Daily WHUFC News - 18th April 2018

Carroll content to deny Stoke victory with late leveller
WHUFC.com

Andy Carroll felt denying Stoke City three points was as important as
earning West Ham United one after his volley secured a 1-1 Premier League
draw with the Potters at London Stadium. The Hammers had controlled long
periods of Monday night's game, only to fall behind with eleven minutes
remaining when Peter Crouch prodded home from close-range after Joe Hart had
saved Xherdan Shaqiri's initial effort. David Moyes, whose side had already
seen two 'goals' correctly disallowed by referee Michael Oliver, threw on
Carroll and the centre forward marked his return from three months out with
a foot injury with a superb left-foot volley in the final minute. There was
still time for West Ham to have the ball in the net for a fourth time, only
for Oliver to whistle Carroll for handball before Chicharito's drive had
beaten Jack Butland. A point apiece leaves West Ham 14th on 35 points and
Stoke 18th on 28, with five each left to play. "I thought we played well
throughout," said Carroll. "Obviously Crouchy came on and scored, which is
what he does best, and it was disappointing for us because we'd had a few
chances and a couple of goals disallowed. "We took [two] points off them,
though, and it's a point for us, so it's a good result in the end."

Carroll's superb left-foot strike belied the fact he has not played a
Premier League match since appearing in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur
at Wembley on 4 January. "I don't know if it looked sharp, because I didn't
feel sharp! The ball came in and I like them on my left foot, so I just span
and hit it and it went in. "I've trained for five days in with the lads,
having worked with the physio beforehand, so not too much."

And what of the 'goal' disallowed after Carroll had controlled the ball and
set up Chicharito in the second minute of added time? "I tried to bring the
ball down and it hits my hand a little bit. If it's a shove in the back,
it's a penalty, but we played on and he didn't give it and, in the end, it's
a point, so we'll take it." Next up for West Ham is a trip to Arsenal on
Sunday. With five games to go, one more victory might well be enough to
secure safety, and Carroll would love to achieve it at the Emirates. "We've
still got five games left and we've got to win them as no-one is safe. It's
tough at the minute and we've just got to keep working."

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Moyes: All three subs made a big difference in Stoke draw
WHUFC.com

David Moyes was pleased with the impact made by his West Ham United
substitutes as Andy Carroll climbed off the bench to secure a 1-1 Premier
League draw with Stoke City. The Hammers dominated the Potters for long
periods at London Stadium, only to fall behind to Peter Crouch's close-range
strike with eleven minutes to play. Moyes threw on Carroll and Manuel
Lanzini – both of whom were available again after injury – and the former
snatched a point when he volleyed home Aaron Cresswell's cross in the final
minute of normal time. "I thought we should have won. We certainly didn't
deserve to lose it and, if we had, the football gods would certainly have
been against us because we bossed the majority of the game. In the main, we
played really well. We played good parts of the game tonight because I
thought, if anyone was going to go in front, it was going to be us. "We
played well from the back. We played the ball and did some good things and
we just didn't have that bit of something different up front. Marko and
Arthur, who have given us a lot of goals and quality, just didn't produce
that. "I actually thought all the subs who came on made a big difference –
Chicharito, Andy and Lanzini all came on and helped it. We've not had those
options very often this season so I'm glad to get them back."

When asked why he did not bring on any of the attacking trio before
introducing Chicharito with 14 minutes to go – three minutes before Crouch's
opener – the manager said he wanted to keep faith in his starting XI, who
had dominated much of the second half. "We didn't need to make any subs
because the team were playing well. We were dominant and in their half most
of the time and were obviously trying to find a way through, so my feeling
was that the goal would come.
"Stoke have been losing quite a few goals late on in games and I thought we
could score late on and I didn't think we needed it. "The minute we went a
goal down, we had to find another way of doing it and we gradually got the
strikers on and we got the goal back."

West Ham created 18 goal attempts and had the ball in the net four times in
total, only for three of them to be correctly ruled out by referee Michael
Oliver – two for offside and one in added time for a handball offence by
Carroll. "I have seen a couple of them and I think they looked like they
were the right decisions, so well done to the referee," Moyes observed. "The
one that goes up to Andy I've not seen whether he handles it or not, but the
referee did his job and did it well."

After extending their unbeaten run to three matches, West Ham sit seven
points clear of Southampton and Stoke and eleven above bottom side West
Bromwich Albion. All five of the Hammers' remaining fixtures are against
teams in the top nine, but Moyes believes his team have the quality to
collect enough points to stay up over the final month of the season. "It
leaves us in a good position, far better than it was when I took over. We
went 1-0 down and could have come away with nothing tonight, so the points
we've picked up in recent games will all help us. "We've had good results
against some of the top teams, so let's see if we can do it again. It'll not
be easy, but I think our performances are getting better and normally good
performances lead to good results. "We've just had a win and two draws and,
at this time of the season, that's not too bad."

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Noble: Andy Carroll's goal was a really important one for us
WHUFC.com

Mark Noble admitted to mixed feelings following Monday night's 1-1 draw with
Stoke City, after a dominant performance did not get the full reward it
merited.
The Hammers needed a last minute volley from Andy Carroll to rescue a point
in the end – a result which kept the Potters seven points behind their hosts
– but the skipper felt it should have been more. After having three goals
ruled out during a dramatic second period, Noble's frustration was clear but
given the circumstances of Carroll's late goal, the No16 was grateful for
the big striker's intervention. He explained: "We shouldn't be in there
really happy, and we're not. It's a little bit deflating because for large,
large spells we dominated the game. "When we get the first goal here we're
dangerous, but we knew what Stoke would be like. They're a hard, fighting
team. I know they've lost a few games recently but they haven't been really
outplayed. "They work hard for each other, but tonight I thought the boys
played really well and just couldn't get the goal that we needed, and when
we did – with three of them – they were disallowed! "A point puts us seven
points clear of the relegation zone and it's three games unbeaten, but we're
still a little dejected because I thought we did enough to win."

Carroll's goal, after 13 games out with an ankle injury, was his third
important one of 2018 following a brace against West Brom in January and
Noble said his contribution was priceless. He added: "In all honesty, just
his presence on the pitch – even when I saw him coming on gave me a bit of a
boost. "You put that ball in the box and there's every chance he's going to
shove his head, or anything, there. "I've just kissed him on the forehead in
the dressing room because it's a very important goal for us.

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Coventry: U23s extra motivated for London Stadium Arsenal derby
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's U23s will have extra motivation to beat London rivals
Arsenal at London Stadium on Friday in Premier League 2, according to
midfielder Conor Coventry. The Hammers were overcome 1-0 by Derby County on
Monday in their penultimate Division 1 game of the campaign, and will be
looking to bounce back to end the season on a high at the Club's home this
week.
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Defeat at the Rams' Training Centre put a dent in Terry Westley's team's
strong end to the season after consecutive away wins at Liverpool,
Manchester City and Everton, but 18-year-old Coventry believes his side will
rally to finish off the term with a victory. The Gunners were also 3-0
winners when the sides met back in November, something which will also
provide extra motivation for Friday's hosts, says the youngster. "We all
look forward to the games at the main stadium and Arsenal are a team who are
top of the league and still trying to win the division, so I think it will
be a really good match," he explained. "Of course it's a London derby as
well, so our aim is to win and not let them get the league title. "All the
boys will be extra motivated after losing on Monday, to end the season on a
high and a big positive after such a good first season at this level. We
also lost to Arsenal earlier this season, so there's a sense of revenge in
the game too and we'll be doing all we can to win. "Obviously the fans
always play a part in all our games no matter where they are, but when they
turn out for the games at London Stadium it is really special for us and
hopefully we can repay the ones that are there with a win."

Coventry – who scored his so far only U23 goal for the Hammers against
Fulham at London Stadium last term – has made 17 appearances for the Premier
League 2 side this term and has established himself as a key member of the
Republic of Ireland's U19 squad. The controlling central midfielder is
proud of the way he has acquitted himself at the higher level having played
the majority of his football last season for the U18s. "I'm definitely
pleased with the way I've established myself in this team. The target at the
start of the season was to play as many games as I could in the U23s but it
was more of a target for the end of the campaign.
"I wouldn't say I necessarily expected to be where I am now at this stage,
having played so much at the beginning of the year and playing at the level
I am, so obviously I'm really pleased with that. "It has been a great
learning curve for me. For example, in the Derby game they played in a very
physical way and were very direct but you have to be able to deal with that
if you are to have a career in the game. "The team they started with was
pretty experienced with some older players. The way they played suited their
team, they weren't the same as more of an Arsenal or a Tottenham who we've
played this season, or like the style we try and play, so it was a good
experience for us."

Coventry admitted it was a disappointing way for West Ham to suffer their
eighth league defeat, but is sure the side will bounce back at London
Stadium.
"The goal was a long kick and we didn't deal with it, but at times we
dominated the game and we definitely deserved to get something out of it,"
continued Coventry. "We've played two high intensity games in the last week
or two to beat Man City and Everton, but that's the way the game is; you
have to be able to deal with that and do that. We're a young side but you
have to learn to get used to that intensity. "It was maybe just a bit of an
off day that we tried to turn around in the second half, and we nearly did,
but we just about couldn't in the end. Hopefully we can do that against
Arsenal on Friday, now."

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Cresswell: Carroll is one of the best at what he does
WHUFC.com

Andy Carroll has been described as 'one of the best at what he does' by
teammate Aaron Cresswell, after the striker scored a superb equaliser in
Monday's 1-1 draw with Stoke City. Carroll – making his return from injury –
came off the bench to net a terrific goal in the 90th minute from the edge
of the box, volleying home and earning the Hammers a share of the spoils
against the Potters. The goal was provided to Carroll by Cresswell, the
fifth time the defender has given an assist for the striker during their
time together at West Ham, and the 28-year-old is thrilled to see his
teammate back in action. "We've had a few fair injuries over the course of
the season," Cresswell said: "Andy's come back today and showed us what he's
all about. I'm delighted for Andy. Of course, no one wants to be injured,
and he had a frustrating time with injuries, but he's come back and in five
minutes he's scored a goal. "Everyone know what he's about and when he's
fully fit he's one of the best at what he does. Tonight, him and Chicharito
coming on changed the game for us."

Stoke took the lead at London Stadium through substitute Peter Crouch, who
poked home in the second period, before fellow substitute Carroll levelled
the tie for the Hammers. The introduction of the striker, as well as
Chicharito – who scored last week in the draw at Chelsea – and the returning
Manuel Lanzini was critical in David Moyes's side collecting a point.
Cresswell, who registered his seventh league assist of the season in the
fixture, admits the Hammers had targeted a win from this fixture, with the
Irons seeing three goals ruled out by the match officials for offside and
handball respectively. But, with the Irons a goal behind heading into the
final ten minutes, the No3 reckons a point is a good return. Cresswell
continued: "I think, throughout the whole 90 minutes, we maybe deserved the
three points. There's two or three offside goals, on another day maybe one
or two of them would have been given. "But, it wasn't to be, and to be fair
to them, they are fighting for their lives as well as we are. They get the
late goal. You look up at the clock and there's ten minutes to go, so it's a
good point in the end. "Before the game, three points would have been
massive for us. But certainly, not losing, is a good result. I thought we
showed great ability towards the end, with a disappointing goal and then, to
come from behind and get a point at the end, it felt like a win for us."

With Arsenal up next for West Ham in the Premier League, Cresswell believes
one more win will be enough for the Irons to secure their top-flight status
for next season, and is targeting those three points at the Emirates Stadium
on Sunday. "I think there's five games to go and we're seven points clear
now, but it's still not over until it's over," Cresswell continued. "One
more win should see it through. "We've got four or five games left,
starting with Arsenal on Sunday, and it's another tough game away. But
there's no reason why we can't go there and get a result."

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West Ham striker Andy Carroll cool over World Cup hopes with England
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 17/04/18 12:48pm
SSN

Andy Carroll is not getting stressed about making the World Cup this summer,
but Peter Crouch believes the West Ham striker is a good option for England.
Carroll came off the bench on Monday night for his first game since January
4 to volley in and salvage a point in a 1-1 draw with Stoke. It kept David
Moyes' side seven points above the 19th-placed Potters in the race to avoid
the drop and Carroll was delighted to boost the Hammers and his ongoing
recovery from an ankle injury. The 29-year-old told Sky Sports News: "It's
been tough and very frustrating. I've got through it and now I'm back on the
pitch and I feel good."
Asked if he's fit enough to face Arsenal on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, he
added: "I don't know. I feel good but it's up to the manager." England boss
Gareth Southgate was at the London Stadium on Monday and will have been
impressed with Carroll's sweet strike in the final minute. Could he make the
plane heading to Russia for this summer's World Cup? Carroll said: "It would
be nice but I'm just concentrating on getting fit, scoring goals and getting
in the squad. "Hopefully something will come out of it but if not then it is
what it is."
One player also on the scoresheet at West Ham was Stoke and former England
striker Crouch. SSN reporter Kaveh Solhekol jokingly suggested to Crouch he
could link up with Carroll in Southgate's team. Crouch said: "I haven't
played for England for years and I'm not thinking about! I'm sure it's
different with Andy though.
"He is a different option. Why wouldn't you take him? We have a lot of
options upfront but he's proved tonight when called upon he can do the
business - but he has to stay fit."

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DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS
By Tony Hanna 17 Apr 2018 at 03:21
WTID

The drip feed of points continues. Five points from our last three matches
in an unbeaten run isn't too bad for a team fighting relegation but that
masks the problems we had in trying to break down the worst defence in the
league last night. An excellent win against Southampton and a gritty display
at Chelsea was followed by a dominant but laboured performance against
Stoke. Had we taken three points last night I think we would all be feeling
a sense of relief that we were just about safe from the drop. We don't do
easy though, never have, and now this relegation fight is more like death by
a thousand cuts. However, there are still a lot of scenarios to play out in
this relegation battle. Have a look at Brighton's run home and you will see
just how things could change over the next few weeks. Burnley away and all
the top four still to play makes our run in look a little more palatable.

So, what of the performance last night? I thought we played fairly well,
controlled most of the game but of course we so nearly could have lost it.
Joe Hart's blunder with eleven minutes to play was his fourth of the season
that has led to a goal being conceded. He is also fourth in the "goalkeeping
error leading to a goal league" – two behind Petr Cech, but Hart has played
nearly half the games that the keepers above him have in this unfortunate
statistical table. It has again given Moyes a problem as to whether to keep
Hart in goal for the remainder of the season. It seems like Groundhog day
again as this seasons revolving door of Adrian or Hart mirrors last season's
similar scenario with Adrian and Randolph. Personally, I think Hart will
play this weekend but the game after is against Manchester City and he won't
be eligible to play in that one anyway.

On a brighter note Declan Rice again put in a fine performance. Despite Reid
and Collins being injured at present, I doubt either would be selected ahead
of the youngster if all three were available. Noble had a good game but the
rest of the team, whilst doing just enough to control most of the possession
(around 60%), rarely stamped themselves on the game. I had a little moan
last week about how we wasted our last minute corner kick at Chelsea.
Judging from our first corner kick last night it is still an area that needs
work. Playing another short corner the return pass caught us offside and I
don't know how many times I have used the analogy of Groundhog Day in my
articles recently! In some ways I can't wait for this season to end. If
Moyes is to remain he will at least be able to put his stamp on the team
during the transfer window. West Ham over the past two seasons have at times
been a difficult watch and with the players we have that should not be the
case. Injuries have taken their toll and have not made the job an easy one
for either Bilic or Moyes, but this side is screaming out for a Carvalho
type player.

Referee Michael Oliver had a couple of tough decisions to make in the
Champions League match between Real Madrid and Juventus last week but got
them both right. Last night we had three goals disallowed and the officials
were again correct in my opinion. There wasn't much in the offside call for
the first but Arnie was a fraction off. For the second he is definitely
interfering, again in an offside position, and Andy Carroll's handball was
plain to see before Hernandez rifled home from inside the box. It would be
nice to get a little rub of the green but we can't complain too much when
the refs get it right. Where I do think the officials erred last night
though was with the amount of added time at the end of the game. Stoke
committed a plethora of niggling fouls in the second half and the amount of
time taken up in restarting play from these indiscretions alone would have
amounted to the four minutes that were added. As for Ramadan's substitution
I am actually wondering if he is still making his way off right now? That
alone seemed to take four minutes!

David Moyes started with the team that grafted a point at Chelsea and I am
sure some critics would be questioning whether that was too negative an
approach? Arnautovic looked quite isolated at times and many promising
movements between him and Mario more often failed to produce anything that
might resemble cohesion. For the final minutes a front line of Carroll,
Arnie and Chico played ahead of Lanzini but I doubt we will ever see those
four start in a West Ham team. If Moyes had taken a more attacking approach
from the start and we lost the game, how would have Hammers fans reacted? At
the end of the day we snatched a point with a 90th minute equaliser from
Andy Carroll. We probably deserved more based on both teams overall
performance but as I stated early, we never do easy, and this relegation
fight looks like going all the way to the wire.

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