Aaron Cresswell says West Ham United will seek to start Saturday's game with AFC Bournemouth the same way they finished against Leicester City a week ago.
The Hammers produced a stirring second-half performance against the Foxes, scoring through Dimitri Payet and coming close to pulling off a deserved comeback from a 2-0 half-time deficit.
Cresswell says Slaven Bilic will be demanding that his team do not give themselves the same steep mountain to climb when they host the Barclays Premier League new boys at the Boleyn Ground.
"We played Arsenal away and got a 2-0 win and the three points, but against Leicester it wasn't so good, especially in the first half when I think we were well off it and we weren't good enough," said the Hammer of the Year.
"After the first ten minutes it was all Leicester in the first half, but in the second half I thought we were excellent and we deserved more out of the game than we got.
"Overall I think we're all fairly pleased with the way things are going. Obviously it's still early doors for the new gaffer and his coaching staff and everyone is still getting used to each other, so hopefully the future is really good."
Cresswell was an interested viewer as Bournemouth pushed Liverpool all the way before going down to a narrow defeat at Anfield on Monday evening – their second 1-0 defeat following an opening-day loss at home to Aston Villa.
"It was tough for them, as it's the first time the club has been in the Premier League," said the No3, who has made his own smooth transition from the Championship to the Barclays Premier League. "I watched them on Monday night against Liverpool and I thought they were excellent and unlucky not to get something out of the game.
"It's the Premier League and we know it's going to be tough week in, week out, and it doesn't matter who you are playing, whether it's Chelsea, Manchester United or Bournemouth, no disrespect. That said, we're confident and looking forward to Saturday.
"You've got to treat every opponent with respect and work hard, because without those things you won't get far and pick points up."
If West Ham are to beat Eddie Howe's side, one player who could be huge for the home side is recent signing Payet.
Cresswell has been impressed by the impact made by the France international, who has shone in both league matches so far and also chalked up an assist in the 2-0 win at Arsenal a fortnight ago.
"I think the new boys have been excellent so far," he said. "It's still early doors but I think Dimitri has been a fantastic signing and looks like he is a fantastic player. He has got a goal and an assist in the first two games, so hopefully he can carry that form on throughout the season and we can be consistent as a team." Read more at http://www.whufc.com/News/Articles/2015/August/22-August/Cresswell-We%E2%80%99re-confident#FRgEUa3MGBXA8Ebb.99
West Ham United 2-2 Chelsea Division One 22 August 1970
22 August has been a fruitful day in West Ham United history, with the Hammers having lost only three of the 12 matches contested on this date.
One of the positive results came in entertaining circumstances against Chelsea in the third game of the 1970/71 season, with West Ham seeking their first win.
The meeting with Chelsea was the Hammers' third consecutive derby, following matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, and it looked for a while that West Ham would break their winning duck.
An eleventh minute goal from Bobby Howe was quickly added to another from Geoff Hurst and the Hammers were 2-0 up.
But Chelsea came roaring back after the break through Keith Weller to ensure the spoils would be shared.
Complete record - 22 August
1949 West Ham United 3-1 Leeds United (Division Two) 1953 West Ham United 4-1 Leicester City (Division Two) 1955 Port Vale 2-1 West Ham United (Division Two) 1959 West Ham United 3-0 Leicester City (Division One) 1960 West Ham United 5-2 Aston Villa (Division One) 1964 Fulham 1-2 West Ham United (Division One) 1970 West Ham United 2-2 Chelsea (Division One) 1972 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 West Ham United (Division One) 1987 Luton Town 2-2 West Ham United (Division One) 1992 West Ham United 0-1 Charlton Athletic (Division One) 1998 West Ham United 0-0 Manchester United (Premier League) 2006 Watford 1-1 West Ham United (Premier League)
Played 12, Won 5, Drawn 4, Lost 3, Scored 23, Conceded 16
West Ham United are the 13/10 favourites with Betway to bounce back from last week's defeat at the hands of Leicester and beat Premier League newcomers Bournemouth. The Cherries won't be a pushover, as seen in their unlucky defeat at Liverpool on Monday. An away win is priced at 21/10 and the draw is 12/5.
Bournemouth are looking for their first goal of the campaign and the Hammers are 19/10 to keep a clean-sheet against Eddie Howe's side. The popular 'First Goalscorer' market sees Diafra Sakho as a 5/1 favourite to break the deadlock. Dimitri Payet looks a promising alternative in that list at a generous 7/1. He is also 11/4 to score at any time in the match.
The last league match between the two sides at the Boleyn Ground occurred in April 1990. The final result was a comprehensive 4-1 win for the Hammers. A repeat of that scoreline on Saturday is offered at 33/1 on our 'Correct Score' market. The 6/1 favourite on that list is a 1-1 draw.
At Betway we enjoy pricing up a number of exclusive markets on matches involving West Ham. For this game we offer Dimitri Payet to score first in a West Ham United victory at a stand-out 14/1. With over 100 markets on the fixture we are sure that you will find something to take your fancy.
Remember you can access a whole host of Hammers exclusive Betway seasonal bets by clicking here.
Find the latest Betway odds on West Ham United v AFC Bournemouth, and a comprehensive range of weekend Football markets at www.betway.com
Prices may fluctuate, correct at time of going to press
As I annoyingly predicted here a week ago, Leicester City were to prove more difficult opponents at Upton Park than Arsenal at the Emirates. By the time we started to really press the Foxes, after half time, it was simply too little, too late to impact the result.
Dimitri Payet's goal came from our first shot on target - in the 55th minute! Although, we were also wrongfully denied a penalty shortly before the break, when Kasper Schmeichel halted Diafra Sakho in his tracks. We clearly benefited from a half-time reshuffle and hopefully by the time Bournemouth arrive in E13 on Saturday, Slaven will have already struck upon a winning formula.
This is the thing about a new team with a new coach beginning a new season. It's difficult to expect things to start clicking straight away and in the first few weeks this is the time when poor results should be overlooked.
We must forget Leicester quickly and try to get our sixth point from a possible nine against Bournemouth. I don't know about you, but I'd have bitten your hand off for that start to the campaign. The trouble is, this won't be an easy fixture either.
They've perhaps been unlucky to lose both their matches so far and although they might appear favourable opponents on paper, they're far better in reality. In terms of being a team, there are few others that can match up to Eddie Howe's, which was part-constructed in League One three seasons ago and has forged a successful bond ever since.
They will come to play football and try to soak up possession with a likely five-man midfield. They also boast pace in abundance where it counts, through striker Callum Wilson and supporting wide men Max Gradel and Josh King. Danger man Matt Ritchie is no slouch either.
It's imperative that we start well or they'll settle. I'd gladly take a half like the second against Leicester to start with and have something to build on at the break. We need to get used to being in command on our own turf and give the fans something to get behind.
I personally believe we'll surprise a few on our travels this season, but it's no good if we can't win at home. There's real ability in this side, but in order to turn the Boleyn into a fortress we need the players to show some real character. Let's start on the front foot and act like we believe we can be the top half side we have all the potential to be. Get the first goal, perhaps a second and suddenly you actually start to believe it yourself.
For more fan views or to join the conversation visit www.90min.com
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United
Akinola recently signed a new contract with West Ham
Having excelled in his GCSEs, picking up an outstanding seven A*'s and five A's highly-rated defender Tunji Akinola is looking forward to West Ham United U18s game against Norwich City on Saturday 22 August.
Last weekend, the young Hammers picked up their first point of the new campaign, Oscar Borg's goal against rivals Tottenham Hotspur sealing a 1-1 draw.
Describing the moment he opened the all-important results letter, Akinola said: "I'm very happy with my results; I worked really hard so I'm glad the grades reflected that.
"I picked up my results from school, it was a bit nerve racking opening the letter, but obviously I was very happy as soon as I saw them."
Like all scholars at the Club, the Londoner will continue his education alongside his football commitments, as he confirmed that he will be starting BTEC courses this September.
"I'm going to do the BTEC that West Ham are offering, all my teammates and coaching staff have been very supportive; they were happy for me too."
Paul Tighe, Head of Education at the Academy congratulated the youngster on his phenomenal achievement, saying: "We've always known that Tunji is a bright lad and he's demonstrated that. He worked incredibly hard and thankfully his efforts have been rewarded. We like to push every player at the Academy to be the best they can be, not just in a football sense, but in all aspects.
"If, like Tunji, a player shows an aptitude for something away from football, we'll do all we can to support them.
Alongside Akinola, several scholars passed their GCSEs in a variety of different subjects, including teammate Joe Powell who secured a B in Spanish, opening the door for a possible move to La Liga, should he ever leave the Hammers.
Having celebrated their results, both are likely to feature in the Hammers' game against Norwich City on Saturday morning.
Akinola, who has started both League games so far, is confident his side can record their first win of the season.
"Training has been very good lately; everyone's looking very sharp and hungry recently. Everyone looks like they are enjoying themselves which is always a good sign.
"Norwich are quite a physical side, we just about beat them last year but it was tough. We've been playing pretty well but only got one point so I want us to start winning and moving up the table."
Similarly, the Canaries have got their campaign off to a slow start with a 4-1 home defeat to Chelsea on the opening day of the season followed by a 2-0 loss away at Arsenal.
Kick off on Saturday from the Canaries' Colney Training Centre is at 11am. We'll have a match report and reaction on www.whufc.com.
image: https:/ Our result against Leicester in the first home game of the new Premier League season might have been forgettable, but the match will forever be remembered for a selection of loyal and dedicated Hammers fans.
Principal sponsors Betway wanted to celebrate the launch of the new West Ham home shirt - and the club's final season at the Boleyn Ground - with you, the fans.
So prior to last Saturday's game, they enlisted the help of one of our most-famous sons - the legendary Sir Trevor Brooking - and made a surprise visit to the Hammers Social Club, which is nestled only a matter of metres away from the famous old stadium that we will be vacating at the season's end.
Sir Trevor was greeted with a spontaneous, rapturous and well-deserved applause upon walking through the door. It was a wonderful and moving moment which emphasised the impact the man has had on so many people.
Once the ovation quietened, the former No. 10 made his way around the club and handed out our new home shirt - which he also signed - to some of the club's most-deserving supporters. The amount of time that Sir Trevor spent with fans of all ages showed just how much those same people mean to him.
Betway filmed the event and their #PrideInYourShirt video will be shown on the Boleyn Ground's jumbo screen at half-time during the game against Bournemouth. The clip from the special day - in addition to interviews with coaching assistant Julian Dicks and manager Slaven Bilic - are available to view on the Betway Insider blog and Betway's Twitter, YouTube and Facebook pages.
Our sponsors were honoured to spend time with those supporters who have been closely associated with West Ham for many years. It is a shirt - and club - to be proud of.
AFC Bournemouth won promotion on the back of a possession-based attacking style of play that yielded 98 goals in 46 Championship matches.
A return of zero from their opening two Barclays Premier League fixtures suggests Eddie Howe's side are struggling to impose that same style in the top flight.
In reality, though, while the goals have so far proved hard to come by, Bournemouth are sticking to their principles, passing and creating chances galore.
In their two matches, which have ended in narrow 1-0 defeats by Aston Villa and Liverpool, Bournemouth have averaged 52 per cent possession and completed 81 per cent of their passes.
The Cherries have passed the ball 996 times in their opening two games, with 816 of those passes being classified as 'short', and just 124 as 'long balls'.
That possession has led to 24 shots on goal, with 16 of them being taken from inside the penalty area, but only four of them have been on target.
If Bournemouth are to survive this season, they will need to improve those ratios and start to turn their ability to keep the ball into an ability to score goals.
The most important attacking figure in the Bournemouth side is right winger Matt Ritchie. The 25-year-old Scot is a determined character who is never afraid to unleash a shot on goal, as he did in hitting the post at Anfield on Monday evening.
As is the fashion these days, Ritchie is played 'inverted' and will often favour cutting inside onto his left foot over going outside his full-back.
Ritchie and fellow winger Max Gradel, who debuted at Liverpool, are also keen to combine with their full-backs and get crosses into the opposition penalty area. The two widemen and full-backs – Simon Francis and Charlie Daniels – have combined to put 42 balls into the box in just two matches, but just seven of them have found teammates.
Bournemouth are not a physically imposing team in attack, with 6'0 Callum Wilson and 6'1 Joshua King leading the line in their opening two matches, so deliveries are more likely to be low crosses, cut-backs or through balls for the mobile attacking pair to latch onto
Playing with a 4-4-2 formation, there is a lot of pressure on Bournemouth's two central midfielders to perform.
Andrew Surman is an experienced all-rounder, with decent mobility and the ability to pick a pass. Alongside him, Northern Irishman Eunan O'Kane came into the starting XI at Anfield and impressed with his positional play and willingness to join in the attack by making runs from deep, with or without the ball at his feet
At the back, captain Tommy Elphick has become Bournemouth's leader and organiser. The 27-year-old is not physically dominant at 5'11, but has the athleticism and competitiveness to deal with strikers and markers far bigger than himself. He also possesses good concentration levels.
Alongside him, Steve Cook is slightly taller and equally adept in aerial situations, while both Bournemouth centre-backs are comfortable with the ball at their feet.
In goal, Polish veteran Artur Boruc is an imposing figure at 6'4 and possesses fine reflexes.
Possible team: (4-4-2) Boruc, Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels, Ritchie, O'Kane, Surman, Gradel, King, Wilson
Joint-Chairman David Gold looks ahead to Saturday's visit of AFC Bournemouth
We return to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday to take on Bournemouth and everyone is keen to open our home account for the season.
Bournemouth are new to the Barclays Premier League, of course, and have made a tremendous rise over the past few years to reach the top flight. I watched their game against Liverpool on Monday night and although the result did not go their way, they showed they will not be overawed by any fixture in this division.
Our job is to bounce back from last weekend's defeat to Leicester City and I think we saw enough in the second half of that game to suggest that we are well capable of claiming the three points and add to the victory we took at Arsenal on the opening day of the season.
With just over a week to the end of the summer transfer window, the speculation about who we will be bringing in is increasing.
The media speculation and questions all seem to come back to who we will be bringing in up front.. Elswhere in the squad, if you saw Pedro Obiang against Leicester you can see we have some real legs in midfield and what with Dimitri Payet, who is a proper player, along with Mark Noble, Cheik Kouyate and Kevin Nolan we are well equipped in that area.
You will always want more and you are never satisfied but for me if we bring in one more midfielder like an Alex Song and a striker then we would be well set.
As the negotiations to bring in those new players enter their final stages over the coming week, I would just like to pay tribute to my fellow Joint-Chairman David Sullivan, as people just do not know the work he puts in.
Lots of Chairmen go after signings but they don't do the due diligence that David Sullivan does and that's what makes him special. We have our advisors around us and Slaven will tell us the players we are looking for but actually buying them is easier said than done.
It's not like going into a supermarket and picking up a striker from the shelves. It's tremendously hard work and most of it fails because of a thousand different reasons but it's that due diligence that lands great players like Dimitri Payet. I am sure his efforts will once again come good for us all.
West Ham United face their second home game in succession on Saturday when AFC Bournemouth come to the Boleyn Ground.
The Cherries are new to the Barclays Premier League, having lifted the Championship title last term, but will arrive in east London with no points to their name from their opening two fixtures.
However, performances have been better than that, and narrow 1-0 defeats to Aston Villa and Liverpool could easily have gone the other way.
West Ham, meanwhile, will be keen to bounce back quickly from the disappointment of defeat to Leicester City last weekend.
Slaven Bilic's men were on a high after defeating Arsenal in their season opener, but goals from Shinji Okazaki and Riyad Mahrez meant Dimitri Payet's reply counted for little.
The history
Bournemouth have risen rapidly up the leagues to their current standing in the top flight.
Just six years ago they were in League Two, but Eddie Howe has steered them on their upward trajectory to now be fighting it out amongst the game's elite.
The Hammers and Bournemouth have only been in the same division for one previous season, when they both featured in Division Two in 1989/90.
Back then West Ham defeated Bournemouth 4-1 at home and drew 1-1 away. The clubs have also met on three occasions in cup action, with the Hammers winning all three ties.
The more obvious historical links between the teams lie in the players who have played for both, with Harry Redknapp's position as a former player and manager at both meaning many young Hammers cut their teeth at Dean Court during his tenure.
The likes of Jermain Defoe and Rio Ferdinand went on loan there, while current Bournemouth youth coaches Stephen Purches and Carl Fletcher both played for West Ham.
Match info
Team news
West Ham United
Mauro Zarate will miss out for the Hammers after suffering a hamstring injury in training this week. The Argentine is likely to return to action following the international break.
Enner Valencia (leg) and Andy Carroll (knee) remain on the sidelines, while Darren Randolph will fill in for Adrian in goal, who serves the first game of a three-match ban.
Pedro Obiang will be pressing for a first start in West Ham colours after impressing from the bench last weekend.
AFC Bournemouth
Eddie Howe is unlikely to change much around after his team's impressive performance at Liverpool on Monday night.
Harry Arter (groin) is their only long-term absentee, while new signings Sylvain Distin and Tyrone Mings await their debuts.
Match facts
Saturday's referee is Jonathan Moss. The Tyne & Wear official will be assisted by Simon Long and Andy Halliday. The fourth official is Peter Bankes.
West Ham and Bournemouth have met five times before, with Bournemouth never winning. West Ham have triumphed on three occasions, while there have been two draws.
The two teams last met in the League Cup in 1999, when Eddie Howe started for Bournemouth and the Hammers won 2-0.
Adrian's red card against Leicester means he will miss his first Premier League match since New Year's Day 2014, ending a run of 58 consecutive starts.
Callum Wilson has earned eleven penalties since the start of last season, more than any other player. In that time only Swindon Town have won more spot kicks, with 14 to their name.
Andrew Surman's tally of 167 passes from the first two games in the highest in the Premier League.
Betting
Our principal sponsors Betway analyse the betting markets ahead of Saturday's game here.
Tickets, travel, coverage and other info
Tickets for Saturday's game have SOLD OUT. However, they may become available online as Season Ticket holders relist.
The District and Hammersmith & City lines serving Upton Park are due to run as normal on Saturday. Check here for up to the minute updates on the Tube network and here for National Rail.
whufc.com will carry live updates, photos, stats and audio commentary throughout the day. Get involved in the conversation on social media using #WHUBOU
Saturday is set to be a lovely day, with sunny skies and temperatures hitting 29C (84F) at kick-off.
We're all looking forward to getting back to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday to hopefully put our first home win of the season on the board.
We've got Bournemouth and I watched their game against Liverpool on Monday and they look a good outfit. I think they were unlucky in that game.
They were hard working and have some quality as well. It's going to be a challenge for them, of course, but it's going to be a difficult game for us too.
We need to win these games at home – last week was a big disappointment and we need to bounce back from that.
We will need to put in a good performance and a professional performance if we are to get the three points.
We started well in the first ten minutes against Leicester last week, but then seemed to sit back a little bit and not press as well as we can,
They got their two goals and it was an uphill battle, but we showed plenty of spirit in the second half and got back in the game. That patch when we were second best in the first half ultimately cost us.
I've had a couple of 90 minutes under my belt so I'm looking to be flying now as I should be fully fit. I've got to express myself and play to the best of my ability.
I'm really happy to be back and I just want to make sure I have a strong season. It's important that I focus on my football and, most importantly, help the Club have a strong year.
In football you always go from year-to-year, even if you're at the same club, you're always proving yourself every year.
I'm 23 and I feel that every year is a new year and you have up move to the next level if you're going to compete and be where you want to be.
Every year is a new challenge, but I like that because it keeps you on your toes.
West Ham's Mauro Zarate suffered a hamstring injury in training and will be sidelined for around three weeks.
The Hammers will also be without suspended goalkeeper Adrian for the first time in 58 matches so Darren Randolph is set to deputise.
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has no new injury concerns, with Harry Arter (groin) the only long-term absentee.
Shaun MacDonald has overcome a toe injury, while Sylvain Distin and Tyrone Mings await their debuts for the club.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Simon Brotherton: "Bournemouth will hope to get on the board at the third time of asking after two narrow defeats in which they've played well and looked comfortable but ended up empty handed.
"They won't get as many chances this season in the Premier League as they had last year in the Championship so must be more ruthless when they do arrive.
"Slaven Bilic will look for a more assertive showing from West Ham after upsetting Arsenal only to then fail to cope with Leicester last week when the onus was more on them as the home team. "
Twitter: @SimonBrotherton
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "On the one hand I expect a physical game, but on the other hand I saw the way Bournemouth are trying to pass the ball and their first idea is to pass the ball.
"They are very good and they play good football. They are not just passing in a tiki taka way and they are not just lumping it up, they are mixing it up.
"I watched both of Bournemouth's games and of course you could say that they deserved something from each of them. They weren't second-best in the first game against Villa and at Anfield the game was very even."
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe: "It's going to be a tough game at Upton Park, but it's one we are looking forward to.
"We saw West Ham's game against Leicester and we know they are a good side but we are upbeat going into this one. Our performances in the past two games have been good.
"Of course it's important that we start getting results on the board. Our changing room is full of winners - we didn't win the league last year by not having a winning attitude. So of course there is a frustration, but even stronger is a willingness to put it right."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
I liked the way Bournemouth played against Liverpool but they did not carry much of a goal threat from open play and, as badly as they need to get a positive result at Upton Park, I cannot see it happening. Lawro's full predictions v comedian Jack Whitehall
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
This is the first league meeting between West Ham and Bournemouth since April 1990 in the old Division Two.
The two sides last met in October 1999 in the League Cup, with West Ham winning 2-0 in a match that featured Eddie Howe in the Bournemouth starting line-up.
West Ham United
The Hammers have only won two of their last eight home games in the Premier League (W2, D2, L4).
Adrian's red card against Leicester means he will miss his first Premier League match since New Year's Day 2014, ending a run of 58 consecutive appearances.
Darren Randolph, a free transfer from Birmingham City, is in line to make his Premier League debut for the club. He conceded 12 goals in two games against Bournemouth in the Championship last season.
AFC Bournemouth
Bournemouth have lost their opening two games and only one of the six newly-promoted sides to lose their opening three games of a Premier League season has gone on to avoid relegation - Southampton in 2012-13.
Callum Wilson has won 11 penalties since the start of last season, more than any other player. Swindon Town are the only club in the top four divisions to have earned more penalties in that time (14).
Andrew Surman has made the most passes in both of his Premier League appearances so far this season and his overall tally of 167 is the highest in the top flight.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Rob Green in limbo as talks with West Ham stall
Filed: Friday, 21st August 2015 By: Staff Writer
He was a firm favourite with the fans for nearly six years but Rob Green's chances of returning to West Ham are in the balance tonight, according to reports.
The 35-year-old stopper has been in talks with West Ham over a £1.5million return from Queens Park Rangers, the club he left Upton Park for in 2012, but an impasse is understood to have been reached over Green's wage demands.
The Mail claim tonight that Green is seeking around £50,000 per week in order to return to the Boleyn Ground, a similar wage to that which he currently commands at Loftus Road and considerably more than he earned during his previous spell in east London.
West Ham, who are not seeking a first choice goalkeeper due to Adrian's impressive form since moving from Real Betis a year ago are not prepared to spend such a large chunk of the allotted wage bill on a back-up - although Green is also said to be seeking some assurances with regards to playing first team football.
With the Spaniard set to sit out the first of three matches tomorrow following his dismissal in added-on time in last week's home defeat to Leicester, recent signing Darren Randolph is set to serve between the sticks.
And manager Slaven Bilic did his best to boost the Irish international's confidence today when speaking about Randolph's inclusion for the visit of Bournemouth. "I see absolutely no problems with him being in goal on Saturday," he said. "I am happy.
"Randy is a very experienced goalkeeper. He is very calm, he is confident. He knows we are backing him up and are there for him."
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic wary of Bournemouth backlash
Last Updated: 21/08/15 4:07pm
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is urging caution against Bournemouth this weekend
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is wary of a scorned Bournemouth side as his team prepare to face them this weekend.
Bilic has watched both of Bournemouth's opening Premier League matches against Aston Villa and Liverpool, each of which they lost 1-0.
Bournemouth's were beaten by a controversial Christian Benteke goal before the break in their most recent defeat, having started the match brightly.
West Ham, on the other hand, got off the mark in spectacular fashion as they won 2-0 at Arsenal on the opening day, before a 2-1 home defeat to Leicester last week.
Although Bournemouth are still waiting for their first points, Bilic is adamant that doesn't mean they won't test his side.
The Croatian said: "I watched both games and of course you can say they deserved something from each one of them.
"They weren't second best in the first game against Villa and at Anfield the game was very even.
"Okay, Liverpool had better chances, they scored a goal, they hit the bar, had a couple of blocked shots, but in open play it was Bournemouth for me. They were a bit unlucky.
"I expect a very dynamic game. I expect a physical game but also, on the other hand, I saw the way they are passing the ball. Their first idea is always to pass the ball.
"They play good football. They are mixing it, but every time they get a chance to pass they pass it. It's a very good team."
West Ham v Bournemouth preview: Cherries looking for first points
Last Updated: 21/08/15 11:53pm
Bournemouth head to Upton Park in search of their first Premier Leaguepoints
West Ham and Bournemouth meet in the league for the first time in more than 25 years as both sides look to recover from defeats on the second weekend of the season.
The Hammers' last league meeting with the Cherries - a Division Two clash at Upton Park in April 1990 - ended in a comprehensive 4-1 victory, and they'll be looking for a similar result as they look to bounce back from last weekend's 2-1 defeat to Leicester.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, will be hoping to finally get some points on the board after two defeats from their opening two games.
Just a reminder that you have until 1.30pm to enter your team into the Predictor League. Even if you haven't done it for the first two games, come on, have a go!!
There are likely to be three changes to the team which started against Leicester last Saturday. As we all know, Adrian will miss today's game and also the next two. Despite rumours that Rob Green might be returning in a swap deal with Darren Randolph, that hasn't happened and Randolph will make his Premier League debut. He will know what responsibility lies on his shoulders and will be very nervous, I should imagine, especially since he conceded 12 goals against Bournemouth in two games last season. I hope the crowd gives him some support.
Reece Oxford apparently has a niggle but even if he didn't I suspect Pedro Obiang would be selected over him due to his magnificent performance in the second half against Leicester. I'm really looking forward to seeing a lot more of this young man. He made a real impression.
Finally, Mauro Zarate has picked up an injury at just the wrong time. He's made an impressive start to this season and would have been looking to cement his place in the team, but he reported on twitter earlier in the week that he'd now have to miss the Bournemouth and Liverpool games.
Bournemouth have been very unlucky in their first two games. They lost both by one goal to nil, but could easily have won both. They played well. The worst thing we could do would be to underestimate them. I'm sure we won't.
Just a personal note. If you're in Ken's Cafe between 12.30 and 2pm I'll be hosting five Americans who have come to see today's game. One of them is the young nephew of my best friend Daniel Forrester, who I introduced to the delights of Upton Park in 1994. His name is Jake and he has cystic fibrosis. The Make a Wish Foundation have paid for him and his family to come over to England and last Saturday they were hosted by Tottenham. I then got them tickets for Reading v Leeds and Leyton Orient v Stevenage this week. And today Jake and his family are coming to West Ham. He and his father are being hosted by the club and will have have some pictures taken with a couple of players before the match on the pitch. I'm really grateful to the club for arranging this, as I am sure it will be the highlight of his week. Far better than being at White Hart Lane. I hope I can persuade Jake and his Dad to write up their week for the blog next week.
OPPOSITION Q&A: THE CHERRIES By Sean Whetstone 21 Aug 2015 at 17:00 300 comments
This week I spoke to Peter Bell from Premier League newcomers AFC Bournemouth who runs a blog called Cherry Chimes
How do you rate West Ham's new manager Slaven Bilic and how will he get on in the Premier League? It's early days. I'm a little unsure to be honest how well he will go. While he has shown great tactics in leading Croatia and has done well at Besiktas the Premier League is hard as Bournemouth themselves are finding out. As long as he can keep the West Ham fans off his back then he'll have a chance of putting his print on the team, but if things start to go against him in terms of results, then pressure will only mount on him with the importance of this season with the need to be in the Premier League with the new stadium. I'm interested to see how he copes with the pressure.
What league position can West Ham achieve this season under Bilic? I think that is may be a question you are better asking West Ham fans. Still, the team has been strengthened and if things do click for Slaven Bilic then I can see West Ham getting to about 10-12th. I think other teams are also improving though like Stoke, Swansea and Crystal Palace so it is going to be tough to get above 12th this season.
Eddie Howe was frequently linked with the West Ham job before Bilic's appointment. How do you rate him and do you see him moving on to bigger and better things? Eddie is AFC Bournemouth through and through. I am not surprised that he was linked with bigger teams but this summer was not the right time for him to leave. He wants to achieve more things with the Cherries and when it has gone so well for him at Dean Court and he has an owner and chairman that back him to the hilt he has all he needs for the moment. He is getting Premier League experience and he is managing the club he loves with the players he has coached for several years in some cases. The bond with Eddie and Jason Tindall with the club is very strong. If at the end of next season a top half Premier League club came in for him he might consider it but we know where his heart is and I can imagine him waiting for the right club at the right time which may not be for a few seasons yet if AFC Bournemouth manage to establish themselves in the top flight. How do I rate him – perfect for AFCBournemouth!
How do you think Bournemouth will fare in the Premier League this season? What league position can they realistically finish? We have no surprise in finding that it is going to be tricky to pick up points. The gap between the Championship and Premier League is great but the club has a very steady manager that will find solutions when the team is under pressure and I believe most Bournemouth fans are confident of avoiding relegation, unlike the majority of pundits. While it looks like we'll have a slow start I believe that when the wins start to come they will start to build up as this is a team that knows how to make unbeaten runs and win away from home. My prediction is a 14th placed finish.
Which three teams do you tip for relegation this season? Aston Villa, Sunderland and Newcastle.
If you could have any current West Ham player in your team who would you choose? I'd say Aaron Creswell from your current team as he was one of the best players last year. We have only just brought in Tyrone Mings though so we probably have not got need of another left back. Diafra Sakho of course would be an obvious choice as a goalscorer, but I'm happy with our squad.
What is your favourite West Ham player of all time? Ian Bishop, as he also played for AFC Bournemouth and was my favourite player when Harry Redknapp managed the Cherries in the 1980s. I used to rush to get a place in the stands where I could get view of him on the wing and while he did not score a shed load of goals he was always beating his man and providing crosses for others to score.
Who is the Bournemouth player to watch out for? Which Bournemouth player should will include in our Fantasy dream team? Matt Ritchie is probably the player that will get noticed the most by fans who don't know much about AFC Bournemouth. Apart from his striking hair cuts and small stature, he always shoots when he is anywhere near goal, and he has that ability to drift into a space effortlessly which enables him to get into scoring positions on a regular basis. He may not be the best defensively, but he always puts a shift in. he's a fabulous player.
West Ham fans were looking forward to a nice sunny away weekend in Bournemouth by the seaside but instead we got a cold Tuesday night in January when we play you in the return leg. What is the likely allocation for away tickets for West Ham? I am told our allocation could be 1,000 or less. How many tickets were Aston Villa allocated for the first game of the season? It would probably only be raining on a Saturday anyway! Ha, ha. You'll get 1500 tickets I expect. That is about what Aston Villa will have received. Dean Court holds 11,700 and there are about 7000 season ticket holders. Another 2000 seats are generally on sale to home fans for each game.
How do you expect Bournemouth to setup against West Ham on Saturday/ Team/formation prediction? Having seen a couple of changes in the previous match against Liverpool that worked fairly well I expect the starting XI to remain the same if there are no injuries.
West Ham & Bournemouth have only played each other three times in our combined history with two wins for the Hammers in 1990 and 1999 and one draw in the old second division. What is your score prediction for Saturday? My boss is a West Ham fan so if we lose I'll get reminded all week and if we win I'll get the rotten jobs. Still, we need the points so I'm going for a shock 0-1 away win!
Leroy Rosenior believes David Sullivan will be regretting his Charlie Austin comments declaring: "He'd have been better off simply leaving it at the fact we can't afford the £15 million!"
And the popular former Iron said: "I have to say I as pretty amazed when I read the remarks. There's nothing wrong in saying he's too expensive and you can get away with explaining he's had a failed medical.
"But the rest of it was all a bit questionable and it's really no surprise there's been a row break out over it."
Leroy's own playing days ended in his late 20s with a degenerative knee injury and he played in pain for much of his career with the final five years being "absolute agony".
He said: "I don't think anybody outside of a few will know about any injury problems to particular players, and it's really best not to go there if there's any uncertainty.
"David is known as a man who says what he thinks. But I reckon if he could go back he wouldn't go near the subject again. It's all best forgotten I think."
West Ham are hoping their striker "crisis" will be solved by the middle of next week.
Chairman's son and prolific tweeter, Jack Sullivan – who was clearly in a feisty mood following his elder brother and Dad David's appearance on a controversial podcast this week – has dropped a heavy hint the issue is now close to closure.
Addressing the issue that is exercising everybody's mind right now, the teenager tweeted: "Transfer update -We hope to resolve our striker crisis by the middle of next week."
Jack is clearly very much up for things at the moment despite the uproar caused on the podcast, which led to a war of words between his Dad and Charlie Austin.
If nothing else, he's a real chip off the old block!
Slaven Bilic is expecting a 'dynamic' contest when AFC Bournemouth visit the Boleyn Ground in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday. The West Ham United manager praised Eddie Howe's side for the way they have played in their opening two fixtures following promotion from the Championship, despite the fact the Cherries have no points and no goals to show for their efforts.
The Hammers boss warned that his team must be on their game if they are to break down and beat an adaptable Bournemouth team who have troubled Aston Villa and Liverpool in recent weeks.
"I expect a very dynamic game," Bilic revealed. "On the one hand I expect a physical game, but on the other hand I saw the way Bournemouth are trying to pass the ball and their first idea is to pass the ball. They are very good and they play good football. "They are not just passing in a tiki taka way and they are not just lumping it up, they are mixing it up. If they can pass, they pass it, but if they are under pressure they try to hit the two guys up front. When they can press you, they press you, but if not they are all behind the ball and waiting for you. They are a good team and that's why they looked so good in their opening two games. "I watched both of Bournemouth's games and of course you could say that they deserved something from each of them. They weren't second-best in the first game against Villa and at Anfield the game was very even. "OK Liverpool had better chances and scored and hit the bar and had a couple of blocked shots, but in open play, if you see the quality of the passing it was Bournemouth for me and they were a bit unlucky in both games."
Concentrating on West Ham, Bilic faces a number of selection decisions after losing Adrian to suspension and Mauro Zarate to a hamstring injury in the build-up to Saturday's game. On the goalkeeper situation, Bilic revealed that he expected the Club's appeal for wrongful dismissal against Adrian's red card in last weekend's defeat by Leicester City to fail because of the stringent nature of the FA's rules. Adrian was sent-off for serious foul play after catching Jamie Vardy in the chest with his boot, and will now serve a three-match suspension. "I am disappointed with a three-match ban," said Bilic. "To be fair, I was hjoping that our appeal would be a positive one, but I wasn't expecting to win it because of the rule. I said after the game that it could be a red and I didn't change my mind. "For me it was a bit harsh but I can tell you with the ref it was not out of the blue. The ref decided it was a red and I'm OK with that, but for me the punishment is unbelievable. It's too big, it's too much but when I saw the rules after that, I knew we didn't stand a chance because the FA would have to change their rule, which they will not do, of course."
There has been some speculation over who will replace Adrian in goal against Bournemouth on Saturday, but the manager confirmed that he expects Ireland international Darren Randolph to take the gloves at the Boleyn Ground. "We are going to see who will play in goal," Bilic said. "Darren is doing well and he is an experienced goalkeeper, an international, so I'm expecting him to be in goal. "It's very short-sighted to say he has a problem with Bournemouth. It happened once. When I played in Germany we beat Valencia 7-0 in the UEFA Cup, but it was once. You can't say that we were better than Valencia as a club, so I believe in Randy. He is experienced, he is good and he played in so many games and what happened with Bournemouth could happen to anyone or to him against any other team."
"I said four weeks ago that I would not discuss our transfer activities in front of the public until it is done one way or the other. I am not necessarily going to bring someone in in goal."
While he has yet to decide over the signing of a new goalkeeper, Bilic confirmed Joint-Chairman David Sullivan's statement surrounding the possibility of Alex Song returning to the Club.
Song is set to undergo a medical ahead of a proposed move from Barcelona, and the manager says the Cameroon midfielder would be a major player for the Hammers should he come back to E13.
"Agreement is in principle and you've seen the Chairman's statement and it says everything," the manager said. "We agreed the terms and now it's subject to the medical, and we hope he is going to pass that because we know how good he was here last year and how good he is as a player. "He has got a record. He was an Arsenal player and a Barcelona player and all that and we would like to get him and it's down to the medical. We got a lot of positive comments and details about his improvement so we are really confident that he is going to pass the medical.
"He was here last year on loan and I think that everybody agrees, West Ham fans, non-West Ham fans and football people from across the country, that especially in the first six months he was exceptional and he was brilliant. "If we can get him in that stage or type of playing and try to do it for a bit longer over the whole season, it would be crucial for us."
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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com
Hello everyone,
Here we have the latest update from the Treatment Room this week. We will start with the bad news. Mauro Zarate suffered a hamstring injury in training this week. Mauro his begun his rehabilitation, and should hopefully be available to return after the international break. Andy Carroll is continuing to work on his rehabilitation after he underwent surgery on a knee injury he suffered in February. Enner Valencia is three weeks into his rehabilitation following the leg injury he suffered in the UEFA Europa League against Astra Giurgiu on 30 July. Enner remains on schedule to be back in full training by the end of October. Finally, Reece Oxford has had a small niggle and has missed a few days of training this week.
Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science
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Burke loaned to Bantams
WHUFC.com
Reece Burke has joined Bradford City on Youth Loan for an initial period until 20 September 2015. The centre-back will link up with Phil Parkinson's League One side immediately and could make his debut in a Yorkshire derby at Barnsley on Saturday afternoon. The defender, who turns 19 on 2 September, made five Barclays Premier League appearances at the end of last season and will now gain more valuable match experience at Valley Parade. Newham-born Burke becomes the third West Ham United youngster to be allowed out to go on loan this week, following Diego Poyet (MK Dons) and Moses Makasi (Chelmsford City).
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Charlie Austin: QPR striker 'outraged' by David Sullivan 'slur'
BBC.co.uk
Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin has accused West Ham chairman David Sullivan of making "an outrageous slur" on his professionalism. Sullivan, speaking on a West Ham fans' podcast, said the Hammers considered Austin too great a risk as a signing because of knee problems. Austin, 26, is expected to leave Loftus Road this summer. He said: "I feel I have no option but to address the inaccurate, misleading and uninformed innuendo." He added: "It is one of a number of inaccurate reports about my so-called injury problems made over the summer."
Championship club QPR have stated the England striker, who failed a medical at Hull in 2013, will remain with them until their £15m valuation is met. Sullivan said: "Firstly, we haven't got £15m to spend under the fair play rules. Secondly, he failed a medical at Hull a couple of years ago. "They say he has no ligaments in his knee, who knows? To sign a £15m player is a big risk. He could go on for years, but knowing our luck his knee will go in his first game and that's the end of it."
Charlie Austin: the lowdown
Trained with Reading's youth teams but was released at 15
Played non-league football until 2008, including at Poole Town while working as a bricklayer
While on trial at Swindon Town, Austin scored a hat-trick in his first match for the club and was signed immediately
Signed for Burnley in 2011 and scored 16 Championship goals in his debut season
In August 2013, Austin joined QPR on a three-and-a-half-year deal
The former Swindon and Burnley man scored 18 goals as the west London club were relegated from the Premier League last season. Rangers rejected a £12m bid from Leicester in July but he continues to be heavily linked with a move away before the close of the transfer window on 2 September. "For the record, there is nothing wrong with my 'ligaments', as has been suggested," Austin added in a statement.
"My strength and performance in pre-season has been excellent and with two goals in my last two games I don't think there is any doubt that my match sharpness is as good as ever. "Like many professional footballers, I have the legacy of injuries picked up over my career but the effect on my day-to-day training and on matchday is non-existent. "I am fit, strong and looking forward to Saturday's home game against Rotherham."
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Sullivan responds to Austin criticism
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 20th August 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United Chairman David Sullivan has spoken out to clarfiy his comments regarding Charlie Austin.
Talking in the latest episode of the KUMB Podcast, West Ham United's co-owner responded to a question from a supporter querying why West Ham had not make an official approach for the highly-rated striker.
Sullivan replied by explaining why he had reservations over meeting Queens Park Rangers' £15miliion asking price - comments that appeared to upset Austin, who issued a statement this afternoon criticising the Chairman for referring to his past injuries.
"My strength and performance in pre-season has been excellent and with two goals in my last two games I don't think there is any doubt that my match sharpness is as good as ever," he said.
"Like many professional footballers, I have the legacy of injuries picked up over my career but the effect on my day-to-day training and on matchday is non-existent. I am fit, strong and looking forward to Saturday's home game against Rotherham."
Responding to Austin's statement and to clarify his earlier comments, Sullivan - whose last two major front-line signings, Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia are yet to play this season - replied: "I fully accept Charlie Austin is a good player and I fully accept he's not impacted on a day-to-day basis.
"I admire Charlie, but the question for us is whether previous injuries might impact upon the longevity of his career."
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Signing Joey Barton made financial sense, says Sullivan
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 20th August 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan believes that signing Joey Barton would have made sense from a financial perspective - and was a deal he personally supported. Free agent Barton was on the verge of joining West Ham last week after spending a short spell at Chadwell Heath on trial. However the plug was pulled on the transfer after some of the squad's senior players approached Sullivan to express their concerns.
And that, revealed Sullivan, speaking to Chris Scull and James Longman on the latest KUMB West Ham Podcast, was enough to persuade the club to perform an about-turn and cancel their plans to sign the 32-year-old former Manchester City and QPR midfielder. "Personally I would have signed Joey Barton because it was an exceptionally good deal from a financial point of view," he revealed. "It was very high appearance money, but a very low basic. There was no long-term commitment and big appearance money only if he started - and only in Premier League games. "From a purely financial point of view, to get a player of Joey Barton's quality in on a one-year contract was very good from a financial point of view." "But there were a couple of players who didn't fancy it and if the potential cost is an unhappy dressing room, you have to listen to it."
Despite failing to land his man, Sullivan spoke positively about his negotiations with Barton - whose response to news of the breakdown in talks with West Ham via video the Chairman called "dignified". "He's not a mug, he was the best player at Queens Park Rangers last year so he would have made a contribution in an area where we're short of numbers," added Sullivan. "I think he's a 90 per cent reformed character, I thought his video was very dignified under the circumstances because he felt very let down. "But if the manager thought fan power or a bit of player power or a bit of means means don't take him, you've got to support the manager. "
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Reece rolled out on loan
KUMb.com
Filed: Thursday, 20th August 2015
By: Staff Writer
Academy star Reece Burke has joined League One side Bradford City on a month-loan loan. 18-year-old Burke made his first team debut under Sam Allardyce last year, but following the arrival of fellow centre half Angelo Ogbonna is unlikely to be needed this season (barring a catastrophic succession of injuries). "The Bantams have completed the loan signing of talented young defender Reece Burke from Premier League side West Ham United," confirmed the Yorkshire club this afternoon. "The central defender was named West Ham's Young Player of the Year last season and featured in the Hammers' last five Premier League games for the 2014/2015 campaign, starting four of them. "Subject to clearance from The F.A and the Football League, Burke could now be named in Phil Parkinson's match-day squad for this Saturday's Yorkshire derby at Barnsley."
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Coming soon: the Rise of the Krays
KUMb.com
Filed: Thursday, 20th August 2015
By: Staff Writer
A new film about the most notorious of London's East End gangs hits the streets next week. 'The Rise of the Krays' takes a unique look at the lives of the infamous twins, who ran amok in the capital during the 1960s before both were finally committed at Her Majesty's Pleasure for life. Whereas previous productions have highlighted the glamorous side of being a gangster in the swinging sixties, 'Rise' takes a more open approach whilst refraining from glamorising the violence for which the Krays were known. And although the Krays may have been Leyton Orient fans, the new movie has been financed by someone rather closer to home - West Ham United co-Chairman David Sullivan, who spoke to KUMB about the new film. "It's a story about the rise of the Krays and it pulls no punches," Sullivan told KUMB.com. "It shows them as they really were and has been described as 'the best British Gangster movie of all time'." The film stars ex-Eastenders star Nicola Stapleton as Violet Kray, with Kevin Leslie and Simon Cotton playing Reggie and Ronnie respectively. It will be available to download digitally next week and in physical form from Monday, 31 August on DVD and Blu-Ray.
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We won't pay £15million for Charlie Austin, says David Sullivan
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 20th August 2015
By: Staff Writer
David Sullivan has revealed that West Ham are unlikely to move for Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin - unless the Championship club slash their £15million asking price. West Ham United's co-Chairman, speaking exclusively to Chris Scull and James Longman on the new KUMB West Ham Podcast explained why the club had refrained from making an official approach for the striker, who enjoyed a prolific campaign last season despite Rangers being relegated from the Premier League. "Firstly, we haven't got £15million to spend under the Fair Play rules," said Sullivan. "Secondly, he [Austin] failed a medical at Hull a couple of years ago. They say he has no ligaments in his knee, who knows? To sign a player for £15million is a big risk. "He could go on for years, but knowing our luck his knee will go in his first game and that's the end of it! "If we had £100million to spend we may say 'we'll spend £15million and gamble one-sixth of our budget'. But it's not one-sixth of our budget, it'd smash our budget to bits. "And he didn't keep Queens Park Rangers up. If he'd kept them up single-handedly you might say it was different - and a few of those goals were penalties. "16 goals is still very good, but when we played Queens Park Rangers last year they had to win to stand any chance of staying up - and he wasn't very good [that day]."
During our exclusive two-part interview, Sullivan - who was accompanied by his two sons Jack and Dave - also spoke about:
Alex Song - and why he's yet to complete his return to the club
Joey Barton - and why the club tried to sign the former QPR midfielder
Stewart Downing - and the truth behind his return to Middlesbrough
Sam Allardyce - the Sullivans respond to Sam's "ungrateful" jibe and reveal the truth behind his departure
Slaven Bilic - and the club's hopes and requirements for the new man at the helm
Transfer window - the latest situation with regard to incoming - and outgoing - players
Europa League - David Sullivan answers criticism regarding West Ham's early exit
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Reece Burke joins Bradford City on loan
Last Updated: 20/08/15 1:22pm
SSN
Bradford have completed the signing of defender Reece Burke on loan from West Ham. Burke, 18, arrives at the Coral Windows Stadium on a one-month deal, having made 10 senior appearances for the Hammers, three of which came this season in the Europa League. He featured five times for West Ham in Premier League at the end of last season, making four starts under then-boss Sam Allardyce. The defender has played for England at various youth levels and, subject to clearance, he could be set for his Bantams debut when they travel to Barnsley in Sky Bet League 1 on Saturday. Burke is the third Hammers player to leave the club on loan this week, with Diego Poyet joining MK Dons and Moses Makasi going to Chelmsford City. His deal will run until 20 September 2015.
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Charlie Austin hits out at David Sullivan over fitness claim
Last Updated: 20/08/15 7:07pm
SSN
Charlie Austin has hit back at a claim over his fitness by saying he couldn't have scored 18 Premier League goals last season if there was any doubt about the condition he is in. The QPR striker responded after West Ham co-owner David Sullivan suggested moving for the England international was a risk because of his medical history. Sullivan said on a Knees Up Mother Brown podcast: "He failed a medical at Hull a couple of years ago. "They say he has no ligaments in his knee, who knows? To sign a player for £15m is a big risk. He could go on for years, but knowing our luck his knee will go in his first game and that's the end of it. "If we had £100m to spend we may say: 'We'll spend £15m and gamble one-sixth of our budget.' But it's not one-sixth of our budget – it'd smash our budget to bits. "And he didn't keep Queens Park Rangers up. If he'd kept them up single-handedly you might say it was different. A few of those goals were penalties. "Sixteen goals is still very good, but when we played Queens Park Rangers last year they had to win to stand any chance of staying up and he wasn't very good."
Austin has reacted furiously to Sullivan's remarks, insisting the 66-year-old's words are inaccurate and defending his recent form. Posting on Twitter he said: "I feel I have no option but to address the inaccurate, misleading and uninformed innuendo about my physical condition that has been raised today by an individual who is not privy to my personal health history. "It is one of a number of inaccurate reports about my so-called injury problems which have been made over the summer. "For the record, there is nothing wrong with my 'ligaments', as has been suggested. "My strength and performance in pre-season has been excellent and with two goals in my last two games, I don't think there is any doubt that my match sharpness is as good as ever. "I scored 18 goals in the Premier League last season, which would not be possible were I feeling discomfort or pain. "Like many professional footballers, I have the legacy of injuries picked up over my career but the effect on my day-to-day training and on match-day is non-existent. "For a senior figure at a Premier League club to insinuate that I could break down at any moment is an outrageous slur on my professionalism and the work that has gone into making me the footballer I am today. "I am fit, strong and looking forward to Saturday's home game against Rotherham."
QPR have said they will not accept anything less than £15m for Austin, who has been linked with several Premier League clubs. The player has started the season well, scoring twice so far for the Loftus Road side against Cardiff City and Wolves.
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Adrian suspension 'too big' says West Ham boss Slaven Bilic
Last Updated: 20/08/15 9:52am
SSN
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says goalkeeper Adrian's three-match ban is "too big" after the club lost their appeal over the red card. Adrian was sent off for a high boot into the chest of Leicester's Jamie Vardy during the Hammers' 2-1 defeat on Saturday. Bilic said: "I was hoping that our appeal on Adrian would be positive, but I wasn't expecting it. "The ref decided it was red, but the punishment is too big."
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Olympic Stadium seats reduced to 66,510
Posted by Sean Whetstone on August 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
The number of seats in the Olympic Stadium in football mode will reduce to 66,510 and not the 74,400 originally planned.
In a freedom of information request the London Legacy Development Corporation has revealed the stadium will lose 13,490 seats in football mode. The former London 2012 Olympic Stadium boasted 80,000 seats during the Summer games with 55,000 seats located in the upper tier and another 25,000 in the lower seating bowl.
The new rebuild lower seating bowel utilising retractable and re-locatable seating will have 18,558 seats in football mode plus an additional 2,220 in re-locatable seating to bridge the gap between the East lower and upper stands. A new middle West Stand tier will hold 1,416 seats.
There are an additional 253 wheel chair accessible seats (including a companion seat) in football mode and 429 wheelchair accessible seats (including a companion seat) in athletics mode.
Probably the biggest surprise is the 55,000 upper stand seats which have reduced to 44,336 seats the LLDC claim. Original planning permission submitted by the LLDC suggested the upper stand would remain largely unchanged except for the removal of the top two rows of seats to allow for the construction of the new roof. The same planning documentation suggested the amount of seats would reduce to approximately 52,000. It is not clear in LLDC's FOI response what has happened with the other 7,664 seats and how they were removed.
The LLDC says it does not hold the total number of seats which be screened off in football mode as this will be solely a decision for West Ham United Football club.
The number of seats is still significantly in excess of the planning permission and safety certificate for 54,000 capacity in resident team football mode meaning that over 11,000 seats will need to be screened off by West Ham in the upper stands plus an additional 6,000 seats in lower tier which can't be used during football mode.
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Austin "didn't want to play" after failed medical
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Those who know David Sullivan well will tell you he is not a man to call a spade a shovel! He gives every impression of knowing precisely what he's saying and has not reached his financial position in life by making foolish statements. Whether we agree with his modus operandi in an interview situation is one thing but he will have certainly have checked his facts before opening his mouth. And when talking of Charlie Austin's failed medical at Hull he will have been left privately amazed at the reaction he received for he is 100 per cent correct. The Tigers called off the move two years ago with manager Steve Bruce telling the BBC all parties were in an awful situation because the "medical is not so great." He added that he thought the player was surprised "because he has not missed many games over the last couple of years but these medicals are so stringent and obviously he has got a problem."
And here's what Austin had to to say a little later in an interview with FourFourTwo: "How did I feel? I didn't really want to play football after that to be honest," "I thought 'Yeah that'll do, I'm not playing anymore'. But even though I only had a year at Burnley left I thought… [puffs out cheeks].
Whether the chairman should have given a view on the player's abilities is another issue but don't expect platitudes from him. He is well known for saying exactly what's on his mind. A relatively recent failed medical is a failed medical and will focus any chairman's mind. Should he have made his points? Each of us can make our own minds up but perhaps, just perhaps, there's been a slight over-reaction!
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Olympic Stadium Petition passes 10,000 mark
Posted by Sean Whetstone on August 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
A petition setup by London football supporter groups calling for public inquiry into West Ham Olympic Stadium deal has passed the 10,000 mark in twenty four hours meaning the government must response to the petition.
The petition currently stands at 12,000 after media coverage of the petition by the BBC, ITN and the London Evening Standard. One fan group was encouraging supporters add their signatures multiple times suggesting they use as many email addresses as they have got.
The outcome is likely to have little effect on the Government, the issue has been debated to death in the House of Commons and House of Lords as well as the London Assembly and various budget sub committees.
A public inquiry would cost a minimum of £10 million and is in no-ones interest to pursue not least the tax payer.
This publicly available letter (linked below) from 2013 by the then CEO of LLDC Denis Hone to the Chairman of the Budget and Performance Committee answers many of the questions asked beyond those considered commercially sensitive.
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Hammers top striker hope named
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Exclusive
West Ham are still aiming to grab Javier Hernandez from Manchester United should they be given the slightest encouragement by Manchester United. We were told tonight the player remained their number one target and are hoping that Louis van Gaal allows the Mexican to leave.
However, as they start to run out of time the Irons are looking at various targets and we were told for the first time from our best source that they are now talking to Galatasaray about striker Burak Yilmaz. A source explained: "There has been a lot of hype and misinformed reporting about that situation but we are talking and an offer is being put in although should Javier become available the situation would obviously change. "He's a proven striker at Premier League level and we know all about him. He's the one we really want but we can't leave any stone unturned at this stage – we are a fortnight away from the window closing. "Hernandez remains the Number One target but it's not unlike the managerial position we faced in the summer. As targets fall or become unavailable you look at the very best you can get."
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Slaven Bilic: I will not accept the lack of aggression, confidence and drive West Ham showed against Leicester City
SLAVEN BILIC Thursday 20 August 2015 09:02
Evening Standard
Two matches into my first Premier League season as a manager and already there have been highs, lows, a red card for our goalkeeper and now an injury to a player in training. Mauro Zarate was hurt, more on that elsewhere in this column, and with Adrian now banned I must make two changes for Saturday's game with Bournemouth. This League is exactly as I expected; demanding, physical, very competitive but also very individual. Every side is fighting for the ball, closing you down so, on the one hand, you need to work hard as a team but you also need individuals who can break that hold and win you games. Whether it is Sergio Aguero, Philippe Coutinho, Dimitri Payet or Christian Benteke, you need this talent. That is why clubs want to buy these type of players for crazy money because if you don't have one or more of them, you will struggle to create more chances than your opponents. These special players are not only strikers or No10s who find the spaces — they can be central defenders, goalkeepers, holding midfielders or players who have a presence and inspire teams with their leadership.
After our opening win over Arsenal, we were very disappointed to lose to Leicester City last weekend. I don't like to look for excuses. We were beaten because of our performance in the first half. When you are two goals down in the Premier League it is very difficult to recover — maybe once in 10 games you can do that but it's very hard. We did well for the first 10 minutes but I was very disappointed with the rest of the first half. Leicester were quicker to the second ball, they were more aggressive, had more confidence and awareness, and were more determined to win the ball. They played very well. Okay, it was simple football but they were very productive and it's been that way for them in the last 11 games, credit to them. We had a good reaction in the second half but, basically, there is no reason why we shouldn't be doing that from the start - especially at home in front of our own fans. "The basic is to give 100 per cent, then at least you can make it hard for your opponent"
It is a minimum requirement to give everything in every Premier League match. This is a tough league and sometimes even that is not enough to win but the basic is to give 100 per cent, then at least you can make it hard for your opponent. I wanted to say these things first but when you add to that the fact some crucial decisions went totally against us then the conclusion was clear.
On the decisions - and Adrian's red card in particular - I won't criticise the referee. I said after the match it was possible the challenge was a red-card offence. It was not deliberate or intentional but, still, it could be a red. What really shocked me, though, was that it carries a three-match suspension - for that? When I heard the ban I couldn't believe it for a whole day but when I accepted it is the rule I suspected the appeal would not be in our favour because they would have had to change the regulation. The rule is the problem. Adrian's offence did not warrant that ban but the FA had to enforce it. I don't blame the referee - okay, I can argue that he could have given Jamie Vardy a red card as well for something definitely more deliberate than what Adrian did - but to lose him for three games? It should be one match, maximum. My opinion is that every red card should be looked at objectively and individually. Adrian's absence for that many games is a big blow for us and definitely we didn't deserve that. It's a very important issue.
It is a pity that Mauro Zarate will not be included in the squad for the Bournemouth game. He has injured his hamstring in training. We don't yet know how bad the injury is but it could be several weeks before he is fit again. We are still trying hard to be active in the transfer market and we are looking for maybe two players but they have to be of the right quality.
There could also be one or two players leaving as well. One example is Diego Poyet, who has gone to MK Dons on loan. It's a good move for him, he will play regularly in a good league and we wish him well. We will monitor him closely because he definitely has a good future.
We meet Bournemouth on Saturday and they are another team who will feel aggrieved following the circumstances of their narrow defeat by Liverpool. Just before the season all the managers attended a meeting where we were told about a change to the offside rule. We watched clips of matches for 10 minutes - but then came Liverpool's goal against Bournemouth, which was so obviously offside. For me, the offside rule remains confusing. Once they originally decided to make new offside rules and opened a Pandora's Box, that was it — too many ifs, too many buts, too many questions. I watched Monday's game carefully and, first of all, Bournemouth do the basics well; closing down, pressing — the things I talked about earlier in this column. They are also good when they have the ball, they make a good transition, they were more aggressive in both their games this season, although they didn't create a lot of chances. It will be a hard game for us but we are at home, we are ready and we learned our lesson from our loss to Leicester.
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Injury update: Zarate recovery on track
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Mauro Zarate has suffered a hamstring injury which will keep him out of action until the Newcastle game on September 14. The player reported that he would miss a couple of games yesterday but is expected to be back for the game at the Boleyn. We were told by an Irons source this morning that the player was fully confident he would be back for the game as after the matches against Bournemouth on Saturday and the game at Manchester City. The international international break kicks in after the clash at the Etihad which which gives him an added fortnght recovery time. The disappointed Argentinian had tweeted the disappointing news yesterday but said that he is now fully focused on his recovery programme. Zarate has become an integral part of the squad and after looking likely to be on his way under the previous manager is now fully expected to settle into a long term relationship with the club.
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Exclusive: Zarate replacement 'fit and raring to go'
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
Manuel Lanzini is being lined up as the natural replacement for Mauro Zarate on Saturday. Argentinian Lanzini has already produced flashes of individual brilliance on his rare appearances – including a fine goal against Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League away leg defeat. And while Zarate's absence is undoubtedly a blow for Slaven Bilic, the boss is understood to be preparing to give Lanzini his first real taste of the Premier League now fellow countryman Zarate's hamstring injury has ruled him out of the Bournemouth and Manchester City games. There are striking similarities in the way the two players operate, and Saturday's match against the Cherries should be – on paper – a less challenging test than many Lanzini might have faced.
ClaretandHugh was told this morning: "He looks a natural replacement – with Manuel able to play off Sakho quite well. "The injures are worrying, but we have a squad better able to cope with these problems than last year."
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Exclusive: Irons prepare Song fallback position
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham are preparing a fallback position as they prepare to offer Alex Song a permanent contract. It has been reported the Irons are ready to or the player a three year deal despite the fact the player would prefer a five year offer. However, manager Slaven Bilic believes – assuming Song passes his planned medical – that a three year deal is the right way forward at this stage. However, ClaretandHugh discovered this morning that whilst the player faces a stringent medical, the club may be tempted to offer him a one year deal should there be any issues.
This would give them and the player the opportunity of offering him a three year contract at the end of the season should all prove well. However, the more likely scenario is that despite wear and tear problems, the surgery on a loose bone in his ankle will prove successful and the Irons will go straight into the three year deal. Despite reports claiming the midfielder is being monitored by Spurs and Everton, he would reject a move to either club. His love of Arsenal prevents their north London rivals getting involved whilst the family's Londonpreference rules out a merseyside move.
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No secretive nonsense from the Davids
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
How refreshing it is to have co-chairmen who tell it how is is and are never afraid to go public despite the barrage of criticism that comes their way from some fans ever ready to make a point or ten. Over and over you hear the cry: "Stop doing things so publicly. Just get on with things privately and leave it at that." Sorry but I for one disagree very strongly. Football is far too secretive from Fifa downwards. I sometimes wonder if there's a character somewhere named 'M' who has got everybody involved on the official secrets list. One of my own staff members is a former Premier League media chief and he tells of the days when he and other in the same position was called – and still are – to quarterly meetings at the PL's head office where they were warned about exposing things – notably players and managers to the media without them being totally under control. dgds He explained: "We were told to keep all the media at arm's length. There 's a perception they are there simply to stitch everybody up. "It's ludicrous but there aren't many strong PR men at the various clubs and they listen and do as they are told."
In the end he left for as a proper journalist himself he felt he was becoming a Premier League whore and decided to go back to what he does best – tell the truth about what's going on
David Sullivan and David Gold thank God, are their own men and to hear DS explaining the Alex Song deal on the KUMB podcast followed today by the revelation there's no way they will be signing Charlie Austin, is refreshing in the extreme. Excuse us a little pat on the back but this website has revealed the same on both these stories weeks ago but well done to the podcast boys for getting it on the record! DS has always been incredibly helpful whenever we have had occasion to contact him and we – no doubt like KUMB – are very grateful that he is so in touch with the fans via THEIR websites. The same is entirely true of David Gold whose appearances on Twitter and CandH are always hugely appreciated – despite some abuse from the numbskulls.
I can think of no other club owners who make themselves so accessible and we all should be very grateful indeed! There's no secretive nonsense from these two guys.
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Hammers Third Kit to be revealed today
Posted by Hammers Newshound on August 20, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H
West Ham have announced they will unveil a third Umbro kit this afternoon which will go on sale on 9am tomorrow. Built of the theme of historic kits in the club's 120 year history, the third kit is rumoured to be inspired by our origins in 1895 when the team played in Oxford Blue as the Thames Ironworks. The original team colours were Oxford Blue due to founder Arnold Hills being a former student of Oxford University. The Ironworks played their first ever fixture in these colours against Royal Ordnance reserves on 7th September 1895, the game ending 0-0.
Hills was said to be a talented footballer and represented Oxford against Cambridge in the varsity match.
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WEST HAM END INTEREST IN CHAMPIONSHIP STAR
By James Spiking
ironsinthecirlce.com
Ex-West Ham goalkeeper, now at Queens Park Rangers, Robert Green has been linked with a move back to the Boleyn Ground, but it's thought that wages have been an issue that both clubs can't agree on, according to London24. With the Hammers' current number 1 Adrian now serving a three-match-ban following his sending off against Leicester, manager Bilic is seeking a temporary replacement. Even before the sending off, West Ham were on the look-out for competition for Adrian, but it's now been obviously hurried. Now, the East London club will push to bring Green back to the club he spent six seasons at before departing. However, since Alex McCarthy moved from Rangers to Crystal Palace , the Championship outfit won't let Green move before a replacement has been brought in. Sky Sources suggest that this will be Huddersfield's Alex Smithies, with the deal set to be completed by the weekend. Once the above deal has been completed, QPR will be more obliged to let Green return to the club that he played 241 times for after joining from Norwich City in 2006. Another name that is being reported with competition for the spot in between the posts is Manchester United outcast Anders Lindegaard, who has sat on the bench at Old Trafford, being second best to David De Gea since 2010.
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Reece Oxford gets his GCSE results - 11 days after making his Premier League debut for West Ham
The Independent
SIMON RICE Author Biography Thursday 20 August 2015
It's been a momentous couple of weeks for Reece Oxford. He made his West Ham debut in a Europa League qualifier at the start of July. So impressed with the 16-year-old was Hammers manager Slaven Bilic that he gave Oxford his Premier League debut on the opening day of the season - a fixture that saw Wast Ham stun Arsenal 2-0. 11 days on from that brilliant performance, Oxford is getting his GCSE results. Along with hundreds of thousands of pupils across England, Wales and Scotland, the West Ham prodigy will today learn what grades he achieved. The Edmonton born footballer may be able to go out and celebrate with his peers as he's a doubt for the clash at home to Bournemouth this weekend after missing a few days' training this week due to a niggle.
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Three changes: This is how West Ham could line-up against Bournemouth on Saturday
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United could make as many as three changes to their side for the visit of Premier League newcomers Bournemouth to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday. The Hammers got the Premier League season off to the best possible start beating title hopefuls Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates on the opening weekend. It set them up perfectly for their first home match against Leicester City in what is the club's last ever season at its Boleyn Ground home of 112 years. The efforts to ensure Upton Park was a fortress for the momentous season fell at the first hurdle, though, with the Foxes inflicting a 2-1 defeat on Bilic's side. Newly-promoted Bournemouth are next up this weekend and Bilic looks set to make as many as three changes to his side. Striker Mauro Zarate has confirmed he will miss the next two matches through injury after posting the disappointing news on Twitter. With Ecuador striker Enner Valencia out for three months after getting injured during the club's ill-fated Europa League qualifying campaign and fellow forward Andy Carroll not due to return from injury until at least next month, the Hammers are desperately short of options up front. Things have been so bad Bilic has had to use outcast Modibo Maiga from the bench in the first two matches much to the frustration of supporters.
It is highly unlikely he will be used from the start so Bilic may elect to go like for like and replace Zarate with fellow Argentine Manuel Lanzini. Another enforced change will be at the other end of the pitch as goalkeeper Adrian is suspended for three matches after his sending off against the Foxes last time out. The club appealed the ban but that was rejected meaning back-up 'keeper Darren Randolph will step in. That news has filled Hammers fans with dread given Randolph's decidedly shaky start to life at Upton Park in his appearances so far. There is also the worrying statistic that Randolph conceded a staggering 16 goals in three games against Bournemouth last season - including eight in one match - hanging over the number two. He may well find his path to the first team blocked, though, if former hero Rob Green is re-signed from QPR in time, as reported by the likes of Sky Sports. The last change will be of choice and could see the club's youngest ever player Reece Oxford drop out for impressive Spaniard Pedro Obiang. The 16-year-old was a revelation on his debut at Arsenal winning plaudits from across the football world for his performance in central midfield against the likes of World Cup winner Mesut Ozil. But he was caught out for both Leicester City goals in the Hammers' 2-1 defeat and was substituted at half-time for the man that will more than likely replace him from the start this weekend, Obiang. The former Sampdoria midfielder was a big plus point for West Ham from the defeat as his sublime passing range and assertiveness on the ball helped the Hammers put on a much improved second half display and almost get back in the game.
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West Ham manager Slaven Bilic hails 'exceptional' Alex Song as midfielder prepares to complete permanent move
By JACK GAUGHAN FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 11:12, 20 August 2015 | UPDATED: 11:24, 20 August 2015
Slaven Bilic has lauded Alex Song as 'exceptional' as West Ham tie up a deal - insisting he is not worried about the midfielder's injury record. Song played 31 times for the Hammers last season and will have a medical in the coming fortnight ahead of his permanent return to the Premier League. Co-chairman David Sullivan revealed on Wednesday that the club were close to finalising a deal for the former Barcelona midfielder. West Ham will tie Song down to a three-year contract, with Sullivan admitting that he would become a 'top earner'. And Bilic is excited about the prospect of Song signing permanently at Upton Park. 'We've agreed terms and it's down to the medical. Hopefully he passes. We know how good he is after last year. We would like to get him and it's down to the medical,' Bilic said. 'We've got a lot of positive comments and details about his improvement so we're really confident. 'He was here last year and everyone agrees - football people across the country - that especially in the first six months he was exceptional. 'I'm not a doctor but I spoke about his injury with doctors and it isn't a big injury that can prevent the player playing after it's sorted.' The former West Ham defender has hailed Song, who was on loan at West Ham last season, as 'exceptional' West Ham will be without goalkeeper Adrian for three matches after his sending off against Leicester on Saturday. Bilic revealed in an ideal world that he'd want rules surrounding red cards changed - the varying lengths and appeal system - but was resigned to Adrian's fate on appeal. 'I was disappointed with the ban. I was hoping that our appeal would be positive but I wasn't expecting it because of the rules,' he added. 'For me it was a bit harsh. The punishment is unbelievable. It's too big. It's too much. They have to change the rule, which they won't do of course.' Darren Randolph will deputise for Adrian against Bournemouth on Saturday. Mauro Zarate is missing with a hamstring injury.
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Charlie Austin hits back at West Ham owner over 'not very good' jibe
CHARLIE AUSTIN fired a subtle response to West Ham co-owner David Sullivan's statement that the QPR striker "wasn't very good" last season.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 11:49, Thu, Aug 20, 2015 | UPDATED: 12:08, Thu, Aug 20, 2015
Express.co.uk
Sullivan spoke out over claims West Ham are ready to pay £15million for the forward by telling podcast KUMB: "He failed a medical at Hull a couple of years ago. They say he has no ligaments in his knee, who knows? To sign a player for £15m is a big risk." But Austin hit back immediately on Twitter, writing "The cheeky …………..", in a response presumably directed at Sullivan. Austin, also a reported transfer target of Chelsea and Tottenham, scored 18 league goals for Rangers last season. But it wasn't enough to keep the west London club up. He is expected to leave Loftus Road before the summer is out - although it appears he won't be joining the Hammers after Sullivan's outburst. "He could go on for years, but knowing our luck his knee will go in his first game and that's the end of it," Sullivan added. "If we had £100m to spend we may say 'we'll spend £15m and gamble one-sixth of our budget'. But it's not one-sixth of our budget, it'd smash our budget to bits. "And he didn't keep Queens Park Rangers up. If he'd kept them up single-handedly you might say it was different - and a few of those goals were penalties. "Sixteen goals is still very good, but when we played Queens Park Rangers last year they had to win to stand any chance of staying up and he wasn't very good."
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Slaven Bilic confident Alex Song will pass West Ham medical and seal move from Barcelona
By talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) | Thursday, August 20, 2015
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is confident the club can conclude a deal to bring Alex Song back to Upton Park. The Hammers have agreed terms with Barcelona to sign the midfielder, who spent last season on loan in east London. Having undergone ankle surgery earlier this summer, Song must come through stringent medical tests to finalise the switch. But Bilic is not concerned by his recent fitness problems and believes the transfer will be confirmed as soon as possible. "We're very confident he will pass the medical," the Croatian revealed in a press conference ahead of the Hammers' home clash with Bournemouth on Saturday. "It is now down to the medical. We're hoping he will pass that because we know how good he was last year. We would like to get him." Song, 27, made 28 Premier League appearances last season and has agreed a three-year contract with West Ham.
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Report: West Ham preparing increased bid for Burak Yilmaz following initial rejection
HITC
Olly Dawes
West Ham are reportedly preparing a new £5m bid for Burak Yilmaz. According to Turkish TV station NTV Spor, West Ham United are poised to increase their bid for Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz. Galatasaray confirmed on their official website on Wednesday afternoon that they had rejected a €5m bid from West Ham for Yilmaz, with the Hammers desperate for a new striker.
With Enner Valencia and Andy Carroll both sidelined through injury, manager Slaven Bilic has been left with a dearth of attacking talent at his disposal, prompting a search for a new centre forward. Now, it seems that Yilmaz is the top target. The Turkish international has smashed 73 goals in 121 games for Galatasaray since joining from Trabzonspor in 2012, and will be familiar to Bilic given that the Hammers boss managed Besiktas - one of Galatasaray's rivals in Turkey. Despite that rejected bid, West Ham seemingly aren't ready to give up the fight for Yilmaz just yet, with NTV Spor reporting that the Hammers are poised to lodge an improved bid. The report states that West Ham will up their bid from €5m to €7m (£5m) in a bid to tempt Galatasaray into a sale, despite the 30-year-old's importance to their side. Yilmaz is a well built striker with superb predatory instincts inside the box, and with 18 goals in 40 games for the Turkish national team, he has not only proven himself at club level but also on the international stage - making him a very appealing target for the Hammers as they search for a new striker.
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Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham supporters amongst London fan coalition challenging West Ham's Olympic Stadium move
JAMES BENGE Wednesday 19 August 2015 19:35 BST0 comments
Evening STandard
Fans of eight London football clubs have united to call for a full public inquiry into the awarding of the Olympic Stadium to West Ham. Supporters groups of clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Leyton Orient and Charlton Athletic have published a petition in which they demand further scrutiny on the agreement between the east London club and the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), which will see West Ham rent out the 54,000 capacity stadium. The petition comes in the wake of a BBC documentary earlier this month which claimed that much of the stadium's running cost would not be paid by West Ham. The following supporters trusts are supporting this call: Arsenal, Charlton Athletic, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leyton Orient, QPR1st and Tottenham Hotspur.
A spokesperson for the coalition said: "The fact that so many supporter groups have come together to call for this inquiry shows that the issues raised go beyond football tribalism.
"As football fans and as taxpayers, we want to see the preservation of fair competition and full transparency in public finances. This shady deal is not in the interests of the game of football and does little to promote public confidence in the way our money is being spent."
In the petition, which currently has over 1,000 signatures, the coalition said: "West Ham has only contributed £15m towards the £272m conversion costs of the Olympic Stadium, with the taxpayer footing the rest of the bill. "Considering the cost to the taxpayer, and the effect of this taxpayer subsidy on competition between clubs, a full public inquiry into the deal is needed."
West Ham have confirmed to Standard Sport that they will not be issuing an additional statement in response to the petition. After the documentary had aired a club spokesman said: "It should be remembered that during a fair, open and robust process that was open to any party or organisation in the world, West Ham United were chosen as the group that delivered the best long-term, viable future for the Stadium and the best return for the taxpayer. "Our presence underwrites the multi-use legacy of the Stadium and our contribution alone will pay back more than the cost of building and converting the stadium over the course of our tenancy… "Without us, the Stadium would lose money. With us, the public purse will see a return on the hundreds of millions of pounds that were committed to build the Stadium, long before West Ham's association had begun."
In the wake of the BBC programme shadow culture secretary Chris Bryant called for details of the agreement to be published "as a matter of urgency".
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West Ham transfer news: Galatasaray reject bid for Burak Yilmaz
JAMES BENGE Wednesday 19 August 2015 20:11 BST0 comments
Evening STandard
West Ham have had a bid for striker Burak Yilmaz rejected by Galatasaray. Slaven Bilic's side are eager to reinforce their attacking options with Enner Valencia having joined Andy Carroll on the sidelines. The Ecuadorian striker is expected to be unavailable until December after suffering a serious injury to his knee and ankle. The Irons have been linked with Javier Hernandez and Charlie Austin but, having decided against matching Emmanuel Adebayor's wage demands, have turned their attention to the 30-year-old forward. Galatasaray rejected West Ham's bid for the Turkish international, confirming in a statement: "West Ham United offered us €5m [£3.5m] for Burak Yilmaz. "But our player didn't demand leaving and also our club has no thought of selling him."
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"Ridiculous decision" - West Ham fans react on Twitter to Diego Poyet's MK Dons move
HITC
Olly Dawes
West Ham have sent Diego Poyet out on loan to Milton Keynes Dons. West Ham United have confirmed on their official website that midfielder Diego Poyet has joined Milton Keynes Dons on a season-long loan deal. Poyet, 20, joined the Hammers from Charlton Athletic last summer, having earned a reputation as being one of the hottest up-and-coming youngsters in the Football League. The son of former Chelsea and Tottenham star Gus Poyet, Diego played three Premier League games for the Hammers last season, as well as five games in the Europa League qualifiers this summer. However, Poyet has now been loaned out to Championship side Milton Keynes Dons for the duration of the season, giving him the chance to play on a regular basis. West Ham fans have been reacting throughout the day after the Uruguayan left Upton Park for a season under Karl Robinson at MK Dons, no doubt filling the void left by Dele Alli, who joined up with Tottenham Hotspur earlier this summer. Fans fans believe that the decision to let Poyet leave is a bad move - with one fan even going as far to say that it's a 'ridiculous decision'- suggesting that he will be needed over the course of the season, especially with West Ham already looking for a midfielder even before letting one leave. Others think that the deal gives Poyet the chance to play first-team football which he wouldn't receive at West Ham, in a move which appears to have divided opinion amongst Hammers supporters.
Here are some of the reactions from West Ham fans after Poyet completed his loan move to MK Dons earlier today...
Damien Murphy @Damo_84
Poyet out on loan again, just don't think the fella can cut it in the Prem, two managers now that don't believe in him #whufc
? AL ? @6_AaronLee
Don't understand why we have let Poyet go out on loan,Noble,Kouyate or Obiang get injured we are left with Oxford and Nolan to pick from
2:49 PM - 19 Aug 2015
Shane Bailey @ShaneBazTe
Don't see why Poyet has gone out on loan already though. Should have been kept until Song was totally done and dusted.
Mark Harrison @MarkHarrison23
But regardless, it's a good move for Poyet. He needs regular football in order to progress development. Now he'll have whole season.
Liam Richards @Whu_riggers
A very naive and ridiculous desicion by Bilic to let Poyet go out on loan. He will be needed.
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Former West Ham star Ravel Morrison's agent rubbishes talk of England return and says he is happy with Lazio
HITC
Damien Lucas
The agent of football bad boy Ravel Morrison has rubbished suggestions the former West Ham United star wants to return to England. Recent reports in Italy have suggested the troubled former Manchester United midfielder was homesick in Rome and was eyeing a return to his home country, as reported by Eurosport. The supremely talented star has a long list of misdemeanours in his turbulent career and after being released by the Red Devils was given the chance to shine on the Premier League stage by the Hammers. While he failed to impress with his attitude and behaviour initially, a loan spell at Championship side Birmingham City seemed to galvanise the England U21 international. He returned to the Hammers seemingly transformed and started scoring goals to cement a place in the first team. It wasn't to last, though, as he fell out of favour with then manager Sam Allardyce and after a series of loan spells was eventually released back in March this year. The 22-year-old signed a four-year deal with the Biancocelesti over the summer. But according to Calciomercato Morrison has failed to settle in Italy, and is pleading to be released from his contract so he can return to Britain with Queens Park Rangers – where he spent time on loan while at West Ham – his "preferred destination."
Agent rubbishes rumours
However, Morrison's agent Daniel Wilson has spoken to leading Italian football writer Gianluca Di Marzio and poured cold water on the claims insisting his client is happy in Rome.
"There was no request to transfer Morrison," Wilson told Gianluca Di Marzio's website. "Ravel is happy to stay in Rome, he's working hard to be a leader. "Today we were at Formello to meet (Lazio director Igli) Tare, with whom we have a great relationship, but we never asked for a transfer because (Lazio manager Stefano) Pioli holds him in high regard and considers him an important part of the squad."
Would an unlikely return work?
While some fans may feel he is more trouble than he is worth, others wonder whether Morrison could flourish again in east London under Slaven Bilic. With Julian Dicks alongside him, Morrison would be left under no illusions of what is expected of him and if he can stay away from off the field distractions could be an asset. QPR could also do with Morrison's undoubted talent but whether they have the finances to bring him back given their damaging relegation is another matter altogether.
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