Daily WHUFC News - 27th February 2018

Former Hammer relishing Dagenham & Redbridge friendly
WHUFC.com

Lifelong West Ham United fan Bondz N'Gala cannot wait to face his old Club
when Dagenham & Redbridge host the Hammers in a fundraising friendly next
month.
Now 28, Academy of Football graduate N'Gala was born in Forest Gate, joined
West Ham at 13 and spent six seasons in Claret and Blue, making his one and
only first-team appearance in a League Cup defeat at Bolton Wanderers in
September 2009. After spells with a host of Football League and National
League clubs, centre-back N'Gala returned to east London in summer 2017,
when he joined the Daggers. Now, he is set to face his old club for the
first time in a special match organised to raise much-needed proceeds for
the financially-stricken National League club on Wednesday 21 March, tickets
for which can be purchased here.
"Everybody at the club is really looking forward to the game, not only
because it will help raise some of the money we need, but also because it
should be a good, competitive game between two professional teams," said
N'Gala. "There is a massive crossover between the two clubs, with a lot of
people being fans of both and lots of players, like me, making careers with
Dagenham after leaving West Ham. This is a club that gives players a chance
and it is so important that we secure the future of Dagenham & Redbridge FC,
so please come down and support us on the night. "Our manager John Still is
a Newham boy like me and I know he is excited about welcoming the Hammers to
our stadium. We'd love to get a big crowd in and hopefully we can put in a
good performance and win the game, too!"

N'Gala has played more than 250 senior games during a well-travelled career
that has included stops at Plymouth Argyle, Yeovil Town, Stevenage, Barnet,
Portsmouth, Eastleigh, Dover Athletic and Leyton Orient. The defender
returned to the starting XI on Saturday and helped the Daggers to secure a
3-2 win over Chester at Chigwell Construction Stadium. With ten league games
to go, N'Gala's eye is on an unlikely promotion back to the Football League.
"It's great to be back in east London, being from Newham, so it's nice to be
back home rather than playing and living in another part of the country, as
I've been doing for most of my career! "We are doing quite well in the
National League, have won two of our last three games and are only a few
points outside the Play-Off places, so promotion is still very much an
achievable target for us, as it was at the start of the season. "We have
sold a few players, and we didn't start the season with a particularly big
squad but, if anything, the situation has pulled us closer together and we
are not letting it affect us. "If we could have a good game against West
Ham, raise some money, then go on and reach the Play-Offs and win promotion
at Wembley, that would be perfect!"

Seated and standing tickets for West Ham United's friendly at Dagenham &
Redbridge on Wednesday 21 March are available now from
eticketing.co.uk/whufc, over the telephone on 0333 030 1966 or in person
from the London Stadium Ticket Office priced at £10 Adults, £8 O65s and £3
U16s. Access on the night will be via the turnstile on Bury Road.

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Loan watch: Martinez debuts, Oxford celebrates, Burke secures point
WHUFC.com

Toni Martinez made his full debut for Real Valladolid, but was unable to
prevent his team falling to a 2-1 Spanish Segunda Division defeat at Cordoba
on Saturday.
The West Ham United loanee (pictured, above) played for the opening 56
minutes and Valladolid were leading 1-0 through Moyano's when the striker
was replaced by Chris Ramos. With Martinez off the pitch, Cordoba introduced
former Spain winger Jose Antonio Reyes from the bench and turned the game
around with goals from Sasa Jovanovic and Sergi Guardiola inside the final
17 minutes.

Elsewhere on the continent, Reece Oxford fared better, helping Borussia
Monchengladbach end a four-match losing streak by scoring a 1-0 German
Bundesliga victory at Hannover 96. Oxford (pictured, below) started his
second match in succession after returning to the club in January,
completing the full 90 minutes at right-back. Christoph Kramer was the
match-winner, netting 18 minutes from time to silence the
Niedersachsenstadion crowd and help Monchengladbach climb above their
opponents and up to seventh in the table.

Closer to home, Robert Snodgrass scored his seventh goal and registered his
eighth assist of the season as Aston Villa won 4-2 at Sheffield Wednesday in
the EFL Championship. Snodgrass assisted Glenn Whelan's equaliser to make it
2-2 on 67 minutes before completing the scoring from the penalty spot in the
third minute of added time after the Scot had himself been fouled by Daniel
Pudil.

Also in the Championship, Martin Samuelsen and Reece Burke were in action
for relegation-threatened Burton Albion and Bolton Wanderers respectively.
Samuelsen's Burton sank to 23rd after going down to a 1-0 home defeat by
Millwall, with the Norwegian playing the opening 85 minutes. Burke's Bolton
are 19th after securing a hard-earned goalless draw at Norwich City, with
the defender playing for 81 minutes before being replaced by Derik.

Finally, Moses Makasi was an unused substitute as Plymouth Argyle made it
six League One wins in a row to climb into the Play-Off places. The
Pilgrims' latest victory saw the Devon side defeat Bradford City 1-0 at Home
Park.

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Confident West Ham see off Norwich to make it three wins in a row
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's scholars made it three wins in a row with a deserved 3-0
U18 Premier League South victory at Norwich City on Saturday. Odysseas
Spyrides (pictured) scored twice in the first half to put the Hammers in
control at Colney Training Centre, before Louie Watson added a third after
the break. Victory took West Ham up to a season-high of ninth in the table,
pleasing co-manager Mark Phillips. "If I am being honest, I thought we were
well worth the three-goal win and the winning margin could have been wider,"
said Phillips. "It was a really good, confident and solid performance. "We
scored two in the first half, both from Ody with similar left-foot finishes,
and then Louie added a third in the second half. "That was certainly one of
the coldest football matches I've ever been involved in, but our win
certainly warmed everyone on our side up!"
Phillips believes West Ham's recent upturn in form – victories over
Leicester City and Brighton & Hove Albion preceded Saturday's success in
Norfolk – has been based on defensive solidity, giving the attacking players
a platform on which to go forward and win matches. "What has made a
difference is that we have welcomed Mason Barrett back from injury and Aji
Alese back from England duty and they have slotted in really well alongside
captain Ben Wells at centre-half. "Playing with three at the back has made
us really solid and given us a base to build from. We also had U16s in goal
and at right-back in Daniel Jinadu and Harrison Ashby and they both did
well. "Ody has also come back recently after being ruled out with a pelvic
injury and his goals have obviously helped." Weather permitting, next up for
the young Hammers is a home derby with Tottenham Hotspur at Little Heath on
Saturday morning. Phillips and his co-manager Steve Potts are looking
forward to seeing how their in-form team shapes up against a Spurs side
coached by none other than three-time Hammer of the Year Scott Parker.
"The forecast looks a bit dodgy but, if the game does go ahead, it will be
great to see Scotty again. Steve, of course, knows him very well from his
time here and he's a top lad and now well on his way to being a top coach.
"A lot of the players from both teams have also come up through the
age-groups together and know each other well, so it should be a really
interesting game. "We are in confident mood and we want to keep winning and
keep climbing the table."

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Zabaleta: We fell short in the second half at Liverpool
WHUFC.com

Pablo Zabaleta admitted the Hammers gave Liverpool a helping hand en route
to their 4-1 Premier League victory over the east Londoners at Anfield on
Saturday, saying their second half performance did not reach the standards
they have set themselves. David Moyes' team started the game well enough,
hitting the crossbar through Marko Arnautovic with the score at 0-0 after 15
minutes, but they conceded a 29th-minute opener to Emre Can from a set play
and then were powerless to stop Liverpool taking the contest away from them
after the break. Zabaleta was disappointed with the way the hosts were able
to create openings in the second period and says his team need to bounce
back quickly when they head to Swansea City this weekend. The No5 said:
"Every time you play against top teams they have good quality up front and
you have to make the perfect game to get something against the top sides. In
the second half we gave them too many chances.

"It was tough. Anfield is always a tough place to come and they were better
than us. First half we were good and had a few chances but in the second
half we weren't good enough. As a team they are very intense, they kept
coming forward and they can score goals. It's time to move on and just think
about the Swansea game. "Swansea are three points behind, everything is so
tight at the bottom half of the table, and we need to win the games like
this Saturday's at Swansea."

Reflecting further on Saturday's defeat, Zabaleta said Liverpool's front
three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane - who all scored -
will make things difficult for any defence that has to face them. "It is not
only against West Ham – we have seen they can score more than two or three
goals against top sides," he continued. "It is always hard any time you come
here. I think they are a really good team to be honest. "Those three guys up
front now are in a really good moment. They are difficult to play against.
They don't give a point of reference, they are so mobile. They are good
players. In the second half we gave them too many chances."

West Ham, who ended the weekend in 13th place with 30 points from 28 games,
will look to bounce back when they visit the Liberty Stadium on Saturday at
3pm.

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WHAT I WOULD DO TO IMPROVE THE LONDON STADIUM!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 26 FEBRUARY 2018 AT 9:01PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @DavidMrplumber

The situation with the owners, the fans, the stadium, E20 and the govt
cannot go on as it is. The current deal is abysmal for the tax payer and the
deal in return is also poor as WHU have no control whatsoever in the running
of the stadium. Compromise and alternative deals need to be struck by all
parties named above.
In all reality WHU are stuck with the stadium for the foreseeable
future,talk of rebuilding a new stadium elsewhere or knocking the stadium
down is nonsense and completely unrealistic at this point in time.

The billionaire owners/company's that some crave for are not exactly queuing
up around the corner even if the owners wanted to sell up, also the club in
its current state is severely lacking in appeal for any prospective buyer
anyway so we have to make the best of what we've got.

Here are my proposals to improve The LS short term within a sustainable and
reasonable budget and in doing so will maximise profits long term for both
WHU and E20!and help us, the supporters.

•If Athletics is to remain then a percentage of the cost of the installation
of retractable seating to be paid for by WHU which would make it a proper
multi use venue.
•£2.5m yearly rent paid by WHU to be raised significantly to a more
realistic amount to appease the govt and the tax payer.
•Stewarding to be employed and paid for direct by WHU for football games
only, all other events eg Rugby/live concerts, athletics etc the stewarding
to be provided by E20.

In return we'd want…

•Considerably more say/freedom in the running of the stadium.
•Front row seating to be "squared off" if possible.
•Capacity to be extended to 66k and more toilets installed to cater for
extra fans.
•A bigger share of catering profits, a bigger capacity stadium will offset
the loss of income to the LLDC, more fans means more profit!
•The surrounding gaudy green Astro turf to be removed and replaced with
claret or blue at the expense of WHU.
•A possible solution for the Stadium naming rights would be to divide it so
West Ham will be free to find their own sponsor say Vodaphone and would be
known as the Vodaphone Arena when the stadium is being used for football
only. E20 to find their own sponsor name and will be called the …… Arena
when being used for athletics, rugby, concerts etc!

If this is not a workable solution then a deal needs to be struck where WHU
get a considerably larger share of the profits gained from a single naming
rights partner.

•WHU to pay the council to take control of the access bridges on match days
only and some local businesses from UP to be invited to pitch their stalls.
How lovely for example would it be to see a Nathan's pie and mash stall?
•The main access bridge to be made "West Ham" eg ex players and legends
remembered/flags etc (as promised)along with a new statue of the 3 x World
Cup winners, the original to remain at Upton Park…..

To summarise I understand some of these suggestions may not be feasible
others may well be, other than the retractable seating most of my
suggestions with good negotiations between all parties could be in place
before the start of next season. What you may have noticed is that I'm
attempting to separate WHU from the stadium owners/operators but at the same
time generating extra turnover for both parties, appeasing both WHU
fans/owners and ultimately the government.

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HC INSIGHT – JOAO MARIO – PLAYER PROFILE
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 24 FEBRUARY 2018 AT 11:18AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

In the latest episode of #HCInsight, Joao Mario is the centre of attention
as well as the centre of West Ham United midfield.

Joao Mario was signed on loan last month from Inter Milan as Moyes looked to
inject more creativity into the side so Geo decided to take a look at the
Portuguese International and see what his strengths and weaknesses are from
his time at Internazionale and Sporting Lisbon as well as his first 3 games
in a claret and blue shirt.

With an investment of over £3m for his loan and a £38m summer price tag, he
doesn't come cheap, but is Joao Mario looking like he is worth it? Geo does
the research and Charlie does the superb graphics as Hammers Chat bring the
stats to The West Ham Way on this video.

For more West Ham related stats follow @redhammer8 on twitter as well as
@hammers_chat and we will feature their 4th episode of the series next week
on this website, as they take a look at another Portuguese International.

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Fans' alliance to discuss club proposals
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th February 2018
By: Staff Writer

The supporters' alliance that attended a recent meeting with the Board of
WHUFC to share its numerous concerns will reassemble this week in order to
discuss the club's proposals. The committee, that included members of the
Real West Ham Fans Action Group, KUMB, WHUISA, West Ham TV and Hammers Chat
will be gathering again to discuss the club's response to the intial meeting
with vice-chair Karren Brady and fellow Board member Tara Warren.

A number of points pertaining to the operation of the football club since
West Ham moved to Stratford were raised during last week's five-hour
meeting, ranging from continuing concerns over security at the stadium to
the negative influence Karren Brady's weekly tabloid newspaper column may
have had on the club. The Board have since responded with their proposals,
which will be discussed by the groups involved ahead of a prospective
follow-up meeting with the club at a date yet to be confirmed. The emergency
meeting between supporters and the Board of Directors was called by the club
after the RWHFAG announced its intention to stage a protest march against
the club's owners on 10 March.

Although supporters have cited many differing individual reasons for
intending to protest, all those in attendance at next month's peaceful
parade will be marching under a general banner of "no confidence" in West
Ham United's current Board, which stands accused of gross mismanagement of
the club both on and off the field.

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Liverpool v West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th February 2018
By: Ten Thousand Miles From The Boleyn

-5 Minutes: As kick-off time approaches their famous anthem rumbles around
the stadium. With a couple of exceptions, visits to Anfield have been so
horrible for the last half century that I can't bring myself to watch
Carousel any more.

Not a massive issue as it was never one of my favourite Rodgers and
Hammerstein musicals, but as Liverpool fans are renowned lovers of Show
Tunes (not that there's anything wrong with that) I'd bet there is a
parallel universe where there are currently fifty thousand Scousers singing
I'm just a girl who can't say no.

I live ten thousand miles from the Boleyn. So what do I know about anything?

I do know it's not easy living and working in the International Space
Station, particularly on match day when you miss half game because you're on
the wrong side of the planet. This is just one of the many reasons I never
pursued a career in a field that would have made me of any value in a
zero-gravity environment.

-2 Minutes: Commemorative Bobby Moore t-shirts for the travelling fans,
let's hope this doesn't become contentious. But it probably will.

There were a few negative responses to my first opinion piece regarding the
mood of discontent surrounding the club and the upcoming march. I could have
taken the criticism as a perfectly reasonable response from people who have
a far greater investment in the ongoing issues surrounding the stadium than
I do. But instead I decided to treat it as a vicious assault on my right to
free speech, casting doubt on my love of West Ham and questioning my very
Cockneyhood!

10 Minutes: I just know it's going to be a long night, surprised to see
we've had 15% possession but I suppose Adrian has held onto the ball quite a
bit.

When I was a child we lived in my Gran's house in Selsdon Road, off Green
Street and within the sound of the North Bank. I remember Christmas night
was about as East End as you could get; lots of drinking, dancing and a
round of "Sing us a song or show us your bum". Luckily, everyone preferred
to sing and traditionally Aunt Mary would give us all seventeen verses of
You don't get many of them to the pound, while Uncle Fred would treat us to
the popular love song; Step into the garden and kiss me under the plums! My
efforts were less successful as every year, after just a few bars of my ten
minute Tribute to Judy Garland the old man would call a halt, describing it
as "inappropriate".

30 Minutes: We're one-nil down, disappointing but nice to be able to
unclench for a few minutes.

Trying to follow West Ham while living on one of the Pacific Islands is also
challenging... probably. I don't know how things work there but I suspect
they must fall under the footprint of one of Murdoch's satellites, although
I prefer the idea of living like the characters in the 1950s classic The
Admirable Crichton, ingenious contraptions made from coconut shells and
having to coordinate your meals around kick-off time as the satellite dish
doubles as a wok. If that comment is at all culturally insensitive I
apologise to all the people of the Pacific Islands. I suppose I could have
said "but you can't say that any more", but that seems to be what people say
immediately after saying something racist.

57 Minutes: Adrian is caught in a conundrum. Decides to come out but is too
late, if he handles outside the box or gets anywhere near Firmino you know
he'll go down, followed by a red card and a three match ban... so he brings
down Zabaleta instead... good call.

We've been living in Australia for twenty five years and following West Ham
has never been easier. When we first arrived I had to wait until Thursday's
paper came out to see the score from the previous weekend, tucked away in a
column underneath the cane toad racing and dwarf throwing results. Thanks to
improvements in technology I have watched live, every Premier League game
we've played since 2008. The only thing all this new fangled technology
can't fix is the time difference.

59 Minutes: Antonio is on for the tiring Lanzini, not sure what difference
he can possibly... Bugger me, he's scored!

For most of the season the traditional 3pm kick-off happens at 2am on Sunday
morning down here. In the past I've tried recording the match and watching
it the next day but realised I can't logically affect the outcome with the
power of my will if it's already happened, also the urge to fast forward
when the opposition has the ball is too great. I tried staying up but
usually fall asleep before the match starts, so I now go to bed and get up
just before the teams come out. This is a time when you're no longer drunk
but not yet hung over, the period we should really be asleep and not the
ideal time to watch West Ham.

90 Minutes+: It's all over. I predicted a 3-1 defeat in my tipping contest
so not surprised by the result. I usually go back to bed angry,
disappointed, depressed or on occasion, pumped. Tonight it's just acceptance
of a painful reality... they're so much better than us. On nights like this
a job on the International Space Station doesn't sound that bad.

In the morning my memory of the match is less than reliable. Any attempt to
report faithfully on the events of the game is a waste of time, ending up
like something Fellini would have written if he'd decided to quit the cinema
and try his hand at football journalism. Like going to the match while
you're bread & drippin'... so I've been told.


Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be
attributed to, KUMB.com.

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'It isn't a football place': Ex-West Ham boss Slaven Bilic takes aim at
Hammers' London Stadium switch
The Croatian coach oversaw the club's move in 2016, before being sacked
earlier this season
The Mirror
ByRob Guest
14:10, 26 FEB 2018

Former West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has taken aim at his former club, hitting
out at the London Stadium. Bilic led the Hammers to a seventh place finish
in the club's final year at Upton Park but experienced numerous teething
problems after the move, reports Football.London. Despite winning their
first Premier League game at their new home, they won just seven of their 19
league games on home soil, finishing 11th. Although the team are on course
to beat last year's total having already won five league games at home this
time around, fans still aren't happy with the stadium given the distance
they are away from the pitch.
Speaking to beIN Sport over the weekend, Bilic said: "It isn't a football
stadium." The Croat's comments come after he said in February 2016 that it
would be impossible for the club to recreate the atmosphere at Upton Park at
their new home. He declared at the time: "We will miss that. It's a
different stadium, it's going to be a different atmosphere. "It would be
very, very hard, almost impossible, to get that kind of atmosphere at the
new stadium. "I am not saying it is better or worse. At Upton Park and
Highbury, the old stadiums, the stands are as close to terraces as you can
get. "It was almost like terraces, you are so close to the players, whether
you sit or stand. In the new stadium it will be great to watch, it's
unbelievable comfort-wise. "People who went to the Rugby World Cup told me
the sound and atmosphere is unbelievable. It's very, very acoustic. "It will
be great. It will be a great stadium, definitely. But if you ask me about
the late-night kick-off, in the FA Cup, a little bit chilly, you cannot beat
Upton Park."

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West Ham set to reignite interest in Leander Dendoncker as David Moyes eyes
two midfield additions this summer
PLUS: Fiorentina are plotting a fresh bid for Hammers midfielder Pedro
Obiang in the summer
The Mirror
ByDarren Lewis
Adrian Kajumba
Football Reporter
21:06, 26 FEB 2018

West Ham will reignite their interest in Anderlecht midfielder Leander
Dendoncker in the summer. The Irons are big fans of the 22-year-old and
David Moyes failed in an attempt to land him last month. The midfield area
is one that Moyes is desperate to strengthen. West Ham failed with moves for
Stoke's Joe Allen, Norwich starlet James Maddison, Fulham's Tom Cairney and
Bournemouth's Harry Arter. But they are set to bring in at least two
midfielders this summer to add much-needed depth to their squad. Meanwhile,
Fiorentina are plotting a fresh bid for Pedro Obiang in the summer. The
Serie A side were keen on the now-injured West Ham midfielder in January.
And they are set to return as they brace for Croatian star Milan Badelj's
exit on a free transfer.

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