Daily WHUFC News - 2nd November 2014

Changes pay off for Big Sam
WHUFC.com
Tactical and personnel changes roused West Ham United to snatch a 2-2 draw at Stoke City
01.11.2014

Sam Allardyce hailed the spirit of his West Ham United side after they recovered from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 at Stoke City. The Hammers looked to be heading for a first defeat in four Barclays Premier League matches when goals from Victor Moses and Mame Biram Diouf either side of the break put the Potters in control. However, a change in formation to a diamond and the introduction of substitute Carlton Cole changed the course of the game. First, Enner Valencia converted Stewart Downing's right-wing cross with a fantastic diving header before the pair switched roles for Downing to fire in the equaliser 17 minutes from time. It could have all been so different were it not for Adrian, too, as the Spaniard produced outstanding saves to deny Diouf on the stroke of half-time and Steven N'Zonzi at 2-1 and Geoff Cameron at 2-2.

Big Sam admitted his team had not produced the same level of performance as they had in recent weeks, but was proud of the way they did not give up and ultimately collected a point for their efforts. "I think there is no doubt about it and we won't pull the wool over anybody's eyes - certainly in the first half we were second best," said the manager. "There were reasons for that and they were one, we didn't adjust to the conditions which were windy, blustery and a bobbly pitch. Two, we tried to get our passing game going but Stoke weren't letting us and three, in the end, we didn't adapt to the way the game needed to be played. "In the end, it was all about changing the system and the way we played and getting the subs on. Losing Winston Reid to a thigh injury we couldn't help, but the other two subs were tactical and they helped us to change the shape of the team, get Stewart in the hole and get two up top. "Once we did that, we finally came up with the sort of quality we have seen many, many times this year with the crossing leading to two goals. The first from Stewart led to a terrific header from Enner Valencia and the second saw Enner repay the compliment by beating the full-back on the left-hand side, pull it back and Downing used his beautiful right foot to put it in the back of the net. "We didn't miss Diafra Sakho because we scored two goals. We haven't played as well as we'd have liked, but when you come back from 2-0 down away from home and get a point at a place like Stoke, we never let our heads go down and our quality got us back in the game."

In the first half, Valencia was nullified by Stoke's centre-halves in a lone striker role. However, the introduction of Cole at half-time and the switch to a diamond formation turned the game on its head. "Stoke played very well with Diouf up front and he is a similar size to Enner, but their service was better than ours in the first half. "We changed it and if it's not going well it's my job to use the experience I have got and change it. I decided to throw caution to the wind with two up front and see whether Stoke could cope with it.
"If they couldn't, we'd get back into the game and that's exactly what happened."

While West Ham did concede two goals, Adrian and an all-action display from James Collins helped to prevent the damage being even worse and made the rousing comeback possible. "It was either going to be 3-0 to them or 2-2 because at 2-0 down there was no point sitting back and playing the way we had been playing. It opened more spaces up for Stoke, but it turned the game in our favour rather than theirs."

The manager revealed that Reid suffered a thigh injury in a first-half clash with N'Zonzi that was 'not too serious', praising his replacement James Tomkins for helping the Hammers to withstand Stoke's onslaught in the opening 60 minutes. "James Tomkins came on and was very good indeed. Him and Ginge had to deal with a lot from the Stoke front three and those two and the goalie were very good when they were under lots and lots of pressure. They helped us achieve a very precious point. "I did feel we were a little complacent in the early part because we didn't start with the edge needed to baffle the opposition and tell them they were going to be in for a game. "We didn't earn the right to play, but we carried on and never gave up and we had enough quality in the team and have now scored 19 goals in ten games. "We thought we might miss our leading goalscorer, but we haven't because we've scored two very good goals. "Everywhere else, we weren't on our top form but the point we got was very, very precious."

With Arsenal winning at Burnley, West Ham dropped to fifth in the table after Saturday's draw on goal difference, but have a chance to regain a top-four place when they host Aston Villa next Saturday at 3pm.

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Adrian - 'This is my job'
WHUFC.com
Adrian was keen to deflect the praise after helping the Hammers to a 2-2 draw at Stoke City
01.11.2014

Adrian insisted he was just doing his job after helping West Ham United gain a valuable point at Stoke City on Saturday. The Spanish stopper had to make outstanding saves to deny Mame Diouf, Jonathan Walters and Geoff Cameron as the Hammers battled back from 2-0 down to draw at the Britannia Stadium. Adrian was happy to help his team dig themselves out of a hole and keep their four-match unbeaten run going. He said: "The team was happy with the point because we stood up in the second half. We didn't play well in the first half, and the real West Ham team came out in the second half. "This is my job. I try in every game to help my teammates and on Saturday I helped us to get one point. "They probably deserved to be in front at half time because we weren't playing well, but in the second half the team was stronger and made very good chances for goals and thankfully we scored two. "All saves are hard, but I think the most important was in the last minute of the first half [from Diouf], because it meant we went in at half-time at 1-0 instead of two."

Adrian was pleased to see the Hammers show their character again as they once more showed their attacking power with two goals away from home. "We are playing so well, showing every week that we play like a team and we did that again on Saturday, because the second half was very good," he continued. "To take one point means we keep on going and we have another chance next week when we play Aston Villa."

Adrian's fellow Spanish speaker Enner Valencia was at the fore of the Hammers' comeback, scoring one and setting up the other for Stewart Downing and the No13 was delighted for the Ecuadorian. He added: "Enner is very happy because he scored again and helped the team get this draw. He's a very important player for us and today he was a real striker - he scored this goal to get this point."

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Stoke 2 West Ham 2
1 November 2014
Last updated at 17:53
By Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at the Britannia Stadium

West Ham showed they have some steel to go with their new-found attacking flair after salvaging a point against Stoke thanks to a spirited late comeback. Stoke had dominated for the first hour and deservedly led through goals from Victor Moses and Mame Biram Diouf. At that stage, a Hammers fightback looked unlikely but Enner Valencia's header gave them hope and Stewart Downing's 73rd-minute strike completed their recovery. Sam Allardyce's side had risen to fourth place in the Premier League on the back of three straight wins, including last weekend's impressive victory over Manchester City. West Ham - without in-form striker Diafra Sakho because of a shoulder injury - were way below their best at a blustery Britannia Stadium but showed they have resolve to add to their more attractive playing style this season.
Stoke dominated the first half with Bojan Krkic, starting a league game for the first time since mid-September, full of neat touches and Jon Walters and Geoff Cameron linking up well on the right. It was from that flank that Moses opened the scoring after 33 minutes. The Hammers failed to deal with a Cameron centre and after Bojan's cross was blocked, Moses pounced from close range.

Things could have been worse for the visitors before the break, but keeper Adrian brilliantly blocked Diouf's shot after he span away from James Collins inside the box. The Hammers did not manage a shot on target in the first 45 minutes so it was no surprise to see Allardyce - who started with one striker - revert to two up front at the break, with Carlton Cole sent on to support Valencia. Stoke continued to press forward, and deservedly extended their lead after 56 minutes when Diouf headed home after good work by Walters down the right. Only in the last half-hour did West Ham come to life, and Downing was at the heart of their revival. With Stoke still complaining about a wild-looking Alex Song challenge on Diouf that had gone unpunished, the ball broke to the former Liverpool winger on the right and he delivered a perfect floated cross for Valencia to nod home at the far post. The Potters almost restored their two-goal lead when Steven Nzonzi was denied by Adrian but, instead, the Hammers completed their comeback. Valencia was the creator, with Downing meeting his pull-back from the left with a fierce strike that Asmir Begovic could not keep out - denying Stoke victory on manager Mark Hughes's 51st birthday.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes on the unpunished Alex Song challenge in the build-up to West Ham's first goal: "It was dangerous play. It was reckless. We're grateful that Diouf jumped out of the way, because it could have been a nasty collision. "The referee should come down on challenges like that - he needed to stop play, but apparently he was trying to play an advantage, which we didn't get. But it's not the first time we've been disappointed by a referee this season. "I think everybody at the game knows who were the better side, and who created the most chances. Unfortunately, sport doesn't always give the spoils to the team who deserve them."

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce: "When you're 2-0 down away from home anywhere in the Premier League, getting anything is a terrific comeback. For us, that's what it had to be. "I always thought there was a goal in us. We changed the shape of the team and went for it, knowing we'd either lose 3-0 or get it back to 2-1, at which point Stoke might get nervous. "Stewart Downing scored with his right foot. People think he's all left foot, and he isn't. We moved him into the middle from the wing, and he made a terrific difference."

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Stoke City 2-2 West Ham Utd
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 1st November 2014
By: Staff Writer

West Ham extended their unbeaten run to four games after coming back from a two goal deficit to rescue a point at the Britannia Stadium this afternoon. Things looked bleak at one stage for Sam Allardyce's high-flying team, who fell behind midway through the first half before Stoke doubled their advantage ten minutes after the restart.

However the Hammers rescued a point and extended their unbeaten run to four games as Valencia stooped to convert Downing's cross on the hour mark, before the former Liverpool and Aston Villa midfielder slammed home an equaliser 17 minutes from time.

On the backfoot and having lost key defender Winston Reid to injury after just 24 minutes it was no surprise when West Ham fell behind after being caught out by a deep cross that fell to City's on-loan striker, Victor Moses.

The Chelsea-owned forward's shot was initially blocked by James Collins - just one of many the committed Welsh international threw himself into on the day - but the ball fell kindly to Moses, who poked the ball over the line at the second attempt despite Carl Jenkinson's best efforts to prevent it from crossing the line.

In stark contrast to recent weeks, West Ham failed to muster a single shot on target (from four shots) in the opening 45 minutes.

Stewart Downing should have at least hit the target after a lovely one-two with Alex Song in United's best move of the half. However the former England winger could only blast over the bar much to the chagrin of Song, who was far better placed to score.

But for the intervention of Adrian's left leg - which diverted Diouf's point-blank shot wide of the post in first half injury time - West Ham would have found themselves heading into the break facing a two-goal disadvantage. As it was, the Potters has to wait just 11 minutes following the restart to register a second goal.

Aaron Cresswell, whose left side was targeted by today's hosts misjudged an interception allowing Walters to break free. Having cut back inside he delivered a carefully-weighted cross to the near post where Diouf made amends for his earlier miss, heading Stoke into a two-goal lead.

Crucially, the Hammers allowed Stoke to lead by two for just four minutes. Stewart Downing, who has been enjoying a renaissance this season at the head of a diamond formation skipped away down the right before delivering an inch-perfect cross to the far post.

Stealing into the penalty area to meet Downing's delivery was Valencia, who stooped to place a guided header into the far corner beyond Asmir Begovic. It was another brilliantly-executed effort from the Ecuador international, who simply doesn't score average goals.

With the bit between their teeth West Ham pressed forward in search of an equaliser. Yet less than two minutes before it arrived, Stoke should have restored their two-goal lead' fortunately Diouf could only nod tamely wide of goal, despite being completely unmarked on the perimeter of West Ham's six-yard box.

That proved to be a costly miss for the Stoke striker as within two minutes, West Ham had completed what at one stage appeared to be an unlikely comeback. Once again it was that man Downing who popped up in City's penalty box to smash home United's second that emanated from a corner.

With tables turned, West Ham now looked the more likely to go on and snatch a late winner at the end of what had been an enthralling second half. However true to form for a topsy-turvy encounter such as this it was Stoke who went closest to finding a late winner.

Bojan, a former team mate (and fellow reject) of Alex Song's at Barcelona was perhaps the home side's best player on the day. He stung Adrian's fingers with a fierce drive from the edge of the area as City began to find their feet once again.

West Ham had Adrian - who had faced criticism from some quarters in recent weeks - to thank for the second successive week when he produced a fingertip save to deny Walters as the minutes ticked away. It was to prove Stoke's last real chance and although they were perhaps the better side overall, they had to settle for a point.

Adrián San Miguel ✔ @AdriSanMiguel
Very good point we have achieved today!Impressive comeback of the team after losing 2-0!Excellent effort💪WHU away fans were top class👏 #COYI

As for West Ham, it was another positive ending to a game that had looked to be slipping away at one point. Although they may have played better in recent weeks, today Big Sam's boys showed a steely resolve that will be required if they are to build upon the successful start.

The final word today goes to match official Chris Foy (not Hoy, we're not Spurs fans). Mark Hughes was infuriated that the referee missed what he felt was a dangerous challenge by Alex Song whilst Allardyce, his team and everyone of a claret and blue persuasion was incensed by Foy's willingness to turn a blind eye to Stoke's cynical tactics. Safe to say it wasn't his finest hour.

Next up for West Ham are Aston Villa, who visit the Boleyn Ground next week.

Stoke City 2-2 West Ham Utd: Match Facts
West Ham Utd: Adrian, Jenkinson, Collins, Reid (Tomkins 24), Cresswell, Song, Noble (Nolan 68), Kouyate, Amalfitano (Cole 46), Downing, Valencia.
Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Zarate, Jarvis.
Goals: Valencia (60), Downing (73).
Booked: Collins (66).
Possession: 40%.
Shots on/off Target: 10 (6/4).
Number of Passes (Long Passes): 318 (65).

Stoke City: Begovic, Cameron, Shawcross (c), Wilson, Pieters, N'Zonzi, Sidwell, Moses, Walters, Bojan (Adam 82), Diouf.
Subs not used: Sorensen, Muniesa, Ireland, Arnautovic, Teixeira, Assaidi.
Goals: Moses (33), Diouf (56).
Booked: Sidwell (54).
Possession: 60%.
Shots on/off target: 21 (11/10).
Number of Passes (Long Passes): 469 (69).

Referee:Chris Foy (5).

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Big Sam blast inspires comeback
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 1st November 2014
By: Staff Writer

Stewart Downing has revealed that a half time rocket from Big Sam inspired the team to rescue a point at the Britannia Stadium this afternoon. Late goals from Enner Valencia and Downing himself earned the Hammers a valuable point at Stoke, after the home side had opened a two-goal advantage with a goal either side of the half time break. But Downing, who was one of many who struggled in the first half admitted after the game that the team had been told in no uncertain terms at half time that an immediate improvement was necessary. "The manager gave us a rocket a half-time," he admitted, " adding "but I'm sure he would be happy with a point at the end of that."

Allardyce meanwhile was delighted with the point - regardless of the circumstances in which it was achieved. "When you're 2-0 down away from home anywhere in the Premier League, getting anything is a terrific comeback," he told the BBC. "For us, that's what it had to be.
"It wasn't that we weren't trying, but we couldn't get our passing game going - partly because of the conditions, and partly because Stoke were doing a good job on us. "I always thought there was a goal in us. We changed the shape of the team and went for it, knowing we'd either lose 3-0 or get it back to 2-1, at which point Stoke might get nervous. "Stewart Downing scored with his right foot. People think he's all left foot, and he isn't. We moved him into the middle from the wing, and he made a terrific difference."

West Ham fell behind after 33 minutes when Victor Moses opened the scoring from close range. Stoke added a second goal ten minutes after the restart having capitalised on a mistake by Aaron Cresswell. However West Ham rescued a point - and extended their unbeaten run to four games - when Valencia stooped to convert Downing's cross on the hour mark before the former Liverpool and Aston Villa midfielder slammed home an equaliser 17 minutes from time.

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And without a hint of irony, here's Mark Hughes
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 1st November 2014
By: Staff Writer

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has accused referee Chris Foy of failing to penalise West Ham's Alex Song for a dangerous tackle in today's 2-2 draw at the Britannia Stadium. Song raised Hughes' ire in the second half when he went in studs-up for a challenge with Stoke's Mame Biram Diouf shortly before Enner Valencia scored the first of West Ham's goals. The tackle - which bore similarities to the Sergio Aguero challenge on Mark Noble last weekend that went unpunished - was ignored by Foy, as were a number of dubious challenges by Stoke players that left the likes of Adrian and Winston Reid requiring lengthy treatment. They were also clearly no concern of City boss Hughes either, who blasted Foy after the game for failing to take action against Song. "It was dangerous play. It was reckless. We're grateful that Diouf jumped out of the way, because it could have been a nasty collision," he moaned. "The referee should come down on challenges like that - he needed to stop play, but apparently he was trying to play an advantage, which we didn't get. But it's not the first time we've been disappointed by a referee this season."

Hughes also maintained that his team were the better side on the day, despite dropping two points late on thanks to a spirited comeback from a West Ham team missing the likes of Winston Reid, Andy Carroll and lkeading goalscorer Diafra Sakho. "I think everybody at the game knows who were the better side, and who created the most chances," he mused. "Unfortunately, sport doesn't always give the spoils to the team who deserve it." "We should be celebrating, because our performance deserved maximum points."

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Stewart Downing inspires West Ham fightback at Stoke City
By James Walker-Roberts. Last Updated: 01/11/14 6:14pm
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Stewart Downing scored one and set up another as West Ham fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. It looked as though it would be a happy 51st birthday for Mark Hughes as Victor Moses bundled home from close range in the first half and Mame Biram Diouf doubled the advantage from Jonathan Walters' cross shortly after the break.

Best of the match

Man of the match: Bojan was brilliant for Stoke, putting in his best performance for the club so far, but Stewart Downing takes the honours for inspiring West Ham's comeback.
Moment of the match: Just minutes before West Ham made it 2-2 the hosts had a superb chance to go 3-1 ahead but Diouf failed to hit the target with his header from a great position.
Save of the match: With less than a minute remaining in the first half it looked as though Stoke would go in 2-0 up as Diouf turned Collins in the box. But Adrian did brilliantly to deny him with an outstretched leg.

But West Ham halved the deficit on the hour mark when Downing whipped in an excellent ball for Enner Valencia to nod in. The visitors had barely threatened up until that point but they levelled in the 72nd minute when Downing drilled in a shot that Asmir Begovic could not keep out. The draw sees West Ham drop to fifth spot in the Premier League while Stoke slip down to 12th. And the Hammers' comeback is even more impressive considering they were without injured top scorer Diafra Sakho and struggled in the early stages against a lively Stoke side. The hosts carved out the first opening in the ninth minute when Geoff Cameron crossed from the right for Bojan but his effort was well blocked by James Collins. The right-hand side would prove to be a rich outlet for Stoke and they created another chance from there midway through the half when Bojan fired a wicked ball across the six-yard box that Diouf was just inches away from tapping in. West Ham's early frustrations were added to when Winston Reid picked up an injury and had to be replaced by James Tomkins. But they could have taken the lead after 28 minutes as Alex Song teed up Downing with a delightful backheel but the winger fired wastefully over the bar.

Minutes later the hosts edged ahead when Bojan saw a shot blocked by Collins and the ball fell to Moses, who managed to bundle it in from close range. It was no more than Stoke deserved and they almost doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time when Diouf turned Collins but saw his shot brilliantly saved by Adrian. Still, it didn't take Stoke long to make it 2-0 after the break as Walters did well to win the ball on the right and crossed for Diouf to head home. At that stage there only looked to be one winner and Moses almost made sure of victory as he curled an effort narrowly wide of the post. But the Hammers proved that they are more than up for the fight as they staged a superb comeback in the final 30 minutes. They halved the deficit on the hour mark when Downing burst free down the right and curled in an excellent cross that Valencia stooped to head home. Stoke were aggrieved that play was not stopped in the build-up after a tough tackle by Song but they should have restored their two-goal advantage in the 70th minute when Diouf headed wide after a fine free-kick from Erik Pieters. The miss proved costly as just a couple of minutes later Valencia did well to pull back a cross to the penalty spot where Downing lashed a shot past Begovic. Both sides pushed hard for a winner in the closing stages but neither could carve out another real opening. Geoff Cameron had an effort palmed away by Adrian while Begovic did well to stand up and deny Valencia at the other end.

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Sam Allardyce delighted as West Ham fight back to deny Stoke City
Hammers boss pleased with change in style that helped secure a point
SSN

Stewart Downing praises the team effort after West Ham fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Stoke. Sam Allardyce hailed West Ham's character and determination after they fought back from two goals to claim a 2-2 draw against Stoke City. Missing top scorer Diafra Sakho, the Hammers looked to be heading for defeat at the Britannia as goals from Victor Moses and Mame Biram Diouf put the hosts in control. But the visitors staged an impressive comeback in the final 30 minutes and grabbed a share of the spoils thanks to efforts from Enner Valencia and Stewart Downing. Allardyce told Sky Sports that it was no more than his side deserved after a gutsy display."It shows the character of this team, not giving up right to the very end," he said. "We haven't played our best today, we know that, but it's points on the board and it's a gritty and determined result. "When we got the goal just after 2-0 that was a real turning point then we got a grip and scored another very good goal. I couldn't have seen have us doing that over the past two years, having the determination and the grit, but ultimately we got back to 2-2 because of our quality."

Victor Moses was frustrated with Stoke's draw with West Ham after they let a two goal lead slip. Quality is something the Hammers looked short of for much of the opening hour as they struggled to create any chances of note against a solid Stoke defence. But they burst into life thanks to the goals from Valencia and Downing and could have nicked the win as both sides pushed for all three points in the closing stages. "We were not producing the type of movement and passing we normally do because of the conditions and Stoke shutting us down," said Allardyce. "Changing the way we had to play got us back into the game. When you are 2-0 down you take the chance, you open up more and say you are either going to lose 3-0 or get back into the game. "This time we got back into the game at 2-2 and there was no point trying to get any messages on the field for changing the way we played, it was either go and win it lads or lose it, up to you. In the end we got a draw so I'm delighted with that."

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Carlton Cole reaches 200 Premier League appearances for West Ham United
Last Updated: 01/11/14 9:24pm
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West Ham United striker Carlton Cole is overwhelmed at having played 200 Premier League games for the club. Cole featured as a second half substitute for West Ham in the 2-2 draw against Stoke at the Brittania Stadium on Saturday. The 31-year-old is six goals shy of Paolo Di Canio's record of 47 Premier League goals for West Ham, but says reaching that milestone is not something he is thinking about at the moment. "I love playing for West Ham United. Everyone has shown me a lot of respect and it's touching my heart to even say I'm here," Cole told Sky Sports. "200 appearances is hard to achieve at one club - usually strikers are moving around the country and I'm just really happy to have made my 200th Premier League appearance for West Ham." On getting close to Di Canio's record, the former Chelsea striker said: "I'm not even looking at that. It was news to me today when I got on to the coach that it was my 200th game but it would be great if I can get close to that. "I think I have done my fair share for West Ham United. I just want to be involved as much as I can, score as many goals as I can and if I get there, I get there, if I don't so be it, but at least I'll be second."

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Mark Hughes frustrated as 'superior' Stoke are pegged back by West Ham
Potters boss disappointed by refereeing decision in build-up to first West Ham goal
Last Updated: 01/11/14 7:17pm
SSN

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes was left scratching his head after seeing his 'far superior' side surrender a two-goal lead against West Ham at the Britannia. The Potters looked to be coasting to victory as goals from Victor Moses and Mame Biram Diouf gave them a 2-0 lead. But the visitors battled back with efforts from Enner Valencia and Stewart Downing to deny Hughes victory on his 51st birthday. "It was a game we should have won comprehensively," the Stoke manager told Sky Sports. "We are scratching our heads wondering how we haven't got maximum points, in the end we have taken a draw from a game we should have won easily. Stewart Downing praises the team effort after West Ham fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Stoke. "We were by far the superior team on the day. West Ham probably had two strikes on goal and scored twice, credit to them for that, but we should have won that game comfortably by the manner of our performance and the chances we created." Diouf spurned a couple of excellent opportunities to add to Stoke's tally as he failed to beat Adrian late in the first half and then headed wide from a great position after West Ham made it 2-1. Victor Moses was frustrated with Stoke's draw with West Ham after they let a two goal lead slip. Hughes was also frustrated that referee Chris Foy did not stop play before West Ham's first goal when Alex Song appeared to dive in for a tackle on Diouf. "It's a two-footed lunge," said Hughes. "At that stage of proceedings you want the referee to stamp down on those kind of challenges and give the message that it's not acceptable so you stop play and either book the guy or send him off for dangerous play. "Thankfully he didn't catch him because if he did it would have been a bad challenge and we might be paying the consequences of it. Why Chris Foy thinks we have gained an advantage from the situation I have no idea. We are disappointed with that because from that missed free-kick they go up the other end and get the opening goal." Hughes, though, was buoyed by the displays of Bojan Krkic and Victor Moses, both of whom were brilliant for the hosts. "I felt Bojan benefitted from the game on Wednesday night, he looked strong and inventive," said Hughes. "That's why we want him on the pitch and why we bought him to the club. Everyone saw what he can produce for us, he will get better and stronger and it was really encouraging the amount of quality he produced. "Victor has been doing that since he has come here. I'm pleased he got on the scoresheet, his performance deserved a goal."

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WEST HAM 2, STOKE 2. WATER INTO WINE.
By David Hautzig 1 Nov 2014 at 19:16
West Ham Till I Die

So. Who would it be? Assuming prudent thinking prevailed and Diafra Sakho was out for today's clash at The Britannia to allow his shoulder to heal properly, who would step in? We are all so used to scraping the bottom of the barrel when one of our better players is hurt that actually having a few decent options borders on euphoria. Like going to a party and coming home not with one, but two phone numbers. From that perspective I tried to look at losing our top goal scorer as a chance to dangle a carrot out for some other players. Here's your chance, come and get it.

Carlton Cole looked pretty useful when he came on against Burnley and Crystal Palace. Elliot Lee scores in his sleep for the Development Squad and his movement and eye for the goal could have made him a very good stand in with Valencia, but his loan to Southend squashed that idea. Zarate seemed an appropriate choice to many on Twitter, but a mystery thigh strain kept him out last week and we all know how Sam treats most players coming back from injury. That left one obvious choice. I can't believe I'm saying it……but I wanted to see Kevin Nolan get the call. With Crouch and Bardsley out for Stoke, something about Nolan's experience felt comforting.

Then word came that a decision had been made. The winner is….Kouyate. I didn't read one pundit or Tweet even suggesting that as a possibility. Did that mean two up front was dead and buried until Sakho comes back? Or maybe Sam Alirdici was back with a new trick up his sleeve? Maybe it was simply a matter of Amalfitano has played too well to take out, and Kouyate is too good to leave out.

If the first ten minutes were to be a clue of things to come, then it looked like we were in store for a long day. Victor Moses has been of those players that seemed on the verge of doing something special for quite awhile, but always strayed off the path to quality. In the 7th minute he gave us the first of many glimpses on the day of what he is capable of. He picked up the ball in midfield and brought it down the left hand side. I expected someone to close him down. He probably did, too. When nobody did he went for the shot when patience might have served him better. His shot sailed high over the bar.

A minute later West Ham had their first opportunity when Sidwell clipped Song and conceded a free kick. Stoke have been awful defending set pieces this season, so there was a bit of hope and anticipation when Downing stepped up to take it. Turned out that Stoke didn't need to worry. They didn't need to do anything, actually. Downing's shot flew high over the net.

When James Collins name shows up on the team sheet, some supporters get anxious. He can make the kind of mistakes that lead directly to opposition goals. But when he is on his game, like he was against Man City, he is like a building. With legs. Geoff Cameron got behind Cresswell and fed Bojan in the box. He should have blasted it, and if he had it likely would have gone past Adrian before the Spaniard even moved. But a touch and a moment of hesitation gave Collins the time he needed to throw himself in front of the shot. A few minutes later he did it again when Walters passed into the area only to have Ginge clear it. But it didn't go far enough, and N'Zonzi pounced and fired on goal. No problem for he of iron forehead, who dove in and made another outstanding block.

Even when Alex Song does something wrong you know he is quality. Just above the rest of the mortals on the pitch. In the 14th minute, he and Valencia went on the attack after Song won the ball off of Sidwell and tried to feed it into the area for the striker. But the pass was a little too heavy. A bit like many of us, I suspect.

Amalfitano has played very well so far this season. Today, however, is a day he probably wont keep in his scrapbook. N'Zonzi pressured him into giving up a corner. Granted, nobody was there to help him. But even a simple hoof to the sideline would have been better. Downing headed the corner to safety, but the revelation that has been Stuart Downing did not look pleased. After the success he has seen this year on the top of the diamond formation, he was out wide and thus not seeing much of the ball. And Valencia looked like a skinnier version of Cole, up there all alone with little or no support. With Sakho, all four defenders have to be on top of their game. With one up top, they can break for tea if they want.

The 21st minute brought another moment Amalfitano will want to forget about when Bojan twisted him inside out near the touchline and sent a ball right across goal. Diouf looked ready to tap it home, but somehow missed. Moses then tried a curling shot after making Jenkinson look like Amalfitano just did but it went wide.

There was only one team in the game to this point. It's amazing how the loss of one player can reverberate throughout an entire squad. More worrying was the site of Winston Reid on the ground clutching his ankle. Replays showed he twisted it during a challenge from N'Zonzi. His day was coming to an end, and Tomkins was called into action.

In the 27th minute West Ham finally decided to enter the game instead of watch it. Song and Downing worked a lovely give and go after a bad clearance from Begovic. But with two options in front of the goal, one being a wide open Kouyate, Downing opted to go for goal. If the goal had been ten rows in behind the net, he would have scored.

In the annals of scrappy goals, Stoke's opener could be a cover photo. Cameron crossed the ball in from the right side. Bojan attempted a shot from the knockdown by Diouf, but it was partially blocked. Nobody in our back line could get a touch on the ball as it rolled to Moses. His shot hit the post, bounced out, hit him again and rolled in. It could have been an OG. It was hard to tell. But I was in no mood to study it.

Stoke 1, West Ham 0.

There was a moment in the 39th minute which summed up the day to that point. With nobody around him, Jenkinson passed the ball back. That would be OK if the pass had actually been to someone. Song chased it down, averting what could have been a real problem. What was Jenkinson thinking? Who did he see? Is sloppy play like the flu, an airborne virus that spreads quickly? Up front, every time Valencia had the ball with at least a theoretical chance to do something all he did was run, lose the ball, fall down, and look at the ref.

In the 43rd minute it was Tomkins turn to be James Collins when Cameron waltzed through two in light blue and aimed a cross at Diouf. Tomkins radar worked perfectly and he slid in to deny Stoke a great chance for a second goal. It only took a few seconds for the home side to get another chance when Bojan took the ball away from Song and tried a long range missile. Lucky for us it was as accurate as a Scud. I was praying for halftime without any more stress.

Nope.

Cameron was at it again, beating our defenders like a drum and sending a low ball into Diouf right in front of goal. It should have been 2-0. No question. And I may never know how Adrian grew larger by about a foot in every conceivable direction to block that goalbound shot.

Halftime finally, and thankfully, arrived.

The Twitter hounds were out in force calling for Amalfitano's head. He wasn't the only player who had been poor, if not terrible in the first half. But he was the most obvious target of frustration, Sam likely agreed, and he didn't come out for the second half. Instead, Carlton Cole was brought on. I for one was surprised. I would have expected Nolan or Zarate.

When Chris Foy handles our games, good things don't usually happen. There is no earthly reason why one referee should bring bad results to one team time and time again, but it happens. When Marc Wilson put a body check into Valencia that would make any hockey coach proud he should have seen yellow. He saw nothing. Neither did Foy, apparently, and perhaps history was repeating itself.

In the 51st minute James Tomkins continued his good work since coming on for Reid. Stoke were again pressing, asking the proverbial questions, and Tomkins was again there to answer the call of duty. He broke up an attack where Stoke had numbers and N'Zonzi was ready to latch onto a pass. Stoke are doing what they did in the first forty five minutes. Attack us, control the game, and fall back on defense when needed. Which wasn't often. At least Mr. Tomkins and Mr. Collins were doing their jobs and doing them well.

Aaron Cresswell has done very little wrong since arriving from Ipswich. In fact, his play has been as valuable as anybody's. Including Sakho. So when I say he made as bad a decision as I've seen in many years from a defender to give up Stoke's second goal I don't want anybody to accuse me of not appreciating the lad. Bojan sent the kind of long ball that Sam Allardyce dreams about over Cresswell. Instead of dealing with it, in any sort of way, he watched as Walters went around him to collect a pass he shouldn't have had a chance in hell of getting. Good cross to Diouf, simple header past Adrian, in the net.

Stoke 2, West Ham 0.

You may say that you still had hope. You may say you didn't think the game was over. And you may be lying. I for one didn't see anything that told me we could come back from 2-0 down midway through the second half.

Times are definitely changing.

In the 58th minute, Song played a ball in for Valencia. I'm not sure how, but quality players like Song can do that. Valencia's attempt on goal was blocked by Darth Shawcross. West Ham had their first corner. Nothing came of it, but West Ham were asking some questions. Two minutes later, Stoke couldn't find the answer when Downing broke down the right and sent a stunning cross over everyone except Valencia, who dove at it with his own iron forehead and put it in the back of the net. Stoke were angry about a two footed challenge by Song a few seconds earlier, and to be fair it should have been a foul. But Stoke live by the sword, and sometimes they must die by the sword. In other words….get over it, Sparky.

Stoke 2, West Ham 1.

The 62nd minute should have been the minute Stoke restored their two goal lead. An impressive passing sequence ended with Walters passing to N'Zonzi. That's when the 62nd minute changed into the minute Adrian palmed the ball behind to keep West Ham in the game.

When West Ham play Stoke, it's often a game of messages. Like the time Neill sent Etherington flying into the advertising boards early in a game, keeping Matty relatively quiet the rest of the day. When James Collins decided that Bojan's shins looked a lot like a football he got a yellow card. And Bojan got something to think about the rest of the game if he got the ball. Considering that he had been a step ahead of Song for much of the game, I'd say Ginge did the right thing.

In the 69th minute, Noble came off for Nolan. If this is the way forward in terms of Nolan's role with the team I'm all for it. He can be quite useful in tight spots, and this was a tight spot. And it almost got as tight as a noose three minutes later when Mame Biram Diouf somehow figured out how to suspend the laws of motion. The ball was placed perfectly to his head. He was in a perfect position to score. He had to score there. He didn't.

And he will have nightmares about it for a long time because a minute later, against not only the run of play but simple logic, West Ham were level. Valencia picked up the ball on the left side after a West Ham corner. His pass into the box looked destined for Kouyate. But the big man dummied it, it rolled to Downing, and he slammed it behind Begovic at the near post.

Stoke 2, West Ham 2.

West Ham nearly took the lead in the 77th minute when Valencia was sent in on goal all by himself. Just him and Begovic. Valencia acted as surprised as anybody, and maybe the shock is what gave Begovic the instant he needed to get down in front of the ball and push it out of danger.

Charlie Adam came on for Bojan in the 82nd minute, and one could easily have seen the cagey veteran finding a way to grab back all three points for the home side. He never got the chance, I'm happy to say. A minute later, Geoff Cameron did. His pass to Walters was returned after a run into the box. But instead of instinctively shooting straight away, he tried to control the ball. That extra touch gave Adrian time to move into position and push the ball behind for what should have been a corner. How the officials missed that is a question only they can answer. I wouldn't bother listening, however.

The ghosts of Tony Pulis came out for a bit in the 86th minute when Walters went shoulder first into Adrian's chest. A few minutes earlier Carlton Cole was nearly apoplectic with anger after a tussle in front of Begovic. The whole atmosphere was getting salty. Would someone turn their anger into a winning goal before the three minutes of added time were done? The best chance came in the second added minute when Shawcross made a marauding run down the right, only to lose the ball on a perfectly timed tackle by Kouyate. The Stoke defender hopped right back up, smile on his face as if to say "no autopsy, no foul". A final ball into the area by Adam is headed away by Collins.

Final score. Stoke 2, West Ham 2.

If we do go on to have a memorable year, we may all look back on this draw as the moment we knew it was possible. Just like the draw at Chelsea gave us the belief last year that we could survive, this draw could give us the belief we can thrive.

Cresswell was awful.

Jenkinson was only a little better than Cresswell, so nothing to remember.

Song was human. By his standards, that's terrible.

Yet we pulled together to grind out a point when we truly didn't deserve it. Good teams do that. And we may actually be a good team.

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Aaron Cresswell set for England chance after impressive start to West Ham career
Nov 01, 2014 22:30 By Steve Stammers
The 24-year-old defender has played in each of the Hammers' ten games so far this season and is expected to be in the Three Lions' next squad
The Mirror

Aaron Cresswell is set to be rewarded for his contribution to West Ham's impressive start to the season with an England call-up. Three Lions manager Roy Hodgson will name his squad on Thursday for the European Championship qualifier against Slovenia on November 15 and the prestige friendly against Scotland in Glasgow four days later. Hodgson has already said he will field a team against Scotland that will give a chance to fringe players and hopefuls. And Cresswell – 25 next month – is in the frame for a place in the squad for Glasgow.
If he is called up for England it would represent another remarkable chapter in the Cresswell story. He was rejected as a teenager by Liverpool, but remained determined to succeed in the professional game. He joined Tranmere and then played at Ipswich for three years before moving to Upton Park in the summer for an fee of £3.75million plus add-ons. The consistency of West Ham midfielder Mark Noble may also be rewarded.

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Stoke 2-2 West Ham: Hosts angered by referee after relinquishing two-goal lead
Sport Football Barclays Premier League
Nov 01, 2014 20:10 By Ralph Ellis
The Mirror

Mark Hughes was left fuming after ref Chris Foy chose to ignore a tackle by Alex Song that sparked a dramatic comeback from the Hammers
Mark Hughes was left fuming as ref Chris Foy ruined what was shaping up to be a perfect birthday. Stoke's boss was expecting to celebrate with three points with his team two goals up and strolling – but then Foy ignored a studs-up challenge by Alex Song that allowed Stewart Downing to break away and spark a comeback. Instead Hughes, 51 yesterday, went home mystified at why one of the Premier League's most senior referees could ignore an obvious foul. He said: "The referee needs to do better. It was a poor challenge by Song because he was out of control and with two feet off the ground. "I was only thankful that Mame Diouf was able to jump out of the way, but the ref should have seen it and blown. "Referees were told to stamp out those kind of challenges but he did nothing about it. He is one of our senior refs, so he has to do better than that."

Asked if he felt a Stoke player would have been penalised for the same challenge, Hughes said: "I can't say that, can I? You saw it, if you think it, you can write it. I can only think it." The Potters were leading thanks to goals by Victor Moses and Diouf with half an hour left when the incident happened. But Downing's run and brilliant cross for Enner Valencia to head home changed the tempo.And Downing then smashed home a 72nd minute equaliser to extend the Hammers ' run to 13 points in their last six games. Not that even Sam Allardyce thought they played well. "We were struggling with the way Stoke denied us space," he said. "But then we showed some character. Teams who stay in the top half get something form games when they don't play well, and it is a sign of our character that we are going home with a point when perhaps we didn't deserve it."

Well West Ham fans wanted a team that was true to the club's traditions – and they've got one, for good and bad. Right back to the days of Moore, Hurst and Peters in the 60s when the legend of the Upton Park academy was first created the Hammers could be brilliant one minute, diabolical the next. And here was a 90 minute exercise in the same thing. For an hour Big Sam's side didn't turn up. The side who had worked themselves into the ground to beat Champions Manchester City seven days ago were second to everything. Song was strolling around, Valencia was anonymous up front, and even the normally reliable Mark Noble couldn't seem to place a pass in the right direction.

If it hadn't been for the inspiring figure of James Collins in the heart of their defence, Stoke would have been out of sight by half time. It was only a surprise it took 33 minutes for a goal to come, when Diouf teed up the excellent Bojan, and though Collins blocked his shot the ball spun for Moses to stab in his first for the club. Diouf should have made it 2-0 right on half time when he finally wriggled free of Collins only for Adrian to make a brilliant save. But he didn't have to wait long after the interval, getting on the end of Jonathan Walters' cross after excellent work by the Irish international. It seemed all over – until Valencia's header on the hour and from there the game swung completely. With 72 minutes gone Valencia again wriggled his way to the byline and squared the ball back to find Downing on the back post letting loose an unstoppable right foot volley.

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Gold: "Our fans are extraordinary"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 1, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

David Gold reckons the Irons fans were a big motivating force behind today's great result at Stoke City declaring the Britannia Stadium "one of the fiercest and most partisan grounds in the country." He told ClaretandHugh: "They boo very decision that goes against them and are absolutely relentless in the support of their team but our fans were extraordinary. "They are an amazing and don't get anything like the amount of credit they deserve. "They were brilliant in their support and for me were a big reason we got back to 2-2. I thank every one of them. "Following your football team is an extraordinarily expensive business these days. In my day it cost the equivalent to 10p and even then I bunked into the Chicken Run for free. "I say a lot about our fans because they are a unique bunch and deserve all the praise in the world."

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Reid injury update
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 1, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Winston Reid has suffered a dead leg and is fully expected to be back for the Hammers against Aston Villa next weekend. Co-chairman David Gold – speaking to ClaretandHugh on his way home from Stoke this evening – revealed: "He suffered a dead leg and came off knowing that James Tomkins was available on the bench. "It's normally not a serious thing and as a fit young man we would expect him to shake the problem off relatively quickly and be available for next weekend." Gold was delighted with the team's fightback from two down to take a point declaring: "We were second best in the first half and looked unbalanced with just the one striker. "But the manager changed things immediately at half time rather than waiting 15 minutes or so and we showed real grit to claw our way back "Stewart Downing was my man of the match but James Collins was immense. I'm sure if a double decker bus had come through the middle he'd have headed it away."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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Daily WHUFC News - 1st November 2014

Preview - Stoke City
WHUFC.com
Everything you need to know about the Hammers' trip to the Britannia Stadium
this Saturday
31.10.2014

STOKE CITY v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
BRITANNIA STADIUM
SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2014
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: CHRIS FOY

In brief

West Ham United travel to the Britannia Stadium to play Stoke City on
Saturday, with the Hammers aiming to secure their fourth consecutive win in
the Barclays Premier League.
The Potters are currently 12th, having taken eleven points from their first
nine games. Mark Hughes' side have struggled for consistency this season,
securing a shock away victory at Manchester City yet losing at home to Aston
Villa and Leicester City.

Sam Allardyce's team are eight places ahead of Saturday's hosts with 16
points from their first nine games after the Hammers secured a deserved 2-1
victory over reigning champions Manchester City last weekend at the Boleyn
Ground. Goals from new signings Morgan Amalfitano and Diafra Sakho, his
sixth in as many games, secured the three points. Last season the Potters
secured a league double over the Hammers with a 3-1 victory in the same
fixture last term.

Who are they?
Formed in 1863 as Stoke Ramblers they became Stoke Football Club following a
merger with Stoke Victoria Athletic Club. Having turned professional in 1885
they became Stoke City Football Club in 1925 after Stoke-on-Trent was
granted 'City status'. The Potters moved from the Victoria Ground after 119
years to their current home at the Britannia Stadium in 1997. Stoke were
one of the twelve founding members of the Football League. Among their club
honours is winning the League Cup in 1971/72 as well as being crowned
Division Two champions in 1932/33 and 1962/63. More recently Stoke have
enjoyed one of their more successful eras having established themselves as a
Premier League club since promotion in 2008. They narrowly missed out on
being crowned FA Cup winners after losing to Manchester City 1-0 in the 2011
final.

Team news
West Ham United
Diafra Sakho will face a late fitness test to assess his recovery on a
shoulder injury picked up against Manchester City last Saturday.
James Tomkins has overcome his thigh injury and is available for selection,
as is winger Matt Jarvis following a knock. Andy Carroll is also back in
training but not yet ready to return to the first team.

Stoke City
Peter Crouch is unavailable due to suspension after being sent off in
Stoke's midweek 3-2 defeat by Southampton in the League Cup.
Influential players such as Robert Huth (calf) and Peter Odemwingie (knee)
are out while Glenn Whelan is also unavailable as he recovers from a broken
leg, he is expected to return in early December at the earliest.

Referee
Saturday's match referee will be Merseyside based Chris Foy. The experienced
referee took charge of his first Premier League match almost 13 years ago.
Foy has refereed five matches so far this season including the Hammers'
opening day 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur which included a James Collins
red card. In Foy's only game involving West Ham last season they lost 3-0 to
London rivals Chelsea.

One to watch
West Ham United
Aaron Cresswell has been a revelation since signing from Ipswich Town. The
24-year-old left back has taken to life in the Premier League like a duck to
water as he has played every minute of the Hammers' league campaign so far.
An energetic defender, Cresswell has won plaudits for his marauding runs
forward and excellent deliveries for the front men, claiming two assists in
the last two games after pinpoint crosses for Diafra Sakho to head home.
Stoke City

French midfielder Steven Nzonzi is a powerful figure in the centre of the
park for Stoke. The dominating 25-year-old is an integral part of Stoke's
line up having featured eleven times already this season. Nzonzi is a
competitive midfielder who can create openings for his teammates while not
afraid to put himself about and do the unglamorous hard graft.

Tickets

Standard tickets for this game have now sold out. Tickets for the Hammers
next home game with Aston Villa are available here.

Travel

Directions to the Britannia Stadium can be found here.

Weather
An overcast day with sunny spells is predicted for Saturday, with
temperature at kick-off of 12C (54F)
Last meeting
Stoke City 3-1 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
15 March 2014
Stoke City came from a goal down to win 3-1 at the Britannia Stadium last
season. West Ham United striker Andy Carroll opened the scoring after just
five minutes before Stoke equalised after Peter Crouch's shot was deflected
in by Peter Odemwingie.

Stoke took the lead through Marko Arnautovic before Odemwingie sealed the
victory with eleven minutes to go.

Stoke City: Begovic, Wilson, Shawcross, Pieters (Muniesa 14), Cameron,
Whelan, Ireland, Odemwingie, Arnautovic, Nzonzi, Crouch
Subs not used: Shotton, Etherington, Palacios, Guidetti, Sorensen, Wilkinson
Goals: Crouch 32, Arnautovic 69, Odemwingie 79
West Ham United: Adrian, Demel, Reid, Tomkins, McCartney, Downing (J Cole
62), Noble, Diame, Nocerino (C Cole 76), Nolan, Carroll (Armero 83)
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Jarvis, Taylor, Collins
Goal: Carroll 5

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Cheikh mate
WHUFC.com
Cheikhou Kouyate hopes close friend Mame Biram Diouf fires a blank at Stoke
City on Saturday
31.10.2014

Usually, Cheikhou Kouyate is desperate for Mame Biram Diouf to hit the net
when the pair share the same pitch. On Saturday, though, the Senegal
national teammates and close friends will be on opposite sides when West Ham
United travel to Stoke City in the Barclays Premier League. The Hammers
midfielder, who made a successful return to action against Manchester City
after a month out with a groin injury, cannot wait for this weekend's trip
to the Britannia Stadium. "I'm happy to be back on the pitch," confirmed the
No8. "I didn't play for one month, which was very bad for me, but I'm back
now and I played against Manchester City last week and I'm very happy. "The
wins we have got were good for confidence for the team and we want to keep
this same mentality for us and the supporters. We must stay humble and
continue to work hard, because this is very important. "It will not be the
same game against Stoke as it was against City, but it will be a tough game
because Stoke are a hard team. They have a very strong mentality, but this
is an interesting one and one where our concentration is very important. If
all our players concentrate and show the same mentality, we can go for the
win again.

"Mame Biram Diouf is my big friend and my best friend with the national team
of Senegal. He is a very good striker, a very good player and scores all the
time, but I hope he doesn't score this Saturday!" Manager Sam Allardyce has
praised the speed with which Kouyate and his fellow summer arrivals have
settled at the Boleyn Ground and, in the case of the midfielder and strikers
Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho, into English football. The Senegalese star
said midfielder partners Alex Song, Mark Noble and Kevin Nolan had played a
big part in helping the overseas arrivals feel at home. "It has been a big
change in culture for myself, Enner and Diafra. Alex has been here before
and played for Arsenal, while for myself, Enner and Diafra it is all new.
Alex has helped us to gain confidence. "Mark Noble and Kevin Nolan have also
helped us settle into the team, which is very important for us as players.
Football is our lives and it is not easy to come into a new country, because
you don't know the culture or the football, but the other players have
helped us. "It is difficult and it will take a little time for us to settle
fully, but we have the support here to do so."

On Tuesday evening - hopefully with a win at Stoke under his belt - Kouyate
will make the shorter trip across London to the Emirates Stadium, where he
will watch former team RSC Anderlecht take on Arsenal in the UEFA Champions
League. The Belgian champions came within a few minutes of shocking the
Gunners at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium in Brussels last week,
conceding twice late on to lose 2-1. The midfielder is hoping for better
luck in the second meeting. "I will go to the game to support Anderlecht -
this is my team and my family from my time in Belgium. I will be there for
Anderlecht, because they did great things for me and my family. "They were
very unlucky in the first game, which usually they would have won 2-0 or
3-0, because they played a very good game. It was a very big shame for
everyone at Anderlecht."

Following his trip to north London, Kouyate will fly to Senegal to prepare
for two vital Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers away in Egypt and home to
Botswana. A win over the Pharaohs would see Senegal qualify for the finals
in Morocco in early 2015, but defeat would leave Les Lions de la Teranga
needing to beat Botswana and rely on Egypt slipping up. "I didn't play in
our defeat in Tunisia last month, which was very upsetting. Now we have a
very important game in Egypt, where we will qualify if we win. If we don't
win, it will be difficult.
"This is a very, very difficult game in Egypt, but we will be playing for
our country, for ourselves and for our people. It will be good if Senegal
qualify, and we have to do it. It is impossible that we will not qualify."

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Pask turns professional
WHUFC.com
U18's Josh Pask has signed his first professional contract with the Hammers
01.11.2014

West Ham United Academy player Josh Pask is the latest player to have signed
his first professional contract at the club. The central defender has signed
a three year contract on his 17th birthday, having first joined the Academy
at just eight years old. Pask has been an U18s regular having made nine
appearances as an U16 schoolboy, and is now forcing his way into the
Development Squad side. Speaking after the signing of his first professional
deal, he said: "It's definitely a proud day for me and my family. I've
worked really hard for this. When West Ham offered me the contract, I
thought why not take it. Arsenal offered me a contract as well but I thought
West Ham was the best place for me."

When Pask first joined the Academy he started out as a striker, yet over the
years the coaching staff at the West Ham Academy transformed him into a
commanding centre-back. Now, Pask hopes to emulate fellow academy products
James Tomkins and Rio Ferdinand. "I've been here for long time now, eight
years already but it has flown by. I've thoroughly enjoyed it here so far
and I'm looking forward to that continuing. Hopefully I'll involved in the
first team sometime soon. This season, Pask has played an integral role in
the U18s' eight-game unbeaten start to the season. As part of that run,
Steve Potts' men managed to keep three consecutive clean sheets. Pask's
performances were recognized as he made his U21 debut as a substitute
against Liverpool as well as starting against Athletic Bilbao and Manchester
United.

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Big Sam waits on Sakho fitness
WHUFC.com
The Hammers will give Diafra Sakho every chance to play in Saturday's game
at Stoke City
31.10.2014

Sam Allardyce says he will wait until the last minute to make a decision
over Diafra Sakho's fitness ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier League game
at Stoke City. The Hammers head to the Britannia Stadium looking for a
fourth straight win, but have doubts over Sakho after he injured his
shoulder in last weekend's 2-1 victory over Manchester City. The manager
rates his chances of playing as touch and go, but says he has the players to
cover should the Senegal striker not make it. He told whufc.com: "We're
going to have to wait until the last minute to make a decision on Diafra,
because of the pain and movement that he has to get through and be
comfortable with. "Obviously the mobility of the shoulder is a concern, and
we'll wait as late as Saturday morning to see if he's ready or not. "There
are lots of players desperate to get back in the team and that's the great
thing about the squad with the injury list reducing. "We've got the
capability of hopefully coping with the loss of Sakho [if it comes to that],
and not losing the level of performance we were showing. "Our big problem is
that he is our leading goalscorer, so somebody else might have to come in
and take the chances he's been taking."

Big Sam says the biggest challenge facing his players this weekend is
forgetting about their success against Manchester City and starting again
from scratch. He added: "Historically you would say that the team who was
the underdog and beaten a top four team, statistically they lose the next
game. "I've been telling the players about the level of performance they
will have to hit. The euphoria that went around us beating Manchester City
and the effort the players put in, means that they have got to make sure
they get themselves to that level again. "Mentally they have to approach the
game in the right way. All the hype behind playing Manchester City was build
up by the media and the press, and with no disrespect to Stoke that won't be
the same, so the players have to do it themselves, with me stimulating them
to think that way in the last few days."

The Hammers will be backed by close to 3,000 fans at Stoke and Allardyce is
keen to give them a happy trip. He said: "Seeing the fans with smiles on
their faces is what we do it for. Everybody comes to a football match or
works in football for that kind of feeling. We're paid to entertain, we're
paid to win and we're paid to put smiles on people's faces. "The way that
can happen is not always that easy because the level of money spent in the
Premier League, compared to how it used to be, means sometimes it's a
massive handicap to continue to do that. "But hopefully we'll continue to do
it for a considerable time for the West Ham fans, and most importantly at
Stoke this weekend."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
James Collins on keeping Sergio Aguero quiet, meeting the fans and facing
Stoke
30.10.2014

Hello everybody,

This is the first opportunity I've had to write a column this season and I'd
like to start by thanking all the fans for their unbelievable support during
the win over Manchester City. The support was massive and it gave us the
belief and energy we needed to beat a very good City side. I thought every
single one of the lads but in a performance last Saturday and we deservedly
got the three points. Our front men have been incredible so far this season,
having trained with them for a while now I know how good they really are.
Trust me, there is no fluke behind Diafra's goal streak or Enner's ability,
they are both top quality players. We've also got Carlton scoring off the
bench which is another positive. Against City, we were 2-0 up when David
Silva scored. As a defender I obviously want to get as many clean sheets as
possible but you have to take your hat off to a goal of that quality.

When you concede late on you always have doubts in the back of your mind but
the fans got right behind us and it made that last ten minutes a lot easier.
I've been at West Ham for eight years now and they've always been great to
me. We're on the crest of a wave at the moment so hopefully that will
continue for as long as possible. Our next game, Stoke away, is a
notoriously difficult game. They're a strong side, particularly at home, so
we'll have to be at our best to secure a positive result. We got great
confidence from beating Man City, the current champions and the squad is
looking good in training. Added to that the few players that are out injured
are making good progress and will hopefully be back soon.

On Tuesday, I went to our Club Store signing at Lakeside Thurrock alongside
Morgan Amalfitano and Alex Song. It is always great to see the huge number
of people turning up for these events. The turnout was unbelievable, some of
them said they've been queuing for hours!
On a personal level, I'm delighted to be back in the side after my injury.
Obviously I didn't get off to a great start getting sent off against
Tottenham on the opening day but I've really enjoyed the last two games and
I can't wait for our next home match against Aston Villa next Saturday.

Come on you Irons!
Ginge

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Howe's plotting Canaries win
WHUFC.com
Goalkeeper Sam Howes wants his side to get back to winning ways against
Norwich
31.10.2014

West Ham United U18s goalkeeper Sam Howes is looking to get back to winning
ways this Saturday against Norwich after the Academy lost their last two
games 3-1. The U18s have had a fantastic start to their league campaign,
going eight games unbeaten before their recent blip, leaving them in third
in the Barclays U18 Premier League South table. The 16-year-old goalkeeper
has had limited game time due to injuries but he returned to action for the
U21s in a narrow 2-1 defeat to league leaders Manchester United, which
included the likes of Michael Carrick and James Wilson. "I was out for a few
weeks with an injury which was frustrating but I'm glad to be back now.
Clarke Bogard has done really well in goal for the U18s this season.
"Playing against Man United was a very tough game, they had a lot of Premier
League experience but it was a good test for me and the rest of the boys."

Speaking ahead of the game with Norwich, Howes said: "It's been a good start
to the season, all the boys have been working really hard in training. The
results have been taking care of themselves and the performances have
generally been good. "After eight games unbeaten we're on a bit of a dip,
but that happens in football. We're looking forward to getting back to
winning ways this Saturday against Norwich. It's a good opportunity for us
and hopefully we can get another unbeaten run going again."

Having beaten bottom of the league Norwich twice last season, Howes is
hoping his side can repeat the feat. "We beat them twice last season, but we
know it will still be a hard game. With the players we've got available we
should have enough to get the three points."
The highly rated goalkeeper is developing well, having made his first team
debut during the Hammers' pre-season tour to New Zealand. However the shot
stopper isn't getting carried away. "Last year was a successful one for me
so I hope to continue that. It's going to be a busy time but I just want to
play as many games as I can for the U18s or the U21s."

West Ham United U18s travel to Norwich City on Saturday, with kick off at
12pm.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lee loaned to Shrimpers
WHUFC.com
Striker Elliot Lee has joined League Two Southend United on loan until
January 2015
31.10.2014

Promising West Ham United striker Elliot Lee has joined Sky Bet League Two
side Southend United on loan until 31 January 2015. The 19-year-old forward
has been in prolific form yet again this season, scoring five goals in seven
Barclays U21 Premier League and Premier League International Cup
appearances. All those goals have come in his last four appearances,
tempting Shrimpers manager Phil Brown to make the move to take Lee to Roots
Hall. The forward has twice featured for the first team, being handed a
Barclays Premier League debut as a substitute in the 1-0 home defeat by
Stoke City on 31 August 2013, having made his first-team bow in the FA Cup
third-round replay at Manchester United in January of the same year. The
youngster spent a period on loan with League One side Colchester United,
scoring his maiden league goal against Rotherham United on 2 November 2013.
Lee could make his debut in Southend's League Two fixture at Mansfield Town
on Saturday, while the teenager has also been given permission to play in
the Essex club's FA Cup first-round tie with Chester on 8 November. West Ham
have the right to recall Lee any time after the first 28 days of his loan
period has elapsed. Southend sit ninth in League Two, just a point outside
the Play-Off places, but are without a victory in five matches stretching
back to September. Lee will hope to boost an attack that has scored just 14
goals in those 15 matches. The Durham-born player becomes the fifth West Ham
player out on loan at present. George Moncur is with Colchester United,
Ravel Morrison at Cardiff City, Modibo Maiga with French side Metz and Sean
Maguire at Accrington Stanley.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke v West Ham
KO 15:00
31 October 2014
Last updated at 13:11
By John Roder
Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Britannia Stadium Date: Saturday, 1 November

TEAM NEWS

Stoke are without the suspended duo of Peter Crouch and Phil Bardsley.
Defender Marc Muniesa is doubtful after injuring his ankle in training but
boss Mark Hughes is hopeful he will be fit.
West Ham's in-form striker Diafra Sakho faces a fitness test on a shoulder
injury, with his chances rated at "50-50" by manager Sam Allardyce. Fellow
forward Mauro Zarate is also a doubt with a thigh problem but winger Matt
Jarvis and defender James Tomkins are available again.

MATCH PREVIEW

The goalscoring exploits of West Ham's Diafra Sakho have quite rightly
earned him many headlines since his August move from French club Metz. To
score in seven successive matches - six in six in the Premier League - is a
terrific start to his time at Upton Park, but the Hammers may be without the
Senegalese striker for this match because of a shoulder problem. It would be
a blow for the visitors, who come into the weekend in what many see as a
surprising but refreshing fourth place in the Premier League table.
Lawro's prediction
"This is a big game for the Potters, because they come into it on the back
of two defeats in the Premier League and Capital One Cup, and they need to
find a way of winning it." If Sakho is absent, then the Britannia Stadium
crowd may again struggle to see goals. Amazingly, only six goals (three for
Stoke, three for their opponents) have been scored there in the league so
far this season, and that is the lowest total for a venue in all four
English divisions. Stoke are 12th, but a win for them this weekend would see
the Potters narrow the gap on the London side to only two points. It was
only in March when Stoke beat the Hammers 3-1 at the Britannia , with goals
from Peter Crouch, Marko Arnautovic and Peter Odemwingie, completing the
double over Sam Allardyce's team. Will it be a happy birthday for Mark
Hughes? The Stoke manager is 51 this Saturday and three points will be the
perfect present. West Ham have won their last three in a row but they have
kept only one clean sheet in the Premier League this season and, if you
include last season, only two clean sheets in their last 21. On the flip
side, they usually score at Stoke, having done so in every meeting since
1973. It's an intriguing match to predict and one I am looking forward to
tremendously.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Stoke won at home to West Ham last season for only the second time since
1983.
Stoke
The Potters have won eight of their last 12 Premier League home games.
They have allowed their opponents fewer shots on target than any other side
in the top flight this season (22).

West Ham
West Ham have now scored in eight successive Premier League games, which is
their best run since a 10-match streak in November 2009.
This is West Ham's joint-best start to a top-flight season (along with
1999-2000) after nine matches since 1983-84.
Diafra Sakho could become the first player in Premier League history to
score in his first seven starts in the competition.
If he features, Carlton Cole will play his 200th Premier League game for
West Ham. Only two players Steve Potts (204) and Mark Noble (201 currently)
have featured more. Only Paolo Di Canio (47) has scored more Premier League
goals for West Ham than Cole (41).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Elliot Lee completes Southend switch
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 31st October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Young striker Elliot Lee has joined League Two side Southend United on loan
for three months. The 19-year-old was one of two players snapped up by
Shrimpers boss Phil Brown, Sam Allardyce's former assistant at Bolton
Wanderers, along with Yeovil defender Jakub Sokolik.
Brown, speaking to southendunited.co.uk said: "I'd like to thank Sam
Allardyce for allowing us to take Elliot on loan. He's someone who is
capable of scoring goals at this level and I'm delighted to have him here."

Lee is in line to make his debut for the Blues at Mansfield this weekend.
His only other previous spell out on loan came at Colchester last season,
when he made four appearances, scoring one goal during a one-month spell
with the League One side. Lee, the son of former Hammer Rob has made just
two first team appearances for West Ham thus far, despite having been on the
fringes of the first team squad for the last 18 months or so. He made his
debut for West Ham in the 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Manchester United in January
2013, before making his only Premier League appearance as a late sub in a
1-0 home defeat to Stoke in August of the same year.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sorry boo boys, but you haven't changed Sam's ways
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 27th October 2014
By: Mark Torode

It saddens me to still be defending Sam Allardyce after the job he has done
for us, but finally, through gritted teeth, more Hammers fans are coming
around to him.

Unfortunately some can't accept him getting the praise - instead were now
hearing ''it's us that's made him change his ways''!

So... If the reason that our good form is down to the crowd's demands, then
why bother having Sam as manager? Why not let the Bobby Moore Lower run the
team? It's laughable that this is the argument for the anti-Sam fans now.
It's like they are clinging on to anything to avoid admitting they were
wrong about Sam and the fact he has done a great job - long before the start
of this season.

Give him the likes of Jussi Jaaskelainen, George McCartney, Carlton Cole.
Matt Taylor and Kevin Nolan (exactly the right sort of players needed to get
up and stay up in the Premier League and good solid signings on our budget)
then he will go defensive, rely on set pieces, work rate and energy to
ultimately get the points needed to survive.

After surviving the drop, slowly but surely you acquire better players. Out
goes Jussi, in comes Adrian. Out goes Joey O'Brien and in comes Demel. Out
goes Matt Taylor, in comes Cheikhou Kayoute - and so on and so on.

It takes time (and money) to bring in better players. With the likes of
Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho, Kouyate, Alex Song and attacking full backs
Allardyce will attempt to play open, expansive football and be more
attacking. NOT because the boo boys told him to do so, but simply because he
can now he now has the players.

Sam has always said he will play to the team's strengths and can only work
with what he's got. He did the exact same thing at Bolton adopting a
primarily defensive approach, utilising the long ball to Kevin Davies and
grinding out results at all costs.

He promoted them and then kept them in Premiership - then introduced the
likes of Nicolas Anelka, Jay-Jay Okocha and Youri Djorkaeff. They were
quality to watch. (Sound familiar?) He then took Bolton into Europe; was it
the Bolton fans that forced this on him ? I don't think so.

Every fan has a right to moan and criticise at times and some of it was
justified - but last season, it went too far. The X Factor-style banners,
the internet polls, the abuse shouted at him after every substitution and
the booing even when we won. As a season ticket holder of 20 years, it got
to me. Just why had our supporters turned into - dare I say it - the likes
of Spurs and Geordie fans!

I couldn't understand it. A manager that's taken over a relegated team, in
debt, with a desolate squad inherited from the shambles under Avram Grant.
He got us promoted at the first attempt whilst the first season back in the
Premier League seems to be totally forgotten, a brilliant campaign we ended
in 10th place.

Last season wasn't great but still resulted in a 13th-place finish, a
Capital One Cup semi final and the treble over Spurs, with an injury hit
squad. I've seen far worse seasons in my time watching West Ham United.

Throughout last season, internet forums were full of snide remarks. "He's a
dinosaur and will never change his ways''; ''He's only here for the money'';
''He can't attract decent players''; ''He will definately get us relegated''
... and so on. It was a really nasty campaign and it bought about a negative
atmosphere at Upton Park.

A minority of fans went solely for a moan and a boo. ''We want
entertainment!'', they demanded - like they were turning up for a theatre
show, not a game of football where so much is at stake and there are so many
variables. It was over the top and laughable at times - even losing a
pre-season friendly was unacceptable to some.

I don't stick by Sam no matter what. He's not bigger than the club and not
the reason to support West Ham. I remember thinking before the Cardiff game
last season, three or four more defeats and I want him gone - despite the
long injury list and being unlucky in some games. It's a results business
after all.

If he loses the players and the results don't come I will want him out, but
I do give a manager time to turn it around. All the best managers including
Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho have had poor seasons. We
have to admit, our fans do not allow ONE under-par season.

I'm not writing all this just to say I was right all along, I'm saying it in
hope that next time we hit a bad patch - which we will - the fans will see
the bigger picture and not turn like they did last season. The owners, Big
Sam, the players and the fans who stick by the club through thick and thin
all deserve the credit for where we have got too at present.

Not the boo boys.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke play host to West Ham at the Britannia Stadium
Last Updated: 01/11/14 7:25am
SSN

West Ham United travel to Stoke City on Saturday aiming to maintain their
place in the top four of the Premier League. Sam Allardyce's side have been
one of the surprise packages of the season so far sitting in fourth spot
with 16 points from their opening nine games.

Opta Stats

West Ham have now scored in eight successive Premier League games; their
best run in the competition since Nov 2009 (10 games).
Stoke City have allowed their opponents fewer shots on target than any other
side in the Premier League (22).
Just six goals have been scored at the Britannia Stadium so far this season,
fewer than any other Premier League ground.

The Hammers go into the game against Stoke on the back of an impressive 2-1
win over reigning champions Manchester City and victory at the Britannia
Stadium would lift them into third spot for 24 hours at least. On the other
side, Stoke welcome West Ham to the Potteries aiming to bounce back from
their midweek Capital One Cup defeat to Southampton. The defeat was Stoke's
third in four games in all competitions, with Mark Hughes's side sitting in
12th spot in the table. Stoke did the double over West Ham last season and
Hughes will be looking for all three points this weekend as he looks to
kick-start what has been inconsistent opening to the season.

Stoke will be without Peter Crouch and Phil Bardsley for the visit of West
Ham through suspension. Crouch is banned having been sent off in midweek
against Southampton, while summer signing Bardsley has already picked up
five bookings resulting in a suspension. Jon Walters will be hoping to start
in attack in the absence of Crouch, while Geoff Cameron could revert to
right-back to full in for Bardsley.
Glenn Whelan and Peter Odemwingie are long-term absentees for Mark Hughes as
they recover from a broken leg and knee injury respectively.

Diafra Sakho will be assessed as late as Saturday morning as Sam Allardyce
gives the West Ham striker as much time as possible to prove his fitness for
their game at Stoke. The in-form forward injured a shoulder in the 2-1 win
over Manchester City last week and it remains to be seen if he is risked at
the Britannia Stadium despite scoring six goals in as many Premier League
starts. James Tomkins and Matt Jarvis return to the squad after both
recovered from thigh injuries but Guy Demel remains sidelined with Mauro
Zarate (thigh) a doubt and Andy Carroll not in contention despite returning
to training following ankle surgery.

Paul Merson's prediction

I never like going against Stoke, who had a bad result in the Capital One
Cup and will miss Peter Crouch after he got sent off. He will be a big miss,
there's no doubt about that. West Ham are going to go there and have a go
with the confidence they are playing with at the moment, so there should be
goals. However, it's a hard place to go, so I'm going to go for a Desmond.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-2

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce to enforce winter breaks for West Ham players
Last Updated: 30/10/14 11:30pm
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is considering enforcing winter breaks to his
key players to avoid burnout.
SSN

The Hammers have stared this season in impressive form and sit fourth after
last weekend's 2-1 victory over reigning Barclays Premier League champions
Manchester City. However, Allardyce is worried that some of the club's new
signings face growing fatigue during the busy Christmas period when they are
used to winter breaks at their previous clubs. "The games come so thick and
fast you are pushing to get them back when they are not really ready but you
have to," said Allardyce. "The squad still has to be fitter than now going
into that period. New players - particularly Enner Valencia, (Diafra) Sakho,
(Cheikhou) Kouyate, (Mauro) Zarate won't have hit that cauldron of mental
and physical output during that particular period. All of those normally
have a break. "If they fatigue and they need a rest, the rest of the squad
has to be fit for us to give them that rest." Allardyce insisted he would
have no qualms following in the footsteps of former Manchester United boss
Sir Alex Ferguson in giving players a break to maintain their peak fitness
as the games stack up. "I remember speaking to Alex many years ago about the
fact he used to send players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani away at
Christmas: 'Off you go, go away for a week, back to Portugal, have a rest',"
he said. "They were finding it difficult to cope with that period so he gave
them a rest and then brought them back in and they kick on. "If we leave
them out, we leave them out. You know, all you lot say 'why should he leave
him out, it's a disgrace leaving him out when he's playing so well'. "It's
not your decision, it's mine and I do the job properly because I know what
I'm doing. "If you take Enner Valencia's load, for instance, he goes to
Mexico and is an outstanding success, plays a lot of games, scores 18 goals,
he plays internationals, breaks into the international team. "He trains with
the international squad, plays international friendlies before the World
Cup, plays the World Cup, has a few weeks off, comes to England for the
first time, has a late pre-season, gets in the team, stays in the team and
between that he's gone and played four games back in South America."

Allardyce's sports science department would be in a position to decide
whether players like Valencia were in need of a rest, even if the boss would
expect the individuals to want to stay in the side. He added: "Enner would
say 'No, I don't want to'. That's what he'd say. I'm sure he'd say that. But
it's not their decision. "We can see their fatigue levels quite easily - and
their mental fatigue. That's another one. That's sometimes bigger than
physical fatigue. "We can certainly monitor physical fatigue easier than
mental fatigue because it is in our data every day. "He will start slowing
down, he won't be running as far or sprinting as much. He won't be as active
as he is and those red flashes will start coming up if that is the case.
They might not, let's hope it doesn't but it may and we have to guard for
that."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce warns his players: Don't believe the hype
Oct 31, 2014 22:30 By Neil McLeman
Fourth-placed Hammers urged to remain focused amid widespread praise as they
prepare for Saturday's trip to Stoke
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce has told his West Ham stars not to believe the hype – in case
he has to widen the doors at Upton Park to fit their heads through. The
Hammers are up to fourth place in the Premier League after beating champions
Manchester City last weekend – above Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester
United - as they head north to face Stoke. On-loan Barcelona midfielder Alex
Song has told Mirror Sport the Londoners can be one of the top teams in
England in five years time, while crocked striker Andy Carroll claimed on
the club's website that they can qualify for Europe THIS season. But Big Sam
has introduced a reality check, saying: "The big danger for us at Stoke is
the hype surrounding us beating Manchester City. It's important that we
don't go and produce the same level [of hype] again – otherwise Stoke will
beat us. "I said to the players: 'Don't start reading about yourself too
much or else we'll have to start changing the doors to get their heads
through.'"

Allardyce, who will give a late fitness test to in-form striker Diafra
Sakho, added: "I've said keep your feet on the ground and don't read too
much praise about yourself like you shouldn't read too much criticism." He
added: "And I don't think we should start predicting where we should and
shouldn't be. "We have still got November and December to compete with and
historically it has been our worst time of the season. "I am waiting till we
get through that period and have a better indication of where we might
finish."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham foreign stars set for bonus Christmas break as a present from boss
Sam Allardyce
Oct 30, 2014 22:30 By Neil McLeman
Hammers' manager is ready to use a tip from Man United legend Alex Ferguson
to get the best out of his African and South American players
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce is ready to follow Sir Alex Ferguson's policy and gift his new
foreign signings a Christmas holiday. Allardyce's West Ham side sit fourth
in the Premier League after a great start to the season, with the likes of
Diafra Sakho, Enner Valencia and Cheikhou Kouyate making instant impacts
following their summer arrrivals. But Allardyce warned the next two months
will test the strength of his squad - especially imports not used to English
football's hectic festive period. Former Manchester United manager Fergie
used to send Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani home over Christmas to recharge
their batteries in the Portuguese sun. And Allardyce said he will insist his
new stars take a break if he feels their levels of performance start to
drop. "I have got a much better squad with more strength in depth but that
squad still has to be fitter going into that period," said the Irons' boss.
"New players - particularly Enner Valencia, Sakho, Kouyate, (Mauro) Zarate -
won't have hit that cauldron of mental and physical output during that
particular period. All of them normally have a break. "If they fatigue and
they need a rest, the rest of the squad has to be fit for us to give them
that rest. "I remember speaking to Alex many years ago about the fact he
used to send players like Ronaldo and Nani away at Christmas. 'Off you go,
go away for a week, back to Portugal, have a rest'. "They were finding it
difficult to cope with that period so he gave them a rest and then brought
them back in and they kick on. "I won't send Enner back to Ecuador. I might
give him a rest here and there, but not all that way.
"Enner would say, 'No, I don't want to'. But it's not their decision. We can
see their fatigue levels quite easily - and their mental fatigue. That's
sometimes bigger than physical fatigue." Allardyce said Sakho is "50-50" to
play at Stoke after suffering a shoulder injury in the win over Manchester
City. "It depends on his pain threshold," he claimed. The former Newcastle
boss also praised Mike Ashley for not "taking the bait" and sacking Alan
Pardew to appease angry fans. Pardew has boosted his job security with two
big wins this week. And Allardyce said he hope Newcastle would be rewarded
for their loyalty like the West Ham board after backing him over the summer.
"The big thing is that with David Sullivan and David Gold here and Mike
Ashley at Newcastle, they haven't taken the bait," he said. "And really it
is full marks to them for showing some solidarity."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Enner Valencia interview: The striker takes whirlwind way to West Ham
Striker has enjoyed a rapid rise to fame via winning the title with 'The
Blue Ballet' in Ecuador, moving to Mexico and shining at the World Cup – but
is now happy helping fire Sam Allardyce's high-flying Irons, he tells Sam
Wallace
SAM WALLACE Author Biography Friday 31 October 2014
The Independent

This time last year, Enner Valencia was playing for his first professional
club in Ecuador, in the process of building a career that began in the far
northern reaches of the country, near the border with Colombia. In the last
10 months his life has changed beyond recognition, via Mexico, Brazil and
now east London, a good story of football's extraordinary power to propel a
young man to great heights. Valencia is slight, and softly spoken when he
presents himself at West Ham's training ground this week, still very much
the new boy. He has not yet learnt much English and his car keys still have
the garage's cardboard tag on them. After he leaves our interview he has to
pick up his wife to shop for some new baby clothes – their second child is
due on Christmas Day.

Life is good for Valencia, 25 on Tuesday, a key player in West Ham's
excellent start to the season. His partnership with Diafra Sakho has been a
crucial part of the success but Sakho is struggling to be fit for Saturday's
Stoke City match so it may be another new experience for Valencia, a player
who has had to learn fast in the Premier League. He has thrived so far,
blessed with pace and a remarkable spring that makes him a threat in the
air.

He smiles when it is pointed out that not every West Ham season tends to go
this well. "They have told me that it is not always like this, but that is
where we are," he says. "The objective we have is to keep on going up, right
until the end of the league."

As for the club itself, he says he feels a natural affinity with the place.
"The fans are spectacular. They are always supporting. You are away from
home and you feel like you're at home, and for a player that is really good.
The supporters in South America sing a lot more, they are always singing.
But the West Ham fans are a bit South American. There is always one song
here, another there, they are always singing."

Valencia arrived at West Ham following a fine World Cup, in which he scored
three goals in Ecuador's first two group games, having first scored against
England in one of the two warm-up matches in Miami. As far as putting
himself in the frame for a move to Europe, there is not much more he could
have done – and so it was West Ham paid £12m for him.

He had only joined the Mexican side Pachuca in January, where he was the
league's leading goalscorer. "After the World Cup, Pachuca said there was an
English club who were interested in me," Valencia says. "They did not want
to tell me the name of the team. I don't know why they didn't want to tell.
That's what directors are like. They're always watching something. They had
to reveal it eventually and here I am at a marvellous club."

Before joining Pachuca he had won the league title at Emelec, one of the
leading Ecuadorean clubs, based in the city of Guayaquil. He had waited a
long time for his opportunity there, having originally been spotted playing
near his hometown in the Esmeraldas province.

"The truth is that it never even occurred to me that I would be a
professional footballer, never," Valencia says. "I am from a small town. I
always just liked playing. Then one day a director from a club in the east
of the country came to my town and saw me play. I was 15. He said he wanted
to sign me for Caribe Junior, in Lago Agrio – the town that Antonio Valencia
is from – and I spoke with my parents and I decided that yes, I would go. I
had a year in the Oriente, and from there I went to Emelec."

Was it a risk, placing so much importance on his football career? "Yes, but
one I had to take. It cost a lot. I cried every day I was there. My first
two months were so hard. I missed my family so much. But all the effort at
the end was worth it."

He eventually flourished at Emelec under Jorge Sampaoli, the manager of
Chile, and after three runners-up medals won the league title in his last
season there. Emelec, who play in blue, were originally the works team of
Ecuador's national electricity company, and they have two of the best
nicknames in football. They are known as El Ballet Azul, "the blue ballet",
for their playing style, or, for rather more obvious reasons, El Bombillo,
"the lightbulb".

Valencia's roots, however, lie nine hours' drive to the north of Guayaquil
in Esmeraldas, where he grew up and returns to when his job allows. "In
Ecuador, it is very famous. It has beaches that are very touristy. The
majority of players in the Ecuador team are from Esmeraldas. It is the
football zone. The big teams are in Guayaquil and Quito but the players come
from Esmeraldas.

"Almost all of the national team now, and it has been the same thing
throughout history. There are a lot of players from Valle del Chota [an area
that lies partly within Esmeraldas]: Agustin Delgado, Ulises de la Cruz,
Edison Mendez. It has always been the same. The majority come from
Esmeraldas. I don't know why. It is a good profession for people in a poor
province, so football helps a lot.

"As a kid, there were competitions between parroquias – little villages – a
championship between all of them. I did not play against other famous
players in those competitions, but I was very small. The only people who
knew me were my family."

He is conscious of the fact that everyone loves a classic South American
football rags-to-riches story but wants to point out that he had a happy
childhood. "My family run a farm, with animals and pigs. There was fruit as
well, bananas, everything. The people in my town they are used to this life,
to living like this, and they live well. My family are still on the farm and
they do not want to leave. My mother came with me to Guayaquil but the
remainder don't want to leave.

"There is always a lot to do on the farm. But the days went quickly. For me,
they went very fast. I went to the farm with my dad and then from four
o'clock in the afternoon I went to play. Going back there is very important.
I support them in any way I can. At Christmas and in the religious holidays,
there is a tradition in Ecuador of giving out games and sweets to the kids.
In my parish, this year will be my third when I have given them out to
people to help."

Behind him on West Ham's indoor pitch, the players are browsing through the
clothes and shoes on offer that Harvey Nichols have brought to the training
ground – truly, these days the mountain comes to Mohamed so far as the
modern footballer is concerned. It is a world away from most people's
working day, not least a young man, one of six siblings, from a farm in
northern Ecuador.

Yet, if there is one thing to which Valencia has become accustomed it is
change, even if the last 10 months have been remarkable. "From the start it
has been crazy. So many important things have happened: winning the title in
Ecuador with Emelec, going to Mexico, where they play a very different
football to us, and then the Premier League, the most important league in
the world. I think things are going well. There are always things to
improve, but it has been good."

As I walk back with the photographer to the car, parked a street away,
Valencia passes, pulls over and asks if we need a lift. You get the feeling
that he will be just fine.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce determined to keep West Ham's feet firmly on ground
Manager is not getting carried away after flying start and has warned his
players to be on guard against Stoke
Jacob Steinberg
The Guardian, Friday 31 October 2014 22.30 GMT

Some West Ham United supporters believe that the club should change their
anthem if they are ever going to enjoy a period of sustained success. Their
argument is that constantly singing about bubbles nearly reaching the sky
and then fading and dying at the crucial moment is asking for trouble and it
is true that West Ham have an unfortunate habit of crashing back down to
earth just when it seems that they are heading in the right direction.

Maybe that explains why Sam Allardyce is not getting too carried away about
his side's brilliant start to the season. West Ham's victory over Manchester
City last weekend kept them in fourth place and, having been widely expected
to struggle in the bottom half this season, there is a growing feeling that
they can challenge for Europe.

Alex Song, outstanding since his loan move from Barcelona in the summer, has
even said that West Ham can become one of the biggest clubs in the country
in the next five years. Allardyce smiled when he heard about that. "I hope
he's going to be here in five years' time," he says. "Does that mean he's
going to sign for us? I hope so."

Allardyce is too experienced to start thinking about Europe yet. He admits
that West Ham's performances have taken him by surprise and he is delighted
with how his new players have settled, yet he also knows that Stoke City
will relish trying to take them down a peg or two at the Britannia Stadium
on Saturday afternoon. West Ham's preparations have not been ideal.

Diafra Sakho, who has scored seven goals since his arrival from Metz, is a
doubt with a shoulder injury and he will be assessed on Saturday morning.

"The big danger for us at Stoke is the hype surrounding us beating
Manchester City cannot have a negative effect on us and we don't go out and
produce the same level again – otherwise Stoke will beat us," Allardyce
says. "Stoke and Mark Hughes will be looking forward to us coming and
thinking: 'Let's put these lot to task and see if they can cope after that
big result.'"

Allardyce is aware that West Ham's form has deteriorated in November and
December in the past two seasons; they took six points from 11 games during
that period last year and nine points from 10 matches in 2012. "We have got
to maintain it and our levels of performance," Allardyce says. "That is my
responsibility because we have not been tested like this before and whether
we can sustain this success.

"We have had our brief moments. Even last year when we had our darkest
moments, we came out of it and won four on the trot and then lost four on
the trot. We have got to find that level of sustainability and consistency
in our levels of results and performances. They have got to find out and I
have got to find out if we are capable of that."

It is easy to forget that this is only West Ham's third season back in the
Premier League or that there were calls for Allardyce to be sacked a few
months ago. Yet the 60-year-old survived the summer, allowing him to
continue West Ham's gradual rebuild.

"I think, as a manager, sustainable progress is what it's all about,"
Allardyce says. "You can be too slow and lose your job and then too quick
and falter and then lose your job and if you build slowly and steadily and
success is improved year in, year out then you can eventually get to a stage
where West Ham becomes like an Everton is at the moment.

"That's not only sustainability but looking at cup competitions and winning
a trophy and getting into Europe and that can happen this season and in the
next two or three years, perhaps depending upon the investment and the
improvement of the squad as it goes on. So we've got to try and keep our
feet on the ground. But five years is a long way for me to be looking
forward, by the way."

Allardyce is wary of what too much praise will do to his players' egos.
"It's not difficult for me but sometimes the players find it a bit
difficult," he says. "I said to the players don't start reading about
yourself too much or else we'll have to start changing the size of the doors
to get their heads through. So keep your feet on the ground and don't read
too much praise about yourself, just like you shouldn't read too much of the
criticism."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Leroy on Allardyce/Nolan link
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 31, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Leroy Rosenior has laid into the knockers who claim that Kevin Nolan is a
Sam Allardyce favourite……and worse, declaring: "Every manager has players
they like and trust." And he added: "There's absolutely nothing wrong with
it – why would you not appreciate those who have done it for you over and
over again. " Nolan is widely expected to get the shout at Stoke City
tomorrior said (Sat) if Diafra Sakho fails a late fitness test, sparking
immediate claims on Twitter that Nolan is the 'teacher's pet' …and worse.
But Rosenior said: "I've managed and had my favourites, guys you know will
do it for you and always put in the shift. I really don't see the problem
and can't even see such remarks in terms of abuse. "Kevin has been with Sam
for most of his career but has found over the last few games he has no
special rights when others are in form despite many believing he would be
straight back as soon as fit. "I'm sure he will do a great job if required
tomorrow. He can score goals and help out in midfield whenever it is
necessary. "The fella still has a lot to offer but is obviously going to get
fewer opportunities than previously and that should put a real edge on him
when he does get the chance."

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