Daily WHUFC News - 30th January 2018

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

West Ham United return to Premier League action on Tuesday evening with a clash against Crystal Palace.
Read on for all you need to know about this midweek contest!

Where and when?

West Ham United and Crystal Palace will meet at London Stadium on Tuesday 30 January 2018.
The contest is scheduled to kick off at 19:45.

How to follow:

This match has not been made 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:

West Ham fans will await an update on Pedro Obiang from manager David Moyes, after the midfielder was forced from the pitch due to injury in the weekend contest with Wigan. The manager will speak to the media on Monday afternoon and supporters will be hoping for positive news on a host of senior players.

Match Officials:

Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Assistant Referees: Adrian Holmes & Marc Perry
Fourth Official: Andre Marriner

How to get there:

There are four Underground stations that supporters should utilise to reach London Stadium: Stratford Station, Stratford International, Hackney Wick and Pudding Mill Lane.

By Train

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Diafra Sakho departs for Rennes
WHUFC.com

West Ham United can confirm that striker Diafra Sakho has joined French Ligue 1 club Rennes on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee. The 28-year-old departs east London after three-and-a-half seasons in Claret and Blue, during which he scored 24 goals in 71 first-team appearances. After joining from Metz in summer 2014, Sakho started his Hammers career well, scoring in on his first six Premier League starts to equal a record, winning the top-flight's Player of the Month award in October of the same year. However, injuries and competition for places have restricted the Senegal international's appearances over the last two years, and he has started just two Premier League matches since the start of the 2016/17 season.

West Ham would like to thank Diafra for his efforts and wish him well for his future career.

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Masuaku banned for six matches
WHUFC.com

The Football Association have confirmed that Arthur Masuaku has been issued with a six-match suspension after being sent-off for spitting at Nick Powell in Saturday's Emirates FA Cup fourth-round defeat at Wigan Athletic. The No26 will miss half-a-dozen Premier League matches – the home games with Crystal Palace, Watford and Burnley and the away fixtures at Brighton & Hove Albion, Liverpool and Swansea City.

Masuaku issued an apology for his actions on Sunday.

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Ogbonna: Joao Mario is prepared to show his qualities
WHUFC.com

Angelo Ogbonna has urged the Claret and Blue Army to get behind new signing Joao Mario and help him settle into life at West Ham United. The UEFA Euro 2016 winner is set to make his home debut against Crystal Palace in the Premier League at London Stadium on Tuesday evening. The Portugal playmaker has followed Ogbonna's own path from Serie A to the Premier League, joining the Hammers on loan from Inter Milan, and the defender says the new No18 undoubtedly has the quality to succeed in English football. "Joao looks good not just for me, but for the whole team," said the defender. "He is a good player, he keeps the ball. "He didn't get the chance to show himself in Saturday's game, especially when you are one man down, as you cannot take the whole team on your shoulders [in your first appearance]. I think on Tuesday he is going to show his qualities. "To adapt, I think everything is mental and he is already prepared for this change. He spoke already with Jose Fonte and with me as well. We have a lot of different people to talk to him, including the captain [Mark Noble], and it is our job to help him.
"It is not just us though, everybody in the stadium on Tuesday, all our supporters, must get behind him to help him out."

Ogbonna and Joao Mario shared the frustration of an Emirates FA Cup fourth-round defeat at Wigan Athletic on Saturday, when the latter made his debut as a half-time substitute. The Hammers were beaten by the EFL League One leaders and also lost Arthur Masuaku to a red card and Pedro Obiang to a knee injury. However, with Palace to visit on Tuesday and a trip to the south coast to tackle Brighton & Hove Albion to follow at the weekend, the Italian is looking forward, rather than dwelling on the loss at the DW Stadium. "We are disappointed about Saturday's game," said Ogbonna, who has started all 13 Premier League matches since David Moyes took charge in November, helping the Hammers pick up four wins and five draws in that span. "We started really badly and in the second half, with one man down, it was so hard to get back in it, but we have to forget about this game and concentrate on Tuesday night. "Crystal Palace at home is another big game, the Premier League just doesn't stop. Every game is a big game and for us it is a huge game and for them as well."

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Moyes: Hammers have funds to spend on quality players
WHUFC.com

West Ham United manager David Moyes has assured supporters that he has the backing of the board to spend money on the 'right players', but will not add to his team just to increase the quantity at his disposal. The Hammers completed their first signing of the January transfer window at the end of last week, with midfielder Joao Mario arriving on loan from Inter Milan, and Moyes insists he is looking to bring in more before the close of the window on Wednesday evening. And the boss has indicated that the Club will provide him with funds in the transfer market to acquire the best possible players. "Of course, they are doing as much as they can," Moyes said, when asked if the Club was still pursuing transfer targets. "They want West Ham to be as good as they can be. "They're doing everything they can. They've given us the funds for the right players that are available. It's difficult to get the right players. There's not been loads of transfers and, if there have been, they've been extremely expensive ones."

The manager, however, will not 'waste money' by signing the wrong individuals, believing that to do so would be to the detriment of himself and his current team.
The Hammers take on Crystal Palace on Tuesday evening in the Premier League, one day before the transfer window ends, and Moyes is only interested in adding good players to his side in that time. "The priority is to add good players to your squad," Moyes continued. "What you don't want to do is add players who actually are just going to make the numbers up. "Ultimately, we're short of players right now and we could do with adding, but I'm not going to bring people here who I don't think are going to make a difference to the team. It's a waste of money and a waste of time as well. "We want to bring people in who can someway contribute between now and the end of the season, if not longer."

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Moyes: Obiang's injury, a must-win match, and the top ten
WHUFC.com

West Ham United manager David Moyes met with media representatives on Monday ahead of the Premier League with Crystal Palace. The boss offered an insight into his available team, the competition for the starting goalkeeper position, and a couple of potential loan departures ahead of Wednesday's transfer deadline…

An Obiang injury update

Midfielder Pedro Obiang was forced from the field in the first half of West Ham United's clash with Wigan Athletic on Saturday, and manager Moyes has confirmed the Spaniard has suffered ligament damage. The timeframe for the 25-year-old's absence is not yet certain as the extend of the set-back is not yet known, but Moyes was delighted to at least be able to reveal that Obiang's injury was not cruciate-related. "He's got a medial ligament injury," the manager told a press-conference. "It's one of these where you can't quite get the result immediately, as far as long as it's going to take. It's not a cruciate, which Is really good news.
"We're just waiting to see if it's a rupture in his ligament or if it's just medial ligament damage. We're still assessing it. He got checked and scanned yesterday. I just don't have an exact time of what we think it's going to be." Moyes also indicated that the Hammers would soon be able to call on a host of players that have been absent in recent weeks due to injury. "We've got people close and people on the way back. Hopefully there's a few others that aren't too far away as well. In the main we've been in a good place. Clubs pick up injuries and we've got a few at the moment."

'Every game is must-win'

Moyes was asked if this contest felt like It was a must-win game, given Crystal Palace are a team near the Hammers in the league table, and his side are playing at home. "When I came here every game was near enough a must-win," Moyes recalled. "And then we had the big games against Arsenal, where we were able to get a point, and we beat Chelsea, then we went to Tottenham and drew there. "Every game we had felt like a must win game. I suppose we go into this game in the exact same – must-win." It is something that the manager reckons is felt by all clubs in the English top flight, given that there is so much to fight for. "I think football in the Premier League gets that way now. If you're at the top it's a must-win because you want to stay at the top and if you're at the bottom you have to do it to avoid the bottom three. "I think it will be a tough game for both teams, but hopefully a good game."

'Tough' Palace stand in way of top ten

An undefeated run in West Ham's last five Premier League contests has moved the Club up to 11th in the table. A good period has Moyes eyeing up a push for the top ten. The manager said: "We've moved out from the bottom three and got ourselves up the table. The job now is to stay up the table and move into the top half if possible." Standing in the side's way is Tuesday's opponents, Crystal Palace, who have been impressive since the appointment of former England manager Roy Hodgson. Moyes knows the test that the Eagles will present and is preparing his side for a difficult clash at London Stadium. "I do know that Crystal Palace are a tough team. Maybe them and ourselves, outside the top six, are the form teams. It's a tough game. "Roy has done a top job with Palace. You think, the run of games they had when he took over, and the position they were in in the league, you would have thought that it would be really difficult. He's got them going in the right direction. "It's a tough game for us but a tough game for them as well."

Burke and Cullen's future

Reece Burke and Josh Cullen have both played a couple of times since returning from a loan spell with Bolton Wanderers, with the former netting the winning goal against Shrewsbury Town two weeks ago. Moyes has confirmed that the pair could go back on loan but any decision won't come until the final 24 hours of the transfer window. He said: "Decisions will be made on them probably after [Tuesday's match]. We need to take it right to the wire. We would have liked to have done it sooner but we've got a few injuries, so we need those boys around just now."

'I've got two No.1 goalkeepers'

The manager once again reiterated his belief that, in Adrian and Joe Hart, he has two goalkeepers who are both capable of being West Ham's first choice. Hart played in the weekend's fixture with Wigan while Adrian has established himself in the Premier League in recent weeks, and Moyes believes the pressure is on the Spaniard to keep his place, with the England shot-stopper waiting for his chance. Moyes added: "I think I've got two No.1 goalkeepers. At the moment, Adrian has got the No.1 jersey. The pressure is on Adrian to stay in. "We want good competition and we know what Joe is capable of. He's played well in the games and I couldn't fault him for anything that's happened in the games. I look forward to keeping Joe and making sure he works hard to push back into the team."

Hammers will miss 'remorseful' Masuaku

The West Ham boss also revealed he had talked with Arthur Masuaku, after the left-back was sent off during Saturday's fixture. The 24-year-old is set to serve a ban and Moyes admits the side will miss his quality on the pitch, while also revealing that Masuaku had shown remorse for his actions. On Masuaku Moyes said: "I spoke with him yesterday and he was sad about the whole thing. We were sad because he cost us, but I actually felt that he was really remorseful. He said: 'I've never done it before and I've never been sent off before'. "Yesterday he was really down about the whole thing, and rightly so, and we're down because he's played well for us. He's been a big part of the team and we're going to miss him in the coming weeks. "It was a terrible thing that he did and I think everybody knows, in our culture, it's just not acceptable if you do that. I said before, what he gets, he will deserve it."

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Noble set to return for 'massive' Crystal Palace clash
WHUFC.com

Mark Noble is set to return to action in Tuesday's 'massive' Premier League derby with Crystal Palace at London Stadium. The West Ham United captain has returned to full training after overcoming a painful bruised foot suffered in the 1-1 draw with AFC Bournemouth ten days ago. And, having missed Saturday's Emirates FA Cup fourth-round defeat at Wigan Athletic, Noble is eager to mark his return by leading the Hammers into the top half of the table for the first time this season. "We can't sit around and lick our wounds, as we have two important Premier League fixtures to play this week, starting with the visit of Crystal Palace to London Stadium," he told the Official Programme. "We all wanted to have a good FA Cup run this year, but the manager's main remit when he came into the Club was to get us out of the relegation spots, and that's what has happened. "Now we need to totally focus on being in the Premier League next season and, when we have a bigger squad next season, we can really attack the FA Cup."

West Ham start the midweek slate of Premier League fixtures in eleventh, six points above the bottom three and just two behind Everton in ninth. With the Toffees entertaining Leicester City and tenth-place Watford on the road at Stoke City, a home win could easily see the east Londoners rise to ninth by the time they travel to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. Another win there and Noble and company would be sitting on 32 points with 12 matches still to play, but the Hammers' all-time record Premier League appearance-maker is taking nothing for granted. "These games this week are massive," the skipper confirmed. "They're all big games, but these days every Premier League game is important, as you don't know where your points are going to come from. "Swansea City beat Liverpool, just a few days after Liverpool had beaten Manchester City – that's just the way football is now, so you've got to be on it in every game, otherwise you'll get beat."

The Hammers roared into a two-goal lead in the reverse fixture at Selhurst Park back in October, only to surrender two points when Wilfried Zaha scored a late, late equaliser. Noble knows Roy Hodgson's team possess the quality to hurt their cross-city rivals again, and has called upon the Claret and Blue Army to make it as difficult as possible for them when they visit Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. "Palace are good team and they're in decent form. They've got good players like Wilfried Zaha, Andros Townsend, Yohan Cabaye, Christian Benteke and, of course, James Tomkins who was here with us. "They've got top players, so we need to play as well as we can to get points, but we're at home and I'm sure the crowd will create a big atmosphere for us and drive us on."

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Ray 'couldn't have asked for more' from players in Cardiff win
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies general manager Karen Ray was thrilled with her players' passion in the 6-2 win over Cardiff, saying she couldn't have asked for any more from her team. The Hammers made it two consecutive victories in all competitions on Sunday as two goals apiece from Rosie Kmita and Ellie Zoepfl, as well as finishes by Kelly Wealthall and Chloe Burr, saw the Irons run out 6-2 victors in south Wales. It was a dominant showing from the Ladies and Ray is delighted with how her players answered her call for them to stand up and be counted. And, with the general manager elated by her side's efforts on the pitch, the three points earned was the icing on the cake. "Today was a triumph that the players deserved," Ray told whufc.com. "I called for special players to step up for this game and can honestly say that I was not disappointed. To travel four hours and dominate a game is not easy, but they showed true character. "As a coach, you can't ask for more than passion, accountability and commitment. The three points are just a huge bonus!"

The result puts West Ham eighth in the Premier League Southern Division and interim head coach Ray has hailed the showing of her attacking players. Amber Stobbs registered four assists in a brilliant individual performance and her efforts, along with each of the forward players, have been praised. Ray continued: "The last few games I have commended our defenders on solid performances, but today the forward players really deserve a mention. "Amber Stobbs showed real class today and I am delighted with her performance in a new position. Contributing four quality assists, and having the freedom to link up brilliantly higher up the pitch with Rosie, Ellie and Kelly allowed us to secure the three points. "Having the solidity of our captain Amy Cooper gives the players confidence to attack and the desire to relentlessly drive at the opposition."

Ray admitted she will take a look at the goals her side conceded in training this week, but ultimately does not want to take away from a fantastic team performance over the weekend. "The perfectionist in me will look at the two goals conceded and work to rectify those mistakes in training this week, but I cannot fault the players' mentality "The intensity in training has been inspirational. The competitive environment that we have created over the past month really showed today and I am proud of everyone involved."

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West Ham United v Crystal Palace
TUE 30 JAN 2018PREMIER LEAGUE
19:45
Venue: London Stadium
BBC.co.uk

TEAM NEWS
West Ham's new signing Joao Mario is set to make his debut. Mark Noble and Michail Antonio may both return, but Arthur Masuaku begins a six-game ban for spitting and Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini are also among a lengthy list of absentees.

Crystal Palace are boosted by the availability after injury of Mamadou Sakho, Joel Ward and Yohan Cabaye. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jeffrey Schlupp remain out, while new signings Erdal Rakip and Jaroslaw Jach won't feature.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Jonathan Pearce "It's surely the most compelling top-flight relegation battle ever. Eleven clubs are in trouble. It's impossible to predict who'll go down. "If it's decided by points plucked from rat-race rivals, then Palace have ground to make up. Only West Brom have gained fewer from feverish fights. Five of the Eagles' last eight six-pointers will come away. Games like this will decide their fate. "It's the first of three successive six pointers for West Ham. Bad timing as they have 10 crucial players missing. Arthur Masuaku's disgusting behaviour and appropriate ban hasn't helped. Hammers purists will find it hard to forgive. "Palace have had longer to prepare. They're favourites here."

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager David Moyes: "We've moved out from the bottom three and we're up the table. The job now is to move into the top half if possible. "But Roy has done a top job at Palace. He's got them going in the right direction. It's a tough game for us, but also for them as well."

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson: "All credit to David (Moyes) and his staff for getting the team playing how they have at the moment. We are ready to play a team who are playing well, even with the injuries. "This is a very important period where we have to work to maintain our Premier League status. This year in particular there are such a small number of points between the teams, it is a dog fight."

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

West Ham are unbeaten in their last five Premier League matches against Crystal Palace, winning three and drawing two.
Palace lost this fixture for the first time in five away league games last season.

West Ham United

The Hammers have gone five Premier League matches without defeat, winning two and drawing three.
They could remain unbeaten in their opening five top-flight matches of a calendar year for the first time since 1974.
West Ham's last six league games have produced 23 goals.
This fixture is West Ham's 200th Premier League London derby.
David Moyes has won six of his nine league matches as a manager against Roy Hodgson, including victories in all four home fixtures.

Crystal Palace

The Eagles have lost just three of their last 15 league games, with all of those defeats coming in London derbies; two against Arsenal and one versus Tottenham.
Palace's only victory in their nine most recent Premier League away London derbies came at Chelsea in April 2017.
The Eagles have lost back-to-back away matches in all competitions, having been unbeaten in the previous five on the road.
Roy Hodgson is winless in all 11 Premier League away London derbies as a manager, losing each of the last five.
Luka Milivojevic has scored in three successive Premier League away games - no Palace player has ever scored in four in a row.

SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 28%
Probability of home win: 36% Probability of away win: 36%
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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Joe's heart isn't in it
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 29th January 2018
By: Staff Writer

West Ham reserve goalkeeper Joe Hart has asked to be released from his season-long loan as a result of losing his first team spot to Adrian, say The Times.
The 30-year-old hasn't featured in the Premier Legaue for West Ham since losing his place to Adrian last November and is understood to be fearful of losing his England spot as a result, ahead of this summer's World Cup Finals in Russia. Rumoured to be on a six-figure weekly wage, the offer will no doubt prove tempting to a West Ham Board that has failed to spend a single penny on transfer fees during the current transfer window. Once posible destination suggested is Newcastle, although the Hammers would almost certainly be reticent to see Hart leave in order to boost the squad of another club fighting a relegation battle. Just 24 hours ago Hart expressed his disappointment at West Ham's FA Cup exit at Wjgan. "It's very disappointing on my behalf, because I want to perform," he said. "Losing 2-0 at Wigan is difficult, so I'm struggling for positives."

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Swansea still sweet on Ayew
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 29th January 2018
By: Staff Writer

Swansea are reported to be ready to test West Ham's resolve by submitting a second bid for Andre Ayew. The Welsh club, in desperate trouble at the foot of the Premier League are keen to bring Ayew back to City - the club from whom he joined West Ham in a £20million switch in 2016. But West Ham's reluctance to sell may have been strengthened in recent hours by the sale of Diafra Sakho to Rennes - although a purported second offer in the region of £18million would certainly give United's Board food for thought. Although Ayew is West Ham's joint leading scorer this season with six goals to his name, he has failed to repeat his excellent form at the Liberty Stadium since moving to London. However West Ham are unlikely to sanction a transfer until a replacement has been found - whilst further speculation tonight suggests that the Hammers have made enquiries with regards to former Southampton striker Graziano Pelle. The 32-year-old Italian is currently playing his football in China with Shandong Luneng.

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Sakho secures return to France
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 29th January 2018
By: Staff Writer

Diafra Sakho's wish to leave West Ham was granted tonight as he secured a move to French club Stade Rennes. It was confirmed late on Sunday night that Sakho, who had made no secret of his desire to find a new club had completed a medical with the Ligue 1 club after the two clubs agreed a fee in the region of £4.5million + add-ons. The Senegal international spent the last three-and-a-half years at West Ham having moved from Metz in a £4million deal in 2014. During that period he made a total of 71 appearances, scoring 24 goals. A largely eventful spell, Sakho's time at West Ham was often surrounded by controversy - more often than not as a result of off-the-field incidents. Though he was as well known for his football-related problems too; as recently as last December, West Ham were forced to refute rumours that Sakho had threatened to leave The Emirates after learning he would only be a substitute for the Carabao Cup quarter final tie against Arsenal.

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West Ham in talks to sign Russia captain Fedor Smolov
Last Updated: 29/01/18 12:13pm
SSN

West Ham are in talks to sign Russia captain Fedor Smolov from Russian Premier League team Krasnodar, according to Sky sources. The 27-year-old striker wants to move to London and West Ham are trying to negotiate a loan with an option to buy, but Krasnodar want a £12m permanent deal. Smolov has scored 59 times in 90 games for Krasnodar and 11 times in 28 games for Russia, including two memorable goals in a friendly against Spain in November. Smolov speaks fluent English and he has been described as the "Russian David Beckham", he is expected to be one of the stars of the World Cup finals in Russia this summer. West Ham are keen to bring a striker in before Wednesday night's deadline after selling Diafra Sakho to Rennes and telling Andre Ayew he can leave the club They are also being linked with a move for former Southampton striker Graziano Pelle who is currently playing in China.

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RAMBLINGS OF TRANSFER WINDOW WATCHER
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 29 JANUARY 2018 AT 9:49PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Malcolm Atkins – @malatk

I have been trying to get my thoughts together to write something for a few days. To be honest this window and the current situation has left me struggling to cut through the emotion and make sense of it all. I have had a few days off so seen a lot of twitter etc. This means loads of different opinions, views and stories bombarding the senses. Then we had that awful game Saturday which does not help.

I will start with Saturday then; so of course it is irritating and embarrassing, hardly anything new there though, West Ham have been getting knocked out by lower league teams as long as I can remember, just surprised it wasn't on TV as they nearly always target us for an "upset." This was extremely poor though and highlighted how stretched the squad is right now, despite the injuries listed I believe several of those not there would have featured had it been a league game on Saturday. I am not saying they were 100% but I am sure more could of featured, given the injury list and league position though, it is hard to blame Moyes for taking the decision he did.

I have seen it said the game proved none of the youngsters that played are up to it – well certainly they are not the finished article and several will not make it in the premier league but it is impossible to tell on that game, youngsters need to get a chance one or two at a time in the senior side and preferably when the senior players are actually motivated, I don't think they can be written off on this game any more than they can be hailed as salvation of some decent performances for the under 23's. One thing is clear; unless we sign 2-3 quality players we are not able to play a back four at the moment. Never seems to work and we need a settled centre back pair and a quality defensive midfielder before we risk it again.

So the window, Twitter is awash with fans pelting the board. The board have done themselves no favours at all raising expectations and clearly coming up short in the transfer market. I still believe they are stockpiling money with a view to a new deal on the stadium but it is clear that the squad is nowhere near meeting the levels people expected following leaving the Boleyn. I do not accept the board have just stripped us, the team is far stronger than the one they inherited, the wage bill far higher and decent players have been signed, however progress has certainly stalled, hampered by the bungling of the Bilic situation. Despite being a long-time supporter of the board, albeit often critical of their actions rather than their intentions, I have found myself becoming really annoyed at the lack of signings, particularly given the clear gaps that have been apparent for some time. I did see a tweet today from Dave Walker asking who exactly people want. It is a good question and few could really answer it, I am struggling. Carvalho was raised and it seems strange that we did not go back in but then there has been a change of manager and Moyes has indicated he has a view about signing "the right" players with a clear strategy. Dendonker? Good reports, I cannot claim to know much about him, either way with Obiang now injured there is a real concern there and the club desperately need to identify someone though their knowledge and scouting that can re-enforce in that area.

For me we still desperately lack cutting edge, illustrated when we were all over Bournemouth for 25 minutes without scoring, overly reliant on the now injured Arnautovic and missing the Antonio of last season we desperately need another forward option, it is not happening for Chicarito, Ayew is too slow, Carroll injured again and as I write this, confirmation that Sakho has been sold. Rumours of a bid for Ayew as well, the optimist in me wants to believe that Ayew will go and the money for the pair is earmarked to supplement a striker, preferably Batschuyai , who I feel could transform us but I cannot say I am confident.

We are all getting fed up with excuses – yes January is a tough window but this situation has been brewing for a year since Payet left, we did not buy Tore or Zaza or Carvalho and the money did not get spent elsewhere. Assuming we have enough to stay up, and no miracle signings pop up in the next couple of days, say Dendonker and Basthuyai (and not bloody Pelle), then this summer will be the end game – if the board do not spend now they need to be spending huge money in the summer if they are to restore belief and credibility – 100 million plus because the spending has been limited and the squad is painfully thin.

Right I am off to wind myself up reading tweets and watching sky sports.

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I have money to spend, insists Moyes
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 29th January 2018
By: Staff Writer

David Moyes says he is being backed financially by West Ham's Board - but insists he just hasn't found the right players to invest in. However Moyes, speaking ahead of tomorrow night's Premier Legaue meeting with Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace admitted that he was having trouble spending the money. "They've given us the funds for the right players that are available," Moyes told the media. "But It's difficult to get the right players. There's not been loads of transfers and, if there have been, they've been extremely expensive ones. "The priority is to add good players to your squad. What you don't want to do is add players who actually are just going to make the numbers up. "Ultimately, we're short of players right now and we could do with adding, but I'm not going to bring people here who I don't think are going to make a difference to the team. It's a waste of money and a waste of time as well."

And despite claiming that he has a sizeable transfer warchest to utilise, Moyes let it slip that he may be eyeing the loan system - rather than seeking to purchase players on a permanent basis in order to solve West Ham's chronic ssquad shortages. "We want to bring people in who can someway contribute between now and the end of the season, if not longer," he added. West Ham's only addition during the January transfer window thus far has been midfielder Joao Mario, on loan from Serie A Inter.

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Moyes: I knew Sakho was going
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 29th January 2018
By: Staff Writer

David Moyes has admitted he was aware that Diafra Sakho would be sold during the January transfer window. The 28-year-old striker completed a £4.5million move to Ligue 1 side Stade Reannais at the weekend after months of speculation regarding his future. And according to manager Moyes, he was fully aware that he would be losing the services of West Ham's most prolific goalscorer when he arrived at the club back in November. Speaking ahead of tomorrow night's hugely important Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, Moyes said: "When I joined, I was told Diafra would be leaving in January. As far as I know it's all done now.
And with regards to adding to his threadbear squad ahead of Wednesday night's transfer deadline, he added: "I'm not going to bring in players who won't make a difference to the team. It's a waste of money and a waste of time."

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Smolov and other transfer stories
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 29th January 2018
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are attempting to push through a deal for Krasnodar striker Fedor Smolov, with the transfer window set to close little more than 48 hours from now.
The 27-year-old has spent the vast majority of his career in his homeland but is said to be interested in moving to London in order to have a crack at the Premier League. Valued around the £12million mark, Smolov - who recently captained his country when deputising for the injured Igor Akinfeev - would act as replacement for Diafra Sakho, who was sold to Stades Rennais at the weekend. At present West Ham are reported to be reluctant to meet Krasnodar's asking price, with a loan deal plus an option to buy having been tabled. However The Bulls are reported to be insisting on receiving the entire fee in advance, leading to the current stalemate.

* In other transfer news, West Ham are reported to have made contact with Everton regarding Morgan Schneiderlin. The French international has spent a year at Goodison Park having moved from Manchester United in a £20million deal last January, but has failed to secure a first team spot under Sam Allardyce. West Ham are seeking to land the former Southampton defensive midfielder on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

* West Ham's bid to sign Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney appears to be dead in the water. The Hammers are said to have offered around £15million for the Cottagers captain, but saw the bid rejected. Fulham are said to value the Scottish Championship midfielder around the £30million mark.

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Rennes 'satisfied' with Sakho deal
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 29th January 2018
By: Staff Writer

Diafra Sakho is now officially a Stade Rennais player after completing his move to the Ligue 1 club. As we revealed here on KUMB last night, Sakho's move to the French club was tied up over the weeken, with West Ham receiving in the region of £4.5million plus add-ons for the striker. And despite being ruled out of West Ham's FA Cup defeat at Wigan Athletic last weekend, Sakho looked raring to go as he was pictured in his new club colours for the first time. "Diafra had a lot of offers from France, the Premier League and Europe so we are happy to have him on our side," said Rennes Chairman, Olivier Letang. "Leaving a Premier League club is not easy. Finally, Diafra is at Rennais to our great satisfaction. I want to thank West Ham, without whom we would not be here today. "From the beginning, we talked with Diafra and his representatives because he had the profile we were looking for. We are convinced that with him, the team will be stronger. "Beyond the footballer, he is a man who has a real personality and a desire for success."

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West Ham's second bid of £18m for Tom Cairney rejected by Fulham
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 29/01/18 8:29pm
SSN

West Ham have had an £18m bid for Fulham's Tom Cairney rejected, according to Sky sources - their second attempt at buying the player. The Hammers' latest offer for a top target follows a £15m offer that was made last week. Sky Sports News understands West Ham were told they are wasting their time and not even an offer of £40m would be considered. Cairney was a notable absentee for Fulham's 3-1 victory over Barnsley on Saturday, with manager Slavisa Jovanovic confirming he missed out as a result of his ongoing knee injury and was not fit enough for a place on the bench. The Scotland international is understood to want a move to West Ham but the player and his representatives accept he will not be sold this month, according to Sky sources. Fulham are in a strong position after Cairney signed a contract extension until 2021 just last summer, following interest from Newcastle United.

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Swansea offer £18m for West Ham striker Andre Ayew
Last Updated: 29/01/18 9:23pm
SSN

Swansea have offered a deal worth up to £18m for Andre Ayew but West Ham are holding out for their £20m valuation of the striker, according to Sky sources.
The Hammers rejected an initial bid of £14m from Swansea for the Ghana international earlier this month, and the Welsh club have now returned with a second bid worth £18m including add-ons. West Ham are happy to allow Ayew to return to Swansea if they match the £20m fee the London club paid for the 28-year-old when they signed him 18 months ago. The Hammers have also enquired about the possibility of Swansea including midfielder Ki Sung-yueng in the deal for Ayew.
Swansea must break their transfer record if they hope to re-sign Ayew from West Ham, having previously paid £15m to sign Borja Baston from Atletico Madrid in 2016.

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David Moyes says more players could leave West Ham in January
By Hayley Fox
Last Updated: 29/01/18 4:14pm
SSN

David Moyes says more players could still leave West Ham before the end of the transfer window. Diafra Sakho completed an £8m move to Rennes on Monday and other players including Javier Hernandez and Andre Ayew, who the Hammers rejected a bid from Swansea for, have been subject to interest from other clubs.
When asked whether there could be any more players moving on before Wednesday's deadline, Moyes said: "Possibly. Possibly. You know the way football is, there's other people who we've had offers from clubs. "But other than that, we're getting near the end and I think we'll all be glad when it's over."

A number of players have been subject to interest from West Ham, most recently Everton's Morgan Schneiderlin, Russia's Fedor Smolov, Graziano Pelle, and Fulham captain Tom Cairney. Some West Ham fans confronted co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan after the Hammers were knocked out the FA Cup by League One Wigan on Saturday, angry that West Ham have only signed Inter Milan's Joao Mario on loan this month. But Moyes says the board are working hard and admitted it had been difficult to find the right players. Of course they're doing as much as they can. They want West Ham to be as good as they can be," said Moyes. "They're giving us the funds if it is for the right players available. As I've said it's difficult to get the right players, there's not been loads of transfers and if there have been, they've been extremely expensive ones as well.

The West Ham boss has not given up on making new signings, but he wants players who can make a difference to the 11th-placed side. The club also have a depleted squad at present due to injury with a number of players sidelined, including Pedro Obiang, Marko Arnautovic, Manuel Lanzini, Andy Carroll, Ayew and Michail Antonio and Winston Reid. "We had priorities and we still have. The priority is to add good players to your squad. What you don't want to do is add players who are just going to make a number up," added Moyes, ahead of West Ham hosting Crystal Palace on Tuesday. "Ultimately we are short of players right now so we could do with adding some, but I'm not going to bring people in here who I don't think are going to make a difference to the team. "It's a waste of money and also a waste of time as well. We want to bring people in who we think in some way think can contribute between now and the end of the season, if not longer."

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West Ham United v Crystal Palace preview: Arthur Masuaku and Pedro Obiang absent
Last Updated: 29/01/18 4:27pm
SSN

West Ham will be without at least 10 first-team players when they face Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Tuesday night. Arthur Masuaku will miss the game after he was given a six-match ban for spitting during Saturday's FA Cup humiliation at Wigan, while Pedro Obiang suffered a knee injury during that game. Diafra Sakho has completed his move to French club Rennes and manager David Moyes, who has brought in Joao Mario on loan from Inter Milan, has admitted he wants more signings to strengthen his patched-up side. The Hammers boss said: "Ultimately we are short of players right now so we could do with adding to it but I am not going to bring in anyone that won't help the team, it's a waste of money and time. "We want to bring people in who can contribute between now and the end of the season, if not longer."

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson is also looking to sign a goalkeeper and a forward before Wednesday's deadline, but has been boosted by the return of Mamadou Sakho from long-term injury.

Team news
Masuaku is suspended until March, while Obiang joins an injury list which also includes Andy Carroll, Manuel Lanzini, Marko Arnautovic, Andre Ayew, Cheikhou Kouyate, Jose Fonte, Winston Reid and Edimilson Fernandes. But Michail Antonio (calf) and Mark Noble (foot) could return to the squad.

For Palace, Sakho, Yohan Cabaye (both muscle) and Joel Ward (groin) all return, while new recruits Erdal Rakip and Jaroslaw Jach are both available. Scott Dann, Jason Puncheon, Jeffrey Schlupp, Connor Wickham and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are all long-term absentees.

Opta stats
West Ham are unbeaten in their last five Premier League matches against Crystal Palace, winning three and drawing two.
This will be West Ham's 200th Premier League London derby (P199 W62 D44 L93) - their 93 defeats is the most by a side in the competition.
Crystal Palace have only won one of their last nine Premier League London derbies on the road (D2 L6), with that win coming at Chelsea in April 2017.
David Moyes has won six of his last eight Premier League contests against Roy Hodgson (L2), although this is his first top-flight meeting with Hodgson since leaving Everton.
Roy Hodgson is looking to beat West Ham in the Premier League with a fourth different team (also Blackburn, Fulham, Liverpool) - he would become the third manager to achieve this in the competition alongside Graeme Souness and Steve Bruce.

Merson's prediction
It was a very poor result for West Ham at the weekend. I really don't get it when Premier League teams go out to lower league opposition in the cup. I know the Premier League sides make changes but it really shouldn't happen. This is a big football match for both teams. I'm going to forget about Crystal Palace's performance at Arsenal. They started so poorly and were blown away in the first 20 minutes but I'm expecting a better showing from them here. I picked them for victory at the Emirates so I have to keep faith with them here.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2

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West Ham contact Everton ready to pay £20m for Morgan Schneiderlin
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 29/01/18 2:25pm
SSN

West Ham want to sign Morgan Schneiderlin and are ready to pay £20m for the Everton midfielder. Sky Sports News understands that contact has been made between the two Premier League clubs. West Ham are without 14 first-team players and are working hard to sign a midfielder and a striker before Wednesday's deadline. Sky Sports News reported earlier on Monday that the Hammers are in talks to sign former Southampton striker Graziano Pelle from Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng. Striker Diafra Sakho also completed an £8m move to Rennes on Monday. Everton signed Schneiderlin from Manchester United for £24m last January, and he has made 43 appearances for the Toffees.

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Joe Hart wants West Ham exit amid England 2018 World Cup squad fears
KEN DYER
ES Sport

Joe Hart wants to be released from his season-long loan at West Ham. Hart began the 2017-18 season as West Ham's number one goalkeeper following his move from Manchester City, but has not played a Premier League game since November with David Moyes preferring to use Adrian in goal. Hart is concerned that now the Hammers are out of both the FA Cup and EFL Cup, his opportunities to play will be severely limited - and that will jeopardise his chances of remaining as England's goalkeeper for this summer's 2018 World Cup in Russia. It looks unlikely Moyes will sanction Hart's release unless the club find an adequate replacement before the transfer window closes. West Ham's FA Cup exit at League One side Wigan on Saturday was particularly disappointing for Hart, with England manager Gareth Southgate in the DW Stadium stands as the Hammers lost 2-0. "Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong but I think we've only got ourselves to blame with a number of the incidents that have gone on, so it's very disappointing," Hart said in quotes published on whufc.com. "We conceded early but I don't think that's a good enough excuse. You go 1-0 down, you pick yourself up and get back in the game. It's a cup game and you keep fighting. "It goes without saying that we didn't take our chances to impress. It's very disappointing on my behalf, because I want to perform and losing 2-0 at Wigan is difficult, so I'm struggling for positives."
Hart started the opening 14 Premier League games of the season after leaving Manchester on loan in search of first-team football, but a number of unconvincing displays have seen Moyes - who replaced Slaven Bilic - opt for Adrian as his regular goalkeeper of late. Southgate said back in December that Hart remains first choice for England, though the Three Lions boss' backing came while Hart was in the process of losing the No.1 spot at London Stadium. Southgate also admitted that there was "great competition for places" in goal ahead of the World Cup, and said he was "never settled as a coach" in terms of any facet of his team selection.

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West Ham open Graziano Pelle talks as Diafra Sakho joins Rennes - sources
11:02 AM GMT
ESPN staff

West Ham United are in talks to sign former Southampton striker Graziano Pelle, sources close to the club have told ESPN FC. Pelle is currently plying his trade in China with Shandong Luneng after joining the Chinese Super League club from Southampton in 2016. The 32-year-old impressed in the Premier League during his two seasons with the Saints, scoring 30 goals during his time on the South Coast. West Ham are in the market for a new striker before the transfer window closes this week and Pelle has emerged as a top target. David Moyes is currently without the injured Andy Carroll, who could be ruled out for the remainder of the season with an ankle problem. Meanwhile, Diafra Sakho has completed a permanent switch to Rennes on a two-and-a-half year deal, leaving Moyes short of attacking options as the Hammers battle to avoid relegation. West Ham have already signed Portugal international Joao Mario on loan from Inter Milan this month and they are hoping to add Pelle to their ranks before Wednesday's transfer deadline. The Italy international's wages could be an issue, however, with Pelle earning £1 million a month in China.

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Alan Brazil writes off West Ham United's chances of signing Graziano Pelle
HITC
John Verrall

West Ham United have been linked with a move for striker Graziano Pelle. Alan Brazil has told the Sports Breakfast Show, which was broadcast on TalkSPORT on 29th January, that West Ham United have 'no chance' of signing Graziano Pelle. West Ham are looking to improve their strike force, by bringing in a new forward this month. Gianluca Di Marzio have suggested that West Ham want Pelle, who is currently playing in China. But Brazil does not believe the Hammers will sanction a deal, as Pelle's wages are too vast. "He's getting nearly £14 million a year in China, and West Ham are interested, but how are they going to play that? No chance for me," Brazil said.
West Ham have been quiet in the transfer window so far, much to the frustration of the London Stadium crowd. West Ham have only brought in Joao Mario so far this month, with the midfielder arriving on loan from Inter Milan. Hammers owner David Sullivan released a statement suggesting that more additions will be made before the end of the month, but whether Moyes will have the funds to section a deal for Pelle remains to be seen. West Ham are currently in 11th place in the Premier League table, and still have work to do, if they are going to confirm their survival in the top flight.

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West Ham to revive interest in Everton's Schneiderlin
HITC
Will Butcher

West Ham were linked with a move for Everton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin back in December. The Daily Mail have claimed on their live transfer news blog (Monday, 11:22am) that West Ham United are to revive their interest in Everton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin before Wednesday's deadline. The Daily Mirror reported back in December that David Moyes was looking to raid his old side for the 28-year-old, who only moved to Goodison Park from Manchester United in January 2017. Schneiderlin has been accused of lacking effort in the blue of Everton this season and was forced to publicly deny that he had walked out of training back in November. He was also ridiculously sent off against Lyon that month. However, he has continued to remain a crucial part of Everton's side under Sam Allardyce, who boasts an abundance of central midfielders at Goodison Park. The breakthrough of talented youngsters Tom Davies and Beni Baningime has seen them join a long list of players that include James McCarthy, Idrissa Gueye, Mo Besic and Davy Klaassen. That strength in depth may tempt Allardyce into selling Schneiderlin, who has a contract with the Merseyside outfit until the summer of 2021 with the Daily Star reporting that he earns £120,000 a week. West Ham have been after a central midfielder for the entire window, missing out on Joe Allen, Tom Cairney, Jonjo Shelvey and many more, with their sights now centred on France international Schneiderlin.

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Obiang's injury accelerates West Ham chase for Leander Dendoncker deal - report
The Hammers have lost another player to injury and need reinforcements
Football London
BySam Inkersole
West Ham Correspondent
11:00, 29 JAN 2018

Reports in Belgium are claiming West Ham are about to ramp up their pursuit of Leander Dendoncker following a knee injury to Pedro Obiang at the weekend.
Obiang is set to have a scan on Monday on the injury, which was caused after a crunching challenge by Latics midfielder Max Power that went unpunished, with the Spaniard forced off the pitch in the 36th minute. West Ham boss David Moyes feared afterwards that Obiang has suffered a medial ligament injury and he could be missing for up to six weeks as the already long injury list grows by the game in east London. Now, according to Het Nieuwsblad in Belgium, the Hammers - and Moyes - are ready to spring into action to seal a move for Anderlecht midfielder Dendoncker before the transfer window slams shut on Wednesday night.
Moyes' assistant Stuart Pearce watched Dendoncker play two weekends ago - where he played centre back instead of in midfield - and keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over Gent but was supposedly not impressed. The Hammers board and director of layer recruitment Tony Henry are keen to wrap up a move for Dendoncker.
But, the management were unconvinced though they might not be left with a choice now thanks to the injury to Obiang at the weekend. Het Nieuwsblad are now saying that West Ham are firmly looking to tie up a deal for Dendoncker, who has also been linked with a switch to Everton in recent days.

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West Ham desperate to sign striker and midfielder before transfer deadline following Diafra Sakho exit
KEN DYER
ES Sport

West Ham are desperately trying to sign a striker and a midfielder before the transfer window closes at 11pm on Wednesday as they try to strengthen a squad missing 14 players through injury or suspension. With front man Diafra Sakho's move to Rennes set to be confirmed on Monday, Javier Hernandez remains the only fit senior striker available as manager David Moyes attempts to pick a team for tomorrow's Premier League match against Crystal Palace. His task, already difficult, became acute when midfielder Pedro Obiang was carried off with a serious knee injury during the FA Cup fourth‑round defeat at Wigan, while wing-back Arthur Masuaku faces a six-game ban after being sent off for spitting at an opponent on Saturday.
David Sullivan, who together with co-owner David Gold was confronted by angry fans after the 2-0 defeat, has issued a statement assuring supporters he is working "night and day" in an effort to recruit players and that funds are available. With Andy Carroll, Marko Arnautovic, Andre Ayew and Manuel Lanzini all injured, the situation is desperate but Sullivan is aware how difficult it is to make positive signings in January. The latest player linked with a move is former Southampton striker Graziano Pelle, who is at Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng but the Italian's wages, around £250,000 per week, would be an insurmountable obstacle. Danny Ings remains a possibility with Liverpool prepared to allow the former Burnley striker to go out on loan. However, a late move for another Liverpool forward, Daniel Sturridge, is less likely given his injury record.
On Friday, West Ham signed Inter Milan midfielder Joao Mario on loan but need at least one more player for that area of the squad, especially as Obiang's knee injury could keep him out for the rest of the season. It is understood West Ham have already failed with a £15million bid for Fulham captain Tom Cairney. Fulham rate the 27-year-old Scotland midfielder at £30m and are in a strong position as it is only six months since he signed a new contract until 2021, with an option to extend it by a further 12 months. Sakho is set to join Rennes, the club he almost joined on the final day of the summer transfer window, for £4.5m with a further £3.5m in add-ons. The former Metz striker has been unhappy at West Ham for some time and the club were resigned to losing him this month.

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David Moyes was beaten before a ball was kicked in West Ham's FA Cup loss at Wigan... the race was run when they put Premier League survival over cup
Wigan marched into the FA Cup fifth round with a 2-0 victory over West Ham
The defining moment came when David Moyes discussed Wigan's 2013 cup win
'They'd rather not win the FA Cup, but stay in the Premier League,' Moyes said
At that moment, West Ham's race was run. The loss does not count as a shock
By Martin Samuel for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 28 January 2018 | UPDATED: 22:34, 28 January 2018

Paul Cook, Wigan's manager, said the defining point of the game was Arthur Masuaku's sending off. It was about all he got wrong the whole afternoon. The defining moment came before a ball had been kicked. Around 1.30pm last Thursday when West Ham manager David Moyes turned his attention to Wigan's FA Cup win in 2013. 'If you went back and asked the Wigan people what they'd rather have,' he said. 'They'd rather not win the FA Cup, but stay in the Premier League.'
At that moment, West Ham's race was run. If the result was not embarrassment enough, worse was that it does not even count as a shock — because bookmakers made Wigan favourites before kick-off. Imagine that. Long before Masuaku was rightly sent off for spitting at Nick Powell, a League One club was favoured to beat the 11th-placed team in the Premier League. That is something of an indictment of West Ham's attitude to the competition — and it starts at the top. No-one should presume to speak for Wigan's fans but it's a fair guess a number of them would take issues with Moyes's appraisal.

Some might even regard May 11, 2013, as the sporting highlight of their lives. And it continues to resonate. The millennials following Wigan with a passion later in life will quite possibly owe that intensity of feeling to one day in May, not a series of grim battles for survival . There will be fewer in Wigan wearing the red of Manchester United because who gets distracted by the bright lights, having seen their hometown win the FA Cup? And what will Wigan celebrate in 10, 20, 25 years? The glorious 15th place in 2012 — or the Wembley victory a year later?

Cup finals are worth decades of mediocrity. Growing up watching West Ham, the dour relegation battles roll into a blurred one. But 1975? 1980? Even the final defeats in 1976 and 1981 stand out like beacons in the darkness. West Ham fans are watching ordinary football in a stadium many of them hate. If Moyes cannot see what a proper swing at their first trophy in 37 years would mean to the club, he has not got the imagination for the job. Maybe there are Wigan fans who would rather have maintained a steady 16th and not defeated Roberto Mancini's Manchester City that day. Might they be the ones mocked in taunts about having only come to see United, though?

For really, apart from occasionally getting to watch Alexis Sanchez or Harry Kane, what is the point of a mediocre existence near the bottom of the league? Star spotting and lining the owners' pockets: that is what mere survival amounts to. If you have come for your team, who cares if they are playing Southampton or Shrewsbury — certainly at Wigan, whose 40 seasons as a League club have included just eight in the Premier League. Yes, of course they would have loved to stay up in 2012-13; but to exchange it for the FA Cup, the only major trophy the club has won, the springboard to the lone European campaign in Wigan's history, one that put their club in the draw with Dynamo Kiev, Valencia, Lazio and PSV Eindhoven? Moyes lost Saturday's game when he treated that glory as inconvenience.
If he had ever won a trophy, he might not be so dismissive of what those rare and wonderful moments mean.

MARTIN KEOWN - FA MUST THROW THE BOOK AT MASUAKU
Few things are more disrespectful in football than spitting at a fellow professional. I was spat at during my career and it feels degrading. We do not want to see it in the game. Masuaku may have been frustrated and embarrassed that his team were being beaten by a League One side, but there is no excuse for what he did. The FA need to send a strong message that spitting is unacceptable. This season, Masuaku has been a very important player for West Ham. Now he faces a six-game ban which would see him miss almost half of their remaining Premier League games. His manager, David Moyes, did not hide after the game and dealt with the incident well. But losing Masuaku at a time when key figures such as Manuel Lanzini, Andy Carroll and Marko Arnautovic are injured will come as a bitter blow to West Ham. Masuaku may have apologised yesterday afternoon, but at a crucial point of the season he has let down himself, his team-mates and his manager.

ARTHUR MASUAKU STATEMENT
I want to say sorry for my actions yesterday — I let down my teammates, the manager, coaches, board and fans. I am very sad because the manager and coaches have put a lot of faith in me but I will work very hard to try to win that back. It was in the heat of the moment and out of character for me, but I know it was totally unacceptable and I will learn from the first red card of my career.

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Manchester City icon Joe Hart pushing to end West Ham hell before transfer deadline – report
ByCity Watch
Posted on January 28, 2018

Joe Hart is ready to push for a new loan before before Wednesday's transfer deadline after losing his spot as West Ham's first-choice goalkeeper, The Times reports. Once the undisputed England number one, Hart has suffered a fall from grace since Pep Guardiola decided he wasn't suited to the new style of play he was implementing at Manchester City, which saw him make a surprise move to Torino in Italy, before going on loan to West Ham this season. But the 30-year-old, who is in what is generally considered his prime years for a goalkeeper, is now second choice to Spanish shot-stopper Adrián in the Premier League, and hasn't featured since West Ham's 4-0 defeat to Everton in November. Joe has played as West Ham's cup goalkeeper, but their weekend exit in the FA Cup to Wigan has the City fan favourite worried about his chances of retaining his England spot heading into this year's World Cup.

Subsequently, Hart is going to try and relocate before February 1, with Newcastle a potential destination after they showed interest in signing him last summer. City will also have to sanction any new loan deal, with Hart still under contract until June 2019. West Ham had an option to buy Hart in the summer, which they are now highly unlikely to use. That will give City a problem of trying to shift the player and his £175,000-a-week wages with just 12 months remaining on his contract, potentially meaning they will have to loan him out for a third season until his contract expires.

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West Ham players join David Moyes in condemning Arthur Musauku for spitting at opponent during Wigan loss
Musauka could receive the full six-game ban for his actions
Chris Brereton
The Independent Sport

The only positive to come from Arthur Musauku's disgraceful spitting incident in West Ham United's 2-0 loss to Wigan Athletic on Saturday has been the universal condemnation of his actions by those closest to him. Football players - and their managers - often circle the wagons after a contentious moment, claiming a disservice has been done here or an injustice done there. In certain circumstances though, no mitigation is offered and Musauku's decision to spit on Wigan's Nick Powell in the 49th minute of West Ham's FA Cup tie in Lancashire was a moment of madness nobody has sought to defend. "I'm surprised that Arthur could do something like that and I think everybody, including the manager, is surprised," Angelo Ogbonna, the West Ham defender said. "It happened and he has apologised already. I think it's not like him because he's a nice person. On the pitch, I didn't see anything, so for me it was so difficult to judge. He's good guy. He made a mistake and he has to take the responsibility."

Yes he does. Musauku could be looking at a lengthy spell on the sidelines if the FA deem his offence to be worthy of the full six-game ban that such actions can warrant.

Referee Chris Kavanagh appeared to miss the actual controversy itself but the scale of Wigan's protests at what had happened, coupled with an admission from the player himself, were enough to prompt a straight red card and the incident is surely going to be on line one, page one of his official report on the game.

David Moyes, the West Ham manager, is unaware of exactly how hard the authorities are likely to clamp down on the Frenchman but Moyes is not a man, nor manager, to be messed with and he was clear-cut afterwards, describing the incident as "despicable."

West Ham, who now have 12 players injured after Pedro Obiang suffered a medial knee problem in the first half, were clueless, at best, and Moyes can ill-afford to lose more personnel due to disciplinary problems.

"What happened today should never happen so let me say that," he added. "We think three games is the mandatory, then we think maybe after that we'll see what happens. But Arthur, in the main, has been very good. He's been a really good boy, we've enjoyed working with him, today I don't know why he lost it in the way he did."

The moment took the spotlight away from where it should have shone, namely a Wigan performance of style and muscle.

Will Grigg headed them into a seventh minute lead before scoring a penalty in the second half following a Reece Burke handball and the League One side were far hungrier and better in every department.

They more than deserved their win. Musauku more than deserves what is coming to him. "I find the FA Cup easy against all these Premier League teams! Only joking," Grigg said. "A lot of these boys have played against Premier League teams whether it's in cup matches or otherwise, so there is definitely no fear there.
"We get it down and we pass it, it doesn't matter who the opponents are, that is what we said from the start and we are confident of playing against anyone."

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