: 30%
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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Antonio concern could force transfer window move
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 12th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes says that the continuing uncertainly regarding Michail Antonio's
groin injury could lead to him having to sign a replacement during the
current transfer window. Antonio has not featured for the Hammers since
being withdrawn an hour into West Ham's 3-2 defeat at home to Newcastle on
December 23. And according to Moyes, he could be sidelined for some time yet
- leaving the club with no option but to seek an alternative. "Our medical
people believe it could clear up in a couple of weeks but if not, it could
be more serious," Moyes said in his latest column for the Standard. "We're
not sure yet but if it is the latter - and that would be a real shame - we
will need to go out to try to make a suitable signing this month because we
will need someone who plays down that right-hand side."
With regards to other injury news ahead of this weekend's trip to
Huddersfield, Moyes revealed that James Collins is one of several players
available for selection once again - whilst confirming that long-term injury
victim Jose Fonte is likely to be ready again shortly. However there are
fresh problems for the manager to content with ahead of this weekend's
Premier League clash. "We have doubts about Winston Reid and Andy Carroll,"
stated Moyes, "but James Collins is back with us - as are Aaron Cresswell,
Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini."
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Moyes: all quiet on the Sakho front
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 12th January 2018
By: Staff Writer
David Moyes says that he is "not aware" of any impending bids for wantaway
striker Diafra Sakho. The Senegal international was closely linked with a
£12million move to Crystal Palace earlier this week but according to Moyes,
there is no indication that the move is imminent - or welcome, according to
the manager. "I'm not aware of anything with Diafra Sakho so I couldn't give
you an update on that," he told the media at his pre-match press conference.
"We're more than happy to keep Diafra. We like him and he's been good since
we've been here. "I don't want any of our strikers to go. We need to add to
our squad. We need to strengthen and my intention is not to let anybody go.
It would take a lot of money to prise any of them out of West Ham."
However Moyes was rather less dismissive when asked about the possibility of
fellow forward Javier Chicharito moving on at some point this month -
insisting that his place was under threat due to the excellent performances
of others. "I think the form of Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio has
made it difficult for Javier Hernandez," he added. " "When I joined he was
injured, so I had to go without him up front. Chicharito is a really good
player. His finishing ability is a good as anyone. At Manchester United I
also had Wayne Rooney, Van Persie and Danny Welbeck. Competition at football
clubs is hard."
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Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson keeps 'quiet' on Diafra Sakho deal
By Calum Wilson
Last Updated: 12/01/18 3:39pm
SSN
Roy Hodgson is keeping "quiet" Crystal Palace's linked move for Diafra Sakho
but says the club are "working overtime" on signings. According to Sky
sources, Palace have agreed a fee with West Ham for Sakho understood to be
between £10m and £12m. The Senegal international is yet to start a Premier
League game for the Hammers this season, scoring four goals in the 17 games
he has featured in this term. The Palace boss is keen to sign another
striker in January, with first-choice forward Christian Benteke having
scored just once so far in this campaign. Asked about the club's pursuit of
Sakho, Hodgson said: "I'm not prepared to talk about any players. There is
bound to be conflicting reports. "It would be very foolish of me to start
commenting on anybody at the moment. "We are doing it as best we can and as
professionally as we can. "It is better to keep quiet on the subject."
Hodgson has previously revealed that Palace need to sign up to seven players
in the January window and the former England boss says everyone at Selhurst
Park is working hard to bring players in. "Our plans have never changed,"
Hodgson said. "We have known almost from the moment I came to the club that
we were light in certain areas. "We didn't have enough of a certain type of
player in areas of the field. "We have always been thinking that when the
January transfer window comes around that we will try and resolve some of
these problems. "We have been thinking about that since I came in September
and the people who are working on this, our scouting department, Doug
Freedman, Steve Parish and our owners are working overtime to try and
identify people."
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David Moyes has no intention of selling Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez
Last Updated: 12/01/18 4:03pm
SSN
David Moyes has no intention of letting Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez
leave during the January transfer window, despite the West Ham manager
admitting he has plenty of attacking options. National newspaper reports
have linked Carroll with a move to Premier League defending champions
Chelsea while Hernandez has struggled for game time since Moyes' arrival in
November. West Ham also have Andre Ayew, Michail Antonio and Marko
Arnautovic as forward options but Moyes said it would take a substantial
offer "to prize them away". "I don't want any of them to go," Moyes said,
ahead of the Hammers' trip to face Huddersfield. "We have got no players
here who we want to leave. We need to add to our squad. So, ideally, we
strengthen. My intention is not to let anyone go. "What I will say is we
have got four or five strikers and the competition is tough for all of them.
"If we were (to let them go) it would take an awful lot of money in this
window to prize them away."
Hernandez, a £16m summer arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, has been limited to
four goals in his 21 appearances for West Ham and made one league start
since Moyes' tenure began. The former Manchester United manager insisted the
Mexico international is a "really good player", despite suggestions he did
not fit Moyes' game plan. "You would have to say the form of Arnautovic and
Antonio at the start (of my tenure) has made it difficult," added Moyes.
Huddersfield, who may give new signing Alex Pritchard his debut, can move
closer to top-flight safety by beating fellow strugglers West Ham on
Saturday. "When I joined, nine-10 weeks ago, Javier was injured so we had to
go with Marko and Michail up front in different games. "They have both done
really well. Chicharito is a really good player. His finishing ability is as
good as there is. He thrives on balls in the box. "Maybe in a lot of games
we have not been able to give him that service. You would be hard pushed to
say he would necessarily be playing ahead of the two other players I
mentioned at the moment."
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Huddersfield Town v West Ham United preview: Alex Pritchard set for Terriers
debut
Last Updated: 12/01/18 4:50pm
SSN
Huddersfield Town, who may give new signing Alex Pritchard his debut, can
move closer to Premier League safety with victory in a six-pointer against
West Ham United on Saturday. David Wagner's team have picked up 16 of their
24 points this season at home, but have not won in their last three games -
if they fail to secure victory this weekend, it will be their longest run
without a win in the Premier League. West Ham, meanwhile, won the meeting
earlier this season 2-0 to hand Huddersfield their first-ever Premier League
defeat. The Hammers have taken 12 points from their last seven games as
David Moyes has built a team which is now hard to beat - as shown by the
recent 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur. Pritchard could make his debut against
West Ham. The midfielder completed his permanent move to the John Smith's
Stadium from Norwich on Friday morning and is expected to go straight into
Wagner's squad. Recent loan signing Terence Kongolo hopes to make his
Premier League bow in central defence, but forward Collin Quaner, plus
defenders Chris Lowe and Martin Cranie, will miss out through injury.
Meanwhile, Michail Antonio is still missing from the West Ham squad for the
trip to Huddersfield. The winger's groin problem is taking longer than
expected to clear up, while defender Winston Reid and striker Andy Carroll
are doubts. But James Collins, Aaron Cresswell, Marko Arnautovic and Manuel
Lanzini have all shaken off knocks to return to the squad.
Opta stats
Huddersfield have won 10 of their last 12 home league games against West Ham
(W10 D1 L1), though this is the first such meeting since a 1-0 win in
November 1971.
The Hammers lost their last visit in any competition to face Huddersfield -
1-0 in a League Cup match in September 1997. However, they won the second
leg 3-0 to progress on aggregate.
West Ham have picked up five points in their last three Premier League away
games (W1 D2 L0), two more than they had earned in their opening nine on the
road this season (W0 D3 L6).
If West Ham lose, it will be the fourth time they have lost to at least
three different promoted sides in the same Premier League season (2001-02,
2006-07 and 2009-10). As it stands, only Middlesbrough (5) and Sunderland
(4) have done this on that many occasions.
Merson's prediction
Another six-pointer! West Ham are another inconsistent side, having held
Tottenham before never looking like scoring at Shrewsbury in the FA Cup -
they wouldn't have scored if they were still playing now! The Terriers are
strong at home, though, and I'm not sure whether West Ham will be able to
cope with their pressing game. With that in mind, I fancy David Wagner's men
to get another huge three points for their survival bid. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1
(9/1 with Sky Bet)
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Crystal Palace's move for West Ham striker Diafra Sakho in doubt
Last Updated: 12/01/18 7:44pm
SSN
Crystal Palace's move for West Ham striker Diafra Sakho is in doubt,
according to Sky sources. It was reported on Thursday that Palace had agreed
a fee for Sakho of between £10m and £12m. However, sources close to the deal
now suggest not everybody at Palace is convinced they should be trying to
sign Sakho. One source close to the deal has even suggested Roy Hodgon's
side have pulled out of the move. Hodgson was asked about the Sakho deal on
Friday but refused to be drawn on the issue, saying he preferred to keep
"quiet". With the Sakho deal seemingly on the rocks, the south London side's
focus may now move to Fiorentina striker Khouma Babacar. Sky Italy reported
on Thursday that Palace have put in a bid for the 24-year-old Senegalese
striker.
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West Ham offered chance to sign Newcastle centre-back Chancel Mbemba
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 12/01/18 11:53am
SSN
West Ham have been offered the chance to sign Newcastle centre-back Chancel
Mbemba, according to Sky sources. Mbemba moved to Newcastle from Anderlecht
for £8m in 2015 but has had limited opportunities to play this season. West
Ham are keen to sign a central defender this month, with Swansea's Alfie
Mawson their top target, but the Welsh club are reluctant to sell the
England U21. Newcastle would want to make sure they have a replacement
before sanctioning the sale of Mbemba. And West Ham would be happy to
include Diafra Sakho, who is in talks over a £10m move to Crystal Palace, as
part of any potential deal. There are now doubts over whether Palace's deal
for striker Sakho, who has struggled for first-team games at the Hammers,
will be completed. Whatever happens, Sky Sports News has been told that
Sakho will definitely be leaving West Ham this month.
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MATCH PREVIEW: HUDDERSFIELD V WEST HAM
By Dan Coker 12 Jan 2018 at 08:00
WTID
22nd November 1952 – West Ham United recorded a 1-0 win at Huddersfield, Al
Martino was number one with 'Here In My Heart', George Cole was in UK
cinemas in British comedy Top Secret and, three days later, Agatha
Christie's play The Mousetrap started its run at the New Ambassadors Theatre
in London – it is still running in London 65 years later, having transferred
next door to St Martin's Theatre in 1974.
25-year-old Irish centre-forward Freddie Kearns (pictured) scored the only
goal of the game at Leeds Road in front of 22,267, Ted Fenton's Hammers
securing our second (and most recent) league win away to the Terriers. The
Irons' only victory at Huddersfield since came in the FA Cup in 1969.
The Hammers went on to finish the 1952/53 Second Division season in 14th
place, while Andy Beattie's Huddersfield ended up second and were promoted.
Kearns was the Irons' top goalscorer with twelve goals from 23 appearances.
Sheffield United topped the Second Division, Arsenal won the First Division
title and Blackpool won the FA Cup in the 'Matthews Final'.
West Ham United: Ernie Gregory, George Wright, Malcolm Allison, Harry
Kinsell, Frank O'Farrell, Derek Parker, Terry Woodgate, John Gregory,
Freddie Kearns, Albert Foan, Ken Tucker.
Club Connections
A small number of players have worn the shirts of both West Ham United and
Huddersfield Town. 2008 Hammer of the Year Robert Green is currently on the
Terriers' books but is yet to make an appearance for them. Others who have
represented both clubs include:
Defenders: Kenny Brown, Dickie Pudan, Archie Taylor, Simon Webster, Elliott
Ward, David Unsworth.
Midfielders: Peter Butler, Diego Poyet, Mark Ward.
Strikers: Dave Mangnall, Jack Foster, George Crowther.
Lou Macari managed both clubs, while Chris Powell played for West Ham and
managed Huddersfield. Sam Allardyce played for the Terriers and managed the
Hammers.
Today's focus though falls on a former Hammers defender who had a loan spell
at Huddersfield. Steve Walford was born on the 5th January 1958 in Highgate
and began his career as a centre-back at Tottenham in 1975. After struggling
to make it at White Hart Lane, Walford became part of a select club to swap
Tottenham white for Arsenal red when Terry Neill signed the 19-year-old for
£25,000 in 1977. He featured as a late substitute in the 1979 FA Cup Final,
when the Gunners beat Manchester United 3-2. Walford signed for former
Hammer Ken Brown's Norwich for £125,000 in March 1981 and experienced
relegation and promotion with the Canaries.
After just over two seasons at Carrow Road, the 25-year-old Walford signed
for John Lyall's West Ham United in the summer of 1983 for £160,000. He made
his debut at left-back in a 4-0 home win over Birmingham on 27th August 1983
and scored his first goal for the club in his next appearance two days
later, the winner in a 1-0 victory at Everton. Walford made it two goals in
his opening four appearances in claret and blue when he netted in a 3-1 home
win over Leicester on 6th September 1983 but this would prove to be his
final league goal for the club, despite this early flourish. The Hammers'
early season form in 1983/84 saw them top the First Division table
throughout September but the club would fall away to finish ninth.
Walford would only score two more goals for the club, both in the League Cup
second round tie against Bristol City in 1984/85 – he scored in the 2-2
first leg draw at Ashton Gate before netting again in the 6-1 second leg win
at the Boleyn Ground. His goal in the first leg can be viewed in the video
below
Walford would make 33 appearances in the famous 1985/86 campaign, with 27 of
these games coming in the league as the Hammers claimed their highest ever
league finish of third. The emergence of George Parris put Walford's
position under threat however and he only made 13 league appearances in
1986/87. Walford's final appearance for the Hammers was on 7th March 1987 in
a 2-1 First Division defeat at Charlton but he would remain at the club
until 1989, by which time Julian Dicks had arrived from Birmingham and made
the left-back berth his own – first-team football did arrive for Walford
though through a two-month loan spell at Huddersfield in 1987, for whom he
made twelve appearances. Walford also had loan spells at Gillingham in 1988
and West Brom in 1989. After registering 147 appearances for West Ham
United, and scoring four goals, the 31-year-old Walford moved to Lai Sun in
Hong Kong.
Walford returned to England to play for Wycombe under Martin O'Neill the
following year and, after a brief spell at Wealdstone, returned to Wycombe
as O'Neill's assistant. He has since worked with the Northern Irishman at
Norwich, Leicester, Celtic, Aston Villa and Sunderland and has won the
English League Cup twice, the Scottish Premier League three times, the
Scottish Cup three times and the Scottish League Cup once. Walford, who
turned 60 last Friday, is currently assistant manager of the Republic of
Ireland (he is pictured above at Euro 2016) and also had a brief spell
doubling up as Neil Lennon's assistant at Bolton.
Referee
The referee on Saturday will be Jonathan Moss. The Yorkshire-based official
has sent off a player in six of his last nine appointments involving the
Hammers – the 4-3 defeat to Bournemouth in August 2015 saw Carl Jenkinson
sent off, while the 2-1 win over Chelsea last October saw Nemanja Matic
dismissed (then-Blues manager Jose Mourinho was also sent to the stands).
Moss issued a red card to Jordan Ayew of Aston Villa in February with the
Hammers going on to win 2-0 while, going further back, Burnley's Michael
Duff was also sent off by Moss in our 1-0 home win over the Clarets in May
2015.
Moss also issued a red card to Cheikhou Kouyate in the 5-1 FA Cup fifth
round win at Blackburn in February, although this was later rescinded.
Arguably the 47-year-old's most controversial Hammers appointment was the
2-2 draw at Leicester in April 2016 when he sent off Jamie Vardy and awarded
two penalties, the second arriving deep into stoppage time as the Foxes
rescued a precious point. Moss' most recent match in charge of the Hammers
was last month's goalless draw with Arsenal at London Stadium.
Possible line-ups
David Wagner is likely to be missing centre-backs Martin Cranie and Jon
Stankovic, left-back Chris Lowe and strikers Elias Kachunga and Collin
Quaner. New loan signing from Monaco, Terence Kongolo, could start in the
centre of defence.
David Moyes could have Aaron Cresswell, Reece Oxford and Marko Arnautovic
available but Jose Fonte, Edimilson Fernandes and Diafra Sakho are injured.
Winston Reid and Michail Antonio are doubts, while James Collins is back in
training but may not be risked. Sam Byram is also nearing a return.
Possible Huddersfield Town XI: Lossl; Smith, Zanka, Kongolo, Malone; Mooy,
Williams; van La Parra, Ince, Lolley; Mounie.
Possible West Ham United XI: Adrian; Zabaleta, Rice, Ogbonna, Cresswell,
Masuaku; Noble, Obiang, Lanzini; Arnautovic, Carroll.
Enjoy the game – Come On You Irons!
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David Moyes calls on Premier League to look abroad in order to revitalise
January transfer window
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport
David Moyes feels that a tweaks to the January transfer window would make it
a more enjoyable experience for everyone. The West Ham boss, who is keen to
add to his squad this month as they fight against relegation, said he wasn't
surprised with the amount of players the Hammers had been linked with in
recent weeks - his count was 30. With clubs often forced into panicked deals
during the winter window, it is a notoriously difficult time for business to
be done. With the announced changes to the summer window this year setting
the precedent for the January window to be altered, Moyes feels something
can be done to improve the experience.
"I think that we need something to be able to change if we want a window,"
the Scotsman told reporters. "I don't think we need a month, I think we
should probably take it down to a week and then we wouldn't have all the
problems. "Maybe there's a week where the work has to get done and if it
doesn't get done then you don't do it. Something like that would quicken it
up and make it much easier. "I think it can be unsettling for players but
also it can be a time when you can improve your side if you can find the
players to do so."
While he admitted a cutting the window to a week may be somewhat of a
drastic move, the former Manchester United boss cited an example from the
continent as a way of streamlining proceedings in the UK. In Italy, on
deadline day, clubs are each allocated a room at a Milan hotel. Gathered are
directors, executives, agents, journalists and occasionally players
finalising all their business in a swift manner, before delivering the
required paperwork to the governing body in an adjacent building, before the
deadline.
When is the winter transfer window open around the world?
Country Active
Argentina January 8 to February 7
Australia January 3 to January 31
Austria January 7 to February 6
Belgium January 1 to January 31
Brazil January 10 to April 2
China January 1 to February 28
Colombia December 11 to February 9
Denmark January 5 to January 31
England January 1 to January 31
France January 1 to January 31
Germany January 1 to January 31
Italy January 3 to January 31
Mexico January 1 to January 31
Netherlands January 3 to January 31
Northern Ireland January 1 to January 31
Norway January 8 to March 31
Poland February 1 to February 28
Portugal January 3 to February 2
Republic of Ireland December 1 to February 22
Russia January 23 to February 22
Scotland January 1 to January 31
Spain January 1 to January 31
Sweden January 8 to March 31
Switzerland January 16 to February 15
Ukraine January 31 to March 2
USA February 7 to May 1
Wales January 1 to January 31
It's a well oiled system, and one Moyes thinks could work in the Premier
League. "In Italy all the clubs come to same hotel for one day," he added.
"All the chief execs all the people and they do the transfer business in the
one day. "I don't think the January is one that managers enjoy, it gives you
the chance to add but it can also be unsettling as well.
er
"Could it work in the Premier League?
"Cameras and that get into the meeting and they try to get the deals done on
the day. That's the way it works in Italy and it's done by midnight. "You
have to get it done by midnight to rubber stamp the deals, agents everybody
is in there.. "Maybe it would be better if we had a day like that here in
England, instead of transfer deadline day where everyone is wearing a yellow
tie?"
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Javier Hernandez not tempted by Los Angeles move as West Ham prepare to
offload £16m striker
West Ham set to offload striker Javier Hernandez after just six months at
club
They signed the Mexico international from Bayer Leverkusen last summer
But £16m Hernandez has failed to hold down a first-team place this season
Hernandez is keen to remain in the Premier League despite LAFC offer
By Matt Barlow for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 12:14, 12 January 2018 | UPDATED: 12:14, 12 January 2018
Javier Hernandez is not tempted by a move to the United States despite
interest from new MLS team LAFC. West Ham are prepared to listen to offers
for Hernandez who was signed for £16million from Bayer Leverkusen last
summer. The Mexican has scored only four times and has been unable to hold
down a regular place in the side under either Slaven Bilic or David Moyes.
LAFC declared an interest in the 29-year-old striker and were keen for him
to link up with Mexico team-mate Carlos Vela. Hernandez, however, has made
it clear his preferred option would be to stay in Europe, and ideally in the
Premier League if he is to leave West Ham.
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David Moyes' comments on what West Ham players wanted are another sad
indictment on Bilic
HITC
Antony Martin
The West Ham United players have made huge strides under Moyes. Hammers boss
David Moyes spoke exclusively with the club's official website, and opened
up on how the players wanted a more organised regime when he took the reigns
at the London Stadium following the sacking of Slaven Bilic. Moyes has
actually performed admirably in his role as West Ham boss, guiding his side
out of the relegation zone up into 15th position in the table, and he has
overseen some superb results including a win over Chelsea and draws with
Arsenal and Tottenham. The Scot's appointment as manager of the Hammers was
not exactly greeted with much optimism in east London, but it is fair to say
that their opinion has changed over the past couple of months, with the West
Ham players putting in real shifts every week. Moyes spoke to the club's
official website, and explained how his no-nonsense approach to the Hammers
job has paid dividends thus far, highlighting how the players needed
direction and leadership when he took over: "The players wanted a bit of
direction and leadership and I think we've tried to give them that. As well
as that, we've said 'Here are the ground rules boys. If you don't want to
stick to the ground rules, we'd rather not have you, so just go away. But if
you do though and you work at it, we'll include everybody and we'll try to
give you an opportunity'."
Whilst the Scot's words are undoubtedly true, they seem to be another
damning indictment on Slaven Bilic's time in charge. It was painfully
evident that the West Ham players seemed lost and utterly without any kind
of direction during the Croatian's latter days in charge, and Moyes words
have now all but confirmed that.
It is debatable whether it was Bilic who should have been giving his players
better direction, or if the players themselves should have been more
proactive, but one thing is for sure, Moyes has found a solution to the
Hammers' problems since he replaced the 49-year-old in November.
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