Preview - Leicester City
WHUFC.com
Everything you need to know about West Ham United's crucial game against
Leicester City
19.12.2014
WEST HAM UNITED v LEICESTER CITY
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
BOLEYN GROUND
SATURDAY 20 DECEMBER 2014
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: MARTIN ATKINSON
In brief
West Ham United host Leicester City on Saturday 20 December, with the
Hammers looking to extend their unbeaten run to five games.
Currently, Sam Allardyce's men are fourth in the table, with 28 points from
16 games.
Saturday's opponents, Leicester City, have found life back in the Premier
League difficult as they sit at the foot of the table with ten points from
16 games. Since beating Manchester United 5-3 in September, they have yet to
win, picking up just two points in eleven matches.
Related stories
Big Sam on: Leicester
Chadwell Chatter
Betting Preview
Who are they?
Formed in 1884 and originally known as Leicester Fosse, they won their first
ever game 5-0 against Syston Fosse on 1 November 1884. In 1890 they competed
in the FA Cup for the first time, losing 4-0 to Burton Wanderers. Fosse
joined the Football League in 1894.
The Foxes won their one and only league title way back in the 1928/29
season. However they have had more success in the FA Cup, winning it four
times - 1949, 1961, 1963 and 1969.
More recently, the Foxes' silverware has come in the League Cup winning it
in 1997 and 2000 as well as being runners up in 1999.
Having being relegated from the Premier League in the 2003/04 season they
are back in the top flight after a decade away.
Team news
West Ham United
Mark Noble is unavailable as he is still recovering from a problem with his
Achilles tendon, he could be back in contention to play against Chelsea on
Boxing Day. Otherwise, Sam Allardyce has a full squad to choose from.
Leicester City
The Foxes will be without first choice goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who
broke his metatarsal in training last week. Ben Hamer played against
Manchester City and is expected to deputise.
David Nugent could return to action after missing last weekend's fixture
with Manchester City. Former West Ham United player Matthew Upson is still
battling to regain fitness.
Referee
Saturday's referee is Martin Atkinson. The West Riding based referee has
taken charge of two games involving West Ham this season - the Hammers' 2-2
draw away at Hull City and the 2-1 win over Manchester City.
Statistics
(2014/15 season - Barclays Premier League only)
Matches refereed: 13
Yellow cards shown: 47
Red cards shown: 1
Penalties awarded: 2
One to watch
West Ham United
Diafra Sakho made his first start away at Sunderland since returning from
injury and is in line to start on Saturday.
The Senegalese striker has been a revelation since joining from FC Metz,
scoring eight goals in all competitions.
Leicester City
Record signing Leonardo Ulloa cost the Foxes £8 million to bring him to the
King Power Stadium from Brighton & Hove Albion and he appeared to repay that
fee instantly as he netted five goals in the opening five games, including a
brace against Manchester United.
Since then, his dip in form has coincided with Leicester's poor run. The
Argentine has scored just once in eleven games, most recently in the Foxes'
last away game, losing 2-1 to Aston Villa.
Regardless of current form, Ulloa is a powerful striker the West Ham defence
will need to be aware of and neutralise if they are to win on Saturday
afternoon.
Tickets
Tickets for Saturday's game have all sold out. As have tickets for Chelsea
on 26 December and Arsenal on 28 December. The last few tickets are
available for West Bromwich Albion on New Years Day, to buy tickets, click
here.
Travel
No closures are planned on the District or Hammersmith & City lines on
Saturday. Click here for the latest from TfL and here for the latest from
National Rail.
Weather
Saturday afternoon is set to be an overcast day with temperature at kick-off
forecast to be 9C (48F).
Last meeting
West Ham United 3-2 Leicester City
npower Championship
Saturday 29 October 2011
Two goals in a minute set the Hammers on their way to victory as striker Sam
Baldock and Julien Faubert scored in quick succession mid-way through the
first half.
Foxes striker Andy King pulled a goal back for the visitors, yet Baldock was
on hand to restore the two goal cushion. King got his second of the
afternoon but the Hammers held out to claim the three points.
West Ham United: Green, McCartney, Faye (Tomkins 64), Faubert, O'Brien,
Reid, Nolan, Noble, Collison, Carew (Piquionne 31), Baldock (Sears 86)
Subs: Boffin, Diop
Sunderland: Schmeichel, Peltier, Koncheskey, Bamba, St.Ledger, King,
Wellens, Abe, Vassell (Dyer 45, M Johnson 73), Beckford (Howard 55), Nugent
Subs: Weale, Paintsil
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Konch returns
WHUFc.com
Barking-born former Hammer Paul Konchesky will be back at the Boleyn Ground
with Leicester City
17.12.2014
Leicester City's former West Ham United and England left-back Paul Konchesky
spoke to Steve Blowers ahead of his return to the Boleyn Ground this
Saturday. The Boleyn Ground holds many magical memories for Paul Konchesky,
who returns to his spiritual green, green grass of home with Leicester City,
on Saturday afternoon. Born just an Adrian drop-kick down the road in
Barking, the Foxes full-back surely knows every blade of the hallowed
Hammers turf. Not only did he watch his West Ham United heroes from the
terraces as a kid, but he also won his first full international cap for
Sven-Goran Eriksson's England against Australia at the Boleyn Ground in
February 2003, before going on to make 70 appearances in the Claret and
Blue, scoring twice along the way. "I grew up with West Ham United," says
Paul, who joined the newly-promoted Hammers from Charlton Athletic for £1.5m
in July 2005. "I can remember standing on the North Bank and the South Bank
watching the likes of Julian Dicks and after playing for England there, I
was th en lucky enough to go on and sign for the club, too."
Incredibly, Konchesky had been at the Millennium Stadium to roar Alan
Pardew's side to Play-Off glory over Preston North End, just a few weeks
before putting pen to paper on a deal that saw him make the perfect move
homewards, through the Blackwall Tunnel. "Bobby Zamora is a really good
friend of the family and we all went along to Cardiff to cheer him on," he
recalls. "But when he scored the winner to get West Ham promoted, I had
absolutely no idea that I'd be moving to the club just a few weeks later!
"When I signed in the summer, it was a dream come true and we had a
fantastic first season. There was a great bunch of lads at the club, I won a
second cap against Argentina and, of course, we got to the FA Cup final
against Liverpool, too."
So, almost a year after sitting with the Millennium masses watching that
Play-Off triumph, Konchesky was now out on the pitch helping Pardew's
underdogs to take a thrilling 3-2 lead over the reeling Reds. "That was one
of the highlights of my career...I scored a goal for my club in an FA Cup
final," he beams, looking back at the left-wing, long-ranger that flew over
Pepe Reina's head to the delight of an ecstatic East End. "It just doesn't
get any better than that, does it? "People still ask whether or not it was a
shot but, to tell the truth, it was actually a cross," confesses 'Konch'
with refreshing honesty. "When you're a defender, though, you'll take
anything, especially when you're playing in an FA Cup final, for your club."
While the history books will show that Liverpool went on to win the trophy
on penalties after skipper Steven Gerrard snatched a late, late leveller to
make it 3-3, that epic 2006 decider goes down as one of the all-time FA Cup
classics in which it was, for once, all about taking part. Unfortunately for
Paul, the 2006/2007 campaign was not all about winning, either, as the
Hammers soon found themselves in trouble in the Premier League basement,
only surviving on the final day of the season as they completed their very
own Great Escape with a crucial Carlos Tevez strike at Manchester United.
After seeing his first-team opportunities limited under new boss Alan
Curbishley, in July 2007 Konchesky reluctantly made a £2m move to Fulham,
where he played 122 matches, netting on two occasions. Ironically, that
included a spectacular BBC Match of the Day Goal-of-the-Month winner in
January 2009 during one of his returns along the District Line from Craven
Cottage to Upton Park. "Yeah, it was good goal against West Ham," he
concedes. "And although I've since scored a similar, long-range one for
Leicester City against Wolves, you'll never, ever beat that one in the FA
Cup final."
After signing for Liverpool in a £3m deal in August 2010, Konchesky made
just 18 appearances for the Merseysiders before going on loan to Nottingham
Forest and then heading to the Foxes in July 2011. "I loved my time at West
Ham and although it's always sad to leave, I've moved on since then and
having been here for over three years now, I look at Leicester City as a
great club, too," he continues, clearly determined to help Nigel Pearson's
side climb off the bottom of the table. Making his first return to West Ham
since City's 3-2 defeat in October 2011, there will be a new-look No3 on
display. Gone is the Dicks-esque shaven head given Paul sports a mop on top,
these days.
"My hair goes so wiry and that's why I always went for the bald look but
last year my wife and daughter persuaded me to grow it during the summer and
I guess it's stuck," he explains. "I get the odd bit of grey coming through
but that's not age, it's stress!"
Indeed, after running away with the Championship last time around,
stuttering City are finding life tough in the Premier League, where they
have managed to collect just two points from their last 11 matches. "At
first, I think we took a few teams by surprise with successive victories
over Stoke City and then Manchester United," observes Paul, who has now made
142 appearances for the Midlanders. "But we were under no illusions when we
got promoted and knew that there would be no easy games in the Premier
League. "Although we've not been picking up points, there have never been
more than one or two goals in it and we just need a little bit of luck to
make things turn for us. We've got over half-a-season to go, so there's
still plenty of time. We're certainly not out of it and you only have to
look at how well Burnley have done to lift themselves out of the bottom
three in recent weeks."
Defeat this afternoon will mean that the forlorn Foxes would be occupying
the dreaded bottom-spot on Christmas Day and, in the history of the Premier
League, only West Bromwich Albion (2005) and Sunderland (2014) have managed
to defy the odds and claw themselves to safety.
"That Christmas Day statistic is just a cliche as far as I'm concerned,"
insists the defiant Konch. "We're professional footballers and we know
exactly what we need to do - get results and get them quickly."
With wife Lyndsey plus children Jimmy, Connor and Tilly still living in
Essex, Paul has also been around to see the impressive progress of Big Sam's
side at close quarters, this season. "People were writing West Ham off at
the beginning of the year, too," he says. "But the new players came in,
settled really quickly and got the team off to a fantastic start. Once you
get up and running like that, confidence grows and you've just got to keep
it going. That's exactly what they've done."
With all those marvellous memories of his beloved Boleyn Ground indelibly
etched on his mind, Paul knows that the clock is now ticking down on further
opportunities to grace the pitch ahead of the summer 2016 move to the
Olympic Stadium. "Although it's been a little while since I've been back,
I'll be really sad to see West Ham eventually leave the old place given
everything that I've seen and done there," concludes the 33-year-old. "But
the club obviously think that it's time to move on to bigger and better
things. "The fans will all get their heads around it in time and, hopefully,
I'll get a chance to play at the new ground at some stage, too. In any
event, when I eventually retire, don't worry, I'll be making sure that I get
along to the Olympic Stadium to watch the Hammers!"
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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Cheikhou Kouyate on settling in, Leicester and the Africa Cup of Nations
18.12.2014
Hello everyone,
We have a very important game against Leicester City on Saturday. We need to
battle for the three points. The atmosphere at home is very good, we have
very nice supporters and I'm happy to play in front of them. We want to make
them happy again on Saturday! I'm looking forward to coming up against
Marcin Wasilewski. I played with him at Anderlecht and he's a nice guy. He's
a good player and Wasil really helped me at Anderlecht for four years. He's
experienced and he won't make it easy for us. It's good to see him
succeeding in the Premier League. This is the first of our Christmas games
and it will be something new for me. I'm used to having a break at this
point of the season and we have to play a crazy amount of matches in a short
space of time. But it's ok - it's football and we'll try to win as many
games as we can. We've had a great start to the season and anything is
possible in football. We need to stay humble, work hard but it's possible
that we can qualify for Europe. We have a great set of lads here. You've
probably seen the pictures of me, Alex Song and Diafra Sakho on social
media! Alex takes some funny pictures - he's a great guy and I'm very happy
him and Diafra are here. We get on very well. Next month I have the Africa
Cup of Nations too and I'm looking foward to helping Senegal. We have the
group of death, against Algeria, Ghana and South Africa, but as I said
before anything is possible in football!
See you on Saturday!
Cheikhou
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February fixture changes
WHUFC.com
Four of West Ham United's February games have new dates or kick-off times
19.12.2014
All four of West Ham United's February fixtures have new dates or kick-off
times. The home Barclays Premier League match against Manchester United has
been moved to Sunday 8 February, with a 4.15pm kick-off.
As a result, the trip to Southampton has been put back 24 hours to Wednesday
11 February, with a 7.45pm kick-off. The away game at Tottenham Hotspur will
now be played on Sunday 22 February at 12pm. Finally, the home London derby
against Crystal Palace stays on Saturday 28 February but will now kick-off
at 12.45pm.
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West Ham v Leicester
KO 15:00
19 December 2014
By Martin Fisher
Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 20 December
TEAM NEWS
West Ham midfielder Mark Noble will miss Saturday's game against Leicester
because of an Achilles problem but he could return on Boxing Day. Manager
Sam Allardyce has otherwise reported no fresh injury concerns.
David Nugent could return for Leicester after missing last week's defeat by
Manchester City with a calf injury. Full-back Ritchie de Laet should also be
available after illness but Kasper Schmeichel and Matthew Upson remain
sidelined.
MATCH PREVIEW
It is three months since Leicester City last won in the Premier League, so
it's no surprise that they're bottom of the table and five points adrift of
safety. Under-fire manager Nigel Pearson has changed personnel and formation
to no avail. He will have had the players in for extra training then tried
giving them a day off. He might have admonished them more forcefully or put
his arm around a few more. As yet, nothing has worked. I wonder if he's
superstitious? If so, I might be able to help. You see, on that memorable
day on 21 September when Leicester scored five against Manchester United, it
was my absolute pleasure to be in the commentary box, and I'll be on the
gantry at the Boleyn Ground too. I know it's a long shot - and Leicester
fans, I really don't want any credit if your side does return to winning
ways - but, short of Pearson donning the lucky underpants he wore last
season, what else is there to try?
"Sam Allardyce has got players who can come off the bench and make a
difference, which is a great thing for a manager. Sadly for Leicester boss
Nigel Pearson, he is not in the same situation." In that heady atmosphere of
Leicester's win over United, I heard some fans talk of a top-half finish,
even Europe! Others were much more circumspect. Now, two points from 11
games later, I expect it's those latter folk backing the man who got the
club promoted to turn it around, while the knee-jerk brigade demand
Pearson's exit from the club.
Surely after all he's done he deserves some time? They won the Championship
with 102 points! Just look at what's happened at West Ham. The board ignored
the fans' discontent at Sam Allardyce, and he has got them promoted,
established them in the Premier League and now has them sitting fourth in
the table. The message is clear: if you've got a good manager, give him some
time to ride through the inevitable hard times. Form and history (see below)
make this game look like a home banker but we've all watched enough football
to know that the unexpected sometimes happens. If it does, the chap who
sorts out the Match of the Day commentary rota might be getting a few texts,
tweets and emails from Foxes fans.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Leicester's only league win in their last 27 trips to Upton Park came in the
Premier League in August 2000 when Darren Eadie scored the only goal. West
Ham have won 15 of the 17 most recent meetings in East London (D1, L1).
West Ham are undefeated in their last six league matches against Leicester
City, home and away.
West Ham
The Hammers are unbeaten in four matches and have only lost one of their
last 10 in the league (W6, D3, L1).
They have earned 16 points out of a possible 18 at Upton Park since losing
their opening two home fixtures (W5, D1). The last time they went unbeaten
at home for a longer spell was an eight-match streak between December
2001-March 2002.
Sam Allardyce's side have reached 28 points in 10 games fewer than last
season.
Kevin Nolan has scored 99 career league goals.
Stewart Downing has been directly involved in five goals in his last six
Premier League appearances (two goals, three assists). However, he is yet to
score at home this season.
Leicester City
Leicester are without a win in 11 league games, drawing two of those matches
and losing nine.
Ten points from 16 matches represents their joint-worst return at this stage
of a top-flight season, along with the equivalent tally in 1932-33
(adjusting points for a win from two to three).
They must beat West Ham to have any chance of avoiding being bottom at
Christmas. Only Sunderland, last season, and West Brom, in 2004-05, have
stayed up after being at the foot of the table at that stage of the season.
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Jenkinson hails Allardyce influence
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 19th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
Carl Jenkinson has praised Hammers boss Sam Allardyce for allowing him "to
express myself". The on-loan full back, who is at West Ham for the duration
of the current season has settled in well at the Boleyn Ground whilst
playing a major role in the club's resurgence this season. For that, he
says, there is only one man to thank. "He [Allardyce] has been absolutely
brilliant," Jenkinson told the Guardian's Jacob Steinberg. "I didn't want to
go on loan to a team that was just going to kick the ball long. I wanted to
go to a team where I was going to learn and improve and I think I'm
definitely doing that here at West Ham. "We focus on defending in training
and we do a lot of work on one-v-ones and heading and I feel I've developed
in those areas. He's given me the licence to get forward and express myself.
I know what I'm capable of."
Despite having no intention of leaving Arsenal - his boyhood club - either
on-loan or permanently, the 22-year-old jumped at the opportunity to move
from north to east London back in August. "I didn't want to have another
season sitting on the bench," he added. "It was starting to drive me up the
wall a little bit, I wanted to get out and play football, and I've realised
that I'm happiest when I'm playing regular football. "I have a couple of
friends who are West Ham and they're absolutely buzzing. I've got a feel of
what it means to everyone at the moment and how good it is for everyone
involved at West Ham with where we are in the league. "That gives you
motivation to keep it going and keep achieving. It's nice to see other
people enjoying your success."
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West Ham's Carl Jenkinson: sitting on Arsenal bench was driving me up the
wall
The right-back has played a key role in West Ham's surprise revival since
joining on loan and believes European football is a realistic target this
season
Graeme Robertson for the Guardian
Friday 19 December 2014 12.14 GMT
Carl Jenkinson is being annoyingly sensible as he contemplates the
improbable run of form that has lifted West Ham United from relegation
candidates to Champions League contenders. It is nearly Christmas and West
Ham are still fourth, their best start to a Premier League season. Their
squad is easily the finest they have seen for years at Upton Park and it is
natural to wonder if the transformation is permanent.
Jenkinson is optimistic but cautious. He says the right things, admitting
that qualifying for Europe has to be the target but he resists the urge to
make any bold claims. There is a desire at West Ham not to get carried away
and that mindset will not change even if they win for the fourth time in
five matches when Leicester City visit Upton Park on Saturday. The manager,
Sam Allardyce, believes his side should not be judged until the end of
January and Jenkinson's view is similarly measured.
At which point it is revealed to him that Andy Carroll went off-message
after he scored twice in the 3-1 win over Swansea City two weeks ago and
said that West Ham can challenge for the title. Jenkinson has a good old
chuckle about that. "I think he was getting a bit carried away there,"
Jenkinson says. "Did he actually say that? Oh, brilliant! At least he's
optimistic. I think that one's a bit far-fetched. Like I said, European
football would be fantastic. That's the goal and everyone's just working
hard to achieve that. But it's not unrealistic."
It is hard to argue with that assessment at the moment but West Ham's rise
has caught people by surprise. They are playing good football and their
new-found sense of belief is typified by the way they fought back from a
goal down in their past three matches. "A couple of lads have said to me
that in previous seasons when they would go a goal behind they wouldn't come
back," Jenkinson says. "That's a real sign not just of the quality but also
the spirit in the squad. Mentally you have to be on it to come back. You
have to be prepared to keep playing and believe in your style of play and I
think we did that against Swansea especially. It's not easy in the Premier
League to come back from behind."
Jenkinson's role in West Ham's revival should not be overlooked. Although he
has been overshadowed by the attacking players in Allardyce's squad, the
right-back has been outstanding since joining on a season-long loan from
Arsenal, the 22-year-old's speed and energy giving West Ham far more impetus
going forward.
West Ham's diamond formation has not only brought out the best in Stewart
Downing but also given their full-backs more responsibility. Jenkinson, who
supplied the cross for Carroll's first goal against Swansea, and Aaron
Cresswell have both caught the eye.
"As a full-back you always have to focus on your defensive job but the
modern-day full-back has to get forward and you have to get back if the
attack breaks down," Jenkinson says. "It's not an easy job any more. I think
you used to just be able to stay in your own half and it used to be more
straightforward but it's not like that any more. But I enjoy that, I like
getting forward and getting crosses in. It's fun, you want to be involved in
the goals. We've got the lads in the box who can head the ball like not many
others in the league can."
Jenkinson's family history helps his style of play. His father, Steve, ran
the 800m at a high standard and trained with Sebastian Coe. "I have that in
my genes," Jenkinson says. "I used to run for the school and the district. I
used to love running. I treated it as a way of getting fit for pre-season. I
would go to my local running club, Woodford Green. I used to love athletics
and always did the cross countries. It sort of went hand in hand with
football actually, because it was a sport you could do. I was playing at an
academy so I couldn't be playing rugby, but it's hard to get injured
running. If anything, it's a good thing.
"I was good at the cross country, I had good endurance. I was decent at the
100m when I was younger. I don't think I ever really got beaten until Year
10 and 11 and then I was pushed down the pecking order a little bit. It was
more 400m. If I was running now, it would probably be 400m."
He is unsure what his 100m time would be now. "I could say something wrong
here and then all of a sudden people think I think I'm Usain Bolt,"
Jenkinson says.
Jenkinson's dad also gave him a love of Arsenal. He was a Junior Gunner, his
favourite player was Tony Adams, Lee Dixon was an inspiration and his most
cherished memories are of watching The Invincibles.
His life revolves around football but it is important for Jenkinson to find
ways to relax in his spare time. "I do a bit of fishing," he says. "I go
with Mark Noble a lot. A lot of the things I do are decided around football
and fishing is the perfect hobby as a footballer because you just rest and
relax. You can do other things but a lot have you exerting energy, if you're
playing golf, say. Whereas fishing you go and chuck your rods in and you're
sitting down having a chat for hours.
"It's good for your mind as well because you can just switch off. There's
not many things you can do where it's like that. Normally we just do a night
and we'll go in the afternoon after training and stay for the night, put our
tents up. He's better than me, to be honest. He's a more experienced
fisherman. The geezer's got a souped-up fisherman's van. He's got a van
which is all insulated and he sleeps in that. I'm sleeping in a tent by the
lake freezing cold."
Jenkinson says it was important for him to leave Arsenal and start playing
regular football. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Jenkinson is learning plenty of new things at West Ham then and he feels he
has improved under Allardyce. "He's been absolutely brilliant," Jenkinson
says. "I didn't want to go on loan to a team that was just going to kick the
ball long. I wanted to go to a team where I was going to learn and improve
and I think I'm definitely doing that here at West Ham. We focus on
defending in training and we do a lot of work on one-v-ones and heading and
I feel I've developed in those areas. He's given me the licence to get
forward and express myself. I know what I'm capable of."
Jenkinson is unrecognisable from the naive teenager who was thrown in at the
deep end after joining Arsenal from Charlton Athletic in 2011. His fourth
game was against Manchester United at Old Trafford but Arsenal lost 8-2 and
Jenkinson was sent off. It took strength of character to recover from such a
torrid experience; he won his first and only England cap a year later.
In an ideal world he would not have gone on loan but the writing was on the
wall when Arsenal signed Mathieu Debuchy. "I didn't want to have another
season sitting on the bench," Jenkinson says. "It was starting to drive me
up the wall a little bit, I wanted to get out and play football, and I've
realised that I'm happiest when I'm playing regular football."
And West Ham were a good fit. Growing up in Essex, he always had a soft spot
for them. "I have a couple of friends who are West Ham and they're
absolutely buzzing," Jenkinson says. "I've got a feel of what it means to
everyone at the moment and how good it is for everyone involved at West Ham
with where we are in the league. That gives you motivation to keep it going
and keep achieving. It's nice to see other people enjoying your success."
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West Ham host struggling Leicester looking to maintain fine form
Last Updated: 19/12/14 4:22pm
SSN
West Ham face bottom side Leicester City at Upton Park looking for their
fourth win in five games as Sam Allardyce's side prepare for a tough
Christmas period. Sitting pretty in fourth place after just two defeats in
13, the Hammers are the Premier League's surprise package this season, and
couldn't wish for a more out-of-form opponent before playing Chelsea and
Arsenal in the space of three days.
Nigel Pearson's Leicester have won just twice in the Premier League this
season and have taken one point from a possible 27 over their last nine
matches. The Foxes have lost seven of their eight games on the road, and
face Tottenham and fellow strugglers Hull before the year is out.
Sinking without a trace, Leicester are already five points from safety, and
hate travelling south to the capital. No win in 17 Premier League games in
London doesn't bode well, and Pearson's side desperately need a result to
stop the rot before the turn of the year.
Anything less than a win puts Leicester bottom on Christmas Day; only two
sides, West Bromwich Albion (2004/05) and Sunderland (2013/14) have survived
having propped up the table on December 25.
Depending on Southampton's result at home to Everton, West Ham could be in
the top four at Christmas for the first time since 1985/86, the season
legendary manager John Lyall led them to third place, their highest ever top
flight finish. Mark Noble will be missing because of an Achilles problem,
but Allardyce hopes the midfielder will be back for the Boxing Day trip to
Chelsea. The Hammers otherwise report no fresh injury problems heading into
the hectic Christmas schedule, with strikers Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho
in contention to lead the attack again. David Nugent is set to return for
Leicester after missing last week's defeat to Manchester City with a calf
injury. Kasper Schmeichel is out after breaking a metatarsal last week and
Matt Upson is close to a comeback after a long-standing foot injury but will
not be risked as he returns to full fitness.
Opta Stats
Kevin Nolan has scored three goals in four Premier League appearances
against Leicester.
Leicester City are without a win in six league meetings with West Ham United
(D3 L3).
There have been five red cards in the last eight league meetings between
West Ham and Leicester.
No player has created more goalscoring opportunities than Stewart Downing
(50) in the Premier League so far this season.
Merson's prediction
"I make West Ham an absolute certainty. I think they're a very good team who
are going under the radar at the moment. When they fall behind away from
home they fight back, they win at home and Leicester have not won in 11
games. "Leicester are in trouble. It's hard because they're on a roll and
this league is ruthless and suddenly another hard games presents itself. You
couldn't pick a tougher game than West Ham away at the moment. Leicester
have got to stick at it and hope for a bit of luck. Thankfully they haven't
been cut adrift but they need to win a football match very soon."
PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0 (Sky Bet odds 12/1)
Sky Bet consider this one a home banker for West Ham, making them 4/6
favourites to collect all three points. It's unlikely there will be many
backing Leicester even at odds of around 4/1 at Upton park. The Foxes have
lost their last two games by one goal and it's 11/4 for that trend to
continue on Saturday. Carroll and Sakho are considered joint favourites in
the goalscorer markets at 4/1 apiece to net first, while David Nugent, Jamie
Vardy and Leonardo Ulloa are rated the visitors' biggest threats, each at
8/1.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce hints West Ham will sell Ravel Morrison in January
Last Updated: 19/12/14 10:02am
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has hinted troubled midfielder Ravel
Morrison's future could be resolved in the January transfer window.
Morrison has returned to the Hammers early from an unsuccessful loan spell
at Cardiff City and is training with the club's U21s with Allardyce keen not
to disrupt his fourth-placed squad. Allardyce says Morrison is not a
priority for him and hinted the player will be moved on in January. "It
hasn't worked at Cardiff," Allardyce said. "We have such a big squad this
season that I felt it was better for him to try and get some football and
see how it goes. "It hasn't worked there that well and he is back here with
us now but that is before his loan expires at Cardiff so we'll have to look
at the situation over the new year.
Terminate
"But my focus isn't on Ravel, it is on my first-team squad continuing the
great run of form they are on at the moment." Morrison made just seven
appearances for the Sky Bet Championship side and they allowed him to
terminate his loan spell on compassionate grounds. A Cardiff statement read:
"Due to personal circumstances, Cardiff City have allowed Ravel Morrison
compassionate leave and permission to train in more familiar surroundings at
this time with his parent club, West Ham United." Morrison was last month
cleared of threatening to throw acid in the face of his ex-girlfriend and
have her killed. However, he will stand trial at Manchester Crown Court on
January 26 on three remaining charges of assaulting Reah Mansoor, 19, and
her mother, Parveen Mansoor, 39, in the early hours of July 24.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll hails Teddy Sheringham's impact on West Ham strikers as top
four surge continues
Dec 19, 2014 18:43 By Aaron Flanagan
The former-England international has been working with the Hammers since May
and has been credited for his work in helping them fly up the league
The Mirror
Andy Carroll has hailed Teddy Sheringham's impact on West Ham's strikers,
six months into the former players' role as an attacking coach at the club.
Sheringham embarked on his first off-pitch job in football in May 2014 and
has been widely credited for the change in playing style, which has seen the
Hammers rocket up the Premier League table. New signing Diafra Sakho has
already claimed a Player of the Month award, as West Ham sit in the
Champions League places at the middle of December. And now the impact of
Sheringham has also been celebrated by Carroll, who scored twice in the
recent Premier League win over Swansea City.
In an interview with Sport magazine, he admitted that Sheringham's impact
has been crucial to their success. The former-England man, who actually
started his career at rivals Millwall, scored a total of 355 goals for nine
teams, eight of which being in England, and a further 11 for the country.
Carroll said: "Teddy Sheringham has come in and he has us working on our
movement around the box. That's clearly had an impact on our runs to get on
the end of crosses, and so on. He's just sharpening everyone up. "That's
just the way he used to play, being quick to react. That's what we were
doing, quick movement around the box and working on finishing. Obviously
it's got us moving a lot more and offering a lot more options, and it's
making a big difference."
Carroll also joked about the long-ball style of play, which West Ham were
widely criticised for in time gone by. He admits that the team do pump the
ball up towards the strikers, but only because they like to play to the
team's strengths. He describes the aerial threat as "another weapon"."Yeah,
you get a bit of stick for putting the ball in the air and heading it,"
Carroll laughs. "But it's just another weapon, you know? Obviously we can
pass it and open teams up, because we have been doing that this season. But
we have a lot of players who are good in the air as well, so we're going to
use that."
West Ham host Leicester on Saturday afternoon, boosted by the news that the
Upton Park club are looking to sign midfielder Alex Song on a permanent
deal. He admitted to a French newspaper earlier this week that he wants to
stay at the club.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cheikhou Kouyate: I'm glad West Ham signed Diafra Sakho and Alex Song
HITC
John Verrall
West Ham United midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate believes the Hammers can achieve
European qualification this season. West Ham United midfielder Cheikhou
Kouyate appears at home on and off the pitch since arriving at the Boleyn
Ground this summer. Kouyate's performances for the Hammers so far have
caught the eye, with his imposing displays allowing his side to win the
midfield battle. And it seems that settling in the dressing room has also
been a simple transition, due to the bond he has formed with some of the
Hammers' other new arrivals. Kouyate joined in what was a busy summer for
Sam Allardyce's men and having so many teammates arrive at the same time
seems to have increased team spirit in the group. The Senegalese midfielder
has already formed strong relationships with Diafra Sakho and Alex Song
since arriving in East London and he says that he is glad to be able to
share this experience with the duo. "Alex is a great guy and I'm very happy
him and Diafra are here," he said to the club's official site. "We get on
very well." This chemistry the squad have away from matches is clearly
translating into success on the pitch, as West Ham have enjoyed their best
start to a season in years. Allardyce's men are in the Champions League
qualification spots as things stand and Kouyate says that the team are
starting to think about European football. "We've had a great start to the
season and anything is possible in football," he enthused. "We need to stay
humble, work hard but it's possible that we can qualify for Europe."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rav departure could fund Sakho deal
Posted by Sean Whetstone on December 19, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Diafra Sakho's improved contract and pay deal is likely to be funded by the
ppssible departure of Ravel Morrison. Sakho's revised pay deal which could
more than triple his weekly basic of around £7,5000. plus appearance
bonuses. The striker has made just eight full appearances in a claret and
blue shirt so factoring in the African Nations Cup, and the manager's hint
at team rotation, he is unlikely to achieve the 25 appearance mark until the
end of this season.
West Ham have previously confirmed we are right up to the upper limit on the
FFP players wage cap with little room for manoueuvre.
So the release of Ravel Morrison at the end of his contract this summer
would release another £15,000 per week of which £10,000 per week can be
re-invested in Diafra Sakho. The FFP wage limit will also rise by another
£4m (£77,000 per week) next season allowing further negotiation of
contracts such as Mark Noble's and maybe bringing in new players in the
summer. The probable release of Carlton Cole after his 18 month contract
expires this summer is likely to bring in a further £30,000 per week/£1.5m
per year in wages giving us more options for next season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Leroy lets loose on Leicester
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 19, 2014 in Whispers
Clart & Hugh
West Ham are in such a great place at the moment that anything other than a
win is unthinkable against Leicester City tomorrow. Nigel Pearson's team are
eleven games without a win but played very well against Manchester City
last weekend before going down 1-0. However, another defeat meant they
haven't won since that crazy 5-3 against Manchester United in September.
Meanwhile, the Hammers have been outstanding and their record against the
Foxes at Upton Park shows only one defeat since the sixties. Now whilst
managers, coaches and players don't look at stuff like that, the fans do and
it creates an atmosphere not unlike the mood when we go to Everton. When the
match itself starts they will be thinking: "Oh, blimey there's Sakho, then
there's Carroll oh and here comes Downing."
Trust me, that's not a great feeling and although they won't be beaten
before the start it's a very daunting Irons line up and it can get to a team
in City's position. I'm really glad we have this match before the Christmas
games against Chelsea and Arsenal because three points will allow us to play
with freedom and adventure in those two. I'm going for Diafra Sakho and Alex
Song to score in a 2-0 win.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons are Stelling's team of season so far
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 19, 2014 in Whispers
Calret &Hugh
Sky's Jeff Stelling has named the Irons his team of the season so far. He
told HITC Sport: ""They've brought in players and it's hard to think of one
that hasn't really come off. Full-backs, Cresswell and Jenkinson, have been
absolutely fantastic. Song, everybody is scratching their head and wondering
how did West Ham manage that, when the likes of Arsenal have been looking
for someone like Song pretty much since he left. Up front, Sakho and Varate
and Valencia, everybody has come off. He's (Sam Allardycew) got Stewart
Downing playing the football of his life, Andy Carroll has come back. "The
thing with them is that they have got every chance of keeping it going
throughout the season because they do have a little bit of strength in
depth, they do have players battling for their place in the side because
somebody else is waiting to come in. They have been fantastic."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Saturday, December 20
Friday, December 19
Daily WHUFC News - 19th December 2014
Big Sam on: Leicester City
WHUFC.com
The manager looks ahead to Saturday's game against Leicester City
18.12.2014
Sam Allardyce faced the media on Thursday morning ahead of this weekend's
game against Leicester City. The manager revealed he is looking forward to
getting the festive football programme started, even if is promises to be a
hectic time.
Looking ahead to Saturday's game against Leicester, how important is this
part of the season?
SA: "We want to continue this run of form for as long as possible. We've
only lost one game in the last ten which is an excellent run. We're all
looking forward to this quick run of games, the players enjoy it but it is a
very hard, especially for them. We will have to rotate the team because
there will be fatigue, there will be injuries to deal with. We keep our
fingers crossed like never before, there's not time to prepare properly,
it's play, recover, play, recover. If we come out of this period with a few
more points, then we'll
reassess our aims for the rest of the season. "Leicester are a hard team to
break down, they work very hard for each other. Despite their run of games
without a win, they haven't been turned over by anyone, it's only ever by
the odd goal. I saw the Leicester game against Manchester City and I thought
they did very well. There are a lot of dangers in Nigel's teams that we need
to be well aware of. They won't lie down and sit back."
Can you sympathise with Nigel Pearson, getting a club promoted and now under
pressure?
SA: "There's only been one thing missing from Nigel's side and that is
scoring goals. That's everyone's problem really, thankfully we've alleviated
that issue this year. Had the players had their shooting boots on against
Sunderland we would have won comfortably. I spoke to Gus after the game and
we talked about the difficulty of scoring goals consistently. A lot of teams
have struggled, if you look at Liverpool this year compared to Suarez and
Sturridge last season. If Leicester find a striker, or a current player gets
back on form, then they have a good chance of staying up.
"You need a board to back you when you're struggling. I was in a similar
situation at Bolton, we bought in Youri Djoarkaeff. I think he scored six
goals in the last ten games and we stayed up."
What sort of shape is the squad in at the moment? Mark Noble has been
injured for a few weeks, is he available for Saturday?
SA: "No, he's not available for this weekend. He should be available for the
Chelsea game. Everyone else is available for selection which is fantastic
for this stage of the season and it gives us the best chance of winning."
Will any of the young players get a chance to play over the Christmas
period?
SA: "Not at the moment, the current squad is very strong and nearly all fit.
We've got experienced players all the way through the squad, in all sorts of
different leagues across the world. It does depend on how injuries go but I
wouldn't of thought so."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tomkins - 'It's a great place to be'
WHUFC.com
Hammers defender James Tomkins is loving the turnaround for his side this
season
17.12.2014
A year can be a long time in football, as West Ham United's last twelve
months attests. Heading into Christmas 2013, the Hammers found themselves in
a relegation scrap with just 14 points from their opening 16 games. Fast
forward a year, and Sam Allardyce's men have collected double that amount of
points from the same number of Barclays Premier League fixtures. James
Tomkins is loving the turnaround and hopes it continues to make 2014/15 the
most successful of his Hammers career to date. "It's a great place to be at
the minute," he said. "Around the training ground everyone is smiling and
happy and it just goes to show what can happen if you put a good run in.
"This time last year was nowhere near as good as it is now - this is
probably the best I've been involved in since I've been a player and
hopefully we can keep the run going. "We've got good attacking players and
we're scoring goals in abundance. That's credit to the lads - a lot of them
are chipping in with goals. We've had 12 different goalscorers this season.
"Even though we're not conceding many, we're not keeping too many clean
sheets, so hopefully we can improve that."
Tomkins has started eleven of West Ham's 16 top flight games this season and
says he is improving with each and every outing. He explained: "I feel that
I get better with each game. That's how I feel when I get a good run of
games and I feel I can get stronger.
"It's not just me, it's the whole team. Every player, not just the starting
eleven, but everyone is happy to come in and step into somebody else's boots
and that really is vital. "Ultimately it is our aim to finish in the top
ten, but I do feel like my performances are coming on strong."
Next up for West Ham is the visit of Leicester City as the Hammers get the
festive season started and Tomkins wants nothing less than three points from
the Foxes meeting. "It's our busiest time of the year, with four games in
twelve games," he said. "Ultimately we're looking at Leicester, and it won't
be an easy game because like you see through the season teams fall by the
wayside against teams lower in the league. "We've got to make sure it
doesn't happen to us this weekend to keep the run going into a difficult
schedule."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole: I've been waiting on you
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 18th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
Carlton Cole admits he would love to be playing a greater part in West Ham's
success this season - but remains happy at the Boleyn.
Cole, who has been at West Ham for eight years - making him the club's third
longest-serving player behind Academy stars Mark Noble and James Tomkins -
has made just four starts this season and is yet to complete a full 90
minutes. And whilst he is disappointed at having played such a limited role
so far, the 31-year-old insists that he won't be demanding further playing
time and is happy to wait for a chance. That may well come in January when
leading goalscorer Diafra Sakho heads to the African Cup of Nations with
fellow Hammers Cheik Kouyate and Alex Song. Either way, Cole insists he is
happy to wait for an opportunity.
"The manager has explained the situation to everybody," he told the
Standard's Giuseppe Muro. "When I get my chance to step in, I have to make
sure I am ready. Not everyone can play every week and everyone has to be on
their toes. "You have to swallow your pride sometimes when you are not
playing and get on with it. I am celebrating when Andy scores, when Sakho
scores or when Valencia scores. And if I score, I am sure they are
celebrating too. "I am not playing as much as I want but I am a West Ham
fan and I want to see us do well. It is about the team, so whether or not I
am playing is not a problem. "Everyone has their own way of dealing with
disappointment. What would happen if I went knocking on the gaffer's door?
He would probably try and knock me out! You have just got to be
professional, wait your turn and make sure you are ready when the manager
needs you."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce on contract situation
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 18th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
It looks like this one will run and run ... Sam Allardyce was asked again
about his contract situation this morning as he met the press ahead of this
weekend's visit of Leicester City. One of our less salubrious tabloid
newspapers reported yesterday that West Ham were preparing to give Big Sam
the chop at the end of the season despite him having taken the club to their
best position in the league this century. And that inevitably meant that
Allardyce was asked at this morning's pre-match presser about the situation
- and forced to issue another rebuttal. "It's the same as it's been all
season," he reiterated. "We'll sit down when we're ready and comfortable and
discuss the situation. That hasn't changed from the start of the season.
"We're comfortable with that position, like I was last time after we got
promoted to the Premier League. I think we talked about that contract at the
end of April, May almost, even though we finished tenth that year. "I've
spoken to David Sullivan about other matters during the last couple of days
but nothing to do with me or my contract."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Carlton Cole: I'd like to play more but if I went knocking on the
gaffer's door, he'd probably knock me out
It takes a brave man to tackle Sam Allardyce, however, Carlton Cole has
other reasons for accepting support role.
Evening Standard
GIUSEPPE MURO
Published: 18 December 2014 Updated: 09:20, 18 December 2014
Carlton Cole will not confront Sam Allardyce over his lack of playing time
despite making just one Premier League start for West Ham since August.
Although the forward is behind Andy Carroll, Enner Valencia and Diafra
Sakho in the pecking order at Upton Park, he is no rush to leave during next
month's transfer window. The season is only 16 games old and Cole, while
playing a bit-part so far, believes his opportunity will arise soon. In the
meantime, he is happy with a supporting role in a West Ham side flying high
in the Champions League places. "It is a weird feeling," explains Cole. "I
am not playing as much as I want but I am a West Ham fan and I want to see
us do well. It is about the team, so whether or not I am playing is not a
problem. "You cannot have bad eggs in the changing room. Everyone has their
own way of dealing with disappointment and I am not one of those guys [who
complains]. "What would happen if I went knocking on the gaffer's door? He
would probably try and knock me out! He explains everything to you but he
does not want you doing that. I have been through it [not playing] before,
and you have just got to be professional, wait your turn and make sure you
are ready when the manager needs you."
Cole, who turned 31 in October and is out of contract at the end of the
season, understands his omission from the team is a consequence of the form
of Sakho and Valencia. The summer signings have been a huge factor in the
club's sparkling start, while Allardyce is understandably delighted to have
Carroll back following his long lay-off with an ankle injury. And not
forgetting Mauro Zarate. Since leading the line in the opening three games
of the season, Cole has been restricted to a solitary start and a place on
the bench. But, with the busy festive period looming and Sakho heading to
the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal next month, Cole senses his chance is
around the corner.
"You do not want to see Sakho go away with his country but you need to keep
momentum and that is why we have a big squad," he says. "That is when you
are going to need the players who have not been playing to come in and do a
job. "The manager has explained the situation it to everybody. When I get my
chance to step in, I have to make sure I am ready. I am in no rush to go
anywhere in January, I am at home here. Who wants to leave their home? "Not
everyone can play every week and everyone has to be on their toes. The ones
who are on the bench have to come on and make a difference when things are
not going our way. That is what we have been doing lately, coming from
behind to pick up points. It is going to be a hectic time over the festive
period and that is what I am banking on to get a few games."
Cole sees himself as an influential figure in the dressing room after nearly
nine years at West Ham and he says the strikers all support each other. "You
have to swallow your pride sometimes when you are not playing and get on
with it," he says. "I am celebrating when Andy scores, when Sakho scores or
when Valencia scores. And if I score, I am sure they are celebrating too. I
have been at the club for a while and I am always supporting anyone who
wants any advice. "We are all together and that is what you need. You do not
need people hating on you and making you feel uncomfortable. That is what
happens when you have bag eggs, and the gaffer is not going to have that in
the squad. He will get rid of you."
Cole is attending the launch of the Lycamobile Cup, the youth football
tournament set up by Lycamobile, the largest global provider of low cost
international calls, West Ham and their Community Sports Trust. His positive
attitude represents the wider mood at the club, with West Ham lying fourth
ahead of Saturday's visit of Leicester. Cole is confident they can maintain
their good form. "We have got the right mix," he says. "This is the
hardest-working squad I've played in here and we have some great players. We
have got a great bunch of lads. We all have a great understanding of each
other and everyone loves each other as brothers. That is why we are doing so
well at the moment. "The aim was top 10 but, where we are now, you have to
re-evaluate where we will end up. Top seven is achievable if we carry on the
way we are going. "The gaffer has done a brilliant job. People were saying
in the summer his job was not safe but that did not bother him. He carried
on fighting and is seeing the fruits of that persistence."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce in no rush to begin contract talks
Last Updated: 18/12/14 6:09pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has played down speculation about his future,
saying nothing has changed since the start of the season.
Newspaper reports had suggested that Allardyce's position was under threat
given that he had not yet agreed a new contract. But the 60-year-old says he
in no rush to begin discussions, having experienced a similar situation when
he agreed a two-year contract extension in 2013. "It's the same as it's been
all season," said Allardyce, whose Hammers side currently sit fourth in the
Premier League. "We'll sit down when we're ready and comfortable, and
discuss the situation. "We're comfortable in that position, like I was the
last time after we got promoted to the Premier League. We talked about that
contract around the end of April, May almost, even though we finished 10th
that year. I don't have any problems with that. "Did I seek any
clarification from the owner on Wednesday? No. I spoke to David Sullivan
over some other matters. It had nothing to do with me or my contract."
Contract
Reports have also suggested that Senegalese striker Diafra Sakho is set to
have his four-year contract renegotiated, following an impressive start to
life at Upton Park. But Allardyce said: "I don't see why we should be
discussing any contracts with anyone too much in this period when we are
playing so many games in such a short period of time. But yet again players
don't see it that way, do they? "If they think it is time for them, they
don't give a monkeys about anyone else, they just get on with their own
thing. They won't worry about the fact that we have got so many games and we
have got to organise this and that."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE HAMMERS MISFITS
By Sean Whetstone 18 Dec 2014 at 13:39
West Ham till I Die
While the first team is flying high in fourth place in the Premier League
two of our Hammers misfits have been making the news also.
Maiga has been issued a 48 hour ban from Metz after failing to travel with
the team to a Ligue 1 fixture with Marseille earlier this month. A statement
on their website read:"Metz striker Modibo Maiga did not appear at the
airport the day of travel to Marseille, he was punished with a two-day
lay-off by the disciplinary committee of Metz. In accordance with the
provisions of the ban he will therefore be able to return to training on
Friday 19th December."
In July 2012 West Ham signed Maiga from French side FC Sochaux-Montbeliard
for £4.7m, signing on a four-year contract with an option for a further two
years. He is thought to earn £38,000 per week and it is claimed he rejected
an offer in the summer to buy him out of his contract. Metz are reportedly
paying under £6,000 per week of his wages while on a season long loan.
Unless a buyer is found in the January or Summer transfer windows we are
likely to buy him out his remaining year after his loan finishes
Ravel Morrison has also been in the news following his early release from
Cardiff City. A club statement by Cardiff on Monday said "Due to personal
circumstances, Cardiff City have allowed Ravel Morrison compassionate leave
and permission to train in more familiar surroundings at this time with his
parent Club, West Ham United."
Morrison made just one start, six sub appearances and scored no goals for
the Bluebirds during his loan.
The Cardiff statement has encouraged a flurry of newspaper articles and
social media comments claiming West Ham want to sell him, terminate his
contract or buy him out of his contract. On Sunday he posted a picture of
himself in West Ham training kit in a gym. Other unsubstantiated claims say
he has been banned from Chadwell Heath training ground. It does appear that
Ravel Morrison is training with the Development squad in an effort to regain
fitness however whether he is actually forbidden from entering Chadwell
Heath training ground remains unclear. As for terminating his contract
early, I fail to see what grounds West Ham could rely on. He faces serious
criminal charges on 26th January next year and if found guilty that might
give grounds for the club to cancel his £15,000 per week contract without
penalty if they so wished.
West Ham could also buy him out of his remaining contract at the cost of
around of 75% of his remaining wages but that seems highly unlikely before
the end of January. His sale in the January transfer window for anything
more than a nominal also seems unlikely, I can't imagine too many clubs
willing to take a risk before his court case is resolved coupled with the
fact he will be available on a free transfer in the summer when his contract
expires. Our last and probably most credible option is to loan him out for
the remainder of his contract assuming his court case is concluded by
transfer deadline day on 31st December.
Morrison signed for West Ham in January 2012, originally Manchester United
wanted £3m but a deal was concluded for £600k up front and £25k per first
team appearance up to a maximum of £1m. After making 18 appearances in a
West Ham shirt that was fulfilled so Manchester United pocketed £1m. His
wages over his 3 and a half year contract amount to £2.73m but he spent one
and half years out on loan bringing our exposure down to around £1.5m
One thing I can almost guarantee is his days at our club are numbered and he
will not be offered a new contract. It appears Sir Alex Ferguson was right
all along and our £2m + gamble never paid off. You win some you lose some.
Time to move on from what could have been!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce says Ravel Morrison's West Ham future unclear after Cardiff
cut short loan deal
Dec 18, 2014 19:52 By Paul Gorst
The England Under-21 midfielder moved to the Bluebirds earlier in the season
but re-joined his parent club after the switch failed to work out in Wales
The Mirror
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has hinted that Ravel Morrison's time
at the club could be over after the midfielder's loan spell with Cardiff was
cut short. The ex-Manchester United youngster joined the Bluesbirds earlier
in the season and was due to stay until Boxing Day. However, his stay was
ended prematurely with Cardiff citing "compassionate leave" for the move,
and Allardyce has said that Morrison will remain down the pecking order in
his high-flying squad. The Hammers are up to fourth in the Premier League,
and Morrison will stay on the fringes, according to Allardyce. "It's
difficult to say [if he'll feature against Leicester] because obviously it
hasn't worked at Cardiff," Allardyce told talkSPORT. "With me having such a
big squad this season I felt it better for him to try to go and get some
football and see how it goes but it hasn't worked that well and he's back
here with us now. "That's before his loan expires at Cardiff so we'll have
to look at the situation over the New Year but my focus isn't on Ravel, it's
on my first-team squad continuing the great run of form they're on at the
moment."
Morrison made just seven appearances for the Championship side, and their
statement read: "Due to personal circumstances, Cardiff City have allowed
Ravel Morrison compassionate leave and permission to train in more familiar
surroundings at this time with his parent club, West Ham United."
Morrison joined West Ham for around £650,000 in 2012 but has since spent
loan spells with Birmingham and Queens Park Rangers.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Diafra Sakho does not need new West Ham contract, says manager Sam Allardyce
Dec 18, 2014 13:12 By Neil McLeman
The former Metz striker has proven to be a hit signing at Upton Park and has
already scooped a Premier League player of the month award on top of seven
goals
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce has told Diafra Sakho that the Senegal striker does not need a
new contract because he signed a four-deal in the summer.
The £3.5m signing from Metz has been one of the stars of West Ham's great
start to the season after scoring seven goals in his first ten games. Sakho
was pictured on social media yesterday in talks with Hammers co-chairman
David Sullivan. A new deal is set to be triggered after the 24-year-old
makes 25 appearances. But Allardyce, who side host Leicester on Saturday,
said: "He doesn't have to have a new contract because he has a four-year
contract anyway. "If he is going to get one, it will be out of the fact that
the chairman and ourselves think that we are going to re-adjust the contract
he has now. "I would think that the chairman would probably discuss that
situation when Christmas is finished. I don't see why we should be
discussing any contracts with anyone really too much in this period when we
are playing so many games in such a short period of time. "But yet again
players don't see it that way do they? If they think it is time for them
they don't give a monkeys about anyone else. They just get on with their own
thing. "They won't worry about the fact that we have got so many games and
we have got to organise this and that. But I am sure that will be discussed
if and when the chairman is ready and whenever the outcome is, he will tell
everybody." Allardyce said he was "comfortable" about the lack of talks
about his own contract which is up at the end of the season. "It was the
same the last time after we got promoted and it didn't happen until April or
May," he said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam's outburst lets Sakho cat out of bag
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 18, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Poor old Sam got a bit hot under the collar earlier today when spitting
chips in the direction of Diafra Sakho and the West Ham boardroom – which of
course is situated in David Sullivan's des res. That of course is where the
player turned up earlier this week sparking more speculation of a new
contract – a story we published exclusively back in October when explaining
it would kick in after 25 games and that DS was keen to offer a " reward for
excellence." If anyone doubted the story, Sam kindly all but confirmed it
in his little outburst today when after snapping that the player didn't need
a new deal added: "Players don't see it that way do they?"
If they think it is time for them they don't give a monkeys about anyone
else. They just get on with their own thing." Coming from the man who has
become elevated to the world's 13th best paid manager some might find that a
tad ironic but Sam wasn't done. As the manager I don't think he would become
so animated on the subject if he knew it not to be true so rest assured
Diafra is getting his deal!
He added: ""If he is going to get one ( a new contract), it will be out of
the fact that the chairman and ourselves think that we are going to
re-adjust the contract he has now." The big question then is when. It's not
going to be over the festive period, nor whilst he's away at the African Cup
of Nations. The 25th game is likely to be against Burnley on May 2 should
for example Senegal go all the way at Afcon. Sam's suggestion, whilst
talking about the issue, that players don't give a monkey's, seems a bit
unfair given that this is all David Sullivan's idea anyway and in
ClaretandHigh's opinion exactly the right one to make.. However, on this
occasion we're delighted that Sam has decided to give it large on the issue
for now even the doubters will know that the player is going to get
something close to what he's worth.
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Irons set up "excellence" contract policy
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 18, 2014 in Whispers
Calret & Hugh
West Ham's squad – with the exception of Diafra Sakho – will have all
contracts reviewed at the end of the season as the club sets up a "pursuit
of excellence" last half of the campaign! The club's bosses have clamped
down on talks of deals and extensions as they bid to incentivise a squad
which is aiming high. Sakho's well-publicised deal is set to kick in after
25 games – as per the original agreement on signing – but with the team
doing so well, the Irons bosses see an ideal opportunity to pile the
pressure on the players to show their best. ClaretandHugh was told today of
the club's policy as it bids to get the very best from every single
individual in the squad. Oursource said: "The club want to incentivise every
one of them to really put in a shift to earn improved deals so there should
be no talk of contracts being signed at the moment. He added: "Mark Noble's
new deal is due and that will be high on the agenda but like all the players
he will be told to go and show everybody what's he's worth."
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WHUFC.com
The manager looks ahead to Saturday's game against Leicester City
18.12.2014
Sam Allardyce faced the media on Thursday morning ahead of this weekend's
game against Leicester City. The manager revealed he is looking forward to
getting the festive football programme started, even if is promises to be a
hectic time.
Looking ahead to Saturday's game against Leicester, how important is this
part of the season?
SA: "We want to continue this run of form for as long as possible. We've
only lost one game in the last ten which is an excellent run. We're all
looking forward to this quick run of games, the players enjoy it but it is a
very hard, especially for them. We will have to rotate the team because
there will be fatigue, there will be injuries to deal with. We keep our
fingers crossed like never before, there's not time to prepare properly,
it's play, recover, play, recover. If we come out of this period with a few
more points, then we'll
reassess our aims for the rest of the season. "Leicester are a hard team to
break down, they work very hard for each other. Despite their run of games
without a win, they haven't been turned over by anyone, it's only ever by
the odd goal. I saw the Leicester game against Manchester City and I thought
they did very well. There are a lot of dangers in Nigel's teams that we need
to be well aware of. They won't lie down and sit back."
Can you sympathise with Nigel Pearson, getting a club promoted and now under
pressure?
SA: "There's only been one thing missing from Nigel's side and that is
scoring goals. That's everyone's problem really, thankfully we've alleviated
that issue this year. Had the players had their shooting boots on against
Sunderland we would have won comfortably. I spoke to Gus after the game and
we talked about the difficulty of scoring goals consistently. A lot of teams
have struggled, if you look at Liverpool this year compared to Suarez and
Sturridge last season. If Leicester find a striker, or a current player gets
back on form, then they have a good chance of staying up.
"You need a board to back you when you're struggling. I was in a similar
situation at Bolton, we bought in Youri Djoarkaeff. I think he scored six
goals in the last ten games and we stayed up."
What sort of shape is the squad in at the moment? Mark Noble has been
injured for a few weeks, is he available for Saturday?
SA: "No, he's not available for this weekend. He should be available for the
Chelsea game. Everyone else is available for selection which is fantastic
for this stage of the season and it gives us the best chance of winning."
Will any of the young players get a chance to play over the Christmas
period?
SA: "Not at the moment, the current squad is very strong and nearly all fit.
We've got experienced players all the way through the squad, in all sorts of
different leagues across the world. It does depend on how injuries go but I
wouldn't of thought so."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tomkins - 'It's a great place to be'
WHUFC.com
Hammers defender James Tomkins is loving the turnaround for his side this
season
17.12.2014
A year can be a long time in football, as West Ham United's last twelve
months attests. Heading into Christmas 2013, the Hammers found themselves in
a relegation scrap with just 14 points from their opening 16 games. Fast
forward a year, and Sam Allardyce's men have collected double that amount of
points from the same number of Barclays Premier League fixtures. James
Tomkins is loving the turnaround and hopes it continues to make 2014/15 the
most successful of his Hammers career to date. "It's a great place to be at
the minute," he said. "Around the training ground everyone is smiling and
happy and it just goes to show what can happen if you put a good run in.
"This time last year was nowhere near as good as it is now - this is
probably the best I've been involved in since I've been a player and
hopefully we can keep the run going. "We've got good attacking players and
we're scoring goals in abundance. That's credit to the lads - a lot of them
are chipping in with goals. We've had 12 different goalscorers this season.
"Even though we're not conceding many, we're not keeping too many clean
sheets, so hopefully we can improve that."
Tomkins has started eleven of West Ham's 16 top flight games this season and
says he is improving with each and every outing. He explained: "I feel that
I get better with each game. That's how I feel when I get a good run of
games and I feel I can get stronger.
"It's not just me, it's the whole team. Every player, not just the starting
eleven, but everyone is happy to come in and step into somebody else's boots
and that really is vital. "Ultimately it is our aim to finish in the top
ten, but I do feel like my performances are coming on strong."
Next up for West Ham is the visit of Leicester City as the Hammers get the
festive season started and Tomkins wants nothing less than three points from
the Foxes meeting. "It's our busiest time of the year, with four games in
twelve games," he said. "Ultimately we're looking at Leicester, and it won't
be an easy game because like you see through the season teams fall by the
wayside against teams lower in the league. "We've got to make sure it
doesn't happen to us this weekend to keep the run going into a difficult
schedule."
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Cole: I've been waiting on you
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 18th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
Carlton Cole admits he would love to be playing a greater part in West Ham's
success this season - but remains happy at the Boleyn.
Cole, who has been at West Ham for eight years - making him the club's third
longest-serving player behind Academy stars Mark Noble and James Tomkins -
has made just four starts this season and is yet to complete a full 90
minutes. And whilst he is disappointed at having played such a limited role
so far, the 31-year-old insists that he won't be demanding further playing
time and is happy to wait for a chance. That may well come in January when
leading goalscorer Diafra Sakho heads to the African Cup of Nations with
fellow Hammers Cheik Kouyate and Alex Song. Either way, Cole insists he is
happy to wait for an opportunity.
"The manager has explained the situation to everybody," he told the
Standard's Giuseppe Muro. "When I get my chance to step in, I have to make
sure I am ready. Not everyone can play every week and everyone has to be on
their toes. "You have to swallow your pride sometimes when you are not
playing and get on with it. I am celebrating when Andy scores, when Sakho
scores or when Valencia scores. And if I score, I am sure they are
celebrating too. "I am not playing as much as I want but I am a West Ham
fan and I want to see us do well. It is about the team, so whether or not I
am playing is not a problem. "Everyone has their own way of dealing with
disappointment. What would happen if I went knocking on the gaffer's door?
He would probably try and knock me out! You have just got to be
professional, wait your turn and make sure you are ready when the manager
needs you."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce on contract situation
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 18th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
It looks like this one will run and run ... Sam Allardyce was asked again
about his contract situation this morning as he met the press ahead of this
weekend's visit of Leicester City. One of our less salubrious tabloid
newspapers reported yesterday that West Ham were preparing to give Big Sam
the chop at the end of the season despite him having taken the club to their
best position in the league this century. And that inevitably meant that
Allardyce was asked at this morning's pre-match presser about the situation
- and forced to issue another rebuttal. "It's the same as it's been all
season," he reiterated. "We'll sit down when we're ready and comfortable and
discuss the situation. That hasn't changed from the start of the season.
"We're comfortable with that position, like I was last time after we got
promoted to the Premier League. I think we talked about that contract at the
end of April, May almost, even though we finished tenth that year. "I've
spoken to David Sullivan about other matters during the last couple of days
but nothing to do with me or my contract."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Carlton Cole: I'd like to play more but if I went knocking on the
gaffer's door, he'd probably knock me out
It takes a brave man to tackle Sam Allardyce, however, Carlton Cole has
other reasons for accepting support role.
Evening Standard
GIUSEPPE MURO
Published: 18 December 2014 Updated: 09:20, 18 December 2014
Carlton Cole will not confront Sam Allardyce over his lack of playing time
despite making just one Premier League start for West Ham since August.
Although the forward is behind Andy Carroll, Enner Valencia and Diafra
Sakho in the pecking order at Upton Park, he is no rush to leave during next
month's transfer window. The season is only 16 games old and Cole, while
playing a bit-part so far, believes his opportunity will arise soon. In the
meantime, he is happy with a supporting role in a West Ham side flying high
in the Champions League places. "It is a weird feeling," explains Cole. "I
am not playing as much as I want but I am a West Ham fan and I want to see
us do well. It is about the team, so whether or not I am playing is not a
problem. "You cannot have bad eggs in the changing room. Everyone has their
own way of dealing with disappointment and I am not one of those guys [who
complains]. "What would happen if I went knocking on the gaffer's door? He
would probably try and knock me out! He explains everything to you but he
does not want you doing that. I have been through it [not playing] before,
and you have just got to be professional, wait your turn and make sure you
are ready when the manager needs you."
Cole, who turned 31 in October and is out of contract at the end of the
season, understands his omission from the team is a consequence of the form
of Sakho and Valencia. The summer signings have been a huge factor in the
club's sparkling start, while Allardyce is understandably delighted to have
Carroll back following his long lay-off with an ankle injury. And not
forgetting Mauro Zarate. Since leading the line in the opening three games
of the season, Cole has been restricted to a solitary start and a place on
the bench. But, with the busy festive period looming and Sakho heading to
the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal next month, Cole senses his chance is
around the corner.
"You do not want to see Sakho go away with his country but you need to keep
momentum and that is why we have a big squad," he says. "That is when you
are going to need the players who have not been playing to come in and do a
job. "The manager has explained the situation it to everybody. When I get my
chance to step in, I have to make sure I am ready. I am in no rush to go
anywhere in January, I am at home here. Who wants to leave their home? "Not
everyone can play every week and everyone has to be on their toes. The ones
who are on the bench have to come on and make a difference when things are
not going our way. That is what we have been doing lately, coming from
behind to pick up points. It is going to be a hectic time over the festive
period and that is what I am banking on to get a few games."
Cole sees himself as an influential figure in the dressing room after nearly
nine years at West Ham and he says the strikers all support each other. "You
have to swallow your pride sometimes when you are not playing and get on
with it," he says. "I am celebrating when Andy scores, when Sakho scores or
when Valencia scores. And if I score, I am sure they are celebrating too. I
have been at the club for a while and I am always supporting anyone who
wants any advice. "We are all together and that is what you need. You do not
need people hating on you and making you feel uncomfortable. That is what
happens when you have bag eggs, and the gaffer is not going to have that in
the squad. He will get rid of you."
Cole is attending the launch of the Lycamobile Cup, the youth football
tournament set up by Lycamobile, the largest global provider of low cost
international calls, West Ham and their Community Sports Trust. His positive
attitude represents the wider mood at the club, with West Ham lying fourth
ahead of Saturday's visit of Leicester. Cole is confident they can maintain
their good form. "We have got the right mix," he says. "This is the
hardest-working squad I've played in here and we have some great players. We
have got a great bunch of lads. We all have a great understanding of each
other and everyone loves each other as brothers. That is why we are doing so
well at the moment. "The aim was top 10 but, where we are now, you have to
re-evaluate where we will end up. Top seven is achievable if we carry on the
way we are going. "The gaffer has done a brilliant job. People were saying
in the summer his job was not safe but that did not bother him. He carried
on fighting and is seeing the fruits of that persistence."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce in no rush to begin contract talks
Last Updated: 18/12/14 6:09pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has played down speculation about his future,
saying nothing has changed since the start of the season.
Newspaper reports had suggested that Allardyce's position was under threat
given that he had not yet agreed a new contract. But the 60-year-old says he
in no rush to begin discussions, having experienced a similar situation when
he agreed a two-year contract extension in 2013. "It's the same as it's been
all season," said Allardyce, whose Hammers side currently sit fourth in the
Premier League. "We'll sit down when we're ready and comfortable, and
discuss the situation. "We're comfortable in that position, like I was the
last time after we got promoted to the Premier League. We talked about that
contract around the end of April, May almost, even though we finished 10th
that year. I don't have any problems with that. "Did I seek any
clarification from the owner on Wednesday? No. I spoke to David Sullivan
over some other matters. It had nothing to do with me or my contract."
Contract
Reports have also suggested that Senegalese striker Diafra Sakho is set to
have his four-year contract renegotiated, following an impressive start to
life at Upton Park. But Allardyce said: "I don't see why we should be
discussing any contracts with anyone too much in this period when we are
playing so many games in such a short period of time. But yet again players
don't see it that way, do they? "If they think it is time for them, they
don't give a monkeys about anyone else, they just get on with their own
thing. They won't worry about the fact that we have got so many games and we
have got to organise this and that."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE HAMMERS MISFITS
By Sean Whetstone 18 Dec 2014 at 13:39
West Ham till I Die
While the first team is flying high in fourth place in the Premier League
two of our Hammers misfits have been making the news also.
Maiga has been issued a 48 hour ban from Metz after failing to travel with
the team to a Ligue 1 fixture with Marseille earlier this month. A statement
on their website read:"Metz striker Modibo Maiga did not appear at the
airport the day of travel to Marseille, he was punished with a two-day
lay-off by the disciplinary committee of Metz. In accordance with the
provisions of the ban he will therefore be able to return to training on
Friday 19th December."
In July 2012 West Ham signed Maiga from French side FC Sochaux-Montbeliard
for £4.7m, signing on a four-year contract with an option for a further two
years. He is thought to earn £38,000 per week and it is claimed he rejected
an offer in the summer to buy him out of his contract. Metz are reportedly
paying under £6,000 per week of his wages while on a season long loan.
Unless a buyer is found in the January or Summer transfer windows we are
likely to buy him out his remaining year after his loan finishes
Ravel Morrison has also been in the news following his early release from
Cardiff City. A club statement by Cardiff on Monday said "Due to personal
circumstances, Cardiff City have allowed Ravel Morrison compassionate leave
and permission to train in more familiar surroundings at this time with his
parent Club, West Ham United."
Morrison made just one start, six sub appearances and scored no goals for
the Bluebirds during his loan.
The Cardiff statement has encouraged a flurry of newspaper articles and
social media comments claiming West Ham want to sell him, terminate his
contract or buy him out of his contract. On Sunday he posted a picture of
himself in West Ham training kit in a gym. Other unsubstantiated claims say
he has been banned from Chadwell Heath training ground. It does appear that
Ravel Morrison is training with the Development squad in an effort to regain
fitness however whether he is actually forbidden from entering Chadwell
Heath training ground remains unclear. As for terminating his contract
early, I fail to see what grounds West Ham could rely on. He faces serious
criminal charges on 26th January next year and if found guilty that might
give grounds for the club to cancel his £15,000 per week contract without
penalty if they so wished.
West Ham could also buy him out of his remaining contract at the cost of
around of 75% of his remaining wages but that seems highly unlikely before
the end of January. His sale in the January transfer window for anything
more than a nominal also seems unlikely, I can't imagine too many clubs
willing to take a risk before his court case is resolved coupled with the
fact he will be available on a free transfer in the summer when his contract
expires. Our last and probably most credible option is to loan him out for
the remainder of his contract assuming his court case is concluded by
transfer deadline day on 31st December.
Morrison signed for West Ham in January 2012, originally Manchester United
wanted £3m but a deal was concluded for £600k up front and £25k per first
team appearance up to a maximum of £1m. After making 18 appearances in a
West Ham shirt that was fulfilled so Manchester United pocketed £1m. His
wages over his 3 and a half year contract amount to £2.73m but he spent one
and half years out on loan bringing our exposure down to around £1.5m
One thing I can almost guarantee is his days at our club are numbered and he
will not be offered a new contract. It appears Sir Alex Ferguson was right
all along and our £2m + gamble never paid off. You win some you lose some.
Time to move on from what could have been!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce says Ravel Morrison's West Ham future unclear after Cardiff
cut short loan deal
Dec 18, 2014 19:52 By Paul Gorst
The England Under-21 midfielder moved to the Bluebirds earlier in the season
but re-joined his parent club after the switch failed to work out in Wales
The Mirror
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has hinted that Ravel Morrison's time
at the club could be over after the midfielder's loan spell with Cardiff was
cut short. The ex-Manchester United youngster joined the Bluesbirds earlier
in the season and was due to stay until Boxing Day. However, his stay was
ended prematurely with Cardiff citing "compassionate leave" for the move,
and Allardyce has said that Morrison will remain down the pecking order in
his high-flying squad. The Hammers are up to fourth in the Premier League,
and Morrison will stay on the fringes, according to Allardyce. "It's
difficult to say [if he'll feature against Leicester] because obviously it
hasn't worked at Cardiff," Allardyce told talkSPORT. "With me having such a
big squad this season I felt it better for him to try to go and get some
football and see how it goes but it hasn't worked that well and he's back
here with us now. "That's before his loan expires at Cardiff so we'll have
to look at the situation over the New Year but my focus isn't on Ravel, it's
on my first-team squad continuing the great run of form they're on at the
moment."
Morrison made just seven appearances for the Championship side, and their
statement read: "Due to personal circumstances, Cardiff City have allowed
Ravel Morrison compassionate leave and permission to train in more familiar
surroundings at this time with his parent club, West Ham United."
Morrison joined West Ham for around £650,000 in 2012 but has since spent
loan spells with Birmingham and Queens Park Rangers.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Diafra Sakho does not need new West Ham contract, says manager Sam Allardyce
Dec 18, 2014 13:12 By Neil McLeman
The former Metz striker has proven to be a hit signing at Upton Park and has
already scooped a Premier League player of the month award on top of seven
goals
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce has told Diafra Sakho that the Senegal striker does not need a
new contract because he signed a four-deal in the summer.
The £3.5m signing from Metz has been one of the stars of West Ham's great
start to the season after scoring seven goals in his first ten games. Sakho
was pictured on social media yesterday in talks with Hammers co-chairman
David Sullivan. A new deal is set to be triggered after the 24-year-old
makes 25 appearances. But Allardyce, who side host Leicester on Saturday,
said: "He doesn't have to have a new contract because he has a four-year
contract anyway. "If he is going to get one, it will be out of the fact that
the chairman and ourselves think that we are going to re-adjust the contract
he has now. "I would think that the chairman would probably discuss that
situation when Christmas is finished. I don't see why we should be
discussing any contracts with anyone really too much in this period when we
are playing so many games in such a short period of time. "But yet again
players don't see it that way do they? If they think it is time for them
they don't give a monkeys about anyone else. They just get on with their own
thing. "They won't worry about the fact that we have got so many games and
we have got to organise this and that. But I am sure that will be discussed
if and when the chairman is ready and whenever the outcome is, he will tell
everybody." Allardyce said he was "comfortable" about the lack of talks
about his own contract which is up at the end of the season. "It was the
same the last time after we got promoted and it didn't happen until April or
May," he said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam's outburst lets Sakho cat out of bag
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 18, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Poor old Sam got a bit hot under the collar earlier today when spitting
chips in the direction of Diafra Sakho and the West Ham boardroom – which of
course is situated in David Sullivan's des res. That of course is where the
player turned up earlier this week sparking more speculation of a new
contract – a story we published exclusively back in October when explaining
it would kick in after 25 games and that DS was keen to offer a " reward for
excellence." If anyone doubted the story, Sam kindly all but confirmed it
in his little outburst today when after snapping that the player didn't need
a new deal added: "Players don't see it that way do they?"
If they think it is time for them they don't give a monkeys about anyone
else. They just get on with their own thing." Coming from the man who has
become elevated to the world's 13th best paid manager some might find that a
tad ironic but Sam wasn't done. As the manager I don't think he would become
so animated on the subject if he knew it not to be true so rest assured
Diafra is getting his deal!
He added: ""If he is going to get one ( a new contract), it will be out of
the fact that the chairman and ourselves think that we are going to
re-adjust the contract he has now." The big question then is when. It's not
going to be over the festive period, nor whilst he's away at the African Cup
of Nations. The 25th game is likely to be against Burnley on May 2 should
for example Senegal go all the way at Afcon. Sam's suggestion, whilst
talking about the issue, that players don't give a monkey's, seems a bit
unfair given that this is all David Sullivan's idea anyway and in
ClaretandHigh's opinion exactly the right one to make.. However, on this
occasion we're delighted that Sam has decided to give it large on the issue
for now even the doubters will know that the player is going to get
something close to what he's worth.
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Irons set up "excellence" contract policy
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 18, 2014 in Whispers
Calret & Hugh
West Ham's squad – with the exception of Diafra Sakho – will have all
contracts reviewed at the end of the season as the club sets up a "pursuit
of excellence" last half of the campaign! The club's bosses have clamped
down on talks of deals and extensions as they bid to incentivise a squad
which is aiming high. Sakho's well-publicised deal is set to kick in after
25 games – as per the original agreement on signing – but with the team
doing so well, the Irons bosses see an ideal opportunity to pile the
pressure on the players to show their best. ClaretandHugh was told today of
the club's policy as it bids to get the very best from every single
individual in the squad. Oursource said: "The club want to incentivise every
one of them to really put in a shift to earn improved deals so there should
be no talk of contracts being signed at the moment. He added: "Mark Noble's
new deal is due and that will be high on the agenda but like all the players
he will be told to go and show everybody what's he's worth."
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Thursday, December 18
Daily WHUFC News - 18th December 2014
Noble targets successful Christmas
WHUFC.com
West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble is looking to overcome his Achilles injury in time for Christmas
16.12.2014
Mark Noble is looking forward to the hectic Christmas football programme. With Saturday's visit of Leicester City kicking off a vital period of five games in 18 days, Noble knows this spell could go a long way to shaping the Hammers' season. West Ham United have taken 28 points from their opening 16 Barclays Premier League fixtures, propelling them into the top four and giving them hopes of a lofty finish.
But Noble is keen to take it game-by-game, starting with Saturday's Boleyn Ground clash with Leicester, who are without a win in their last eleven. Speaking as the Hammers paid a Christmas visit to Richard House Children's Hospice in Beckton, Noble said he hoped to be back from an Achilles injury soon.
Mark, you're a patron of Richard House. You must be honoured?
MN: "Yes. I have been a patron of Richard House for a few years now. I lived in Beckton for many years myself so to come back every year as I do, give some presents out and see the kids is an honour for me."
How important is it that the Club does this?
MN: "To look after local places like this, and support the phenomenal job the carers and staff do needs to be honoured and I'm glad that we do in this way."
Looking at Saturday's game against Leicester, what are your hopes for the boys?
MN: "Another three points. We want to keep striving to be better. Obviously I'm just getting over a little injury myself, so whether I get back for Leicester or not I don't know yet. I'm hopeful we can get another set of points on the board."
It's a busy time over Christmas. Do you look forward to it?
MN: "I enjoy the Christmas time. Obviously it's hard sometimes when everyone's really enjoying themselves and eating what they want! But there are pros and cons and we're honoured to go out there. We're going to need to use the squad and hopefully pick up points over the Christmas period."
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Hammers host Bobby book launch
WHUFC.com
Bobby Moore's former team-mates returned to launch a new book recalling their careers together
17.12.2014
More than 25 West Ham United favourites of years gone by returned to the Boleyn Ground to celebrate the career of the great Bobby Moore.
Moore's long-time defensive partner and friend Ken Brown, fellow 1966 FIFA World Cup hero Martin Peters, 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup winner Brian Dear, 1964 FA Cup winners Peter Brabrook and Eddie Bovington and many more were back in east London for the launch of a new book chronicling the Hammers career of Moore.
Author Tim Crane has spoken to more than 60 of the 89 players who lined up alongside the legendary captain during his 17 seasons in the West Ham starting XI, compiling a unique book entitled 'They Play With Bobby Moore - The West Ham Years'.
Crane, who also edits the popular Ex-Hammers magazine, was honoured to be joined at the launch by so many of the players he revered as a youngster. "It's been quite an adventure," he confirmed. "It has taken me 18 months to track them all down. I knew they were out there somewhere, but they were spread across four continents. Sixty-three of them are still with us. Sadly we have lost a few but I spoke to the families of the deceased Hammers, and those interviews are just as important. "I have been into every attic and every shoebox and suitcase and found glories and riches above any West Ham supporter's imagination. I'm really pleased that I've been able to showcase all that in this book for supporters of West Ham. "It was a labour of love, but it's not about me. It's very important that these memories are preserved for future generations. There are so many rich, funny, emotional and sad stories in this book that it would be a travesty if they went to the grave. They haven't, so they are out there for everyone to enjoy them."
Brown was Moore's partner when the 17-year-old made his debut against Manchester United in September 1958, before going on to play 274 more times alongside the great defender. "I'll never forget my time with him because he was superb," said Brown, now 80. "You can't describe how perfect he was. I lost count of the number of times I went around the back thinking he was going to miss the ball, but he never did! He was an unbelievable player who got better and better with each game. "It's terrific meeting everybody again! It's tremendous and always nice to come back here."
For winger Brabrook, spending time in the company of so many of his old friends and colleagues, reminiscing about old times, was a fitting way to launch a book with such illustrious subject matter. "It was a fantastic time and I think we all enjoyed it, as I certainly did. There are quite a few I haven't seen for years, and some I didn't know at all because they joined after I had left, but it's great to see them all. "It is great to hold such an event for Bobby and I hope he is up there looking down and knows we are having a go at trying to support all that he believed in. I have fantastic memories. You are going back a long while but they are great memories of things we won, things we got close to winning and a decent side as well."
*To purchase a copy of 'They Play With Bobby Moore - The West Ham Years', please visit www.bobbymoore89.co.uk.
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Song pays tribute to 'The King' Henry
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Alex Song has paid tribute to retiring former Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry
17.12.2014
Alex Song has paid tribute to 'The King' Thierry Henry following the retirement of the former Arsenal and France forward. The West Ham United midfielder was a promising teenager when he played alongside Henry for two seasons in north London and admits he learnt a huge amount about the game from the great No14. Song followed in the 37-year-old's footsteps by joining Spanish giants Barcelona before linking up with the Hammers on loan in the summer, and paid tribute to the influence Henry has had on his own career. "For me, I call him 'The King' because he was unbelievable," Song confirmed. "He was an amazing player and a great man. I know him from when I came to Arsenal when I was 17 and I learned a lot from him. "Now, when I see him, he says 'You have to do this' and you need someone like this who is a big champion and gives you advice. He helps the young players and today we miss a very big man and a very big player. "We know what he achieved in England and all over the world people know his face. They know what he did for football, which was good. "At the end of the day, he has retired, so I would like to say thank you to him for everything. I learned a lot from him and he will always be a good friend. I am happy for him and I want to say to him 'All the best for the future'."
Henry played against West Ham nine times during his eight seasons with Arsenal, scoring five goals. His time with the Gunners included 226 goals in 369 appearances, two Premier League titles and three FA Cups, while he also won two La Liga titles, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona.
At international level, he netted 51 goals in 123 games for France, winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. "He should be remembered as one of the all-time greats, not just in the Premier League but in football," Song continued. "He achieved a lot of things. He was an amazing player and everyone knows him. "If you want to see one of the best strikers in the history of the English league, then you have Thierry. "He is The King because he achieved a lot of things and every young player wants to be like him and achieve what he did in the past, because it's very important."
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Maiga Suspended
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 17th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
Modibo Maiga has been suspended by Metz for walking out on his team ahead of their trip to Marseille earlier this month. KUMB revealed how Maiga threw a tantrum after being told he was being dropped by coach Albert Cartier for the away trip to Ligue 1 leaders Marseille, which led to him missing the trip. Metz went on to lose the game 3-1, and although Cartier and the on-loan striker were said to have cleared the air, it has been revealed that Maiga has been hit with a 48-hour suspension.
A statement released by Metz said: "Modibo Maiga did not appear at the airport on the day of travel to Marseille. He was punished with a two-day suspension by the club's disciplinary committee. "In accordance with the provisions of the ban he will therefore be able to return to training on Friday 19 December."
Signed by Sam Allardyce in July 2012 on a four-year contract (with an option for an additional two years), the £5million striker failed to settle in England and made just 19 starts for the Hammers during his stay at the club. Maiga's tally of just six goals for West Ham consisted of three in the early rounds of the Carling/Capital One Cup and three more in the Premier League - against Southampton (October 2012), Chelsea (December 2012) and against West Brom (December 2013). However it will be for his winning goal at White Hart Lane in the 2-1 Capital Cup win over Tottenham last season for which he is most fondly remembered by West Ham fans.
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Gold denies 'sack Sam' rumours
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 17th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
David Gold has denied reports that West Ham are preparing to part company with Sam Allardyce at the end of the season. The manager's contract expires this summer and on several occasions he has reiterated that no talks will take place until the end of the season - as was the case back in 2013.
It is a position that is shared by the board. However that didn't prevent one particular tabloid claiming last night that West Ham were already preparing to part company with Big Sam and his coaching team, who the article claimed "are certain the axe is coming for them".
Most supporters responding on the KUMB Forum agreed that the report should be treated with a certain degree of caution; the lack of any genuine source helping to add to the air of suspicion.
And this morning co-owner David Gold confirmed that fans were right to treat the story with scepticism when he referred to it as "pure speculation", having been pressed to respond by a supporter on Twitter.
David Gold ✔ @davidgold
"@prideofeastldn: The Daily Star reports that Allardyce won't be offered a new contract? dg true or not?
This is pure speculation. dg
Allardyce joined West Ham in May 2011 on a two-year contract, having rejected the opportunity to work in Abu Dhabi. That contract was extended by a further two years in May 2013.
Gold, speaking at the time said: "Sam has made a hugely positive impact since joining the club nearly two years ago. We chose to recruit Sam as we knew he would bring discipline, determination, passion and respect to Chadwell Heath - and he has delivered on all fronts."
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On Goals on Sunday... Sam Allardyce joins Ben and Kammy
Last Updated: 17/12/14 5:49pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce will be in the Goals on Sunday studio this week to look through Saturday's goals and reflect on West Ham's season so far.
Allardyce heads towards the winter period with his West Ham side in superb form, surprising even their most optimistic supporters after a difficult campaign last term. Allardyce will be talking to Ben and Kammy on the sofa the day after the Hammers face Leicester at Upton Park looking to extend their run of just one defeat in 10 games, which has seen them rise to fourth in the Premier League table. West Ham then travel to Chelsea on Boxing Day before hosting Arsenal two days later, then face West Brom on New Year's Day at Upton Park. Ben and Kammy will also be looking at Manchester United's trip to Aston Villa, Manchester City v Crystal Palace and Tottenham v Burnley, as well as the three other Premier league games and what is making the back pages on Sunday.
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SAM CONTRACT POPPYCOCK
By Sean Whetstone 17 Dec 2014 at 19:07
West Ham till I Die
Poppycock, nonsense, hogwash, balderdash, baloney, piffle and twaddle are words that could all be used to describe the Daily Star's headline this morning claiming a world Exclusive that "West Ham still planning to part with Big Sam despite player support"
The article claims that there remains no plans to offer Allardyce a new deal despite the big improvement he has overseen members of his coaching team are certain the axe is coming for them and Allardyce at the end of the season.
I am sorry but David Sullivan and David Gold have constantly said they will review the position of their manager towards the end of the season and the decision will based on whether to offer him a new contract over 38 games rather than the first sixteen. They are also assuming Sam Allardyce wants to stay at the club at end of his contract, maybe he has other thoughts or ambitions on his mind, maybe even retirement or a break from football.
The other factor will be the length of new contract and the amount it might take to secure his managerial services for another three or five years. Sam Allardyce is represented by agent Mark Curtis. you can be certain Mr Curtis will be looking at an improved offer his client on a long term contract.
In 2013 its was claimed that Allardyce is bringing home a wage of just under £3million at West Ham placing him at No.13 in the world in terms of the highest-earning football managers, as revealed in a study by Brazilian sports economics firm Pluri Consultoria.
I wouldn't usually mention a Daily Star story but several non West Ham friends of mine contacted me this morning to say I hear you sacking Sam at the end of the season.
David Gold took to twitter this afternoon to also debunk the story saying "This is pure speculation. dg" OK so maybe not a denial but the truth is he doesn't know yet and they will continue with their strategy of making a decision at the end of the season.
If Sam has a good season over 38 games I am sure the board will have little choice but to reward him with a new multi million pound contract.
Don't believe the hype!
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SUPER SAKHO SIGNS NEW DEAL
By Sean Whetstone 17 Dec 2014 at 13:49
West Ham till I Die
Christmas has come early for Diafra Sakho after he concluded negotiations on a new deal which more than triples his basic weekly wage from £7,500 per week to £25,000.
The inform striker who has scored eight goals in league and cup games was thought to have signed an initial contract of just £15,000 per week with as much of half that amount based on first team appearances. That contract allowed a review after 25 games but after just 9 appearances and two substitute games his review was bought forward to reward the player ahead of the January transfer window. West Ham paid an initial £3.5m pounds to Metz which could eventually rise to a maximum £7m after 140 appearances in a Claret and Blue shirt. Crucially the contract is thought to be devoid of buy out or release clauses.
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Is Ravel Morrison worth taking a risk on?
HITC
Josh McLoughlin
Ravel Morrison returned to West Ham United earlier this week after a disappointing loan spell at Cardiff City and his next move is unknown. Ravel Morrison has had a stop-start career to say the least with plenty of troubles off the pitch shadowing a talented footballer. A strong few games with West Ham United last season saw comparisons made with Paul Gascoigne and at one point he was even tipped to make the England World Cup squad.
That all seems so very far away now and reports suggest that West Ham have had enough and are ready to terminate the 21-year-old's contract. The Hammers signed Morrison from Manchester United in January 2012 for a fee around the £600,000 mark. The boy had obvious potential then and it just had to be handled in the right way. Loan spells at Birmingham City, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City have followed. Whilst the first two were a success, the latter was not and Bluebirds manager Russell Slade said he had no future at the club.
His best spell came at the beginning of last season, when he scored goals against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur. Speaking of the goal against Spurs, manager Sam Allaryce said, "That's a genius goal for me. You'll struggle to see a better goal than that all season".
Whilst the comparison to 'Gazza' seemed a bit premature, the similarity to a current Liverpool player at the moment is obvious. Mario Balotelli has bags of talent but his problems on and off the pitch have stifled him. It looked as if Liverpool had pulled off the signing of the summer when they brought him in from AC Milan, however now it looks as if it has been a catalyst for a dreadful season so far.
Another comment from Sam Allardyce earlier this season summed up Morrison, and if he is willing to knuckle down and focus on his game then he can become a great player. "It's not that he has to impress me as a footballer, we know about his talent. It's about leading the talent and himself to a disciplined life in general, it's what needs to happen with Rav. If that happens we'd want him here.
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Brighton boss confirms former West Ham man is training with club
HITC
John Verrall
Alou Diarra, who left West Ham United this summer, has been in training with Brighton and Hove Albion as he searches for a new club.
Former West Ham United man Alou Diarra is training with Brighton and Hove Albion having been released by the Hammers this summer.
Diarra failed to make an impression at the Boleyn Ground during his two year stay, where he made just six appearances, but Brighton are set to offer him another chance to impress in English football. The Championship outfit have invited Diarra to train with the rest of the squad, with manager Sami Hyypia keen to add quality to his first-team. "He hasn't got a club at the moment and when I heard that I immediately invited him here," Hyypia is quoted as saying by Eurosport. "I gave him an opportunity to train with us and at the same time we can have a look at how he is. "He has trained with a personal trainer but training on your own is not the same as training with the team. He is with us this week as well and we will see what happens. "We need a midfield player. If he is the one, we shall see."
Hyypia and Diarra already have a relationship having played together at Liverpool back in the early 2000's. Back then Diarra was a powerful presence and Hyypia will be hoping that he has not lost too much of his prior ability despite his age. Brighton are in dire need of an injection of quality having slipped in the Championship's relegation zone and the Frenchman's experience could be crucial in seeing them to safety.
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West Ham's Diafra Sakho set for pay rise
Evening Standard
KEN DYER
Published: 17 December 2014 Updated: 13:10, 17 December 2014
Diafra Sakho is poised to agree a new improved deal with West Ham, even though he is just four months into the five-year contract he agreed when he joined the club. Sakho, signed from French club Metz for £3.5million in August, has proved to be an outstanding buy, scoring seven goals in his first 10 games for West Ham. Sakho originally signed a £15,000-a-week deal but the new offer, which will kick in after he makes 25 appearances for the club, is worth an extra £10,000 per week plus bonuses to the Senegal international. A happy Sakho posted a picture of himself and David Sullivan at the West Ham co-chairman's house earlier this week, where negotiations took place.
Sullivan was instrumental in the summer move for Sakho when it looked likely that a proposed deal would fall through. Manager Sam Allardyce's No1 target was Sunderland's Connor Wickham but when that deal didn't progress, Sullivan stepped in to seal the deal for Sakho. Meanwhile, long-serving midfielder Mark Noble is also in line for a new deal, with the club ready to take up a two-year option on his current contract and offering him three more years on improved terms. Noble remains a doubt for Saturday's home match against Leicester with an Achilles tendon injury.
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Former Fox Savage: "It has to be the Hammers"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 17, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Former Leicester City midfielder Rob Savage can't see his old team reverse an historic trend by beating the Hammers at the weekend!
The Match of the Day pundit recalls scoring the Filbert Street winner against us in 2000 and was in the team which defeated us at home two seasons later when Darren Eadie's grabbed the winner – our only defeat by the Foxes at our place since 1966. Sav recalls his Filbert Street goal when he took a pass from Stefan Oakes and slid the winner under Shaka Hislop. East-ender and Irons fan Muzzy Izzet had equalised an early Frederick Kanoute goal as City scored a rare victory over us. Sav sees no repeats this weekend declaring: "City are all over the shop at the back – they just can't defend and I'll take the Hammers to win it 2-0.
Sav recalled the last victory at Upton Park too adding: "I remember the Darren Eadie match as well but it's always been hard work against the Irons. and downhill all the way against you after that as it had been before. "I celebrated mine at Filbert Street vy diving into the crowd – it was a speciasl win over a team we never got much from. I remember you had the likes of Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard and trevor sinclair in the team – it was a bit special. "But you will have too much for the Foxes this time. You are flying and have so much pace and power – I can't see City coping at all."
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Frankie Mac celebrates Sakho deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 17, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Hammers hero Frank Macavennie raised a glass in the Caribbean sun after hearing that Diafra has been offered a signed a new £25k a week West Ham United deal. ClaretandHugh broke the news to the legendary Irons striker who immediately declared: "Fantastic news and that he's been awarded it before it was due tells you everything. "He's the best thing to have happened to the club in years – he's totally changed the dynamic at Upton Park. "What I like about him so much is that he plays for the team – there's no pursuit of personal glory. It's the lads first and as a result all the accolades are coming his way. "That he has signed a new deal is tremendous news. He's great incredible goal instincts – knows where to run and is about as perfect a partner as you could get. "I love Andy Carroll too. That lad can create carnage among defenders and is perfect for a striker like Diafra. The Hammers are amazing to watch and those two can spearhead us into Europe with the Champions League a real possibility. "WHY NOT?"
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Should West Ham really dump Ravel Morrison?
Blowing Bubbles for Metro.co.ukWednesday 17 Dec 2014 1:34 pm
Metro.co.uk
According to the Daily Telegraph, West Ham are set to terminate midfielder Ravel Morrison's contract. If true, this would be sad but not unexpected. Morrison has returned to Upton Park after Cardiff City cut short his loan deal, sending him back to London due to 'personal issues'. Apparently the former Manchester United youngster, who has been training with the Under-21s, has been told he has no future with the Hammers after the board lost patience with the player who has had numerous off-field issues in his career. It's a shame that things have come to this but the player seems intent of wasting his natural talent and a growing number of fans accept it is now time for the club to wash their hands with him. Things have been going so well this season – without Morrison – and it would be foolish to allow him to upset the morale of the squad over the busy Christmas fixture list. Apart from a bright spell this time last year, when he scored a stunning solo goal against Tottenham, the 21-year-old has failed to establish himself in the Premier League and his contribution to the club may well not be worth the baggage. The club turned down a £4million bid from Fulham last January and I'm sure many of the board will regret not taking the cash when it was offered. Morrison was last month cleared of threatening to throw acid in the face of his ex-girlfriend and have her killed, but will stand trial at Manchester Crown Court on January 26 on three remaining charges of assault. The African Cup of Nations may well deplete the Hammers squad, but Morrison's own availability at this time will be uncertain and the club will need everyone pulling in the same direction if they are to maintain a push for Europe. It is such a shame that it has come to this. That a player with so much natural talent is effectively throwing his career down the drain. But Sir Alex Ferguson decided he wasn't worth the hassle and it seems West Ham are about to come to the same conclusion
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WHUFC.com
West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble is looking to overcome his Achilles injury in time for Christmas
16.12.2014
Mark Noble is looking forward to the hectic Christmas football programme. With Saturday's visit of Leicester City kicking off a vital period of five games in 18 days, Noble knows this spell could go a long way to shaping the Hammers' season. West Ham United have taken 28 points from their opening 16 Barclays Premier League fixtures, propelling them into the top four and giving them hopes of a lofty finish.
But Noble is keen to take it game-by-game, starting with Saturday's Boleyn Ground clash with Leicester, who are without a win in their last eleven. Speaking as the Hammers paid a Christmas visit to Richard House Children's Hospice in Beckton, Noble said he hoped to be back from an Achilles injury soon.
Mark, you're a patron of Richard House. You must be honoured?
MN: "Yes. I have been a patron of Richard House for a few years now. I lived in Beckton for many years myself so to come back every year as I do, give some presents out and see the kids is an honour for me."
How important is it that the Club does this?
MN: "To look after local places like this, and support the phenomenal job the carers and staff do needs to be honoured and I'm glad that we do in this way."
Looking at Saturday's game against Leicester, what are your hopes for the boys?
MN: "Another three points. We want to keep striving to be better. Obviously I'm just getting over a little injury myself, so whether I get back for Leicester or not I don't know yet. I'm hopeful we can get another set of points on the board."
It's a busy time over Christmas. Do you look forward to it?
MN: "I enjoy the Christmas time. Obviously it's hard sometimes when everyone's really enjoying themselves and eating what they want! But there are pros and cons and we're honoured to go out there. We're going to need to use the squad and hopefully pick up points over the Christmas period."
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Hammers host Bobby book launch
WHUFC.com
Bobby Moore's former team-mates returned to launch a new book recalling their careers together
17.12.2014
More than 25 West Ham United favourites of years gone by returned to the Boleyn Ground to celebrate the career of the great Bobby Moore.
Moore's long-time defensive partner and friend Ken Brown, fellow 1966 FIFA World Cup hero Martin Peters, 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup winner Brian Dear, 1964 FA Cup winners Peter Brabrook and Eddie Bovington and many more were back in east London for the launch of a new book chronicling the Hammers career of Moore.
Author Tim Crane has spoken to more than 60 of the 89 players who lined up alongside the legendary captain during his 17 seasons in the West Ham starting XI, compiling a unique book entitled 'They Play With Bobby Moore - The West Ham Years'.
Crane, who also edits the popular Ex-Hammers magazine, was honoured to be joined at the launch by so many of the players he revered as a youngster. "It's been quite an adventure," he confirmed. "It has taken me 18 months to track them all down. I knew they were out there somewhere, but they were spread across four continents. Sixty-three of them are still with us. Sadly we have lost a few but I spoke to the families of the deceased Hammers, and those interviews are just as important. "I have been into every attic and every shoebox and suitcase and found glories and riches above any West Ham supporter's imagination. I'm really pleased that I've been able to showcase all that in this book for supporters of West Ham. "It was a labour of love, but it's not about me. It's very important that these memories are preserved for future generations. There are so many rich, funny, emotional and sad stories in this book that it would be a travesty if they went to the grave. They haven't, so they are out there for everyone to enjoy them."
Brown was Moore's partner when the 17-year-old made his debut against Manchester United in September 1958, before going on to play 274 more times alongside the great defender. "I'll never forget my time with him because he was superb," said Brown, now 80. "You can't describe how perfect he was. I lost count of the number of times I went around the back thinking he was going to miss the ball, but he never did! He was an unbelievable player who got better and better with each game. "It's terrific meeting everybody again! It's tremendous and always nice to come back here."
For winger Brabrook, spending time in the company of so many of his old friends and colleagues, reminiscing about old times, was a fitting way to launch a book with such illustrious subject matter. "It was a fantastic time and I think we all enjoyed it, as I certainly did. There are quite a few I haven't seen for years, and some I didn't know at all because they joined after I had left, but it's great to see them all. "It is great to hold such an event for Bobby and I hope he is up there looking down and knows we are having a go at trying to support all that he believed in. I have fantastic memories. You are going back a long while but they are great memories of things we won, things we got close to winning and a decent side as well."
*To purchase a copy of 'They Play With Bobby Moore - The West Ham Years', please visit www.bobbymoore89.co.uk.
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Song pays tribute to 'The King' Henry
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Alex Song has paid tribute to retiring former Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry
17.12.2014
Alex Song has paid tribute to 'The King' Thierry Henry following the retirement of the former Arsenal and France forward. The West Ham United midfielder was a promising teenager when he played alongside Henry for two seasons in north London and admits he learnt a huge amount about the game from the great No14. Song followed in the 37-year-old's footsteps by joining Spanish giants Barcelona before linking up with the Hammers on loan in the summer, and paid tribute to the influence Henry has had on his own career. "For me, I call him 'The King' because he was unbelievable," Song confirmed. "He was an amazing player and a great man. I know him from when I came to Arsenal when I was 17 and I learned a lot from him. "Now, when I see him, he says 'You have to do this' and you need someone like this who is a big champion and gives you advice. He helps the young players and today we miss a very big man and a very big player. "We know what he achieved in England and all over the world people know his face. They know what he did for football, which was good. "At the end of the day, he has retired, so I would like to say thank you to him for everything. I learned a lot from him and he will always be a good friend. I am happy for him and I want to say to him 'All the best for the future'."
Henry played against West Ham nine times during his eight seasons with Arsenal, scoring five goals. His time with the Gunners included 226 goals in 369 appearances, two Premier League titles and three FA Cups, while he also won two La Liga titles, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona.
At international level, he netted 51 goals in 123 games for France, winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. "He should be remembered as one of the all-time greats, not just in the Premier League but in football," Song continued. "He achieved a lot of things. He was an amazing player and everyone knows him. "If you want to see one of the best strikers in the history of the English league, then you have Thierry. "He is The King because he achieved a lot of things and every young player wants to be like him and achieve what he did in the past, because it's very important."
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Maiga Suspended
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 17th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
Modibo Maiga has been suspended by Metz for walking out on his team ahead of their trip to Marseille earlier this month. KUMB revealed how Maiga threw a tantrum after being told he was being dropped by coach Albert Cartier for the away trip to Ligue 1 leaders Marseille, which led to him missing the trip. Metz went on to lose the game 3-1, and although Cartier and the on-loan striker were said to have cleared the air, it has been revealed that Maiga has been hit with a 48-hour suspension.
A statement released by Metz said: "Modibo Maiga did not appear at the airport on the day of travel to Marseille. He was punished with a two-day suspension by the club's disciplinary committee. "In accordance with the provisions of the ban he will therefore be able to return to training on Friday 19 December."
Signed by Sam Allardyce in July 2012 on a four-year contract (with an option for an additional two years), the £5million striker failed to settle in England and made just 19 starts for the Hammers during his stay at the club. Maiga's tally of just six goals for West Ham consisted of three in the early rounds of the Carling/Capital One Cup and three more in the Premier League - against Southampton (October 2012), Chelsea (December 2012) and against West Brom (December 2013). However it will be for his winning goal at White Hart Lane in the 2-1 Capital Cup win over Tottenham last season for which he is most fondly remembered by West Ham fans.
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Gold denies 'sack Sam' rumours
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 17th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
David Gold has denied reports that West Ham are preparing to part company with Sam Allardyce at the end of the season. The manager's contract expires this summer and on several occasions he has reiterated that no talks will take place until the end of the season - as was the case back in 2013.
It is a position that is shared by the board. However that didn't prevent one particular tabloid claiming last night that West Ham were already preparing to part company with Big Sam and his coaching team, who the article claimed "are certain the axe is coming for them".
Most supporters responding on the KUMB Forum agreed that the report should be treated with a certain degree of caution; the lack of any genuine source helping to add to the air of suspicion.
And this morning co-owner David Gold confirmed that fans were right to treat the story with scepticism when he referred to it as "pure speculation", having been pressed to respond by a supporter on Twitter.
David Gold ✔ @davidgold
"@prideofeastldn: The Daily Star reports that Allardyce won't be offered a new contract? dg true or not?
This is pure speculation. dg
Allardyce joined West Ham in May 2011 on a two-year contract, having rejected the opportunity to work in Abu Dhabi. That contract was extended by a further two years in May 2013.
Gold, speaking at the time said: "Sam has made a hugely positive impact since joining the club nearly two years ago. We chose to recruit Sam as we knew he would bring discipline, determination, passion and respect to Chadwell Heath - and he has delivered on all fronts."
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On Goals on Sunday... Sam Allardyce joins Ben and Kammy
Last Updated: 17/12/14 5:49pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce will be in the Goals on Sunday studio this week to look through Saturday's goals and reflect on West Ham's season so far.
Allardyce heads towards the winter period with his West Ham side in superb form, surprising even their most optimistic supporters after a difficult campaign last term. Allardyce will be talking to Ben and Kammy on the sofa the day after the Hammers face Leicester at Upton Park looking to extend their run of just one defeat in 10 games, which has seen them rise to fourth in the Premier League table. West Ham then travel to Chelsea on Boxing Day before hosting Arsenal two days later, then face West Brom on New Year's Day at Upton Park. Ben and Kammy will also be looking at Manchester United's trip to Aston Villa, Manchester City v Crystal Palace and Tottenham v Burnley, as well as the three other Premier league games and what is making the back pages on Sunday.
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SAM CONTRACT POPPYCOCK
By Sean Whetstone 17 Dec 2014 at 19:07
West Ham till I Die
Poppycock, nonsense, hogwash, balderdash, baloney, piffle and twaddle are words that could all be used to describe the Daily Star's headline this morning claiming a world Exclusive that "West Ham still planning to part with Big Sam despite player support"
The article claims that there remains no plans to offer Allardyce a new deal despite the big improvement he has overseen members of his coaching team are certain the axe is coming for them and Allardyce at the end of the season.
I am sorry but David Sullivan and David Gold have constantly said they will review the position of their manager towards the end of the season and the decision will based on whether to offer him a new contract over 38 games rather than the first sixteen. They are also assuming Sam Allardyce wants to stay at the club at end of his contract, maybe he has other thoughts or ambitions on his mind, maybe even retirement or a break from football.
The other factor will be the length of new contract and the amount it might take to secure his managerial services for another three or five years. Sam Allardyce is represented by agent Mark Curtis. you can be certain Mr Curtis will be looking at an improved offer his client on a long term contract.
In 2013 its was claimed that Allardyce is bringing home a wage of just under £3million at West Ham placing him at No.13 in the world in terms of the highest-earning football managers, as revealed in a study by Brazilian sports economics firm Pluri Consultoria.
I wouldn't usually mention a Daily Star story but several non West Ham friends of mine contacted me this morning to say I hear you sacking Sam at the end of the season.
David Gold took to twitter this afternoon to also debunk the story saying "This is pure speculation. dg" OK so maybe not a denial but the truth is he doesn't know yet and they will continue with their strategy of making a decision at the end of the season.
If Sam has a good season over 38 games I am sure the board will have little choice but to reward him with a new multi million pound contract.
Don't believe the hype!
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SUPER SAKHO SIGNS NEW DEAL
By Sean Whetstone 17 Dec 2014 at 13:49
West Ham till I Die
Christmas has come early for Diafra Sakho after he concluded negotiations on a new deal which more than triples his basic weekly wage from £7,500 per week to £25,000.
The inform striker who has scored eight goals in league and cup games was thought to have signed an initial contract of just £15,000 per week with as much of half that amount based on first team appearances. That contract allowed a review after 25 games but after just 9 appearances and two substitute games his review was bought forward to reward the player ahead of the January transfer window. West Ham paid an initial £3.5m pounds to Metz which could eventually rise to a maximum £7m after 140 appearances in a Claret and Blue shirt. Crucially the contract is thought to be devoid of buy out or release clauses.
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Is Ravel Morrison worth taking a risk on?
HITC
Josh McLoughlin
Ravel Morrison returned to West Ham United earlier this week after a disappointing loan spell at Cardiff City and his next move is unknown. Ravel Morrison has had a stop-start career to say the least with plenty of troubles off the pitch shadowing a talented footballer. A strong few games with West Ham United last season saw comparisons made with Paul Gascoigne and at one point he was even tipped to make the England World Cup squad.
That all seems so very far away now and reports suggest that West Ham have had enough and are ready to terminate the 21-year-old's contract. The Hammers signed Morrison from Manchester United in January 2012 for a fee around the £600,000 mark. The boy had obvious potential then and it just had to be handled in the right way. Loan spells at Birmingham City, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City have followed. Whilst the first two were a success, the latter was not and Bluebirds manager Russell Slade said he had no future at the club.
His best spell came at the beginning of last season, when he scored goals against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur. Speaking of the goal against Spurs, manager Sam Allaryce said, "That's a genius goal for me. You'll struggle to see a better goal than that all season".
Whilst the comparison to 'Gazza' seemed a bit premature, the similarity to a current Liverpool player at the moment is obvious. Mario Balotelli has bags of talent but his problems on and off the pitch have stifled him. It looked as if Liverpool had pulled off the signing of the summer when they brought him in from AC Milan, however now it looks as if it has been a catalyst for a dreadful season so far.
Another comment from Sam Allardyce earlier this season summed up Morrison, and if he is willing to knuckle down and focus on his game then he can become a great player. "It's not that he has to impress me as a footballer, we know about his talent. It's about leading the talent and himself to a disciplined life in general, it's what needs to happen with Rav. If that happens we'd want him here.
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Brighton boss confirms former West Ham man is training with club
HITC
John Verrall
Alou Diarra, who left West Ham United this summer, has been in training with Brighton and Hove Albion as he searches for a new club.
Former West Ham United man Alou Diarra is training with Brighton and Hove Albion having been released by the Hammers this summer.
Diarra failed to make an impression at the Boleyn Ground during his two year stay, where he made just six appearances, but Brighton are set to offer him another chance to impress in English football. The Championship outfit have invited Diarra to train with the rest of the squad, with manager Sami Hyypia keen to add quality to his first-team. "He hasn't got a club at the moment and when I heard that I immediately invited him here," Hyypia is quoted as saying by Eurosport. "I gave him an opportunity to train with us and at the same time we can have a look at how he is. "He has trained with a personal trainer but training on your own is not the same as training with the team. He is with us this week as well and we will see what happens. "We need a midfield player. If he is the one, we shall see."
Hyypia and Diarra already have a relationship having played together at Liverpool back in the early 2000's. Back then Diarra was a powerful presence and Hyypia will be hoping that he has not lost too much of his prior ability despite his age. Brighton are in dire need of an injection of quality having slipped in the Championship's relegation zone and the Frenchman's experience could be crucial in seeing them to safety.
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West Ham's Diafra Sakho set for pay rise
Evening Standard
KEN DYER
Published: 17 December 2014 Updated: 13:10, 17 December 2014
Diafra Sakho is poised to agree a new improved deal with West Ham, even though he is just four months into the five-year contract he agreed when he joined the club. Sakho, signed from French club Metz for £3.5million in August, has proved to be an outstanding buy, scoring seven goals in his first 10 games for West Ham. Sakho originally signed a £15,000-a-week deal but the new offer, which will kick in after he makes 25 appearances for the club, is worth an extra £10,000 per week plus bonuses to the Senegal international. A happy Sakho posted a picture of himself and David Sullivan at the West Ham co-chairman's house earlier this week, where negotiations took place.
Sullivan was instrumental in the summer move for Sakho when it looked likely that a proposed deal would fall through. Manager Sam Allardyce's No1 target was Sunderland's Connor Wickham but when that deal didn't progress, Sullivan stepped in to seal the deal for Sakho. Meanwhile, long-serving midfielder Mark Noble is also in line for a new deal, with the club ready to take up a two-year option on his current contract and offering him three more years on improved terms. Noble remains a doubt for Saturday's home match against Leicester with an Achilles tendon injury.
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Former Fox Savage: "It has to be the Hammers"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 17, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Former Leicester City midfielder Rob Savage can't see his old team reverse an historic trend by beating the Hammers at the weekend!
The Match of the Day pundit recalls scoring the Filbert Street winner against us in 2000 and was in the team which defeated us at home two seasons later when Darren Eadie's grabbed the winner – our only defeat by the Foxes at our place since 1966. Sav recalls his Filbert Street goal when he took a pass from Stefan Oakes and slid the winner under Shaka Hislop. East-ender and Irons fan Muzzy Izzet had equalised an early Frederick Kanoute goal as City scored a rare victory over us. Sav sees no repeats this weekend declaring: "City are all over the shop at the back – they just can't defend and I'll take the Hammers to win it 2-0.
Sav recalled the last victory at Upton Park too adding: "I remember the Darren Eadie match as well but it's always been hard work against the Irons. and downhill all the way against you after that as it had been before. "I celebrated mine at Filbert Street vy diving into the crowd – it was a speciasl win over a team we never got much from. I remember you had the likes of Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard and trevor sinclair in the team – it was a bit special. "But you will have too much for the Foxes this time. You are flying and have so much pace and power – I can't see City coping at all."
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Frankie Mac celebrates Sakho deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 17, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Hammers hero Frank Macavennie raised a glass in the Caribbean sun after hearing that Diafra has been offered a signed a new £25k a week West Ham United deal. ClaretandHugh broke the news to the legendary Irons striker who immediately declared: "Fantastic news and that he's been awarded it before it was due tells you everything. "He's the best thing to have happened to the club in years – he's totally changed the dynamic at Upton Park. "What I like about him so much is that he plays for the team – there's no pursuit of personal glory. It's the lads first and as a result all the accolades are coming his way. "That he has signed a new deal is tremendous news. He's great incredible goal instincts – knows where to run and is about as perfect a partner as you could get. "I love Andy Carroll too. That lad can create carnage among defenders and is perfect for a striker like Diafra. The Hammers are amazing to watch and those two can spearhead us into Europe with the Champions League a real possibility. "WHY NOT?"
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Should West Ham really dump Ravel Morrison?
Blowing Bubbles for Metro.co.ukWednesday 17 Dec 2014 1:34 pm
Metro.co.uk
According to the Daily Telegraph, West Ham are set to terminate midfielder Ravel Morrison's contract. If true, this would be sad but not unexpected. Morrison has returned to Upton Park after Cardiff City cut short his loan deal, sending him back to London due to 'personal issues'. Apparently the former Manchester United youngster, who has been training with the Under-21s, has been told he has no future with the Hammers after the board lost patience with the player who has had numerous off-field issues in his career. It's a shame that things have come to this but the player seems intent of wasting his natural talent and a growing number of fans accept it is now time for the club to wash their hands with him. Things have been going so well this season – without Morrison – and it would be foolish to allow him to upset the morale of the squad over the busy Christmas fixture list. Apart from a bright spell this time last year, when he scored a stunning solo goal against Tottenham, the 21-year-old has failed to establish himself in the Premier League and his contribution to the club may well not be worth the baggage. The club turned down a £4million bid from Fulham last January and I'm sure many of the board will regret not taking the cash when it was offered. Morrison was last month cleared of threatening to throw acid in the face of his ex-girlfriend and have her killed, but will stand trial at Manchester Crown Court on January 26 on three remaining charges of assault. The African Cup of Nations may well deplete the Hammers squad, but Morrison's own availability at this time will be uncertain and the club will need everyone pulling in the same direction if they are to maintain a push for Europe. It is such a shame that it has come to this. That a player with so much natural talent is effectively throwing his career down the drain. But Sir Alex Ferguson decided he wasn't worth the hassle and it seems West Ham are about to come to the same conclusion
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Wednesday, December 17
Daily WHUFC News - 17th December 2014
Carroll relishing festive football
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll is gearing up for the festive football after his latest 90
minutes at Sunderland
15.12.2014
While the festive season tends to be a testing one for most in the Barclays
Premier League, Andy Carroll is relishing the prospect of a flurry of
football. Following ankle surgery in the summer, the England international
missed the first three months of the season, but has now started each of
West Ham United's last five league outings. With lost time to make up, the
25-year-old reckons he is still in the equivalent of a traditional
pre-season and so is looking forward to getting stuck into a hectic
Christmas and New Year schedule. Speaking after his latest 90 minutes in
Saturday's 1-1 draw at Sunderland, Carroll said: "It feels great for me.
It's very important for me to come back from injury and stay injury free.
All the work I'm doing with the medical staff and the treatment team is
keeping me toned and fully fit, so it's obviously great for me to get
another 90 minutes. "Even though I haven't been playing games at the start
of the season, I've still been working very, very hard getting myself fit.
It's probably even more strenuous and harder work being injured and working
yourself back up than it is playing. "It's like my pre-season now, just
coming back. It's my first few games, so I'm raring to go. I'm still feeling
good and feeling fresh."
Reflecting on the weekend's hard-earned point at the Stadium of Light,
Carroll lamented missed opportunities, not least a late side-footed effort
that was a whisker away from bagging the Hammers another away win. He also
went close early on, nodding a pinpoint Stewart Downing cross over the top.
He explained: "It was a fantastic ball from Stewie and I thought I could
have done better with it. I got too much on it and my timing was a little
bit out. It was the first real cross that we got in and had it been another
five minutes into the game, maybe I'd have done better with it. "The one at
the end fell nicely for me and I've side-footed it just past the post. I
thought it was a decent effort, but it wasn't on target. It was a good
strike, but unfortunately it's not got gone in. "It was great to get a point
away from home, but I think we could have had the three and deservedly
should have had the three."
On the back of Saturday's stalemate, Carroll reckons the visit of Leicester
City has now taken on greater significance, with the Hammers targeting
maximum points against the Premier League strugglers. "It'll be another
tough game, every game's a tough game and obviously they're not doing
particularly well at the minute but it's still going to be tough for us," he
continued. "We've got to go out there and try to get the points that we
want. "With the game on Saturday, we felt the next two were winnable games
and six points would have been great for us. We've come up here, it's been a
tough game, got the one, so it's more important now to get the three against
Leicester, which I think we can do."
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Mediawatch - 16 December
WHUFC.com
Our daily look at West Ham United in the news
16.12.2014
Andy Carroll tells the Mail Online that he is raring to go after completing
another 90 minutes at Sunderland on Saturday.
Sam Allardyce is quoted in the Evening Standard as saying his team are
making life easy for him this season.
According to the Mirror, Alex Song has given the Club fresh hope that they
would be able to sign him on a permanent basis.
BBC Sport confirm that Ravel Morrison has been granted compassionate leave
by Cardiff City to train with the Hammers.
Sticking with Morrison, the Mail believe that the Hammers could be peparing
to sell the midfielder in January.
In the same newspaper, West Ham are said to be renewing their interest in
26-year-old Sporting Lisbon striker Islam Slimani.
Meanwhile, the Telegraph include a round-up of possible transfer deadlings
for the Hammers in January.
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On this day - 16 December
WHUFc.com
Elliot Lee turns 20 today while the Hammers also enjoyed home success on
this day in 1972
16.12.2014
Anniversary
West Ham United striker Elliot Lee celebrates his 20th birthday today. The
forward was born on this day in Durham in 1994. Stocky, powerful and blessed
with a natural finisher's ability, Lee finished the 2011/12 season as the
under-18s leading goal scorer, netting more than 20 times in all
competitions. The son of former West Ham United and England midfielder Rob
Lee, the frontman is a prolific goal-getter. This season he is the
Development Squad's top scorer, having already netted five goals in eight
games.
Classic match
West Ham United 3-2 Stoke City
Division One
16 December 1972
The Hammers recorded only their second win in six games as they earned a
hard fought victory over Stoke City at the Boleyn Ground.
A double from Bryan 'Pop' Robson helped the home side on their way with
Clyde Best also to thank as he netted one of the seven league goals which he
managed during the season. The win moved the Hammers up to seventh place, a
position they would be in and around all season before they eventually ended
up sixth.
Complete record - 16 December
1922 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-4 West Ham United (Division Two)
1933 Port Vale 0-0 West Ham United (Division Two)
1950 Hull City 1-2 West Ham United (Division Two)
1961 Manchester United 1-2 West Ham United (Division One)
1963 West Ham United 6-0 Workington Town (League Cup)
1967 Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1972 West Ham United 3-2 Stoke City (Division One)
1978 West Ham United 2-0 Charlton Athletic (Division Two)
1989 West Ham United 0-2 Oldham Athletic (Division Two)
1995 West Ham United 2-1 Southampton (Premier League)
1999 West Ham United 2-2 Aston Villa (League Cup)
2000 Everton 1-1 West Ham United (Premier League)
Played 12, Won 6, Drawn, 3, Lost 3, Scored 25, Conceded 15
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New deal for Sakho?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
Speculation is rife tonight that Diafra Sakho has been rewarded for his fine
form with a new contract. The Senegal international, who signed for West Ham
back in August spent the afternoon at the home of co-owner David Sullivan
where, it has been claimed, negotiations over a new, improved contract were
had. Either way, it seems the two found some common ground at some point ...
as the image below, posted by Sakho on his Twitter feed this afternoon,
indicates!
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Go now, Ravel!
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are planning to release Ravel Morrison on a free transfer
with immediate effect, according to Matt Law. Law, writing in the Telegraph
tonight claims that the club are seeking to effectively cancel Morrison's
contract six months before it is due to expire, at the end of the current
season. The troubled midfielder returned to West Ham at the weekend 10 days
ahead of his scheduled return from Cardiff, where he had been on loan since
August. During his time with the Bluebirds Morrison made just seven
appearances, without scoring a single goal. Prior to that he featured twice
for West Ham this season, against Sheffield United (defeat on penalties) and
Southampton (a 3-1 defeat). Law adds that West Ham will argue Morrison's
numerous off-field issues - combined with a poor disciplinary record whilst
on club duty - allows the club to refrain from paying off his contract in
full - a sum in the region of £400,000.
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West Ham take half of FA Cup allocation
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have requested 3,000 tickets for the FA Cup tie at Everton on
Tuesday, 6 January - just 50 per cent of those available.
As a result of the tie being moved from the weekend to a Tuesday night, West
Ham have taken just half of the available allocation for Goodison Park as
opposed to the larger number available to away teams in the FA Cup. FA rules
state that clubs can ask for up to 15 per cent of the stadium's capacity,
which in this case is just over 40,000 - meaning that the Hammers could have
requested up to 6,000 tickets. However the decision to move the tie to a
Tuesday evening for the benefit of the TV audience- a first for an FA Cup
third round tie - means that thousands of West Ham fans who would have
otherwise made the 220 mile trip from east London to Merseyside will not now
be able to attend.
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Allardyce to break Cup hoodoo?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce will be hoping to win his first ever FA Cup tie since joining
West Ham when he takes his team to Goodison Park next month.
West Ham might be flying high in the Premier League right now but Big Sam
will have to break an unwelcome sequence if he is to help propel West Ham
into the next round of the FA Cup. Back in 2012, in Allardyce's first season
at the Boleyn Ground, West Ham were dumped out of the competition at the
first attempt by Sheffield Wednesday, then a League One club; the only goal
of the game coming from Chris O'Grady two minutes from the end of normal
time. The Hammers fared little better a year later when drawn against
Manchester United. Despite having home advantage, West Ham were denied a
famous victory when Robin Van Persie scored a 90th minute equaliser to send
the game into a replay at Old Trafford, which the hosts won 1-0. And the
less said about last season the better, when a mostly young and
inexperienced West Ham team including the likes of George Moncur (now at
Colchester), Callum Driver (now at non-league Dartford), Alou Diarra
(currently training with Brighton) and Modibo Maiga (on loan at Metz) were
thrashed 5-0 by Championship side Nottingham Forest in front of live TV
cameras.
In fact, the last time Allardyce managed to take a team beyond the third
round of the competition was back in 2009, when his then Blackburn side
reached the fifth round before being beaten by Coventry City. And only twice
in 19 seasons has he led a team beyond the 5th round - both whilst at
Bolton, in 2000 (semi final) and 2005 (quarter final).
Big Sam's FA Cup Record
West Ham United
2013: 3rd Round (Nottingham Forest)
2012: 3rd Round (Manchester United, replay)
2011: 3rd Round (Sheffield Wednesday)
Blackburn Rovers
2010: 3rd Round (Aston Villa)
2009: 5th Round (Coventry City)
Newcastle United
2008: 3rd Round (sacked before replay with Stoke)
Bolton Wanderers
2007: 4th Round (Arsenal, replay)
2006: 5th Round (West Ham, replay)
2005: Quarter Final (Arsenal)
2004: 3rd Round (Tranmere, replay)
2003: 3rd Round (Sunderland, replay)
2002: 4th Round (Tottenham)
2001: 5th Round (Blackburn, replay)
2000: Semi Final (Aston Villa, penalties)
Notts County
1999: 1st Round (Bournemouth, replay)
1998: 3rd Round (Sheffield Wednesday, replay)
1997: 3rd Round (Aston Villa, replay)
Blackpool
1996: 3rd Round: (Huddersfield)
1995: 1st Round (Preston North End)
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Kevin Nolan leads West Ham team in visit to children's ward in east London
hospital
West Ham stars gave out festive goodie bags to young patients
They visited the Rainbow Ward at Newham University Hospital on Tuesday
Kevin Nolan led seven of his team-mates in giving out the presents
James Tomkins, James Collins, Stewart Downing, Mauro Zarate, Diego Poyet,
Matt Jarvis and Alex Song were among those at the visit
By MATT LAWLESS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 20:24, 16 December 2014 | UPDATED: 20:25, 16 December 2014
West Ham's stars helped spread some Christmas cheer on Tuesday afternoon as
captain Kevin Nolan led a hospital visit to a children's ward in east
London. Just a stone's throw away from the Hammers' Upton Park home, Nolan
was one of eight first-team players from Sam Allardyce's squad to hand out
festive goodie bags containing games, mini-footballs, towels and much more
to young patients on the Rainbow Ward at Newham University Hospital. Nurses
and hospital staff were equally delighted as they posed for photographs and
got autographs from Nolan, James Tomkins, James Collins, Stewart Downing,
Mauro Zarate, Diego Poyet, Matt Jarvis and Alex Song. Defender Tomkins said
he and his team-mates were aware of how difficult the holiday season can be
for those who cannot be at home for Christmas. 'It's a time of year I enjoy
coming to see the kids and being very humble, as some of them are really ill
and you just hope they can get home in time for Christmas,' he said.
'Spending time with family is what it's all about at this time of year, so
it keeps your feet on the ground when you know there are kids out there
going through a tough time. 'We just wish them all well and hope they get
home and spend Christmas in front of the tree, which is where everyone wants
to be. I have got a fairly big family and I can obviously relate to seeing
the mums and dads here with their kids in hospital, which is not the ideal
place they want to be. 'All the lads have been really positive and given
them some nice West Ham treats for Christmas, so hopefully we have puts some
smiles on faces.' The Hammers, meanwhile, will be looking to maintain their
fine form when they host the Premier League's bottom side Leicester on
Saturday. Allardyce's side are unbeaten in their last five games and sit
high in fourth place, just three points behind Manchester United.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons won't rule out move for Spaniard
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are not entirely ruling out a move for Valencia defensive
midfielder Javi Fuego but insist there have been no talks "at this stage."
The 30 year old has been on the Irons radar for some time without any formal
moves having been put together and as the stories emerged again today a top
Hammers source told ClaretandHugh: "You can never say never." "However, at
this moment it appears to be agents talking although no approach has been
made by West Ham at this time." However, should the Irons move in on the
player, it may be tricky taking him out of the Spanish club where he is
under contract until 2016. Reports coming out of the club are that Valencia
– one of the financially poorest in La Liga – are simply not interested in
selling but there's more than an even money chance the Irons may go back in
for him.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ravel can have no complaints as time runs out
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
That Ravel Morrison should take a picture of himself and post it on
Instagram on his return to Upton Park showing his track suit bottoms
accompanied by the single word "gym" showed that nothing much has changed.
We've become used to the boy posting pictures of himself in Chelsea and
Arsenal shirts and the like over the past couple of years along with a
number of enigmatic Tweets. My first thought when seeing the latest pic was:
"Why?" After everything that's gone off in his life why would he be posting
on social media at a time when his sole focus should surely have been on
life at the club given the current circumstances. We've seen Ravel score
truly stupendous goals and produce a level of performance which brought him
to the attention of England under-21 manager Gareth Southgate before being
shipped out to Queens Park Rangers and later Cardiff City. His talent and
skill factor is unique. He's a player the like of which at his best, we
probably haven't seen in this country since the days of Gazza. But along
the way there have also been court appearances with the main hearing due
for January 26. The questions he faces in Crown Court may be easier to
answer than those regarding his future football career which looks certain
to be away from Upton Park. After being managed by three of the country's
most experienced bosses – Sir Alex Ferguson, Sam Allardyce and Harry
Redknapp – the obvious question now is where on earth next?
It's a tragedy. Players like Ravel come along only two or three times in a
lifetime and he could have – still might if he can truly get his thing
together – a big career. Ravel is a young man with a troubled past who
somehow has to find his way into a future. I, for one, hope and pray the boy
finds his way forward for if not we will witness one of the saddest stories
of the modern game. One thing I know for sure is that West Ham United has
given him every chance to find himself at the Boleyn. He has received more
arms around the shoulder than can be counted. Now a decision is about to be
made and whatever the outcome the boy can have no complaints over the
decisions taken after being given every opportunity to find himself. The
only one West Ham may regret not taking was the offer from Fulham when it
was allegedly on the table. In every respect they have managed a hugely
difficult situation as well as anyone could have expected.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sakho new deal done – Noble next!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Diafra Sakho has ironed out his new West Ham deal which is due to kick in
after 25 games. ClaretandHugh revealed several weeks ago that co chairman
David Sullivan wanted to reward the player and after pictures were posted by
Sakho on the social media networks it was clear a deal had been done. The
player and chairman thrashed out the deal at Sullivan's mansion today after
the player has made one of the most successful steps into the Premier League
by any player EVER! Currently much of the striker's deal is based on
appearance money but the new deal is thought to take him up tpo £25k a week
with bonuses. Sakho arrived at the club for £3.5 million which goes to £7
million after he has played around 150 games and we were told by a well
placed source there are no escape clauses. A ClaretandHugh source said:
"This has been on the cards for some time and is a great deal for player and
the club. The next big deal on the agenda is Mark Noble's who will be
offered another five years in the summer
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sakho: The financials …as Noble waits
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Mark Noble is the next Hammer in line to be offered a hefty new contract. Co
chairman and chief shareholder David Sullivan tonight kept his pledge to
reward the extraordinary Diafra Sakho with a vastly improved deal after his
early season goal-scoring feats. ClaretandHugh reported on October 28 that
Sullivan was ready to up his contract as a reward for excellence. The player
accepted terms of around £15,000 a week, a percentage of which was based on
first team appearances when joining the club. We said: "Such has been his
utterly outstanding start to the season the club are set to review the terms
of his contract. sakho-diafra_3214372A well placed insider was reported as
saying: "David is keen to reward him. He gets a review after 25 starts in
his contract. If he keeps scoring, however, David will bring that forward as
a reward for excellence." And that is precisely what has happened with the
player now believed to be on £25k a week with appearance bonuses. Noble is
now set to receive a new offer although we are told that will be closer to
the summer with Sullivan taking up the two year option the club hold on him
whilst offering another three years on improved money.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Downing makes a very serious point
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Stewart Downing has made a particularly strong point in claiming the manager
and players were happy with the point at Sunderland. Quite apart from the
fact that it's a hard place to visit – as Chelsea discovered when being held
to a draw – he makes it clear that after three games in nine days, all of
them won, this was a fine effort. Such has been the excitement of watching
the Hammers reverting whenever possible to the brand of football that
attracted most of us to the club in the first place, it's easy to overlook
simple virtues. And the resilience of this side in beating Newcastle West
Brom and Swansea, coming from behind in the last two games whilst doing the
same for the Sunderland point, is a tremendous achievement. This comes from
the confidence the team has amassed this season in never knowing when it is
beaten and reinforces the point made by Claretandhugh's chief analyst/pundit
that they are truly where they belong.
Downing sums it up neatly saying: "We should go into Christmas with a lot of
confidence now. Obviously we've got games in the space of three days over
that period – away at Chelsea on Boxing Day and here against Arsenal on 28
December – but there are no excuses because we have a big squad and can make
changes, so onwards and upwards. We're brimming with confidence, as you
could see with the way we came back at Sunderland. We kept going and got a
big point in the end. As David Gold Claretandhugh last week in an interview:
"We can all start believing we are supporting a very good team."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham ready to terminate Ravel Morrison's contract
Ravel Morrison, the troubled West Ham United midfielder, faces Upton Park
exit
By Matt Law
4:28PM GMT 16 Dec 2014
West Ham United want to terminate troubled midfielder Ravel Morrison's
contract with immediate effect. Morrison has returned to the Upton Park club
after his Cardiff City loan was cut short and has trained with West Ham's
Under-21s. But, rather than wait to try to find another club willing to sign
him, West Ham have decided they want to get rid of Morrison as quickly as
possible. Morrison earns around £15,000-a-week, but West Ham are unlikely to
offer him the full terms of his contract to leave. Instead, they will argue
that a host of disciplinary issues mean they do not have to hand the
21-year-old a pay-off. It remains to be seen whether or not Morrison digs
his heels in and tries to fight his corner, but the England Under-21
international looks set to be faced with trying to find himself a new club.
Co-owner David Sullivan rejected advice from close allies on numerous
occasions to try to help Morrison realise his potential at Upton Park, but
even his patience appears to have now snapped. Cardiff claimed that Morrison
had returned to West Ham on compassionate grounds, but the player made
little impact in Wales despite his considerable talent. Not wanting to risk
him disturbing the good spirit within the first-team squad, who lie fourth
in the Premier League table, the club told Morrison that he would have to
train with the club's youngsters. Morrison has an £18 million release clause
in his West Ham contract and there was also a second clause that stated the
club would have to increase his wages to £60,000-a-week if they received a
£10m bid. Fulham had a £4m offer for Morrison turned down 12 months ago and
were reported to the Premier League by West Ham, before he joined Queens
Park Rangers on loan in February. Morrison enjoyed bright moments under
Harry Redknapp at Loftus Road, but, ultimately, failed to convince QPR to
try to sign him permanently. The loan to Championship club Cardiff was seen
as a last chance for Morrison to get his career on track, but with that
opportunity now gone West Ham no longer want to be responsible for his next
move. Morrison was last month cleared of threatening to throw acid in the
face of his ex-girlfriend and have her killed. But he will stand trial at
Manchester Crown Court on January 26 on on three remaining charges of
assaulting Reah Mansoor, 19, and her mother, Parveen Mansoor, 39, in the
early hours of July 24.
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WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll is gearing up for the festive football after his latest 90
minutes at Sunderland
15.12.2014
While the festive season tends to be a testing one for most in the Barclays
Premier League, Andy Carroll is relishing the prospect of a flurry of
football. Following ankle surgery in the summer, the England international
missed the first three months of the season, but has now started each of
West Ham United's last five league outings. With lost time to make up, the
25-year-old reckons he is still in the equivalent of a traditional
pre-season and so is looking forward to getting stuck into a hectic
Christmas and New Year schedule. Speaking after his latest 90 minutes in
Saturday's 1-1 draw at Sunderland, Carroll said: "It feels great for me.
It's very important for me to come back from injury and stay injury free.
All the work I'm doing with the medical staff and the treatment team is
keeping me toned and fully fit, so it's obviously great for me to get
another 90 minutes. "Even though I haven't been playing games at the start
of the season, I've still been working very, very hard getting myself fit.
It's probably even more strenuous and harder work being injured and working
yourself back up than it is playing. "It's like my pre-season now, just
coming back. It's my first few games, so I'm raring to go. I'm still feeling
good and feeling fresh."
Reflecting on the weekend's hard-earned point at the Stadium of Light,
Carroll lamented missed opportunities, not least a late side-footed effort
that was a whisker away from bagging the Hammers another away win. He also
went close early on, nodding a pinpoint Stewart Downing cross over the top.
He explained: "It was a fantastic ball from Stewie and I thought I could
have done better with it. I got too much on it and my timing was a little
bit out. It was the first real cross that we got in and had it been another
five minutes into the game, maybe I'd have done better with it. "The one at
the end fell nicely for me and I've side-footed it just past the post. I
thought it was a decent effort, but it wasn't on target. It was a good
strike, but unfortunately it's not got gone in. "It was great to get a point
away from home, but I think we could have had the three and deservedly
should have had the three."
On the back of Saturday's stalemate, Carroll reckons the visit of Leicester
City has now taken on greater significance, with the Hammers targeting
maximum points against the Premier League strugglers. "It'll be another
tough game, every game's a tough game and obviously they're not doing
particularly well at the minute but it's still going to be tough for us," he
continued. "We've got to go out there and try to get the points that we
want. "With the game on Saturday, we felt the next two were winnable games
and six points would have been great for us. We've come up here, it's been a
tough game, got the one, so it's more important now to get the three against
Leicester, which I think we can do."
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Mediawatch - 16 December
WHUFC.com
Our daily look at West Ham United in the news
16.12.2014
Andy Carroll tells the Mail Online that he is raring to go after completing
another 90 minutes at Sunderland on Saturday.
Sam Allardyce is quoted in the Evening Standard as saying his team are
making life easy for him this season.
According to the Mirror, Alex Song has given the Club fresh hope that they
would be able to sign him on a permanent basis.
BBC Sport confirm that Ravel Morrison has been granted compassionate leave
by Cardiff City to train with the Hammers.
Sticking with Morrison, the Mail believe that the Hammers could be peparing
to sell the midfielder in January.
In the same newspaper, West Ham are said to be renewing their interest in
26-year-old Sporting Lisbon striker Islam Slimani.
Meanwhile, the Telegraph include a round-up of possible transfer deadlings
for the Hammers in January.
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On this day - 16 December
WHUFc.com
Elliot Lee turns 20 today while the Hammers also enjoyed home success on
this day in 1972
16.12.2014
Anniversary
West Ham United striker Elliot Lee celebrates his 20th birthday today. The
forward was born on this day in Durham in 1994. Stocky, powerful and blessed
with a natural finisher's ability, Lee finished the 2011/12 season as the
under-18s leading goal scorer, netting more than 20 times in all
competitions. The son of former West Ham United and England midfielder Rob
Lee, the frontman is a prolific goal-getter. This season he is the
Development Squad's top scorer, having already netted five goals in eight
games.
Classic match
West Ham United 3-2 Stoke City
Division One
16 December 1972
The Hammers recorded only their second win in six games as they earned a
hard fought victory over Stoke City at the Boleyn Ground.
A double from Bryan 'Pop' Robson helped the home side on their way with
Clyde Best also to thank as he netted one of the seven league goals which he
managed during the season. The win moved the Hammers up to seventh place, a
position they would be in and around all season before they eventually ended
up sixth.
Complete record - 16 December
1922 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-4 West Ham United (Division Two)
1933 Port Vale 0-0 West Ham United (Division Two)
1950 Hull City 1-2 West Ham United (Division Two)
1961 Manchester United 1-2 West Ham United (Division One)
1963 West Ham United 6-0 Workington Town (League Cup)
1967 Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1972 West Ham United 3-2 Stoke City (Division One)
1978 West Ham United 2-0 Charlton Athletic (Division Two)
1989 West Ham United 0-2 Oldham Athletic (Division Two)
1995 West Ham United 2-1 Southampton (Premier League)
1999 West Ham United 2-2 Aston Villa (League Cup)
2000 Everton 1-1 West Ham United (Premier League)
Played 12, Won 6, Drawn, 3, Lost 3, Scored 25, Conceded 15
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
New deal for Sakho?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
Speculation is rife tonight that Diafra Sakho has been rewarded for his fine
form with a new contract. The Senegal international, who signed for West Ham
back in August spent the afternoon at the home of co-owner David Sullivan
where, it has been claimed, negotiations over a new, improved contract were
had. Either way, it seems the two found some common ground at some point ...
as the image below, posted by Sakho on his Twitter feed this afternoon,
indicates!
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Go now, Ravel!
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are planning to release Ravel Morrison on a free transfer
with immediate effect, according to Matt Law. Law, writing in the Telegraph
tonight claims that the club are seeking to effectively cancel Morrison's
contract six months before it is due to expire, at the end of the current
season. The troubled midfielder returned to West Ham at the weekend 10 days
ahead of his scheduled return from Cardiff, where he had been on loan since
August. During his time with the Bluebirds Morrison made just seven
appearances, without scoring a single goal. Prior to that he featured twice
for West Ham this season, against Sheffield United (defeat on penalties) and
Southampton (a 3-1 defeat). Law adds that West Ham will argue Morrison's
numerous off-field issues - combined with a poor disciplinary record whilst
on club duty - allows the club to refrain from paying off his contract in
full - a sum in the region of £400,000.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham take half of FA Cup allocation
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have requested 3,000 tickets for the FA Cup tie at Everton on
Tuesday, 6 January - just 50 per cent of those available.
As a result of the tie being moved from the weekend to a Tuesday night, West
Ham have taken just half of the available allocation for Goodison Park as
opposed to the larger number available to away teams in the FA Cup. FA rules
state that clubs can ask for up to 15 per cent of the stadium's capacity,
which in this case is just over 40,000 - meaning that the Hammers could have
requested up to 6,000 tickets. However the decision to move the tie to a
Tuesday evening for the benefit of the TV audience- a first for an FA Cup
third round tie - means that thousands of West Ham fans who would have
otherwise made the 220 mile trip from east London to Merseyside will not now
be able to attend.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce to break Cup hoodoo?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th December 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce will be hoping to win his first ever FA Cup tie since joining
West Ham when he takes his team to Goodison Park next month.
West Ham might be flying high in the Premier League right now but Big Sam
will have to break an unwelcome sequence if he is to help propel West Ham
into the next round of the FA Cup. Back in 2012, in Allardyce's first season
at the Boleyn Ground, West Ham were dumped out of the competition at the
first attempt by Sheffield Wednesday, then a League One club; the only goal
of the game coming from Chris O'Grady two minutes from the end of normal
time. The Hammers fared little better a year later when drawn against
Manchester United. Despite having home advantage, West Ham were denied a
famous victory when Robin Van Persie scored a 90th minute equaliser to send
the game into a replay at Old Trafford, which the hosts won 1-0. And the
less said about last season the better, when a mostly young and
inexperienced West Ham team including the likes of George Moncur (now at
Colchester), Callum Driver (now at non-league Dartford), Alou Diarra
(currently training with Brighton) and Modibo Maiga (on loan at Metz) were
thrashed 5-0 by Championship side Nottingham Forest in front of live TV
cameras.
In fact, the last time Allardyce managed to take a team beyond the third
round of the competition was back in 2009, when his then Blackburn side
reached the fifth round before being beaten by Coventry City. And only twice
in 19 seasons has he led a team beyond the 5th round - both whilst at
Bolton, in 2000 (semi final) and 2005 (quarter final).
Big Sam's FA Cup Record
West Ham United
2013: 3rd Round (Nottingham Forest)
2012: 3rd Round (Manchester United, replay)
2011: 3rd Round (Sheffield Wednesday)
Blackburn Rovers
2010: 3rd Round (Aston Villa)
2009: 5th Round (Coventry City)
Newcastle United
2008: 3rd Round (sacked before replay with Stoke)
Bolton Wanderers
2007: 4th Round (Arsenal, replay)
2006: 5th Round (West Ham, replay)
2005: Quarter Final (Arsenal)
2004: 3rd Round (Tranmere, replay)
2003: 3rd Round (Sunderland, replay)
2002: 4th Round (Tottenham)
2001: 5th Round (Blackburn, replay)
2000: Semi Final (Aston Villa, penalties)
Notts County
1999: 1st Round (Bournemouth, replay)
1998: 3rd Round (Sheffield Wednesday, replay)
1997: 3rd Round (Aston Villa, replay)
Blackpool
1996: 3rd Round: (Huddersfield)
1995: 1st Round (Preston North End)
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Kevin Nolan leads West Ham team in visit to children's ward in east London
hospital
West Ham stars gave out festive goodie bags to young patients
They visited the Rainbow Ward at Newham University Hospital on Tuesday
Kevin Nolan led seven of his team-mates in giving out the presents
James Tomkins, James Collins, Stewart Downing, Mauro Zarate, Diego Poyet,
Matt Jarvis and Alex Song were among those at the visit
By MATT LAWLESS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 20:24, 16 December 2014 | UPDATED: 20:25, 16 December 2014
West Ham's stars helped spread some Christmas cheer on Tuesday afternoon as
captain Kevin Nolan led a hospital visit to a children's ward in east
London. Just a stone's throw away from the Hammers' Upton Park home, Nolan
was one of eight first-team players from Sam Allardyce's squad to hand out
festive goodie bags containing games, mini-footballs, towels and much more
to young patients on the Rainbow Ward at Newham University Hospital. Nurses
and hospital staff were equally delighted as they posed for photographs and
got autographs from Nolan, James Tomkins, James Collins, Stewart Downing,
Mauro Zarate, Diego Poyet, Matt Jarvis and Alex Song. Defender Tomkins said
he and his team-mates were aware of how difficult the holiday season can be
for those who cannot be at home for Christmas. 'It's a time of year I enjoy
coming to see the kids and being very humble, as some of them are really ill
and you just hope they can get home in time for Christmas,' he said.
'Spending time with family is what it's all about at this time of year, so
it keeps your feet on the ground when you know there are kids out there
going through a tough time. 'We just wish them all well and hope they get
home and spend Christmas in front of the tree, which is where everyone wants
to be. I have got a fairly big family and I can obviously relate to seeing
the mums and dads here with their kids in hospital, which is not the ideal
place they want to be. 'All the lads have been really positive and given
them some nice West Ham treats for Christmas, so hopefully we have puts some
smiles on faces.' The Hammers, meanwhile, will be looking to maintain their
fine form when they host the Premier League's bottom side Leicester on
Saturday. Allardyce's side are unbeaten in their last five games and sit
high in fourth place, just three points behind Manchester United.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons won't rule out move for Spaniard
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are not entirely ruling out a move for Valencia defensive
midfielder Javi Fuego but insist there have been no talks "at this stage."
The 30 year old has been on the Irons radar for some time without any formal
moves having been put together and as the stories emerged again today a top
Hammers source told ClaretandHugh: "You can never say never." "However, at
this moment it appears to be agents talking although no approach has been
made by West Ham at this time." However, should the Irons move in on the
player, it may be tricky taking him out of the Spanish club where he is
under contract until 2016. Reports coming out of the club are that Valencia
– one of the financially poorest in La Liga – are simply not interested in
selling but there's more than an even money chance the Irons may go back in
for him.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ravel can have no complaints as time runs out
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
That Ravel Morrison should take a picture of himself and post it on
Instagram on his return to Upton Park showing his track suit bottoms
accompanied by the single word "gym" showed that nothing much has changed.
We've become used to the boy posting pictures of himself in Chelsea and
Arsenal shirts and the like over the past couple of years along with a
number of enigmatic Tweets. My first thought when seeing the latest pic was:
"Why?" After everything that's gone off in his life why would he be posting
on social media at a time when his sole focus should surely have been on
life at the club given the current circumstances. We've seen Ravel score
truly stupendous goals and produce a level of performance which brought him
to the attention of England under-21 manager Gareth Southgate before being
shipped out to Queens Park Rangers and later Cardiff City. His talent and
skill factor is unique. He's a player the like of which at his best, we
probably haven't seen in this country since the days of Gazza. But along
the way there have also been court appearances with the main hearing due
for January 26. The questions he faces in Crown Court may be easier to
answer than those regarding his future football career which looks certain
to be away from Upton Park. After being managed by three of the country's
most experienced bosses – Sir Alex Ferguson, Sam Allardyce and Harry
Redknapp – the obvious question now is where on earth next?
It's a tragedy. Players like Ravel come along only two or three times in a
lifetime and he could have – still might if he can truly get his thing
together – a big career. Ravel is a young man with a troubled past who
somehow has to find his way into a future. I, for one, hope and pray the boy
finds his way forward for if not we will witness one of the saddest stories
of the modern game. One thing I know for sure is that West Ham United has
given him every chance to find himself at the Boleyn. He has received more
arms around the shoulder than can be counted. Now a decision is about to be
made and whatever the outcome the boy can have no complaints over the
decisions taken after being given every opportunity to find himself. The
only one West Ham may regret not taking was the offer from Fulham when it
was allegedly on the table. In every respect they have managed a hugely
difficult situation as well as anyone could have expected.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sakho new deal done – Noble next!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Diafra Sakho has ironed out his new West Ham deal which is due to kick in
after 25 games. ClaretandHugh revealed several weeks ago that co chairman
David Sullivan wanted to reward the player and after pictures were posted by
Sakho on the social media networks it was clear a deal had been done. The
player and chairman thrashed out the deal at Sullivan's mansion today after
the player has made one of the most successful steps into the Premier League
by any player EVER! Currently much of the striker's deal is based on
appearance money but the new deal is thought to take him up tpo £25k a week
with bonuses. Sakho arrived at the club for £3.5 million which goes to £7
million after he has played around 150 games and we were told by a well
placed source there are no escape clauses. A ClaretandHugh source said:
"This has been on the cards for some time and is a great deal for player and
the club. The next big deal on the agenda is Mark Noble's who will be
offered another five years in the summer
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sakho: The financials …as Noble waits
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Mark Noble is the next Hammer in line to be offered a hefty new contract. Co
chairman and chief shareholder David Sullivan tonight kept his pledge to
reward the extraordinary Diafra Sakho with a vastly improved deal after his
early season goal-scoring feats. ClaretandHugh reported on October 28 that
Sullivan was ready to up his contract as a reward for excellence. The player
accepted terms of around £15,000 a week, a percentage of which was based on
first team appearances when joining the club. We said: "Such has been his
utterly outstanding start to the season the club are set to review the terms
of his contract. sakho-diafra_3214372A well placed insider was reported as
saying: "David is keen to reward him. He gets a review after 25 starts in
his contract. If he keeps scoring, however, David will bring that forward as
a reward for excellence." And that is precisely what has happened with the
player now believed to be on £25k a week with appearance bonuses. Noble is
now set to receive a new offer although we are told that will be closer to
the summer with Sullivan taking up the two year option the club hold on him
whilst offering another three years on improved money.
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Downing makes a very serious point
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Stewart Downing has made a particularly strong point in claiming the manager
and players were happy with the point at Sunderland. Quite apart from the
fact that it's a hard place to visit – as Chelsea discovered when being held
to a draw – he makes it clear that after three games in nine days, all of
them won, this was a fine effort. Such has been the excitement of watching
the Hammers reverting whenever possible to the brand of football that
attracted most of us to the club in the first place, it's easy to overlook
simple virtues. And the resilience of this side in beating Newcastle West
Brom and Swansea, coming from behind in the last two games whilst doing the
same for the Sunderland point, is a tremendous achievement. This comes from
the confidence the team has amassed this season in never knowing when it is
beaten and reinforces the point made by Claretandhugh's chief analyst/pundit
that they are truly where they belong.
Downing sums it up neatly saying: "We should go into Christmas with a lot of
confidence now. Obviously we've got games in the space of three days over
that period – away at Chelsea on Boxing Day and here against Arsenal on 28
December – but there are no excuses because we have a big squad and can make
changes, so onwards and upwards. We're brimming with confidence, as you
could see with the way we came back at Sunderland. We kept going and got a
big point in the end. As David Gold Claretandhugh last week in an interview:
"We can all start believing we are supporting a very good team."
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West Ham ready to terminate Ravel Morrison's contract
Ravel Morrison, the troubled West Ham United midfielder, faces Upton Park
exit
By Matt Law
4:28PM GMT 16 Dec 2014
West Ham United want to terminate troubled midfielder Ravel Morrison's
contract with immediate effect. Morrison has returned to the Upton Park club
after his Cardiff City loan was cut short and has trained with West Ham's
Under-21s. But, rather than wait to try to find another club willing to sign
him, West Ham have decided they want to get rid of Morrison as quickly as
possible. Morrison earns around £15,000-a-week, but West Ham are unlikely to
offer him the full terms of his contract to leave. Instead, they will argue
that a host of disciplinary issues mean they do not have to hand the
21-year-old a pay-off. It remains to be seen whether or not Morrison digs
his heels in and tries to fight his corner, but the England Under-21
international looks set to be faced with trying to find himself a new club.
Co-owner David Sullivan rejected advice from close allies on numerous
occasions to try to help Morrison realise his potential at Upton Park, but
even his patience appears to have now snapped. Cardiff claimed that Morrison
had returned to West Ham on compassionate grounds, but the player made
little impact in Wales despite his considerable talent. Not wanting to risk
him disturbing the good spirit within the first-team squad, who lie fourth
in the Premier League table, the club told Morrison that he would have to
train with the club's youngsters. Morrison has an £18 million release clause
in his West Ham contract and there was also a second clause that stated the
club would have to increase his wages to £60,000-a-week if they received a
£10m bid. Fulham had a £4m offer for Morrison turned down 12 months ago and
were reported to the Premier League by West Ham, before he joined Queens
Park Rangers on loan in February. Morrison enjoyed bright moments under
Harry Redknapp at Loftus Road, but, ultimately, failed to convince QPR to
try to sign him permanently. The loan to Championship club Cardiff was seen
as a last chance for Morrison to get his career on track, but with that
opportunity now gone West Ham no longer want to be responsible for his next
move. Morrison was last month cleared of threatening to throw acid in the
face of his ex-girlfriend and have her killed. But he will stand trial at
Manchester Crown Court on January 26 on on three remaining charges of
assaulting Reah Mansoor, 19, and her mother, Parveen Mansoor, 39, in the
early hours of July 24.
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