Preview - Queens Park Rangers
WHUFC.com
In brief
West Ham United travel across London to take on relegation embattled Queens Park Rangers in their final London derby of the season. The Hammers will want to register their double of the season, having beaten the R's 2-0 in October at the Boleyn Ground. The Irons are currently tenth, with 43 points from their 33 games. Saturday's visitors QPR fighting for their Premier League status. Currently 19th with 26 points, Chris Ramsey's men have improved of late with a 4-1 away at West Bromwich Albion and a 3-3 draw at Aston Villa.
Who are they?
Formed in 1882, Queens Park Rangers' early football was joined the Football League in 1920, three years after settling at Loftus Road.
Their honours include winning the League Cup in 1967, being runners-up in the top flight in 1975/76 and reaching the FA Cup final in 1982, when they lost to Tottenham Hotspur after a replay. They won promotion back to the top flight via the play-offs last season, with former Hammer Bobby Zamora netting a dramatic late winner against Derby County.
Team news
QPR
Chris Ramsey has an extensive injury list. His absentees include Rio Ferdinand (muscular injury), Eduardo Vargas (Knee) and Leroy Fer (Knee) all out. However, Rangers could be boosted by the return of A Troare and Adel Taarabt.
West Ham United
Sam Allardyce will have to do make do without Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll, James Tomkins and Doneil henry who are all still injured.
Guy Demel may also miss out due to a calf problem.
Referee
Saturday's referee is Mike Jones. The Cheshire based referee took charge of his first Premier League game back in 2008 and has since officiated 143 matches. In total, he has given 455 yellow and 20 red cards out. Jones has refereed one West ham game this season, their last away in back in December – a 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion. Taylor will be assisted by Mark Scholes and Ian Hussin, while the fourth official will be Lee Mason.
One to watch
West Ham United
Aaron Cresswell has enjoyed a fine start to life in a Hammers shirt, taking the step up from Championship football in his stride.
The 25-year-old left back has played every minute of the Hammers' Barclays Premier League campaign to date, capping recent good performances with a superb free kick against Stoke City.
Queens Park Rangers
Rangers striker Charlie Austin will need to be shackled on Saturday if the Hammers are to be successful. The former Swindon and Burnley man joined QPR in summer 2013 and notched 17 league goals to help his new club to promotion. This season, he has continued his prolific goalscoring form, netting 17 times so far, leading to some pundits calling for an international call up. The Hammers will have to be aware of the threat he possesses if they are to come with away from Loftus Road with the three points.
Tickets
Standard tickets for this fixture have now SOLD OUT. However, a limited number of re-listed Season Ticket Holder seats may be available online through the Ticket Trader.
Travel
There are planned closures on Central and Bakerloo lines on Saturday. Click here for the latest transport news from Transport for London.
Click here for the latest travel news from National Rail.
Weather
A dry day with sunny spells is expected on Saturday, with a temperature of 17C (63F) at kick-off.
Last meeting
The Hammers secured a 2-1 away win the last time they visited Loftus Road.
Matt Jarvis put the Irons ahead after just three minutes before Vaz Te's goal doubled their advantage before half time.
The hosts rallied in the second half as Adel Taarabt scored a minute after coming on as a substitute.
However their efforts of a comeback were thwarted when Samba Diakite was sent off and the hammers held out for an important win.
Queens Park Rangers 1-2 West Ham United
Premier League
Monday 1 October 2012
QPR: Julio Cesar, Hill, Onuoha (hoilett 84), Nelsen, Park Ji-Sung (Diakite 56), Wright-Phillips (Taarabt 56), Granero, Faurlin, Mbia, Cisse, Zamora
Subs: Green, Ehmer, Ephraim, Mackie
Goal: Taarabt 57
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Reid (Tomkins 23), O'Brien (McCartney 35), Collins, Demel, Nolan, Jarvis, Noble, Diame, C Cole (Carroll 72), Vaz Te.
Subs: Henderson, Benayoun, O'Neil, Maiga
Goal: Jarvis 3, Vaz Te 35
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble - 'We've got to make our own luck'
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble feels West Ham United have been the victim of ill fortune in recent weeks but says it is up to the players to make their own luck at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday. The midfielder reckons the rub of the green has deserted the Hammers in 2015, with late goals and injuries the scourge of a troubled second half of the campaign. But Noble is not after pity, just results, and insists that only the players' sheer hard work can ensure that Lady Luck smiles upon the Hammers at Loftus Road this weekend. "From what I see in training every day and from what I see in the games, we've had a little bit of bad luck," Noble confirmed. "The luck that was going for us at the beginning of the season, with Manchester City at home – I think they hit the crossbar twice and Adrian made some great saves – it's not going for us at the minute. "You need to work harder to get that luck back. As they say, you make your own luck and we've got five games to go and we want to get some points on the board."
While it certainly has not gone the Hammers' way since the turn of the year, the 27-year-old says supporters can rest assured that the players are doing everything in their power to turn it around. With five games still to play, the Club's longest servant has called on the fans to keep the faith as they bid to record their highest points tally since returning to the top flight in 2012. He continued: "Stick by us, we've had a good season, it could have been a really good season, but it wasn't meant to be. "The league has levelled itself out now, the top six or seven are always there, that's the way it is. We've had a good go this season and we need to finish the season on a high. "I obviously know who I train with every day and the boys that I play with and they are giving 100 per cent, coming off a bad run, admittedly. I say a bad run, well not the results that we wanted. "Going away to Man City when they need a result is a tough place to play and we need to go to QPR away on Saturday and get a result."
Speaking of supporters, there was good news for the fans this week in the shape of 2016/17 Season Ticket prices. Noble himself popped into the New Stadium Reservation Centre and applauded the Club's decision to slash prices, not least for the youngsters. "I think what the Club has done is fantastic. Season Tickets for Under-16s are £99, which is great, affordable for everyone. To get over there now, it's one more season at Upton Park, which has been a fantastic home for us and then to a new chapter for the Club. "A lot of the newer players haven't even been into the Stadium yet, so once they stand in there and realise how big it is, what a place it's going to be to play at, I think it'll be even more exciting. And when we do obviously finally make the move, it's going to be some football arena to play in."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce and Carroll in community Q&A
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce and striker Andy Carroll met young people looking to make the most of life at a Barclays Premier League event. Keeping Kids Company and the Bromley By Bow Centre are two local organisations that focus on giving youngsters opportunities to achieve their goals and transform their lives through education, sport and general support, the groups are just two of the community groups supported nationally by Barclays. Through their sponsor of the Premier League, Barclays host a number of events and initiatives in conjunction with all 20 PL clubs every season, where charities and communities can come together with football and meet their heroes.
The Hammers boss along with No9 Carroll took part in a Q&A, before chatting with the groups about their experiences and how schemes such as these supported by Barclays, have given them a chance that they might not have had otherwise. A lively question and answer session had Big Sam and Carroll answering questions on what motivates them to do what they do, on the current season and general questions on the world of football. The pair then posed for photographs and signed autographs. The West Ham manager said he was very impressed with the groups and the event as a whole. "It is very good for Barclays and the Premier League to bring these events to our clubs, so that football can mix with the community in such a way with these partnerships," he said. "It was clear to see that these young people have been given a chance with these groups and the dedicated people who run them and as a result, have positive targets to aim for in life now."
Carroll who is currently working his way back to fitness following knee surgery in February added: "They were a good group and it was great to meet them. They had some good questions. Our club does a lot in the local community and this is another way of bringing football and everyone together for a good cause."
Following the Q&A with Big Sam and Carroll, the youngsters then took part in a football skills session outside at the club's Chadwell heath training coached by the West Ham United Foundation, with players Guy Demel, Morgan Amalfitano and Nene joining them.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Potts: 'We deserved the win'
WHUFC.com
U21s coach Steve Potts said his side deserved the victory 2-1 over Manchester City on Friday 24 April after recent good performances had gone unrewarded. Potts' son Dan opened the scoring in the eleventh minute heading in Djair Parfitt-Williams' cross after an exquisite bit of skill from the young forward. The Hammers doubled their lead early in the second half when Adam Drury stabbed Jordan Brown's drilled cross into his own net. City rallied and looked increasingly dangerous before Olivier Ntcham scored late on to half the Irons' advantage but it proved too little too late. Speaking after the game, Potts said: "I'm delighted. I thought the lads did very well. The effort they put in was fantastic, they got what we deserved really after a couple of games where I thought we did some good stuff but lost by the odd goal. "Last week against Norwich City we were 1-0 up with a few minutes to go but then we threw it away. But tonight we did the job. "I've been happy with the last two games and tonight, in most aspects, we saw the game through. I think that's the stage that the players are at, at the moment. They're young boys but they need to manage games and get over the line as much as they can. We need to build on this toughness about them."
In a fantastic performance, the Development Squad had chances either side of half time to extent their lead. Dan Potts hit the top of the cross bar from a corner while Jordan Brown and Joe Ward forced good saves out of Manchester City goalkeeper Angus Gunn. "We could have had a few more, we had some good chances," continued Potts. "They had a lot of possession and I think you have to respect when you're playing good teams. We had some opportunities to finish the game off, but didn't. At 2-1 you do wonder whether it'll be your night and thankfully it was. The boys stuck to their jobs and they were in the right place at the right time."
Recently, the young Hammers have found points hard to come by, making Friday's win over prospective title challengers City even more impressive. The Dev Squad's last win came over Fulham in February when they won 2-1 and Potts continued to stress how pleased he was how his side rose to the occasion. "We knew they were a good side. When they were playing the ball about it was a case of not getting drawn out of position. They had good movement and they passes the ball around well, in a second they can cut you apart. Luckily it was just the once they did that. "Djair did very well for the first goal. He got one-on-one with his man and beat him, put a good ball in the box and Dan was there to finish it. He's been unlucky this season, he broke a bone in his foot and then had an operation on his knee which kept him out for a while. "That's how football is sometimes, you have to get on with it and bounce back when injuries happen. He's been training for a few weeks now and played two games."
Up next for the Dev Squad, they host Everton at Rush Green on Friday 8 May, where they will be looking to avenge a 2-0 defeat by the Toffees earlier in the season. "The win is great for our confidence because we haven't won in a while. Everton will be a tough game. We'll need to rise to it, but we know that we're capable of winning and we're looking forward to it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chadwell Chatter - James Collins
WHUFC.com
Hello everyone.
Saturday's game against Queens Park Rangers is must-win for us after the disappointment of last week. They're fighting against relegation and we need to be beating them, we know that. We need a clean sheet to give us the base to go on and win and that's the same in any game. Last week we were disappointed with the goals, and me personally too. Clean sheets are vital in any game and we haven't had one for a while, so to get back on track with five games to go would be nice on Saturday. The next three we play are against teams in the relegation scrap - QPR, Burnley and Aston Villa. I've been in that position and it's tough. They're fighting for their lives and have everything to play for. We're not expecting an easy game, that's for sure. The crowd will get behind them and they've got some good players there so we'll have to be on our toes. If a team scores against you early doors when you're in that situation, you wonder how you're going to get back in the game. We'll be looking to get off to a good start, score an early goal and go on to win the game.
They've got a couple of dangerous frontmen in Austin and Zamora and you've just got to defend well against them. Bobby is a big, strong lad who holds the ball up well and can obviously score a goal. Charlie Austin has scored God knows how many goals this year, so we're going to have to be on our toes and defend as well as we can. It's strange for someone to score that number of goals and for a team to still be in a relegation battle, you don't see that too often. Credit to himself, he's scored a different variety of goals too.
It's a massive focus for us to make this the best season since we've been back in the Premier League. The last 12 or 13 games have been bitterly disappointing and we haven't got as many points as we wanted, especially after the start we had. To finish the last five games with as many wins as possible to move into next season would be great. We know we've got to up our performances to do that - that's what we've been working on in training looking ahead to the weekend.
See you on Saturday!
Ginge
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
QPR v West Ham
KO 15:00
24 April 2015
Last updated at 11:33
By Steve Wilson
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Loftus Road Date: Saturday, 25 April
TEAM NEWS
QPR will assess midfielder Leroy Fer, who is close to a comeback from a knee injury that has sidelined him since February. Full-back Yun Suk-Young is in contention after recovering from concussion.
West Ham are without defender Guy Demel, who is ruled out with a calf problem. He joins an injury list which also includes James Tomkins, Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho.
MATCH PREVIEW
Mathematicians will say otherwise, but if QPR don't win this game it seems almost inconceivable that they could avoid relegation - especially as their next two games are at Liverpool and Manchester City. Despite only two league wins in 16 games, Rangers can point to small margins. Six of their last seven defeats have been by a single goal, they've scored more goals than any side in the bottom six and have scored only two fewer away goals than Manchester United. Rangers aren't bad at all - but maybe they're just not quite good enough?
Chris Ramsey was certainly dealt a tough hand when he took over and has coped with the stresses of the dogfight admirably well. It'll be interesting to see how two weeks without a game has impacted on his squad - a break from the claustrophobic pressure may have done them the world of good.
Luckily for Rangers, this weekend's opponents are arguably in worse form than they are. Like the Christmas decorations in Mr Scrooge's house, West Ham started coming down on Boxing Day. Sam Allardyce's team have slipped from fourth to 10th, taking only 12 points in their last 16 games.
Lawro's prediction : "Like Newcastle, West Ham are another team who everyone wants to play right now. I watched their defeat by Manchester City on Sunday and it was not the kind of performance you expect from a Sam Allardyce side." I've heard many a manager bemoan the perils of over-achieving and it seems that Sam Allardyce's season is likely to be judged on his team's second-half slump rather than their first-half heroics. The fact is that West Ham are still six points better off than at this stage of last season, and if Messrs Gold and Sullivan have decided to replace Allardyce, they may yet be casting him aside just as the club achieves its highest league finish since 2002. If he wants work elsewhere, you can be sure that Big Sam will find it.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham have lost just one of their last six Premier League games against QPR (W3, D2).
The Hammers won on their last visit to Loftus Road, on 1 October 2012, but that is their only victory in their last nine games away to the Hoops in all competitions.
Queens Park Rangers
Rangers have allowed their opponents 181 shots on target this season - more than any other Premier League team.
Charlie Austin has either scored or assisted 55% of his side's goals this season - the highest proportion of any Premier League player.
The Hoops are winless in their last 13 Premier League London derbies (D3, L10), with their last victory coming away to Chelsea on 2 January 2013.
West Ham United
The Hammers are winless in their last six games against London sides, losing five of those matches. Their last victory against a side from the capital was against QPR in October.
Sam Allardyce's side are without a win in their last nine away league games (D4, L5), with their last victory coming at West Brom on 2 December.
They have lost a league-high seven points following goals scored in or after the 90th minute this season.
West Ham are the only Premier League side yet to score a penalty - with Mark Noble missing their only spot-kick against Tottenham on the opening day.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Brady still calling the tune
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 24th April 2015
By: Paul Walker
At last, someone from our beloved leadership has said something, anything, to ease some of the troubled waters.
And it was Lady B, a woman whose politics I dislike but who always impresses me, grudgingly I must say, when we are talking business. Now I know I should not find myself praising the Lady--you wouldn't want a fans' website to be in the back-pocket of someone on the board, for heavens sake, would you?--but she seems to be the only person on that board with any balls!
The painful, long, silence from the Davids over big Sam's future, and the constant attacks on him, daily if not hourly from across the net, has led us to a position where we are becoming a laughing stock. Our shocking run of two wins in 16 league games, I feel, has been partly caused by the way the board have handled this situation.
All we have had is a long line of unattributed quotes from sources that seem intent on rubbishing Sam and undermining the team on a daily basis. It has worked. They may be right, but I do wonder where and from whom they are coming!
Now Karren did not actually say anything new about Sam's future when she was holding court for the media this week when the new season ticket price cuts were being launched--seemingly for the benefit of the BBC and Sky first--but what she said showed authority.
And Sam at his press conference this week has said that nothing she says makes any difference because he is in constant contact with her and Sullivan anyway, despite the image being touted to the contrary.
But as I have said many times before, when Karren Brady speaks, nobody should take her words lightly, regardless if it is not what you want to hear.
She said the board had held talks about talks at the end of the season, she gave no hint whether there would be a new contract, but she at least said something on the record.
She has been the only person for months now from within Boleyn towers to say Sam has done everything the club has asked of him, that the relationship between board and manager is ok, and that they would want to sit down and hear about his plans for the future--and their cost--when the time comes. And that he may well have future plans of his own. As I said, nothing new there.
But she did say that talk about needing a top manager to lead us into her new stadium (because that is what it is) was disrespectful.
Now you don't have to believe any of that, and most of you won't, but the underlying feeling from the good lady was that she will have a very significant say in what happens next. And I doubt it will have much to do with the past few months of nonsense on the field.
This is a woman, as I keep saying, who knows the price of everything and is only concerned with the financial implications.
You can tell that the behaviour of our manager at Manchester City last weekend, does not come into it. She is not too bothered about the lousy tactics of just sitting back and letting City's world class stars attack us, she was not too concerned about the gum chewing, coffee swilling, slumping manager who gave every indication that he couldn't care less.
I didn't get much of a view of that with my lad in the away section at the Etihad, more of that later, but the image Allardyce sent out across the world on TV was a disgrace. I have seen comments from as far away as Mexico and the US from people who were underwhelmed by the image Sam portrayed of our club. And that cannot be right.
We had pundits like Kevin Kilbane (who we have had previous with this season) laughing at us on a foreign TV feed, plus Alan Smith on BBC also taking the piss. Well I thought that was what it was, because you can't tell whether he is laughing or crying from that bland, unsmiling exterior and the deadpan Brummie accent.
Sam never helps himself, does he? The tactics were a mess, the effort and involvement from him and the players severely wanting. My lad has never been pro or anti-Sam, he only wants to see his club progress and have stability, something he has rarely seen in his 30 plus years . But it was an embarrassment for all.
As he said, the teams who had been beating City of late--Crystal Palace and Burnley for a start--have done so by high-tempo pressing from the first seconds. That's how it's done, when you have inferior players, so what on earth was going on in the preparation. Had anyone actually been to see a disheartened City side play recently? Obviously not.
But Lady Brady has only the long-term project of the Olympic stadium on her mind. And if that means Sam gets a new deal, you can bet on who will win the boardroom debate. There has been media talk that unlike last summer when Brady and David Gold differed with David Sullivan over the manager' future, everybody was on a like mind now. Well Brady certainly didn't give that impression, or maybe she is a good liar.
You can bet she is saying that unless we can get someone better, by that I mean with European experience and flair, why should we change. Now I know that is going to release the hounds of Hell on me, but I can assure you all that I feel the time may have come for a change if only to unite the fan base, something sadly so badly fractured at the moment.
I am not trying to put points for or against the sour-faced old fella, I am trying to judge what is going on at Boleyn towers. And there is a growing fear that for all the genuine and creditably concern about the bad ways of Sam, plus the campaigning, abuse and hatred being shown by a sizeable percentage of our support, Brady may well still want stability.
You can almost say that if the Davids and Karren could be offered the season to end now and then a total freeze on everything until next summer, with Premier League safety being assured, they would grab that now. Nothing too messy like having to play matches and entertain the punters, I sense that doesn't come into the hard-nosed thinking at the moment.
As for Sam's future, there has been a long list of people from inside the game, and our own playing staff, saying the manager should stay. Graeme Souness, Phil Brown (well he would, wouldn't he?), Chris Ramsey plus Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Cheikhou Kouyate (and they would also toe the party line) have all leapt into print to defend Sam.
From inside the game, nobody is bothered about his arrogance, and dour persona. They only look at the bottom line, the same line that Karren works from.
However, Martin Samuel in the Mail made a telling point this week. He said that Sam has always said he can handle big clubs and successful players, but that his general tactics and attitude have shown he is not the man to lead a club to a different level. Sam, reckons Martin, is too tentative, too set in his defensive ways, to change and be positive by instinct.
Those instincts were on show at the Etihad, where we were dreadful. And our away lot had to contend with the general behaviour of the Manchester police and the club's security people which left a lot to be desired. I am never one to want to see loud mouthed, foul mouthed yobs allowed to flourish.
But the police's heavy-handed behaviour was out of order. And it's always the same at City, where the demilitarised zone between home and away fans is minimal, with just a line of dumb and deaf security staff separate the fans.
They stand backing the home support, who hurl all measure of abuse at the away lot, and when a visitor responds, the private security firm spotters descend, guided by the police in the CCTV booth, and the lad is hooked out. It's such sport for the home fans.
One quiet middle-aged lady in front of me--unfortunately our seats were on the edge of our support--decided to take a photo of a copper who dragged out one lad by his neck over two rows of seats, very over-the-top.
The copper then launched himself at the poor woman, verbally and physically intimidating to demand in her face why she had taken the picture. Someone should tell the police that it is perfectly legal to photograph anyone in a public place.
He was shouting that he was protecting women and children and that the lad had been making 'come and fight me' hand gestures. Is he serious? The kid was clearly not a threat to public safety throughout east Manchester.
This sort of over-reaction from the police continued throughout, but absolutely nothing was being done about the City louts--one of which ran in front of two sections of seating to throw himself into the baying mob. As I said, it is always like that at City from lengthy past experience, and it does the image of their club no good whatsoever.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce wants West Ham to finish season on a high
Last Updated: 24/04/15 2:50pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce has warned his players they are not on holiday yet and has challenged them to match the fight shown by the clubs threatened with relegation. West Ham were flying high early in the season but a dismal run of results has seen them win just one of their last 12 matches. It's a run of form which leaves them needing to win their five remaining matches if they are to eclipse their highest ever Premier league points tally, set in the 1998/99 season. "The players have to realise they are not on the beach yet - far from it," said the West Ham manager. "The focus should be that we want to finish on a high. People think we're having a bad season because our bad run is coming at the end of the season. Finishing the season well gives everyone a high going into the summer. "We wanted to finish with more points than we've ever managed and we should have achieved that a long time ago. "After Christmas we were in a good position and we thought we might be able achieve a bit more than that. But we've made life difficult for ourselves."
With a visit to QPR on Saurday and Burnley coming up for West Ham next weekend, Allardyce's side could yet have a big say on which teams fall into the Sky Bet Championship at the end of the season. And Allardyce pointed the recent defeat to a battle-hardened Leicester side as an example of what can happen if his players do not stand up and fight against the Premier league's lower-ranked sides. "They are fighting for their lives and we experienced that at Leicester," Allardyce said. "We played extremely well at Leicester and shouldn't have lost the game but Leicester are fighting for their lives so we have to match the fight that QPR have and Burnley will have here."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
QPR v West Ham preview: Chris Ramsey's side's fight for survival continues
Last Updated: 24/04/15 4:55pm
SSN
Queens Park Rangers' fight against Premier League relegation continues when they host West Ham at Loftus Road. Chris Ramsey's side are two points adrift of safety but have the opportunity to close that gap against a West Ham side without a win in nine away league games. It was QPR's home form which kept them in touch at the start of the season but since the turn of the year they have failed to pick up a win in front of their home fans. They will hope to change that against an out-of-form West Ham, however, they have struggled against all their London rivals this season, winning just one point in nine Premier League London derbies. Ed Chamberlin looks ahead to the Premier League game between QPR and West Ham.
Team news
Ramsey will make a late decision on whether to risk Leroy Fer for the visit of West Ham. Fer is close to overcoming a knee injury that has kept him out since February, while Yun Suk-young is also available having recovered from concussion. Richard Dunne is fit again after returning from a knee injury but Rio Ferdinand (knock), Eduardo Vargas and Alejandro Faurlin (both knee) remain sidelined.
West Ham will be unable to welcome back any of their injured players for the trip across London to relegation-threatened QPR. Sam Allardyce's Hammers have won just once in their last 12 games and are still without James Tomkins (shoulder), Andy Carroll (knee) and Diafra Sakho (thigh). Meanwhile, a calf injury picked up by full-back Guy Demel has also left Allardyce short of options in defence.
Opta facts
Queens Park Rangers have allowed more shots on target against them than any other team in the Premier League (181). West Ham have lost a league-high seven points with goals conceded in the 90th minute or later. QPR have conceded the first goal on 24 occasions in the Premier League this season; more often than any other side. 27 Players have started a Premier League game for QPR this season; more than at any other club. Charlie Austin has had a hand in the highest proportion of his sides' goals in the Premier League this season (55%). The Hammers have scored just nine goals in nine Premier League London derbies in 2014-15. Matt Phillips has been involved in nine goals (two goals & seven assists) in his last nine PL appearances.
Merson's prediction
I think it's a must-win game for QPR. You can turn the floodlights off if they don't win this game. It's their cup final. You can't keep on going 'oh, next week, next week' – it has to be this week. You look at West Ham and think 'when are they ever going to win another football match?' QPR were unlucky against Chelsea in their last game, so I'm going for a narrow home victory here.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (Sky Bet odds 8/1)
Betting
Sky Bet make QPR 13/10 to boost their waning survival hopes with a victory on Saturday, as Aston Villa are priced up as 2/1 outsiders with the draw 12/5. The Hoops head into the clash as 1/7 favourites for relegation, with Saturday's clash rated one of their most winnable remaining fixtures. Charlie Austin is deemed their most likely hope of salvation as 11/2 favourite in the first goalscorer betting and 21/10 to net in a home win, while Diafra Sakho is considered the visitors' biggest threat at 6/1 to break the deadlock.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham defender Alex Song hopes for Premier League stay
Last Updated: 24/04/15 8:48pm
SSN
On-loan West Ham midfielder Alex Song says he is keen to stay in England, despite failing to make an impact at Upton Park. The defender, who is owned by Barcelona, enjoyed a good start to life at Upton Park but his performances have dipped since the turn of the year. Song told The Fantasy Football Club that he is ready to wait until the end of the season to make a decision on his future, but is keen to remain in England. Alex Song talks of how important the belief of Arsene Wenger was when he first joined Arsenal. "Yeah, I definitely want to stay here," said the 27-year-old Cameroon international. "I don't know (if I can sign a permanent deal at West Ham). "I can't say anything now because I want to focus on the rest of the season and then we will see." The Hammers have slipped from a top-four position to mid-table since Christmas and Song admits the squad is not strong enough to compete with the bigger clubs. West Ham's Alex Song thinks former club Arsenal only need a few more players to make a serious challenge for the Premier League title. "I think we have to target an eighth-placed finish this season," he said. "The problem with West Ham is that we don't have a very big squad. I was saying to people it was too early to say that we will finish fourth or fifth. "I always said if we finish tenth it would be perfect because we don't have a squad like an Arsenal or Chelsea. When we have one or two players injured, we don't have a big player to come on."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 'approach David Moyes' as potential replacement for Sam Allardyce
13:49, 24 April 2015 By Liam Corless
The former Manchester United boss has reportedly emerged as the number one target for Hammers co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold
The Mirror
West Ham have reportedly approached David Moyes over the possibility of replacing Sam Allardyce as the club's manager. The Hammers made Moyes their number one target earlier in the year and have now made a more concrete approach to the former Manchester United chief.
The Telegraph claim West Ham have assured Moyes they want him to be their manager when they move into the Olympic Stadium. Rafael Benitez and Slaven Bilic are also being considered but trail Moyes in the running for the role. Moyes ended a spell of seven months out of the game following his Old Trafford dismissal by taking charge of Real Sociedad in November. Current Upton Park boss Allardyce has come under increasing pressure in recent months due to his side's poor form. West Ham have won just one of their last 10 Premier League games and now sit in 10th in the table having occupied a top four spot for much of the first half of the season. Despite the club's interest in Moyes, club co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold could still hand Allardyce a new contract.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Robert Green can keep QPR in Premier League AND return to England team says Sam Allardyce
22:30, 24 April 2015 By Neil McLeman
Green moved across London from West Ham to QPR after in 2012 and his former boss at Upton Park has no hard feelings and is glad to see he has recovered his form
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce reckons his former keeper Robert Green has refound the form to keep QPR up – and challenge Joe Hart as England No 1.
Green moved across London from West Ham to QPR after in 2012 on a lucrative Bosman, before Rangers bought Brazilian Julio Cesar and then suffered relegation. Now Green, 35, is a vital member of a QPR team again fighting the drop and back in the England squad. Despite some recent wobbles behind the creaky Hoops defence, Allardyce said: "I think he could rival Joe Hart. "Robert has had an unfortunate England career by the fact that, when called upon, he made a mistake that has probably haunted him for a while. ReutersSam Allardyce before the matchPriced out: Sam Allardyce says he didn't want West Ham to lose Rob Green but couldn't match QPR's offer "If he has has overcome that then the experience he has gained since then should make him a better goalkeeper now."
Green, who will always be known for his error for England against the USA at the 2010 World Cup, helped the Hammers to promotion via the play-offs three years ago. Yet his subsequent signing by QPR was symbolic of the West London club's financial folly. Allardyce recalled: "Financially we couldn't get there – that was the key element. "It wasn't that Robert didn't want to stay – he did. But we couldn't match, at that time, coming back into the Premier League, his financial demands and obviously QPR did. "And after a difficult time at QPR, he has shone through again because of his dedication. "Robert works tirelessly on his game and has got a huge amount of experience now which hopefully – not on Saturday – help QPR stay up ."
West Ham travel to Loftus Road on a run of only two wins in 16 Premier League games since Boxing Day. Top scorer Diafra Sakho is set to miss the rest of an injury-hit season with a thigh problem. And back home in Senegal, he has claimed he could have played in the African Nations Cup if he had been supported by the Senegal FA. The striker's withdrawal because of a back injury caused a complaint to FIFA from his country. Sakho said: "I didn't put any pressure on after the decision made by the club. But I could have if I had been supported the (Senegal) directors. I cannot start a row with my club in these conditions."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Report: Hammers ready to go all in on Moyes
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham United have made a fresh move to try to secure an agreement from David Moyes to succeed Sam Allardyce as their next manager according to the Telegraph tonight (Thurs). The paper says it understands West Ham have now made a more direct approach to Moyes after an opening gambit and that he is first choice to lead the club into the Olympic Stadium
West Ham hope their determination will see the Scot trigger an agreement with Real Sociedad that he can speak to Premier League clubs about a return to England – as revealed by ClaretandHugh. The club has drawn up an ambitious list of summer transfer targets under the direction of recruitment director to the board Tony Henry, his former Everton scout and now the real power behind the Upton Park throne
As we explained in previous stories Henry, worked closely with Moyes at Goodison Park. And he has already registered an £8 million bid for Sampdoria midfielder Pedro Obiang. The Hammers are also interested in Real Madrid's on-loan Champions League goalscoring hero Javier Hernández, Sion's Moussa Konaté and Basel defender Fabian Schär. Henry reports directly to Sullivan and Gold. and although sources insist that Allardyce's future will not be decided until Sullivan and Gold have carried out their annual end-of-season review. Allardyce remains in the frame only as a back stop appointment should the Irons fail elsewhere. But Allardyce's chances of keeping his job have become slimmer with each week as West Ham have slipped from fourth to 10th in the table.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moyes bookies' favourite but race wide open
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
David Moyes remains the bookie's favourite to succeed Sam Allardyce as the next West Ham manager with odds as short as 2/1.
Rafa Beneitez and Slaven Bilic are currently joint second favourites at 4/1 with Gus Poyet at 5/1. An unlikely return for Harry Redknapp still attracts short odds of 6/1 while Marcelo Bielsa is 8/1, Michael Laudrup odds have been reduced at 16/1 with outside chance Eddie Howe at 20/1.
Moyes has a 44.27% win average of the 829 games he has professionally managed, Beneitez manages the 50.88% over 912 games, Bilic weighs in with a 55.56% win ratio over 216 games, Poyet has a 40.52% win ratio over his 269 at Brighton and Sunderland. Redknapp manages just 40.29% win ratio during his 1380 games in charge.
Bielsa can claim a 49.08% win rate over 273 games as manager while Michael Laudrup has a 45.66% record over 357 games and Howe claims a 48.33% win rate at Bournemouth and Burnley. Sam Allardyce's win rate is 39.41% over 916 as a manager and 38.07% for his 176 games in charge of the Hammers.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Henry starts to call transfer target shots
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham's player target list has been finalised and director of recruitment to the board Tony Henry is the man calling the shots.
Henry's presence is being felt more and more inside the club and it's him who is believed to already be working on the deal to bring Sampdoria's Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang to the club.
And stories published in the national press a couple of weeks back that Sam Allardyce's uncertain position may scupper a deal for 23 year old Basle central defender Fabian Scher are also wide of the mark given that again as Henry is the man behind it.
The former Everton chief scout has also identified Javier Hernandez as a top target at around £7 million and he is – as reported elsewhere – very much on the radar.
It won't escape the attention of many that the 26 year old Mexican is not perhaps the usual Sam Allardyce target which may give an insight into current thinking in the club
The suggestion that we are also pursuing Senegal striker Moussa Konate was however knocked back by a Hammers source this morning.
He said: "That one is not a priority but the others are possibilities."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce: "Difficult for me to play kids!"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce claimss the pressure of the current Upton Park situation will not allow him introduce young players. With just two wins since Christmas and looking for an away win (at QPR) as their first since beating West Brom at the Hawthorns in December, team and manager are under fierce pressure. It's been suggested here and elsewhere that with no relegation on the team, Allardyce may have had the opportunity to blood some kids or squad players a chance.
However we can forget that such as Diego Poyet, Reece Oxford or Reece Burke may get even a sniff.
Explaining his position @ London24.com the 60 year old manager said: "It is always difficult for me. If we were in a better position with our results it would have been a good thing to look at the odd player.
"But the pressure with us at the moment to get results means it would be difficult for me to do.
"If you put a youngster in and lose you get criticised, the youngster might get criticised, so it is difficult.
"Or play all your youngsters in the FA Cup and get slaughtered for it. You say 'we don't give youngsters a chance' but you give them a chance, lose, and get slaughtered for it.
"You can't have your cake and eat it."
West Ham are still without Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll and James Tomkins for their trip to QPR and Guy Demel is also a doubt.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Surprise candidate as Irons step up boss hunt
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham have aggressively stepped up the hunt for their new boss and have a range of candidates in their sights. ClaretandHugh has discovered today that whilst David Moyes is a serious target he is only one of the club's top several and we were assured that Jurgen Klopp remains a serious target.
The former Everton and Manchester United manager was last night named by The Telegraph as being set for a straight approach from the club but we were told this afternoon that he was simply one of various candidates.
Among them – we were told- are Slaven Bilic and a surprise name Michael Laudrup who has suddenly catapaulted back into the frame.
Rafa Benitez is also in the Irons collective mind but so far has given little encouragement he's ready for an interview as he prepares for talks at Napoli.
Eddie Howe is liked and admired but as revealed in the past is considered high risk given his lack of top level experience.
However, he would be at – or close to the top – of the back-up list of candidates should the club fail in all its efforts to attract one of those they fancy.
It begins to look bleaker and bleaker for Sam Allardyce with the only likelihood of a new deal being offered were every candidate fancied by the club were to not materialise.
And he scored a massive own goal earlier today in an interview with London24.com when explaining why he woas reluctant to play the younger players at the club .
Insiders were shocked at what the manager had to say with one saying: "To be honest it made little or no sense given the league position. Nobody could make head or tail of it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers choose OS seats
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
The process to choose your seats in the Olympic Stadium has began with the 808 West Ham Bond Holders choosing their seats first. West Ham Band 1 season ticket holders will follow in May, followed by Band 2 in July, Band 3 in October and finally band 4 in December.
Season ticket holders choose their seats based on virtual technology software at the Stratford Reservation centre. West Ham have promised a comparable seat which they say will be one in an equivalent price band and similar location to the seat occupied for the final season at the Boleyn Ground.
However they add that given the obvious differences in the shape, seating layout and capacity of the two grounds, no two seats will be exactly comparable and the quality of each seat and sight line is subjective.
This virtual reality image is for a Band 1 season ticket holder in row 19 of the new East 'Kop style' Stand.
This season ticket holder reserved One Band 1 Adult ticket at £899 plus two Under 16's tickets at £99 each totaling £1,097 for the three season tickets. They would have paid the 25% deposit of around £275 at the time of reservation.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce's kids claims defy explanation!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Quite why Sam Allardyce would decide to discuss his policy – or non policy – towards using younger players at this stage of the season defies any serious explanation.
At a time when his chances of keeping his job appear to be zero he may just have hammered in the final nail to his coffin when decising to explain this to London24.com.
He claims that were we in a better position with our results it would have been a good thing to look at the odd player and adds: "Were we to put a youngster in and the team lost you get criticised, the youngster might get criticised, so it is difficult.
But that he should raise the horrendous events at Nottingham Forest in last season's FA Cup and use it against his critics is utterly mind-blowing.
He said: Play all your youngsters in the FA Cup and get slaughtered for it. You say 'we don't give youngsters a chance' but you give them a chance, lose, and get slaughtered for it. You can't have your cake and eat it."
A furious insider said to ClaretandHugh earlier this afternoon: "There is a difference between sending out a team of youngsters (Forest last season) and blooding one or two here and there.
"That is just taking the wee wee in the biggest possible way. It was his horribly mistaken decision that left the club so embarrassed.
"As for results and 'being in a better position' things can hardly be worse than they have been and fresh blood could easily improve it – the regulars are hardly playing out of their skin are they? "
We have heard some stuff from our manager down the years but this outburst just astonishes. I keep checking to ensure he really said it – he did!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Charlton Trust seeks OS rental review
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust (CAST) want a review of the terms of West Ham's rental agreement at the Olympic Stadium in response to the West Ham's decision to drastically cut season ticket prices when they move in 2016.
CAST say that lower league clubs in London, such as Charlton, Millwall and Leyton Orient will be affected by the price cuts which they claim are only made possible by the 'prejudicially favourable' terms the club has in its £2m rental of the stadium.
"We believe the current agreement is prejudicially favourable to West Ham," A CAST statement said
"This should be a matter of concern for all taxpayers; we are involved because of the specific commercial impact it will have on Charlton Athletic FC. CAST is not opposed to West Ham playing at the Olympic Stadium, and acknowledges the need for a viable legacy for the stadium."
"We believe that the terms of the agreement put far too much financial burden on the taxpayer; and that as a result West Ham will feel able to offer heavily discounted tickets south of the river in Charlton's catchment area, which is now well connected to the Olympic stadium thanks to the transport links built for the games."
"This presents a severe commercial threat to our club, whose long term future it is our mission to care for and seek to preserve. A re-negotiation of the contract which requires West Ham to pay more will oblige West Ham to focus more on filling the stadium with core West Ham support paying prices similar to those at other FAPL clubs in London."
"Regrettably the London Legacy Development Corporation have resisted all attempts by CAST to inspect the rental contract, even under Freedom of Information law. CAST has a complaint lodged with the Information Commissioner (since last October). The length of time this is taking indicates that the LLDC are determined to conceal from the public the extent of the support from public funds West Ham are getting. CAST feels that through the terms that West Ham have they will be able to 'flood' parts of London with cheap tickets which will ultimately effect clubs close by."
"The most important advantage though is that West Ham are allowed to keep 100% of "corporate" match-day revenue. The Olympic Stadium has a huge capacity for this type of customer. We believe that if West Ham sell this capacity, and achieve attendances of around 35,000, their revenue will be such that they can treat the 19,000 spare capacity as "promotional".
"They can afford to offer these seats at a discount in order to build their support in new areas, particularly in South-East London. This is the scenario that concerns CAST. Put simply, the taxpayer should pay far less of the capital costs than is currently planned, and West Ham should pay back far more in rent to the taxpayer. If this re-balancing were to take place, West Ham will still have excellent commercial prospects, but they will not be able to threaten the commercial health of other clubs (particularly Charlton) using taxpayers' money."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com
Saturday, April 25
Friday, April 24
Daily WHUFC News - 24th April 2015
Season Tickets 2016/17 - Join the Priority List
WHUFC.com
Following Wednesday's announcement of Season Ticket prices for the 2016/17
season at the new Stadium, supporters can now join the Season Ticket
Priority List.
For anyone without a Season Ticket for the final season at the Boleyn
Ground, this is the only way to guarantee priority when it comes to 2016/17
Season Tickets.
Academy Members can join the Priority List free of charge, while non-members
are required to pay a £10 deposit to join. The deposit is non-refundable but
will be redeemed against the purchase of a 2016/17 Season Ticket.
You can join the Season Ticket Priority List now at reservations.whufc.com.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ladies ready for Seagulls test
WHUFC.com
West Ham Ladies manager Julian Dicks is hoping his side can end their home
campaign with a positive result against Brighton Ladies this weekend. Last
Sunday, the Hammers failed to extend their unbeaten run to four games when
they suffered a 2-1 defeat at Rush Green against Lewes Ladies. Dicks' side
have already faced the Seagulls twice this season, losing 6-2 away in the FA
Women's Cup Second Round before falling to a 3-0 defeat in the league.
With Brighton now chasing the FA Women's Premier League South title and
Dicks is taking lessons he learnt as a player to help his girls achieve a
result this weekend. "Brighton are a fantastic team and quite rightly
chasing the title. We've played them twice already and in all fairness, they
deserved to beat us both times because they were impressive on the ball. "In
the first game, we went 2-0 ahead and went on to lose 6-2 because we stopped
playing. Then, the second time we went down there, we didn't learn from our
mistakes and Brighton punished us. "Whenever you come up against a good
team, you have to get under them quickly and work hard from the first
whistle. We've done that against other teams this season and got results
from them. "When I was playing for West Ham, we came up against Liverpool
and Manchester United and the way we got results was to put them under
pressure and make them work when we had the ball. I never cared how good the
players are on the other team because I knew that if I put them under
pressure, there was a chance they'd misplace their pass.
"That's the advice that I give my girls now because it works. Sometimes when
my girls get tired, they kick the ball long thinking that will give them a
rest. Giving the ball away only means you have to chase the opposition and
fend off another attack, whereas if you keep the ball and pass it, the job
is much simpler."
Dicks was unhappy with Sunday's defeat to Lewes Ladies. However, the former
West Ham left-back believes the girls have a good chance to redeem
themselves. "In the first half, we played okay," continued Dicks. "We were
passing the ball around well and we were 1-0 up thanks to Emma Sherwood's
goal. Really, at that point, the game was ours to win. "In the second half,
the girls came out and did the opposite. It's disappointing because after
getting seven points from nine in a single week against tough opposition, we
then went and lost to a team with less points than us. "With this being our
last home game of the season, it would be nice to finish with a good result.
As always, I'm looking for a good performance. When you come up against a
good team like Brighton, we need to be fit and work ard throughout the whole
match if we want to get the result. "If you look at the league table, I
think it's obvious that we won't finish any higher or any lower than where
we are now. Having said that, our last two league fixtures are against
Brighton and Portsmouth and they are both pushing to win the league. "We
can have a real impact on who wins the league. For me, Brighton are the
better side but I just want us to win both games and finish our campaign
positively. Overall, Dicks is pleased with the progression that his team,
culminating with the Capital Women's Cup Final against Charlton next month.
"This season is quickly coming to an end and I am very proud of the girls
for the progression they've all achieved. Last season was rough for them and
even one place higher this season would've been good, but finishing sixth
with a proper cup final is a very good achievement. "I know that I'm not
the easiest person to work under because I'll always speak my mind and
demand more from my players, but it's only because I want the best for them
week after week. "We have the London FA Capital Women's Cup Final to look
forward too and a win against Brighton on Sunday can give the girls real
momentum for the game against Charlton. "Having said that, the girls
shouldn't need to be pumped up for a cup final as the prize of victory and
silverware for a second season running should be enough."
Kick off on Sunday 26 April 2015 at Rush Green is 2pm. Admission is priced
at £3 for adults and £1 for children. Parking is FREE.
Alternatively, keep an eye on the Official West Ham United Ladies Twitter
account @westhamladies for LIVE updates throughout the day.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cullen up for City challenge
WHUFC.com
Development Squad captain Josh Cullen has called on his side to turn
performances into points when they face Manchester City's Elite Development
Squad on Friday night at the Boleyn Ground.
In recent games against Manchester United and Norwich City, the young
hammers have played well yet have little to show for their efforts, losing
3-2 and 2-1 respectively.
Reflecting on the narrow defeat to the Canaries last Friday, which saw
Jordan Brown score his third goal of the season, Cullen said: "We were
unlucky to lose to Norwich on Friday night, we have to look to bounce back,
we know they're going to be tough but if we do the right things we can get a
result.
"Results wise it has been disappointing, if you look at Norwich last Friday
and Manchester United the game before, we perhaps haven't got the points we
deserve. But we can't keep thinking about that we need move on. We need to
put that right and make sure we're resilient as a team."
Looking ahead to Friday's game with Manchester City, Cullen is expecting a
tough encounter against Patrick Viera's side.
The Citizens currently sit in fifth place in the Barclays U21 Premier League
table, however they would top the table should they win their games in hand.
"They're going to be a strong side, I think their U18s played in the Youth
Cup on Monday night so you can see they've got a strong youth set up.
"I played against them earlier in the season, we were unlucky again not to
win. We were 1-0 up right up until the last minute, but they scored a last
minute equaliser. That was against probably their strongest side so we did
well up there. That should give us good belief for the game on Friday
night."
The Dev Squad's encounter with the Sky Blues sees the hosts return to action
at the Boleyn Ground rather than their regular home at Rush Green.
Speaking about playing at the iconic venue, Cullen continued: "It's always
nice playing at Upton Park. It's obviously an experience that every player
wants, it's a special place with a special environment."
With just three league games left of the season after the City game, Cullen
reflected on a challenging season for both him and his team.
"It's been up and down for me. I thought I had a decent pre-season and I
started the season well but then got injured, I was out for four months
which was tough to deal with.
"I've been back for a while, I feel like I'm performing well. I just want to
keep on doing well and push myself further and try and get into the first
team.
"As for my Dev Squad Player of the Year? Probably Lewis Page, he's been a
mainstay at left-back for the majority of the season, he's done well. If you
look at it you couldn't say any winger has got the better of him and he
offers a lot going forward, I would say he has stood out for me."
The West ham United Development Squad play Manchester City's Elite
Development Squad on Friday 24 April at the Boleyn Ground. Kick off is 7pm,
admission is free for all Season Ticket olders and U16s, £3 for adults.
Live updates will be available on www.whufc.com and @whufc_official as well
as live streaming on our YouTube channel.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam on: QPR
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce faced the press ahead of Saturday's
game with Queens Park Rangers.
Find out what he had to say on Aaron Cresswell's future, injury news and
rising to the challenge QPR pose.
Morning Sam, what is the team news ahead of QPR this weekend?
SA: "We still have the same injury list as we had last week. Andy Carroll is
out until next season, whether we have Diafra Sakho back before the end of
the season is touch and go. The same goes for James Tomkins and Doneil
Henry. Guy Demel picked up a calf injury so he probably won't be available.
Apart from that everyone else is OK."
Karren Brady has been speaking recently praising the job you've done here
and saying contract negotiations will happen at the end of the season, does
that put to rest the speculation around your future?
SA: "It doesn't make too much difference because I'm in constant contact
with David Sullivan and Karren. People think we don't communicate but that's
not the case. The focus for me is getting the team winning football matches
again. Not winning has been a massive disappointment of late and it's my
responsibility to get us back to winning games."
"The performance in the first half against Manchester City and the second
half against Stoke City wasn't good enough. Even though we were seconds away
from beating Stoke, I'm still interested in the performance levels. We have
to make sure results don't affect our confidence."
Does the uncertainty around your future have effect on the players?
SA: "I would sincerely hope that it doesn't. If it has I'm not really sure,
you'd have to ask the players. I think dealing with the raised expectations
has been a problem.
"We haven't lived up to that expectation or coped with it as well as I
thought we might. There are several reasons for that, reaching the level of
football we played, injuries have played a part as well as fatigue for some
of the players who have been playing in the Premier League for the first
time.
"I think that is to be expected, and overall they have performed better than
we expected. It's been a great experience for them and hopefully they will
learn from it and improve next season.
"The fact is, we wouldn't be talking about that if we got the points we
should've got. We should be on 50 points or more and we would be looking
pretty good for a strong end to the season. We've put pressure on ourselves,
we must accept that pressure and deliver."
There's been speculation about Aaron Cresswell's future, he's said that he
is very happy here and that he has years left on his contract. Is West Ham
the best place for him at the moment?
SA: "Yes. As far as I'm aware no one has bid for Aaron, it's pure rumours
and speculation from people in the media who need space to fill. My main
concern is that it doesn't concern Aaron and to make sure he keeps playing
like he has been doing.
"We've had problems like that before, particularly in transfer windows. Who
knows what will happen in the summer, someone asked me if he has £25 million
pound buyout clause and it was the first I'd heard of it, so there are a lot
of rumours going around and not much facts."
Is he better off staying here?
SA: "There's no doubt about that. He's only in year one of life in the
Premier League. It's an ongoing experience where you discover what level
you're at. Next season Aaron will have to learn and grow from that
experience. He can't rest on his laurels and think 'Yes I'm here, I've made
it'. I've seen that before where year two is a bit of a disaster. His
professionalism will come into play and I'm sure he'll be able to handle
it."
What is there still for you to achieve this season?
SA: "We wanted to finish with more points than we've ever managed and we
should've achieved that a long time ago. After Christmas we were in a good
position and we thought we might be able achieve a bit more than that. But
we've made life difficult for ourselves."
"We have to be at our best on Saturday because it's a London derby and QPR
are fighting for their lives. We experienced that at Leicester. We will have
to match the fight that QPR will bring and also Burnley next weekend. The
players have to realise they're not on the beach yet, far from it."
When you look back at the season as whole, has real progress been made?
SA: "There's no doubt about that, we're a much more fluent and attacking
side. We've scored more goals and our only problem has been the lack of
clean sheets. We've only got seven, and if we are going to be a top eight
side we need to improve on that. We should be in double figures by now, this
time last year we had thirteen clean sheets. Now we've only got seven and
it's a major reason why we've failed to win recently."
The new Stadium is on the horizon, the new season tickets have been
announced, it's a bright time to be involved at West Ham. Would you like to
lead the team into the new Stadium?
SA: "I've always said that I would like to but you never know in football
how long your tenure is. There's been 40 changes of manager this season, the
average tenure in football in the Premier League is just two years and it's
getting harder for managers to keep their jobs. It's a unique time for West
Ham and we're heading in the right direction, the way we wanted to go when I
started."
How do you keep the players motivated at the point of the season?
SA: "Put them in the ice bath! That should wake them up. But seriously the
focus should be that we want to finish on a high. People think we're having
a bad season because our bad run is coming at the end of the season.
Finishing the season well, gives everyone a high going into the summer."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce laughs off £25million price tag
KUMb.com
Filed: Thursday, 23rd April 2015
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce has dismised reports suggesting that West Ham have place a
£25million price tag on Aaron Cresswell. The left-back - who cost West Ham
£4million last summer - has turned a number of heads in recent weeks and
months with a series of strong performances for the Hammers. Both Manchester
City and Chelsea are reported to have expressed an interest in signing the
25-year-old, Liverpool-born defender.
However reports that West Ham have told potential suitors to come back with
an offer close to £25million were laughed off today by Sam Alllardyce, who
said: "I have heard somebody say we have put a buyout on him. "Well, that's
the first I know about it. I haven't heard anything from the owners about
that. As far as I am concerned, no-one has bid for Aaron. So, it's all pure
rumours and speculation, which has to fill the huge amount of media space
that you have to fill. "Somebody may have whispered in your ear that clubs
are interested in one of our players and that shifts across the board.
Players can lose that focus when there is rumour. I need to make sure Aaron
does what he can all season - and performs on a consistent basis."
Allardyce also warned Cresswell against following the likes of Scott
Sinclair, Adam Johnson and former Hammer Scott Parker - promising young
English players whose careers faltered at top clubs - by urging him to
remain at the Boleyn. "Is he better off staying here? There's no doubt about
that, because he's in year one of the Premier League," said Allardyce.
"Aaron now needs to grow from that experience. "We have all seen players do
that and then in year two it's more of a disaster than the impressive first
year. "His challenge is to continue to work as hard than he has this year,
not to rest on his laurels and not to think that he's made it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Why the cynics are wrong to attack 'affordable football'
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 23rd April 2015
By: Tom Kilbey
By now we've all read the headlines; "Affordable football for all"...
"Season ticket prices slashed".
David Gold went on record last night saying the decision is "about giving
something back" to the fans. Karren Brady was more up front, stating that
the policy was made with the intention of selling out the stadium every
game.
So what is really going on behind the scenes? Here, I strip back all the
emotions and sentiments associated with my club and our current stadium, and
take an objective view of the move to the Olympic Stadium, and the recently
announced ticket prices.
Most would agree that the board have done a fantastic job since taking over.
I think that's beyond dispute; we've sorted out our club finances,
stabilised in the Premier League, had a (albeit brief) period dreaming about
European Football, and our strongest side is almost unrecognisable from the
state it was in when they took over.
However, I am constantly irritated by David Gold's rhetoric on twitter. In
essence, I believe he thinks the average West Ham fan is a bit thick. He
makes brash statements that are often riddled with contradictions, and
regularly employs a holier-than-thou attitude when responding to critics.
His latest comments about "giving something back to the fans" is the latest
example of this. Andy Goldstein was scathing on Talksport yesterday evening,
arguing that fans who believe this are "deluded" and the sole intention of
reducing ticket prices is to increase revenue. He blasted Gold, pointing out
that the fact ticket prices are increasing prices next year shows that the
decision has nothing to do with fans.
Now this is usually a line of cynicism that would have had me nodding in
agreement. But it didn't. An oversimplification it may be, but I am slowly
coming to split football fans who regularly attend games into two
fundamental categories. Those who view our club as a business, however
horrifying that may be, and those who view our club as some kind of
non-profit organisation.
As a realist, I am unashamedly in the former category, accepting that the
consequence of multi-million pound TV deals and player transfers has
inevitably contributed to the creation of a profit-driven organisation we
call our football club. Make no mistake, we've done a bloody good job of it.
Brady has worked miracles reducing our debt, and late last year we reported
a record level of profit. While this has been going on behind the scenes, we
have assembled a squad that was recognised as the best West Ham side for
many years before our slide began, attendances at Upton Park have never been
higher, and we are on the verge of entering into a stadium that is genuinely
shaping up to be, to use Brady's expression, "world-class".
Don't get me wrong, it would be incredible for the club to be run purely for
the fans, with tickets being given away for peanuts, whilst still remaining
competitive at the top level. People often cite German ticket prices, but
fail to realise that there would have to be a fundamental shake-up across
the whole country for this to become even remotely plausible. And the truth
is, most clubs wouldn't dream of playing ball, even if West Ham themselves
did.
The harsh reality is the romantic age of football at the top level is over.
Gold & Sullivan are supporters of the club, but they are businessmen first,
and football fans second. The decision to move to the Olympic Stadium would
probably have been the biggest no-brainer in their financial careers.
It provides the platform and the potential to transform us from a
run-of-the-mill Premier League side to something much bigger. Every decision
being made regarding the stadium, from the new badge to the huge numbers of
corporate seats, has profitability at mind.
Goldstein asked the question: "Why don't G&S reduce prices next season if
the board had the fans best interests at heart?" The answer is blatantly
obvious.
Demand for tickets next season will be at an all-time high, while supply
remains the same. Therefore, simple economics says that in order to maximise
profit, the club should increase prices. The decision is financial, not
romantic. What would be the point in selling 20,000 season tickets for £400
each, when the club know full well they can sell the same number for £700
each?
Of course all this changes when we move into the Olympic Stadium, and this
is where the lines of the Board's interests and the fans' interests
converge.
With an additional 20,000 seats, and a current ticket pricing structure that
has been designed so supply almost exactly equals demand (profit
maximisation again!), the board had to take action. It would be completely
pointless to keep the prices the same. It wouldn't benefit the fans who
couldn't afford to go before, and it wouldn't benefit the board because they
will not be increasing their revenue.
Yes, the decision to reduce ticket prices is predominately a financial one.
If the board believed that 20,000 fans would suddenly convert from other
clubs and buy season tickets, they almost certainly wouldn't do it. But to
criticise the board for making a financial decision when it benefits
everyone is, for want of a better expression, absolutely bananas.
I can't see any reason why those supporters who realise that our football
club is essentially a business, and somewhat accepting of that reality,
could have any reason to moan. We'll get cheaper tickets, the board will
make more money which they've proven to invest in the squad, and the general
stature of the club should improve. Those fans who are of a more sentimental
inclination may find fault in the idea that fans are essentially the means
by which the club make their money, but this is the harsh truth of modern
football.
So the general sentiment of reducing ticket prices is a good thing, I hope
I've at least managed to convince people of that. But I'd go further than
this. I genuinely believe that the club are taking measures to make football
affordable for those who it is currently inaccessible to, thus fulfilling
their promise.
Some are pointing out that their ticket price is going up, and others
complaining that their ticket price is only decreasing by an insignificant
amount. These examples are all in the top range of the price bracket. As far
as I'm concerned, I don't have a problem with that.
If there is a market for fans who want padded seats on the half way line
with their name embroidered on it, that's fine by me. And throughout the
whole process, if you listen to Gold's rhetoric, he often spoke about making
football affordable to those who couldn't afford it before, not those who
currently have Band 1 season tickets.
And surely, on that front, the club has delivered. £99 season tickets for
under 16s almost anywhere in the ground. Discounts of around 25 per cent on
Band 3 and 4 tickets. An incredible value for money family season ticket.
Some people still seemingly aren't impressed. Some even moaned that the £289
season ticket was a waste of time because the seats would be rubbish,
apparently failing to realise that in a 54,000 seater stadium, someone has
to sit at the back.
I go back one last time to the main argument I've tried to put across here.
Football is a business. But that does not mean that fans can't benefit too,
nor should we be ashamed of showing appreciation when we save £200 on our
season ticket as a result, or are able to pay for our children to have a
season ticket for the first time.
It's not about being ignorant, or having the "wool pulled over our eyes" as
some have suggested. Being happy with the news (notwithstanding Gold's
irritating tweets) is neither delusional nor naïve. Instead, we should
appreciate that good business sense (sentiments aside) have put our club in
a position where we can offer some of the cheapest season tickets in the
country, whilst at the same time increasing the stature of the club.
I totally get that emotions will be running high when our historic stadium
gets knocked into the ground in little over a year's time. But I truly hope
that there will be 54,000 fans like me who take up the offer for affordable
football in a world class stadium, and watch proudly as we kick off a new
era of our club in August 2016.
* Follow Tom Kilbey on twitter at @tom29whu for more reaction. Feel free to
post any comments or challenges you may have. Do you think we should be
happy with the announced ticket prices?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce 'unaware' if any Premier League club has bid
for Aaron Cresswell
Last Updated: 23/04/15 2:24pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says he is unaware if any other Premier
League club has made a bid for Aaron Cresswell but thinks the defender
should remain at Upton Park and establish himself in the top flight. The
25-year-old has appeared in all 33 of West Ham's league matches this season,
since moving to the East End from Ipswich last summer. He has been linked
with big spending Manchester City and Chelsea but Allardyce believes he
would be better off remaining in a West Ham shirt. He said of his player:
"Year one is an ongoing experience that you have that you know the level.
"Aaron now needs to grow from that experience. His challenge is to continue
to work even harder than he has this year, not to rest on his laurels. "We
have seen players do that and then year two is more of a disaster than his
impressive first year. His professionalism will come into play at the start
of next year regarding where he gets and if he gets to the next level."
Cresswell has four years remaining on his contract and regarding the
Liverpool-born player, Allardyce added: "As far as I am concerned, no one
has bid for Aaron. "It's all pure rumours and speculation. My problem is
does it affect Aaron Cresswell and affect his performance? "That's for me to
make sure Aaron does what he can all season and he performs on a consistent
basis. "What will happen in the summer, we will wait and see. I have even
heard somebody say we have put a £25m buy-out on him. "That's the first I
know, I haven't heard anything through the owners to say 'well, if somebody
wants Aaron Cresswell they would have to pay £25m'."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
PASSION IS AN UNDERRATED QUALITY
By Iain Dale 23 Apr 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I DIe
Guest Post by West Ham Way
Following on from my previous article on importance of developing a coherent
footballing philosophy throughout all levels of our club, I thought I'd
explore the importance of what I consider to be a vastly underrated quality
in football management – namely that of passion.
Passion is infectious. Passion is obvious. Passion is what inspires us and
connects us. Passion is the lifeblood of the football fan, and for that
matter, the footballer himself – who requires it to reach his full
potential. Team spirit can be instilled through the passion of the manager,
his captain, and the players themselves, or it can be felt through the
energy of the fans themselves – the famous twelfth man. For a club to be all
working in the same direction, for common goals, it should be present at
every level of the club and in my view it is the primary responsibility of
the chairmen and the board to ensure that it is. On that point it is clear
that they could be doing more to ensure that it is.
Of course, the inverse is also true. A lack of passion is a cancer that eats
away at a club, rapidly creating disharmony and discontent.
Take Manuel Pellegrini for example – he may tick all the right boxes as to
what he says to the media, be fully on board with the clubs youth
development policy, he may be a great technical coach, a great tactician, or
possess any other football management skill, but it is blatantly obvious to
me that he lacks passion. Sure, he might have some great players, and for a
time they may play well as a team, but, when the rubber meets the road, does
he have what it takes to inspire his teams? Current evidence would suggest
not. If you lack passion, you are unlikely to succeed for very long, and you
will quickly lose the support of fans as a result, making your position
untenable.
Contrast his situation with that of Aston Villa manager, Tim Sherwood.
Granted he has not been in his post very long, but his transformation of
that club has been palpable. Of course, the jury is still out on his other
managerial talents – which like passion are pre-requisites for building
long-term success, but the whole club has literally been transformed from
its utter, utter misery under Paul Lambert – whose dour disposition was the
polar opposite of passion. In my view, we are crying out for such a unifying
transformation here at West Ham, we can only hope that our chairmen heed our
cries.
One thing is for sure, the very best managers all possess the ability to
inspire their players. Mourinho inspires his teams by creating a siege
mentality and selecting only those who fully buy into his approach. Ferguson
was at the same time a father figure and the headmaster. Bobby Robson was
just such a great man – his players loved him like a grandfather. Pep
Guardiola was the La Masia top student turned club captain who won it all –
every sinew in his body radiates the tiki-taka philosophy that has dominated
that club for as long as anyone can remember. The common theme here is the
passion that radiated from each of these coaches, surely a massively
important element of the success they experienced.
Of course, like many relationships in today's world, passion does not always
last for ever. The ability of any manager to feel that passion is limited.
This is the natural cycle of a modern manager – once the passion is gone,
both sides move on – which, of course, is in their own best interests. But
passion remains an essential element that connects the team to the fans;
wherever there is none you are sowing the seeds of discontent, creating
disharmony, and, like a loveless marriage, you are destined for a miserable
coexistence at best.
For too long, the quality of passion has gone under the radar of chairmen in
their hiring process – not least the chairmen we have had over the years at
West Ham.
Passion may not be the be all and end all of important managerial qualities,
but without it the clock is most definitely ticking on the relationship.
Eventually the alarm bells will start ringing. Now is the time for the
chairmen to wake up and realise that we fans have a urgent need for that
passion to flow through our claret and blue veins once again. COYI.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce: Leaving West Ham could damage Aaron Cresswell's development
11:33, 23 April 2015 By Neil McLeman
The Hammers manager also insisted that no bids had been received for
Cresswell, who only joined the club last summer
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce has told Aaron Cresswell he is right to stay and learn his
trade at West Ham next season. The Irons left-back has been linked with
Chelsea and Manchester City after a superb debut campaign in the Premier
League where he has played every match. Allardyce insisted no bid had been
received for the £4million summer signing from Ipswich – and Cresswell has
said he is in no rush to move on.
The Hammers manager said: "There's no doubt he will be better off staying
here because he's year one in the Premier League. Year one is an ongoing
experience that you have and you have to know the level. "Aaron now needs to
grow from that experience. His challenge is to continue to work hard, not to
rest on his laurels, to think that he's here; we have seen players do that
and then year two is more of a disaster than his impressive first year. "His
professionalism will come into play start of next year by where he gets and
if he gets to the next level. "And as far as I am concerned, no-one has bid
for Aaron Cresswell." Allardyce insisted he was more concerned about a run
of only two wins in the last 16 Premier League games at QPR on Saturday than
his contract renewal talks at the end of the season. "It has never been any
different," he said. "Do people think I don't speak with David Sullivan and
Karren Brady? Of course, I do. We have been like that for many months. "The
focus for me to get the team winning football matches. There is a massive
downside to what we have done at the minute. We have a responsibility to get
back on winning ways. That is the most important thing for me. The next game
we have to try to win. We have let ourselves down in the 10-11 games by not
producing enough wins."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I applaud the Daves profit-making master-stroke
Posted by bubbles fanzine on April 23, 2015 in News Agenda, Whispers
By Richard Oses
Claret & Hugh
Richard is the founder of Bubbles Fanzine
@https://www.facebook.com/bubblesfanzine?fref=ts.
His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of ClaretandHugh
The news that the club has slashed season ticket prices has been greeted
with mixed reactions since its release. All in all, a lot of people will
benefit from the new price structure, especially those who chose the lower
bands at the OS (which from the drawings and countless reasearch I have done
I think you get a decent view wherever you sit). Even the objectionable
Richard Keys has entered the debate challenging David Gold and as usual he
has got things completely wrong. The club's cheap season tickets mean that
for the first time since moving from east London to Wales I can consider
being able to afford to buy one which I never dreamed would happen.
The thing is, there are some who are praising the board for their affordable
football scheme and there are those who are knocking them, either because
they are higher band already and the saving is smaller or because they are
muscling in on Leyton Orient. I disagree across the board with both the
praise and the criticism. Yes, as fans themselves, the Daves want to make
supporting West Ham more affordable, but only to an extent. They are running
a business and it is no more and no less than a master stroke in profit
making. You choose the cheaper restaurant to dine out but you will spend
more overall because you'll buy more drinks and extras. Same principle
applies to West Ham's tickets. There isn't anyhing wrong with that, you, the
fans, are getting a better deal on your ticket prices, who cares if the club
are making a profit? Good on them I say! Then there is those who feel Leyton
Orient will suffer. Well as a football fan, I can safely say that the team
you support stays that way throught your entire life. Orient fans will not
suddenly start going to see West Ham! They are Orient fans!
If Arsenal move to Upton Park and charge £20 a season ticket I'd still pick
the Hammers, so that whole 'Orient will suffer' stuff is pure nonsense. To
conclude, I'm all for the OS move. It is the right move and the board have
done brilliantly for both club and fans. I applaud them. But be under no
illusion, it is all for the profit and that isn't a criticism. No one should
care why or how, just enjoy the cheaper ticket prices and your new stadium!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Banter king questions Hammers motive
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
King of banter Richard Keys has taken to social media to ask Hammers
Chairman David Gold whether West Ham would have offered the cheapest season
ticket in the Premier League if we had stayed at the Boleyn Ground.
Keys on twitter asked"Just wondering David Gold. Would West Ham have reduced
ticket prices to £289 if you were staying at Upton Park?"
The new band five West Ham season ticket priced at £289 is £10 cheaper than
Man City's £299 season ticket which is cheapest in the Premier League.
While West Ham say they want to create affordable family football and the
move was spurred on by the recent record TV broadcast deal, others have
suggested it is purely motivated by the need to fill the 54,000 seats in the
new Olympic Stadium.
keys
On the day of the season ticket price announcement David Gold told his
followers on twitter: "I am delighted to announce that the best new Stadium
in the Premier League will have the cheapest Season Ticket – just £289. dg"
"We have the most passionate and loyal fans in the league. Today's
announcement is about giving something back to them. dg"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam: "You never know how long you've got"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Football clubs often behave as though it is guarding the secrets of the
universe! I sometimes wonder whether they are being advised by the nation's
intelligence services as they protect the names of possible signings or of
course whether managers are coming or going!!!
At West Ham we know all this better than most. We have a political animal as
vice chairman, a co chairman who loves Twitter and a chief shareholder who
when he decides to let rip, really lets rip. Unfortunately however, the
waters remain as muddied as ever for some on the question that has dominate
minds for two seasons now…will Sam stay or go. This morning in his press
conference the job of reading between the lines became even more intense as
he first explained that Ms Brady giving an interview did not put the
speculation to rest as "I speak with Karren and David Sullivan on a regular
basis." Within the space of a few seconds however – whilst reaffirming his
desire to take the club into the Olympic Stadium – it became clear that the
big question had not been addressed. Instead he said: "You never know in
football how long your tenure is. There's been 40 changes of manager this
season, the average tenure in football in the Premier League is just two
years and it's getting harder for managers to keep their jobs."
Let's be honest with so much to plan for the summer and beyond one would
have thought he might know a little more than that were he to remain. I
still believe the board should make a statement but there's a sense of
inevitability about the outcome of all this. There is a list of managerial
candidates and the club HAVE been talking to them through third parties.
Should they fail to get the one they want then there's a lobby of opinion
which believes they may turn back to the current boss. His reaction to that
would be very interesting I not I believe very positive. Two desperate clubs
– QPR and Burnley – on the horizon for a club that apparently is still in
confusion over an important element of it's own future. Nothing much
changes. It really is all very West Ham!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce: "Brady words make no difference"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Karren Brady's intervention in the debate over Sam Allardyce's future has
made no difference to the manager himself. Asked this morning in his press
conference ahead of the QPR match whether her words put the speculation over
his future to rest, he said: "It doesn't make too much difference because
I'm in constant contact with David Sullivan and Karren. "People think we
don't communicate but that's not the case. The focus for me is getting the
team winning football matches again. Not winning has been a massive
disappointment of late and it's my responsibility to get us back to winning
games."
He hopes that the constant talk of him being on his way hasn't affected the
players addng when asked: "I would sincerely hope that it doesn't. If it has
I'm not really sure, you'd have to ask the players. I think dealing with the
raised expectations has been a problem.
"We haven't lived up to that expectation or coped with it as well as I
thought we might. There are several reasons for that, reaching the level of
football we played, injuries have played a part as well as fatigue for some
of the players who have been playing in the Premier League for the first
time. "I think that is to be expected, and overall they have performed
better than we expected. It's been a great experience for them and hopefully
they will learn from it and improve next season. "The fact is, we wouldn't
be talking about that if we got the points we should've got. We should be on
50 points or more and we would be looking pretty good for a strong end to
the season. We've put pressure on ourselves, we must accept that pressure
and deliver."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
QPR boss doesn't 'get' the Sam speculation
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Queens Park Rangers boss Chris Ramsey is expecting "a blood and thunder
London derby" at the weekend and has pledged: "We will be positive and on
the front foot and going for the win." And he claims he's astonished by the
speculation surrounding his opposite number Sam Allardyce's job
adding:""Whether it's true or false I don't know. I don't see why there
would be speculation about his job – he's done a very good job at Upton
Park. "Sam will prepare his team as he always does. The speculation about
his future will have no impact on the game." He claims – not unlike
ourselves – that Rangers have "lacked concentration in the final moments."
He said: That's the difference. But in general our displays have been good.
"The last month of the season – all results will be key. We just want
positive results from our games. "All we care about is getting above that
line by the end of May. That's all that matters.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons look at Song alternative
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham will move in on long term target Sampdoria's Pedro Obiang this
summer as an alternative to Alex Song. The club's owners are very unsure
about shelling out mega wages for Song and Obiang is seen as a perfect
replacement. However, with two years left on his present deal he won't come
cheap himself and will also interest Roma who have been linked with him in
the past. The 23-year-old is a Spain Under-21 international and his agent
Jose Gonzales admitted last summer the Irons were keen on the player saying:
"Pedro is liked by them." He added: Clearly, should an offer arrive ready to
satisfy both Pedro and Sampdoria, he could leave." However, the arrival of
Song halted any further interest but the player remains very much on the
Hammers list of
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cresswell: "I'm happy at West Ham"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Aaron Cresswell has spoken for the first time about speculation linking him
with Manchester City and Chelsea. The likely Hammer of the Year is heading
for a new contract offer at Upton Park with insiders having made it clear
the club want to sort it out by Christmas.
And after we were told there was no chance of him moving on in the summer
Cresswell said: "Obviously Its nice to see things like that
But I have four years left on my West Ham contract and I'm very happy down
here. "I don't read into it or look into stuff like that. I just concentrate
on doing my best for West Ham. "I have still got four years left on my
contract and it's what I'm enjoying at the minute."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com
WHUFC.com
Following Wednesday's announcement of Season Ticket prices for the 2016/17
season at the new Stadium, supporters can now join the Season Ticket
Priority List.
For anyone without a Season Ticket for the final season at the Boleyn
Ground, this is the only way to guarantee priority when it comes to 2016/17
Season Tickets.
Academy Members can join the Priority List free of charge, while non-members
are required to pay a £10 deposit to join. The deposit is non-refundable but
will be redeemed against the purchase of a 2016/17 Season Ticket.
You can join the Season Ticket Priority List now at reservations.whufc.com.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ladies ready for Seagulls test
WHUFC.com
West Ham Ladies manager Julian Dicks is hoping his side can end their home
campaign with a positive result against Brighton Ladies this weekend. Last
Sunday, the Hammers failed to extend their unbeaten run to four games when
they suffered a 2-1 defeat at Rush Green against Lewes Ladies. Dicks' side
have already faced the Seagulls twice this season, losing 6-2 away in the FA
Women's Cup Second Round before falling to a 3-0 defeat in the league.
With Brighton now chasing the FA Women's Premier League South title and
Dicks is taking lessons he learnt as a player to help his girls achieve a
result this weekend. "Brighton are a fantastic team and quite rightly
chasing the title. We've played them twice already and in all fairness, they
deserved to beat us both times because they were impressive on the ball. "In
the first game, we went 2-0 ahead and went on to lose 6-2 because we stopped
playing. Then, the second time we went down there, we didn't learn from our
mistakes and Brighton punished us. "Whenever you come up against a good
team, you have to get under them quickly and work hard from the first
whistle. We've done that against other teams this season and got results
from them. "When I was playing for West Ham, we came up against Liverpool
and Manchester United and the way we got results was to put them under
pressure and make them work when we had the ball. I never cared how good the
players are on the other team because I knew that if I put them under
pressure, there was a chance they'd misplace their pass.
"That's the advice that I give my girls now because it works. Sometimes when
my girls get tired, they kick the ball long thinking that will give them a
rest. Giving the ball away only means you have to chase the opposition and
fend off another attack, whereas if you keep the ball and pass it, the job
is much simpler."
Dicks was unhappy with Sunday's defeat to Lewes Ladies. However, the former
West Ham left-back believes the girls have a good chance to redeem
themselves. "In the first half, we played okay," continued Dicks. "We were
passing the ball around well and we were 1-0 up thanks to Emma Sherwood's
goal. Really, at that point, the game was ours to win. "In the second half,
the girls came out and did the opposite. It's disappointing because after
getting seven points from nine in a single week against tough opposition, we
then went and lost to a team with less points than us. "With this being our
last home game of the season, it would be nice to finish with a good result.
As always, I'm looking for a good performance. When you come up against a
good team like Brighton, we need to be fit and work ard throughout the whole
match if we want to get the result. "If you look at the league table, I
think it's obvious that we won't finish any higher or any lower than where
we are now. Having said that, our last two league fixtures are against
Brighton and Portsmouth and they are both pushing to win the league. "We
can have a real impact on who wins the league. For me, Brighton are the
better side but I just want us to win both games and finish our campaign
positively. Overall, Dicks is pleased with the progression that his team,
culminating with the Capital Women's Cup Final against Charlton next month.
"This season is quickly coming to an end and I am very proud of the girls
for the progression they've all achieved. Last season was rough for them and
even one place higher this season would've been good, but finishing sixth
with a proper cup final is a very good achievement. "I know that I'm not
the easiest person to work under because I'll always speak my mind and
demand more from my players, but it's only because I want the best for them
week after week. "We have the London FA Capital Women's Cup Final to look
forward too and a win against Brighton on Sunday can give the girls real
momentum for the game against Charlton. "Having said that, the girls
shouldn't need to be pumped up for a cup final as the prize of victory and
silverware for a second season running should be enough."
Kick off on Sunday 26 April 2015 at Rush Green is 2pm. Admission is priced
at £3 for adults and £1 for children. Parking is FREE.
Alternatively, keep an eye on the Official West Ham United Ladies Twitter
account @westhamladies for LIVE updates throughout the day.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cullen up for City challenge
WHUFC.com
Development Squad captain Josh Cullen has called on his side to turn
performances into points when they face Manchester City's Elite Development
Squad on Friday night at the Boleyn Ground.
In recent games against Manchester United and Norwich City, the young
hammers have played well yet have little to show for their efforts, losing
3-2 and 2-1 respectively.
Reflecting on the narrow defeat to the Canaries last Friday, which saw
Jordan Brown score his third goal of the season, Cullen said: "We were
unlucky to lose to Norwich on Friday night, we have to look to bounce back,
we know they're going to be tough but if we do the right things we can get a
result.
"Results wise it has been disappointing, if you look at Norwich last Friday
and Manchester United the game before, we perhaps haven't got the points we
deserve. But we can't keep thinking about that we need move on. We need to
put that right and make sure we're resilient as a team."
Looking ahead to Friday's game with Manchester City, Cullen is expecting a
tough encounter against Patrick Viera's side.
The Citizens currently sit in fifth place in the Barclays U21 Premier League
table, however they would top the table should they win their games in hand.
"They're going to be a strong side, I think their U18s played in the Youth
Cup on Monday night so you can see they've got a strong youth set up.
"I played against them earlier in the season, we were unlucky again not to
win. We were 1-0 up right up until the last minute, but they scored a last
minute equaliser. That was against probably their strongest side so we did
well up there. That should give us good belief for the game on Friday
night."
The Dev Squad's encounter with the Sky Blues sees the hosts return to action
at the Boleyn Ground rather than their regular home at Rush Green.
Speaking about playing at the iconic venue, Cullen continued: "It's always
nice playing at Upton Park. It's obviously an experience that every player
wants, it's a special place with a special environment."
With just three league games left of the season after the City game, Cullen
reflected on a challenging season for both him and his team.
"It's been up and down for me. I thought I had a decent pre-season and I
started the season well but then got injured, I was out for four months
which was tough to deal with.
"I've been back for a while, I feel like I'm performing well. I just want to
keep on doing well and push myself further and try and get into the first
team.
"As for my Dev Squad Player of the Year? Probably Lewis Page, he's been a
mainstay at left-back for the majority of the season, he's done well. If you
look at it you couldn't say any winger has got the better of him and he
offers a lot going forward, I would say he has stood out for me."
The West ham United Development Squad play Manchester City's Elite
Development Squad on Friday 24 April at the Boleyn Ground. Kick off is 7pm,
admission is free for all Season Ticket olders and U16s, £3 for adults.
Live updates will be available on www.whufc.com and @whufc_official as well
as live streaming on our YouTube channel.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam on: QPR
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce faced the press ahead of Saturday's
game with Queens Park Rangers.
Find out what he had to say on Aaron Cresswell's future, injury news and
rising to the challenge QPR pose.
Morning Sam, what is the team news ahead of QPR this weekend?
SA: "We still have the same injury list as we had last week. Andy Carroll is
out until next season, whether we have Diafra Sakho back before the end of
the season is touch and go. The same goes for James Tomkins and Doneil
Henry. Guy Demel picked up a calf injury so he probably won't be available.
Apart from that everyone else is OK."
Karren Brady has been speaking recently praising the job you've done here
and saying contract negotiations will happen at the end of the season, does
that put to rest the speculation around your future?
SA: "It doesn't make too much difference because I'm in constant contact
with David Sullivan and Karren. People think we don't communicate but that's
not the case. The focus for me is getting the team winning football matches
again. Not winning has been a massive disappointment of late and it's my
responsibility to get us back to winning games."
"The performance in the first half against Manchester City and the second
half against Stoke City wasn't good enough. Even though we were seconds away
from beating Stoke, I'm still interested in the performance levels. We have
to make sure results don't affect our confidence."
Does the uncertainty around your future have effect on the players?
SA: "I would sincerely hope that it doesn't. If it has I'm not really sure,
you'd have to ask the players. I think dealing with the raised expectations
has been a problem.
"We haven't lived up to that expectation or coped with it as well as I
thought we might. There are several reasons for that, reaching the level of
football we played, injuries have played a part as well as fatigue for some
of the players who have been playing in the Premier League for the first
time.
"I think that is to be expected, and overall they have performed better than
we expected. It's been a great experience for them and hopefully they will
learn from it and improve next season.
"The fact is, we wouldn't be talking about that if we got the points we
should've got. We should be on 50 points or more and we would be looking
pretty good for a strong end to the season. We've put pressure on ourselves,
we must accept that pressure and deliver."
There's been speculation about Aaron Cresswell's future, he's said that he
is very happy here and that he has years left on his contract. Is West Ham
the best place for him at the moment?
SA: "Yes. As far as I'm aware no one has bid for Aaron, it's pure rumours
and speculation from people in the media who need space to fill. My main
concern is that it doesn't concern Aaron and to make sure he keeps playing
like he has been doing.
"We've had problems like that before, particularly in transfer windows. Who
knows what will happen in the summer, someone asked me if he has £25 million
pound buyout clause and it was the first I'd heard of it, so there are a lot
of rumours going around and not much facts."
Is he better off staying here?
SA: "There's no doubt about that. He's only in year one of life in the
Premier League. It's an ongoing experience where you discover what level
you're at. Next season Aaron will have to learn and grow from that
experience. He can't rest on his laurels and think 'Yes I'm here, I've made
it'. I've seen that before where year two is a bit of a disaster. His
professionalism will come into play and I'm sure he'll be able to handle
it."
What is there still for you to achieve this season?
SA: "We wanted to finish with more points than we've ever managed and we
should've achieved that a long time ago. After Christmas we were in a good
position and we thought we might be able achieve a bit more than that. But
we've made life difficult for ourselves."
"We have to be at our best on Saturday because it's a London derby and QPR
are fighting for their lives. We experienced that at Leicester. We will have
to match the fight that QPR will bring and also Burnley next weekend. The
players have to realise they're not on the beach yet, far from it."
When you look back at the season as whole, has real progress been made?
SA: "There's no doubt about that, we're a much more fluent and attacking
side. We've scored more goals and our only problem has been the lack of
clean sheets. We've only got seven, and if we are going to be a top eight
side we need to improve on that. We should be in double figures by now, this
time last year we had thirteen clean sheets. Now we've only got seven and
it's a major reason why we've failed to win recently."
The new Stadium is on the horizon, the new season tickets have been
announced, it's a bright time to be involved at West Ham. Would you like to
lead the team into the new Stadium?
SA: "I've always said that I would like to but you never know in football
how long your tenure is. There's been 40 changes of manager this season, the
average tenure in football in the Premier League is just two years and it's
getting harder for managers to keep their jobs. It's a unique time for West
Ham and we're heading in the right direction, the way we wanted to go when I
started."
How do you keep the players motivated at the point of the season?
SA: "Put them in the ice bath! That should wake them up. But seriously the
focus should be that we want to finish on a high. People think we're having
a bad season because our bad run is coming at the end of the season.
Finishing the season well, gives everyone a high going into the summer."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce laughs off £25million price tag
KUMb.com
Filed: Thursday, 23rd April 2015
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce has dismised reports suggesting that West Ham have place a
£25million price tag on Aaron Cresswell. The left-back - who cost West Ham
£4million last summer - has turned a number of heads in recent weeks and
months with a series of strong performances for the Hammers. Both Manchester
City and Chelsea are reported to have expressed an interest in signing the
25-year-old, Liverpool-born defender.
However reports that West Ham have told potential suitors to come back with
an offer close to £25million were laughed off today by Sam Alllardyce, who
said: "I have heard somebody say we have put a buyout on him. "Well, that's
the first I know about it. I haven't heard anything from the owners about
that. As far as I am concerned, no-one has bid for Aaron. So, it's all pure
rumours and speculation, which has to fill the huge amount of media space
that you have to fill. "Somebody may have whispered in your ear that clubs
are interested in one of our players and that shifts across the board.
Players can lose that focus when there is rumour. I need to make sure Aaron
does what he can all season - and performs on a consistent basis."
Allardyce also warned Cresswell against following the likes of Scott
Sinclair, Adam Johnson and former Hammer Scott Parker - promising young
English players whose careers faltered at top clubs - by urging him to
remain at the Boleyn. "Is he better off staying here? There's no doubt about
that, because he's in year one of the Premier League," said Allardyce.
"Aaron now needs to grow from that experience. "We have all seen players do
that and then in year two it's more of a disaster than the impressive first
year. "His challenge is to continue to work as hard than he has this year,
not to rest on his laurels and not to think that he's made it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Why the cynics are wrong to attack 'affordable football'
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 23rd April 2015
By: Tom Kilbey
By now we've all read the headlines; "Affordable football for all"...
"Season ticket prices slashed".
David Gold went on record last night saying the decision is "about giving
something back" to the fans. Karren Brady was more up front, stating that
the policy was made with the intention of selling out the stadium every
game.
So what is really going on behind the scenes? Here, I strip back all the
emotions and sentiments associated with my club and our current stadium, and
take an objective view of the move to the Olympic Stadium, and the recently
announced ticket prices.
Most would agree that the board have done a fantastic job since taking over.
I think that's beyond dispute; we've sorted out our club finances,
stabilised in the Premier League, had a (albeit brief) period dreaming about
European Football, and our strongest side is almost unrecognisable from the
state it was in when they took over.
However, I am constantly irritated by David Gold's rhetoric on twitter. In
essence, I believe he thinks the average West Ham fan is a bit thick. He
makes brash statements that are often riddled with contradictions, and
regularly employs a holier-than-thou attitude when responding to critics.
His latest comments about "giving something back to the fans" is the latest
example of this. Andy Goldstein was scathing on Talksport yesterday evening,
arguing that fans who believe this are "deluded" and the sole intention of
reducing ticket prices is to increase revenue. He blasted Gold, pointing out
that the fact ticket prices are increasing prices next year shows that the
decision has nothing to do with fans.
Now this is usually a line of cynicism that would have had me nodding in
agreement. But it didn't. An oversimplification it may be, but I am slowly
coming to split football fans who regularly attend games into two
fundamental categories. Those who view our club as a business, however
horrifying that may be, and those who view our club as some kind of
non-profit organisation.
As a realist, I am unashamedly in the former category, accepting that the
consequence of multi-million pound TV deals and player transfers has
inevitably contributed to the creation of a profit-driven organisation we
call our football club. Make no mistake, we've done a bloody good job of it.
Brady has worked miracles reducing our debt, and late last year we reported
a record level of profit. While this has been going on behind the scenes, we
have assembled a squad that was recognised as the best West Ham side for
many years before our slide began, attendances at Upton Park have never been
higher, and we are on the verge of entering into a stadium that is genuinely
shaping up to be, to use Brady's expression, "world-class".
Don't get me wrong, it would be incredible for the club to be run purely for
the fans, with tickets being given away for peanuts, whilst still remaining
competitive at the top level. People often cite German ticket prices, but
fail to realise that there would have to be a fundamental shake-up across
the whole country for this to become even remotely plausible. And the truth
is, most clubs wouldn't dream of playing ball, even if West Ham themselves
did.
The harsh reality is the romantic age of football at the top level is over.
Gold & Sullivan are supporters of the club, but they are businessmen first,
and football fans second. The decision to move to the Olympic Stadium would
probably have been the biggest no-brainer in their financial careers.
It provides the platform and the potential to transform us from a
run-of-the-mill Premier League side to something much bigger. Every decision
being made regarding the stadium, from the new badge to the huge numbers of
corporate seats, has profitability at mind.
Goldstein asked the question: "Why don't G&S reduce prices next season if
the board had the fans best interests at heart?" The answer is blatantly
obvious.
Demand for tickets next season will be at an all-time high, while supply
remains the same. Therefore, simple economics says that in order to maximise
profit, the club should increase prices. The decision is financial, not
romantic. What would be the point in selling 20,000 season tickets for £400
each, when the club know full well they can sell the same number for £700
each?
Of course all this changes when we move into the Olympic Stadium, and this
is where the lines of the Board's interests and the fans' interests
converge.
With an additional 20,000 seats, and a current ticket pricing structure that
has been designed so supply almost exactly equals demand (profit
maximisation again!), the board had to take action. It would be completely
pointless to keep the prices the same. It wouldn't benefit the fans who
couldn't afford to go before, and it wouldn't benefit the board because they
will not be increasing their revenue.
Yes, the decision to reduce ticket prices is predominately a financial one.
If the board believed that 20,000 fans would suddenly convert from other
clubs and buy season tickets, they almost certainly wouldn't do it. But to
criticise the board for making a financial decision when it benefits
everyone is, for want of a better expression, absolutely bananas.
I can't see any reason why those supporters who realise that our football
club is essentially a business, and somewhat accepting of that reality,
could have any reason to moan. We'll get cheaper tickets, the board will
make more money which they've proven to invest in the squad, and the general
stature of the club should improve. Those fans who are of a more sentimental
inclination may find fault in the idea that fans are essentially the means
by which the club make their money, but this is the harsh truth of modern
football.
So the general sentiment of reducing ticket prices is a good thing, I hope
I've at least managed to convince people of that. But I'd go further than
this. I genuinely believe that the club are taking measures to make football
affordable for those who it is currently inaccessible to, thus fulfilling
their promise.
Some are pointing out that their ticket price is going up, and others
complaining that their ticket price is only decreasing by an insignificant
amount. These examples are all in the top range of the price bracket. As far
as I'm concerned, I don't have a problem with that.
If there is a market for fans who want padded seats on the half way line
with their name embroidered on it, that's fine by me. And throughout the
whole process, if you listen to Gold's rhetoric, he often spoke about making
football affordable to those who couldn't afford it before, not those who
currently have Band 1 season tickets.
And surely, on that front, the club has delivered. £99 season tickets for
under 16s almost anywhere in the ground. Discounts of around 25 per cent on
Band 3 and 4 tickets. An incredible value for money family season ticket.
Some people still seemingly aren't impressed. Some even moaned that the £289
season ticket was a waste of time because the seats would be rubbish,
apparently failing to realise that in a 54,000 seater stadium, someone has
to sit at the back.
I go back one last time to the main argument I've tried to put across here.
Football is a business. But that does not mean that fans can't benefit too,
nor should we be ashamed of showing appreciation when we save £200 on our
season ticket as a result, or are able to pay for our children to have a
season ticket for the first time.
It's not about being ignorant, or having the "wool pulled over our eyes" as
some have suggested. Being happy with the news (notwithstanding Gold's
irritating tweets) is neither delusional nor naïve. Instead, we should
appreciate that good business sense (sentiments aside) have put our club in
a position where we can offer some of the cheapest season tickets in the
country, whilst at the same time increasing the stature of the club.
I totally get that emotions will be running high when our historic stadium
gets knocked into the ground in little over a year's time. But I truly hope
that there will be 54,000 fans like me who take up the offer for affordable
football in a world class stadium, and watch proudly as we kick off a new
era of our club in August 2016.
* Follow Tom Kilbey on twitter at @tom29whu for more reaction. Feel free to
post any comments or challenges you may have. Do you think we should be
happy with the announced ticket prices?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce 'unaware' if any Premier League club has bid
for Aaron Cresswell
Last Updated: 23/04/15 2:24pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says he is unaware if any other Premier
League club has made a bid for Aaron Cresswell but thinks the defender
should remain at Upton Park and establish himself in the top flight. The
25-year-old has appeared in all 33 of West Ham's league matches this season,
since moving to the East End from Ipswich last summer. He has been linked
with big spending Manchester City and Chelsea but Allardyce believes he
would be better off remaining in a West Ham shirt. He said of his player:
"Year one is an ongoing experience that you have that you know the level.
"Aaron now needs to grow from that experience. His challenge is to continue
to work even harder than he has this year, not to rest on his laurels. "We
have seen players do that and then year two is more of a disaster than his
impressive first year. His professionalism will come into play at the start
of next year regarding where he gets and if he gets to the next level."
Cresswell has four years remaining on his contract and regarding the
Liverpool-born player, Allardyce added: "As far as I am concerned, no one
has bid for Aaron. "It's all pure rumours and speculation. My problem is
does it affect Aaron Cresswell and affect his performance? "That's for me to
make sure Aaron does what he can all season and he performs on a consistent
basis. "What will happen in the summer, we will wait and see. I have even
heard somebody say we have put a £25m buy-out on him. "That's the first I
know, I haven't heard anything through the owners to say 'well, if somebody
wants Aaron Cresswell they would have to pay £25m'."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
PASSION IS AN UNDERRATED QUALITY
By Iain Dale 23 Apr 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I DIe
Guest Post by West Ham Way
Following on from my previous article on importance of developing a coherent
footballing philosophy throughout all levels of our club, I thought I'd
explore the importance of what I consider to be a vastly underrated quality
in football management – namely that of passion.
Passion is infectious. Passion is obvious. Passion is what inspires us and
connects us. Passion is the lifeblood of the football fan, and for that
matter, the footballer himself – who requires it to reach his full
potential. Team spirit can be instilled through the passion of the manager,
his captain, and the players themselves, or it can be felt through the
energy of the fans themselves – the famous twelfth man. For a club to be all
working in the same direction, for common goals, it should be present at
every level of the club and in my view it is the primary responsibility of
the chairmen and the board to ensure that it is. On that point it is clear
that they could be doing more to ensure that it is.
Of course, the inverse is also true. A lack of passion is a cancer that eats
away at a club, rapidly creating disharmony and discontent.
Take Manuel Pellegrini for example – he may tick all the right boxes as to
what he says to the media, be fully on board with the clubs youth
development policy, he may be a great technical coach, a great tactician, or
possess any other football management skill, but it is blatantly obvious to
me that he lacks passion. Sure, he might have some great players, and for a
time they may play well as a team, but, when the rubber meets the road, does
he have what it takes to inspire his teams? Current evidence would suggest
not. If you lack passion, you are unlikely to succeed for very long, and you
will quickly lose the support of fans as a result, making your position
untenable.
Contrast his situation with that of Aston Villa manager, Tim Sherwood.
Granted he has not been in his post very long, but his transformation of
that club has been palpable. Of course, the jury is still out on his other
managerial talents – which like passion are pre-requisites for building
long-term success, but the whole club has literally been transformed from
its utter, utter misery under Paul Lambert – whose dour disposition was the
polar opposite of passion. In my view, we are crying out for such a unifying
transformation here at West Ham, we can only hope that our chairmen heed our
cries.
One thing is for sure, the very best managers all possess the ability to
inspire their players. Mourinho inspires his teams by creating a siege
mentality and selecting only those who fully buy into his approach. Ferguson
was at the same time a father figure and the headmaster. Bobby Robson was
just such a great man – his players loved him like a grandfather. Pep
Guardiola was the La Masia top student turned club captain who won it all –
every sinew in his body radiates the tiki-taka philosophy that has dominated
that club for as long as anyone can remember. The common theme here is the
passion that radiated from each of these coaches, surely a massively
important element of the success they experienced.
Of course, like many relationships in today's world, passion does not always
last for ever. The ability of any manager to feel that passion is limited.
This is the natural cycle of a modern manager – once the passion is gone,
both sides move on – which, of course, is in their own best interests. But
passion remains an essential element that connects the team to the fans;
wherever there is none you are sowing the seeds of discontent, creating
disharmony, and, like a loveless marriage, you are destined for a miserable
coexistence at best.
For too long, the quality of passion has gone under the radar of chairmen in
their hiring process – not least the chairmen we have had over the years at
West Ham.
Passion may not be the be all and end all of important managerial qualities,
but without it the clock is most definitely ticking on the relationship.
Eventually the alarm bells will start ringing. Now is the time for the
chairmen to wake up and realise that we fans have a urgent need for that
passion to flow through our claret and blue veins once again. COYI.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce: Leaving West Ham could damage Aaron Cresswell's development
11:33, 23 April 2015 By Neil McLeman
The Hammers manager also insisted that no bids had been received for
Cresswell, who only joined the club last summer
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce has told Aaron Cresswell he is right to stay and learn his
trade at West Ham next season. The Irons left-back has been linked with
Chelsea and Manchester City after a superb debut campaign in the Premier
League where he has played every match. Allardyce insisted no bid had been
received for the £4million summer signing from Ipswich – and Cresswell has
said he is in no rush to move on.
The Hammers manager said: "There's no doubt he will be better off staying
here because he's year one in the Premier League. Year one is an ongoing
experience that you have and you have to know the level. "Aaron now needs to
grow from that experience. His challenge is to continue to work hard, not to
rest on his laurels, to think that he's here; we have seen players do that
and then year two is more of a disaster than his impressive first year. "His
professionalism will come into play start of next year by where he gets and
if he gets to the next level. "And as far as I am concerned, no-one has bid
for Aaron Cresswell." Allardyce insisted he was more concerned about a run
of only two wins in the last 16 Premier League games at QPR on Saturday than
his contract renewal talks at the end of the season. "It has never been any
different," he said. "Do people think I don't speak with David Sullivan and
Karren Brady? Of course, I do. We have been like that for many months. "The
focus for me to get the team winning football matches. There is a massive
downside to what we have done at the minute. We have a responsibility to get
back on winning ways. That is the most important thing for me. The next game
we have to try to win. We have let ourselves down in the 10-11 games by not
producing enough wins."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I applaud the Daves profit-making master-stroke
Posted by bubbles fanzine on April 23, 2015 in News Agenda, Whispers
By Richard Oses
Claret & Hugh
Richard is the founder of Bubbles Fanzine
@https://www.facebook.com/bubblesfanzine?fref=ts.
His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of ClaretandHugh
The news that the club has slashed season ticket prices has been greeted
with mixed reactions since its release. All in all, a lot of people will
benefit from the new price structure, especially those who chose the lower
bands at the OS (which from the drawings and countless reasearch I have done
I think you get a decent view wherever you sit). Even the objectionable
Richard Keys has entered the debate challenging David Gold and as usual he
has got things completely wrong. The club's cheap season tickets mean that
for the first time since moving from east London to Wales I can consider
being able to afford to buy one which I never dreamed would happen.
The thing is, there are some who are praising the board for their affordable
football scheme and there are those who are knocking them, either because
they are higher band already and the saving is smaller or because they are
muscling in on Leyton Orient. I disagree across the board with both the
praise and the criticism. Yes, as fans themselves, the Daves want to make
supporting West Ham more affordable, but only to an extent. They are running
a business and it is no more and no less than a master stroke in profit
making. You choose the cheaper restaurant to dine out but you will spend
more overall because you'll buy more drinks and extras. Same principle
applies to West Ham's tickets. There isn't anyhing wrong with that, you, the
fans, are getting a better deal on your ticket prices, who cares if the club
are making a profit? Good on them I say! Then there is those who feel Leyton
Orient will suffer. Well as a football fan, I can safely say that the team
you support stays that way throught your entire life. Orient fans will not
suddenly start going to see West Ham! They are Orient fans!
If Arsenal move to Upton Park and charge £20 a season ticket I'd still pick
the Hammers, so that whole 'Orient will suffer' stuff is pure nonsense. To
conclude, I'm all for the OS move. It is the right move and the board have
done brilliantly for both club and fans. I applaud them. But be under no
illusion, it is all for the profit and that isn't a criticism. No one should
care why or how, just enjoy the cheaper ticket prices and your new stadium!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Banter king questions Hammers motive
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
King of banter Richard Keys has taken to social media to ask Hammers
Chairman David Gold whether West Ham would have offered the cheapest season
ticket in the Premier League if we had stayed at the Boleyn Ground.
Keys on twitter asked"Just wondering David Gold. Would West Ham have reduced
ticket prices to £289 if you were staying at Upton Park?"
The new band five West Ham season ticket priced at £289 is £10 cheaper than
Man City's £299 season ticket which is cheapest in the Premier League.
While West Ham say they want to create affordable family football and the
move was spurred on by the recent record TV broadcast deal, others have
suggested it is purely motivated by the need to fill the 54,000 seats in the
new Olympic Stadium.
keys
On the day of the season ticket price announcement David Gold told his
followers on twitter: "I am delighted to announce that the best new Stadium
in the Premier League will have the cheapest Season Ticket – just £289. dg"
"We have the most passionate and loyal fans in the league. Today's
announcement is about giving something back to them. dg"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam: "You never know how long you've got"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Football clubs often behave as though it is guarding the secrets of the
universe! I sometimes wonder whether they are being advised by the nation's
intelligence services as they protect the names of possible signings or of
course whether managers are coming or going!!!
At West Ham we know all this better than most. We have a political animal as
vice chairman, a co chairman who loves Twitter and a chief shareholder who
when he decides to let rip, really lets rip. Unfortunately however, the
waters remain as muddied as ever for some on the question that has dominate
minds for two seasons now…will Sam stay or go. This morning in his press
conference the job of reading between the lines became even more intense as
he first explained that Ms Brady giving an interview did not put the
speculation to rest as "I speak with Karren and David Sullivan on a regular
basis." Within the space of a few seconds however – whilst reaffirming his
desire to take the club into the Olympic Stadium – it became clear that the
big question had not been addressed. Instead he said: "You never know in
football how long your tenure is. There's been 40 changes of manager this
season, the average tenure in football in the Premier League is just two
years and it's getting harder for managers to keep their jobs."
Let's be honest with so much to plan for the summer and beyond one would
have thought he might know a little more than that were he to remain. I
still believe the board should make a statement but there's a sense of
inevitability about the outcome of all this. There is a list of managerial
candidates and the club HAVE been talking to them through third parties.
Should they fail to get the one they want then there's a lobby of opinion
which believes they may turn back to the current boss. His reaction to that
would be very interesting I not I believe very positive. Two desperate clubs
– QPR and Burnley – on the horizon for a club that apparently is still in
confusion over an important element of it's own future. Nothing much
changes. It really is all very West Ham!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce: "Brady words make no difference"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Karren Brady's intervention in the debate over Sam Allardyce's future has
made no difference to the manager himself. Asked this morning in his press
conference ahead of the QPR match whether her words put the speculation over
his future to rest, he said: "It doesn't make too much difference because
I'm in constant contact with David Sullivan and Karren. "People think we
don't communicate but that's not the case. The focus for me is getting the
team winning football matches again. Not winning has been a massive
disappointment of late and it's my responsibility to get us back to winning
games."
He hopes that the constant talk of him being on his way hasn't affected the
players addng when asked: "I would sincerely hope that it doesn't. If it has
I'm not really sure, you'd have to ask the players. I think dealing with the
raised expectations has been a problem.
"We haven't lived up to that expectation or coped with it as well as I
thought we might. There are several reasons for that, reaching the level of
football we played, injuries have played a part as well as fatigue for some
of the players who have been playing in the Premier League for the first
time. "I think that is to be expected, and overall they have performed
better than we expected. It's been a great experience for them and hopefully
they will learn from it and improve next season. "The fact is, we wouldn't
be talking about that if we got the points we should've got. We should be on
50 points or more and we would be looking pretty good for a strong end to
the season. We've put pressure on ourselves, we must accept that pressure
and deliver."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
QPR boss doesn't 'get' the Sam speculation
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Queens Park Rangers boss Chris Ramsey is expecting "a blood and thunder
London derby" at the weekend and has pledged: "We will be positive and on
the front foot and going for the win." And he claims he's astonished by the
speculation surrounding his opposite number Sam Allardyce's job
adding:""Whether it's true or false I don't know. I don't see why there
would be speculation about his job – he's done a very good job at Upton
Park. "Sam will prepare his team as he always does. The speculation about
his future will have no impact on the game." He claims – not unlike
ourselves – that Rangers have "lacked concentration in the final moments."
He said: That's the difference. But in general our displays have been good.
"The last month of the season – all results will be key. We just want
positive results from our games. "All we care about is getting above that
line by the end of May. That's all that matters.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons look at Song alternative
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham will move in on long term target Sampdoria's Pedro Obiang this
summer as an alternative to Alex Song. The club's owners are very unsure
about shelling out mega wages for Song and Obiang is seen as a perfect
replacement. However, with two years left on his present deal he won't come
cheap himself and will also interest Roma who have been linked with him in
the past. The 23-year-old is a Spain Under-21 international and his agent
Jose Gonzales admitted last summer the Irons were keen on the player saying:
"Pedro is liked by them." He added: Clearly, should an offer arrive ready to
satisfy both Pedro and Sampdoria, he could leave." However, the arrival of
Song halted any further interest but the player remains very much on the
Hammers list of
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cresswell: "I'm happy at West Ham"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Aaron Cresswell has spoken for the first time about speculation linking him
with Manchester City and Chelsea. The likely Hammer of the Year is heading
for a new contract offer at Upton Park with insiders having made it clear
the club want to sort it out by Christmas.
And after we were told there was no chance of him moving on in the summer
Cresswell said: "Obviously Its nice to see things like that
But I have four years left on my West Ham contract and I'm very happy down
here. "I don't read into it or look into stuff like that. I just concentrate
on doing my best for West Ham. "I have still got four years left on my
contract and it's what I'm enjoying at the minute."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
