Neufville signs new deal
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce that England U17 left-back Vashon
Neufville has signed a new contract with the Club. The highly-rated prospect
joined the Hammers Academy at U11 level from Chelsea and has since
progressed through the youth ranks, making his Development Squad debut aged
just 15. Neufville played an integral part for the U18s last season, making
22 appearances, scoring once. Speaking after committing his future to the
Club, the livewire left-back said: "I'm very pleased to have signed my
contract, I just can't wait to get back playing now. "I love West Ham, I'm
very happy to have signed a new three year deal. It's nice to get my
scholarship here but to get the professional deal too is a dream come true.
"This is the best moment of my career. I've had several good moments in a
West Ham shirt but this is definitely the best."
Neufville, still only 15 years of age, has signed a scholarship and will
turn professional on his 17th birthday. He said: "It's a very proud
moment. Making my U21 debut last season at 15 was a good achievement and
hopefully I can push on from here. "I remember being pretty nervous before
the game but the older boys came up to me and told me not to worry. I think
I did OK. My target for next season is to be in and around the U21s next
season. "It's a very exciting time to be at West Ham. I hope one day to make
my debut in the new Stadium, if not before. I can't wait to go to the new
Stadium, I went there a few months ago for a tour. It was an amazing place
and an amazing experience. It was very moving, an eye-catching stadium."
Academy manager and head of coaching and player development Terry Westley
added: "Vashon signing for us is great news for the Academy and the Club.
He's an England U17 international and he was very sought after. "We're
delighted that he has decided to stay at West Ham. He's seen the development
plan we've put in place for him and he's decided that this is the best place
for him. "He likes the way we work here, he enjoys training and there's a
good group of players here. This is the place he wants to be. It's a big
lift for us because he's one of the best players for his age group in the
country. "He's already played U21 football, he's a modern attacking left
back, he's quick, he likes to get forward. "We'll get to work on 1 July and
put that plan in practise. We're expecting big things from him."
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Hammers face Andorra trip in Europa League
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's UEFA Europa League adventure will begin with a first
qualifying round tie against FC Lusitans of Andorra. The Hammers are
provisionally scheduled to travel to FC Lusitans' 1,000-capacity Camp
d'Esports d'Aixoval on Thursday 2 July before the return leg at the Boleyn
Ground on 9 July. However, as both teams from Andorra have been drawn at
home first, there is a possibility of the first leg location being reversed.
UEFA are to confirm this later today. Lusitans are based in Andorra la
Vella, the capital of the principality. The football club were formed in
1999 and are also known as Lusitanos. The club's name, crest and kit reflect
its Portuguese identity and they play at the 1,000-capacity Camp d'Esports
d'Aixoval. Twice league champions in 2011/12 and 2012/13, they booked their
place in the UEFA Europa League by finishing as runners-up last year. This
will be their third participation in the Europa League and have lost in the
first qualifying round in their previous attempts. Should the Hammers
prevail, they can look forward to a second qualifying round meeting with
either Birkirkara of Malta or Armenian outfit Ulisses. West Ham are due to
play the first leg at home on 16 July, before taking to the skies for the
return leg a week later on 24 July.
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Sakho - I am raring to go
WHUFC.com
West Ham United striker Diafra Sakho was full of excitement as he returned
for the opening day of pre-season training and says he is fully fit to start
the new campaign. Sakho was forced to miss the final the month of last
season after suffering a thigh injury against Stoke on April 11. But the
Senegal forward has been working hard throughout the summer to regain full
fitness and cannot wait for the new season to get underway. After scoring 12
goals in his opening season in English football, Sakho is hoping to have an
even better campaign and be among the top scorers in the Premier League.
Sakho said: "I am happy to be back and see all the players. I would like to
score 20 goals next season."
Midfielder Matt Jarvis is also relishing the chance to work under Slaven
Bilic and hopes to impress the new manager over the next few weeks. Jarvis
said: "It is always good to be back, see all the players and talk about the
holidays."
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Tomkins ready for European adventure
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins is pleased the Club have avoided a long journey across Europe
after West Ham United were drawn to face Andorran side FC Lusitans in the
first qualifying round of the Europa League. Tomkins was back for the start
of pre-season training having made a full recovery from a dislocated
shoulder which kept him sidelined for over two months at the end of last
season. The 26-year-old is now relishing the chance to work under new
manager Slaven Bilic and is looking forward to playing European football
this season. Tomkins said: "We could have ended up playing anywhere so
Andorra is not too far to go. It is a draw we are going into as favourites
but it will be a great experience to play in Europe. It is exciting and all
the players are looking forward to it."
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From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com
It has been really exciting to see the draws made for the first and second
qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa League. It could have been a lot worse
for us travelling hours across Europe and I'm looking forward to seeing the
game in Andorra. I'm sure a lot of fans will be excited to see us back
playing in Europe and will be able to travel to a country that is on the
Spanish and French border. It will be even more exciting for FC Lusitans to
visit the Boleyn Ground and I'm sure it will be like a big cup final for
them when they arrive in east London. It is also the chance for a number of
our youngsters to come and watch West Ham play competitive European football
for the first ever time. This is our entry into Europe and is the beginning
of a long journey, but an exciting one at the same time. We know the rewards
for winning the competition is a place in the Champions League and that is
the ultimate dream. I know some of the players have returned for the start
of pre-season training and there is a great deal of excitement around the
squad. This is the beginning of a new adventure and there is a really good
feel around the place. We have already signed Darren Randolph and Pedro
Obiang and we are working hard behind the scenes to try and strengthen the
squad.
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West Ham face trip to Andorra
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 22nd June 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have been drawn away to Andorra Primera Divisió side FC Lusitanos
in the first qualifying round of the Europa League. The Hammers will travel
to the landlocked principality on 2 July to face Lusos - who finished
runners-up to Santa Coloma in the Primera Divisio last season - in the first
leg of the tie, with the return fixture a week later at the Boleyn Ground (9
July). Sadly tickets for travelling supporters are likely to be at a premium
for the first leg, with the minnows' stadium having a capacity of just
1,300.
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Europa clash threatened by Tube strike
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 22nd June 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham supporters hoping to see the Hammers play in their first
competitive European fixture for eight years will have to contend with a
planned tube strike. Members of ASLEF, the train drivers and operators union
have declared they will begin a 24-hour strike at 9.30pm on 8 July - the day
BEFORE West Ham are due to host FC Lusitanos in the second leg of the first
qualifying round. Should the strike proceed as planned, disruptions to
normal service means that tubes will only be available AFTER the match has
ended - meaning thousands of Hammers fans will need to make alternative
travel arrangements. ASLEF members have opted for strike action in protest
at current pay and conditions. They could also be joined by members of the
RMT and TSSA unions, potentially leading to further dispution on the public
transport network.
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It's a council house….don't blame us for the Olympic financial cock-up
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 22nd June 2015
By: Paul Walker
I don't know about you lot out there, but I am getting sick to death of West
Ham United being slaughtered every time someone mentions the conversion of
the Olympic Stadium and the cost to the nation's taxpayers.
Forgive me, but what has that go to do with us? It's a council house, we
will be tenants paying rent. Back in the good old days when various members
of my family lived in council houses, they were allowed to paint and
decorate the inside but anything to do with the roof, brickwork, gutters,
windows, doors and general maintenance fell on the owners.
The council. Now I will leave you all a few minutes for that to sink in.
Would you pay for the upkeep and repairs of something you did not own? No,
neither would I - and neither should West Ham.
But these simple facts seem to be constantly lost on the chattering classes,
the posh lot who were the noisy part of the hypocritical athletic elite who
wanted nothing to do with that nasty, overpaid, over-indulged football lot
when the stadium was being designed and built by the Government for the
Olympics.
There was nothing more annoying than being lectured about the moral excesses
of football by pompous, smug supporters of a sport so riddled with drugs
cheats that anyone who ever does something special in track and field is
automatically under suspicion. And don't you dare miss a football drugs test
once, like Rio Ferdinand did.
You get banned and pilloried. If you are Mo Farah those same athletics lot
spend all their time making excuses or blaming the whistle-blower. OK, got
that off my chest.
Only now do we realise that original stadium was just not fit for purpose,
an inadequate structure that was way below the standards needed for use by
professional football, the only viable option for the aftermath of the
Olympics to avoid a catastrophic financial burden on those same taxpayers
many moons into the future.
We also learn that any suggestion that the stadium could have been built to
the template of the Commonwealth Games stadium in Manchester, with future
use by money-making professional football incorporated from the start, was
ignored because of the way the Government had sold large acres of land to
the Channel Tunnel Rail Link builders.
I should at this point direct you to an informative, unbiased, well-written
piece by Dan Roan on the BBC website which attempts to expose just who is to
blame for the current spiralling cost of our new home.
And it is not West Ham's fault. Yes, we are getting the stadium for a £15m
outlay to help with the rebuilding, a fantastic deal. As Rowan's article
points out, roughly the cost of Andy Carroll (seemingly not including his
massive wages and medical bills). But who is to blame for that?
Now there is a Taxpayers' Alliance guy, Andy Silvester, complaining about
the cost of the stadium rebuild to the general public. May I suggest that
without West Ham's, or football's involvement that cost would be massive in
terms of maintenance and upkeep, utterly unsustainable. And none of this is
our fault.
When the negotiations were ongoing, the London Legacy Development
Corporation, the Government, Boris and his lot, could have demanded more.
They could have refused to have football in the place, they could have let
Orient have it - even Spurs. They could have insisted it was restricted to
athletics only.
But they didn't. At the very least, they know the price of something and
very soon realised that anything other that football was not financially
viable in the long term. It has been a tough lesson for Seb Coe and his
athletics cronies, but a lesson still.
They could have let Spurs pull it down, and for the north London club to
rebuild Crystal Palace's athletics arena. But pulling down a taxpayers'
funded iconic stadium was political suicide.
In hindsight, Spurs had the right idea, the place was not fit for purpose
and it would have been cheaper to level it and build something new. Without
a running track.
Ah yes, the dreaded running track that Coe had promised the Olympic
authorities would be retained as part of the athletics legacy. Had they done
that they would seriously have upset its president Lamine Diack (says Rowan)
and Coe's chances of becoming world athletics god in the future would have
been dust. Can't have that, can we?
Now let's look at what was actually built to house about a dozen days of
sporting activity three years ago. A stadium with a roof that did not cover
even half the punters. A stadium with toilet facilities outside the stadium.
A venue without enough catering outlets. A stadium that was designed as a
circle. One with no corporate areas.
A stadium that did not meet UEFA or Premier League standards, so no one-off
major European finals could have been played there.
Now this is all the fault, in my mind, of the holier-than-though athletics
elite, and the MPs and ill-informed general officialdom who allowed them to
insist that the stadium should have nothing to do with that nasty football
business.
So we got a stadium that was not planned for multi-purpose use, one that
could have been constructed the way the now-Etihad stadium in Manchester
was.
Manchester City Council were well aware that when the Commonwealth Games
were being planned, they could not sustain a stadium afterwards without a
football tenant. Impossible, and if Manchester City had not been involved
from the start, the Games would never have happened in Manchester.
That stadium was built so that after the Games, the lower level and
terracing--initially constructed underground--could be dug out, the pitch
then becomes closer to the seating and a smaller athletics stadium built
outside the ground to be used for grassroots participation and regular
athletics meetings.
Works perfectly. That conversion cost £42m. The current bill for turning the
Olympic Stadium into something useable is now £272m, taking the overall cost
to £702m. Brilliant. The new roofing has cost £189m alone, although I did
read something somewhere that we will contribute to the cost of that for the
next ten years.
So now we have come to the reality that athletics, rugby (either code),
cricket, motor racing etc will not be good enough, financially, to avoid a
constant drain on the public purse. And that's where we came in. An empty
stadium costs millions for upkeep, and Governments and councils cannot
handle that.
So the chattering classes have moved on. They got their Olympics and now the
sound-bite MPs can look for the next photo opportunity. The LLDC has been
left to pick up the pieces. This, as I keep saying, is not West Ham's fault.
Sure we have negotiated hard, we are the only gig in town, and Lady Brady
has not wasted all those dinner dates with the Prime Minister.
Oh, before I forget, another bit on Seb Coe. I believe he has involvement
with the company that has recommended that the old Crystal Palace arena be
bulldozed. Just like the famous stadium in Sheffield.
So we have a situation where athletics and swimming at Crystal Palace will
soon be history. So just whose fault is it that vast numbers of grassroots
participation in sport has just melted away in the three years since the
Olympics? So much for the legacy and the people empowered to make it work.
Yes, West Ham have got a good deal, even if the bulk of us are being dragged
kicking and screaming to our new home, desperately sad to be leaving the
Boleyn but aware of the financial needs and requirements that can take out
beloved club to a higher level.
What is going on at the Olympic Park is not down to us, we didn't make the
rules and we didn't plan the whole thing in the first place. If planning is
the right word. The LLDC could have asked for more, driven a harder bargain,
and we could have said no and tried to get planning permission to rebuild
the East Stand, like Liverpool are now doing with their own main stand. And
we could have walked away.
We will get a new stadium that is not ours, we will see the Boleyn sold off
for housing, some social but most of it not. Newham Council are still to
sort out that one.
Our use of the new stadium will amount to about 30 days a year. That's if we
have decent cup runs. The rest of the time it will be used for whatever
money-making event that can be mustered. A multitude of athletics meetings,
rock concerts, rugby world cups, one-day cricket etc, etc. |It is not ours.
Even the naming rights, it seems will not be solely ours.
The public purse will be getting plenty back for their outlay in putting
right the nonsense that went on before. And it will be spread over many,
many years.
So the next time someone mentions that it is our fault, all this, they
should remember that it's a council house, nothing more, nothing less. The
blame is not ours.
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West ham bid £14m for Marseille's Dimitri Payet
Last Updated: 22/06/15 12:26pm
SSN
West Ham have made a £14m bid for Marseille midfielder Dimitri Payet,
according to Sky sources. The Londoners are leading the race to sign Payet,
an attacking midfielder who has been capped by France and can also play out
wide. West Ham have already signed Spain U21 midfielder Pedro Obiang and
former Manchester City trainee Martin Samuelsen since appointing Slaven
Bilic as manager. QPR striker Charlie Austin is odds-on to follow, while
they remain hopeful of signing Alex Song permanently despite interest from
Chelsea and Manchester City.
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Gold: "We're all happy with the draw"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 22, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Gold spoke for the board and everybody inside the club when he told
ClaretandHugh: "That's a very good opening draw in the Europa Cup. The
Hammers face an opening cl ash against Lusitanos of Andorra and Gold said:
"It could have been a lot worse than that – everybody is quite happy. "When
the draw was made we were all pretty content. A trip to Wales was the only
better option but by the time you have got to the airport, the trip to
Andorra is about the same and there's no changing time zones "It's the start
of a big adventure and although we came in through the back door via the
Fair Play League, we have a good squad and with the planned new signings we
can do well. "I want to win this competition and I believe the fans are
going to enjoy a great ride in our last season at Upton Park."
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Hammers odds on to reach second round
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 22, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham's season will begin with a trip to Andorra minnows FC Lusitans on
July 2nd in the first leg of their Europa League first qualifying round with
the second leg on Thursday 9th July at the Boleyn ground.
Bookmakers Ladbrokes see the game as a formality and give the Hammers 1/20
odds on to win the game, while they quote the Irons with odds of 6/4 shots
to reach the group stage and 50/1 to lift the Europa League trophy.
Meanwhile West Ham are 12/1 to win any major trophy this year, new manager
Slaven Bilic is 4/6 to be sent into the stands during a Premier League
match this season. Bilic is also 18/1 as the first manager to be sacked in
the Premier League but just 2/1 to be sacked by the last day in the
2015/2016 season. Meanwhile you can get 12/1 for Slaven to be named Premier
League manager of the month for August.
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"We don't see Downing leaving for Sunderland"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 22, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham have warned Sunderland they will want "at least" their money back
should the Black Cats move for Stewart Downing.
Reports were circulating this morning – led by the local paper, The Northern
Echo – that manager Dick Advocaat wanted the player and could make a move
as early as this week.
But an Irons source told ClaretandHugh this evening: "Why would Stewart want
to go there ? He was one of our best players last season and it's usually
the bigger clubs that are interested not those nearer the middle or, as was
the case last season, towards the bottom.
"In any event, we would want the £5 million back we spent on him and a small
profit. There has been no approach and Stewart will be looking forward to
the new season under a more attacking minded coach than Sam Allardyce.
"We don't see him leaving West Ham for Sunderland."
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Hammers return to pre season training
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 22, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
A number of first team players have reported for training at Chadwell heath
this morning with just 11 days before the first Europa league match against
Andorran minnows FC Lusitans. Morgan Amalfitano, Andy Carroll, James
Tomkins, Diafra Sakho, Elliot Lee, Doneil Henry and new boy Darren Randolph
were all pictured arriving at the training ground to start their pre season
training. The squad against FC Lusitans is expected to include a number of
youngsters mixed with a number of senior squad players returning from
injuries.
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West Ham transfer news: Sunderland ready bid for Downing as Hammers target
£14m Payet
Evening Standard
SIMON JOHNSON
Published: 22 June 2015 Updated: 14:45, 22 June 2015
Sunderland are readying a bid to tempt Stewart Downing to quit West Ham for
an emotional return to the north east as the Hammers look to fund a move for
Dimitri Payet. Slaven Bilic is interested in Payet and the Hammers have
reportedly launched a £14m bid for the attacking midfielder, while Downing
could end his spell in east London after two years at Upton Park.
The 30-year-old still has two years left of his contract to run at West Ham,
but Sunderland have made the England international one of their main summer
targets. Downing grew up in nearby Middlesbrough and was a product of his
home-town club's academy, going on to make over 200 appearances for them
before joining Aston Villa in 2009. Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat wants a
winger to strengthen the squad this summer and insiders at the club feel an
offer of a long-term contract will be appealing to Downing. The player has
impressed at West Ham since joining from Liverpool for £6m in 2013. However
the manager that signed him, Sam Allardyce, was replaced by Slaven Bilic
earlier this month and Sunderland feel that they could be willing to listen
to offers. He has already played for the club having enjoyed a brief loan
spell there from Middlesbrough in 2003. Middlesbrough are also monitoring
the situation, although they are unlikely to be able to meet Downing's wage
demands.
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Lusitanos lowdown
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 22, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
The club was founded in 1999
O they played for the first time in the Campionat de Lliga in 2000–2001,
after winning the Second Division championship.
O The squad is part time and made up mainly of Poruguese players –
O In 2001–2002 they won its first title, the Copa Constitucioafter winning
2–0 in the final against Inter Cub d'Escaldes.
O The club played its first t European matches in the 2010-11 Uefa Europa
League where they were eliminated 11-0 on aggregate by Macedonian club
Rabotnicki.
O They did marginally better the following season when beaten only 6-1 by
Croatian outfit Varazdin 6-1 on aggregate.
O Since their promotion to the top division they have not been relegated,
and won their first title in 2012.
O They thus qualified for the 2013 Champions League but were knocked out
9-1 on aggregate in the first qualifying round by Maltese champions
Valletta.
O They won their second league title in 213 qualifying for the 2013-14
Champions League where they were drawn to play EB/Streymur of the Faroe
Islands. In the first leg they drew 2–2 despite winning 2–0 and missing a
penalty to go 3–0, in the second leg they lost 5–1, losing 7–3 on aggregate
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Irons face Birkirkara or Ulisses in second round
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 22, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
A further 15 clubs entered the draw in the second qualifying round, joined
by 51 winners from the first qualifying round. West Ham will play Maltese
team Birkirkara or Armenian club Ulisses over two legs if they proceed to
the second qualifying round by beating Andorran team FC Lusitans over two
legs in the first qualifying round scheduled to be played on 2nd and 9th
July. The second qualifying round will take place 16th and 23rd July.
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West Ham Europa League draw: Hammers to begin European campaign against
Andorra runners-up FC Lusitanos
The Independent
JACK DE MENEZES Author Biography Monday 22 June 2015
West Ham will face Andorra's FC Lusitanos in the first qualifying round for
the Europa League. The Hammers finished top of Uefa's Fair Play league table
in 2014/15, meaning they get an entry to the second-tier European tournament
at the very first stage despite finishing 12th in the Premier League.
Liverpool, Tottenham and Southampton will all join them in the competition
at a later stage providing West Ham can negotiate the qualification stages,
with the squad returning for pre-season training today, some way ahead of
schedule had they not qualified for the Europa League. The players return
from their short holiday to find a new manager in charge, with former
Croatia and Besiktas head coach Slven Bilic now in charge for the club's
final season at Upton park before they relocate to the Olympic Stadium for
next season. Sevilla won last season's Europa League final Sevilla won last
season's Europa League final 102 teams go into the first qualifying round
for the 2015/16 Europa League, with the final set to be held at St
Jakob-Park in Basle, Switzerland, on 18 May 2016. Hammers fans face a
long-distance trip if they wish to drive to the away leg of the tie, with
Lusitanos's Camp d'Esports d'Aixovall 820 miles away from Upton Park.
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Vashon commits to Hammers
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 22, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Young Hammer and England U17 left-back Vashon Neufville has signed a new
contract with the Club. He joined the Hammers Academy at U11 level from
Chelsea and such was his promise he made his Development Squad debut aged
just 15. He made 22 appearances for the U18s last season and scored once. He
told the official site: "I'm very pleased to have signed my contract, I
just can't wait to get back playing now. "I love West Ham, I'm very happy to
have signed a new three year deal. It's nice to get my scholarship here but
to get the professional deal too is a dream come true. "This is the best
moment of my career. I've had several good moments in a West Ham shirt but
this is definitely the best." Academy manager and head of coaching and
player development Terry Westley added: "Vashon signing for us is great news
for the Academy and the Club. He's an England U17 international and he was
very sought after. "We're delighted that he has decided to stay at West Ham.
He's seen the development plan we've put in place for him and he's decided
that this is the best place for him."
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David Gold: 'Modibo Maiga will be given chance'
West Ham's Modibo Maiga in action against Cardiff on August 17, 2013© Getty
Images
By Steven Toplis, Reporter
Filed: Monday, June 22, 2015 at 11:40 UK
West Ham United co-owner David Gold has suggested that Modibo Maiga will be
given the chance to resurrect his career with the Hammers. The 27-year-old
striker has fallen out of favour at Upton Park in recent seasons and has
been loaned out to Queens Park Rangers and Metz in the past two campaigns.
However, Gold has hinted that the Mali international will start with a clean
slate under new manager Slaven Bilic this summer. "Maiga is in the
pre-season squad. It's up to him and Slaven to decide what will happen. He
will get his chance," Gold wrote on Twitter.
Maiga, who joined West Ham in 2012, scored nine goals in 25 appearances for
Metz in Ligue 1 last season
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West Ham have no interest in £15m Newcastle and Chelsea target
11:31 22 June 2015
Jack Green
London 24
West Ham are not interested in signing Charlie Austin from QPR, according to
the Telegraph. The Hammers have been heavily linked with the English
striker, who scored 18 goals in the Premier League last season, ever since
QPR were relegated. On Saturday, betting odds were slashed on Austin moving
to Upton Park as a £15m deal looked to be on the cards. But the Telegraph
now report that there have been no offers from any clubs for the 25-year-old
and West Ham are not among the teams that would consider a move for him at
this point. That news will come as a surprise to West Ham fans as the club
were thought to be among the favourites to snap up Austin. With the Hammers
out of the race the likes of Newcastle, Southampton and Chelsea should have
a clear path to make a move for the striker. The Magpies are particularly
keen as new manager Steve McClaren is a big admirer of Austin's talents.
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West Ham chief admits 'promising' youngsters could alter Hammers transfer
plans
11:19 22 June 2015
Pete Evans
London 24
The emergence of centre-backs Reece Oxford and Reece Burke may see West Ham
stay out of the market for new centre-backs, says co-chairman David Gold.
Burke, who won the Young Hammer of the Year award in 2014/15, impressed
during a string of first-team starts at the end of the season while England
Under-17 international Oxford has often made matchday squads. The Hammers
have been linked with the likes of Vedran Corluka and Micah Richards, before
his move to Aston Villa, since the end of the season with some fans
pinpointing that area as one of weakness. But with international
centre-backs James Collins and Winston Reid joining James Tomkins and
22-year-old Doneil Henry in the West Ham squad that begun pre-season
training on Monday Gold believes reinforcements in that area may not be
necessary. When a fan claimed on Twitter that West Ham 'need a central
defender' Gold replied: "Possibly but we do have Tomkins Reid Collins Henry
+ two very promising young centre backs in Burke and Oxford."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Vashon Neufville pens new West Ham United contract
thefa.com
By Gary Stonehouse
Staff Writer
22 Jun 2015
England Under-16s defender Vashon Neufville has signed a new contract with
West Ham United. The left-back joined the Hammers academy at U11s level from
Chelsea, and has since progressed through the ranks to become an integral
member of the club's U18s last season, where he made 22 appearances and
scored once. The 15-year-old, who won four caps for the Young Lions under
Steve Cooper as well as appearing for his country at the Nordic U17
Tournament last summer, told WHUFC.com: "I'm very pleased to have signed my
contract, I just can't wait to get back playing now. 'I hope one day to make
my debut in the new stadium, if not before' "I love West Ham, I'm very happy
to have signed a new three year deal. "It's nice to get my scholarship here
but to get the professional deal too is a dream come true. "This is the
best moment of my career. I've had several good moments in a West Ham shirt
but this is definitely the best."
Neufville has signed a scholarship and will turn professional on his 17th
birthday. He said: "It's a very exciting time to be at West Ham. I hope one
day to make my debut in the new stadium, if not before. "I can't wait to go
to the new stadium, I went there a few months ago for a tour. "It was an
amazing place and an amazing experience. It was very moving, an eye-catching
stadium."
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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic says signing Barcelona star Alex Song would send
out a message
HITC
Damien Lucas
Signing Barcelona midfielder Alex Song permanently this summer would show
the world just how ambitious West Ham United are for the future. That's
according to new boss Slaven Bilic who admitted in an interview on the
club's official site that the Hammers are doing all they can to tie up a
deal for the African star after his season-long loan spell. Song completed
something of a shock move to East London last August in search of more game
time and to kick-start a career which had been stunted at the Camp Nou. And
it certainly worked as the former Cameroon international led the Hammers to
their best ever start to a Premier League campaign as they sat fourth by
Christmas. But niggling injuries hampered his form and it had a direct
impact on the team as the Hammers dropped like a stone in the new year to
finish 12th. With a new manager in place, West Ham co-owner David Sullivan
recently admitted he was trying to get the 27-year-old former Arsenal man
signed permanently.
And Bilic believes if they do it will send out a message to other clubs
about West Ham's desire to challenge the top sides. "Look, we know what Alex
Song is and it also shows the size of the club," Bilic told West Ham's
official website. "If someone had told you three years ago that Alex Song
will play for West Ham very few people, apart from the fans of course, would
believe it. "He played last year now the club is trying to keep him, it is
good for us of course and that also shows the ambition of our club."
Song played 28 games last season and early on there was a running joke on
the terraces that the Man of the Match could be named before kick-off given
the number of times Song had won the award. Injuries undoubtedly affected
his form later in the season and when Sam Allardyce departed last month it
seemed Song may have played his last game for the club. However, the Hammers
won't have it all their own way signing Song with the likes of Chelsea and
Manchester City - as reported by the Independent - interested in a player
who crucially counts as homegrown from his time under Arsene Wenger as an
Arsenal youngster.
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West Ham Look To Land Inter Milan Midfielder On Loan
by Alexander Biddle »
West Ham United are eyeing up a loan move for Inter Milan's Zdravko
Kuzmanovic to kickstart a summer spending spree. With new boss Slaven Bilic
at the helm, West Ham are looking to rebuild ahead of their final season at
Upton Park, before making the move to the Olympic Stadium. According to the
Mirror, the 27-year-old Serbian international is understood to be among a
number of the Italian giants players who are up for grabs in the summer, and
would be a coup for the Hammers, who are willing to support Bilic's
interests ahead of the new season. As they plan to rebuild ahead of the new
season, the East Londoners have already tabled a £14million bid for the
hughly rated Marseille winger Dmitri Payet, who, if accepted, would become
the club's second biggest signing behind Andy Carroll. The France
international, who had the highest number of assists in Ligue 1 last season
is able to play out wide or centrally.There are however concerns at the club
over the amount of money being demanded for Payet. West Ham United are
eyeing up a loan move for Inter Milan's Zdravko Kuzmanovic to kickstart a
summer spending spree.
With new boss Slaven Bilic at the helm, West Ham are looking to rebuild
ahead of their final season at Upton Park, before making the move to the
Olympic Stadium. According to the Mirror, the 27-year-old Serbian
international is understood to be among a number of the Italian giant's
players who are up for grabs in the summer, and would be a coup for the
Hammers, who are willing to support Bilic's interests ahead of the new
season. As they plan to rebuild ahead of the new season, the East Londoners
have already tabled a £14million bid for the hughly rated Marseille winger
Dmitri Payet, who, if accepted, would become the club's second biggest
signing behind Andy Carroll. The France international, who had the highest
number of assists in Ligue 1 last season is able to play out wide or
centrally. There are however concerns at the club over the amount of money
being demanded for Payet.
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West Ham United and Sunderland will reportedly do battle for Tottenham
Hotspur winger Andros Townsend
http://www.haringeyindependent.co.uk/
West Ham United and Sunderland will reportedly do battle for Tottenham
Hotspur's England international, Andros Townsend. The Sun claim the
23-year-old is being targeted by Spurs' London rivals West Ham, whilst the
Newcastle Evening Chronicle say Sunderland are keen on bringing the winger
to the Stadium of Light this summer. Townsend made 17 Premier League
appearances for Mauricio Pochettino's men last season but only ten of those
came as starts. The Leytonstone-born flyer featured more regularly in the
cup competitions, making a further 15 appearances in Europe and domestic
competitions.
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FORMER WEST HAM MAN CONTINUES FINE MLS FORM WITH THIRD LA GALAXY GOAL IN A
WEEK
Posted on June 22, 2015 by Louis East Leave a comment
mlsgb.com
New LA Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget continued his fine start to life
in MLS with a third goal in a week during Saturday's 5-1 win against the
Philadelphia Union at LA's StubHub Center. The 22-year-old joined the Galaxy
from Premier League side West Ham United in May and has made a fine
impression so far. Things didn't start so well for the American as he made
his debut off the bench in LA's shock 4-0 loss at Orlando City, before
coming on in the 1-0 defeat at home to the Vancouver Whitecaps two weeks
later. He then made his first start in the 1-1 draw against the Columbus
Crew last weekend, scoring the Galaxy's goal in an impressive display that
saw him named man of the match by Whoscored.com. Things only got better on
Wednesday night as Lletget started, and scored, for the second consecutive
game in the 6-1 US Open Cup victory against PSA Elite. And the former Hammer
then rounded off a memorable week with a third goal in three during
Saturday's 5-1 win over the Union. He came off the bench in the 56th minute
and scored the Galaxy's fifth goal just eight minutes later, capping off a
fine team move with a placed shot from the edge of the box. "I'm feeling
good. I think [my form] physically was the big issue in the beginning, just
fitness wise, but I'm really coming along now. But as soon as the next game
starts, I just forget about all of that until I get another [goal]," he said
after Saturday's game. "I think from the moment I got here, they were
already great, but I'm just happy I'm adding to that. And we want to win
every game and every championship we can get."
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West Ham 'to complete Dimitri Payet transfer with new £14m bid'
Jamie Sanderson for Metro.co.uk
Monday 22 Jun 2015 8:14 am
West Ham are expecting to complete the signing of Dimitri Payet after making
a new offer, according to reports. The Hammers have made Marseille attacker
Payet one of their main transfer priorities for the summer, as they plan for
life under Slaven Bilic. And while Marseille have turned down an opening
bid, reports say West Ham expect to seal the signing of Payet shortly after
making an improved £14million offer. That's apparently very close to the
asking price and should be enough to do business. A skilful and tricky
attacker, Payet scored seven goals last season and picked up a huge 21
assists.
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David Gold's response when asked if West Ham need a new centre-back
HITC
Subhankar Mondal
West Ham United have been busy signing players this summer. West Ham United
co-chairman David Gold has suggested on social networking site Twitter that
the club do not need to sign a new central defender this summer. The Hammers
have been busy in the transfer market so far this summer and have already
made two major signings. Midfielder Pedro Obiang has joined from Italian
club Sampdoria, while goalkeeper Darren Randolph will arrive on a free
transfer after leaving Birmingham City. Youngster Martin Samuelsen has also
moved on a free transfer after leaving Manchester City, while left-back
Stephen Hendrie had agreed a pre-contract with the Hammers back in January.
West Ham are likely to make more signings between now and the start of the
2015-16 campaign, but Gold has suggested in response to a question on
Twitter that the London outfit may not recruit a centre-back.
Dale @max_reader
@davidgold we need a central defender I'd reckon end vlaar
10:52 PM - 21 Jun 2015
David Gold ?@davidgold
Possibly but we do have Tomkins Reid Collins Henry + two very promising
young centre backs in Burke and Oxford. dg
https://twitter.com/max_reader/status/612739856591138816 …
11:51 PM - 21 Jun 2015
Gold's argument is very valid, and perhaps West Ham can do with the
centre-backs they have at the moment. Of course, newly-appointed manager
Slaven Bilic may think otherwise, but the Hammers do have good options in
central defence.
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West Ham to RIVAL Chelsea for £12m Tottenham midfielder
WEST HAM are reportedly ready to join Chelsea in the hunt to sign Mousa
Dembele.
By CHARLES PERRIN
PUBLISHED: 03:06, Mon, Jun 22, 2015 | UPDATED: 03:16, Mon, Jun 22, 2015
Express.co.uk
The former Fulham ace signed for Tottenham three years ago, but he has found
first-team opportunities scarce under Mauricio Pochettino. Spurs are in the
midst of a summer overhaul, as they seek to get rid of their deadwood.
Chelsea are thought to be keen to sign Dembele, with Jose Mourinho seeking
cover for his midfield But The Sun claim West Ham are ready to join the race
to sign the Belgian. They suggest new manager Slaven Bilic is an admirer and
believes Dembele would strengthen his side. Bilic will start work with the
Hammers today, as the players will report early for training ahead of their
Europa League qualifiers.
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Slaven Bilic to get his West Ham managerial career under way with an early
Europa League campaign
By JAMES RESTALL FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:38, 21 June 2015 | UPDATED: 06:35, 22 June 2015
Less than six weeks after their final Premier League game of the season,
West Ham will be back in action in just 10 days as they kick off their
Europa League campaign. Slaven Bilic will discover his first opponents as
Hammers boss on Monday when the draw for the first qualifying round is made
at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. The first leg will take place
on July 2 with the second a week later, and West Ham - who qualified through
the fair play table - are the highest seeded team in the hat. They could be
handed an 8,108-mile round-trip to FC Kairat in Kazakhstan, or a hop across
the Welsh border to face Airbus UK Broughton. A clash with Gibraltan outfit
College Europa, the tournament's lowest-ranked team, is also on the cards.
The Dolphins' keeper Jamie Robba stole the show between the sticks for
Gibraltar in November when he helped restrict Germany to four goals in a
Euro 2016 qualifier.
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Tuesday, June 23
Monday, June 22
Daily WHUFC News - Europa League Qualifying Rounds Draw Round 2
Birkakara from Malta or Ulisses FC from Armenia.
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Daily WHUFC News - Europa League Qualifying Rounds Draw
FC LUSITANS v WEST HAM UTD
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Daily WHUFC News - 22nd June 2015 - Europa League
First qualifying round seeding groups announced
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will discover who they will face in the UEFA Europa League
first qualifying round in Monday's draw.
The first European competition draws of the season are made in Nyon,
Switzerland at 12pm as the Hammers begin their first continental campaign
since 2006/07.
Slaven Bilic's side are seeded for the draw, which has been broken down
further into seeding groups with five potential opponents awaitinf the
Hammers.
Azerbaijan's Qabala FK, KF Renova of Macedonia, Lusitans FC of Andorra,
Wales' Newtown AFC or FK Olimpic Sarajevo from Bosnia-Herzegovina lie in
wait and you can read more about our potential opponents here.
Qabala FK (Azerbaijan)
Based in the Azerbaijan city of Gabala (also known as Qabala), the most
ancient city in the country, which has a population of 12,808, while the
football club was founded in 2005 and play at the 8,000-capacity Qabala City
Stadium. Qualified for the competition by finishing third in the Azeri
Premier League last year - equalling their best ever finish. This is their
second season in European competition, having been defeated in the first
qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League by Bosnia-Herzagovina's Siroki
Brijeg in 2014/15.
KF Renova (FYR Macedonia)
Based in Dzepciste, Macedonia, the town is located in the range of Sar
Mountain and has a population of 4,200. However, they play in the City
Stadium Tetovo in the nearby town of Tetovo, which has a capacity of 15,000.
KF Renova were founded in 2003 and were the fourth placed team in the
Macedonia First League in 2014/15. They were league champions in 2009/10 and
cup winners in 2011/12. Their best European performance is a second
qualifying round appearance in the UEFA Champions League, while this is
their fourth UEFA Europa League qualifying campaign.
FC Lusitans (Andorra)
Lusitans are based in Andorra la Vella, the capital of the principality. The
football club were formed in 1999 and are also known as Lusitanos. The
club's name, crest and kit reflect its Portuguese identity and they play at
the 1,000-capacity Camp d'Esports d'Aixoval. Twice league champions in
2011/12 and 2012/13, they booked their place in the UEFA Europa League by
finishing as runners-up last year. This will be their third participation in
the Europa League and have lost in the first qualifying round in their
previous attempts.
Newtown AFC (Wales)
Welsh Premier League side Newtown are based in the town of the same name, in
Powys mid-Wales. They are one of only three teams who have unbroken
membership of Wales' top division since its foundation in 1992, and they
have been in existence since 1875. Their Latham Park stadium holds 5,000
fans and they have twice finished as runners-up in the Welsh top division,
as well as winning the domestic cup twice in the 19th century. They won a
play-off to qualify for the UEFA Europa League and this is their first
European appearance since 1998/99.
FK Olimpic Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Bosnia-Herzegovina representatives Olimpic Sarajevo were founded in 1993 and
play at the 3,000-capacity Stadion Otoka in the nation's capital. They made
it to the top division for the 2009/10 campaign and finished sixth last
season. They qualified for Europe for the first time by winning the
Bosnia-Herzegovina Cup last term and will take their place alongside West
Ham in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
The draw will be made at 12pm and can be watched live on UEFA.com
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WHUFC.com
West Ham United will discover who they will face in the UEFA Europa League
first qualifying round in Monday's draw.
The first European competition draws of the season are made in Nyon,
Switzerland at 12pm as the Hammers begin their first continental campaign
since 2006/07.
Slaven Bilic's side are seeded for the draw, which has been broken down
further into seeding groups with five potential opponents awaitinf the
Hammers.
Azerbaijan's Qabala FK, KF Renova of Macedonia, Lusitans FC of Andorra,
Wales' Newtown AFC or FK Olimpic Sarajevo from Bosnia-Herzegovina lie in
wait and you can read more about our potential opponents here.
Qabala FK (Azerbaijan)
Based in the Azerbaijan city of Gabala (also known as Qabala), the most
ancient city in the country, which has a population of 12,808, while the
football club was founded in 2005 and play at the 8,000-capacity Qabala City
Stadium. Qualified for the competition by finishing third in the Azeri
Premier League last year - equalling their best ever finish. This is their
second season in European competition, having been defeated in the first
qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League by Bosnia-Herzagovina's Siroki
Brijeg in 2014/15.
KF Renova (FYR Macedonia)
Based in Dzepciste, Macedonia, the town is located in the range of Sar
Mountain and has a population of 4,200. However, they play in the City
Stadium Tetovo in the nearby town of Tetovo, which has a capacity of 15,000.
KF Renova were founded in 2003 and were the fourth placed team in the
Macedonia First League in 2014/15. They were league champions in 2009/10 and
cup winners in 2011/12. Their best European performance is a second
qualifying round appearance in the UEFA Champions League, while this is
their fourth UEFA Europa League qualifying campaign.
FC Lusitans (Andorra)
Lusitans are based in Andorra la Vella, the capital of the principality. The
football club were formed in 1999 and are also known as Lusitanos. The
club's name, crest and kit reflect its Portuguese identity and they play at
the 1,000-capacity Camp d'Esports d'Aixoval. Twice league champions in
2011/12 and 2012/13, they booked their place in the UEFA Europa League by
finishing as runners-up last year. This will be their third participation in
the Europa League and have lost in the first qualifying round in their
previous attempts.
Newtown AFC (Wales)
Welsh Premier League side Newtown are based in the town of the same name, in
Powys mid-Wales. They are one of only three teams who have unbroken
membership of Wales' top division since its foundation in 1992, and they
have been in existence since 1875. Their Latham Park stadium holds 5,000
fans and they have twice finished as runners-up in the Welsh top division,
as well as winning the domestic cup twice in the 19th century. They won a
play-off to qualify for the UEFA Europa League and this is their first
European appearance since 1998/99.
FK Olimpic Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Bosnia-Herzegovina representatives Olimpic Sarajevo were founded in 1993 and
play at the 3,000-capacity Stadion Otoka in the nation's capital. They made
it to the top division for the 2009/10 campaign and finished sixth last
season. They qualified for Europe for the first time by winning the
Bosnia-Herzegovina Cup last term and will take their place alongside West
Ham in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
The draw will be made at 12pm and can be watched live on UEFA.com
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Daily WHUFC News - 22nd June 2015
2014/15 Season Review - May
WHUFC.com
A top ten finish was still in sight during the final month of a long campaign yet results transpired against the Irons toward the end of Big Sam's reign. On paper, the month of May did not look the hardest yet, as has been proved time and again, football does not always go to plan. Three of the Hammers four opponents were battling relegation and the fight for Premier League survival brought the best out of Burnley, Aston Villa and Newcastle United. The Clarets made the journey south to east London knowing only a win would do to ease their relegation fears. Sean Dyche's men made a bright start yet their luck was out when the Hammers were awarded a penalty after Michael Duff tripped Cheikhou Kouyate. An undisputable penalty, yet the resultant red card added insult to injury. Mark Noble stepped up confidently to notch his second goal of the campaign. Unfortunately, that's where the good news ran out for the Hammers. First, Aston Villa proved too much as Tom Cleverley's strike separated the two sides before Everton sought revenge for the FA Cup replay victory back in January.
In an hugely entertaining encounter, the Hammers took the lead through Stewart Downing before Leon Osman's acrobatic finish levelled the proceedings. Persistent menace Romelu Lukaku continued his habit of scoring against the Hammers, however this time he saved himself until the 93rd minute to tap home from close range. The defeat to the Toffees meant a top half finish was possible, yet unlikely. The tense atmosphere surrounding Newcastle United was palpable. Following a dismal run of results, the final relegation spot would be occupied by either the Magpies or Hull City.
John Carver's men went to task to avoid relegation and their efforts were rewarded with second half goals from Moussa Sissoko and Jonas Gutierrez. A mixture of relief and triumph swept over St. James' Park. The final whistle also brought to the end Sam Allardyce's reign as West Ham United manager as it was announced that the 60-year-old's contract would not be renewed. A cliché perhaps, but it really was a season of two halves. Role on 2015/16…
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UEFA Europa League - qualifying draw guide
WHUFC.com
The draws for the first and second qualifying rounds of the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League will be made on Monday, with West Ham United joining 103 other clubs in the hat.
The first qualifying round draw will be made at 12noon UK time on Monday with the second qualifying round draw to follow at 1.30pm UK time, with both being streamed live online at UEFA.com.
The two-legged first qualifying round ties will be played on Thursday 2 and Thursday 9 July on a home and away basis, with the second qualifying round scheduled for Thursday 16 and Thursday 23 July.
Kick-off times are yet to be confirmed.
The Hammers are the only English representative in the draw and one of three clubs to have qualified for the tournament through finishing top of their domestic Fair Play League. The other two, Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles and Irish outfit University College Dublin (UCD), were both relegated last season and are the only clubs in the draw who do not play in their domestic top flight.
How does the draw work?
As is always the case, the draw looks set to be a long, slightly confusing and rather convoluted affair.
The first and second qualifying round draws are not regionalised. However, clubs are split into seeding groups ahead of the draw, with each group containing the same number of seeded and unseeded teams.
Before the draw, a computer system is used to prepare the groups such that teams of the same association are not in the same group and that all groups are similar strength (in terms of coefficient value ranking).
All the clubs in each group are ordered randomly and identified by a number. For this example, West Ham could be randomly selected as a No6. There are only two bowls with numbered balls, one with the seeded numbers and one with the unseeded numbers.
The draw determines the pairs in the groups: e.g. (No6 v No4) which means that West Ham and all the other seeded No6 teams in each group play against the unseeded No4 club of each group. In this scenario, West Ham would be at home in the first leg.
In both draws, each club in each seeding group is allocated a number. Balls containing the seeded numbers are placed in one bowl, with balls for the unseeded numbers in the same group placed in another bowl.
The groupings for the second qualifying round will be made after the first qualifying round draw. The balls representing the winners of each first qualifying round tie will take the coefficient of the seeded club in each tie.
Should West Ham progress, they would have the fifth-highest coefficient value in the second qualifying round draw and would therefore be seeded again.
Why are West Ham United seeded?
Teams are ranked according to their coefficient and further split into seeding groups prior to the draw. England are currently second in the UEFA team ranking table behind Spain, with a lowest possible coefficient value of 16.078 points for any English team participating in European competition.
With no UEFA coefficient points of their own, West Ham have been given this coefficient value in the first qualifying round draw, making the Hammers the highest seeded team in the hat. Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol (14.500) are seeded second, with Norwegian league runners-up Rosenborg BK (11.875) third.
The 52 clubs with the highest coefficient value are seeded, with the other 52 unseeded. Gibraltar Premier Cup winners College Europa (0.300) have the lowest coefficient of the 104 clubs in the first qualifying round draw.
Who could West Ham United draw in the first qualifying round?
As the top seeds, West Ham cannot face any of the other 51 seeded teams in the first qualifying round draw, meaning they will avoid Slaven Bilic's old club Hajduk Split of Croatia and recognisable names such as Rosenborg, Serbians Red Star Belgrade, Scottish sides St Johnstone and Aberdeen and Georgian outfit Dinamo Tbilisi – who defeated the Hammers in the European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals 34 years ago.
Of the unseeded clubs in the draw, who could potentially provide opposition for West Ham on 2 July, Cukaricki Belgrade, who finished third in the Serbian Superliga last season, have the highest coefficient value (3.275). Latvians Skonto Riga (3.100), Norwegian club Odds BK (2.875), Hungarian side MTK Budapest (2.450) and League of Ireland challengers Cork City (1.150) are names which might be familiar to West Ham fans.
The Hammers have faced just one of the unseeded clubs previously in competitive football. 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.
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 likely to be unseeded, as are the the aforementioned Gibraltan Cup College Europa 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.
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. Roll on 22 June!
How do I find out more information?
UEFA have kindly listed all of the qualified teams on their website here.
For more facts and figures about the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League, including how West Ham United could help London match Madrid and Seville's record for the number of tournament wins achieved by clubs from a single city, click here.
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British teams to learn Champions League and Europa League fate
BBC.co.uk
Celtic and West Ham United are among the British clubs who will learn their Champions League and Europa League qualifying round opponents on Monday. The draws for the first two rounds of each will be made in Nyon, with the Scottish champions included at the second stage of the senior competition. Northern Ireland's Crusaders and Wales' The New Saints are in the first round. West Ham are seeded in the first round of Europa League having qualified courtesy of their Fair Play record. First-time Scottish Cup winners Inverness Caledonian Thistle make their debut in European competition in the second round. Aberdeen and St Johnstone, who finished either side of Caley Thistle in the Scottish Premiership, are in the first-round draw. Potential opponents are Northern Ireland's Linfield, Glenavon and cup winners Glentoran - and Welsh trio Bala Town, Airbus UK Broughton and Newtown. University College Dublin, the latter being another Fair Play entrant.
Southampton are one of the clubs who will join the winners in the third qualifying round draw on 17 July, while English Premier League rivals Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur qualified directly for the group stage. Manchester United are in the play-off round of the Champions League, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City already in the group stage of that competition. Dundalk of the Republic of Ireland are in a second qualifying round draw in which Celtic are the second-best ranked club behind Steaua Bucharest of Romania.
The Champions League first qualifying round first leg takes place on 30 June/1 July, with the Europa League starting on 2 July, and the second legs a week later. The second qualifying round of the Champions League is on 14/15 July, with the Europa League on 16 July.
The Champions League final is on 28 May at the San Siro in Milan, while the Europa League finale is on 18 May at St Jakob-Park, Basel.
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AN IDEA FOR OUR FINAL SEASON AT THE BOLEYN GROUND
By Iain Dale 21 Jun 2015 at 17:11 132 comments
Guest Post by HotMort
West Ham till I Die
Why don't we use 2015/15 to let bygones be bygones?
Let's give a big welcome back to all the old Hammers that have played with or managed West Ham over the past 75 years.
I know that many of them are no longer with us, but let's ask the club to offer invitations to all and sundry that are still around, and are willing to come, and let us fans make sure we give each and every one of them a big thank you cheer for their efforts while they played for us. Yes I am referring not only to people like Martin Peters, Sir Trevor Brooking, Geoff Hurst, Carlos Tevez, Paulo Di Canio and Dean Ashton and many more favourites like them, but let's also include those who fell out of favour for various reasons, some perhaps more justified than others, the likes of Frank Lampard, Paul Ince, and particularly Harry Rednap. Let us not exclude anyone. Let's show them all a real West Ham welcome and a big thank you for the efforts that they all put in to entertain us at Upton Park over the past 75 years.
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West Ham eye transfer of Zdravko Kuzmanovic from Inter Milan
22:30, 21 JUNE 2015
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Hammers hope to land 27-year-old midfielder who has been capped 50 times by Serbia on loan from the Italian giants PLUS: Dmitri Payet latest
The Mirror
West Ham are considering an audacious loan move for Inter Milan midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic. The 27-year-old has been capped 50 times by Serbia, but is understood to be among a number of players at the rebuilding Italian giants up for grabs this summer. A successful move for Kuzmanovic would be a coup for the Hammers, who have already signalled their intention to back new boss Slaven Bilic in a season that will end with their prestige move to the Olympic Stadium The East London club already have a bid of £14million on the table for Marseille winger Dmitri Payet, who would become their second biggest signing ever behind Andy Carroll. They also offered a huge deal to free agent Ghana forward Andre Ayew - which included a £2m signing on fee - before they were gazumped by Swansea, who came in with an even bigger offer. There are concerns at Upton Park over the amount of money being demanded for Payet. But the France international had the highest number of assists in the French League last season and is very versatile - able to play out wide or centrally. West Ham start pre-season training on Monday, when they also find out who they have been drawn against in the first qualifying round of the Europa League - which begins on July 2.
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Charlie Austin transfer: Crystal Palace refusing to pay £15m for the QPR striker
18:08, 21 JUNE 2015
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
Alan Pardew is in for front-man also being linked with West Ham, Newcastle and Liverpool but Selhurst Park money-men won't meet his current asking price
The mirror
Crystal Palace's board are ready to put the block on Alan Pardew's move for Charlie Austin. Eagles boss Pardew wants QPR striker Austin and is prepared to scrap it out with Liverpool, Newcastle and West Ham for his signature. Rangers have slapped a £15m price-tag on their star man. However, the Selhurst Park club's money-men believe that valuation is too high, leaving Pardew facing frustration in his attempts to bring Austin south of the river. Relegated QPR won't budge on their asking price for Austin, with plenty of interest in their star man and on the back of his brilliant debut Premier League campaign. Austin bagged 18 goals in a struggling side to force his way into Roy Hodgson's England squad and almost certainly earn himself a big-money move this summer. But Palace will have to drop out of the race and look elsewhere unless the top brass change their present stance.
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West Ham facing TWO Europa League trips to Kazakhstan totalling over 13,000 miles in ONE week
17:27, 21 JUNE 2015
BY NEIL MCLEMAN
Worst possible result for first and second qualifying round draws would send Hammers to Almaty for July 9 second leg and to Shymkent for next stage's opener
The Mirror
West Ham face the nightmare scenario of two trips to Borat's glorious homeland in Kazakhstan before the start of the Premier League when the draw for Europa League qualifying is made on Monday.
New manager Slaven Bilic's Hammers will need to play TWENTY-THREE matches to win the trophy in Switzerland next May, including six qualifying matches before their domestic season even starts at Arsenal on the second weekend in August.
Former Irons boss Sam Allardyce quickly regretted taking his squad halfway round the world to New Zealand last summer, where the Hammers suffered two embarrassing defeats and an injury that knocked striker Andy Carroll out until November.
But after qualifying for the Europa League next season via the Fair Play table, the East London club could rack up nearly as many air miles as on that trip Down Under if they get a bad draw.
West Ham are the top-seeded club and can face any of the 51 unseeded clubs from across continental Europe — and beyond.
InstagramAndy Carroll with James CollinsBad trip: Hammer's New Zealand tour saw Andy Carroll (left) suffer another injury
The worst draw would be to play Kazakhstan Cup winners Kairat, who are based in the city of Almaty - 3,482 miles from the Boleyn Ground.
And they would have to be very unlucky to then get the other team from comedy character Borat's homeland, Ordabasy, in the second qualifying round.
Although, they are from Shymkent, which is 'only' 3,211 miles away. Niiiiice.
Trips to Latvia, Lithuania, Gibraltar, Armenia and Georgia are also on offer.
Better for West Ham players and their fans would be facing Welsh Premier League side Newtown (208 miles away) or fellow Welsh sides Airbus UK Broughton (214 miles) and Bala Town (221 miles).
More clubs and destinations are entered in the draw for each successive round (see below).
West Ham also return to training on Monday, though Bilic is set to use Under-21 and fringe senior players in the opening Europa games.
Paul GilhamThey fly so high... Where will Monday's draw send Sam Allardyce's former players?
New midfield signing Pedro Obiang, who will meet his new team-mates on Monday after his move from Italians Sampdoria, said: "I'll be keeping a close eye on the Europa League draw.
"I came here to try to achieve big things with this Club and the UEFA Europa League is the first chance to do just that."
Ex-Birmingham keeper Darren Randolph and former Manchester City midfielder Martin Samuelson, 18, have already been signed.
West Ham have also made an improved £14m offer for Marseille forward Dimitri Payet, and there is also interest in QPR striker Charlie Austin.
But speaking to the club's official website, Bilic said: "We will not rush, just for the sake of buying. We have to be very, very clever with that.
"We can't afford to buy players just for the sake of buying. But we're going to try and be active - but only if those players are better than the ones we already have."
West Ham fans! At what stage will you start paying attention to your Europa League campaign?
West Ham will have to play TWENTY-THREE Europa League matches between July 2 and May 18 to lift the trophy.
A total of 48 teams will contest the groups stages from September. Sixteen of those are automatic qualifiers, including Liverpool and Tottenham, and 10 teams will join the competiton from the Champions League after failing to get through that competition's qualifiers. The remaining 22 will come from the Europa's qualifying process - which starts on July 2.
Southampton enter at the third-round qualifying stage, the first legs of which are to played on July 30.
Martin RoseFC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk v FC SevillaWho's next? West Ham have a long road to succeed Sevilla as Europa League winners
DATES
First qualifying round July 2 and 9 (starts with 102 clubs, including West Ham).
Second qualifying round July 16 and 23 (the 51 first-round winners, plus 15 more clubs).
Third qualifying round July 30 and August 6 (the 33 second-round winners, plus 25 more clubs, including Southampton).
Playoffs August 20 and 27 (the 29 third-round winners, plus 15 Champions League playoff losers).
Group stages Six matches between September 17 and December 10.
Round of 32 February 18 and 25.
Round of 16 March 10 and 17.
Quarter-finals April 7 and 14.
Semi-finals April 18 and May 5.
Final May 18, at St Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland.
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Dimitri Payet update
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Football agent Muzzi Ozcan has entered the debate again about Dimitri Payet by commenting further on social media.
"Payet would move to West Ham … It's all down to two clubs agreeing Good Night" said Muzzi
He then added "Don't worry I am not hacked this time ….. So which West Ham fan is going to write Muzzi Ozcan on there shirt ?"
The security advisor to FA who also claimed to be a player advisor/broker announced the player had signed for West Ham earlier this week before quickly deleting his tweet and claiming his twitter account had been hacked.
Meanwhile the highly connected Jason Burt has claimed in the Sunday Telegraph that West Ham has tabled an improved £14m bid for the highly rated play maker.
Burt told his readers "West Ham United have bid £14 million for French international Dimitri Payet in a significant statement of intent from the club. An offer of £12 million has already been rejected by Payet's club Marseille but West Ham remain determined to sign the 28-year-old winger and on Saturday submitted an improved proposal. Payet has earned nine full caps for France and, although West Ham are concerned at paying such a high fee for a player his age, they do want to push through the deal.
"Payet, who achieved the most number of assists in the French league last season, joined Marseille from Lille in 2013 for around €11 million (£7.9 million) and has previously played for Saint-Etienne – during which time he was strongly linked with a move to Chelsea – having started his career with Nantes.
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Hammers admit making "incredible offer"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Slaven Bilic and West Ham's board won't budge from their top priority transfer market position when they meet tomorrow (Mon) and will "move heaven and earth" to bring in Dimitri Payet and Carl Jenkinson to the club. The three men have already agreed over long distance calls that the priorities are a creative midfielder, the right back and Alex Song as their first choice as the defensive midfielder.
Slav has made it clear the team needs a top quality creative midfielder in Payet-680x453Payet and is very keen for the Irons negotiating team to bring Jenks back to the club on loan. And that means a move for Charlie Austin is unlikely having been described to us as "not a priority at this stage of proceedings."
Although admitting to ClaretandHugh earlier this afternoon that the Payet deal is still some way off, we have been told in the last few minutes that "an incredible offer had been made for the player." Our source said: "It is not the £14 million mentioned in some media today but it is an incredible offer. The player wants to Songscome here. "Once we hopefully get that done we can look at getting the Jenkinson and Song moves settled- these are the agreed priorities between us." Questioned directly on the alleged interest in Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin we were told: "It's not realistic at this stage. There are several other positions we need to cover more urgently."
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Midfielder signing: "There's still some way to go."
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham United are this afternoon insisting that there remains "some way to go" on negotiations to bring Dimitri Payet to Upton Park.
Speculation that a deal is close and even that the Irons have upped their bid to £14 million for the midfield playmaker have been circulating throughout the day.
But a key ClaretandHugh insider explained a few minutes ago: "We have made it clear in the past few days that despite some difficulties – as is usually the case in these deals – we remain keen on the player.
"However, we have several other options because it's not straightforward and currently the player remains away in Mauritius.
"As for the fee, we believed £12 million for a 28 year old was too much at the outset although it would not be helpful to get into figures while talks continue. However, this is a player we really do like."
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Kara deal hits work permit snag
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
According to the Sun on Sunday, West Ham's bid for Senegalese centre half Kara Mbodj has hit a work permit snag. The tabloid claims that although the Hammers are prepared to pay Genk £4m for the defender, the 25 year old can not get a work permit until August.
FA rules mean only players from the top 50 ranked nations are eligible for a work permit. Although Senegal are currently rated 36th in the world by FIFA but outside the top 50 using the FA's two year average. That will change in a couple of months but West Ham may look elsewhere.
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Slav: "We have to be very, very clever"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Slaven Bilic has given his transfer market thinking ahead of what promises to be an intriguing summer.
And despite the urgency which some believe surrounds new arrivals, the new manager is refusing to get involved in frenzied thinking or activity.
Speaking to the official website Bilic said: "We will not rush just for the sake of buying. We have to be very, very clever with that. We can't afford to buy players just for the sake of buying.
"But we're going to try and be active, but only if those players are better than the ones we already have."
Pedro Obiang has already arrived along with back-up keeper Darren Randolph on a free transfer from Birmingham and youngster Martin Samuelson from Manchester City.
The club – as is always the case – have been linked with numerous target seem focused on acquisitions to beef up a midfield area that lacks pace and creativity with the likes of captain Kevin Nolan expected to move on after four years of great service.
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Irons linked with Inter midfielder
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
According to reports in Italy Inter midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic is wanted by West Ham.
Inter are open to selling players to help finance a spending spree which has seen an agreement reached with Monaco over Geoffrey Kondogbia.Kuzmanovic is said to be available for the right price.
Italian daily, Gazzetta dello Sport, says Kuzmanovic will have no end of potential destinations if he does move.
The 27-year-old is said to have interest from bothWest Ham and Watford, while in the Bundesliga, Schalke, Werder Bremen and Borussia Monchengladbach are also keen. Kuzmanovic played in Germany before moving to Inter in 2013. Kuzmanovic is a Serbian international despite being born in Switzerland and started his senior career with FC Basel. He joined Fiorentina in 2007, before then heading to Germany with Stuttgart.
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Jenkinson wants Hammers return
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham fan and Talksport presenter Ian Abrahams caught up with Carl Jenkinson yesterday at the England U21 training camp ahead of their match against Sweden tonight at 5pm in European U21 Championships.
According to the Moose, Jenks has told Abrahams that "He loved last year at Upton Park & wants to come back"
ESPN claim that Arsenal are ready to hand Carl Jenkinson a new contract extension before sending him out on loan again. The 23-year-old has found his path blocked into the Arsenal first team by the arrivals of Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers last summer. Jenkinson's current contract is due to expire in 2018.
Sunderland are thought to have agreed a loan fee with Arsenal but the player prefers to stay in the capital with West Ham his first choice. Southampton are also thought to be interested in signing the right back on loan.
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Sullivan jnr may have dropped Austin hint
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham may be left to slug it out with Chelsea for £15 million rated Charlie Austin as rumours grow that the Queens Park Rangers striker wants to stay in London.
Newcastle boss Steve McClaren is a big admirer but is trying to find out whether the 25 year old is open for a move to the north east.
Austin himself threw a shadow over those hopes when, after being linked to a move to Tyneside, tweeted: 'Honestly where do people get this stuff from'.
However, West Ham United and Chelsea are also keeping an eye on Berkshire-born Austin who was named in Roy Hodgson's last England squad.
Austin interests Chelsea and the speculation linking us with last season's 18 goal hitman increased when bookies suspended the betting on him signing an Upton Park deal.
And that may well have been helped by David Sullivan's son Jack writing in his column on the official site: " We could buy someone for £15m but it has to be right for the football club."
However, Jose Mourinho is looking for a reliable forward to understudy Diego Costa at Stamford Bridge following the departure of Didier Drogba. Loic Remy and Patrick Bamford are the other senior forwards on the club's books.
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West Ham return to training early as they prepare for Europa League qualifiers
The Independent
JAMES MARINER Author Biography Sunday 21 June 2015
West Ham United will return to pre-season training earlier than every other Premier League side on Monday as they prepare to discover their opponents for next week's Europa League first qualifying round. The London side qualified for the competition through last season's Fair Play Table and are seeded in the lunchtime draw for what will be Slaven Bilic's first game in charge after succeeding Sam Allardyce for the club's final season at Upton Park. The opening leg of the Hammers' first European campaign in nine years will take place on 2 July, with the return taking place seven days later. Their seeding will keep them from being drawn with Bilic's former side Hadjuk Split, as well as Rosenborg, Dinamo Tbilsi and Red Star Belgrade. Potential opponents for West Ham include Cukaricki Belgrade, Odds BK, College Europa, of Gibraltar, Irish side Cork City, Welsh outfits Newtown, Bala Town and Airbus UK Broughton, along with FC Lahti.
The longest potential trip for Hammers fans would be to Kairat, based almost 3,500 miles away in Kazakhstan, with compatriots Ordabasy marginally closer to east London. The club's last European campaign lasted just two matches, losing 4-0 on aggregate to Italian side Palermo in September 2006 in the first round of what was then the Uefa Cup. Their last victory on the continent came in September 1999, a 3-1 Uefa Cup win away to Croatian side Osijek – goals coming from Paul Kitson, Neil Ruddock and Marc-Vivien Foe.
Scottish Premiership sides Aberdeen and St Johnstone are also included in the draw, during which the pairings for the second qualifying rounds, to be played later next month, will also be determined. Southampton enter the competition at the third qualifying stage at the end of July, while Liverpool and Tottenham both go straight into August's draw for the group stages, which run from September to December. This season's final takes place in Basel, Switzerland, next May. The holders are Seville, who last month beat Dnipro for a fourth title in the last decade.
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Alex Song latest: Chelsea and Manchester City join West Ham in race to sign Barcelona man
The Independent
KONSTANTINOS LIANOS Sunday 21 June 2015
West Ham are poised to sign Barcelona midfielder Alex Song but could face some tough competition from Chelsea and Manchester City.
The Hammers wish to buy the former Arsenal player on a free transfer in exchange of taking his entire £70,000-a-week wages in a three-year contract. The Cameroonian is valued at around £5million and still has two more years left with Barca, who might have to pay a share of his current salary if no club is willing to take it on. The 27-year-old has also turned heads at Chelsea and Manchester City, especially due to his status as a home-grown player, but it is not yet certain if any of them are willing to pay any fees. Song moved to Upton Park last summer on a loan deal and was magnificent during the first half of the season - he also featured as the Hammers' captain on a few occassions. Reports suggest that he has also received offers from Italy but he prefers to stay in London, with new manager Slaven Bilic attempting to convince him to join permanently. West Ham are also looking to sign Marseille winger Dimitri Payet, who produced the most assists of last season's Ligue 1, and are also waiting for the Under-21 European Championship to end to find out if Carl Jenkinson will be returning to Sunderland.
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West Ham confident improved £14m bid will lure Marseille's Dimitri Payet
The Guardian
Dominic Fifield
Sunday 21 June 2015 14.11 BST Last modified on Sunday 21 June 2015 20.35 BST
West Ham United are confident their improved offer for Dimitri Payet will force through the transfer of the Marseille forward. The player is understood to be keen to leave the Stade Vélodrome for a new challenge in the Premier League.
The club's second offer amounts to around £14m for a player capped 15 times by France; an initial bid nearer £12m was rejected. The French club's squad are undergoing something of a revamp after failing to qualify for next season's Champions League; this failure prompted an automatic wage drop for players with Payet, 28, due to lose around £12,000 a week.
André Ayew and André-Pierre Gignac have left for Swansea and the Mexican club Tigres respectively under freedom of contract while the midfielder Giannelli Imbula is attracting interest from Italy. The Marseille coach, Marcelo Bielsa, had hoped Payet's deal would be renegotiated but the temptation of a move to England – after Everton had previously shown interest – is believed to have turned his head.
A four-year contract has been offered with terms of around £70,000 a week. Payet can operate across the front line as well as in a No10 role and contributed the most assists in Ligue 1 last season. He would join the Spain Under-21 international Pedro Obiang, who moved from Sampdoria to Upton Park for £4.6m. The West Ham board is anxious to demonstrate ambition to the new manager, Slaven Bilic, before the club's final season at the Boleyn Ground.
The need to reinforce is increased by West Ham competing in the Europa League, via the fair play rule. The draw for the first qualifying round takes place todayon Monday and their competitive season will begin on 2 July. Interest is retained in Barcelona's Alex Song, who spent last season on loan at West Ham. The Catalan club are seeking around £5m for the midfielder, who was impressive over the first half of last season, though there is a reluctance to meet that fee.
Meanwhile the Monaco midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbiathe Monaco midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia is set to disappoint clubs in the Premier League and sign a five-year contract at Internazionale after the clubs agreed a fee of £22m for the France international.
Both Arsenal, against whom he excelled in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 fixture last season, and Tottenham Hotspur have tracked the 22-year-old's progress but the only firm bids were submitted by Inter and their rivals, Milan. Kondogbia, a France international, is due to undertake a medical on Monday today before completing his move.
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WHUFC.com
A top ten finish was still in sight during the final month of a long campaign yet results transpired against the Irons toward the end of Big Sam's reign. On paper, the month of May did not look the hardest yet, as has been proved time and again, football does not always go to plan. Three of the Hammers four opponents were battling relegation and the fight for Premier League survival brought the best out of Burnley, Aston Villa and Newcastle United. The Clarets made the journey south to east London knowing only a win would do to ease their relegation fears. Sean Dyche's men made a bright start yet their luck was out when the Hammers were awarded a penalty after Michael Duff tripped Cheikhou Kouyate. An undisputable penalty, yet the resultant red card added insult to injury. Mark Noble stepped up confidently to notch his second goal of the campaign. Unfortunately, that's where the good news ran out for the Hammers. First, Aston Villa proved too much as Tom Cleverley's strike separated the two sides before Everton sought revenge for the FA Cup replay victory back in January.
In an hugely entertaining encounter, the Hammers took the lead through Stewart Downing before Leon Osman's acrobatic finish levelled the proceedings. Persistent menace Romelu Lukaku continued his habit of scoring against the Hammers, however this time he saved himself until the 93rd minute to tap home from close range. The defeat to the Toffees meant a top half finish was possible, yet unlikely. The tense atmosphere surrounding Newcastle United was palpable. Following a dismal run of results, the final relegation spot would be occupied by either the Magpies or Hull City.
John Carver's men went to task to avoid relegation and their efforts were rewarded with second half goals from Moussa Sissoko and Jonas Gutierrez. A mixture of relief and triumph swept over St. James' Park. The final whistle also brought to the end Sam Allardyce's reign as West Ham United manager as it was announced that the 60-year-old's contract would not be renewed. A cliché perhaps, but it really was a season of two halves. Role on 2015/16…
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UEFA Europa League - qualifying draw guide
WHUFC.com
The draws for the first and second qualifying rounds of the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League will be made on Monday, with West Ham United joining 103 other clubs in the hat.
The first qualifying round draw will be made at 12noon UK time on Monday with the second qualifying round draw to follow at 1.30pm UK time, with both being streamed live online at UEFA.com.
The two-legged first qualifying round ties will be played on Thursday 2 and Thursday 9 July on a home and away basis, with the second qualifying round scheduled for Thursday 16 and Thursday 23 July.
Kick-off times are yet to be confirmed.
The Hammers are the only English representative in the draw and one of three clubs to have qualified for the tournament through finishing top of their domestic Fair Play League. The other two, Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles and Irish outfit University College Dublin (UCD), were both relegated last season and are the only clubs in the draw who do not play in their domestic top flight.
How does the draw work?
As is always the case, the draw looks set to be a long, slightly confusing and rather convoluted affair.
The first and second qualifying round draws are not regionalised. However, clubs are split into seeding groups ahead of the draw, with each group containing the same number of seeded and unseeded teams.
Before the draw, a computer system is used to prepare the groups such that teams of the same association are not in the same group and that all groups are similar strength (in terms of coefficient value ranking).
All the clubs in each group are ordered randomly and identified by a number. For this example, West Ham could be randomly selected as a No6. There are only two bowls with numbered balls, one with the seeded numbers and one with the unseeded numbers.
The draw determines the pairs in the groups: e.g. (No6 v No4) which means that West Ham and all the other seeded No6 teams in each group play against the unseeded No4 club of each group. In this scenario, West Ham would be at home in the first leg.
In both draws, each club in each seeding group is allocated a number. Balls containing the seeded numbers are placed in one bowl, with balls for the unseeded numbers in the same group placed in another bowl.
The groupings for the second qualifying round will be made after the first qualifying round draw. The balls representing the winners of each first qualifying round tie will take the coefficient of the seeded club in each tie.
Should West Ham progress, they would have the fifth-highest coefficient value in the second qualifying round draw and would therefore be seeded again.
Why are West Ham United seeded?
Teams are ranked according to their coefficient and further split into seeding groups prior to the draw. England are currently second in the UEFA team ranking table behind Spain, with a lowest possible coefficient value of 16.078 points for any English team participating in European competition.
With no UEFA coefficient points of their own, West Ham have been given this coefficient value in the first qualifying round draw, making the Hammers the highest seeded team in the hat. Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol (14.500) are seeded second, with Norwegian league runners-up Rosenborg BK (11.875) third.
The 52 clubs with the highest coefficient value are seeded, with the other 52 unseeded. Gibraltar Premier Cup winners College Europa (0.300) have the lowest coefficient of the 104 clubs in the first qualifying round draw.
Who could West Ham United draw in the first qualifying round?
As the top seeds, West Ham cannot face any of the other 51 seeded teams in the first qualifying round draw, meaning they will avoid Slaven Bilic's old club Hajduk Split of Croatia and recognisable names such as Rosenborg, Serbians Red Star Belgrade, Scottish sides St Johnstone and Aberdeen and Georgian outfit Dinamo Tbilisi – who defeated the Hammers in the European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals 34 years ago.
Of the unseeded clubs in the draw, who could potentially provide opposition for West Ham on 2 July, Cukaricki Belgrade, who finished third in the Serbian Superliga last season, have the highest coefficient value (3.275). Latvians Skonto Riga (3.100), Norwegian club Odds BK (2.875), Hungarian side MTK Budapest (2.450) and League of Ireland challengers Cork City (1.150) are names which might be familiar to West Ham fans.
The Hammers have faced just one of the unseeded clubs previously in competitive football. 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.
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 likely to be unseeded, as are the the aforementioned Gibraltan Cup College Europa 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.
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. Roll on 22 June!
How do I find out more information?
UEFA have kindly listed all of the qualified teams on their website here.
For more facts and figures about the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League, including how West Ham United could help London match Madrid and Seville's record for the number of tournament wins achieved by clubs from a single city, click here.
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British teams to learn Champions League and Europa League fate
BBC.co.uk
Celtic and West Ham United are among the British clubs who will learn their Champions League and Europa League qualifying round opponents on Monday. The draws for the first two rounds of each will be made in Nyon, with the Scottish champions included at the second stage of the senior competition. Northern Ireland's Crusaders and Wales' The New Saints are in the first round. West Ham are seeded in the first round of Europa League having qualified courtesy of their Fair Play record. First-time Scottish Cup winners Inverness Caledonian Thistle make their debut in European competition in the second round. Aberdeen and St Johnstone, who finished either side of Caley Thistle in the Scottish Premiership, are in the first-round draw. Potential opponents are Northern Ireland's Linfield, Glenavon and cup winners Glentoran - and Welsh trio Bala Town, Airbus UK Broughton and Newtown. University College Dublin, the latter being another Fair Play entrant.
Southampton are one of the clubs who will join the winners in the third qualifying round draw on 17 July, while English Premier League rivals Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur qualified directly for the group stage. Manchester United are in the play-off round of the Champions League, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City already in the group stage of that competition. Dundalk of the Republic of Ireland are in a second qualifying round draw in which Celtic are the second-best ranked club behind Steaua Bucharest of Romania.
The Champions League first qualifying round first leg takes place on 30 June/1 July, with the Europa League starting on 2 July, and the second legs a week later. The second qualifying round of the Champions League is on 14/15 July, with the Europa League on 16 July.
The Champions League final is on 28 May at the San Siro in Milan, while the Europa League finale is on 18 May at St Jakob-Park, Basel.
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AN IDEA FOR OUR FINAL SEASON AT THE BOLEYN GROUND
By Iain Dale 21 Jun 2015 at 17:11 132 comments
Guest Post by HotMort
West Ham till I Die
Why don't we use 2015/15 to let bygones be bygones?
Let's give a big welcome back to all the old Hammers that have played with or managed West Ham over the past 75 years.
I know that many of them are no longer with us, but let's ask the club to offer invitations to all and sundry that are still around, and are willing to come, and let us fans make sure we give each and every one of them a big thank you cheer for their efforts while they played for us. Yes I am referring not only to people like Martin Peters, Sir Trevor Brooking, Geoff Hurst, Carlos Tevez, Paulo Di Canio and Dean Ashton and many more favourites like them, but let's also include those who fell out of favour for various reasons, some perhaps more justified than others, the likes of Frank Lampard, Paul Ince, and particularly Harry Rednap. Let us not exclude anyone. Let's show them all a real West Ham welcome and a big thank you for the efforts that they all put in to entertain us at Upton Park over the past 75 years.
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West Ham eye transfer of Zdravko Kuzmanovic from Inter Milan
22:30, 21 JUNE 2015
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Hammers hope to land 27-year-old midfielder who has been capped 50 times by Serbia on loan from the Italian giants PLUS: Dmitri Payet latest
The Mirror
West Ham are considering an audacious loan move for Inter Milan midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic. The 27-year-old has been capped 50 times by Serbia, but is understood to be among a number of players at the rebuilding Italian giants up for grabs this summer. A successful move for Kuzmanovic would be a coup for the Hammers, who have already signalled their intention to back new boss Slaven Bilic in a season that will end with their prestige move to the Olympic Stadium The East London club already have a bid of £14million on the table for Marseille winger Dmitri Payet, who would become their second biggest signing ever behind Andy Carroll. They also offered a huge deal to free agent Ghana forward Andre Ayew - which included a £2m signing on fee - before they were gazumped by Swansea, who came in with an even bigger offer. There are concerns at Upton Park over the amount of money being demanded for Payet. But the France international had the highest number of assists in the French League last season and is very versatile - able to play out wide or centrally. West Ham start pre-season training on Monday, when they also find out who they have been drawn against in the first qualifying round of the Europa League - which begins on July 2.
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Charlie Austin transfer: Crystal Palace refusing to pay £15m for the QPR striker
18:08, 21 JUNE 2015
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
Alan Pardew is in for front-man also being linked with West Ham, Newcastle and Liverpool but Selhurst Park money-men won't meet his current asking price
The mirror
Crystal Palace's board are ready to put the block on Alan Pardew's move for Charlie Austin. Eagles boss Pardew wants QPR striker Austin and is prepared to scrap it out with Liverpool, Newcastle and West Ham for his signature. Rangers have slapped a £15m price-tag on their star man. However, the Selhurst Park club's money-men believe that valuation is too high, leaving Pardew facing frustration in his attempts to bring Austin south of the river. Relegated QPR won't budge on their asking price for Austin, with plenty of interest in their star man and on the back of his brilliant debut Premier League campaign. Austin bagged 18 goals in a struggling side to force his way into Roy Hodgson's England squad and almost certainly earn himself a big-money move this summer. But Palace will have to drop out of the race and look elsewhere unless the top brass change their present stance.
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West Ham facing TWO Europa League trips to Kazakhstan totalling over 13,000 miles in ONE week
17:27, 21 JUNE 2015
BY NEIL MCLEMAN
Worst possible result for first and second qualifying round draws would send Hammers to Almaty for July 9 second leg and to Shymkent for next stage's opener
The Mirror
West Ham face the nightmare scenario of two trips to Borat's glorious homeland in Kazakhstan before the start of the Premier League when the draw for Europa League qualifying is made on Monday.
New manager Slaven Bilic's Hammers will need to play TWENTY-THREE matches to win the trophy in Switzerland next May, including six qualifying matches before their domestic season even starts at Arsenal on the second weekend in August.
Former Irons boss Sam Allardyce quickly regretted taking his squad halfway round the world to New Zealand last summer, where the Hammers suffered two embarrassing defeats and an injury that knocked striker Andy Carroll out until November.
But after qualifying for the Europa League next season via the Fair Play table, the East London club could rack up nearly as many air miles as on that trip Down Under if they get a bad draw.
West Ham are the top-seeded club and can face any of the 51 unseeded clubs from across continental Europe — and beyond.
InstagramAndy Carroll with James CollinsBad trip: Hammer's New Zealand tour saw Andy Carroll (left) suffer another injury
The worst draw would be to play Kazakhstan Cup winners Kairat, who are based in the city of Almaty - 3,482 miles from the Boleyn Ground.
And they would have to be very unlucky to then get the other team from comedy character Borat's homeland, Ordabasy, in the second qualifying round.
Although, they are from Shymkent, which is 'only' 3,211 miles away. Niiiiice.
Trips to Latvia, Lithuania, Gibraltar, Armenia and Georgia are also on offer.
Better for West Ham players and their fans would be facing Welsh Premier League side Newtown (208 miles away) or fellow Welsh sides Airbus UK Broughton (214 miles) and Bala Town (221 miles).
More clubs and destinations are entered in the draw for each successive round (see below).
West Ham also return to training on Monday, though Bilic is set to use Under-21 and fringe senior players in the opening Europa games.
Paul GilhamThey fly so high... Where will Monday's draw send Sam Allardyce's former players?
New midfield signing Pedro Obiang, who will meet his new team-mates on Monday after his move from Italians Sampdoria, said: "I'll be keeping a close eye on the Europa League draw.
"I came here to try to achieve big things with this Club and the UEFA Europa League is the first chance to do just that."
Ex-Birmingham keeper Darren Randolph and former Manchester City midfielder Martin Samuelson, 18, have already been signed.
West Ham have also made an improved £14m offer for Marseille forward Dimitri Payet, and there is also interest in QPR striker Charlie Austin.
But speaking to the club's official website, Bilic said: "We will not rush, just for the sake of buying. We have to be very, very clever with that.
"We can't afford to buy players just for the sake of buying. But we're going to try and be active - but only if those players are better than the ones we already have."
West Ham fans! At what stage will you start paying attention to your Europa League campaign?
West Ham will have to play TWENTY-THREE Europa League matches between July 2 and May 18 to lift the trophy.
A total of 48 teams will contest the groups stages from September. Sixteen of those are automatic qualifiers, including Liverpool and Tottenham, and 10 teams will join the competiton from the Champions League after failing to get through that competition's qualifiers. The remaining 22 will come from the Europa's qualifying process - which starts on July 2.
Southampton enter at the third-round qualifying stage, the first legs of which are to played on July 30.
Martin RoseFC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk v FC SevillaWho's next? West Ham have a long road to succeed Sevilla as Europa League winners
DATES
First qualifying round July 2 and 9 (starts with 102 clubs, including West Ham).
Second qualifying round July 16 and 23 (the 51 first-round winners, plus 15 more clubs).
Third qualifying round July 30 and August 6 (the 33 second-round winners, plus 25 more clubs, including Southampton).
Playoffs August 20 and 27 (the 29 third-round winners, plus 15 Champions League playoff losers).
Group stages Six matches between September 17 and December 10.
Round of 32 February 18 and 25.
Round of 16 March 10 and 17.
Quarter-finals April 7 and 14.
Semi-finals April 18 and May 5.
Final May 18, at St Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland.
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Dimitri Payet update
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Football agent Muzzi Ozcan has entered the debate again about Dimitri Payet by commenting further on social media.
"Payet would move to West Ham … It's all down to two clubs agreeing Good Night" said Muzzi
He then added "Don't worry I am not hacked this time ….. So which West Ham fan is going to write Muzzi Ozcan on there shirt ?"
The security advisor to FA who also claimed to be a player advisor/broker announced the player had signed for West Ham earlier this week before quickly deleting his tweet and claiming his twitter account had been hacked.
Meanwhile the highly connected Jason Burt has claimed in the Sunday Telegraph that West Ham has tabled an improved £14m bid for the highly rated play maker.
Burt told his readers "West Ham United have bid £14 million for French international Dimitri Payet in a significant statement of intent from the club. An offer of £12 million has already been rejected by Payet's club Marseille but West Ham remain determined to sign the 28-year-old winger and on Saturday submitted an improved proposal. Payet has earned nine full caps for France and, although West Ham are concerned at paying such a high fee for a player his age, they do want to push through the deal.
"Payet, who achieved the most number of assists in the French league last season, joined Marseille from Lille in 2013 for around €11 million (£7.9 million) and has previously played for Saint-Etienne – during which time he was strongly linked with a move to Chelsea – having started his career with Nantes.
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Hammers admit making "incredible offer"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Slaven Bilic and West Ham's board won't budge from their top priority transfer market position when they meet tomorrow (Mon) and will "move heaven and earth" to bring in Dimitri Payet and Carl Jenkinson to the club. The three men have already agreed over long distance calls that the priorities are a creative midfielder, the right back and Alex Song as their first choice as the defensive midfielder.
Slav has made it clear the team needs a top quality creative midfielder in Payet-680x453Payet and is very keen for the Irons negotiating team to bring Jenks back to the club on loan. And that means a move for Charlie Austin is unlikely having been described to us as "not a priority at this stage of proceedings."
Although admitting to ClaretandHugh earlier this afternoon that the Payet deal is still some way off, we have been told in the last few minutes that "an incredible offer had been made for the player." Our source said: "It is not the £14 million mentioned in some media today but it is an incredible offer. The player wants to Songscome here. "Once we hopefully get that done we can look at getting the Jenkinson and Song moves settled- these are the agreed priorities between us." Questioned directly on the alleged interest in Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin we were told: "It's not realistic at this stage. There are several other positions we need to cover more urgently."
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Midfielder signing: "There's still some way to go."
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham United are this afternoon insisting that there remains "some way to go" on negotiations to bring Dimitri Payet to Upton Park.
Speculation that a deal is close and even that the Irons have upped their bid to £14 million for the midfield playmaker have been circulating throughout the day.
But a key ClaretandHugh insider explained a few minutes ago: "We have made it clear in the past few days that despite some difficulties – as is usually the case in these deals – we remain keen on the player.
"However, we have several other options because it's not straightforward and currently the player remains away in Mauritius.
"As for the fee, we believed £12 million for a 28 year old was too much at the outset although it would not be helpful to get into figures while talks continue. However, this is a player we really do like."
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Kara deal hits work permit snag
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
According to the Sun on Sunday, West Ham's bid for Senegalese centre half Kara Mbodj has hit a work permit snag. The tabloid claims that although the Hammers are prepared to pay Genk £4m for the defender, the 25 year old can not get a work permit until August.
FA rules mean only players from the top 50 ranked nations are eligible for a work permit. Although Senegal are currently rated 36th in the world by FIFA but outside the top 50 using the FA's two year average. That will change in a couple of months but West Ham may look elsewhere.
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Slav: "We have to be very, very clever"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Slaven Bilic has given his transfer market thinking ahead of what promises to be an intriguing summer.
And despite the urgency which some believe surrounds new arrivals, the new manager is refusing to get involved in frenzied thinking or activity.
Speaking to the official website Bilic said: "We will not rush just for the sake of buying. We have to be very, very clever with that. We can't afford to buy players just for the sake of buying.
"But we're going to try and be active, but only if those players are better than the ones we already have."
Pedro Obiang has already arrived along with back-up keeper Darren Randolph on a free transfer from Birmingham and youngster Martin Samuelson from Manchester City.
The club – as is always the case – have been linked with numerous target seem focused on acquisitions to beef up a midfield area that lacks pace and creativity with the likes of captain Kevin Nolan expected to move on after four years of great service.
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Irons linked with Inter midfielder
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
According to reports in Italy Inter midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic is wanted by West Ham.
Inter are open to selling players to help finance a spending spree which has seen an agreement reached with Monaco over Geoffrey Kondogbia.Kuzmanovic is said to be available for the right price.
Italian daily, Gazzetta dello Sport, says Kuzmanovic will have no end of potential destinations if he does move.
The 27-year-old is said to have interest from bothWest Ham and Watford, while in the Bundesliga, Schalke, Werder Bremen and Borussia Monchengladbach are also keen. Kuzmanovic played in Germany before moving to Inter in 2013. Kuzmanovic is a Serbian international despite being born in Switzerland and started his senior career with FC Basel. He joined Fiorentina in 2007, before then heading to Germany with Stuttgart.
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Jenkinson wants Hammers return
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham fan and Talksport presenter Ian Abrahams caught up with Carl Jenkinson yesterday at the England U21 training camp ahead of their match against Sweden tonight at 5pm in European U21 Championships.
According to the Moose, Jenks has told Abrahams that "He loved last year at Upton Park & wants to come back"
ESPN claim that Arsenal are ready to hand Carl Jenkinson a new contract extension before sending him out on loan again. The 23-year-old has found his path blocked into the Arsenal first team by the arrivals of Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers last summer. Jenkinson's current contract is due to expire in 2018.
Sunderland are thought to have agreed a loan fee with Arsenal but the player prefers to stay in the capital with West Ham his first choice. Southampton are also thought to be interested in signing the right back on loan.
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Sullivan jnr may have dropped Austin hint
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham may be left to slug it out with Chelsea for £15 million rated Charlie Austin as rumours grow that the Queens Park Rangers striker wants to stay in London.
Newcastle boss Steve McClaren is a big admirer but is trying to find out whether the 25 year old is open for a move to the north east.
Austin himself threw a shadow over those hopes when, after being linked to a move to Tyneside, tweeted: 'Honestly where do people get this stuff from'.
However, West Ham United and Chelsea are also keeping an eye on Berkshire-born Austin who was named in Roy Hodgson's last England squad.
Austin interests Chelsea and the speculation linking us with last season's 18 goal hitman increased when bookies suspended the betting on him signing an Upton Park deal.
And that may well have been helped by David Sullivan's son Jack writing in his column on the official site: " We could buy someone for £15m but it has to be right for the football club."
However, Jose Mourinho is looking for a reliable forward to understudy Diego Costa at Stamford Bridge following the departure of Didier Drogba. Loic Remy and Patrick Bamford are the other senior forwards on the club's books.
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West Ham return to training early as they prepare for Europa League qualifiers
The Independent
JAMES MARINER Author Biography Sunday 21 June 2015
West Ham United will return to pre-season training earlier than every other Premier League side on Monday as they prepare to discover their opponents for next week's Europa League first qualifying round. The London side qualified for the competition through last season's Fair Play Table and are seeded in the lunchtime draw for what will be Slaven Bilic's first game in charge after succeeding Sam Allardyce for the club's final season at Upton Park. The opening leg of the Hammers' first European campaign in nine years will take place on 2 July, with the return taking place seven days later. Their seeding will keep them from being drawn with Bilic's former side Hadjuk Split, as well as Rosenborg, Dinamo Tbilsi and Red Star Belgrade. Potential opponents for West Ham include Cukaricki Belgrade, Odds BK, College Europa, of Gibraltar, Irish side Cork City, Welsh outfits Newtown, Bala Town and Airbus UK Broughton, along with FC Lahti.
The longest potential trip for Hammers fans would be to Kairat, based almost 3,500 miles away in Kazakhstan, with compatriots Ordabasy marginally closer to east London. The club's last European campaign lasted just two matches, losing 4-0 on aggregate to Italian side Palermo in September 2006 in the first round of what was then the Uefa Cup. Their last victory on the continent came in September 1999, a 3-1 Uefa Cup win away to Croatian side Osijek – goals coming from Paul Kitson, Neil Ruddock and Marc-Vivien Foe.
Scottish Premiership sides Aberdeen and St Johnstone are also included in the draw, during which the pairings for the second qualifying rounds, to be played later next month, will also be determined. Southampton enter the competition at the third qualifying stage at the end of July, while Liverpool and Tottenham both go straight into August's draw for the group stages, which run from September to December. This season's final takes place in Basel, Switzerland, next May. The holders are Seville, who last month beat Dnipro for a fourth title in the last decade.
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Alex Song latest: Chelsea and Manchester City join West Ham in race to sign Barcelona man
The Independent
KONSTANTINOS LIANOS Sunday 21 June 2015
West Ham are poised to sign Barcelona midfielder Alex Song but could face some tough competition from Chelsea and Manchester City.
The Hammers wish to buy the former Arsenal player on a free transfer in exchange of taking his entire £70,000-a-week wages in a three-year contract. The Cameroonian is valued at around £5million and still has two more years left with Barca, who might have to pay a share of his current salary if no club is willing to take it on. The 27-year-old has also turned heads at Chelsea and Manchester City, especially due to his status as a home-grown player, but it is not yet certain if any of them are willing to pay any fees. Song moved to Upton Park last summer on a loan deal and was magnificent during the first half of the season - he also featured as the Hammers' captain on a few occassions. Reports suggest that he has also received offers from Italy but he prefers to stay in London, with new manager Slaven Bilic attempting to convince him to join permanently. West Ham are also looking to sign Marseille winger Dimitri Payet, who produced the most assists of last season's Ligue 1, and are also waiting for the Under-21 European Championship to end to find out if Carl Jenkinson will be returning to Sunderland.
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West Ham confident improved £14m bid will lure Marseille's Dimitri Payet
The Guardian
Dominic Fifield
Sunday 21 June 2015 14.11 BST Last modified on Sunday 21 June 2015 20.35 BST
West Ham United are confident their improved offer for Dimitri Payet will force through the transfer of the Marseille forward. The player is understood to be keen to leave the Stade Vélodrome for a new challenge in the Premier League.
The club's second offer amounts to around £14m for a player capped 15 times by France; an initial bid nearer £12m was rejected. The French club's squad are undergoing something of a revamp after failing to qualify for next season's Champions League; this failure prompted an automatic wage drop for players with Payet, 28, due to lose around £12,000 a week.
André Ayew and André-Pierre Gignac have left for Swansea and the Mexican club Tigres respectively under freedom of contract while the midfielder Giannelli Imbula is attracting interest from Italy. The Marseille coach, Marcelo Bielsa, had hoped Payet's deal would be renegotiated but the temptation of a move to England – after Everton had previously shown interest – is believed to have turned his head.
A four-year contract has been offered with terms of around £70,000 a week. Payet can operate across the front line as well as in a No10 role and contributed the most assists in Ligue 1 last season. He would join the Spain Under-21 international Pedro Obiang, who moved from Sampdoria to Upton Park for £4.6m. The West Ham board is anxious to demonstrate ambition to the new manager, Slaven Bilic, before the club's final season at the Boleyn Ground.
The need to reinforce is increased by West Ham competing in the Europa League, via the fair play rule. The draw for the first qualifying round takes place todayon Monday and their competitive season will begin on 2 July. Interest is retained in Barcelona's Alex Song, who spent last season on loan at West Ham. The Catalan club are seeking around £5m for the midfielder, who was impressive over the first half of last season, though there is a reluctance to meet that fee.
Meanwhile the Monaco midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbiathe Monaco midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia is set to disappoint clubs in the Premier League and sign a five-year contract at Internazionale after the clubs agreed a fee of £22m for the France international.
Both Arsenal, against whom he excelled in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 fixture last season, and Tottenham Hotspur have tracked the 22-year-old's progress but the only firm bids were submitted by Inter and their rivals, Milan. Kondogbia, a France international, is due to undertake a medical on Monday today before completing his move.
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Sunday, June 21
Daily WHUFC News - 21st June 2015
On this day - 21 June
WHUFC.com
Anniversary
Name: Stuart Pearson
Born: Cottingham, 21 June 1949
Clubs: Hull City, Manchester United, West Ham United
International: England - 15 caps, five goals
Former England international and West Ham United forward Stuart Pearson was
born on this day 66 years ago. A skilful forward who played in three FA Cup
finals - two for Manchester United and one for the Hammers - he started his
career in his home county of Yorkshire with Hull City. After 44 goals in 129
league games, Manchester United signed him for a £200,000 fee in 1974 and he
was instrumental in getting them promoted back to the top flight, notching
17 times in his first season. He was in the Red Devils side that lost the
1976 FA Cup final to Southampton, but helped them make up for it the
following year when they beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley. Pearson moved on to
the Hammers in 1979 and his cross-shot set up Trevor Brooking's winning goal
in the 1980 FA Cup final victory over Arsenal. He notched six goals in 34
league appearances for West Ham before being forced to retire in 1982 due to
a knee injury.
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Obiang's European ambitions
WHUFC.com
West Ham United new boy Pedro Obiang will be a keen observer when the Europa
League draw is made on Monday, in the hope that the Hammers will be showing
off the newly-launched Boleyn Kit across the continent this season. The
23-year-old Spaniard is already a fan of the Hammers' final season home kit
and wants his new Club to do it justice in the final season at the Boleyn
Ground. Obiang is understandably keen to get started in Claret and Blue and
says anticipation is growing as pre-season draws nearer. "I'm looking to
forward to living in London and having that first experience of English
football when we start training," he confirmed. "That's obviously going to
be my first opportunity to meet the manager and my new colleagues as well.
"I'll be keeping a close eye on the Europa League draw on Monday. As I've
said previously, I came here to try to achieve big things with this Club and
the UEFA Europa League is the first chance to do just that. "The new kit's
great and I think it suits me too! I really like the colours and hopefully
we can show them off across Europe this season. "The fact that this year's
shirt is based on the first [Boleyn Ground] kit is a very nice way to say
goodbye to the Boleyn Ground. I am definitely looking forward to wearing it
for the first time. Just talking about it makes the prospect even more
exciting."
There is also the small matter of a Barclays Premier League curtain raiser
at Arsenal to contemplate and Obiang reckons a stern examination first up is
no bad thing. He continued: "I think it's great to start against a big club,
it's the perfect way to test the team early on in the season. But for now,
I'm just thinking about trying to get ready and work my way into the first
eleven for this game."
That trip to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday 8 August could well mark
Obiang's Premier League bow and the former Sampdoria midfielder could
scarcely hide his excitement. "Seeing the fixtures the other day really
brought it home to me. It was like a dream thinking about all the teams
we'll be up against. I've seen these teams on television and now I have the
chance to play against them. It is very exciting for me."
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Hammers snap up highly-rated youngster
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of highly rated
striker Martin Samuelsen on a two year deal. The Norwegian 18-year-old joins
from Manchester City, where he was a member of their Elite Development
Squad. Samuelsen said: "I'm very pleased to have signed for West Ham United.
I'm just really looking forward to getting started next season. "I can't
wait to pull on the new shirt and get playing in it."
Having impressed coaches at the West Ham United Academy while on trial at
the back end of last season, Samuelsen has signed a contract keeping him in
east London until June 2017, with an option to extend for a further two
years. The talented forward had been at City since 2012, and has
represented his native Norway at U16, U17 and U18 level. He continued to
say, "When I was on trial here at the end of last season, I was amazed at
the individual planning for each player. They have a great plan for each
player. The atmosphere there is very good. "After many conversations with
Terry Westley and the other coaches at the Academy, they convinced me that
West Ham was the right place to be. "I like to get physical and I like the
direct way of playing so in that way the English style of play suits me. I
really like watching Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, of course but my
main role model is Michael Laudrup." "First of all I want to play well for
the U21s and get goals and assists. Overall I want to help the team do well
and maybe lift the league title. "It would be great to make my first team
debut here at the Boleyn Ground. I've seen the plans for the new Stadium and
they look amazing, it's a very exciting time to join West Ham."
With clubs across Europe interested in Samuelsen's signature, Academy
manager and head of coaching and player development Terry Westley spoke of
his delight at the capture: "Martin is a very interesting character. He can
play as a No9 or No10. As a young prodigy at 14, Real Madrid, Chelsea and
Manchester City were all trying to sign him. "He's gone through a real
growth and development recently. We see the potential in this boy and we're
so pleased that we managed to persuade him to come. He had a number of
Italian and German clubs interested in him yet he decided to join us. "He
massively impressed us when he came on trial late last year, he's got great
professionalism and he's a very bright boy. He has to set his sights on
impressing the new manager during pre-season and the Europa League."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Valencia scores in Ecuador win
WHUFC.com
Enner Valencia scored his second goal of Ecuador's Copa America campaign to
help his side defeat Mexico 2-1 in their final Group A fixture. La Tri must
now wait for the conclusion of the other two groups to see if they will
progress as one of the two best third-placed teams. Ecuador needed the
victory to give themselves any chance of reaching the quarter-finals and
Valencia's 13th goal for his country played a big part in keeping their
hopes alive. Mexico were also winless in their campaign going into the game
in Rancagua and Miller Bolanos' 26th minute goal for Ecuador did not help
their cause. Valencia doubled the advantage with 57 minutes played and
although Raul Jimenez pulled one back from the spot, Ecuador held firm for
the three points. In Friday's other Group A fixture, Chile thrashed Bolivia
5-0 to ensure they would finish top of the standings.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Roy Hodgson: Andy Carroll can regain his England place
Last Updated: 21/06/15 1:19am
SSN
England boss Roy Hodgson has told Andy Carroll that he can win his place
back in the national side if the striker can start the upcoming Premier
League campaign with a bang. The West Ham forward's name came back into
Hodgson's mind after his side's 3-2 win over Slovenia in their European
Championship qualifier last weekend when asked whether Jack Wilshere's
second stunning goal was the best of his England tenure. Hodgson said he
remembered Carroll's header in England's second European Championship group
game in 2012 against Sweden when the big striker rose to beat his marker in
the centre of the box and nodded in Steven Gerrard's pin-point cross to set
his side on their way to a 3-2 victory. Since that tournament, however,
Carroll has played just 62 minutes of international football and, despite
repeated calls from then-Hammers boss Sam Allardyce, he was left out of
Hodsgon's World Cup squad last year, with the manager opting for Rickie
Lambert instead. However, despite another injury-plagued season last year,
Hodgson would welcome the towering forward back into the fold, and dismissed
fears England would revert to long-ball tactics with the former Newcastle
man in the starting 11. "I don't close doors," Hodgson said when asked about
the possibility of a recall for Carroll. "Rickie did a very good job for us,
Charlie Austin has been with us and I am not going to be so hung up where I
say: 'unless you are a certain type of footballer there is no chance for
you'. "If Andy can recapture his form, you know how much of a handful he is
as a player, so who knows? He could quite easily become a player we look at.
"That is up to him. He has been very unfortunate with injuries, I can only
hope he can recover from his injuries in the same way that Phil Jones and
Jack Wilshere have."
Carroll, who scored five goals in 16 appearances last term is said to be on
the radar of a number of clubs this summer, including former side Newcastle.
But, as Hodgson pointed out, he faces stiff competition to regain his
England place. A couple of years ago, the Three Lions boss was bemoaning the
lack of strikers available to him, but now he is blessed with several
options. Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge are all
certainties when fully fit. Theo Walcott is doing his chances no harm as a
striker with his form for Arsenal, and there are three goal scorers who are
ready to step up from the U21 squad. Saido Berahino and Danny Ings scored 25
Premier League goals between them last season and Hodgson confirmed Harry
Kane would have been in the senior squad for the games against Slovenia and
the Republic of Ireland had he not gone to the European U21 Championship.
Austin also appears to have a future with England despite failing to make
his debut this month. "Charlie has shown us in training that he has
qualities, but I can't guarantee players a game when they get called up,"
Hodgson said. The England boss said he cannot guarantee a call up to any
youngster who impresses in the Czech Republic either. "The field is open as
long as they realise this group here is doing pretty well so it's not just a
question of: 'well you have played well for the U21s, you had a good
tournament you will automatically be there' because it's going to be hard
for me to throw some of these out to make way for them," the England manager
said. John Stones, Luke Shaw and Kane will be called up for the next
double-header against San Marino and Switzerland, provided they avoid injury
this summer, Hodgson added.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham backed to sign QPR striker Charlie Austin
Last Updated: 20/06/15 9:42pm
SSN
West Ham have been cut to odds-on to sign Charlie Austin this summer, with
Sky Bet reporting a surge of interest in the QPR striker's future. The
bookmaker have cut the Hammers from 5/1 to just 1/5 to land the striker,
with former favourites Chelsea and Newcastle drifting to 5/1 apiece. Where
will Charlie Austin head this summer? Find Sky Bet's odds on the striker's
future here. Southampton and Liverpool have also previously been linked with
Austin but are no longer considered to be in contention at 8/1 and 12/1
respectively, while he is 20/1 to still be a QPR player come the close of
the summer transfer window. The 25-year-old was called up to Roy Hodgson's
latest England squad but failed to make his international debut, left as an
unused substitute for the 0-0 friendly draw with Ireland and 3-2 European
Championships qualifying win in Slovenia. Sky Bet's Chris Spicer said:
"Chelsea and Newcastle had been attracting the majority of the interest to
sign Austin but all the money is now going on West Ham, prompting us to
slash their odds."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alex Song being tracked by Chelsea and Manchester City
Last Updated: 21/06/15 8:44am
SSN
Chelsea and Manchester City have held talks about signing Alex Song from
Barcelona, according to Sky sources. The two Premier League heavyweights are
particularly interested in Song because he qualifies as a home-grown player
even though he played for Cameroon. Song, who spent last year on loan at
West Ham United, has two years left on his Barcelona contract. West Ham are
still hopeful of turning their loan agreement into a permanent transfer but
Sky sources understand there is interest from several other clubs –
including Chelsea and City. The 27-year-old, who spent six seasons with
Arsenal before moving to Catalonia three years ago, made 28 Premier League
appearances for the Hammers last season. Barcelona, who paid £15m for the
player, are believed to be looking for a fee of around £5m from any
transfer. His contract at the Nou Camp is believed to be worth
£70,000-per-week.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham sign ex-Manchester City striker Martin Samuelsen
Last Updated: 20/06/15 1:42pm
SSN
West Ham have given a two-year contract to former Manchester City trainee
Martin Samuelsen. The Norway youth striker spent three years at City's
academy and impressed during a trial at West Ham at the end of last season.
His contract runs until 2017 with the option of a further two years. "I'm
very pleased to have signed for West Ham United," Samuelsen, 18, told the
club website. "I'm just really looking forward to getting started next
season. "When I was on trial here at the end of last season, I was amazed at
the individual planning for each player. They have a great plan for each
player. The atmosphere there is very good. "First of all I want to play well
for the U21s and get goals and assists. Overall I want to help the team do
well and maybe lift the league title. It would be great to make my first
team debut here at the Boleyn Ground. I've seen the plans for the new
Stadium and they look amazing, it's a very exciting time to join West Ham."
Academy boss Terry Westley said: "Martin is a very interesting character. He
can play as a No 9 or No 10. As a young prodigy at 14, Real Madrid, Chelsea
and Manchester City were all trying to sign him. "He's gone through a real
growth and development recently. We see the potential in this boy and we're
so pleased that we managed to persuade him to come. He had a number of
Italian and German clubs interested in him yet he decided to join us."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
BILIC – THE RIGHT APPOINTMENT OR DRIVEN BY SENTIMENT?
By Iain Dale 21 Jun 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
Guest Post by Ben Smith
The job of any football manager is to ensure that he leaves the club in a
better position than he found it. Whatever your personal thoughts and
opinions of Sam Allardyce no body can deny that he achieved this. After
taking over a team newly relegated to the Championship he got West Ham back
in to the Premier League at the first attempt admittedly not with the style
and panache the majority of us would like. However there is no doubt that
this achievement helped starve off financial Armageddon. When you bear in
mind the problems the likes of former Premier League sides such as
Portsmouth, Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Leicester City have
encountered then this achievement is not to be sniffed at.
After a very creditable 10th place finish on their return to the Premier
League he consolidated West Ham's Premier League status with 13th and 12th
place finishes, again achievements not to be glossed over. To the outsider
many would call that success for a club of our size. I wouldn't necessarily
endorse that view as although I am not privy to the playing or staffing
budget at the club I would imagine West Ham would have run a top 8/10 budget
last season. If we assume that is the case and, even if that isn't true, I
think the majority of us would agree that West Ham are carrying a bigger
payroll than the likes of Swansea City and Southampton.
However, that debate is for another day. As Sam Allardyce so modestly stated
in The Sun a couple of weeks ago he has left the club in a decent position
to build and progress in the near future. The question I am posing is this:
Is Slaven Bilic the right man to build on these solid foundations and create
an exciting, attractive and exuberant team to take the club into the Olympic
Stadium?
If we are going to fill 54,000 seats every fortnight there is a huge
responsibility on the manager to excite the supporters and give them the
style of play they have craved so much over the last few years.
Slaven Bilic is something of a cult hero to a lot of Hammers fans during his
relatively short spell at the club. Obviously without wishing to denigrate
his achievements I'm not sure 48 Premier League appearances in 18 months
makes you a legend. However, I do appreciate that the fact he delayed his
move to Everton until we had ensured our Premier League survival will have
endeared him to our supporters.
When you initially look at his managerial career it looks pretty impressive.
He skilfully managed a very talented Croatia team to two European
Championship finals and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2010 World
Cup.
However the jury is out on his record as a club manager. After Croatia he
moved on to Lokomotiv Moscow where he presided over their lowest finish,
which was ninth, since the forming of the new Russian League in 1992. This
was followed up with 2 years in Turkey managing Besiktas. Similar to many
European leagues the Turkish 'Super Lig' is dominated by three teams. The
aforementioned Besiktas, Galatasary and Fenerbache. He failed to wrestle the
title from these two and also missed out on a Champions League place for the
2015/16 season.
However dig a little deeper and there were some mitigating circumstances.
During his two-year tenure not once did Bilic manage a conventional 'home'
game. Besiktas BJK Inonu Stadyumu has been renovated for the last 2 years
and they have been forced to play all home games over 300km away.
Much like the West Ham way Besiktas also managed to grasp defeat from the
jaws of victory in the 2014/15 season leading the Championship with just 5
weeks of the season remaining before capitulating to finish eight points
behind eventual champions Galatasary.
My argument is this, if West Ham appointed a foreign manager with a similar
record but no connections to the club would the supporters be as enamoured
as they are now?
Have Messrs Gold, Sullivan played to the crowd and given the people what
they want rather than what they need? Bilic is known for being very
charismatic and willing to engage with the fan base. Not a bad man to have
in charge when you are leading a huge drive to attract more people to a new
stadium.
Some may argue the Bilic was the best candidate for the manager's job. There
were a lot of names being mentioned which were, in my opinion, unrealistic.
I don't think anyone really thought Rafa Benitez (although I wouldn't have
personally wanted him), Carlo Ancellotti or Jurgen Klopp would come to West
Ham.
When you take away these names Bilic was arguably as good as any and
definitely the most marketable. My preference would have been Marcelo Bielsa
although probably not recognisable enough to the layman this is a man who
has built up a reputation over a number of years of playing aggressive,
attractive and intelligent football a perfect fit for the Hammers. He is
also Pep Guardiolas mentor, which is not a bad endorsement.
A good alternative for me would have been Gus Poyet. He created an excellent
footballing side at Brighton although didn't quite have the same success at
Sunderland. Although bearing in mind his playing history I am not sure how
much sympathy there would have been for him if results suffered.
All of this is not to say that I cannot see the thought behind this
appointment. I hope as much as the next man that Slaven goes on to have a
very successful career at West Ham and gets the team playing the type of
fluid exciting football the club has craved.
I would just argue that if you took away those 48 Premier League appearances
in the mid 1990's I'm not sure his CV would have got him anywhere near the
job.
Time will tell….
*Ben Smith is a West Ham fan and played professional football for Crawley,
Yeovil, Hereford and many other lower league teams. He currently coaches at
Brighton and has written a bestselling book called JOURNEYMAN: One Man's
Odyssey Through the Lower Leagues of English Football. You can buy it for
only £8.99 HERE
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THE START OF OUR SEASON IS ONLY 12 DAYS AWAY
By Iain Dale 20 Jun 2015 at 09:19
West Ham Till I Die
It's incredible to think that our season starts in less than a fortnight
with the first qualifying round of the Europa League. We will discover the
identity of our opponents on Monday in a live televised draw. I am praying
that the first leg is at home, but I fear that as we are top seeds that
won't be the case. The reason is that because my LBC radio show runs from
4-8pm I can never go to evening matches at Upton Park, but it just so
happens that I'm covering the Breakfast Show that week. Fingers crossed.
I suspect the team that Bilic puts out will be very different to the one
which plays at Arsenal on the first day of the Premier League season. One
question is whether Enner Valencia will be available to play. Equador have
been elimnated from the Copa America despite a 2-1 win over Mexico in which
Valencia scored. However, one assumes he will need a break before returning
to England. So we only have one striker – Diafra Sakho, who has presumably
recovered from his injury. Elliot Lee is the only other striker on our books
at the moment who is fit to play.
So this is the team which Bilic will probably pick…
Adrian
O'Brien
Cressell
Reid
Tomkins
Kouyate
Noble
Obiang
Downing
Amalfitano
Sakho
Or do you think Nolan might play instead of Obiang?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Charlie Austin transfer: West Ham set to beat Newcastle to QPR hitman's
signature
22:30, 20 JUNE 2015
BY NEIL MOXLEY
The Geordies made a £10m bid and Southampton are keen too but Slaven Bilic
is bookies' favourite to land striker who scored 18 goals for a struggling
side last season
The Mirror
West Ham are closing in on Charlie Austin of Queens Park Rangers, writes
Neil Moxley in the Sunday People. The Hammers are hot favourites to sign the
striker as new boss Slaven Bilic's spending plan clicks into gear. On
Saturday afternoon, bookmakers even suspended betting on him moving to Upton
Park. Newcastle made a £10million opening offer and Southampton are also
keen on Austin, 25, who scored 18 Premier League goals last term for a QPR
side that ended up getting relegated. The Irons' co-owner David Sullivan is
desperate to guarantee top-flight football in what will be West Ham's first
season at London's Olympic Stadium in 2016-17. Former bricklayer Austin was
plying his trade in the ninth tier of English football as recently as 2009.
His meteoric rise through the divisions with Swindon, Burnley and now QPR
culminated in a call-up to the England squad to face the Republic of Ireland
and Slovenia earlier this month.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's pre-season starts MONDAY as players report before Europa League
clash in two weeks
22:30, 20 JUNE 2015
BY DEAN JONES
The Hammers qualified via the Fair Play League and could play up to SIX
qualifiers before the Premier League season kicks off on August 8
The Mirror
West Ham will begin preparations for the Europa League when players return
for pre-season training on Monday. Their domestic season ended just 28 days
ago, but after qualifying for European football via the Fair Play League,
Upton Park chiefs want to make sure they hit the ground running. New boss
Slaven Bilic will get the chance to cast his eye over a selection of
players, who will check-in at their Chadwell Heath training base in the
morning in preparation for the Europa League campaign – which gets underway
on July 2. The draw will take place on Monday lunchtime in Switzerland. It
is expected that the Hammers will largely use their best youngsters as well
as fringe players for the first few matches. The second leg of the first
qualifying round will be on July 9, with subsequent two-leg rounds set for
July 16/23, July 30/August 6 and August 20/27, before group-stage play
begins in mid-September. Some senior players will be given a longer break
before joining up. It is possible that West Ham will play six matches in
Europe before the new Premier League season starts with a trip to Arsenal.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aston Villa, West Ham and West Brom plot transfer of Stoke's Steven N'Zonzi
22:30, 20 JUNE 2015
BY FOOTBALL SPY
Potters have turned down a ''derisory'' Sevilla bid for midfielder whose
contract expires next June but three Prem rivals WILL meet their £6m
valuation
The Mirror
Steven N'Zonzi will be the target for three Premier League clubs in the next
two weeks. The 26-year-old Stoke midfield player was the subject of a
£3million bid from Spanish club Sevilla last week – an offer that was
rejected outright. Stoke value the player at twice that amount and West
Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and West Ham will all meet the asking price.
N'Zonzi has one year left on his contract at the Britannia and has rejected
a new deal. Stoke will need to sell now to avoid losing the former France
Under-21 international on a free transfer next June. Albion manager Tony
Pulis was the man who brought N'Zonzi from Blackburn for £3m during his time
at the Potteries and would welcome the chance to be re-united with the
player he once described as a certainty to play Champions League football.
But he will face competition from beaten FA Cup finalists Aston Villa. Their
manager, Tim Sherwood, is looking for a powerful presence to complement his
energetic midfield line-up. And new West Ham manager Slaven Bilic will be
looking to strengthen his squad as the club go into their last season at
Upton Park with the crucial priority to still be in the Premier League at
the start of the 2016-17 season, when they move to the re-vamped Olympic
Stadium.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bookmakers suspend betting on Charlie Austin moving to West Ham this summer
17:09, 20 JUNE 2015
BY JAMES WHALING
The QPR hitman struck 18 Premier League goals for the Hoops last term, but
couldn't prevent them from being relegated back to the Championship
The Mirror
Bookmakers Betfair have suspended the betting on Charlie Austin's proposed
move from QPR to West Ham going through. A flurry of bets saw the odds cut
significantly, before the market was closed altogether. Austin struck 18
Premier League goals for Rangers last term, but couldn't prevent them from
being relegated back to the Championship. He was rewarded with an England
call-up for the games against the Republic of Ireland and Slovenia, but
didn't feature in either fixture. Newcastle were initially the favourites to
secure his services, before Chelsea emerged as a surprise front-runner, but
it seems he may be heading across London to Upton Park. Sky Bet also
reported a surge of bets, and slashed their odds on the move from 8/1 to
1/4. Chris Spicer, who works for the bookies, said: "The betting on Austin's
future remains wide open, with West Ham the latest club to attract interest.
"Newcastle and Chelsea have also been well backed to secure his services, so
we're trying not to overreact from the latest swing, but it has seen
Southampton (8/1) and Liverpool (12/1) drift out in the market."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Key Bilic/chairmen meeting next week
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
David Gold expects transfer market activity to become "more intense" after
boss Slave Bilic arrives at the club next week. The new manager has been
taken a summer break with his family in Croatia but will get down to
business at Chadwell Heath on Monday. An the co chairman said: "We will all
be meeting up early in the week and looking at the priority list the manager
has put together. "Things should start moving quite quickly after that. We
know which direction we are heading in but this meeting will give things an
impetus."
He added: "We have a good track record of working with our managers. We said
to Slaven 'get your priority list and let's see what we can do'. Meanwhile,
he explained: "We know we need a right-back and will work tirelessly to
bring in Carl (Jenkinson). If that does not work out, we have other irons in
the fire.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham target to be snapped up by Watford
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
According to Sky Sports Italia, Genoa have an agreement with new Premier
League boys Watford over West Ham target Diego Perotti. Earlier reports in
the media suggested Genoa rejected a £5.8 million bid from the Hammers for
the 26 year old Argentine winger and wanted to hold out for more money.
"Genoa has accepted an offer from Watford for Perotti, the Pozzo club has
proposed to double his salary as they want to give new manager Quique
Sanchez Flores the first step to strengthen the squad after returning to the
Premier League," said Sky Sports Italia.
Previously the Argentine, who has two caps, has played for Sevilla in Spain
and Boca Juniors in his native Argentina. Perotti signed for Genoa last
summer but it is claimed that Bilic is a long term admirer of the Argentina
national.
Perotti does not need a work permit as he holds an EU passport.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons linked with another midfielder
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham are reported to be among the clubs interested in Stoke midfielder
Steven N'Zonzi who is also believed to be tracked by West Brom and Aston
Villa.
Seville bid £3 million last week and that was turned down immediately with
The Potters valuing the player at double £6 million.
N'Zonzi has one year left on his contract at the Britannia and has rejected
a new offer so Stoke need to sell but the Hammers will wait on a meeting
with new manager Slaven Bilic before deciding whether to make a move.
Bilic wants a creative midfieder rather than another attacking option in the
middle of the park and remains keen on Dimitri Payet.
West Brom are probably favouritesas Tony Pulis brought N'Zonzi from
Blackburn for £3m during his time at Stoke and would welcome the chance to
be re-united with the player he once described as a certainty to play
Champions League football
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
QPR look to have Ravel field to themselves
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Ravel Morrison will be on his way back to London if Lazio release the
homesick player from the pre-contract which is due to kick in on July 1.
Lazio are expecting to formally complete the deal as scheduled but if QPR
director of football Ferdinand has anything to do with it, Morrison will be
starting in the Championship in August.
He said: "There is no question in my mind that Ravel has tremendous talent
and is a gifted player. We would love to get him to Rangers."
The Hammers are highly unlikely to get involved leaving QPR with the field
to themselves unless Slaven Bilic pulls a shock rabbit out of the hat.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll told to re-discover unplayable form
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
England boss Roy Hodgson has not ruled Andy Carroll out of his England plans
but told him to rediscover the form that makes him unplayable.
And if he can do that – AND STAY FIT – then a place in the Three Lions
squad for the Euro 2016 finals awaits the Geordie hit man.
Carroll has not played for his country for three years when he got on for
the last 13 minutes of a 5-0 World Cup qualifying win over San Marino in
October 2012.
But if he can overcome his injury nightmares he could be back as the kind of
battering ram forward that can cause massive problems.
Hodgson said: "I don't close doors. We have had Rickie Lambert do a very
good job for us as that type of player, and there is Austin, too.
"I'm not going to hang myself by saying, 'Unless you are a certain type of
forward there is no chance for you' because in a squad of players sometimes
there is.
"And if Andy can catch up then everyone knows what a handful he is as a
player. Then who knows? He could quite easily become a player we look at.
"But that's got to be up to him and he's been very unfortunate with injuries
and I can only hope that he can recover from his injury problems in the same
way that Phil Jones has."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea chase Song but Irons still talking a deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Alex Song has reportedly become a Chelsea target!
However, Hammers insiders are convinced that after a season on loan at Upton
Park, the Barcelona midfielder is likely to settle for a move to the east
end where his chances of first time football are infinitely greater than at
Stamford Bridge.
The Hammers have put a three year deal on the table but Song would prefer a
five year contract. However, that isn't an option for Slaven Bilic who is
none the less confident he can agree terms with the midfielder.
Chelsea – according to The Telegraph – are willing to pay a fee upfront to
take him to south west London although Barca are happy to let him leave on a
free thus the ball may be left very much in Song's court.
We were told: "Alex knows he has a far greater opportunity of regular
Premier League football here and is popular in the dressing room. We are
working hard to make a deal happen."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers land Chelsea, Real Madrid target
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Former Manchester City academy youngster Martin Samuelsen has joined the
Irons on a two-year contract.
The Norwegian teenager was with the former Premier League champions for
three years and after impressing at an Upton Park trial landed a deal until
2017 with the option of a further two years.
He told the club website: 'I'm very pleased to have signed for West Ham
United.I'm j ust really looking forward to getting started next season.
'When I was on trial here at the end of last season, I was amazed at the
individual planning for each player. They have a great plan for each player.
The atmosphere there is very good.
'First of all I want to play well for the U21s and get goals and assists.
Overall I want to help the team do well and maybe lift the league title.
'It would be great to make my first team debut here at the Boleyn Ground.
I've seen the plans for the new Stadium and they look amazing, it's a very
exciting time to join West Ham.'
Academy boss Terry Westley said: 'Martin is a very interesting character. He
can play as a No 9 or No 10. As a young prodigy at 14, Real Madrid, Chelsea
and Manchester City were all trying to sign him.
'He's gone through a real growth and development recently. We see the
potential in this boy and we're so pleased that we managed to persuade him
to come. He had a number of Italian and German clubs interested in him yet
he decided to join us.'
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Gold hopes Poyet gets his chance
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
David Gold insists the Europa Cup campaign looks an ideal opportunity to
give Diego Poyet some much needed match action.
The co chairman is uncomfortable with the lack of playing time given to the
midfielder under Sam Allardyce and says: "This looks a good opportunity to
him but of course it's down to the new manager."
DG explained that players were coming back to training at various stages and
that he believed Poyet would be well up to speed by July 2.
He hopes that Andy Carroll may be ready but says that is 50/50 and Gold
said: "That may see the likes of Elliott Lee come into the frame or whoever
we have brought in to replace Carlton Cole."
Gold insists these are entirely his own views and that manager Slave Bilic
may well see differently but revealed that Diafra Sakho was fit whilst Enner
Valencia would be one of the last back to Chadwell Heath after taking pat in
the Copa America.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Valencia helps dump Mexico
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Enner Valencia helped Ecuador to a 2-1 win over Mexico.
Miller Bolanos opened the scoring for Ecuador in the 26th minute and Enner
added a second in the 57th before Mexico reduced the arrears from the spot
via Raul Jimenez's y in the 64th.
Mexico had rested many of their top players ahead of next month's Gold Cup
in the United States.
West Ham striker Enner Valencia wheels away in celebration after doubling
his side's lead in the second half
Enner Valencia wheels away in celebration after doubling his side's lead in
the second half
Ecuador have three points in three matches and a slim chance of advancing to
the quarter-finals as one of the two best third-placed teams.
Bolanos gave Ecuador a 1-0 lead, scoring on the counter-attack as Valencia's
shot was deflected toward him and he chipped it home from a sharp angle into
an open net.
Valencia gave Ecuador the cushion they needed in the second half, racing in
alone and beating Mexico keeper Jose Corona from close-range.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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WHUFC.com
Anniversary
Name: Stuart Pearson
Born: Cottingham, 21 June 1949
Clubs: Hull City, Manchester United, West Ham United
International: England - 15 caps, five goals
Former England international and West Ham United forward Stuart Pearson was
born on this day 66 years ago. A skilful forward who played in three FA Cup
finals - two for Manchester United and one for the Hammers - he started his
career in his home county of Yorkshire with Hull City. After 44 goals in 129
league games, Manchester United signed him for a £200,000 fee in 1974 and he
was instrumental in getting them promoted back to the top flight, notching
17 times in his first season. He was in the Red Devils side that lost the
1976 FA Cup final to Southampton, but helped them make up for it the
following year when they beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley. Pearson moved on to
the Hammers in 1979 and his cross-shot set up Trevor Brooking's winning goal
in the 1980 FA Cup final victory over Arsenal. He notched six goals in 34
league appearances for West Ham before being forced to retire in 1982 due to
a knee injury.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Obiang's European ambitions
WHUFC.com
West Ham United new boy Pedro Obiang will be a keen observer when the Europa
League draw is made on Monday, in the hope that the Hammers will be showing
off the newly-launched Boleyn Kit across the continent this season. The
23-year-old Spaniard is already a fan of the Hammers' final season home kit
and wants his new Club to do it justice in the final season at the Boleyn
Ground. Obiang is understandably keen to get started in Claret and Blue and
says anticipation is growing as pre-season draws nearer. "I'm looking to
forward to living in London and having that first experience of English
football when we start training," he confirmed. "That's obviously going to
be my first opportunity to meet the manager and my new colleagues as well.
"I'll be keeping a close eye on the Europa League draw on Monday. As I've
said previously, I came here to try to achieve big things with this Club and
the UEFA Europa League is the first chance to do just that. "The new kit's
great and I think it suits me too! I really like the colours and hopefully
we can show them off across Europe this season. "The fact that this year's
shirt is based on the first [Boleyn Ground] kit is a very nice way to say
goodbye to the Boleyn Ground. I am definitely looking forward to wearing it
for the first time. Just talking about it makes the prospect even more
exciting."
There is also the small matter of a Barclays Premier League curtain raiser
at Arsenal to contemplate and Obiang reckons a stern examination first up is
no bad thing. He continued: "I think it's great to start against a big club,
it's the perfect way to test the team early on in the season. But for now,
I'm just thinking about trying to get ready and work my way into the first
eleven for this game."
That trip to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday 8 August could well mark
Obiang's Premier League bow and the former Sampdoria midfielder could
scarcely hide his excitement. "Seeing the fixtures the other day really
brought it home to me. It was like a dream thinking about all the teams
we'll be up against. I've seen these teams on television and now I have the
chance to play against them. It is very exciting for me."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers snap up highly-rated youngster
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of highly rated
striker Martin Samuelsen on a two year deal. The Norwegian 18-year-old joins
from Manchester City, where he was a member of their Elite Development
Squad. Samuelsen said: "I'm very pleased to have signed for West Ham United.
I'm just really looking forward to getting started next season. "I can't
wait to pull on the new shirt and get playing in it."
Having impressed coaches at the West Ham United Academy while on trial at
the back end of last season, Samuelsen has signed a contract keeping him in
east London until June 2017, with an option to extend for a further two
years. The talented forward had been at City since 2012, and has
represented his native Norway at U16, U17 and U18 level. He continued to
say, "When I was on trial here at the end of last season, I was amazed at
the individual planning for each player. They have a great plan for each
player. The atmosphere there is very good. "After many conversations with
Terry Westley and the other coaches at the Academy, they convinced me that
West Ham was the right place to be. "I like to get physical and I like the
direct way of playing so in that way the English style of play suits me. I
really like watching Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, of course but my
main role model is Michael Laudrup." "First of all I want to play well for
the U21s and get goals and assists. Overall I want to help the team do well
and maybe lift the league title. "It would be great to make my first team
debut here at the Boleyn Ground. I've seen the plans for the new Stadium and
they look amazing, it's a very exciting time to join West Ham."
With clubs across Europe interested in Samuelsen's signature, Academy
manager and head of coaching and player development Terry Westley spoke of
his delight at the capture: "Martin is a very interesting character. He can
play as a No9 or No10. As a young prodigy at 14, Real Madrid, Chelsea and
Manchester City were all trying to sign him. "He's gone through a real
growth and development recently. We see the potential in this boy and we're
so pleased that we managed to persuade him to come. He had a number of
Italian and German clubs interested in him yet he decided to join us. "He
massively impressed us when he came on trial late last year, he's got great
professionalism and he's a very bright boy. He has to set his sights on
impressing the new manager during pre-season and the Europa League."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Valencia scores in Ecuador win
WHUFC.com
Enner Valencia scored his second goal of Ecuador's Copa America campaign to
help his side defeat Mexico 2-1 in their final Group A fixture. La Tri must
now wait for the conclusion of the other two groups to see if they will
progress as one of the two best third-placed teams. Ecuador needed the
victory to give themselves any chance of reaching the quarter-finals and
Valencia's 13th goal for his country played a big part in keeping their
hopes alive. Mexico were also winless in their campaign going into the game
in Rancagua and Miller Bolanos' 26th minute goal for Ecuador did not help
their cause. Valencia doubled the advantage with 57 minutes played and
although Raul Jimenez pulled one back from the spot, Ecuador held firm for
the three points. In Friday's other Group A fixture, Chile thrashed Bolivia
5-0 to ensure they would finish top of the standings.
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Roy Hodgson: Andy Carroll can regain his England place
Last Updated: 21/06/15 1:19am
SSN
England boss Roy Hodgson has told Andy Carroll that he can win his place
back in the national side if the striker can start the upcoming Premier
League campaign with a bang. The West Ham forward's name came back into
Hodgson's mind after his side's 3-2 win over Slovenia in their European
Championship qualifier last weekend when asked whether Jack Wilshere's
second stunning goal was the best of his England tenure. Hodgson said he
remembered Carroll's header in England's second European Championship group
game in 2012 against Sweden when the big striker rose to beat his marker in
the centre of the box and nodded in Steven Gerrard's pin-point cross to set
his side on their way to a 3-2 victory. Since that tournament, however,
Carroll has played just 62 minutes of international football and, despite
repeated calls from then-Hammers boss Sam Allardyce, he was left out of
Hodsgon's World Cup squad last year, with the manager opting for Rickie
Lambert instead. However, despite another injury-plagued season last year,
Hodgson would welcome the towering forward back into the fold, and dismissed
fears England would revert to long-ball tactics with the former Newcastle
man in the starting 11. "I don't close doors," Hodgson said when asked about
the possibility of a recall for Carroll. "Rickie did a very good job for us,
Charlie Austin has been with us and I am not going to be so hung up where I
say: 'unless you are a certain type of footballer there is no chance for
you'. "If Andy can recapture his form, you know how much of a handful he is
as a player, so who knows? He could quite easily become a player we look at.
"That is up to him. He has been very unfortunate with injuries, I can only
hope he can recover from his injuries in the same way that Phil Jones and
Jack Wilshere have."
Carroll, who scored five goals in 16 appearances last term is said to be on
the radar of a number of clubs this summer, including former side Newcastle.
But, as Hodgson pointed out, he faces stiff competition to regain his
England place. A couple of years ago, the Three Lions boss was bemoaning the
lack of strikers available to him, but now he is blessed with several
options. Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge are all
certainties when fully fit. Theo Walcott is doing his chances no harm as a
striker with his form for Arsenal, and there are three goal scorers who are
ready to step up from the U21 squad. Saido Berahino and Danny Ings scored 25
Premier League goals between them last season and Hodgson confirmed Harry
Kane would have been in the senior squad for the games against Slovenia and
the Republic of Ireland had he not gone to the European U21 Championship.
Austin also appears to have a future with England despite failing to make
his debut this month. "Charlie has shown us in training that he has
qualities, but I can't guarantee players a game when they get called up,"
Hodgson said. The England boss said he cannot guarantee a call up to any
youngster who impresses in the Czech Republic either. "The field is open as
long as they realise this group here is doing pretty well so it's not just a
question of: 'well you have played well for the U21s, you had a good
tournament you will automatically be there' because it's going to be hard
for me to throw some of these out to make way for them," the England manager
said. John Stones, Luke Shaw and Kane will be called up for the next
double-header against San Marino and Switzerland, provided they avoid injury
this summer, Hodgson added.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham backed to sign QPR striker Charlie Austin
Last Updated: 20/06/15 9:42pm
SSN
West Ham have been cut to odds-on to sign Charlie Austin this summer, with
Sky Bet reporting a surge of interest in the QPR striker's future. The
bookmaker have cut the Hammers from 5/1 to just 1/5 to land the striker,
with former favourites Chelsea and Newcastle drifting to 5/1 apiece. Where
will Charlie Austin head this summer? Find Sky Bet's odds on the striker's
future here. Southampton and Liverpool have also previously been linked with
Austin but are no longer considered to be in contention at 8/1 and 12/1
respectively, while he is 20/1 to still be a QPR player come the close of
the summer transfer window. The 25-year-old was called up to Roy Hodgson's
latest England squad but failed to make his international debut, left as an
unused substitute for the 0-0 friendly draw with Ireland and 3-2 European
Championships qualifying win in Slovenia. Sky Bet's Chris Spicer said:
"Chelsea and Newcastle had been attracting the majority of the interest to
sign Austin but all the money is now going on West Ham, prompting us to
slash their odds."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alex Song being tracked by Chelsea and Manchester City
Last Updated: 21/06/15 8:44am
SSN
Chelsea and Manchester City have held talks about signing Alex Song from
Barcelona, according to Sky sources. The two Premier League heavyweights are
particularly interested in Song because he qualifies as a home-grown player
even though he played for Cameroon. Song, who spent last year on loan at
West Ham United, has two years left on his Barcelona contract. West Ham are
still hopeful of turning their loan agreement into a permanent transfer but
Sky sources understand there is interest from several other clubs –
including Chelsea and City. The 27-year-old, who spent six seasons with
Arsenal before moving to Catalonia three years ago, made 28 Premier League
appearances for the Hammers last season. Barcelona, who paid £15m for the
player, are believed to be looking for a fee of around £5m from any
transfer. His contract at the Nou Camp is believed to be worth
£70,000-per-week.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham sign ex-Manchester City striker Martin Samuelsen
Last Updated: 20/06/15 1:42pm
SSN
West Ham have given a two-year contract to former Manchester City trainee
Martin Samuelsen. The Norway youth striker spent three years at City's
academy and impressed during a trial at West Ham at the end of last season.
His contract runs until 2017 with the option of a further two years. "I'm
very pleased to have signed for West Ham United," Samuelsen, 18, told the
club website. "I'm just really looking forward to getting started next
season. "When I was on trial here at the end of last season, I was amazed at
the individual planning for each player. They have a great plan for each
player. The atmosphere there is very good. "First of all I want to play well
for the U21s and get goals and assists. Overall I want to help the team do
well and maybe lift the league title. It would be great to make my first
team debut here at the Boleyn Ground. I've seen the plans for the new
Stadium and they look amazing, it's a very exciting time to join West Ham."
Academy boss Terry Westley said: "Martin is a very interesting character. He
can play as a No 9 or No 10. As a young prodigy at 14, Real Madrid, Chelsea
and Manchester City were all trying to sign him. "He's gone through a real
growth and development recently. We see the potential in this boy and we're
so pleased that we managed to persuade him to come. He had a number of
Italian and German clubs interested in him yet he decided to join us."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
BILIC – THE RIGHT APPOINTMENT OR DRIVEN BY SENTIMENT?
By Iain Dale 21 Jun 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
Guest Post by Ben Smith
The job of any football manager is to ensure that he leaves the club in a
better position than he found it. Whatever your personal thoughts and
opinions of Sam Allardyce no body can deny that he achieved this. After
taking over a team newly relegated to the Championship he got West Ham back
in to the Premier League at the first attempt admittedly not with the style
and panache the majority of us would like. However there is no doubt that
this achievement helped starve off financial Armageddon. When you bear in
mind the problems the likes of former Premier League sides such as
Portsmouth, Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Leicester City have
encountered then this achievement is not to be sniffed at.
After a very creditable 10th place finish on their return to the Premier
League he consolidated West Ham's Premier League status with 13th and 12th
place finishes, again achievements not to be glossed over. To the outsider
many would call that success for a club of our size. I wouldn't necessarily
endorse that view as although I am not privy to the playing or staffing
budget at the club I would imagine West Ham would have run a top 8/10 budget
last season. If we assume that is the case and, even if that isn't true, I
think the majority of us would agree that West Ham are carrying a bigger
payroll than the likes of Swansea City and Southampton.
However, that debate is for another day. As Sam Allardyce so modestly stated
in The Sun a couple of weeks ago he has left the club in a decent position
to build and progress in the near future. The question I am posing is this:
Is Slaven Bilic the right man to build on these solid foundations and create
an exciting, attractive and exuberant team to take the club into the Olympic
Stadium?
If we are going to fill 54,000 seats every fortnight there is a huge
responsibility on the manager to excite the supporters and give them the
style of play they have craved so much over the last few years.
Slaven Bilic is something of a cult hero to a lot of Hammers fans during his
relatively short spell at the club. Obviously without wishing to denigrate
his achievements I'm not sure 48 Premier League appearances in 18 months
makes you a legend. However, I do appreciate that the fact he delayed his
move to Everton until we had ensured our Premier League survival will have
endeared him to our supporters.
When you initially look at his managerial career it looks pretty impressive.
He skilfully managed a very talented Croatia team to two European
Championship finals and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2010 World
Cup.
However the jury is out on his record as a club manager. After Croatia he
moved on to Lokomotiv Moscow where he presided over their lowest finish,
which was ninth, since the forming of the new Russian League in 1992. This
was followed up with 2 years in Turkey managing Besiktas. Similar to many
European leagues the Turkish 'Super Lig' is dominated by three teams. The
aforementioned Besiktas, Galatasary and Fenerbache. He failed to wrestle the
title from these two and also missed out on a Champions League place for the
2015/16 season.
However dig a little deeper and there were some mitigating circumstances.
During his two-year tenure not once did Bilic manage a conventional 'home'
game. Besiktas BJK Inonu Stadyumu has been renovated for the last 2 years
and they have been forced to play all home games over 300km away.
Much like the West Ham way Besiktas also managed to grasp defeat from the
jaws of victory in the 2014/15 season leading the Championship with just 5
weeks of the season remaining before capitulating to finish eight points
behind eventual champions Galatasary.
My argument is this, if West Ham appointed a foreign manager with a similar
record but no connections to the club would the supporters be as enamoured
as they are now?
Have Messrs Gold, Sullivan played to the crowd and given the people what
they want rather than what they need? Bilic is known for being very
charismatic and willing to engage with the fan base. Not a bad man to have
in charge when you are leading a huge drive to attract more people to a new
stadium.
Some may argue the Bilic was the best candidate for the manager's job. There
were a lot of names being mentioned which were, in my opinion, unrealistic.
I don't think anyone really thought Rafa Benitez (although I wouldn't have
personally wanted him), Carlo Ancellotti or Jurgen Klopp would come to West
Ham.
When you take away these names Bilic was arguably as good as any and
definitely the most marketable. My preference would have been Marcelo Bielsa
although probably not recognisable enough to the layman this is a man who
has built up a reputation over a number of years of playing aggressive,
attractive and intelligent football a perfect fit for the Hammers. He is
also Pep Guardiolas mentor, which is not a bad endorsement.
A good alternative for me would have been Gus Poyet. He created an excellent
footballing side at Brighton although didn't quite have the same success at
Sunderland. Although bearing in mind his playing history I am not sure how
much sympathy there would have been for him if results suffered.
All of this is not to say that I cannot see the thought behind this
appointment. I hope as much as the next man that Slaven goes on to have a
very successful career at West Ham and gets the team playing the type of
fluid exciting football the club has craved.
I would just argue that if you took away those 48 Premier League appearances
in the mid 1990's I'm not sure his CV would have got him anywhere near the
job.
Time will tell….
*Ben Smith is a West Ham fan and played professional football for Crawley,
Yeovil, Hereford and many other lower league teams. He currently coaches at
Brighton and has written a bestselling book called JOURNEYMAN: One Man's
Odyssey Through the Lower Leagues of English Football. You can buy it for
only £8.99 HERE
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THE START OF OUR SEASON IS ONLY 12 DAYS AWAY
By Iain Dale 20 Jun 2015 at 09:19
West Ham Till I Die
It's incredible to think that our season starts in less than a fortnight
with the first qualifying round of the Europa League. We will discover the
identity of our opponents on Monday in a live televised draw. I am praying
that the first leg is at home, but I fear that as we are top seeds that
won't be the case. The reason is that because my LBC radio show runs from
4-8pm I can never go to evening matches at Upton Park, but it just so
happens that I'm covering the Breakfast Show that week. Fingers crossed.
I suspect the team that Bilic puts out will be very different to the one
which plays at Arsenal on the first day of the Premier League season. One
question is whether Enner Valencia will be available to play. Equador have
been elimnated from the Copa America despite a 2-1 win over Mexico in which
Valencia scored. However, one assumes he will need a break before returning
to England. So we only have one striker – Diafra Sakho, who has presumably
recovered from his injury. Elliot Lee is the only other striker on our books
at the moment who is fit to play.
So this is the team which Bilic will probably pick…
Adrian
O'Brien
Cressell
Reid
Tomkins
Kouyate
Noble
Obiang
Downing
Amalfitano
Sakho
Or do you think Nolan might play instead of Obiang?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Charlie Austin transfer: West Ham set to beat Newcastle to QPR hitman's
signature
22:30, 20 JUNE 2015
BY NEIL MOXLEY
The Geordies made a £10m bid and Southampton are keen too but Slaven Bilic
is bookies' favourite to land striker who scored 18 goals for a struggling
side last season
The Mirror
West Ham are closing in on Charlie Austin of Queens Park Rangers, writes
Neil Moxley in the Sunday People. The Hammers are hot favourites to sign the
striker as new boss Slaven Bilic's spending plan clicks into gear. On
Saturday afternoon, bookmakers even suspended betting on him moving to Upton
Park. Newcastle made a £10million opening offer and Southampton are also
keen on Austin, 25, who scored 18 Premier League goals last term for a QPR
side that ended up getting relegated. The Irons' co-owner David Sullivan is
desperate to guarantee top-flight football in what will be West Ham's first
season at London's Olympic Stadium in 2016-17. Former bricklayer Austin was
plying his trade in the ninth tier of English football as recently as 2009.
His meteoric rise through the divisions with Swindon, Burnley and now QPR
culminated in a call-up to the England squad to face the Republic of Ireland
and Slovenia earlier this month.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's pre-season starts MONDAY as players report before Europa League
clash in two weeks
22:30, 20 JUNE 2015
BY DEAN JONES
The Hammers qualified via the Fair Play League and could play up to SIX
qualifiers before the Premier League season kicks off on August 8
The Mirror
West Ham will begin preparations for the Europa League when players return
for pre-season training on Monday. Their domestic season ended just 28 days
ago, but after qualifying for European football via the Fair Play League,
Upton Park chiefs want to make sure they hit the ground running. New boss
Slaven Bilic will get the chance to cast his eye over a selection of
players, who will check-in at their Chadwell Heath training base in the
morning in preparation for the Europa League campaign – which gets underway
on July 2. The draw will take place on Monday lunchtime in Switzerland. It
is expected that the Hammers will largely use their best youngsters as well
as fringe players for the first few matches. The second leg of the first
qualifying round will be on July 9, with subsequent two-leg rounds set for
July 16/23, July 30/August 6 and August 20/27, before group-stage play
begins in mid-September. Some senior players will be given a longer break
before joining up. It is possible that West Ham will play six matches in
Europe before the new Premier League season starts with a trip to Arsenal.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aston Villa, West Ham and West Brom plot transfer of Stoke's Steven N'Zonzi
22:30, 20 JUNE 2015
BY FOOTBALL SPY
Potters have turned down a ''derisory'' Sevilla bid for midfielder whose
contract expires next June but three Prem rivals WILL meet their £6m
valuation
The Mirror
Steven N'Zonzi will be the target for three Premier League clubs in the next
two weeks. The 26-year-old Stoke midfield player was the subject of a
£3million bid from Spanish club Sevilla last week – an offer that was
rejected outright. Stoke value the player at twice that amount and West
Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and West Ham will all meet the asking price.
N'Zonzi has one year left on his contract at the Britannia and has rejected
a new deal. Stoke will need to sell now to avoid losing the former France
Under-21 international on a free transfer next June. Albion manager Tony
Pulis was the man who brought N'Zonzi from Blackburn for £3m during his time
at the Potteries and would welcome the chance to be re-united with the
player he once described as a certainty to play Champions League football.
But he will face competition from beaten FA Cup finalists Aston Villa. Their
manager, Tim Sherwood, is looking for a powerful presence to complement his
energetic midfield line-up. And new West Ham manager Slaven Bilic will be
looking to strengthen his squad as the club go into their last season at
Upton Park with the crucial priority to still be in the Premier League at
the start of the 2016-17 season, when they move to the re-vamped Olympic
Stadium.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bookmakers suspend betting on Charlie Austin moving to West Ham this summer
17:09, 20 JUNE 2015
BY JAMES WHALING
The QPR hitman struck 18 Premier League goals for the Hoops last term, but
couldn't prevent them from being relegated back to the Championship
The Mirror
Bookmakers Betfair have suspended the betting on Charlie Austin's proposed
move from QPR to West Ham going through. A flurry of bets saw the odds cut
significantly, before the market was closed altogether. Austin struck 18
Premier League goals for Rangers last term, but couldn't prevent them from
being relegated back to the Championship. He was rewarded with an England
call-up for the games against the Republic of Ireland and Slovenia, but
didn't feature in either fixture. Newcastle were initially the favourites to
secure his services, before Chelsea emerged as a surprise front-runner, but
it seems he may be heading across London to Upton Park. Sky Bet also
reported a surge of bets, and slashed their odds on the move from 8/1 to
1/4. Chris Spicer, who works for the bookies, said: "The betting on Austin's
future remains wide open, with West Ham the latest club to attract interest.
"Newcastle and Chelsea have also been well backed to secure his services, so
we're trying not to overreact from the latest swing, but it has seen
Southampton (8/1) and Liverpool (12/1) drift out in the market."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Key Bilic/chairmen meeting next week
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
David Gold expects transfer market activity to become "more intense" after
boss Slave Bilic arrives at the club next week. The new manager has been
taken a summer break with his family in Croatia but will get down to
business at Chadwell Heath on Monday. An the co chairman said: "We will all
be meeting up early in the week and looking at the priority list the manager
has put together. "Things should start moving quite quickly after that. We
know which direction we are heading in but this meeting will give things an
impetus."
He added: "We have a good track record of working with our managers. We said
to Slaven 'get your priority list and let's see what we can do'. Meanwhile,
he explained: "We know we need a right-back and will work tirelessly to
bring in Carl (Jenkinson). If that does not work out, we have other irons in
the fire.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham target to be snapped up by Watford
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
According to Sky Sports Italia, Genoa have an agreement with new Premier
League boys Watford over West Ham target Diego Perotti. Earlier reports in
the media suggested Genoa rejected a £5.8 million bid from the Hammers for
the 26 year old Argentine winger and wanted to hold out for more money.
"Genoa has accepted an offer from Watford for Perotti, the Pozzo club has
proposed to double his salary as they want to give new manager Quique
Sanchez Flores the first step to strengthen the squad after returning to the
Premier League," said Sky Sports Italia.
Previously the Argentine, who has two caps, has played for Sevilla in Spain
and Boca Juniors in his native Argentina. Perotti signed for Genoa last
summer but it is claimed that Bilic is a long term admirer of the Argentina
national.
Perotti does not need a work permit as he holds an EU passport.
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Irons linked with another midfielder
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham are reported to be among the clubs interested in Stoke midfielder
Steven N'Zonzi who is also believed to be tracked by West Brom and Aston
Villa.
Seville bid £3 million last week and that was turned down immediately with
The Potters valuing the player at double £6 million.
N'Zonzi has one year left on his contract at the Britannia and has rejected
a new offer so Stoke need to sell but the Hammers will wait on a meeting
with new manager Slaven Bilic before deciding whether to make a move.
Bilic wants a creative midfieder rather than another attacking option in the
middle of the park and remains keen on Dimitri Payet.
West Brom are probably favouritesas Tony Pulis brought N'Zonzi from
Blackburn for £3m during his time at Stoke and would welcome the chance to
be re-united with the player he once described as a certainty to play
Champions League football
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QPR look to have Ravel field to themselves
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Ravel Morrison will be on his way back to London if Lazio release the
homesick player from the pre-contract which is due to kick in on July 1.
Lazio are expecting to formally complete the deal as scheduled but if QPR
director of football Ferdinand has anything to do with it, Morrison will be
starting in the Championship in August.
He said: "There is no question in my mind that Ravel has tremendous talent
and is a gifted player. We would love to get him to Rangers."
The Hammers are highly unlikely to get involved leaving QPR with the field
to themselves unless Slaven Bilic pulls a shock rabbit out of the hat.
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Carroll told to re-discover unplayable form
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
England boss Roy Hodgson has not ruled Andy Carroll out of his England plans
but told him to rediscover the form that makes him unplayable.
And if he can do that – AND STAY FIT – then a place in the Three Lions
squad for the Euro 2016 finals awaits the Geordie hit man.
Carroll has not played for his country for three years when he got on for
the last 13 minutes of a 5-0 World Cup qualifying win over San Marino in
October 2012.
But if he can overcome his injury nightmares he could be back as the kind of
battering ram forward that can cause massive problems.
Hodgson said: "I don't close doors. We have had Rickie Lambert do a very
good job for us as that type of player, and there is Austin, too.
"I'm not going to hang myself by saying, 'Unless you are a certain type of
forward there is no chance for you' because in a squad of players sometimes
there is.
"And if Andy can catch up then everyone knows what a handful he is as a
player. Then who knows? He could quite easily become a player we look at.
"But that's got to be up to him and he's been very unfortunate with injuries
and I can only hope that he can recover from his injury problems in the same
way that Phil Jones has."
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Chelsea chase Song but Irons still talking a deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Alex Song has reportedly become a Chelsea target!
However, Hammers insiders are convinced that after a season on loan at Upton
Park, the Barcelona midfielder is likely to settle for a move to the east
end where his chances of first time football are infinitely greater than at
Stamford Bridge.
The Hammers have put a three year deal on the table but Song would prefer a
five year contract. However, that isn't an option for Slaven Bilic who is
none the less confident he can agree terms with the midfielder.
Chelsea – according to The Telegraph – are willing to pay a fee upfront to
take him to south west London although Barca are happy to let him leave on a
free thus the ball may be left very much in Song's court.
We were told: "Alex knows he has a far greater opportunity of regular
Premier League football here and is popular in the dressing room. We are
working hard to make a deal happen."
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Hammers land Chelsea, Real Madrid target
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Former Manchester City academy youngster Martin Samuelsen has joined the
Irons on a two-year contract.
The Norwegian teenager was with the former Premier League champions for
three years and after impressing at an Upton Park trial landed a deal until
2017 with the option of a further two years.
He told the club website: 'I'm very pleased to have signed for West Ham
United.I'm j ust really looking forward to getting started next season.
'When I was on trial here at the end of last season, I was amazed at the
individual planning for each player. They have a great plan for each player.
The atmosphere there is very good.
'First of all I want to play well for the U21s and get goals and assists.
Overall I want to help the team do well and maybe lift the league title.
'It would be great to make my first team debut here at the Boleyn Ground.
I've seen the plans for the new Stadium and they look amazing, it's a very
exciting time to join West Ham.'
Academy boss Terry Westley said: 'Martin is a very interesting character. He
can play as a No 9 or No 10. As a young prodigy at 14, Real Madrid, Chelsea
and Manchester City were all trying to sign him.
'He's gone through a real growth and development recently. We see the
potential in this boy and we're so pleased that we managed to persuade him
to come. He had a number of Italian and German clubs interested in him yet
he decided to join us.'
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Gold hopes Poyet gets his chance
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
David Gold insists the Europa Cup campaign looks an ideal opportunity to
give Diego Poyet some much needed match action.
The co chairman is uncomfortable with the lack of playing time given to the
midfielder under Sam Allardyce and says: "This looks a good opportunity to
him but of course it's down to the new manager."
DG explained that players were coming back to training at various stages and
that he believed Poyet would be well up to speed by July 2.
He hopes that Andy Carroll may be ready but says that is 50/50 and Gold
said: "That may see the likes of Elliott Lee come into the frame or whoever
we have brought in to replace Carlton Cole."
Gold insists these are entirely his own views and that manager Slave Bilic
may well see differently but revealed that Diafra Sakho was fit whilst Enner
Valencia would be one of the last back to Chadwell Heath after taking pat in
the Copa America.
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Valencia helps dump Mexico
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Enner Valencia helped Ecuador to a 2-1 win over Mexico.
Miller Bolanos opened the scoring for Ecuador in the 26th minute and Enner
added a second in the 57th before Mexico reduced the arrears from the spot
via Raul Jimenez's y in the 64th.
Mexico had rested many of their top players ahead of next month's Gold Cup
in the United States.
West Ham striker Enner Valencia wheels away in celebration after doubling
his side's lead in the second half
Enner Valencia wheels away in celebration after doubling his side's lead in
the second half
Ecuador have three points in three matches and a slim chance of advancing to
the quarter-finals as one of the two best third-placed teams.
Bolanos gave Ecuador a 1-0 lead, scoring on the counter-attack as Valencia's
shot was deflected toward him and he chipped it home from a sharp angle into
an open net.
Valencia gave Ecuador the cushion they needed in the second half, racing in
alone and beating Mexico keeper Jose Corona from close-range.
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