Daily WHUFC News - 5th February 2018

Moyes: Everyone being together gives us the best chance of success
WHUFC.com

David Moyes says West Ham United need to stick together to ensure they do
not drop back into the Premier League relegation zone. The Hammers lost for
just the second time in ten top-flight matches at Brighton & Hove Albion on
Saturday, where Chicharito's fine goal was not enough to stave off a 3-1
defeat. Moyes admitted his team had not played well enough at the Amex,
particularly in the second half, and will need to perform much better when
they face Watford at home next weekend. "I think, for us, it was a poor
game," said the Scot. "We didn't play with any real quality. We had periods
in the first half when it looked as if we were going to get back into the
game but, in the end, the second half was a disappointing period for us. "We
move on. We've won a lot of games, we've drawn a few games, we got ourselves
out of an initially difficult situation and we need to make sure we don't go
back into it."

Moyes has been welcomed warmly by the Claret and Blue Army and asked the
Hammers fans to stick behind him and his players over the final 12 games of
a challenging season "I'm not an expert on West Ham, as I haven't been here
long enough, but I know that everyone being together gives us the best
chance of making sure we're a Premier League team, and we're going to need
that. "The support here is tremendous, in as much as the numbers they travel
in and we'd like to have given them another performance like we did at
Huddersfield or Stoke City, but we didn't, and we'll go away and try and
correct and fix that. "They've been great at London Stadium and I'm going to
ask them to stick with the team and the players, and we'll do everything we
possibly can to get us results."

One player who will be vital to West Ham's chances of staying clear of the
bottom three will be Chicharito, who scored his sixth goal of the season
with a fine run and finish at Brighton. With Marko Arnautovic, Manuel
Lanzini and Andy Carroll on the sidelines, the Mexican's role will be vital
over the closing weeks and months of the campaign. "His goals will give him
confidence and make him feel much better. His goal was typical of him. He
was in the box, showed quick feet to get a yard and got a shot away. It was
a really good finish in the end."

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Chicharito: We want to be more consistent
WHUFC.com

Chicharito says West Ham United need to find a greater level of consistency
in their play if they are to secure Premier League safety as soon as
possible. The Hammers beat champions Chelsea and held Arsenal in December
and also scored impressive away victories at Stoke City and Huddersfield
Town either side of Christmas, but have also allowed newly-promoted
Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion to complete 'doubles' over them
in recent weeks. On Saturday, despite a fantastic strike from the Mexico
international, the Hammers went down to a disappointing 3-1 defeat at
Brighton, and Chicharito says he and his teammates need to find a steadier
level of form if they are to beat the drop.

"We got to be at our best to stave off relegation," said the No17. "Two
weeks ago we were in tenth place, in the middle of the table practically.
"Then, you can have two bad results and you are down, or you can have two
very good results and you are up. This is how it will be. We obviously want
to be more consistent, which is obviously the key to saving us as soon as
possible and not suffering going into the last days [of the season]."

Results elsewhere meant the Hammers remained in 12th place, despite the
defeat at the Amex, and David Moyes' side could even rise to eleventh if
Watford are beaten heavily by Chelsea on Monday evening. But, while he was
happy to score his sixth goal of the season, Chicharito does not want West
Ham to have to depend on others to secure their Premier League status.
"[Saturday was] a bittersweet feeling. We can talk about the goal, that it
was very nice, that it is a big confidence boost to a striker and at the
time it was very important because we were down on the scoreboard very early
and [the goal meant] we equalised. "However, in the second half they scored
their second [through Jose Izquierdo's 25-yard shot], one of the best goals
of the season, and it all changed. "You saw with how they celebrated the
goal, how important it was, and they knew that it was a goal that is not
scored every weekend. We then tried to fight until the end, but
unfortunately we couldn't get the result."

West Ham will aim to bounce back when they host Watford at London Stadium
next Saturday afternoon, when victory could see them rise above the Hornets
and into the top half of the table. If selected, Chicharito has vowed to
give his all for the Claret and Blue cause, with the ultimate aim of
securing Premier League safety well in advance of the final game of the
season at home to Everton on 13 May. "I always try to be a professional and
now my head is here 100%. I will dedicate myself 100% to this team as I had
done in all the clubs I have been in, to save us from relegation, which is
the goal that we all have, from the coach, the players, all the staff who
work at the club, and then also the fans – we will do everything possible to
do it. "Now we have to prepare this week for our next match is against
Watford, a very complicated opponent, who changed their coach and will be
hard to beat."

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Zoepfl: Ladies can be proud of 'good result' in Palace draw
WHUFC.com

Ellie Zoepfl believes one point represents a good effort from West Ham
United Ladies after the Hammers claimed a 0-0 draw away to Crystal Palace. A
high-energy encounter on Sunday saw both sides have big chances to take all
three points, but solid defending meant the Irons and the Eagles shared the
honours. Zoepfl bemoans the fact that West Ham didn't find the net, pointing
to a big chance she herself missed in the first half, but ultimately reckons
a share of the spoils is a good reward for her team's efforts. "It's a good
result for us today," the 24-year-old told whufc.com. "It was a tough game
but we worked really hard. I'm proud of all the girls for how they
performed. I think we went into the match with a good game plan, so overall
it was a good day. "Of course, I'm disappointed we didn't get the win. We
had opportunities to score. We had a few chances to get a goal, including
me, and I should have put mine away. But one point is still good for us
here, against a really good Palace side."
Karen Ray's side lined up with a slightly new formation, with the Hammers
utilising a 4-1-4-1 set-up, which saw Zoepfl on the left-flank while Rosie
Kmita attacked through the middle. Zoepfl explained: "We wanted to block
their passing lanes and then be more attacking with the ball. We played with
a higher line and looked to move play forwards with more speed and tempo. I
think it worked for us." Both teams on Sunday saw goals disallowed for
offside, with West Ham's coming in the final minute of the game. Zoepfl
played a clever pass to Molly Peters, who tucked home, but the linesman
ruled the striker to have gone too early. "I thought we had won it right at
the end," she admitted. "I'm not sure Molly was offside. It was a good
finish, but a shame that the flag was raised. "They almost had a goal at the
end as well though, and my heart dropped when I thought they were going to
score. It was a very back and forth game."

The draw with Palace spells an end to a very positive week for West Ham
Ladies, who bested Cardiff City 6-2 away from home last Sunday before
securing a place in the Isthmian League Cup final with a 4-0 win over
Margate. Zoepfl has hailed the work done by interim head coach Ray, and her
team in preparing the side for a tough encounter at the end of a busy week.
"Karen and all the coaches and physios have done an amazing job of getting
us ready for this match. We all felt pretty good but we could still feel
that we had already played twice this week. It's a good end to a busy week.
"Finally, we have a full week of rest before we go again next Sunday."

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Afolayan set for Hammers debut in U23 fixture
WHUFC.com

Deadline day signing Oladapo Afolayan could make his debut in Claret and
Blue on Monday as West Ham United's U23s take on Sunderland in Premier
League 2.
The forward, who joined from National League outfit Solihull Moors, is
expected to be part of Terry Westley's squad for the clash at Dagenham and
Redbridge's Chigwell Construction Stadium. And the Hammers will be hoping
the 20-year-old can bring his goalscoring form to east London, having bagged
eleven goals for the Midlands outfit in the league this campaign. The U23s
will be looking to bounce back on Monday having lost to Swansea City 3-0
last week in south Wales. Prior to that fixture, the side were unbeaten in
2018, however. Academy Director Westley is excited about Afolayan's
prospects and what he can bring to the Club's Premier League 2 squad this
season. He said: "Oladapo is an interesting player on many levels and we are
delighted that he has chosen to continue his footballing education with us.
He has hunger to make it at the highest level. "He is aggressive, has great
pace and the knack of scoring goals, which he has done regularly in his
first season in senior football. "For now, Oladapo is one for the future and
I would like to thank my head of recruitment Dave Hunt and his team for
identifying him as an exciting prospect and completing the deal. "With a
number of other clubs interested in signing Oladapo, we felt we could not
wait until the summer to make our move and that bringing him to West Ham now
was too good an opportunity to miss."
West Ham were 2-1 winners against the Black Cats earlier this season thanks
to goals from Toni Martinez and Martin Samuelsen. Both talents are now
aiming to impress on loan, though, with Martinez at Real Valladolid in Spain
and Norwegian winger Samuelsen in the Championship with Burton Albion. U23s
skipper Moses Makasi also made a deadline day loan switch – to League One
outfit Plymouth Argyle – and the gaps in the squad will now give the likes
of Afolayan and others the opportunity to impress. And the striker is
certainly keen to do just that. Upon signing, he said: "It's a dream come
true. I've worked hard to get here and I'm grateful for the opportunity. "I
started out with Chelsea and was there until I was 15, then my family moved
to Canada and I was part of the Academy at Toronto FC. Then, when we moved
back, I studied civil engineering at Loughborough University before the
opportunity arose to join Solihull and play in the National League and it
was something I couldn't turn down. "Now, the opportunity has come to join a
Premier League club and West Ham is one which has always given youngsters
opportunities to come through, as we have seen this season, so I've come
here to get into the first team and make a name for myself."

West Ham United Season Ticket Holders and Claret Members can watch the
Hammers' Premier League 2 fixture against Sunderland on Monday 5 February
for free.
Kick-off is at 7pm at the Chgiwell Construction Stadium, while entry is
priced at £5 and £3 for adults and concessions respectively.

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Hammers claim well-earned point in Palace draw
WHUFC.com

A frantic and pulsating contest between West Ham United Ladies and Crystal
Palace Ladies ended 0-0, with both sides having goals ruled out for offside.
The Hammers created a number of excellent chances in the fixture, with Ellie
Zoepfl going close in the first period while Amber Stobbs tested the Palace
goalkeeper in the second. Palace thought they had scored in the second half
but their effort was ruled to be offside, while substitute Molly Peters
looked to have won the game for West Ham in the final minute, only for her
goal to be disallowed for the same reason. It means a share of the points
for Karen Ray's side, with her team unbeaten in their three matches over the
last seven days. The Irons lined up with a 4-1-4-1 formation, with the pacey
Rosie Kmita through the middle, and almost immediately the strategy showed
merit as the No7's pace almost put her in.

Palace tested Grace Staunton with a low effort before West Ham saw two
penalty appeals waved away in quick succession – the first for a tackle on
Kmita and the second on Zoepfl. The two attackers then combined excellently
for the best chance of the half. Kmita played in Zoepfl, who shrugged off
the defender, but the striker could only send her effort over the bar from
around 12 yards. A feisty first 45 minutes also saw Palace send a free-kick
just wide of the near post while the Hammers relied on some last ditch
defending from Hannah Wheeler, Jasmine Auguste and Chenise Austin to keep
the score level at the break. Amber Stobbs saw a free-kick saved on the hour
mark, and the No10 came very close to scoring from the resulting corner. Her
effort on goal was incredibly well saved. Defender Austin then made a
sensational late tackle to deny Palace a finish, but the home side then put
the ball into the net, only for it to be ruled out for offside. Stobbs
continued to be the main threat in the second period, seeing a number of
shots well blocked or dealt with, with Andria Georgiou threading the ball
through to the midfielder for an excellent opportunity towards the end of
the contest. There was a huge let off for the Irons on 88 minutes. The ball
fell to Palace's Rowlands in a one-on-one situation, but somehow the home
side failed to score, with the ball trickling wide. With just a minute left
on the clock, the Hammers thought they went ahead. Peters – on for Kmita –
was released into the area and her cool finish found the net. However, the
linesman adjudged the through ball from Zoepfl to have come to Peters in an
offside position.

West Ham United Ladies: Staunton; Mackie, Wheeler, Austin, Auguste; Cooper
(c), Chong, Georgiou; Stobbs, R Kmita (Peters 75'), Zoepfl
Subs not used: Burr, Mabey, Wealthall, M Kmita

Crystal Palace Ladies: Lynch; Jones, Bailes, Paye, Holdaway (c), Sherwood
(Chandler 64'), Maple, Rowlands, Whinnett (Foreman 22'), Stenning (Bryan
62'), Davenport
Subs not used: Green, Collins

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Sunday Supplement discuss ailing West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 4th February 2018
By: Staff Writer

Tony Henry's dismissal and the ongoing unrest at West Ham United was one of
today's topics of discussion on Sky Sports' Sunday Supplement team.
Journalists Neil Ashton, John Cross, Jonathan Liew and Sam Wallace
(Telegraph) were all unanimous in their criticism of the club's Board
regarding their governance of the club, which is set to be challenged by
supporters planning a march next month. "It's not ridiculous to claim that
West Ham are the worst-run club in the Premier League" said football writer
Jonathan Liew. "There's an old saying in politics - voters will forgive a
Government that makes unpopular decisions but they won't forgive
incompetence. "I think West Ham fans are at that point - they don't believe
their owners are the least bit competent and once you've brtoken that thread
of trust, it's very hard to get it back."

Meanwhile Wallace added: "The fans have been moved to a new stadium and they
don't like it. They don't like the team and they're in another relegation
battle.
"When a club makes mistake after mistake, it ceases to become a coincidence.
And I don't think the transfer policy that Henry oversaw was particularly
effective either." To watch the discussion in full, watch the video below.

https://youtu.be/SxIthZFU-Y4

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Aaron Cresswell urges West Ham to stick together after Brighton loss
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 04/02/18 2:19pm
SSN

Aaron Cresswell has urged West Ham to "stick together" after they were
dragged back into the relegation mire. A turbulent week at the east London
club came to a miserable end with a 3-1 defeat at Brighton which left them
three points above the drop zone. The Hammers sacked their head of
recruitment Tony Henry on Friday after claims he told agents they did not
want to sign any more African players. That scandal, as well as an
underwhelming transfer window, has left the divide between the supporters
and West Ham's board wider than ever. Regarding issues on the pitch,
Cresswell said: "It's really tight down there in the Premier League - there
are only a few points separating the bottom from the top 10. "You win one
and lose the next week, and you're right back in it. We have got to keep
looking forward to the next game, though, and try to get the points in that.
"We need to stick together and pull in one direction now and go into every
game and try to get maximum points. We need to keep pushing up. "All season
has been up and down and when you lose you think you're out of it. But we
have to focus on each game as it comes and try to push up for the rest of
the season."

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