Daily WHUFC News - 29th May 2015 [Scanned]

Hammers confirm Retain List
WHUFC.com

West Ham United have issued their Retain List of players at the end of the 2014/15 season.

The Hammers have confirmed that senior professionals Carlton Cole, Guy Demel, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Nene will all leave the Club at the end of their contracts on 30 June.

Young professionals Kieran Bywater, Sean Maguire, Paul McCallum and Dan Potts will also depart the Boleyn Ground after not being offered new contracts.

Scholars Jerry Amoo and Kieran Bailey have been released, while Taylor Tombides will also be moving on.

Meanwhile, youngsters Kyle Knoyle, Djair Parfitt-Williams and Alex Pike have agreed their first professional deals with the Club and will sign contracts from 1 July.

The Club would like to thank all the departing players for their efforts and wish them well in their future careers

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Nene thanks Hammers fans
WHUFC.com

Nene has thanked the West Ham United fans for the support shown to him during his four months at the Boleyn Ground.

The Brazilian forward will be leaving the Club at the end of his contract on 30 June as he pursues top-flight football elsewhere.

He made eight Barclays Premier League appearances in claret and blue, and although he admits he hoped for more opportunities, he will leave London with fond memories.

Writing on his official Instagram account, the 33-year-old said: "My goal is to play for at least three more seasons at the top level and for that reason I need to go to another club.

"I thank the fans for their permanent support and wish the best success to my teammates and West Ham United."

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Cole says farewell
WHUFC.com

Carlton Cole has made 293 appearances for West Ham United over the past nine seasons, scoring 68 goals. The centre forward, who scored on his debut against Charlton Athletic in August 2006 and the opening goal in the 2012 Championship Play-Off final victory over Blackpool at Wembley, has played seven times for England during his time as a Hammer. Here, the 31-year-old says farewell to the Hammers in his own words.

Hello everyone,

I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came along with it.

At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody has treated me like a part of the family.

It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have done my fair share for the Club and been part of the history as well, which is very important for me.

I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie, West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.

It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it.

If I could pick out my two most memorable moments, the Play-Off final and the two goals I scored when we beat Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup in 2010 are the two that everybody says that I played a blinder in and it would be fair to say I agree with them.

I have enjoyed every game I have played for West Ham but all good things have to come to an end and I will be leaving.

When I think of West Ham United I think of a family football club which has embraced me and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you all.

Carlton Cole

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Lee looking to build on first team chance
WHUFC.com

Elliot Lee wants to build on his first team chance when West Ham United return to pre-season in late June.

The striker made his second Barclays Premier League appearance for the Hammers in last Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Newcastle and the experience has left him hungry for more.

St James' Park is a venue that holds special memories for the 20-year-old, with Lee having watched his father Rob in action for the Magpies there, so he was thrilled to follow in his footsteps.

"It was quite an experience for me, and an emotional one too," he explained. "I grew up watching my dad at Newcastle and the Club posted a picture on their Twitter of me pointing out where I used to sit in a box with the Shearer family.

"I was delighted to get on the pitch and I'd like to give a special mention to Ian Hendon. I've worked with him for quite a few years and he was pushing for me this year. I think he had a big hand in why I got on so thank you to him for that, but I'm disappointed that we didn't get a result.

"Most of my family actually went on holiday to Turkey the day before the game, but I'm sure they watched it out there. My brother and a few of his pals came along though, and I had text messages from some of my old friends up there saying don't score!

"It was a great experience - I made my debut at Old Trafford and I said then the second best place to come on would be St James' or Upton Park. It wasn't a great result for the team but we'll push on from here and go again next season."

Lee scored three goals in eleven games on loan at Luton Town before returning to the first team fold with the Hammers and he was happy to learn with the Hatters.

He added: "I went out on loan to toughen me up. I experienced playing men's football and that helped me this season. I came back and have been involved with the first team squad, so that's great.

"I want to push on from here. We've got the Europa League next year and hopefully I can be involved in that quite a lot.

"It's important not to get frustrated as a young player because you're competing with some very good players in the first team, so now I'm going to keep going in training and hopefully come back and really challenge for a first team place."

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Young Hammers set for Hong Kong Sevens
WHUFC.com

A young West Ham United team will head to Hong Kong for the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens tournament, which kicks-off on Saturday.

Mark Phillips and his Hammers squad jetted off to the far east earlier this week to prepare for his prestigious competition, which brings together elite teams from across Europe and Asia.

Sixteen teams will do battle in the main category, with West Ham drawn in a group alongside Chinese outfit Shanghai SIPG and local sides Kitchee and Hong Kong FC Captain's Select.

The group phase will be played out on the opening day, before the Sunday sees all 16 teams compete in Cup or Plate competitions, depending on their success in the initial round.

West Ham's squad includes several players who have impressed at U18 and U21 levels this term, with Jordan Brown and Djair Parfitt-Williams leading the line up front.

Also headed out to Hong Kong are goalkeeper Clarke Bogard, defenders Alex Pike and Josh Pask, midfielders Marcus Browne, Noha Sylvestre and forwards Jaanai Gordon, Oscar Borg and Grady Diangana.

U18s coach Mark Phillips is expecting his players to benefit greatly from the experience.

He told whufc.com: "It's an excellent tournament for the boys to end the season with. Ian Hendon has taken teams out there twice before and he's spoken highly of the competition.

"We're the youngest team there, with a few senior and U21s sides there, so it will provide the players with an invaluable experience.

"It's all a learning curve towards the first team, so dealing with that challenge, as well as the heat and humidity here will be great.

"I've watched clips from last year's tournament and there's a lot of athleticism, so we've brought a fit squad with a lot of attacking talent."

You can follow the Hammers' progress throughout the weekend here on whufc.com

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West Ham striker Carlton Cole to leave club in summer
BBC.co.uk

Striker Carlton Cole will leave West Ham this summer when his contract expires on 30 June.
The 31-year-old, who initially left the Hammers in 2013 before re-signing five months later, scored 68 goals in 293 appearances after first joining from Chelsea in 2006.
Veteran goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, defender Guy Demel and midfielder Nene have also not been retained.
"It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long," said Cole.
"I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part.
"A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it."

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Bielsa rumours have Twitter all of a flutter
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th May 2015
By: Staff Writer

Twitter was awash with rumours tonight that Marcelo Bielsa had agreed to join West Ham - only for it later to be revealed as a hoax from across the Channel.

The Marseille manager has been strongly linked with the vacant position at the Boleyn Ground - something that French fans appear to have taken umbrage to.

e-West Ham @e_westham
BREAKING: According to L'Equipe, Marcelo Bielsa is set to leave Marseille and become the next West Ham manager.
12:03 AM - 29 May 2015

For late on Thursday night rumours began circulating that respected French broadcaster L'Equipe had reported Bielsa was on his way to the Premier League having rejected the offer of a new contract from Marseille.

That had Hammers fans gossiping wildly at the prospect of the 59-year-old Argentine arriving in east London - only to discover some time later that the whole thing had been a hoax.

Get French Football @GFN_France
Absolutely nothing from L'Équipe or OM TV suggesting that Marcelo Bielsa has decided to join West Ham. Pure fabrication.
12:45 AM - 29 May 2015

Although contact is understood to have been made between West Ham and representatives of Bielsa, reports on Thursday morning suggested that he was close to agreeing a two-year contract extension with his current club.

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Benitez leaves Napoli, set to snub Hammers
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th May 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham managerial target Rafa Benitez has confirmed that he will leave Napoli at the end of the season.

However the Spanish boss, who has topped West Ham's wish-list for some considerable time looks set to snub the Hammers and re-join former club Real Madrid.

According to Real director Josep Pedrerol, Benitez will be unveiled as the successor to the recently-departed Carlo Ancelotti next Wednesday at 1pm.

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Aaron Cresswell named KUMB Readers' Player of the Year
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th May 2015
By: Staff Writer

Aaron Cresswell has been named West Ham United's Player of the Year by the readers of KUMB.com.

The full back - who was recently crowned Hammer of the Year - capped a superb season by taking the main award in tonight 18th annual KUMB Awards, staged at The Cow in Stratford Westfield.

And there was further good news for the full-back when he was named Best Signing, narrowly beating Diafra Sakho into second place.

The other player to pick up two awards on the night was one no longer with us - Jack Collison, who won the Most Missed award whilst also being named the KUMB Podcast Guest of the Year.

The full list of winners on the night - which was hosted by Chris Scull and James Longman from the KUMB Podcast and featured guests Jimmy Walker and Rufus Brevett (above) - were as follows:


KUMB Awards XVIII: The Winners

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Aaron Cresswell (44%)

YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Reece Burke (92%)

BEST SIGNING
Aaron Cresswell (45%)

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Stewart Downing (41%)

GOAL OF THE SEASON
15 September 2014: Enner Valencia vs Hull City a, 2-2 (61%)

MOST MEMORABLE MATCH
20 September 2014: West Ham Utd 3-1 Liverpool (36%)

MOST MISSED
Jack Collison (36%)

PODCAST GUEST OF THE YEAR
Jack Collison (20%)

WORST PLAYER
Kevin Nolan (31%)

WORST SIGNING
Mauro Zarate (63%)

GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT
The post-Christmas slump in form (61%)

HACKETT OF THE YEAR
The thieves who stole Kenny Brown's medals (29%)

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Carlton Cole announces his departure from West Ham
Last Updated: 28/05/15 6:43pm
SSN

Carlton Cole has confirmed that he has been released by West Ham for a second time.

The 31-year-old striker was let go by the Hammers at the end of the 2013 season, only to return to Upton Park a few months later.

He scored three goals in 26 appearances in all competitions last season but will now be on the lookout for a new club.

He tweeted: "Looking forward to my next adventure. I have spoken to West Ham United and it has been decide not to extend my contract.

"I wish West Ham United all the best and I will look out for their progress in the future. Thanks for a great 9 years. it's been emotional."

Cole later wrote a letter saying goodbye to Hammers fans, published on their official website,

"I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came along with it," he said.

"At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody has treated me like a part of the family.

"It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have done my fair share for the club and been part of the history as well, which is very important for me.

"I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie, West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.

"It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it."

Cole was close to leaving West Ham to join West Brom on Deadline Day in January but the move fell through at the last minute, much to his frustration.

"I was there doing the medical; then I was back home," he told The Fantasy Football Club. "It was disappointing as I was going to get some first-team football.

"At the time I was not happy about it, but it was one of those things and I had to get on with it."

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SHOULD THEY STAY OR SHOULD THEY GO: THE MIDFIELDERS
By Iain Dale 28 May 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die

Kevin Nolan

When Kevin Nolan joined us four years ago it was quite a move for him, as we had just been relegated. Since then he has scored thirty goals in 139 appearances, a much better strike rate than he had at Bolton. However, his form this year hasn't been so good and it's easy to assume that age has caught up with him. He's 33 in June. His contract is up and will not be renewed, I imagine. VERDICT: LET GO

Mark Noble

At the age of 28 Mark Noble is at the height of his powers, with more than 300 games behind him. It would be unthinkable for him to be sold, but stranger things have happened. A lot depends on the new manager, but for me he should be the new club captain. VERDICT: KEEP

Alex Song

At Christmas you'd have found it difficult to find anyone who wouldn't have wanted to keep Alex Song but his form since then has been average to say the least. He's certainly not worth the £100k a week he is said to command. He wants to stay in London so a new deal is obviously a possibility but I'd have thought unlikely. There's no doubt he's a quality player, and I have enjoyed watching him, but he is consistently inconsistent. VERDICT: HEART SAYS KEEP, HEAD SAYS FORGET ABOUT HIM

Cheikhou Kouyate

He's been a revelation, and he should be our key midfielder next season. It's handy that he can help out at centre back too. VERDICT: KEEP

Stewart Downing

A bit like Alex Song, he was excellent in the first half of the season but his form faded in the second half, especially when he wasn't playing at the top of a diamond. He scored six goals this season,a big improvement on his single goal in the previous season. But at 31 you have to wonder how much longer his pace will last. If we sold him now we'd recoup most of the £6 million we paid for him. VERDICT: SELL

Matt Jarvis

Matt Jarvis cost a whopping £10 million and has never really fulfilled his early potential. He's only scored 4 goals in 75 appearances, a pathetic return for a £10 million winger. One wonders if we'd recoup more than thirty per cent of that. VERDICT: SELL

Morgan Amalfitano

Amalfitano has done well despite not being given a huge number of games. His great asset is his ability to play out wide or through the centre. VERDICT: KEEP

Diego Poyet

With Kevin Nolan gone Diego Poyet might break through. He impressed whenever he played and certainly didn't ever let anyone down. I'd like to see more of him. VERDICT: KEEP

VERDICT

With Noble and Kouyate first choice players in a midfield three, we need a top class ballplaying midfielder and another defensive midfield player. I also think we need more speed on the wings.

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If Marcelo Bielsa did not exist it would probably be necessary to invent him
Barney Ronay
West Ham may be in the market for a new manager and would liven things up considerably by appointing the otherworldly Argentinian from Marseille
Friday 10 April 2015 13.11 BST Last modified on Saturday 11 April 2015 08.54 BST

There was a stir in the art world a few years back when the great "lost" American painter Nat Tate was dramatically rediscovered. Tate, the story goes, was a member of the New York scene of the 1950s, who ended up jumping to his death off the Staten Island ferry after visiting Europe and finding himself haunted by the genius of Braque and Picasso. The Tate retrospective opened in London with a speech by David Bowie and a tribute from Gore Vidal, who knew everybody, so naturally knew Tate too. Critics at the launch nodded sagely. Tate was obscure - they knew the name, of course - but perhaps it really was time for a re-evaluation of this strangely overlooked contemporary of Jackson Pollock and the mid-century greats who ... well ... didn't actually exist.

Tate, it soon emerged, was an amusing cut and paste hoax by the novelist William Boyd, in part inspired by his irritation with the hype over the "Young British Artists" of the times, many of whom were, as Boyd later noted, "not very good".

The reason for mentioning him here is simply that Tate sometimes pops into my head whenever the cultishly revered, relentlessly name-checked Argentinian football coach Marcelo Bielsa is mentioned in some unlikely passing context, as he was this week with the republishing of a leaked shortlist of candidates to replace Sam Allardyce at West Ham.

You can imagine the talk around the boardroom table on this one. OK, so who have we got then? Respected club legend? Slaven Bilic. Tick. Premier League veteran? Rafa Benítez. Got it. Right, all we're missing now is an eccentric idealist who values academic process above winning and who once wandered around for several days wearing a pair of shoes on which he'd drawn an outline of feet to illustrate some fine point of technique to his players.

Bielsa to West Ham: it's a compelling prospect. But then he's a compelling kind of guy, a seductive and in many ways very funny giant of the modern game. Certainly if Bielsa didn't exist it would probably be necessary to invent him, and there is no doubt his legend has been allowed to develop a slightly exaggerated, cartoonish edge: the manager as crackpot chess genius, nerd god, wandering the streets in his carpet slippers in search of some fleeting glimpse of the footballing absolute.

"There are 36 different forms of communicating through a pass," Bielsa once said, and you can already feel yourself nodding. Yes! More! So much so it is even possible to imagine, here in landlocked Premier League-land, Bielsa himself could turn out to be an elaborate hoax, an in-joke concocted by South American intellectuals at the expense of lonesome English tactical romantics everywhere.

Except, of course, unlike Nat Tate, Bielsa is real and currently working in France. This week, as the West Ham link flickered in the background, a video emerged of him addressing his Marseille team after their 0-0 draw with Lyon last month. It shows Bielsa giving a beautiful, slightly maniacal speech about collectivism and team endeavour that drew applause from his players and provides above all a reminder of his allure, the sense of someone oddly untouched and otherworldly, concerned solely with method and form.

And what methods they are. At Athletic Bilbao Bielsa produced an array of impenetrable diagrams, cool green Rothko squares decorated with gloops of colour, angry squiggles, cartoon hieroglyphs illustrating how his player should always be in motion. "Running is understanding, running is everything," he has said, and his teams do run, pushing forward always - defence is simply the first stage of attack - and resembling at times a kind of wired, luminous, footballing modern jazz.

In this sense Bielsa isn't Jack Kerouac, the star turn, the headline act. He is instead the Neal Cassady of modern football: the pure idealist, the guy who inspired the guys, and from whom so many managers have borrowed a little, from the more diffuse to to outright acolytes such as Pep Guardiola or Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli, who used to listen to Bielsa speeches on a walkman while he went out jogging.

So: West Ham then. It probably won't happen. But wouldn't it be great? Firstly for that rare thing, a genuine clash of cultures: football's great professorial puritan at work in its most cheerfully philistine league. Bielsa is a guaranteed provocation for those who like to see English football as an unmasker of artifice and pretension, and in which even Louis van Gaal - who could, frankly, dine out for ever just on that transformative Ajax team of the mid-1990s - was being fitted up earlier this season as another empty professor, another Josef Venglos, another Nat Tate.

In which case wait until they get a load of Bielsa, whose reputation as a modern great rests on intangible moments of tactical innovation, who doesn't win trophies and whose teams have often enjoyed intoxicating peaks matched with sudden dips, in part because he appears at times to be asking his players to do something impossible, to sustain some personal vision of sublime unceasing movement.

Bielsa to West Ham remains an unlikely dream. But take a step back and there is a case to be made here. West Ham's fans demand attacking, progressive football, which is pretty much all Bielsa is interested in. The current owners seem to want a long-term plan and Bielsa is all about plans. This is a club that has traditionally allowed its mangers to settle and which also isn't afraid of a certain academic intensity, from Malcolm Allison and the Cafe Cassettari set, with their tactical arguments over the squeeze ketchup bottle; to Ron Greenwood - in his own way a kind of homespun proto-Bielsa, - the tracksuit obsessive with his Hungarian fixation, his endless hours on the training pitch before eventually being dragged off in a daze still muttering about plans and formulae.

Above all it would simply be great fun and a deliciously counter-intuitive move for the league that doesn't think, the league that likes instead to bump along in a state of profitable stasis. And which is perhaps missing a little intellectual content to go with the generalised excitement, a different kind of passion beyond the familiar operetta.

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Jussi, Cole, Demel & Nene leave West Ham
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

West Ham have officially confirmed that first team squad players Carlton Cole, Guy Demel, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Nene will all leave the Club at the end of their contracts on 30th June.

The release of these senior players will free up around £125,000 per week of wages which is £6.5m per season off the wage bill. Although not mentioned Loanee Alex Song is expected to save another £75,000 per week in wages after his loan ended.

Young Academy players Kieran Bywater, Sean Maguire, Paul McCallum and Dan Potts will also depart the Boleyn Ground after not being offered new contracts. Hammers scholars Jerry Amoo and Kieran Bailey have been released, while Taylor Tombides will also be moving on.

Released Under 16 Academy players include Nathan Parsons, Tom Carlton, Keagan Cole, Nathan Douglas, Matthew Campbell, Billy Holmes and Louis Yuill. Yuill has joined Birmingham youth while Campbell has joined Millwall youth setup.

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Official: Hendo becomes O's manager
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 29, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

Leyton Orient have appointed West Ham first team coach Ian Hendon as their new manager.

Hendon, 43, who played more than 150 times for Orient, takes up his new role on 1 July.

"Orient is a Club that means a great deal to me - I hope that fans will remember the commitment I showed as a player, and know they can expect the same dedication from me as Head Coach," Hendo told www.leytonorient.com
"I've got a lot of experience of the lower leagues, having played at every level during my career and worked in League Two as player/manager, but having spent a few years working in the Premier League I have learnt a huge amount that will stand me in good stead for this new challenge."
"I hope to be able to bring some stability to the Club and help rebuild after the disappointment of last season. Promotion is the priority, but reconnecting with the fans is also important. Having met the President, I was impressed with his own long-term plans for the Club, and I can't wait to get started."
Hendo's Orient will be playing Teddy Sheringham's Stevenage in league division two after the O's was relegated this season.

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Lille midfielder interest by Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

According to reports in the media West Ham have enquired about £7m-rated Lille midfielder Idrissa Gueye.

The Senegalese international is also being tracked by Southampton and Crystal Palace but is wanted by several teams in France. Gueye, 25, made 39 appearances for Lille this season but was told last summer he could leave the French club.

Without a manager in place, Director of recruitment Tony Henry is thought to scouting a number of West Ham targets to hit the ground running in the Summer transfer market once a manager is finally appointed.

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Potts farewell to Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

West Ham youngster Danny Potts has penned an emotional farewell to the club, staff and Hammers fans following his release from the club he spent 12 years at:

"An extremely emotional & difficult day personally in which there is no creditable way to sum up what West Ham United has done for me over the past 12 years. From the staff & players to the fans that have supported me through dark times and the very best of times I will be forever grateful. The club has taught me so much not only as a player on the pitch but a person off it. I will never forget my time at West Ham and want to wish the club and the people associated nothing but the best for the forthcoming seasons & hopefully give the fans the success they deserve! I look forward to what challenges and opportunities await me and with that I am excited for what the future holds for myself. It's been an absolute privilege & honour to have been able to represent the club that means so much to me and there are no words that will justify it all! Thank You WHUFC!"

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West Ham U21 Relegated
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

West Ham have been relegated from the Barclays U21 Premier League division 1 after finishing rock bottom of the table.

The West Ham youngsters achieved just 5 wins and 17 points during their 22 games season. They now face a season in the U21 division 2.

The Barclays U21 Premier League replaced the Premier Reserve League at the start of the 2012/13 season. There are 24 clubs entered, of which 15 are from the Barclays Premier League and nine are from the Championship. The 24 clubs play in two 12-team divisions from the 2014/15 campaign. The teams in 11th and 12th in the division 1 will be relegated, while Division's top 2 will be promoted. West Ham finished in 12th place with a goal difference of -23 this season while fellow strugglers Fulham were also relegated on 22 points. Middlesborough and Reading have been promoted to division 1.

Head of player development Terry Westley is looking to completely rebuild the West Ham Academy in an attempt to get a return on the £4m the board invest each year. A large number players have been released in recent months and today saw another batch of players released who Westley believes can not make the grade, this included the son of his U21 manager, Dan Potts.

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Released West Ham players find clubs
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

According to a website dedicated to West Ham youth whufcyouth.wordpress.com many of today's Academy youth players released by the club have new clubs lined up.

Taylor Tombides looks like he is set to join Hull City, Danny Potts has been linked with a move to Luton Town, Sean Maguire has been linked with a move Accrington Stanley, Jerry Amoo is training with Reading and Kieran Bailey has joined Colchester.

Head of Player Development, Terry Westley continues to clear out the Academy built by Tony Carr and Nick Haycock. Westley took over the Academy last Summer with Steve Potts now in place as the Under 21 manager. It is understood Westley has been tasked by the board with getting a return on the £4m plus investment made into the Academy every year.

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Martin: 'Club needs grabbing by scruff of the neck'
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

Alvin Marin has delivered his verdict on the state of the club and reckons someone needs to take it by the scruff of the neck.

The talkSport presenter declared: "This is a very delicate and complex situation at West Ham. It's not open and shut.

"There are a lot of West Ham fans who were 50/50 whether they liked him or they didn't like him. (Sam Allardyce).

"When I'm asked about it, it's not just about was it right to make a change? It's what was the alternative? - If they didn't make a change, they had to offer him a new contract; what terms would it be on?"

"No one can argue that Allardyce doesn't have plenty of Premier League experience and a CV to do well at any club around a mid-table sort of level.

"However, West Ham now have the tools to be much more than that and they will be looking to progress domestically next season and to make the most of their gifted position in the Europa League.

"Someone needs to grab the club by the scruff of the neck and the board clearly didn't feel that Allardyce was worth the financial gambled, weighed against those pressures for the club to improve.

"Whether it turns out to be the right decision remains to be seen, but the new man coming in has a real opportunity to create something special by the time of the club's move to the Olympic Stadium."

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An open letter from Carlton Cole
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

Hello everyone,
I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came along with it.

At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody has treated me like a part of the family.

It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have done my fair share for the Club and been part of the history as well, which is very important for me.

I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie, West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.

It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it.

If I could pick out my two most memorable moments, the Play-Off final and the two goals I scored when we beat Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup in 2010 are the two that everybody says that I played a blinder in and it would be fair to say I agree with them.

I have enjoyed every game I have played for West Ham but all good things have to come to an end and I will be leaving.

When I think of West Ham United I think of a family football club which has embraced me and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you all.

Carlton Cole

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 28th May 2015

From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

Hello everybody,

Although the season has come to an end in terms of playing matches, the work
at the training ground continues.

All the injured players will continue their rehabilitation programs during
the off-season at Chadwell Heath with the medical and sports science staff.

Unfortunately, Mark Noble and James Collins were both injured the last week
of the season.
James injured his calf in the first half of the match with Everton and will
rehab for 4-6 weeks. We hope that he will be fit in time to start the
pre-season with the squad.

Mark injured his big toe during the final training session of the season in
Chadwell Heath. He has had an injection and needs a few weeks of rest. He
too should be ready for the start of pre-season if everything goes to plan.

Diafra Sakho has almost completed his rehab following the quad injury he
suffered in the home match against Stoke City in April. He is continuing to
work on his fitness and will also be fit to start the pre-season.

Andy Carroll (knee) and Doneil Henry (hamstring) will continue to work with
the medical staff during the close-season and remain on schedule to return
in the pre-season.

West Ham United have qualified for the UEFA Europa League first qualifying
round and this makes next season – the last season at the Boleyn Ground –
one of the most exciting seasons in the Club's recent history.

I have worked previously at clubs participating in European competition and
it is a great experience for everyone involved – players, staff and
supporters.

During a normal 'off-season' it's important for the players to relax and
give their bodies and minds time to recover and refuel for the following
season.

Usually, the players have six weeks off, of which the first three weeks are
complete rest, followed by three weeks of individual fitness work. However,
this summer has been shortened to four weeks for two reasons – next year's
European Championship finals and our participation in the Europa League.

So, with a shorter off-season, the fit players need to rest for period but
always be mindful of leading a healthy, professional lifestyle, before
starting their individual programs ahead of their return for pre-season
training next month.

Have a fit and healthy summer!

Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

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Hammers in Europe - the history
WHUFC.com

West Ham United will kick-off their seventh European campaign on 2 July when
they enter the UEFA Europa League at the first qualifying round stage.

A return to European action after a nine-year absence will be welcome news
to Hammers fans, whose opportunities to follow their team over land and sea
in competitive football have been limited in the last 15 years.

The last European adventure lasted only two games, as a 1-0 defeat to
Palermo at the Boleyn Ground, followed by a 3-0 loss away, ended our
participation in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup at the first round.

Qualification on that occasion came by virtue of reaching the FA Cup final
the previous season, with the victors Liverpool already qualified for the
UEFA Champions League.

Prior to that, West Ham had to come through a similar experience to this
season to reach the main stage of the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup, starting the
campaign in July to win through three rounds of the Intertoto Cup.

Finnish side Jokerit and Dutch outfit Heerenveen were dismissed before the
Hammers faced FC Metz of France in a two-legged showdown to decide who would
make it through to the UEFA Cup.

Louis Saha gave Les Grenats a first leg advantage at the Boleyn Ground, but
West Ham came roaring back to win 3-1 in Alsace, with Trevor Sinclair, Frank
Lampard and Paulo Wanchope all on target to seal an aggregate victory.

The success continued in the competition proper, as West Ham eased past NK
Osijek in the first round, but Steaua Bucharest put paid to the Club's
European dreams a round later.

Our glory nights in UEFA competition, of course, have come in the Cup
Winners' Cup, with one title, a runners-up place and a semi-final appearance
to the Hammers' name.

West Ham's very first participation in continental competition ended with a
trophy as Ron Greenwood's team went all the way to Wembley in the 1964/65
European Cup Winners' Cup.

A 2-0 victory over TSV 1860 Munich, thanks to two Alan Sealey goals, in the
final gave England just its second European honour and set the seal on a
glorious run which saw the Hammers take out La Gantoise, Sparta Prague,
Lausanne and Real Zaragoza.

Victory in the 1965 edition meant the Hammers returned to the Cup Winners'
Cup the next season and again they progressed deep into the tournament,
reaching the semi-finals before Borussia Dortmund proved too strong.

It was in 1975/76 and following another FA Cup triumph that West Ham were
back in Europe again, and once more the Cup Winners' Cup was a fertile
hunting ground for the east Londoners.

One of the Boleyn Ground's most memorable nights saw the Hammers progress
past Eintracht Frankfurt in the semi-finals to set up a meeting with
Anderlecht in the final. However, there the Belgians had too much for West
Ham, winning 4-2.

So to 1980/81 and West Ham's fourth and final Cup Winners' Cup campaign.
Spanish side Castilla were dismissed in round one, and Romanians Poli
Timisoara in round two, but that was as far as we would go.

Dinamo Tiblisi put on a masterclass in E13, winning 4-1 to set up a 4-2
aggregate win and banish West Ham from Europe up until that 1999 Intertoto
Cup campaign.

Now, with the Hammers set to return to continental action in a matter of 36
days, it could be time to write another chapter.

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It's not over, says JC
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th May 2015
By: David Blackmore

Jack Collison believes he can still play a vital role as part of Wales'
golden generation.

In an interview with West Ham magazine Blowing Bubbles Monthly, the
midfielder, who is currently without a club, said he is focusing on making
sure he is in the best possible shape to make a comeback next season.

If Collison needed any further incentive to get his career back on track, he
need only look at his Welsh international team-mates, who are currently in
with a fantastic chance of qualifying for the 2016 European Championships,
which would be their first major tournament appearance since 1958.

"It's a bit tough to watch at times, but it's great to see the lads I came
through the ranks with, like Joe Allen, Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale, doing
so well," said Collison, who left West Ham 12 months ago and won the last of
his 16 caps in March 2014.

"This was always Wales's golden generation, John Toshack blooded them young
and now Chris Coleman is reaping the rewards. I'm confident in my ability,
so if I can get a decent run of games, I don't see any reason why I can't
get back into the squad."

There is also a Cup Winners Cup Final special where Blowing Bubbles caught
up with Ronnie Boyce, Brian Dear and Jack Burkett to relive the magical
night the Hammers conquered Europe.

Elsewhere in the May issue of the magazine, Julian Dicks uses his regular
column to talk about his highs and lows during his first year as manager of
the West Ham Ladies team but will he remain manager for the Ladies' next
campaign? "Whether I will be manager next season remains to be seen," he
wrote this month.

Sky Sports' Bianca Westwood writes in her column that Aaron Cresswell has
been fabulous this season and fully deserved Hammer of the Year. She
believes England manager Roy Hodgson must consider taking him to the next
England squad.

She also criticises manager Sam Allardyce for not doing more to adhere
himself to the fans.

"He could've spoken about our great fans or our wonderful history and all
the other great things about West Ham, but his comments about 'what's the
point playing the West Ham way if you get beat every week' might have been
part of his downfall," she wrote. "It's all well not playing the West Ham
way if you are winning matches but we haven't been."

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Rebuilding
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 25th May 2015
By: Raedwulf

Let the speculation commence! It's that time of year - who should we ship
out? Where do we need to strengthen?

This is, of course, a premature article. The most important decision of the
close season won't be about players, it'll be: "Who is our manager next
season?"

Sam has gone. It was much talked about and much predicted, but until the
club announces it, you cannot know for sure. So goodbye, Sam, and thank you
for all your efforts. I never wanted you here, you never converted me into a
fan (though if the early season form and style could have been maintainted,
who knows?), but you have done an important job.

We played too much horrible football, you were always too ready to revert to
a dull one-up style, and you never have been the most fan-friendly manager
in the world. Nevertheless, you got us up and you kept us up.

That was the brief, presumably, and you certainly did the job. Whoever has
been responsible for which signings, we also have a squad that is probably
as strong as anything we've ever had. And whatever was going on behind the
scenes, from August to December you showed that you can play a style of
football that is not merely attractive but also, at times, simply glorious.

Memories of you will always be mixed, and you're never going to be rated the
most popular ever Hammers' manager. But let's remember you as the first
manager ever to "triple" our Dearly Beloathed neighbours, Spurs. And a few
other victories along the way; Man City and Liverpool at the Boleyn this
season, anyone?

Still, as a fan, what can you do except speculate! THE single biggest
decision of the close season is the appointment of our next manager.
Regardless of that, fans are fans, so we can start kibbitzing about who
should stay, who should go, where should we strengthen. As noted, it has
already begun.

Adrian has undoubtedly established himself now as our Number One keeper,
barring some sudden catastrophic loss of form or injury. For so long as he
wants to stay at West Ham (and there are no rumours of interest in him so
far, happily), it's his jersey. Back-up? Well, Jussi is 40 now, but if he is
content to be No.2 and whatever management we have still have faith in him,
I'm perfectly content to go into 15-16 with him.

Where the defence is concerned; in fact, where the club is concerned; the
key signing of the next transfer window has to be making Jenkinson a
full-blown Hammer, if we can. There are other players we need to bring in,
yes; players we could do with shipping out, yes; but right back is our
weakest position, in terms of numbers, and Jenks has had an excellent
season.

Since they're there as a matter of record, I'm sure James Walker won't mind
me quoting from his comments on the Burnley report. He said there that he
felt that Demel and O'Brien (amongst others) were only making up the
numbers. That, I think, is a bit unfair on both. Jenks and Cressie have
pretty much had the full back berths nailed down this season, so where/when
were they supposed to have featured?

Having said that, I've never been a fan of O'Brien. He's rash, comes off his
feet too easily, never mind being injury prone. He's not even our second
best full back on either side, so yes I'd let him go.

I like Demel. He may not be the greatest going forward, but he's not awful,
and a good full back, which is rather more to the point. He has also done
well for us in his time here. The argument against him would more be that
he's getting long in the tooth (34 in June). But then if we sign Jenks, who
is going to want to sign only to play second fiddle?

It wouldn't bother me if we kept Guy as a squad player next season - he
seems to me to be a good "guy" to have around.

James also suggested we might need another full back (to replace O'Brien,
presumably). But we've already got three specialist left backs - Cresswell,
Potts, and Stephen Hendrie. Well, OK, Hendrie isn't with us yet, but joins
on 1 July.

Potts did well enough when he had a chance before being flattened and
concussed against Arsenal. Hendrie already has a century of first team games
under his belt north of the border. If the club thinks he is a better
prospect than Potts Jnr, then presumably he is good enough for the Prem
already.

Of course, there is a question mark over whether we can hang on to
Cresswell. He has had an excellent season. Not only has he stepped up from
Championship level brilliantly, he has just been awarded Hammer of the Year,
and a couple of other club gongs as well.

The downside of that is that the likes of Man City are rumoured to be
sniffing around. I'm sure every West Ham fan would agree that we want to
keep him, regardless. The Davids are more pragmatic. If someone comes in
offering silly money, they may well decide that the money is worth taking.
Only if we should sell him could I agree with James' suggestion that we
might need someone capable of covering both left and right backs.

I'm happy with the centre of defence. Collins can be somewhat agricultural
at times, Tomkins has made a prat of himself a couple of times this year
with his play-acting, Reid kept us all on tenterhooks before finally signing
a new contract. Yes, all have had injury problems, and for the second season
running we've had to employ an emergency DC.

But it would be fair to argue that that last was a product of Allardyce's
pig-headedness about playing young and inexperienced players. Now that he
has finally seen fit to use Burke, we're all wondering why he pulled Kouyate
out of the midfield for a couple of games, no?

In general, I wouldn't class any of our three senior central defenders as
injury-prone. Many players spend some time each season on the treatment
table. It's been no more than an unfortunate coincidence that, for two
seasons running, all three of our senior central defenders have been
visiting at the same time.

But now we undoubtedly have four. Burke still only has a few games under his
belt, but he has looked very assured, and is only going to get better with
more experience. Then there's Oxford, even more highly-rated than Burke,
still to make his debut and Doneil Henry (who knows, he could be another
Winston Reid!) in the Development Squad.

I'd argue that the only position in defence that needs money spent on it is
at right back. Sign Jenks if we can. Then it's a question of whether Demel
remains as back-up, or another player is brought in (presuming none of the
Dev Squad, eg. Leo Chambers, are considered up to the job).

And if we can't get Jenks, one way or another, there are stories enough
about Glen Johnson. Obviously, he isn't my first choice signing, but he
isn't over the hill at 30, or below the standard we're aiming for. Johnson
on a free? I'd rather have Jenks on loan or permanent for £10million. But
Johnson on a free in place of or as well as? That wouldn't be a bad bit of
business.

An honourable mention, too, to Kieran Trippier of Burnley, who has had a
good season and has also been attracting gossip.

Where the midfield is concerned, the fate of Nolan is inextricably entwined
with Allardyce's. With Sam now gone... Well, there are already rumours that
the club do want to move him out, and I can't imagine a new manager fighting
terribly hard to keep him.

If Sam and Kev are gone, does that bring Zarate in from the cold? He is only
one year into a three-year contract, but much depends on what a new manager
might make of him. He has inventiveness, but does he have enough discipline
and work ethic? What formation might a new manager favour? He hasn't covered
himself in glory in his loan spell at QPR.

Noble, of course, stays, as does Kouyate. There have been one or two rumours
about the latter as well, but nothing on the scale as those concerning
Cresswell or Valencia. I'm not too concerned that we will lose him, or that
he will suddenly develop Diame-syndrome and decide he should be at a bigger
club (like Hull!).

Had Song maintained his late '14 form, we'd have been clamouring for him to
be signed permanently. I was one, at the time, who said he should be.
Strangely enough, clamour seems to be absent now. From me too.

If we assume that neither Nolan nor Song will feature next season, we will
need at least one other central midfielder, regardless of the status of
Zarate or Poyet. Should that be someone creative, as Song is usually
reckoned to be? Should it be someone defensive (we've been linked with
Stefan Reinartz, amongst others) to release Noble and Kouyate to get forward
more?

I wouldn't care to judge, but certainly central midfield will need a new
recruit. Looking at the flanks, Amalfitano has had a fitful season. After
his most recent moment of abject stupidity (not his first) against Villa, I
am not a fan. If he is here next year, so be it, but however talented he
might be, I don't want players like that at my club. And he isn't
sufficiently talented to override my objections to his temperament.

I do expect him to still be here, but it wouldn't bother me at all if he was
replaced.

It's moot as to whether Downing is properly still a winger. Early in the
season he showed just how good he can be with licence to roam at the point
of a diamond. In this calendar year, his form has fallen away. He must be
held to account for some of that, but the falling away of form and
changeable tactics are also accountable. For me, he remains an essential
part of the squad.

Our other out-and-out winger is Jarvis. He has never lived up to his "record
signing" tag (signed by Allardyce, lest anyone forget). On his day, he's
dangerous, but he's far too erratic. I think I said at the end of last
season that I wouldn't be sorry to see him depart.

I still think James Walker's "making up the numbers" tag is a bit harsh, but
I'd otherwise have to agree that shifting out Jarvis would free up salary
and space for new faces. We need at least two new faces in midfield. One of
those should be a central player; what else depends on who else goes and
upon what manager we have next year.

Up front, I still think Carroll is a class act. The problem is keeping him
fit. Or stopping him from injuring himself. Take your pick! Sam always
seemed to want to revert to one up front when he was available, but I
believe he is a better and more intelligent player than that.

I can readily see a manager with more tactical imagination than Sam playing
someone alongside Carroll, or someone other than Nolan playing off him, with
the play not consisting of whacking long balls at the big man. And, unless
you're willing to write off that £15million+ investment (I'll bet the Davids
aren't), we better had find a way to keep him fit and make use of him.

I do think Andy is both a better footballer and has a better football brain
than many are willing to give him credit for. Not only would I love to see a
fit Andy terrorising defences, I would love to see what a more imaginative
manager can make of him. But keeping him fit seems to be the difficult bit.

Alongside him, of course, we have Sakho and Valencia. There has been talk
about Valencia moving on. I'm not surprised. We haven't seen his best yet,
by any means. I think he is one of those players who needs a season to bed
in. If my untutored eye can see his ability, I've no doubt others can also.

But let's assume we keep both of them and Carroll gets fit over the summer.
We still need a fourth striker. Again, I think Mr Walker is being more than
a little unfair in classing Carlton as merely "making up the numbers", but
there is some truth there. However much respect I have for him, however much
he has a been a wonderful, genuine, and enthusiastic servant of West Ham.

Sorry, time's up, Carlton. We remain one short up front. Carlton is a trier,
and Upton Park has always loved a trier, but CC only gets sporadic game
time, and isn't in the same bracket as any of the three in front of him. He
can still do a job for a Premier League team, but he is very firmly fourth
choice now.

Our fourth choice should either be pushing the three in front, or he should
have the potential to do so. Carlton can't do the former and is at the wrong
end of his career to qualify under the latter.

In summary then, and in my opinion, regardless of any outgoings, we need
three new players. We need a right back, we need a central midfielder, and
we need a striker capable of competing with Carroll, Song, and Valencia for
a starting berth.

Three players certainly won't be the extent of the squad changes this
summer, but other recruitment will depend on who is released or sold. I
expect Cole and Song to go, I hope that Nolan will, O'Brien too. I won't be
sorry if Jarvis and Amalfitano are also replaced.

I don't expect Nene to be signed (another one who is 34 this year), although
I think he has shown enough in his limited game time to be worth a one year
contract, possibly as a direct replacement for Amalfitano or Jarvis. Aside
from Johnson, we've also been heavily linked with both Javier Hernandez and
Pedro Obiang.

For my own part, my football viewing is largely confined to watching my
beloved 'Ammers! Therefore, even with those players I've mentioned, I have
no particular view on who might be a good signing for us (except Jenks! Sign
Jenks!! If we can...). Ignoring entirely the unanswerable question of who
our next manager will be, who do you think should go?

Where do we need to recruit, and who might fill that spot?

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Jeux Sans Frontières
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 26th May 2015
By: Graeme Howlett

So after months of speculation, it's finally in the bag. We may have not
followed the conventional path to qualification, but West Ham are in the
Europa League for the first time in the club's illustrious history
nonetheless.

Or almost in the Europa League, I should say. That's because prior to the
first round proper commencing in mid-September, we'll have to navigate our
way through three tricky preliminary rounds and a play-off round - that's
eight matches before the Group phase even starts!

Still, those preliminary rounds - should we progress, as will be expected -
are likely to provide slightly more interesting fixtures than the standard
pre-season fayre which usually encapsulates trips to non-league venues in
Essex and other surrounding counties.

Looking closer, there's a good number of teams involved in the first
qualifying round that a great many of you (myself included) will almost
certainly be entirely unfamiliar with.

Of the 104 teams in the draw, West Ham could be paired with the likes of FK
Shkëndija (from Tetovo, Macedonia), FK Mladost Podgorica (whose home is a
2,000 capacity stadium in Montenegro's capital) or even FC Ordabasy, who
finished fourth in the Kazakhstan Premier League this term.

Fortunately, if you don't particularly fancy a trip to the former Iron
Curtain, there are one or two clubs somewhat closer to home such as the
gloriously-named Airbus UK Broughton of Wales - a few miles south of
Liverpool as the crow flies - or Ireland's Cork City (who as all keen
Hammers stattos will know was the only other club Trevor Brooking
represented during his professional career).

We'll know for sure who we're due to face on 22 June, when the draw for the
first and second qualifying rounds take place. That means it's going to be a
busy few weeks for the club, who are also hunting for a new manager and new
playing staff to supplement the existing squad.

Whilst there are justified concerns over the long-term effects of a
prolonged and sustained Europa League campaign, it was an offer the club
simply couldn't afford to turn down in what will be West Ham United's final
season at the Boleyn Ground.

Looking back over the years, some of our greatest nights under the Upton
Park floodlights have come in European competition - although our most
recent sojourn into European competition ended miserably and at the first
attempt.

With Liverpool having qualified for Europe via the Champions League, being
runners-up in the 2006 FA Cup Final was enough to earn West Ham a spot in
the now-defunct UEFA Cup.
Sadly, the Hammers got a stinker of a draw against a solid Palermo side who
were flying high in Serie A at the time and even the inclusion of Argentine
internationals Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez failed to prevent a
thumping 4-0 aggregate defeat for Alan Pardew's side.

Rather fonder memories of the competition lie with the 1999/00 campaign
however, when Harry Redknapp's team qualified for the UEFA Cup proper
courtesy of winning the Intertoto Cup (the equivalent of the Europa League
qualifying round but with the added incentive of an egg-sized trophy at the
end of it).

West Ham saw off Helsinki's FC Jokerit (who were in business for just years
between 1999-2003) 2-1 on aggregate, Dutch side Heerenveen (2-0 courtesy of
two 1-0 wins) and then, most notably, Metz in the two-legged Intertoto
Final.

By the end of the first meeting at the Boleyn, West Ham's chances of
progressing to the first round of the UEFA Cup appeared slim, at best,
having succumbed to a disappointing 1-0 defeat courtesy of a young striker
called Louis Saha - who ended up playing at Everton and Manchester United.

But Hammers fans were in buoyant mood ahead of the second leg in France,
despite the slim chances of success and thousands crossed the channel to
watch West Ham secure an historic 3-1 victory through goals from Trevor
Sinclair, Frank Lampard Jnr and Paulo Wanchope.

Paired with little-known Croatian side FC Osijek in the first round proper,
the Hammers went into the first leg still unbeaten in the league. That form
helped the Irons secure a 3-0 win at the Boleyn to take to Croatia, where
the match was all but over by half time thanks to Paul Kitson's 27th-minute
effort.

Stanko Bubalo levelled the tie on 70 minutes, beating Shaka Hislop from
close range, but late strikes from Neil Ruddock and Marc-Vivien Foe were
enough to secure a 3-1 win on the night and an impressive 6-1 aggregate
result.

Sadly West Ham's run was to end in the very next round at the hands of
Romanians Steaua Bucharest. A disappointing 2-0 defeat away from home in the
first leg left Redknapp's team with a mountain to climb in the return
fixture. Although the Hammers battered Steaua from start to finish, the game
ended goalless and West Ham were dumped out of the competition, despite
having survived four rounds previously.

That was the first time West Ham had qualified for European competition in
some 18 years. On the previous occasion, in 1980/81, a crack Russian side
called Dynamo Tbilisi did for United with what is generally viewed as the
most complete performance by an away team at the Boleyn ever. The Russians
triumphed 4-1 on the night and were clapped off by the home fans; in typical
West Ham fashion, we won the return tie 1-0 through Stuart Pearson's
88th-minute strike.

Prior to that, few who were there will forget the 1976 Cup Winners' Cup ties
against Den Haag and Eintracht Frankfurt, which a KUMB.com poll recently
adjudged to be the greatest ever game at the Boleyn Ground (a match in which
John Lyall's team overturned a 2-1 first leg deficit to win 4-3 on aggregate
and earn a place in the Final).

And 50 years ago this month, West Ham triumphed in their first ever European
adventure when beating TSV Munich 2-0 at Wembley to lift the Cup Winners'
Cup – a triumph they narrowly failed to emulate the following season
(1965/66) when losing to Borussia Dortmund in the semi finals.

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Thanks Sam; it's not you, it's us
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th May 2015
By: Matt Bell

I thank Sam Allardyce for turning us around and making us a solid Premier
League team after promotion. We have indeed made strides under his
stewardship.

Looking back, relegation from the top tier in 2003 with a team packed of
internationals was a nightmare. The only joy I took from that season was
seeing Sir Trevor in charge for the final three matches.

The most recent relegation was the after-effect of a change of owners, a bad
choice of manager (Avram) and a number of off-field incidents that served
only to destabilise the club.

Football experts who warn West Ham to be careful what they wish for when
replacing Big Sam have no idea other than to back a mate and fear potential
relegation. 2013/2014 was awful. We had no strikers and even signed Carlton
again after releasing him and our goal tally was dismal.

Yet we finished 13th and made the semi finals of Carling Cup.

Sam took us as far as he can go but if judged alone on 2015, he would have
been fired. During this time he can point to injuries but the fact is when
losing we have no plan B and his choice of subs is baffling.

We know that Sullivan signs players such as Nene because he can get him for
free, but it was apparent that Sam preferred Carlton Cole. Cole is a lovely
man and works his socks off but when up front, we lump it forward and expect
him to out-jump two defenders, hold it up and lay it off. Even on the rare
occasion he did so, there was no one to lay it off to.

It was Sam who decided on signing Andy Carroll and Matt Jarvis. Carroll may
be popular with some but he changes the way we play. Sakho and Valencia
defend so high with such vigour they cause mistakes, gain free kicks and
corners and unsettle defences. The second season for both should be more
productive (with Downing in his preferred playmaker position).

We only need a few players and the owners got it right when signing Hendrie
early. Now if a mega-money offer was accepted for Cresswell, we wouldn't be
quoted £10million for a replacement. If Valencia was sold for higher than
the £12million we paid then so be it – this is the way a club our size
should be operating. Find them, groom them, sell and replace.

Manager-wise I like Bilic as I think he is defensively sound and know what
we want, as he played in a good Redknapp team. I understand that Klopp and
Ancelotti are out of reach and laugh at such links. I don't want to see
Moyes in charge as six months in Spain is not enough time to expand his
style and his brand of football is not that far from Sams.

Have the owners got the balls to appoint Bielsa? A coach without Premier
League experience but at 60 has the personality and proven record to excite
and take West Ham forward? I hope so. Pep Guardiola thinks highly enough of
him and I would love to see his brand of relentless pressing and goals
galore light up the Boleyn.

Remember Koeman didn't have any Premier League experience, nor did
Pochettino. Gary Monk, neither.

In regards to the West Ham way that draws so much criticism, I think of the
teams Lyall built. A good goalkeeper (Adrian), solid centre backs (Reid,
Collins, Tomkins with support from Burke and Henry), a hHard working
midfield (Noble, Koyaute, possibly Obiang from Sampdoria) with flair, goals
and pace up front (Sakho, Valencia, Downing).

Add a couple and it's a strong 11 with benched options to maintain a style.

Excitement will sell season tickets and attract new fans, not a fluctuating
league position. It's the hope that blows the bubbles and it's hope we live
on. Finishing between 10th and 13th is achievable, but ultimately football
is supposed to be entertaining and watching West Ham for many seasons has
been dull and predictable.

Go for Bielsa and strap in for a crazy ride of goals and drama or appoint
Bilic and bring in Rio for coaching experience. Either way Moyes or McLaren
will not tempt me into shelling out nearly £1,000 to watch West Ham finish
mid table.

COYI, There is a bright future ahead of us!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce, 2011-2015
Kumb.COM
Filed: Sunday, 24th May 2015
By: Graeme Howlett

Just three minutes had elapsed after the final whistle at Newcastle on
Sunday afternoon when West Ham announced that manager Sam Allardyce would be
leaving the club with immediate effect.

One of football's worst-kept secrets was finally revealed moments after the
Hammers had seen their season end in predictable defeat courtesy of goals
from Moussa Sissoko and Jonas Gutierrez, who was still undergoing
chemotherapy to treat testicular cancer as recently as last October.

Allardyce, perhaps in an effort to save face insisted that the decision to
part company with West Ham after four years at the helm had been mutual. "I
think it's right for both of us to move on at this moment in time", he told
the BBC diplomatically, adding that: "A new contract never really got
discussed. We both just said 'that's it'".

The club's fanbase would appear to agree on the whole, with many of those
who once backed Big Sam now agreeing that the time for change has arrived.
The toxic and divisive nature of his tenure caused many an argument (both
literal and sadly, sometimes physical) and it is hoped that the prospect of
a new arrival will help to restore peace amongst these quarrellsome
elements.

The question of where exactly it went wrong for Allardyce will be debated
long and hard over the next few days. However the seeds were well and truly
sown that fateful night against Hull when he responded to the jeers of
supporters by cupping his ear in their direction. (You will no doubt recall
that we won the game 2-1.)

Prior to that, he had won over many of his critics by restoring West Ham's
place in the Premier League - at the first attempt, albeit via the play-offs
- before securing an impressive tenth-placed finish in the first season back
(2012/13). It earned him a new two-year contract - again, to much agreement.

However doubts regarding his perceived direct style (which was often
accurate, but not always) began to re-emerge last season (2013/14) and a
record three wins over Tottenham in one year plus a 13th-place spot failed
to paper over the cracks. Many fans wanted Allardyce gone last summer, but
the Board stood firm despite tremendous pressure to pull the trigger.

That decision appeared to be vindicated at Christmas 2014 when West Ham were
in a lofty fourth-position, but a dreadful run of form since has seen United
plummet down the table to end the campaign 12th and leave Allardyce
unemployed.

Big Sam knew his time was up

Whilst many Hammers fans will be happy to see the back of the enigma that
was 'Big Sam', the record books will reflect rather more happily on his
reign as West Ham United's 14th full-time manager. Its accounts will too,
with the club back on its feet financially following the near-devastating
effects of relegation in 2011.

Attention now turns to his replacement, who in Mourinho-speak we'll briefly
refer to as Manager 15. Rafa Benitez, a long-term target of co-owner David
Sullivan's remains a bookies' favourite although Slaven Bilic is favoured by
many, having been made surplus to requirements at Besiktas this week.

Whoever the new man is, he'll have little time to prepare his troops for the
Europa Cup qualifying campaign, which is scheduled to begin in the first
week of July. It certainly promises to be a busy few weeks at the Boleyn.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SHOULD THEY STAY OR SHOULD THEY GO: THE FORWARDS
By Iain Dale 27 May 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die

This week I will be analysing the whole squad and asking you to give your
views as to whether each player should be retained or be sold. Let's start
off with the forwards…

Nene

Nene is 33 years old and was signed as backup in the transfer window. He was
a Sullivan signing and was never wanted by Sam Allardyce, and was never
really given a chance to show what he could do. He didn't start a single
game, yet has declared that he wants to stay. I fear he will be
disappointed. VERDICT: RELEASE

Andy Carroll

Andy Carroll looked back to the player he once was and then he got injured
again. He scored 5 in 12, which is a good rate of return, but bearing in
mind he costs us £100k a week, that's a million pounds per goal and almost
half a million pounds per game. On is day he is a wordlbeater and gives the
team something unique, but can we really rely on a striker who plays so few
games? At the moment it's unlikely any other club would pay a huge amount
for him, certainly nowhere near the £20 million he cost. However, it's clear
that he can only ever be relied upon as one of three top class strikers.
VERDICT: KEEP, BUT SELL IF A £15 MILLION OFFER COMES IN

Mauro Zarate

Although he was never given a real chance by Sam Allardyce his behaviour on
loan at QPR has been nothing short of a disgrace. VERDICT: SELL. QUICK

Carlton Cole

I imagine there's no way back for Carlton now, but at the age of 31 he still
has a lot to give. I wonder if Norwich might put in a bid. Personally, I'd
love it if he stayed as our fourth back-up striker, but to be fair to him he
wants regular first team football. VERDICT: HEAD SAYS RELEASE, HEART SAYS
KEEP

Diafro Sakho*

Ten goals in 23 appearances says it all. Possibly the find of the season.
Allardyce would have preferred Connor Wickham, but David Sullivan got his
way, and thank God he did. Sakho, if he keeps fit, could be the 20 goal a
season striker we've been searching for for many years. VERDICT: KEEP

Elliot Lee

Elliot Lee is not a Premier League class striker and never will be. Even on
loan to Luton he only scored three in eleven games. It would have been
lovely for him to break through, but it's not going to happen. VERDICT: SELL

Enner Valencia

When Enner Valencia scored that wonderful free kick against Hull we allowed
ourselves to believe we had got a pearl of a player, but sadly he's never
really lived up to the hype. He has flashes of brilliance, but they are few
and far between. Four goals in 30 games tells its own story, bearing in mind
he has scored 11 in 17 for Equador. Maybe our style of play wasn't to his
liking or he just found the physicality of the Premier League too much.
Chelsea are said to be willing to pay £21 million for him, although I doubt
we'll ever see the colour of their money. VERDICT: SELL IF WE CAN GET OUR
MONEY BACK

We should also remember that technically Modibo Maiga is still a West Ham
player, as he will return from his loan period with Metz, where he scored a
more than respectable 9 goals in 24 appearances. At least that puts him in
the shop window.

VERDICT

With Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho, it seems to me we need to buy two
strikers before the start of next season – one small, nippy striker and
another who can replace Carroll or Sakho is they get injured.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
former Hammers striker Demba Ba
22:30, 26 MAY 2015
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
Ba worked under Bilic, another West Ham old boy, at Besiktas this season and
says he has great qualities as a coach
The Mirror

Slaven Bilic has been backed to succeed Sam Allardyce as West Ham manager.
Former Hammers striker Demba Ba believes Bilic would be an ideal
replacement, having worked under him at Besiktas this season.

Ex-Irons defender Bilic is leaving Turks Besiktas at the end of this
campaign after two years and is the leading candidate to take over at Upton
Park.

And Ba believes Bilic has adopted attributes from a playing spell in Germany
earlier in his career that could help make him a success at West Ham – who
today got a Fair Play pass into the Europa League.

Dean MouhtaropoulosBest Ba none: Striker in action in this season's Europa
League
Senegalese striker Ba, 29, said: "He is full of motivation and very close to
the players and it helped, especially us in Besiktas.

"We have a young team and he helps a lot. He is a good guy. He would be a
good choice.

"He has that German mentality and in football that German mentality helps a
lot because they are very disciplined and do things right in football and I
think he does that.

"If he comes here I think and I hope he is going to be successful.

"He seems like he is rough and rude on the sidelines but he is actually very
soft and calm with the players.

"He would be like a confidant. He is very open and someone you can talk to.

"He gave me that confidence, always telling me I was the best and at the end
of the day I scored a lot of goals for him and Besiktas so that's something
I will take away from working with him."

Ba was speaking at the Human Appeal Celebrity Football Gala Dinner.

He was joined by stars including ex-Chelsea teammates Eden Hazard, John
Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Samuel Eto'o and Arsenal's Abou Diaby to help
raise over £300,000 for the Empire of the Children project, a centre for
street children in Senegal.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
drian makes team of the season
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 27, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

Hammers keeper Adrian has been included in the EA Sports Premier League team
of the season announced this evening.

Speaking on his official twitter account Adrian said 'So Proud about this
Work,work,work!'

Adrian made the third most saves this season at 129 while former Hammer
Robert Green in second place at 132 with relegated QPR. Swansea's Lukasz
Fabianski made the most saves of the 2014/2015 season with 137.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Emery doubts grow after Europa League double
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 27, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

West Ham's chances of landing Unai Emery as their 15th manager appear to be
fading after he led Sevilla to win the Europa League Final this evening
beating Dnipro 3-2. Sevilla becomes the fist team to win the Europa League
back to back since the competition was reformed. Sevilla have now won the
Europa League four times in the last decade.

Emery steered Sevilla to fifth place in La Liga and they become the first
club win a Champions League place which was introduced as a prize to the
winners of the Europa league final this season.

When asked yesterday about a move away from Sevilla he answered 'It's very
clear in my mind. My heart is 100 per cent Sevilla at the moment and I
cannot think beyond that by winning that match tomorrow.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Klopp an Irons winner in a canter
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 27, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

Jurgen Klopp is the choice by 25 per cent of West Ham fan base to become the
club's new boss.

With just over two hours left to vote the 47 year old German heads the
ClaretandHugh poll in which fans were asked to vote for their replacement to
Sam Allardyce.

Klopp has just over 25 per cent of the vote but the shock is to see Slaven
Bilic (16.19) in second place ahead of top bosses Rafa Benitez (11.2) and
Carlo Ancelotti (13.66).

ClaretandHugh listed 17 candidates and gave fans the opportunity of voting
for three of them. With the poll closing at midnight, the top six is made up
of Unai Emery (7.48) whose Sevilla are involved in this evening's Europa Cup
Final and Marseilles boss Marcelo Bielsa 0n 5.36.

There is still time to vote at
http://www.claretandhugh.info/poll-pick-the-next-irons-boss/

ClaretandHug will be sending the poll result to David Sullivan and David
Gold.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bielsa is the latest second favourite
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 27, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

Marcelo Bielsa has become the latest second favourite with the bookies, the
third second favourite in as many days replacing Di Matteo yesterday and
Unai Emery two days before that.

You could get odds up to 40/1 on Bielsa becoming the 15th West Ham manager a
few days ago but his odds have since been cut to as short as 3/1 tonight
with Sky Bet. Slaven Bilic remains the odds on favourite with odds as short
as 1/2.

As we reported earlier this week we quoted a William Hill spokesman "These
manager markets are very volatile and can vary from day to day with every
new rumour."

According to reports in L'Equipe tonight Marseille have offered Bielsa a two
year contract extension despite making a farewell speech.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fully fit squad by end of June
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 27, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

West Ham's Head of Medical and Sports Science, Stijn Vandenbroucke has told
the club's official website he expects a fully fit squad when the players
return for pre season training on 22nd June.

James Collins who injured his calf in the first half of the match with
Everton is expected to rehab for 4-6 weeks. West Ham hope he will be fit in
time to start the pre-season with the squad. Mark Noble injured his big toe
during the final training session of the season in Chadwell Heath. He has
had an injection and needs a few weeks of rest. He too should be ready for
the start of pre-season.

Diafra Sakho has almost completed his rehab following the quad injury he
suffered in the home match against Stoke City in April. He is continuing to
work on his fitness and will also be fit to start the pre-season.

Andy Carroll (knee) and Doneil Henry (hamstring) will continue to work with
the medical staff during the close-season and remain on schedule to return
in the pre-season.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Players holidays cut short
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 27, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

West Ham players have had their usual six week holiday cut short by two
weeks to prepare for their first Europa league game on 2nd July. Speaking on
the official club website Head of Medical and Sports Science
StijnVandenbroucke said:

"Usually, the players have six weeks off, of which the first three weeks are
complete rest, followed by three weeks of individual fitness work. However,
this summer has been shortened to four weeks for two reasons – next year's
European Championship finals and our participation in the Europa League. So,
with a shorter off-season, the fit players need to rest for period but
always be mindful of leading a healthy, professional lifestyle, before
starting their individual programs ahead of their return for pre-season
training next month."

This would suggest players will return to training on Monday 22nd June
which the same day of the Europa league draw to find out how we will face in
the first round.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ilunga welcomes great West Ham news
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 27, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

Former Hammer Hertita Ilunga has welcomed the news of Sam Allardyce's
departure and West Ham's qualification into the Europa league. Speaking from
his official twitter account Ilunga wrote "New manager and UEFA Europa
League for next season !!!! Two (pieces of) great news #COYI" (Come On you
Irons)

Ilunga signed on loan for West Ham in September 2008 for the 2008/2009
season. The following season Ilunga agreed to turn his loan move into a
permanent four-year contract with West Ham. He found limited opportunities
under Avram Grant until he was picked for the first five games of season
2011–12 by then new manager Sam Allardyce before farmed out to join
Doncaster Rovers on-loan. In January 2012 West Ham mutually agreed with
Ilunga to terminate his contract with immediate effect. He made 73
appearances for West Ham in all competitions scoring three goals.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Goodbye Captain Nolan…hello Mark Noble
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 27, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

West Ham looks set to take over the mantle of skipper next season as the
club look to offload Kevin Nolan among several others.

Nolan is already being seen as part of the club's history and former boss
Sam Allardyce's departure appears to make that a certainty.

We were told: "Everything moves on and there will be several players moving
out – Kevin among them – if the right opportunity comes along."

We reported earlier today that Jussi Jaaskelainen,Carlton Cole and Guy
Demel were on their way this summer but a source spoke to us later and
said: "You can add Kevin to the list. He's in the last year of his deal here
and will be allowed to move on."

Mark Noble will immediately pick up the armband although Cheik Kouyate has
his admirers.

However,we were told: "Mark has always been the guy earmarked as the next
captain and that could be at the start of the new season.

"We need to make room in the wage budget for the next generation of players
as we head for the Olympic Stadium."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Benitez was minutes away from signing"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 27, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

West Ham are still clinging to hopes that either Rafa Benitez or Carlo
Ancelloti can be brought into the club.

And they are so determined to get the highest quality boss possible that
until Benitez is officially confirmed into the Real Madrid job, they will
hold off holding talks with other candidates.

Ancelotti has ruled himself out of the job because he needs back surgery but
a top Hammers source said: "That can change as can every situation. He could
decide to delay the operation."

And he revealed that Benitez was within minutes of signing an Irons deal
when his representatives were contacted by Madrid and things collapsed.

He said: "It looked signed and sealed for us but then that happened. That's
why everybody is being so careful because things change so quickly."

Our source said: "Things really have changed. The board are determined to
get the highest possible quality candidate and although things look a bit
dim on the big two, they are giving themselves every chance.

"They don't want to find themselves appointing and alternative third or
fourth choice and suddenly one of their top choices 'unexpectedly' becomes
available – those would be Rafa and Carlo!"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bielsea issues "farewell speech " to Marseilles
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 27, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

Marcelo Bielsa looks to have done his best to put himself very much in the
West Ham's frame after bidding what looked liked an emotional farewell
speech to Marselles.

After guiding the club to a fourth placed finish, the Argentinian said: "I
want to congratulate the French Ligue 1 for the league that they have here.

"I have managed some great players here. Some of them are some of the best
players I have had in my career. There is a very professional group at
Marseilles and some very unique facilities here.

"I have an enormous amount of emotions tonight. I will keep them for the
rest of my life. It is frustrating to finish fourth. I will be taking my
holidays like everyone else."

Bielsa is known to be keen to be given the Irons job but as we reported
earlier, the Hammers will do nothing until the hear officially that Rafa
Benitez has been officially confirmed as Real Madrid boss.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arsenal will allow Carl Jenkinson to spend next season out on loan as Arsene
Wenger refuses to sell defender this summer
Carl Jenkinson will be made available for a season-long loan deal
By SAMI MOKBEL FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 15:47 GMT, 27 May 2015 | UPDATED: 16:27 GMT, 27 May 2015

Arsenal will make Carl Jenkinson available for loan next season following
talks with Arsene Wenger. Wenger revealed earlier this month that he and the
defender, who spent last season on loan at West Ham, would hold discussions
about the right-back's future. The Arsenal manager was torn between
including Jenkinson in his plans for next season or freeing him for another
season-long loan spell. And Sportsmail understands the Gunners have opted
for the latter. The news will spark a scramble for the defender's signature
ahead of the new season.
Jenkinson impressed for the Hammers last term, and his displays didn't go
unnoticed by Wenger and his staff.

The 23-year-old's future at the Emirates Stadium looked bleak following the
arrivals of Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers, who both arrived as
right-backs in 2014. Likewise, the emergence of Hector Bellerin has caused
another obstacle for Jenkinson in his quest to secure a first-team place at
Arsenal. However, the Gunners are not prepared to let the former Charlton
man leave on a permanent deal ahead of next season and want to monitor his
progress at another Premier League club

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll 'ready to accept transfer back to Newcastle United'
Lee Thomas-Mason for Metro.co.uk
Wednesday 27 May 2015 4:18 pm

West Ham striker Andy Carroll is apparently hoping for a transfer back to
his boyhood club Newcastle United.
Carroll, 26, who joined West Ham from Liverpool in deal worth a combined
£17million, has a had an injury ravaged two seasons with the Hammers having
only made 29 Premier League appearances. According to the Sun, Carroll is
hoping to rejoin former club Newcastle following the sacking of West Ham
manager Sam Allardyce following the 2-0 defeat at St James' Park on the
final day of the season. With Newcastle owner Mike Ashley expected to invest
in the transfer market after securing Premier League safety, Carroll would
be expected to have to take a pay-cut in have any chance of securing his
dream move back to the club in which he started his career.
Andy Carroll's £36million move from Newcastle to Liverpool still remains a
transfer fee record for a British player.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham managerial candidate Marcelo Bielsa signs new deal at current club
Mathew Nash
8 hours ago

The former Chile and Bilbao coach has reportedly decided to stay just where
he is.

West Ham United are currently looking to replace their manager Sam
Allardyce, after his contract at the club was not renewed for next season.

Several names have been put forward as potential Big Sam replacements. The
likes of Slaven Bilic, David Moyes and Roberto Di Matteo have all reportedly
been sounded out.

Another name that is said to be in the running for the role is Marcelo
Bielsa's. The current Marseille boss truly caught the eye whilst manager of
the Chilean national team and has been in charge at Marseille this campaign.

But reports had claimed he fell out with the board at the club and wanted a
move.

That now seems to be untrue.

It is reported today that Bielsa has in fact agreed to stay at the Stade
Velodrome.

It has been reported by RMC, as relayed by beIN Sports, that Bielsa and
Marseille have put their differences to one side and have put pen to paper
on a deal that will last until the summer of 2017.

If it proves true then West Ham can scrub his name from the list of
potential candidates.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 27th May 2015

Hammers earn Europa League place
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to confirm that they have qualified for a
place in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League, for the first time since 2006/2007,
after finishing top of the Barclays Premier League's Fair Play table.

In a joint statement, West Ham United Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and
David Gold welcomed the news. They said: "We are delighted to have won a
place in the UEFA Europa League as we want to ensure the Boleyn Ground the
best send-off possible, and progress in this competition will certainly help
with that.

"Starting in early July will bring its challenges, but everyone at the Club,
from the Board to the players and supporters will be relishing the
opportunity to feature on the European stage. It should be a fantastic
experience."

West Ham will be among 104 teams whose European campaigns will begin with
the first qualifying round on 2 July, with three rounds to negotiate before
August's play-off round determines the 22 teams who come through the
qualification process and advance to the Europa League's group stage.

The draw for the qualifying rounds will take place as follows:

UEFA Europa League first and second qualifying round draws: 22 June
UEFA Europa League third qualifying round draw: 17 July
UEFA Europa League play-off round draw: 7 August
UEFA Europa League group stage draw: 28 August

Click here for full information on draw and round dates.

England will also be represented in this competition by Tottenham Hotspur,
Liverpool and either Southampton or Aston Villa, depending on the latter's
result in the FA Cup final.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
UEFA Europa League – who could we face?
WHUFC.com

West Ham United fans have spent Tuesday afternoon enthusiastically scouring
the internet, trying to work out who their heroes could face in the early
rounds of the UEFA Europa League.

A glance down the list of clubs who have joined the Hammers in the
tournament's first qualifying round dispels suggestions that it is the
reserve of clubs from the continent's smallest leagues.

Instead, the 104 clubs included in the first qualifying round draw are
expected to represent 41 different nations, with West Ham being England's
sole representative at that stage of the competition.

The Hammers are one of three clubs to have qualified for the tournament
through finishing top of their domestic Fair Play League – Dutch side Go
Ahead Eagles and Irish outfit University College Dublin (UCD) being the
other two.

Go Ahead will be the only Dutch club in the first qualifying round, which
kicks-off with the first leg on Thursday 2 July, while UCD are joined by
fellow countrymen FAI Cup winners St Patrick's Athletic and League of
Ireland runners-up Cork City and fourth-place Shamrock Rovers.

So, who else is in the first qualifying draw, which will be made on 22 June?

Of the clubs to have already qualified, the Hammers have faced two of them
previously.

FC Lahti finished third in the Finnish Veikkausluga, and were known by their
former guise of Lahden Reipas when West Ham beat them 5-2 on aggregate in
the European Cup Winners' Cup first round in 1975/76.

Georgian side Dinamo Tbilisi finished third in their domestic league this
season, earning them the chance to be drawn against the club they knocked
out of the European Cup Winners' Cup at the quarter-final stage in 1980/81.
Then a Soviet league club, Dinamo won 4-1 courtesy of arguably the finest
performance by an visiting side that the Boleyn Ground has ever witnessed.

Of the teams whose qualification has been confirmed, West Ham are expected
to be amongst the seeded teams, including Moldovan Cup winners Sheriff
Tiraspol, Norwegian league runners-up Rosenborg, Swedish side Elfsborg and
Croatian league runners-up Hadjuk Split.

Also in the hat are 1991 European Cup finalists Red Star Belgrade of Serbia,
1983 European Cup Winners' Cup winners Aberdeen of Scotland and two-time
UEFA Cup winners IFK Gothenburg of Sweden.

Due to expected seedings, West Ham are almost certain not to meet any of the
above in the first qualifying round, bar FC Lahti, who are unlikely to be
seeded.

That is not to say that the unseeded teams could not present a banana skin
for West Ham, with Norwegian side Odd, Hungarians Ferencvaros and MTK
Budapest, Latvians Skonto Riga and League of Ireland title chasers Cork City
– who hosted the Hammers in a friendly a year ago – all potential opponents.

For those among the Claret and Blue Army who want to collect some air miles
while following their heroes, the longest potential trip is to Kazakhstan
Cup winners Kairat, based in the city of Almaty a mammoth 3,482 miles from
the Boleyn Ground. Compatriots Ordabasy finished fourth in the Kazakhstan
Premier League and are based just a tad closer at 3,211 miles from east
London.

If you fancy a bit of sun on your back, Balzan FC finished fourth in the
Maltese Premier League and are unseeded, as are the yet to be crowned
Gibraltan Cup winners. Unfortunately, Cypriot clubs Apollon Limassol and
Omonia Nicosia are both seeded!

Closer to home, the shortest potential trip West Ham could make is likely to
be to Welsh Premier League side Newtown, who qualified through a play-off
and are based in the Powys town just 208 miles from the Boleyn Ground.
Fellow Welsh sides Airbus UK Broughton (214 miles) and Bala Town (221 miles)
will also represent Wales in the 2015/16 competition.

The two Scottish sides – Aberdeen and one other – are both likely to be
seeded, but Northern Irish clubs Glentoran and Glenavon are also expected to
be among the unseeded clubs in the draw, as are representatives from
Albania, Azerbaijan, Iceland, Luxembourg, Montenegro and San Marino, among
others.

Whoever West Ham are drawn to face, the Claret and Blue Army are sure to
enthusiastically follow their team over land and, providing we do not draw
any of the three Welsh sides in the hat, sea in their thousands. Roll on 22
June!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hartson wants new boss to play 'exciting football'
WHUFC.com

John Hartson says it is imperative that West Ham United appoint a new
manager who will excite and be embraced by the Club's 'terrific supporters'.

The former Hammers and Wales striker, who scored 33 goals in 73 appearances
in Claret and Blue between 1997 and 1999, insists the new boss must be a man
who tries his best to follow the 'West Ham Way'.

With the Hammers now confirmed entrants in next season's UEFA Europa League,
Hartson is hoping the Board appoint a man who can get fans out of their
seats on a regular basis.

"I played in front of the West Ham fans for two years and they are terrific
supporters," said the 40-year-old. "I just feel that they respect the job
Sam has done but they were not very happy with certain elements of Sam
Allardyce being in charge.

"The man they want is a manager who is going to play exciting football, a
manager that likes to play out from the back.

The Swansea-born forward, who also excelled for Luton Town, Arsenal,
Wimbledon and Celtic during a successful career, says the Hammers'
passionate fan base value entertaining, passing football and will demand as
such during the Club's historic final season at the Boleyn Ground, and going
forward into the new Stadium in Stratford.

"West Ham have always traditionally passed the ball there under the lights
at the Boleyn," continued Hartson, who played in the side which finished in
a record-high fifth position in the Premier League in 1998/99.

"Obviously I think the new Stadium is very exciting for them so, as I said,
it's imperative that they get the right man that the crowd can get behind as
well."

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Downing expecting busy summer
WHUFC.com

Stewart Downing expects plenty of changes over what could be a very short
but eventful summer break for West Ham United.

Should the Hammers qualify for the UEFA Europa League through the Fair Play
League, the squad could be back in training as early as 22 June – just four
weeks from now – with a new manager at the helm to boot.

With a host of players either out of contract or returning to their parent
clubs at the end of loan spells, Downing could have plenty of new faces to
get to know come next month.

"Whoever comes in has obviously got really good players and we've proved
this season that we can mix it with the best," the midfielder told West Ham
TV.

"I'm sure there will be a lot of changes in the summer. Sam Allardyce and
his backroom will go, so there is going to be a whole new management side
with new ideas.

"I'm guessing there will be new players coming in because there will be
people leaving who are out of contract etcetera, so there will be a lot of
changes for what is a big season for us ahead of going to the Olympic
Stadium the year after. We need to start it well."

Reflecting on Sunday's season-ending defeat at Newcastle United, Downing
felt the defeat summed up West Ham's inability to create and convert chances
in the second half of the season.

The Hammers were in charge before half-time at St James' Park, but could
muster only Downing's shot, which was saved by Tim Krul, despite controlling
possession. Newcastle recovered after the break to score through Moussa
Sissoko and Jonas Gutierrez to save themselves from relegation with a 2-0
victory.

"I thought we were in control and they were a little bit nervy, as was to be
expected, but we just didn't have that cutting edge or produce that final
pass really," the No11 recalled.

"I had that chance from Cressy's pass and I thought I was offside, to be
honest, but their 'keeper has still made the save.

"The second half was disappointing, really. We should have capitalised on
them being nervous and pressed them a little bit harder than we did. It was
a big goal for them when they scored and it gave them momentum and a bit of
confidence."

So, why did West Ham's season come down with Christmas decorations? Downing
believes it was a combination of factors which caused the Hammers to slide
down the table, most notably the absence of leading marksmen Diafra Sakho
and Andy Carroll.

"Obviously we were free-flowing and scoring goals, so losing Sakho was
massive for us," he confirmed. "He was on really good form and didn't really
have a dip, he just kept going and going.

"Enner Valencia came in and settled well, too, but we had a lot of new
players to the Premier League and they – and us – are going to have dips in
form and it might have caught up with them a little bit. Overall, though,
they settled well and you've seen other clubs where it's taken them a year
to settle.

"Overall, we've done well, but it's disappointing because we were fourth at
Christmas and have finished 12th. I said before the last game that we should
have finished in a European spot."

Downing also had words of thanks for outgoing manager Sam Allardyce, who
signed the England international from Liverpool in summer 2013 and helped
him to regain his spot in Roy Hodgson's squad earlier this season.

"You could see on the manager's face that he was disappointed, and he has
thanked us for the work we put in for him. He was a great manager to play
for and obviously took me out of the situation I was in at Liverpool where I
was not playing and I've played nearly every game for him since I've been
here.

"I'm disappointed for him because he's a good man to play for and
first-class whenever I had any problems and such like. It's a big decision
for the Club, but obviously Sam moves on."

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West Ham qualify for Europe - confirmed
Kumb.COM
Filed: Tuesday, 26th May 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham's Europa Cup qualifying spot has been confirmed, the club have
announced today.

West Ham have qualified for the first qualifying round of the competition
and won £30,000 in the process, having finished top of the Fair Play league
in England, beating closest rivals Liverpool, Everton and Burnley.

A statement released on behalf of joint chairmen David Sullivan and David
Gold read: "We are delighted to have won a place in the UEFA Europa League
as we want to ensure the Boleyn Ground the best send-off possible, and
progress in this competition will certainly help with that.

"Starting in early July will bring its challenges, but everyone at the Club,
from the Board to the players and supporters will be relishing the
opportunity to feature on the European stage. It should be a fantastic
experience."

West Ham's first game in the Europa League will take place in the week
beginning June 29. The draw for the first and second qualifying rounds takes
place on Monday, 22 June.

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Hammers target set for Real role
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 26th May 2015
By: Staff Writer

Rafa Benitez is on the verge of being appointed as the new manager of Real
Madrid.

The leading candidate to replace Sam Allardyce had previously expressed an
interest in moving to east London, although the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti
last night appears to have put paid to any chances of that happening.

Benitez, according to Ancelotti's agent Ernesto Bronzetti is now "99 per
cent" certain to be offered the vacant position at the Bernabeu. And talks
are set to take place later this week with view to bringing former reserve
team player Benitez back to Real.

Bronzetti also confirmed that the Italian - another on West Ham United's
wish-list - will be taking time out of football. "At the moment, Ancelotti
wants to take a year's rest," Bronzetti said. "That is his intention."

Former Chelsea boss Ancelotti said farewell to his former employees via
Twitter late last night. "I'd like to keep in mind this two fantastic years
at Real Madrid," he penned. "Thanks to the club, the supporters and my
players."

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West Ham co-chairman David Gold confident of attracting big-name manager
Last Updated: 26/05/15 8:43pm
SSN

Co-owner David Gold says it was the right time for a change in the West Ham
dugout, both for the club and for ex-manager Sam Allardyce. West Ham
co-chairman David Gold believes the club's future stadium can help lure one
of Europe's big managers to the club.

The Hammers sacked Sam Allardyce after finishing 12th in the Premier League
but with Europa League football via the Fair Play League and the move to the
Olympic Stadium just a year away, Gold is confident they will not be short
of illustrious names to choose from.

With names such as Rafa Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti mentioned as targets,
Gold said: "I don't think there's any doubt about that. When you see the
Olympic Stadium, and I see it once a month or so, it's just an amazing,
iconic stadium.

"This will not only encourage managers to come and manage West Ham in such a
venue, but it will also attract players. It's a once in a lifetime
opportunity for West Ham United to challenge at the very top.

Speaking on The Morning View, Paul Merson and Alan Smith question the timing
of West Ham's decision to part ways with Sam Allardyce.
"West Ham is one of the great clubs in the Premier League with an amazing
tradition. If you add the Olympic Stadium then it's an amazing package for
any manager anywhere in the world.

"Everybody is on our radar. We are looking for the best and only time will
tell."

On the departure of Allardyce, Gold added: "Sam did an amazing job in the
four seasons he was with us. He did everything we asked - he got us
promoted. It's true we expected to get promoted without having to go through
the play-offs but we went to Wembley and had a fantastic time there.

"We then asked him to keep us up and he did that for three seasons. I wish
Sam well. He's a fantastic manager."

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Marcelo Bielsa wants West Ham job: Marseille boss rejects Sampdoria in
favour of Premier League
22:03, 25 MAY 2015
BY DARREN LEWIS
With their move to the Olympic Stadium just 12 months away, West Ham want a
big name capable of taking them to the next level
The Mirror

Marseille boss Marcelo Bielsa wants the West Ham job.

The former Chile and Athletic Bilbao coach is understood to have rejected
interest from Italian club Sampdoria.

Bielsa has made it clear to the Hammers that he would rather move to the
Premier League to succeed Sam Allardyce.

It is a boost for the East Londoners, who had already had the 59-year-old,
currently learning English, on their shortlist.

With their move to the Olympic Stadium just 12 months away, West Ham want a
big name capable of taking them to the next level.

They want to be playing in Europe and to be reaching the latter stages of
the domestic cup competitions.

On a tight budget, Bielsa has led Marseille into next season's Europa
League, having been narrowly beaten to a Champions League spot by Monaco.

After his club's 3-0 win over Bastia at the weekend, Bielsa - whose contract
is coming to an end - congratulated the players individually but refused to
confirm whether he would be staying.

Allardyce left Upton Park by mutual consent in the wake of West Ham's 2-0
defeat at Newcastle on Sunday.

The Hammers have already missed out on Rafa Benitez, having agreed terms on
a three-year deal with him before Real Madrid moved in to open talks .

Real Sociedad boss David Moyes has rejected several offers to return to
England and wants to stay in Spain.

Although Slaven Bilic, set to leave Besiktas, is the bookies' favourite, the
Hammers are in no rush and are looking at other options.

Bielsa, who led Argentina to Olympic Gold and the Copa America Final in
2004, has a reputation for attacking football - with an emphasis on fitness
- based around hard workers rather than star names.

He is also a combustible figure who refused to play players bought for him
at Marseille that he didn't want.

Last summer Diafra Sakho and Mauro Zarate were among the players at West Ham
brought in even though Allardyce had not been in complete agreement.

Bielsa would, however, fit the ambitious profile of the kind of manager that
West Ham are now hoping to attract.

The Irons want Allardyce's successor to continue the club's tradition of
bringing through their academy talents.

Bielsa helped Chile - where he worked with Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez - to the
World Cup in 2010. The achievement - following two tournament absences -
came after he fast-tracked youngsters and brought in a more attacking
mindset.

Bielsa also led Athletic Bilbao, where he worked with Manchester United's
Ander Herrera, to the Copa del Rey and Europa League finals three years ago.

At Marseille he had the club in title contention until defeats over the
second half of the season ended their chances.

He has still finished with the club's highest points tally for several
years.

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Gold convinced we'll have big name boss
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

David Gold is convinced the Hammers will soon be announcing a big name
manager.

Speaking earlier today he said: "I don't think there's any doubt about that.
When you see the Olympic Stadium, and I see it once a month or so, it's just
an amazing, iconic stadium.

"This will not only encourage managers to come and manage West Ham in such a
venue, but it will also attract players. It's a once in a lifetime
opportunity for West Ham United to challenge at the very top.

"West Ham is one of the great clubs in the Premier League with an amazing
tradition. If you add the Olympic Stadium then it's an amazing package for
any manager anywhere in the world.

"Everybody is on our radar. We are looking for the best and only time will
tell."

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Irons react to Di Matteo link
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

Roberto Di Matteo will not become West Ham's new manager!

Some betting forms reacted quickly this morning by installing him as second
favourite to Slaven Bilic after his departure from Schalke.

However, as soon as the news broke ClaretandHugh asked its regular sources
at Upton Park whether the move on the betting lists had legs inside the
club.

And we were told categorically by a top insider: "No, that wont happen. You
can forget that one."

Senior media spokesman and football odds maker for William Hill, Joe
Cottrill commenting on the Di Matteo odds said: "It really doesn't take much
to see people spring into the market at this time of the year.

"It doesn't take a bucket load of money either and there hasn't been a great
deal for him. It's obviously more to do with Schalke departure.

"These manager markets are very volatile and can vary from day to day with
every new rumour."

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Europa Cup – the full calendar
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

With the Hammers now qualified for Europe via the Fair Play League, here is
the full list of dates for the Europa Cup competition – right through to our
place in the Final next May in Basel!!!

First qualifying round, second leg – July 9

Second qualifying round, first leg – July 16

Second qualifying round, second leg – July 23

Third qualifying round. first leg – July 30

Third qualifying round, second leg – August 6

Play-off round, first leg – August 20 Play-off round, second leg – August 27

Group stage, matchday one – September 17

Group stage, matchday two – October 1

Group stage, matchday three – October 22

Group stage, matchday four – November 5

Group stage, matchday five – November 26

Group stage, matchday six – December 10

Round of 32, first leg – February 18

Round of 32, second leg – February 25

Round of 16, first leg – March 10

Round of 16, second leg – March 17

Quarter-finals, first leg – April 7

Quarter-finals, second leg – April 14

Semi-finals, first leg – April 28

Semi-finals, second leg – May 5 Final (St. Jakob-Park, Basel) – May 18

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Irons fear Liverpool will Kop Klopp
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

West Ham fear that Liverpool are the dark horses to grab Jurgen Klopp as
their new manager before many weeks are out.

The Irons haven't given up on the 47 year old German but sources close to
the managerial situation seem fairly convinced that Liverpool will be his
next destination.

The two Davids are currently in their Marbella summer retreat which they use
every year at the same time for their new season planning meeting.

And top of the list for their attention of course is the managerial
situation which is being fired up by the ever-changing bookies list.

Klopp is currently leading the ClaretandHugh fans poll to become the next
Upton Park boss but our sources inside the club are not confident he can be
wooed into the club.

We were told: "There's a big buzz on the grapevine that Liverpool are into
him in a big way. He's perhaps the most desired manager in world football
right now and we shall keep on until we hear differently and definitely."

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Report: Hendon to become Orient boss
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 26, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

West Ham first team coach Ian Hendon has agreed to become the new manager of
Leyton Orient, Sky Sports are reporting.

Orient have been looking for a new manager after Fabio Liverani departed by
mutual consent earlier this month after failing to avoid relegation to
League Two.

Hendon played for Spurs, Barnet and Leyton Orient and had spells managing
Barnet and Dover Athletic as well being the assistant manager of Gillingham
before he joined West Ham in 2011.

Hendon will become the second of Sam's backroom boys to exit West Ham
following the departure of former attacking coach Teddy Sheringham to League
2 Stevenage. Assistant manager Neil McDonald has been linked with the
Blackpool job with reports claiming talks are ongoing.

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Di Matteo is new bookies second favourite
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 26, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

Roberto Di Matteo has been made the second favourite by book makers to take
charge of West Ham following his resignation as head coach of Schalke 04.
The 44-year-old had been in charge of the Bundesliga club for just seven and
half months.

But defeat by Hamburg on Saturday left Schalke with two wins from 10 games
to miss out on a Champions League place. Schalke ended the season sixth
meaning they will compete in next season's Europa League.

Di Matteo said he resigned because of a difference of opinion over plans for
next season following a meeting with the club's director of sport Horst
Heldt. "I offered a plan for a possible successful future and what the
conditions for that would need to be," said Di Matteo, who had two years
left in his contract. "It became clear that the club had a different
emphasis. This is why I decided to resign from my position as head coach."

The Italian led Chelsea to the 2012 Champions League title but was replaced
by Spaniard Rafael Benitez after eight months.

Di Matteo started his manager career At MK Dons before later taking West
Brom to promotion to the Premier League.

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Diafra's fabulous message to fans
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

No other player typifies the spirit of the Irons better for us at
ClaretandHugh than Diafra Sakho.

And here he sends a fabulous message to the fans at the end of a great
goalscoring season despite his injuries via Twitter under the words: To my
dear Iron Family , i would like to say ……@whufc_official #COYI

Thanks to you for everything this season too Diafra.

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