Daily WHUFC News - 30th October 2015

Supporter Advisory Board meeting
WHUFC.com

The West Ham United Supporter Advisory Board met at the Boleyn Ground on
Tuesday evening to discuss the Club's digital ambitions, Farewell Boleyn
plans, Visit Football's recent assessment and to raise questions and
comments on behalf of the wider supporter base.

The SAB has three principal objectives. Firstly, to represent the whole
supporter base to the Club's board and senior executives, to shape Club
policy and finally to represent the Club at external forums, as and when
required by the Club.

On Tuesday evening, the Club were represented by Managing Director Angus
Kinnear, Executive Director, Marketing and Communications Tara Warren and
Head of Ticketing Gavin Stanley.

Mrs Warren kicked off proceedings with a presentation detailing the
evolution of whufc.com following the new website's launch in February. The
Club are now pleased to be in a position to offer instant access to West Ham
TV content, which, as well being completely free, is no longer behind a
registration wall.

Similarly, the Club made note of significant growth across its Social Media
platforms. The Hammers boast upward of half-a-million followers on Twitter,
while the Club's Facebook likes have now risen above 1.25 million.

West Ham were commended by both Brand Finance and Visit Football for their
engagement on Social Media and are naturally working hard to ensure those
excellent upward trends continue.

Supporters were then invited to share their feedback on the new site and the
Club's Social Media strategy, with the consensus being that new video
features 'Me and Him' and Yes/No, for instance, as well as the volume of
exclusive training ground footage, were proving particularly popular.

Those comments preceded a productive discussion surrounding the Club's
proposed ideas and SAB members offered their own suggestions of how to
improve the Club's digital offering yet further. Looking ahead, Mrs Warren
spoke of plans to explore a new West Ham United app, to introduce a Gaming
and/or Junior Hammers section of the site, in addition to a revamped social
hub.

Elsewhere, following Visit Football's recent assessment, the Club were
delighted to learn of significant improvements in a number of key areas,
including the pre-match experience, catering and cleanliness. Additionally,
West Ham's meet and greet volunteers, the Happy Hammers, were also commended
for their assistance to home and away supporters alike.

In terms of the Hammers' final season at the Boleyn Ground, supporters
reflected on the very successful Claret and Blue day against Leicester City
and confirmed that the introduction of former players at half-time had been
very well received thus far.

Additionally, Mrs Warren discussed the possible themed fixtures still to
come, with Cult Heroes, Greatest Goals, the Academy of Football, Bobby Moore
and the '60s, International Hammers and fans, Sir Trevor Brooking and Billy
Bonds/70s all under discussion.

As has already been the case, supporters will be invited to get involved on
Social Media, with fan input central to the success of these occasions.

As for the final game itself, it was confirmed that plans for an 'event'
following the final whistle are beginning to take shape behind the scenes
and supporters were invited to offer their suggestions for a final day
playlist. In terms of attendees, Mrs Warren explained that the Club are
working particularly hard to ensure that as many former players as possible
return to the Boleyn Ground between now and the end of the season.

Supporters were also treated to a previously unseen flythrough of the new
Stadium Megastore on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Mr Kinnear revealed that
the Store – on two floors – is designed to set a new benchmark in football
retail, with dramatically larger capacity than its Boleyn Ground counterpart
and has been ergonomically designed to ensure that the flow of visitors
operates more efficiently. And with more than double as many tills,
supporters can look forward to being served significantly quicker on a
matchday.

Mrs Warren's presentation was followed by a question and answer session with
all three of West Ham's representatives responding to queries from the
floor. Questions covered a broad range of topics, with ticketing, retail,
the new Stadium and the final Boleyn Ground season all coming under the
microscope.

When asked about the Club's ticketing service, Mr Stanley explained that the
Box Office had recently undergone improvements, including the facility for
supporters to join the automatic home cup scheme online, as well as 'print
at home' functionality. The Club also committed to having a new booking
system in place for the new Stadium.

In terms of the seat selection process at the New Stadium Reservation
Centre, supporters were reminded that the first Band 4 appointments are due
to begin in early November and will likely run into early 2016.

Crowd modelling and transport at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was again
discussed at length and the recent Rugby World Cup fixtures naturally served
as a useful frame of reference.

Mr Kinnear reiterated that senior members of West Ham United have attended
each and every Rugby World Cup fixture to understand how the Stadium
functions on matchday and the work that still needs to be done. On that
note, all matchday operations are being carefully reviewed but West Ham are
hugely encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive feedback from supporters.

Referring more directly to the various transport links to the Stadium, Mr
Kinnear confirmed that a full travel plan would be released by the Club in
the fullness of time but was keen to remind those in attendance that
Stratford is among Europe's most accessible stations.

Finally, on the topic of West Ham's plans for their Rush Green facility, Mr
Kinnear explained that it absolutely remains the Club's intention to have
training facilities commensurate with the Club's ambitions and the exciting
team that is fast developing.

Mrs Warren closed the meeting with a vote of thanks to the SAB for their
time, commitment and valuable contributions. The Board are very grateful for
their continued input and take careful note of their comments and
recommendations to shape future policy.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Speaks - Watford
WHUFC.com

Ahead of the Hammers trip to Vicarage Road on Saturday, Slaven Bilic held
his weekly pre-match press conference. The boss answered questions on a
range of topics, from facing Watford, maintaining their away form and where
the Hammers can improve.

Good morning Slaven, how do you reflect on the fantastic start to the
season? Why has it gone so well?

"Well, it's been a good start and we are enjoying it but we are keeping our
feet on the ground totally. It's only a start, but we are confident and if
we continue to work hard, like we have been from day one, I don't see a
reason why we should drop dramatically. There will be ups and downs with
results, that's football, but we are confident and we are gaining everything
that is important: atmosphere, individual confidence, team bonding. Winning
games is the best way of doing that.

"The reason we are doing well is the quality of the players, the team
spirit, our pattern of working hard, we are respecting the opponents but not
fearing them. It is down to hard work with individual responsibility. It is
very enjoyable so far."

What areas can you specifically improve on?

"Everything, everything. The players have only known each other for a couple
of months, we can improve on winning second balls, set pieces. We definitely
have to improve our shooting because we are not shooting enough from the
situations where we should be. Our transition from defence to attack and the
other way round can be better too. Basically, we can improve everything.

"This doesn't mean I'm not happy with our performances, I am happy. But we
know we can improve."

What are you expecting from Watford this Saturday?

"They are a very good team and very hard to beat. They are going to approach
the game very positively after they beat Stoke. They are a new team; they
are improving week by week. They have some good internationals, a lot of
experience.

"I rate Quique very highly, not only his past as a player but also as a
coach. To have 20 new players and in such a short time, turn them into a
solid team is amazing. They look very, very organised. Like every game, it
is going to be very difficult. We will have to be on top of our game in
order to win."

You're linked to a few players, are you expecting much activity in the
transfer window?

"We did our job in the summer, I am happy with the team. It's possible we
might get one or offload one or two, nothing major in terms of numbers. If
something exceptional becomes available then you never now. We did our job
in the summer and are OK."

What is the team news, any change from last weekend?

"Alex Song isn't available for Saturday. There hasn't been much change since
last weekend, we have to wait and see if Winston Reid is OK. We have a few
knocks and some players have to do their own individual training routine but
we are in a good way overall."

You're away form has been superb, against mainly top teams. Do you think you
will find it hard to motivate your side against Watford?

"No, it's a Premier League game and we are all professionals so it shouldn't
be a problem. It's a big game, Watford are a good side. We will lose a game,
and when we do I don't think it'll be down to motivation."

Are you surprised at how well Watford have done this season?

"Not really, Watford are a big club. Everyone has known about them for 30,
40 years with Elton John and everything. A lot of the Watford players were
on my list at Besiktas and some now here. They are good internationals, some
very young and they are hungry. If you add to that they have a really good
atmosphere at their stadium, and Quique's experience, it doesn't surprise me
at all. The only surprise is how quickly they have gelled together. He's
done a great job."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Boleyn Memories - Stuart Slater
WHUFC.com

For any young player at West Ham United's Academy of Football, playing at
the Boleyn Ground is the ultimate ambition.

Stuart Slater was lucky enough to do so as a teenager, appearing in the FA
Youth Cup before going on to forge a successful first-team career in Claret
and Blue.

The winger shared his favourite memories of playing at the historic home of
the Hammers with West Ham TV ahead of the summer 2016 move to Stratford…

We generally tended to play the FA Youth Cup games at the Boleyn Ground.
They were special nights because obviously the Youth Cup was the biggest cup
competition for the Under-18s and you knew that if you played well, there
were people watching.

At the time, the first-team manager was John Lyall, and because it was quite
empty and quite eerie playing in the Youth Cup, all the boys looked up to
the stands to see if they could see if John was there.

If John was there, my goodness you had to put on a show. It shouldn't have
made a difference, but if he was there you wanted to put on a show because
he had an aura about him. He would come into the dressing room afterwards
and, after Tony Carr had said something, he would sit down for about an hour
and a half and everything he said made sense, but it put you under so much
pressure!

Those were my first times and memories playing at the Boleyn. Without a
doubt, there was still a buzz because you thought you were going to play,
even though there were no people in the stands, and I still get it working
as an ambassador for the club.

It's just a great, great venue, even though the pitch and stands were a lot
tighter back then. It was just beautiful to play in.

For my debut at home to Derby on 3 October 1987, I was on the bench and the
nerves before warming up and getting on were incredible. I had a buzz and
anticipation of doing well and I got on for 12 minutes, but I was so nervous
as I was doing what I had worked so long and so hard for at West Ham. It was
my dream becoming real and the hard work then started again to stay in the
squad.

It was electric and West ham fans are incredible, the best in the world.
They are passionate, knowledgeable and will let you know when you're not
doing things well, as they should.

My first goals at the Boleyn Ground came in a 2-0 win over Bradford City in
August 1989, when I got both of them! The first one was going wide and got
deflected in, but I'll take that one! It was early in the season, I played
up front and scored two goals. Once again, the buzz to score two in front of
your own crowd with expectations high was fantastic.

You had to be real footballers to play for West Ham under John Lyall. If you
were run of the mill and a hard worker, John didn't really entertain you.
You had to have skill and work hard as well.

I grew up with Paul Ince, Steve Potts, Kevin Keen and Georgie Parris and all
of them came through the Academy and had something to offer, as did all the
experienced players from around that era, Billy Bonds, Julian Dicks, Alvin
Martin, Ian Bishop, Liam Brady, Alan Devonshire and Ray Stewart, who were
brilliant to me, so good.

They were special talents and it was a pleasure to play with them. I knew,
wherever I played, I'd get good service and it was an entertaining game.
Albeit we didn't always get the results, but the fans appreciated the
football we tried to play.

They didn't appreciate getting relegated, but at the time they appreciated
good football and got entertained!

As for my favourite moments, when I come back everyone talks about the 1991
FA Cup quarter-final against Everton, when we won 1-0 and I got the winner.
After that game, Everton manager Howard Kendall said he had seen the 'next
£3 million player' and I really had a good game that day.

It had to be a 'scuffer' to beat a top goalkeeper in Neville Southall. It
was a Monday night and it was absolutely electric. We were 1-0 up in the
second half and I cut inside and scuffed it inside the near post to put us
2-0 up. The place was absolutely buzzing, they got a goal back but we won
2-1 so I got the winner and we moved onto the semi-finals.

Everton were winning everything back then and were the team to beat in that
era, so for me to play so well and tear their back four apart, on the TV,
was brilliant.

We also beat Sheffield United 5-0 in March 1990, when I didn't score but I
did set up four goals and in all the papers and in Match and Shoot magazine
I got ten out of ten. That was one of the best games I played for the club,
I think

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sullivan - reach for the stars
KUMB.cm
Filed: Wednesday, 28th October 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's co-chairman David Sullivan insists that the club should
aim to finish in the Champions League positions this season - even if that
possibility remains an unlikely proposition. An excellent start to the
season under new manager Slaven Bilic has resulted in West Ham going into
November third in the Premier League, above the likes of Manchester United,
Liverpool and Chelsea. And Sullivan, speaking on the latest edition of the
club's 'Hammertime' show insisted that Bilic's squad had the potential to
maintain its current form for the rest of the campaign. "If you'd asked at
the start of the season I would have said it's impossible this year," he
said. "That said and done, it's not impossible this season. Forget dreaming
in the future. The unfortunate thing is that if you finish fourth you have
to play a qualifying game - and no doubt we'd get a real toughie - like the
fourth best team in Spain or Italy! "Realistically, I'd love [to finish]
fourth now and we'd take our chances. I know it's unlikely, but it really is
possible. One more win and we'd be top of the table, looking down! "I'm not
sure how clever that would be as it'd really put pressure on people; it's
not bad to be two [points] off the lead."

Despite the current wave of optimism, Sullivan admitted that West Ham -
whose unbeaten run in the league stretches back to mid-August - face a huge
struggle to maintain their current position in the table. "Let's not kid
ourselves, there's two other teams who've got the same amount of points," he
added. "We're just beating them on goal difference so they're queueing up.
We've just got to keep winning."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic says West Ham still have room for improvement
Last Updated: 29/10/15 12:49pm
SSN

Slaven Bilic believes his high-flying West Ham side are still capable of
improving in "every aspect" of their play. The Croat, who replaced Sam
Allardyce as manager in the summer, has guided the club to third in the
Premier League, claiming the scalps of Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and
Manchester City along the way. West Ham visit Premier League newcomers
Watford on Saturday and Bilic is confident his side can maintain their
impressive form as the season wears on. "It has been a good start and we are
enjoying it but we are on the ground totally," he said. "It is only a start
but we are confident, we are playing well and if we continue to work hard as
we have since day one, of course there will be ups and downs results-wise,
but I don't see a reason why we should drop dramatically. "The core of the
team has been playing together for some time now and that is the greatest
thing, we only added some players we thought were necessary to make the team
better. "It is still early days to say where the limits are for this team -
what is definite is that we have lots of room to improve from every aspect.
Some players know each other only for a couple of months so we can improve
organisation and transition. "We can improve small things like set-pieces
and second balls. We definitely have to improve in shooting because we are
not shooting enough. That doesn't mean I'm not happy with the performances
so far but we can improve in absolutely everything."

Club-record signing Andy Carroll came off the bench to head the winner in
last weekend's 2-1 win over Chelsea while fellow striker Enner Valencia is
also closing in on a return to action.
Bilic admits he has some difficult decisions to make over team selection in
the coming weeks and hopes to keep his squad fit for a tricky run of
fixtures, which sees them host Everton and visit Tottenham in the next three
games. "Now I have a positive headache," he added. "I have many good players
who deserve to be selected in the first 11 or the 18 but I have to make the
choice. "We have most of the players back and I'm glad of it, our medical
team has done really well. We are planning that if someone is tired he will
get individual training and stay in the gym to protect them from injuries."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Davids head for a January first!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are set for the quietest January in the time David Sullivan and
David Gold have held the Upton Park reins. Slaven Bilic indicated in the
pre-match press conference for the game against Wattford that the club's
business had all but been done in the summer.
This was as reported by ClaretandHugh several weeks ago and the club are now
likely to only be in the market for a back-up right back if one becomes
available on loan. It's entirely possible from our reading of the position
that this could become the first winter window since they became involved as
club owners that the the two Davids do nothing in the market at all. And
it's becoming increasingly unlikely that there will be any outward movement
with every member of the squad performing to the limits when called upon
this season.
Joey O'Brien, however is the one member of the squad who will be allowed to
leave on a free transfer with a "discussion" to be held on James Collins'
future.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hodgson : I'm keeping an eye on the Hammers
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 29, 2015 in News
C and H

England manager Roy Hodgson has been running the rule over West Ham's
potential international candidates and admits: ""In Tomkins, Cresswell and
Mark Noble, there are good football players who are quite capable of playing
for England." However, he warned: "But they face competition because one or
two others who have done well over the last few years. Speaking exclusively
to West Ham TV, Hodgson added: "There are five English players and we know
them well. Carl Jenkinson has already played for us, of course, and Andy
Carroll was an important part of our Euro 2012 team. "It's all a question
of competition and keeping an eye from my point of view to make sure I'm not
missing any."

In general he has been very impressed by the team as a whole explaining:
"It's very good. I think they've started the season quite brilliantly and
some of the players brought in by Slaven and the owners have really shown
that they are top-class players. "Not only do they have potential, but they
have shown they are top-class players straight away, so I assume that
everyone at West Ham must be delighted with the way the team is playing, the
way the atmosphere is at the club and in the dressing room, because you can
see a tremendous unity of spirit on the field.
"I imagine it is praise all-round and long may it continue. Everyone here
knows and is wise enough the season is long and it's great to get off to a
good start, but there is still a lot of hard work to do to maintain the
position until the end of the season."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons proud of English players in squad
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 29, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Irons Chairman, David Gold is proud of the Hammers record with English
players in the current squad. Yesterday he tweeted

"West Ham are towards the top of the table for English players, with 37.5%
of the players they have used this season being English. dg"

West Ham fielded 12 English players last season which made them fifth in
the Premier League table of most English players. James Tomkins, Mark Noble,
Stewart Downing, Aaron Cresswell, Carl Jenkinson and Andy Carroll ensured
the Hammers have a healthy spine of English stars last season. Reece Burke
and Reece Oxford broke into into the first-team too. Other English first
team squad members this season include Kyle Knoyle and Elliot Lee. Stewart
Downing and Carlton Cole left the club at the end of the season but
Englishman Michail Antonio joined over the summer.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic plays down the great start
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 29, 2015 in News
C and H

Grounded Slaven Bilic has told his players not to get carried away by their
strong start to the season. He said in his pre-match press conference this
morning:: "It's only still the start but we are confident. There's going to
be ups and downs results wise but I don't see why it should drop. "Our goal
is to try and win as many football games as we can and to play as attractive
football as we can. It's still early days. "Our position in the table
motivates the players by itself because they are enjoying it and they want
to enjoy it longer." Thirteenth placed Watford have three wins from their
opening ten games and Bilic has been impressed with their start to the
campaign, He said: "It will be a tough game on Saturday because they are a
hard team to beat. They are also a new team who are improving week by week.
"They look a very organised team, and we have to be on top of our game if we
want to continue our good run."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham can WIN the Premier League this season, claims co-chairman David
Sullivan
15:19, 29 OCT 2015 UPDATED 15:19, 29 OCT 2015
BY DAVE KIDD
The Hammers are third in the table after shock victories over Arsenal,
Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea
The Mirror

West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan claims his club could WIN the Premier
League this season. And with the Hammers third in the table after shock
victories over Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, Sullivan is
adamant that Slaven Bilic's men should be dreaming of a Champions League
place – even before next season's move to the Olympic Stadium. Talking to
West Ham's official website, Sullivan said: "We're very, very optimistic.
I'm not talking it down I want to talk it up, I believe it's achievable.
"It's a big myth, I mean look at what's gone wrong with Chelsea – that
looked an impossibility – so why shouldn't the opposite happen to us?
"In football, we're here to dream. At the start of the season we were in
four competitions and the aim was to win those four. "Now we're down to two
– we've got the big double left – and it's very, very unlikely but not
impossible. "If you'd asked about the Champions League at the start of the
season I would have said it's impossible this year – but it's not. Forget
dreaming in the future.
"The unfortunate thing is that if you finish fourth you have to play a
qualifying game – and no doubt we'd get a real toughie – like the fourth
best team in Spain or Italy! "Realistically, I'd love fourth place and we'd
take our chances. I know it's unlikely, but it really is possible. "One more
win and we could be top of the table, looking down! "I'm not sure how clever
that would be as it'd really put pressure on people but it's not bad to be
two points off the lead."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic: West Ham's best is yet to come
GIUSEPPE MURO 25 minutes ago0 comments
Evening Standard

Slaven Bilic today warned Premier League rivals that the best is yet to come
from West Ham. The club are just two points off the top in third place and
have already beaten Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea this
season. The Hammers manager, who replaced Sam Allardyce in the summer, is
not getting carried away with their brilliant start to the season but
insists they can still improve. He said: "It's only the start but we are
confident [there is more to come]. There's going to be ups and downs in
terms of results but I don't see why it should drop. "Our goal is to try and
win as many games as we can and to play as attractively as we can. It's
still early days. "This doesn't mean I'm not happy with our performances, I
am happy. But we know we can improve on everything. "We can improve in
set-pieces, second balls and we can improve in our shooting. "It has been a
good start and we are enjoying it but are keeping our feet on the ground
because it is only a start. But we are playing well and we are confident.
We hope to continue like this because we have good players and a good team
spirit.
"Our position in the table motivates the players by itself because they are
enjoying it and they want to enjoy it longer." West Ham face Watford at
Vicarage Road on Saturday but having lost against Leicester and Bournemouth
this season, Bilic will not underestimate the threat they pose. "It will be
a tough game because Watford are a hard team to beat," added the
47-year-old. "They are also a new team who are improving week by week. They
look a very organised side and we have to be on top of our game if we want
to continue our good run.
"I rate [Watford boss] Quique [Flores] very highly, not only his past as a
player but also as a coach. "To have 20 new players and in such a short
time, turn them into a solid team is amazing."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Barcelona: Javier Mascherano 'admits defrauding' Spanish tax authorities
over £1.08m
The Bleacher Report
October 29, 2015 13:23 GMT 2

Barcelona star Javier Mascherano has admitted defrauding the Spanish tax
authorities over £1.08m ($1.64m) in his income tax declarations of 2011 and
2012, according to reports in Spain. The former Liverpool and West Ham
United midfielder recognised his wrongdoing during a briefly declaration at
the court on 29 October as, according to a judicial source cited by AS,
"Mascherano admitted the facts of the two counts of tax fraud, so there was
no need to interrogate him".

The Argentina international has been under investigation by the Spanish
prosecutor in recent months after being accused of failing to declare his
earning of 2011 and 2012 properly by ceding his image rights to companies he
owns in Portugal and the US.

AS points out that in September, the former Liverpool star deposited £1.08m
to repay the amount owed plus an extra amount in interest and penalty
charges. Since he has admitted his guilt, he is expected to avoid a trial,
with his defence and the prosecutors making an agreement instead. The
Barcelona player is the latest star to be involved in an issue with the
Spanish tax authorities after similar allegations emerged against Neymar,
Iker Casillas, Xabi Alonso and Lionel Messi. Reports in Spain earlier in
October announced that four-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi faced 22 months in
jail if found guilty of defrauding the tax authorities after being accused
of three offences that saw his father allegedly defraud the state for around
£3m.

Two-game ban in La Liga

The news over Mascherano's tax fraud came just one day after the Spanish
Football Federation handed the Argentine a two-game ban following his red
card during the victory over Eibar on 25 October for verbally abusing a
linesman. The Argentina international will consequently miss the next La
Liga games against Villarreal and Getafe but will be available to return to
action for the much-expected first Clasico of the season against Real Madrid
on 21 November.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham statue celebrating 1966 World Cup heroes defaced with blue paint
after victory against Chelsea
SAM LONG Monday 26 October 20151 comment
Evening Standard

The statue outside Upton Park celebrating West Ham's 1966 World Cup heroes
was defaced on Saturday night hours after the east London club's 2-1 victory
against Chelsea. A litre of blue paint was tipped over the base of the
statue that pays tribute to the collective achievement of Bobby Moore,
Martin Peters and Sir Geoff Hurst, who helped the Three Lions to win their
solitary major international trophy. The sculpture also features former
Everton player Ray Wilson, who carried England and Hammers skipper Moore as
he paraded the Jules Rimet Trophy around the Wembley pitch after the
memorable 4-2 win over West Germany.
Newham Council, who commissioned the statue with the club in 2003, confirmed
that a cleaning team had been sent to repair the damage. "We were alerted on
Sunday evening that blue paint had been poured on the plinth of the
Champions statue and sent a specialist cleansing team as soon as possible to
clear it up. "Around a litre of blue emulsion paint had been poured on the
plinth behind the statue and it took the team around 45 minutes to fully
remove it using a high pressure jet washer," read a council statement. The
statue, which cost £725,000 to erect and stands on the corner of Green
Street and Barking Road, has been damaged on three occasions in recent
years.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham eye £5 million deal for AC Milan star Keisuke Honda - Wednesday's
top transfer stories
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard

Standard Sport brings you the best lines from Wednesday's papers, including
potential managerial changes, and early season rumblings ahead of the
January transfer window. There may be a good three months to go before the
window opens, but there are plenty of sparks flying in the transfer rumour
mill at present. West Ham United have started the season in bright form, and
it appears that Slaven Bilic is keen to capitalise on their early success as
they hunt Champions League football. Keisuke Honda is a reported target for
the Hammers in January, and the midfielder may be available to reinforce
Bilic's options. The 29-year-old has mostly been restricted to substitute
appearances for AC Milan and appears to have fallen out of Sinisa
Mihajlovic's plans. However if the Japan international could rediscover the
form he showed at CSKA Moscow he could be a valuable addition at the Boleyn
Ground.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic calls on Andy Carroll to stay fit and prove his
'unplayable' quality
13:00, 29 OCT 2015
BY DAVE KIDD
Carroll's Croatian chief says his quality has never been in doubt but wants
the 26-year-old to keep fit as his Hammers side continue aiming upwards
The Mirror

Slaven Bilic has urged Andy Carroll to recapture the prolific Newcastle form
which once made him England's most expensive footballer. West Ham's Geordie
beefcake is finally fit against after a succession of injuries and headed
the winner which beat Chelsea last Saturday, propelling the Hammers into
third in the Premier League. Carroll, 26, netted 11 Premier League goals for
Newcastle in the first half of the 2010-11 season, earning him a £35million
January move to Liverpool. And Hammers boss Bilic said: "Andy's quality was
never in doubt, that was not the issue. It was always about fitness. "Apart
from in that one season when he scored a million goals for Newcastle - and
he should always be like this. "Whatever we do, he is putting us one level
up. The game against Norwich he came on for 15 minutes and we created three
chances with him being involved. He came on against Palace and got the
assist and Chelsea to get the goal.
"He should be more consistent and stay away from injuries. I'm saying
nothing new, it is the same old story. He did the same thing for years, came
into the side and scored the winning goal and then got injured." Bilic
believes that Carroll is unplayable for defenders when he is fit and firing.
He said: "We can't say that we don't have physical presence in the the box
without Andy Carroll, we have it. We are good in the air without Carroll, we
have [Diafra] Sakho and [Nikica] Jelavic who are good in the air but Andy is
maybe the best in England – definitely when he is fit. "When a good ball
comes in like [Aaron] Cresswell's against Chelsea it is basically up to him,
no matter how good the defenders are in the air, it is more up to Andy.
"If the good balls come in an area where he is it is almost impossible to
mark him. His game is not just about that, he has a sense and feeling for
the game, he sees the move two or three moves before which makes him a great
player."
And Bilic believes the Hammers should not drop away 'drastically' from the
top of the Premier League. He said: "It has been a good start and we are
enjoying it but we are on the ground totally. "We are confident, we are
playing well and if we continue to work hard as we have since day one, of
course there will be ups and downs results-wise, but I don't see a reason
why we should drop dramatically. "We are confident and we are gaining
everything positive that is important and necessary, like atmosphere and
team-work, bonding. "We hope we are going to continue like this, the reason
is because we have good players, good team spirit, a good quality, a
pattern. We are working hard, we are respecting the opponents and not
fearing them."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic: Why West Ham are in the Champions League places already
GOOD results are breeding so much confidence in the West Ham squad that
Slaven Bilic believes they can consistently challenge the best teams in the
Premier League.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 10:53, Thu, Oct 29, 2015 | UPDATED: 12:30, Thu, Oct 29, 2015
Express.co.uk

The Hammers sit third in the table, two points off league leaders Manchester
City and Arsenal, and are unbeaten since August. They beat Chelsea 2-1 last
weekend to add to major scalps over City, Liverpool and Arsenal. And, ahead
of Saturday's clash with Watford that could result in West Ham being the
surprise league leaders just 11 games into the season, Bilic explained the
magic formula that sees them competing for Champions League places. "It's
been a good start, we're enjoying it but we're totally grounded, because
it's only a start," he said. "We are confident, we are playing well and if
we continue to work hard as we have been from day one, of course there's
going to be ups and downs results wise, but I don't see a reason why we
should drop dramatically. "We are gaining everything positive that this is
important and necessary like the atmosphere, confidence in individuals, team
work and bonding. "Of course victories is the best way to do that. I hope
we're going to continue like this." Bilic signed 11 players in the summer
following this appointment after the club sacked the now Sunderland boss Sam
Allardyce. Asked about his squad's success, the Croatian replied: "The
reason for that is we have good players, a good team spirit, a quality. "We
have a pattern and are working hard, respecting our opponents but not
fearing them. "It's hard work with individual quality but it's been
enjoyable so far."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic tells West Ham squad to keep improving as Hammers aim to extend
unbeaten away run at Watford on Saturday
Slaven Bilic says West Ham must get better at 'absolutely everything'
Hammers looking to keep up unbeaten away run at Watford on Saturday
Manager says Andy Carroll must improve fitness to get into team
By KIERAN GILL FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 12:02, 29 October 2015 | UPDATED: 12:06, 29 October 2015

Slaven Bilic has told his West Ham players they must improve in every
department with the Hammers boss looking to extend their unbeaten away run
this weekend. West Ham travel to Watford on Saturday, having already beaten
Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Crystal Palace on the road in the
Barclays Premier League this season. Despite their remarkable form away
from Upton Park, Bilic insists he wants his team to get better at
'absolutely everything' to maintain their place near the top of the table.
Asked what his team can improve in, Bilic said: 'Everything. 'Some players
know each other only for a couple of months so we can improve organisation
and transition. We can improve small things like set-pieces and second
balls. 'We definitely have to improve in shooting because we are not
shooting enough. That doesn't mean I'm not happy with the performances so
far but we can improve in absolutely everything. ' The return of Andy
Carroll will help after the striker netted the winning goal against
champions Chelsea last week but Bilic has told his attacker to make sure he
stays fit. 'If the good balls come in an area where he is it is almost
impossible to mark him,' Bilic said. 'His game is not just that, he has a
sense and feeling for the game, he sees the move two or three moves before
which makes him a great player.
Bilic has told striker Carroll that he must keep fit if he is to break into
the Hammers starting eleven 'He should be more consistent and stay away from
injuries. I'm saying nothing new, it is the same old story. 'He did the
same thing four years ago, came into the side and scored the winning goal
and then got injured. 'His quality was never in doubt, that was not the
issue. It was always about fitness.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Winston Reid nearing full fitness as Slaven Bilic reports of 'fatigue' in
West Ham camp
WINSTON REID could soon be back in the West Ham XI after almost a month out
with injury, manager Slaven Bilic has revealed.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 12:19, Thu, Oct 29, 2015 | UPDATED: 12:25, Thu, Oct 29, 2015
Express.co.uk

Centre-back Reid has been out with a hip problem since West Ham's 2-2 draw
at Sunderland on 3 October. It is doubtful he will take part in West Ham's
trip to Watford on Saturday (3pm).
But Bilic insists the 27-year-old is nearing full recovery and confirmed he
has an almost fully-fit squad for the clash at Vicarage Road. "The situation
is good, we will see today with some players who skipped yesterday's session
because of some small knocks and fatigue (if they can be included)," Bilic
said. "Some of them cannot train five days in a row on the pitch with us,
which is OK in the long-term. "Nobody has reported anything bad to me so we
should be alright, we should be almost fully fit. "Still, there are players
like Winston Reid, he has started his training for us for a few days now.
But nobody is properly injured."
Bilic signed 11 players over the summer and has been forced to balance his
squad alongside injuries to key players. Yet that has not stopped the
Hammers rising to third in the Premier League table after 10 games. And
Bilic hopes the side can go even further once his long-term absentees
return. "We have now a situation where we have most of the players back -
and I'm glad for it," he said. "Our medical team has done really well and we
are not cautious but we are planning, if somebody is tired, it give them
special training sessions to protect them from injuries. "Now I have a
really positive headache. You have many good players that deserve to be
selected int he first 11 or 18. But I'm going to make that choice."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Burke has old head on young shoulders, says Bradford City boss
Bradford Telegraph and Argus
Simon Parker, Bradford City Reporter

PHIL Parkinson reckons City are the right club to further Reece Burke's
education for now – and West Ham agree. The 19-year-old Premier League
centre half has been a big hit in his 11 games for the Bantams, who hope to
hang on to him as long as they can and have just extended his youth loan by
a further month. Parkinson believes the current arrangement with the England
under-20 international works well for both parties. And he revealed how the
Hammers, who gave Burke his top-flight bow in April, continue to keep close
tabs on their rising talent. The City boss said: "The best way I can
describe Reece is that he has got an old head on young shoulders. He plays
with a really calm and cool approach. "He has been great for us, especially
with the way he has come up here, got an apartment and settled in. "It's his
first time away from the south but it's great experience for him living on
his own and being away from his family, although they do come up to most
games." Parkinson has regular contact with West Ham academy director Terry
Westley, while City's head of sports science and fitness Nick Allamby
compiles updates on his training regime. The Bantams manager said: "Terry
has been very good with us. I liaise with him about how Reece is doing in
training as well as the games themselves.
"They watch him like we do when any of our players are loaned out. Nick does
a report as well, which West Ham requested to detail the training he has
been doing and the work in the gym.
"With loans it's so important you get players to the right club. We believe
this has been beneficial for West Ham as well. That's why clubs now are so
careful where they send players."
Burke has been an ever-present in League One since making his City debut at
Barnsley in August. The only game he has missed was the JP Trophy home
defeat against the Tykes a fortnight ago because he was playing against
Germany under-20s at the time. Meanwhile, Paul Anderson hopes he can
transfer to a lighter cast on his knee after seeing surgeon Steve Bollen
tomorrow. Physio Matt Barrass said: "Ando has still got another six weeks in
a cast but if the specialist is happy with how it's healing, then he will
change it. "It's still a long way off. Those type of injuries are generally
six months-plus."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham linked with strikers living off past glories in Defoe and Pato, but
they are better than that now
HITC
Damien Lucas

West Ham United have been linked with January moves for two strikers
approaching the twilight of their careers but the club is better than that
now. The Hammers have been linked with a January move to bring their former
youth prodigy Jermaine Defoe back to Upton Park from Sunderland where he has
been left kicking his heels on the bench, as reported by the Express.
Another striker whose reputation has been on the wane in recent years has
also been linked with a move to East London with the Daily Mail reporting
that Brazilian Alexandre Pato is being eyed by the Hammers. Defoe has been
kept on the bench since ex-Hammers boss Sam Allardyce arrived on Wearside
and told the Express he will look to move on in the transfer window should
the situation remain the same. "At the age of 33, you want to play
football," Defoe said. "I didn't come here to sit on the bench. "You want to
play football and score goals. "I said that from day one."

Meanwhile, reports from Brazil claim former AC Milan star Pato could sign
for West Ham with his current club Corinthians' president Roberto de Andrade
said to be keen to offload the 26-year-old forward. The striker burst on to
the scene in Brazil a decade ago before a big move to Italy. But things did
not work out for him long-term in Serie A and his return to Brazil has been
equally unimpressive with Corinthians loaning him out to Sao Paolo in
February 2014. It is claimed Pato is 'keen' to play in 'one of the big
cities' in England and West Ham are suggested as the likeliest suitors.

A couple of years ago Hammers fans would probably have welcomed links to two
players of Defoe and Pato's ilk. But the club has evolved over the last two
summers. A revamped transfer policy has been paying dividends with Slaven
Bilic's side sitting pretty in third place in the Premier League more than a
quarter of the way into the season and just two points off leaders
Manchester City. The focus has been on young, hungry, powerful players who
will play their best years in East London. In truth Defoe and Pato are both
on the wane as players and West Ham no longer need to give a chance to
players looking for one last deal. The Hammers have had their fingers burned
countless times over the years following that policy with South African star
Benni McCarthy the prime example of such deals backfiring.

Deliberate shift in transfer policy paying dividends

A shift in the way West Ham approach the transfer market was a very
deliberate move by co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold after employing
top talent spotter Tony Henry to lead their recruitment drive. And any
Hammers fan will vouch that the last two summer transfer windows have been
among the best in the history of the club with the likes of Aaron Cresswell,
Adrian, Cheikhou Kouyate, Carl Jenkinson, Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho,
Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, Victor Moses, Alex Song, Michail Antonio and
Angelo Ogbonna coming in. Sullivan has said the club will now rarely sign a
player over the age of 27 unless of outstanding quality and value. While
Pato is 26 and could yet still turn his career around, Defoe at 33, is
approaching the end of his top flight playing days. West Ham move to the
54,000 seater Olympic Stadium next summer and have designs on a more
meaningful existence. Bilic is already struggling to fit all his players in
with Andy Carroll, Sakho, Mauro Zarate, Nikica Jelavic and Valencia vying
for places up front. If Defoe cannot even get into a struggling Sunderland
side and Pato is seen as a burden to a club like Corinthians, why then would
they even be considered by the high-flying Hammers? The club has moved on
from those days and are all the better for it.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'West Ham fans would have loved him' Slaven Bilic reveals aborted winger
deal
London 24
08:46 29 October 2015
Pete Evans

Tore, 23, has set up five goals already this season after spending the last
two seasons under Bilic's tutelage at the Turkish side. 2 And Bilic was keen
to bring the winger with him to Upton Park and admits Tore, who he says
would have suited English football, was on his wishlist when he accepted the
role. "I have always said that Gokhan Tore could play at any European team
he has both the quality and the potential," Bilic told Fanatik. "After
agreeing terms with West Ham I told the board that I want him and I strongly
believe he would add a lot to the team and be a success in England. "The
fans would have loved him but it did not happen we could not agree a deal."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WITH ALEX SONG RETURNING, DO WEST HAM HAVE A SELECTION PROBLEM?
By DylanBregman
readwestham.com

With the imminent return of Alex Song into the West Ham squad Slaven Bilic
may have some problems choosing the central midfielders. I don't think that
Slaven will change the system as we are doing very well with it and are
currently third however he might have to think twice about the two players
he does play in central midfield.

MARK NOBLE
He's West Ham through and through. He came up through the academy and has
recently been given the responsibility of club captain by Bilic himself.
However some people have been saying that Noble has been our weakest link so
far this season so will he get a spot.

CHEIKHOU KOUYATE

The Senegalese tank. Kouyate joined West Ham in 2014 since then the
defensive midfielder has played 38 games scoring 7 goals. However he isn't
known for his attacking performances. Kouyate likes to sit in front of the
defense and protect the centre half's. A very important role in our team.

PEDRO OBIANG

Obiang joined us at the start of this season and hasn't had much game time
so far. He has come on as a sub quite a few times and has proved to Bilic
that he can change the game for the better if he needs to. However he
doesn't yet have the experience in my opinion to beat Kouyate, Noble and
Song to a place.

ALEX SONG
Song returns for his second loan deal at the hammers. He hasn't yet played
this season as he is returning from injury. Even though Noble and Kouyate
have done so well in midfield in the first quarter of this season can you
really turn down a player who's won La Liga, the English league cup and many
more.

It's a tough decision for Slaven Bilic but I believe he will make the right
decisions.

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


http://vyperz.blogspot.com




---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Daily WHUFC News -

Cresswell hails 'new philosophy'
WHUFC.com

Aaron Cresswell says West Ham United now approach each and every game with
the intention of winning it. The Hammers have made an eye-catching and
hugely entertaining start to life under manager Slaven Bilic, rising to
third in the Barclays Premier League, scoring in every one of their ten
matches and scoring 22 goals in total. Bilic's side have won at Arsenal,
Liverpool and Manchester City and followed that up by beating champions
Chelsea at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday – a result that Cresswell told West
Ham TV they thoroughly deserved. "We definitely have a different philosophy
this season," said the No3. "The signings that the gaffer made in the summer
have helped: Lanzini, Dimitri Payet looks a fantastic player. We just have
to continue the form we are in at the minute, especially away from home. "We
are going into each game full of confidence – we don't fear anyone, whether
away or at home against the top sides as we have shown this season. We have
beaten four of the top teams in the Premier League so long may it continue."

Of West Ham's six victories, the left-back said Saturday's success against
Jose Mourinho's Blues was the Hammers' best so far – eclipsing their wins at
the Emirates, Anfield and the Etihad.
"I think it was our best win, for obvious reasons," he continued. "We are
sitting third in the league after ten games. "Don't get me wrong, it is
still early doors but I think we were fantastic, especially first half. They
got the goal back early on in the second half and then after they scored, I
think we controlled the game after that and obviously got the winning goal."

That winning goal came courtesy of Andy Carroll's towering header on the end
of a teasing cross from Cresswell – his third assist of the season. Speaking
to the media after Saturday's game, Carroll told how he has been ribbing
Cresswell for not setting him up sooner, so the defender was pleased to have
shut the striker up with his inch-perfect delivery. "I think he might keep
quiet for a couple of games hopefully!" Cresswell smiled. "He is fantastic
in the air, is Andy. He is a fantastic player. He has been unlucky with his
injuries and all his hard work over the last few months has paid off for
him. We are all delighted for him. "Of course, especially with Andy being
out for such a long time and getting the winning goal against Chelsea at
home, it is always nice personally to get an assist."

Earlier, Cresswell had also played his part in a blistering start to the
game made by Bilic's Hammers, who tore into the struggling Blues and went
ahead through Mauro Zarate's rasping finish. The defender explained that the
decision to harry and hustle Chelsea from the kick-off was one which planned
meticulously by Bilic and his coaching staff. "Especially away from home we
have always been pressing them and starting well away from home which we
haven't done at home apart from Newcastle, when we were excellent," he
explained. "In the first half, I thought we were excellent. We didn't give
them any time on the ball, we were always in their faces, we pressed and
when we got the ball, we attacked in numbers."

The Hammers will seek to extend their unbeaten run to eight league matches –
and maintain their unbeaten away record – when they travel to newly-promoted
Watford on Saturday. Kick-off at Vicarage Road is at 3pm, with live audio
and text commentary available on whufc.com and coverage across our social
media channels.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke provides an update
from the Treatment Room – in association with Spire Roding

Hello everyone,

We had a great result on Saturday, beating Chelsea, and picked up a few
niggles from the game, but we now have everybody back fit and all of the
players have joined back in during the course of the week.

Winston Reid has returned to training, while Alex Song will join the
Development Squad in training on Saturday before joining the first-team
squad on Sunday.

Doneil Henry will also join the Development Squad in training on Saturday,
while Joey O'Brien returned and played for 62 minutes for the Under-21s on
Monday evening without any problems, which was very good.

Hopefully we will not pick up any injuries at the Watford game and we will
have a fully-fit squad available to train next week.

Having a fit squad is of course what we all want, but our work never ends.
The main focus we always have is on the fit players and those who are
available for selection by the manager.

Availability for matches is the most important thing and, for that reason,
we have players who do different levels of training and individual work
every week.
Players get ill, players pick up niggles and miss a day's training, while
some players do extra work or extra training.

As the manager Mr Bilic has said, training is individualised for every
player. Some players train more and some players train less.

For example, Andy Carroll has had full training weeks for the first time in
years recently, while others are given days off to prevent over-training and
to keep them fit and available.

Now, we are focused on having a good week of training and sufficient rest in
the final international break of the year and putting down the foundations
for the winter, and then it is all about keeping the players fresh.

We have a deep and strong squad which helps us to be able to take the
long-term approach and Mr Bilic, his staff and the Medical and Sport Science
department all play an important role in this.

The challenge ahead is to get the players through a busy period without a
winter break, which is going to be a new experience for some of them coming
from European leagues.

Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Boleyn People
WHUFC.com

Having worked at West Ham United for ten years, the final season at the
Boleyn Ground is especially poignant for Hammers fan and Head of Elite
Performance and Sports Medicine at the Academy Tom Smith. During his time
studying physiotherapy at the University of Hertfordshire, Smith enjoyed a
student placement with West Ham United in the summer preceding his final
year. Having clearly impressed his senior colleagues in the Club's medical
department, he was offered part-time work at the Academy of Football. It was
not long before Smith was offered a full-time position in December 2005 as
Head Academy Physiotherapist. Ten years on, Smith's passion and commitment
to the job and to the Club remain plainly evident. "I enjoy every minute of
it," says the Essex-based Smith. "It is hard work and time consuming, but
it's what you commit to. I always knew this is what I want to do. "You have
to go wholeheartedly into it, but I'm fortunate enough to do something I
really enjoy, at the Club I've always supported."

After two years working in the Academy, Smith became increasingly more
involved in working with the first-team squad as a physiotherapist. After
working in the role for just under five years, and several different
managers, Smith returned to the Academy as Head of Elite Performance and
Sports Medicine. Reflecting on his differing roles, Smith said: "One of the
most positive things is that I've worked with players at every level. I've
worked with everyone from Under-9s who are just starting out to the first
team to working with international players who are worth millions of pounds.
"To have worked with players like Carlos Tevez who have gone on to be
massive at international level and across Europe is special. That variety is
one of the biggest positives; to have worked across a broad spectrum at West
Ham is a real standout memory."

Another highlight for Smith, and everyone connected to the Academy, is being
part of the development and progression of highly-rated youngsters into
first-team professional players. "It's one of the things that motivates me
most, and is the reason why I'm doing the job I do. I take a huge amount of
pride seeing an Academy player make their way into the first team. "Every
time an Academy player makes their debut and goes on to be involved more
frequently is special, and I feel like I've contributed to that success. You
get a real feeling of reward every time they play."It's an exciting time at
the moment, with the likes of Burke, Oxford, Cullen, Lee, and Page."

With the Club's future generation in good hands, Smith reflected on his
favourite memories at the Hammers' place of worship, the Boleyn Ground. "I
remember coming to my first game in 1991. We played Barnsley and we won 3-2.
Colin Foster, Frank McAvennie and Iain Dowie scored," he recalled. "Another
personal highlight includes doing the matchday 'run-on' for the first team
on a couple of occasions. "I have a lot of fond memories, some classic
games, play-offs, relegations, debuts. And that's just in terms of what I've
seen as a spectator. Then there's all the fond memories I have from behind
the scenes."

Last weekend's win over Chelsea was the Irons' fifth home league fixture of
the season, and with potentially only 14 games remaining, the countdown to
the final home game, against Swansea City on Saturday 7 May has well and
truly begun. "It's an honour to be working for the Club during the final
year at the Boleyn Ground. As a fan and a staff member, 25 years is a
massive chunk of my life to have been coming here, and to think that is
going to come to an end in May is going to be emotional. "I've thought a lot
about the last game here. I'm hoping to bring my daughter Sienna and son
Oscar to a game before the move. "We need to enjoy this season, and savour
it. But also we need to remember what we're moving onto. It's a new era in
the Club's great history, and we'll be playing in another amazing stadium,
one of the best in England, if not Europe."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Exclusive - Hodgson on the Hammers
WHUFC.com

England manager Roy Hodgson was full of praise for West Ham United on his
recent visit to the Boleyn Ground. Hodgson was in the Betway Stand to watch
the Hammers put Barclays Premier League champions Chelsea to the sword on
Saturday, with a winning goal created and scored by two Englishmen with
hopes of being named in his squad in the near future – Aaron Cresswell and
Andy Carroll. With James Tomkins and Carl Jenkinson shackling the Blues
attack and Mark Noble outshining Chelsea's star-studded midfield, the Three
Lions boss would have left east London with plenty to ponder ahead of next
month's friendly internationals with Spain and France. Speaking exclusively
to West Ham TV, Hodgson said he was keeping a close eye on West Ham's five
Englishmen. "There are five English players and we know them well," he said.
"Carl Jenkinson has already played for us, of course, and Andy Carroll was
an important part of our Euro 2012 team. "In Tomkins, Cresswell and Mark
Noble, there are good football players who are quite capable of playing for
England, but they face competition because one or two others who have done
well over the last few years. "It's all a question of competition and
keeping an eye from my point of view to make sure I'm not missing any."

West Ham have fielded nine English players in total this Premier League
season, including promising youngster Reece Oxford, as well as a
cosmopolitan mix of outstanding talents from across Europe, Africa and South
America. Hodgson has been hugely impressed by what he has seen from the boys
in Claret and Blue. "It's very good. I think they've started the season
quite brilliantly and some of the players brought in by Slaven and the
owners have really shown that they are top-class players," the England
manager told West Ham TV. "Not only do they have potential, but they have
shown they are top-class players straight away, so I assume that everyone at
West Ham must be delighted with the way the team is playing, the way the
atmosphere is at the club and in the dressing room, because you can see a
tremendous unity of spirit on the field. "I imagine it is praise all-round
and long may it continue. Everyone here knows and is wise enough the season
is long and it's great to get off to a good start, but there is still a lot
of hard work to do to maintain this position until the end of the season."

Hodgson has been a regular guest at the Boleyn Ground since becoming England
manager in 2012, but his visits to E13 date back more than 50 years. "I love
coming here," he enthused. "The whole club is a real football club, this
one, steeped in tradition with fantastic roots. The owners and Karren Brady
look after me so well, as does Sir Trevor Brooking of course, who I worked
with for three years and admire enormously. "It's a real pleasure to come
here just to see friends and I always see a good game here, so it's well
worth the effort coming from south west London to east London, as it's
always worth it when I get here! "My memories go back a long time to the
Ron Greenwood days and, of course, watching all those famous players who
went on to win the World Cup for England. "And also coming to watch a guy
called Johnny Byrne who might also have been in that 1966 team had he not
got injured just before the World Cup, as he was a large part of the build.
"He was a favourite player of mine and my friends at the time, so we'd come
over from Croydon to watch him whenever we could. "I've also had some good
memories with club teams when I've played here but, having said that, not
too many victories because of the teams I managed here have lost more often
than they won."

Looking forward, Hodgson's immediate concern is guiding England to glory at
Euro 2016 but, past that, he is looking forward to paying a visit to the
Hammers at their new home next season. While he will always have fond
memories of the Boleyn, the 68-year-old said West Ham have much to look
forward to at their 54,000-capacity stadium in Stratford. "Traditions are
important and this club always has traditions, but I understand the owners
and the Chief Executive because these days you can get more than 30-odd
thousand people," Hodgson continued. "You can fill a stadium with 60,000, so
if you have the opportunity you have to take it. "You can't live in the past
and say 'I want to stay in my traditional home' – you have to move on, just
as Arsenal did in leaving their traditional home."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cresswell hails 'new philosophy'
WHUFC.com

Aaron Cresswell says West Ham United now approach each and every game with
the intention of winning it. The Hammers have made an eye-catching and
hugely entertaining start to life under manager Slaven Bilic, rising to
third in the Barclays Premier League, scoring in every one of their ten
matches and scoring 22 goals in total. Bilic's side have won at Arsenal,
Liverpool and Manchester City and followed that up by beating champions
Chelsea at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday – a result that Cresswell told West
Ham TV they thoroughly deserved. "We definitely have a different philosophy
this season," said the No3. "The signings that the gaffer made in the summer
have helped: Lanzini, Dimitri Payet looks a fantastic player. We just have
to continue the form we are in at the minute, especially away from home. "We
are going into each game full of confidence – we don't fear anyone, whether
away or at home against the top sides as we have shown this season. We have
beaten four of the top teams in the Premier League so long may it continue."

Of West Ham's six victories, the left-back said Saturday's success against
Jose Mourinho's Blues was the Hammers' best so far – eclipsing their wins at
the Emirates, Anfield and the Etihad. "I think it was our best win, for
obvious reasons," he continued. "We are sitting third in the league after
ten games. "Don't get me wrong, it is still early doors but I think we were
fantastic, especially first half. They got the goal back early on in the
second half and then after they scored, I think we controlled the game after
that and obviously got the winning goal."

That winning goal came courtesy of Andy Carroll's towering header on the end
of a teasing cross from Cresswell – his third assist of the season. Speaking
to the media after Saturday's game, Carroll told how he has been ribbing
Cresswell for not setting him up sooner, so the defender was pleased to have
shut the striker up with his inch-perfect delivery. "I think he might keep
quiet for a couple of games hopefully!" Cresswell smiled. "He is fantastic
in the air, is Andy. He is a fantastic player. He has been unlucky with his
injuries and all his hard work over the last few months has paid off for
him. We are all delighted for him. "Of course, especially with Andy being
out for such a long time and getting the winning goal against Chelsea at
home, it is always nice personally to get an assist."

Earlier, Cresswell had also played his part in a blistering start to the
game made by Bilic's Hammers, who tore into the struggling Blues and went
ahead through Mauro Zarate's rasping finish. The defender explained that the
decision to harry and hustle Chelsea from the kick-off was one which planned
meticulously by Bilic and his coaching staff. "Especially away from home we
have always been pressing them and starting well away from home which we
haven't done at home apart from Newcastle, when we were excellent," he
explained. "In the first half, I thought we were excellent. We didn't give
them any time on the ball, we were always in their faces, we pressed and
when we got the ball, we attacked in numbers."

The Hammers will seek to extend their unbeaten run to eight league matches –
and maintain their unbeaten away record – when they travel to newly-promoted
Watford on Saturday. Kick-off at Vicarage Road is at 3pm, with live audio
and text commentary available on whufc.com and coverage across our social
media channels.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jose Mourinho lost bet with West Ham mascot
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 28th October 2015
By: Staff Writer

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho wasn't only facing a £25,000 FA fine as a
result of his team's defeat to West Ham last weekend - but he was a shirt
down too. Mourinho, who was hit with the fine as a result of his antics at
half time when challenging referee Jonathan Moss bet one of West Ham's young
mascots before the game that his side would beat the Hammers, according to
former Irons star Stuart Slater.

Slater, who was the star guest on this week's KUMB Podcast - which you may
download or stream here - was in the tunnel prior to the match in his
capacity as one of the club's match day hosts, when he witnessed the
manager's challenge. "Before the game Mourinho was talking to the ball boys
and mascots," explained the former winger. "One of the mascots said to him
'we're going to beat you!' "When he returned from the warm-up he came back
into the tunnel and asked which one of the mascots said West Ham were going
to beat Chelsea. One of the boys put his hand up and said 'it was me!'
"Mourinho told the boy he was going to have a bet with him. He said, 'If we
win I'll have your shirt - and if you win, I'll get you a signed Chelsea
shirt'. Whether it happened or not, I don't know - but it was brilliant that
he could have a little bit of banter before the game!"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Most read
Top Videos
Quizzes
News
Politics
Football
Sport
Celebs
TV & Film
Weird News
TRENDINGJURGEN KLOPPTIM SHERWOODJOSE MOURINHOANTHONY MARTIAL Technology
Money Travel Fashion Mums
Home
Sport Football Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho loses bet with West Ham ball boy after Blues' defeat at Upton
Park
19:41, 28 OCT 2015
BY JAMES WHALING
The Portuguese could be left counting the cost of a fine for being sent to
the stands by referee Jon Moss - but also lost this wager
The Mirror

Jose Mourinho may be facing a fine for his antics during Chelsea's defeat to
West Ham on Saturday - but his debts didn't stop there.
The Portuguese was sent to the stands by referee Jon Moss after a half-time
discussion during the Blues' nightmare 2-1 reverse at Upton Park - their
fifth loss in 10 Premier League outings so far this season. More bad news
for Mourinho has now been revealed, courtesy of a pre-match bet with a
Hammers ball boy. The cheeky youngster had told the Chelsea boss that the
Irons would take all three points in the East End, and Mourinho took him up
on the bet. Former West Ham player Stuart Slater told the Knees Up Mother
Brown podcast: "Before the game Mourinho was talking to the ball boys and
mascots. One of the mascots said to him 'we're going to beat you!' "When he
returned from the warm-up he came back into the tunnel and asked which one
of the mascots said West Ham were going to beat Chelsea. One of the boys put
his hand up and said 'it was me!' "Mourinho told the boy he was going to
have a bet with him. He said, 'If we win I'll have your shirt - and if you
win, I'll get you a signed Chelsea shirt'. "Whether it happened or not, I
don't know - but it was brilliant that he could have a little bit of banter
before the game!" The misery continued for Mourinho and Chelsea last night,
as they crashed out of the Capital One Cup following a penalty shootout
defeat to Stoke.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This Hammer's a wanted man!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 28, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Pedro Obiang remains a wanted maObiangn in January with Napoli continually
tracking the Irons midfielder. With so many options in the area Slaven Bilic
may be tempted to allow the No 14 to join the Serie A outfit for the rest
of the season should he receive a firm offer. Napoli were keen in the summer
when the Hammers moved in with a £4 million bid for the former Sampdoria man
but the Italian outfit have been carefully watching his progress at the club
this season. The player has been unable to nail down a regular place in the
line up and that has given the Italian outfit hope that they may be able to
do a deal with the Irons. A Hammers source told ClaretandHugh said: "This
will be for later – we have had no contact at this stage but we were aware
of their interest in the player.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Four down, two to go!
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 27, 2015 in Sean's Blogs, Whispers
C and H

So we beat Arsenal at the Emirates 2-0 on the opening day of the new season
to set the tone under our new manager. The first time in eight years we had
beaten the Gooners when Bobby Zamora scored the only goal when we became the
first team to beat Arsenal at the Emirates. Then came that historic 3-0 win
against Liverpool at Anfield, the first time in 52 years to beat the Reds
away from home. In 1963 we relied on Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst to score
our score our goals in the old money division one before the Premier League
was even dreamed of. Next came a 2-1 win against former champions Manchester
City at the Ethiad, West Ham had never beaten Man City away in the League at
their new stadium. Our last league away win came in 1982 at Maine Road when
Paul Goddard scored the only goal. Last weekend it was Chelsea's tun to come
under Slav's sword with a 2-1 home win against the reigning champions. We
beat the Blues as recent as 2012 when Carlton Cole, Mo Diame and Maiga
scored in a 3-1 win. Collins and Tomkins also played in that win to remember
on a December day. These four wins have already made the 2015/2016 a season
to remember already but we have two important games coming up to complete a
magnificent half dozen run by Super Slav. On Sunday 22nd November we take
on our old foes Spurs at White Hart Lane, then on Saturday 5th December we
play Manchester United at Old Trafford. Away wins against both of these
teams this season would raise Slaven Bilic to god like status among Hammers
folklore and hopefully we can add to the impressive graphic above very soon.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Give West Ham the credit
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 27, 2015 in Sean's Blogs, Whispers
C and H

It is about time football pundits and the media at large gave West Ham
credit to what they have achieved this season. Large parts of the media
love to knock West Ham when they are down or there is a bad news story but
they seem reluctant to pat them on the back and say well done. Even match of
the day pundits seem to struggle to anything more than a couple of words
before concentrating on describing the woes on the major teams we have
beaten.

Leicester City on the other hand seem to get all the praise and the credit
from the same people. While there is no doubt Leicester have also had a
great start to the season and remain the only 'top six' to beat us this
season it could be argued that our opposition has been much stronger than
their's. Leicester's wins have come against a poor Sunderland, Villa,
Norwich and Palace in addition to ourselves.

Would it kill the media to pat West Ham on the back occasionally and say
well done and give credit where it is due?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Landslide win for Payet
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 28, 2015 in News
C and H

Dimi Payet has won a landslide victory as London's Player of the month for
October in the London 24.com October Twitter poll. Now with the PFA Player
of the Month Awards closing tomorrow the 28 year old Frnchman could be set
to make it a double. Supporters retweeted the player they believed was
London's finest Premier League performer during the month and Dimi finished
up with 69 per cent of the vote. Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil finished in
second place after a goal and four assists during a memorable month of
Premier League football for the German. Tottenham's Christian Eriksen also
gained his fair share of votes after three goals and an assist. Chelsea
attacker Willian and Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha also featured on
the shortlist.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THERE IS NO NEED TO RUSH ALEX SONG'S RETURN!
By S J Chandos 28 Oct 2015 at 08:00
WTID

There has been some optimistic reports that Alex Song could be fit for a
first team return against Watford this Saturday. Song is back in training,
but it is surely unlikely that he will make an appearance so soon. Other
reports (presumably based on David Gold's tweets on the subject) have
identified the Everton match as the more realistic target. And that is more
than likely to be true, given that there is an imperative to build up Song's
match fitness ahead of any return.

The fact is that with the strength of our squad there is no need to rush
players back before they are ready. We have good cover and results are
excellent, so lets give Song the extra bit of time that he needs, including
a couple of run outs in the Development Squad. We can easily afford to do
that and ensure that he is 100% ready; thus, avoiding the risk of further
injury that often accompanies players returning before they are fully match
fit. It is also probable that any such return will commence from the bench
and involve a gradual re-introduction to the 'cut and thrust' of PL
football. The prospect of Song combining with Lanzini, Moses and Payet is
very exciting indeed. If Song does make an appearance against Everton then
great, but it is surely far more important that the club get it right. The
same argument applies to Enner Valencia, although the striker is further
down the comeback road than Song. Consequently, I feel that it is more
likely that we will see Valencia make some sort of contribution over the
next two PL matches.

Elsewhere, the speculation about the club's January transfer targets has
commenced already. The latest story is that West Ham could make a January
move for 26 year old Brazilian International striker, Alexandre Pato. He is
currently on loan to Sao Paulo from his parent club, Corinthians, having
signed from Italian giants, AC Milan, in 2013. During his stint in A Serie,
Pato scored a very decent 63 goals in 150 matches. His scoring record in
Brazil has been 17 goals in 62 games (for Corinthians) and 37 goals in 94
matches (to date – for Sao Paulo). We know that Corinthians are looking at
sell, hence their President. Roberto de Andrade's comment this week that the
club 'would rather sell Pato than keep him.'

It is also thought that there is real rival interest from Spurs. Make of the
story what you will. I guess the key questions are, do we really need him
and what qualities does he bring to the squad that our present strikers do
not possess? The probability is that this is the work of agents, trying to
drum up interest in the player ahead of the winter transfer window.
Alternatively, perhaps Tony Henry has actually identified him as a potential
target? We shall see?

What is certain is that if we enter the new year in the top four and in
close points proximity to the leaders, then the club's board will have a
tough decision to make. Will they adopt a plan B, to commit transfer
resources to bring even more quality in to the squad in a concerted effort
to clinch a Champions League place or even boost a title challenge. Or will
they go with their probable plan A, which is to stick with the current squad
until the end of the 2015/16 campaign and implement the next stage of their
transfer plans in the summer? It is tough because if there is any chance of
CL qualification and a serious title challenge than it will be very tempting
to invest again and really go for it. Of course, a lot will depend on how
the current squad continues to perform and which quality additions are
available in the January window. Once again, time will tell?

Finally, the Watford (away) and Everton (home) fixtures are two further
tests of our progress. The Watford match is a classic example of one in
which West Ham in the past would have slipped up. Yet another away victory
here would indicate that type of inconsistency is a thing of the past. While
Everton have been a real 'bogey' team for us over recent seasons. So, a win
over the Goodison club would be another very positive indicator. I am going
for an efficient 0-2 victory over Watford and an entertaining 2-1 win over
Everton! COYI.

SJ. Chandos.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Player Focus: Impressive Lanzini Quickly Becoming West Ham's Jewel
by Josh Wright at Tuesday, Oct 27 2015 16:00
whoscored.com

The decision to replace Sam Allardyce a year before moving into the Olympic
Stadium suddenly didn't feel like the right play when West Ham were dumped
out of the Europa League by Romanian side Astra Giurgiu before the Premier
League had even started. Since then, however, victories away to Arsenal,
Liverpool, Manchester City and Crystal Palace and at home to Chelsea on
Saturday have left them two points off top spot.

Their extraordinary start to the campaign makes it hard for West Ham fans
not to dream of moving into their new home with the prospect of European
football, but it's worth remembering they were also in the top four as late
as Christmas before their season unravelled last year. Nevertheless, you
sense the Hammers are far better equipped this time around.

Dimitri Payet has been credited as the driving force behind their meteoric
start to the season. The Frenchman was regarded as a coup when West Ham
signed him for £10.7m over the summer and his breathtaking performances only
make you wonder why more teams weren't in for him. As it stands, only two
players have played a direct hand in more goals than Payet (8), and only
Mesut Ozil (42) has created more goalscoring chances than the former
Marseille creator-in-chief (41) in England's top-flight.

However, the foundations of West Ham's early season success extend beyond
the creativity of Payet. Enner Valencia was the fan favourite at the Boleyn
Ground this time last season, but so much has changed since then that the
Ecuador international may now struggle to even get in Slaven Bilic's
starting line up when everyone is available for selection.

A summer of upheaval included nearly a dozen new faces arriving at West Ham
and Bilic is quickly discovering he has match winners all over the pitch.
The Hammers were able to take players from the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea,
Arsenal, Marseille and Juventus in the off-season, but it's one of their
less familiar faces that is quickly endearing himself to the supporters.

Unlike the media fanfare that followed Payet's arrival, there was little
hype when Manuel Lanzini touched down from Al Jazira in the United Arab
Emirates. However, his early season performances would suggest David Gold
and David Sullivan would be wise to tie up the Argentine on a permanent deal
sooner rather than later.

The former Argentina U20 international's latest display against Chelsea was
packed with the sort of craft, intelligence and awareness you would expect
from a player accustomed to the rigours of the Premier League, not one that
has just spent the last year in the Middle East.

Lanzini, nicknamed 'The Jewel', completed more dribbles than any other
player (5) - including Payet (2) - misplaced just four of his 32 passes (88%
pass success rate) and even made a vital clearance off the line just as it
appeared Kurt Zouma had drawn Chelsea level. Mauro Zarate finished as the
WhoScored man of the match (7.93 rating), but Lanzini ran him a close second
(7.73).

It was no one off. He's been doing it all season and his performances are
already starting to earn glowing endorsements from his manager. "I have
never seen a player who reminds me of Luka Modric as much as Manuel
Lanzini," said Bilic in his London Evening Standard column last week, having
previously compared his style to David Silva's. That's some hybrid!

Player Focus: Impressive Lanzini Quickly Becoming West Ham's Jewel

Lanzini still has a long way to go before being earning the right to be
regarded in their company, but it's certainly not a bad starting point, and
you can already see where Bilic is coming from.

When in possession, Lanzini rarely concedes it. The Argentine is the most
accurate passer at the club (87.6%) and is also among the top 25 in the
division – above the likes of Eden Hazard, Yaya Toure and Bastian
Schweinsteiger – of those to have started at least half of the 10 league
matches thus far. Additionally, Lanzini has only been dispossessed five
times in eight appearances, compared to Payet who has been robbed of
possession more than three times that amount (17), accentuating his
statistically calculated strength of 'holding on to the ball'.

"What I do know is he is making our other players better," Bilic continued,
revealing more behind what kind of player West Ham have on their books.
Lanzini's influence in the final third has been particularly noticeable and
it had been this sort of positivity that fans felt was missing during the
bulk of Allardyce's tenure.

Lanzini averages more dribbles per game than any other teammate (2.5) and
only two West Ham players have averaged more forward passes and successful
final third passes per game than the midfielder (20.9 & 9.9, respectively),
while only Payet (4.5 per game) is joining play together with more
regularity via accurate lay-offs than the former River Plate graduate (1.5).


Not only that, but Lanzini has also shown a desire to help out defensively,
where he averages the same amount of tackles per game as defenders James
Collins and Carl Jenkinson (1.5).

In Bilic's mind there had never been any doubt over Lanzini's ability. The
47-year-old had been tracking him during his two-year stint as Besiktas
manager before replacing Allardyce at West Ham, but even he admits he's been
blown away by how quickly Lanzini hass settled.

"I am only surprised that he hit it off straight away," Bilic said. "I
thought he was going to need more time because last year he played in the
Emirates with Al Jazira. It's a good level but you can't compare that with
the Premier League. He's a phenomenal player, a really quality player and
feels comfortable when he is on the pitch."

What's exciting for West Ham fans is that you sense this is only the
beginning for Lanzini.

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

http://vyperz.blogspot.com




---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Daily WHUFC News -

Nikola reminded of Croatian stars
WHUFc.com

Nikola Jurcevic says West Ham United playmakers Dimitri Payet and Manuel
Lanzini remind him of Croatia legends Zvonimir Boban and Robert Prosinecki.
The Hammers assistant manager – and manager Slaven Bilic – played alongside
attacking midfielders Boban and Prosinecki at Euro 96, where the Blazers
reached the quarter-finals and impressed hugely with their flair and
creativity. Boban spent eleven seasons with AC Milan, winning four Serie A
titles and the UEFA Champions League, while Prosinecki played for Real
Madrid and Barcelona and won six league titles with Red Star Belgrade and
Dinamo Zagreb. Twenty years later and Jurcevic can see a lot of his former
teammates – as well as current Croatia stars Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic –
in Payet and Lanzini, who have played a huge part in firing West Ham into
the Barclays Premier League's top four. "Sometimes when I have spoken with
Slaven or when I talk with my friends, I make some comparisons with players
from before like Boban or Prosinecki, or for example players now like Modric
and Rakitic," he told West Ham TV. "We also have those type of players in
Payet and Lanzini."

While the attacking duo have caught the eye during the Hammers' bright start
to the 2015/16 campaign, Jurcevic added that it has been a full squad effort
to climb into third place after ten league matches. "Sometimes we spoke
about one or two players, but we must speak also about more players, because
sometimes in the game we make some fantastic shots through Zarate, for
example, who scored an important goal on Saturday," he continued. "I think
now we have a good situation in the team because we have some players who
are more for defending like Collins or Tomkins, or we have team players like
Jenkinson or Cresswell, or midfielders like Mark Noble and Kouyate who are
really important for our team. "OK, I understand in every team, everybody
speaks more about players who are more offensive or more creative, but I
think everything our team has done until now is for all the players."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Akinola makes Boleyn Ground bow
WHUFC.com

Central defender Olatunji Akinola is confident his side can bounce back from
the 2-0 defeat to Fulham when the Dev Squad travel to play Brighton & Hove
Albion next Monday. The 16-year-old put in an assured performance against
the Cottagers, in his first U21 appearance of the season – coincidentally
against the same team he made his U21's debut against last term. Despite a
promising showing from the young Hammers, it was the visitors who came away
with the points: "The positives are the way we passed the ball around, we
need to do that more consistently and switching the play often. We need to
try and be a bit more creative because I know we are capable of beating
anyone when we play to our best. "Overall, it was a disappointing result
especially as we played well in the first half. We must have dominated the
game in terms of passes but we didn't have enough creativity in the final
third and we didn't have many opportunities from the crosses we put in."

Jordan Evans' swirling free kick beat Raphael Spiegel from distance to break
the deadlock before Dean O'Halloran rolled the ball home to double their
advantage. Grady Diangana came closest to scoring for the hosts, yet they
could not find a way past Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak. Akinola
continued: "It's disappointing to have conceded twice from only a few shots
on goal. We felt pretty solid at the back, they didn't have too much of a
threat but they took the chances they did have. "It's my first U21
appearance of the season and it's clearly a step up from the U18s who have
been playing recently. I think I've coped with the step up well, on the ball
I feel my distribution was good but I think I need to be more solid in the
air against the older boys. Overall I think I did alright."

While the result was disappointing, it was no doubt a special night for the
highly rated academy prospect. Reflecting on his Boleyn Ground bow, he said:
"It's my first game here at the Boleyn Ground so it was a good experience, I
think tonight's crowd was the biggest I've played in front of in my career.
"You've got to concentrate all the time because you've got a lot of people
watching you; it's also more realistic to what first team football is like.
"As for the rest of the season, the U18s are doing well at the moment so I
hope that continues. Hopefully I'll be ready whenever I'm called upon for
the U21s and keep knocking on the door."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dyer - All you need is Slav
WHUFC.com

West Ham fan Danny Dyer was thrilled to be back at the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday and hopes the Club can achieve big things under the leadership of
Slaven Bilic this season. The Eastenders Star has already been to the
Bournemouth and Newcastle matches this season and is hoping to attend as
many games as possible in the final ever season at Upton Park. Dyer says he
will be full of emotion as the Hammers prepare to play their final ever
league game against Swansea on May 7. But the famous actor is also looking
forward to seeing the Club make a big move into the new Stadium next summer
and sees no reason why they cannot compete with the big guns in England.
Dyer said: "I am gutted that we are leaving the Boleyn and there are a lot
of memories for me as I have been coming here since I was a kid. "But we
have got to look at the bigger picture and we are going to have one of the
best grounds in the league. We need to move forward and hopefully we can
attract bigger players. "I want to experience Champions League football. It
is our time and we are due it. "We have a strong team this season and why
shouldn't we be dreaming about a top four finish. Why can't we be treated to
a bit of glory? "I started coming over with my old man during the 1985/86
season and seeing the great partnership between McAvennie and Cottee. "I am
a Custom House boy and I can still remember the walk to the ground and the
smell of the burgers as you got nearer. I am a true believer in that your
club chooses you. "We have got the Bilic on the scene now. All you need is
Slav!!"
Dyer has also joined the big fan club behind Dimitri Payet and feels he is
already following in the footsteps of fans favourite Paolo Di Canio. Payet
has wasted no time settling into his new surroundings and has been one of
the star performers in the opening ten games of the season. Dyer added:
"Payet is a beautiful man. He pulls the it off well. He is a like a Di Canio
player and gets you off your seat."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
One booking, but West Ham charged by FA - again
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 27th October 2015
By: Staf

West Ham have been charged once again by the FA for failing to control their
players. Following on from the £50,000 fine incurred following Mark Noble's
dismissal at Anfield back in August - a decision that was later overturned
upon appeal - the Hammers have been charged again in the wake of Saturday's
win over Chelsea. According to a statement on the FA's website, "West Ham
have been charged for failing to control their players in the 44th minute of
the game and Chelsea have also been charged with the same offence for an
alleged breach in the 45th minute of the game."

Video footage of the incident, a still from which may be seen below shows
three West Ham players - captain Mark Noble, Carl Jenkinson and James
Tomkins - along with Chelsea's John Terry and Cesc Fabregas talking to
referee Jonathan Moss following the foul. West Ham had one player booked
during the game - Cheikhou Kouyate - whilst the Blues saw SIX players
cautioned, including Diego Costa and Fabegas for their part in the fracas
that followed Matic's red card. Both clubs have until 6pm on Thursday, 29
October to reply to the charges.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea fans off their Roka
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 27th October 2015
By: Staff Writer

It wasn't just Chelsea's coaching staff and players showing a distinct lack
of class on Saturday, according to a story in the tabloids this morning.
Andy Carroll, who went straight to Canary Wharf after the game in order to
celebrate West Ham's win was accosted by a group of drunk Chelsea supporters
at the Roka restaurant shortly after arriving. Eye-witness Paige Waller, who
was in the popular eating venue said: "Andy Carroll and a random drunk man
just had a huge row in Roka. Made my day. So dramatic; red wine was flying
everywhere." Meanwhile another individual who claimed to be present at the
time told The Sun: "A man, who was in a group of Chelsea fans, tried to go
up and kiss him which led to a skirmish. Carroll hadn't even had food or a
drink at that point when the hammered geezer started giving him shit."
Carroll scored West Ham's winning goal just ten minutes after being
introduced as a replacement for Mauro Zarate, who had given the Irons a
first half lead that was subsequently cancelled out by Gary Cahill. Hammers
boss Slaven Bilic insisted after the game that the number nine should be
seriously considered for a recall by England manager Roy Hodgson, who was
present at Saturday's match. "Andy is a big player for us, and also for
England," he said during his post-match press conference. "He gives us a lot
of options. He is a great player, his quality has never been in doubt. We
just needed to get him fit. "Now we are in a really good situation with that
and he should be fit long-term. West Ham - and possibly England - should
benefit."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers will have to let defender go!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham won't be signing Carl Jenkinson permanently next season as Arsenal
are looking for an incredible £15 million fee! The Hammers wanted to sign
him in the summer but the player instead opted to sign a new five year deal
at the Emirates. And once that was agreed, Arsene Wenger told the Hammers
owners that the right back would cost them £15 million if they wanted to
take him to Upton Park . Instead David Sullivan and David Gold agreed
another loan deal which will cost the Hammers a whopping £4 mllion for the
season in wages and appearance bonuses. ClaretandHugh has learned the terms
of the deal and Jenkinson certainly hasn't come cheap with loan fee, basic
wages and various bonuses to both Arsenal and the player. We are paying
Arsenal a £1.5m loan fee plus £10,000 for every starting appearance whilst
the Harlow-born 23 year old picks up £5k for every start. Sunderland had
offered Arsenal a £2m loan fee, but Jenkinson had been so happy at the
Boleyn last season that he insisted he returned to the east end. However,
Arsenal have no intention of letting the player move on for anything less
than £15 million and the Hammers will not be playing at that price. Our
source explained: "He's a decent player but we don't see him as a £15
million player. We can't go there and Arsenal won't budge so it's extremely
unlikely he'll be here next season."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons make their FA appeal decision
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham will appeal the Football Association's decision to charge them with
failing to control their players during Saturday's match against Chelsea.
The game's ruling body West Ham brought the charge after the players reacted
to in the 44th minute of the game following the incident which saw Chelsea's
Matic sent off. Chelsea were charged with the same offence for an alleged
breach in the 45th minute of the game. A club source made it clear this
evening that the appeal was almost being lodged on appoint of principle
claiming it was always hard to win and appeal with the FA. He said:
"Everybody in the club believes we have a very strong case but very few win
in these circumstances. However, let's be fair, not one of our players even
received a card. "We were fined £50k the last time we were found guilty so
if we lose we're likely to get hit with around £75k this time."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Zarate: "We want the top four!"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 27, 2015 in News
C and H

Mauro Zarate has made it clear the Irons are aiming to finish in the top
four but accepts as a ealist that it will be very difficult indeed.
ClaretandHugh revealed yesterday how determined the Argentine striker is to
stick around at the club and in n interview today he sounds like one very
happy bunny who aims to be around for a while yet. Speaking to ESPN FC he
says: "We can't dream about winning the title, we must be realistic. We want
to finish the championship being as high as possible in the table. "At the
moment we are in the third position and what we want to is to finish among
the first four but it's a very difficult task." He added: "Everyone at the
club is very excited, and our fans are like crazy. We are playing very nice
football and we expect to keep on doing it this way. "We have to be aware of
not losing points at home, most of all when we play against those teams that
are fighting to avoid the relegation zone. If we want to be among the first
teams in the positions, we can't lose points at home."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold reveals his likely retirement age!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

He's 79 years old, remains a central part of this football club and has been
a club owner for 25 years! So just when is David Gold going to retire and
how does he answer the constant snipes from the keyboard warriors that he's
only in it for the dough! He showed his passion in that extraordinary
picture when entering a director's box seventh heaven when Andy Carroll
scored at the weekend against Chelsea. And now in the ClaretandHugh
interview section of http://moorethanjustapodcast.podbean.com/ he has
mentioned his likely retiremeent age. He explains: "We have two families
here – the Gold family and the Sullivan family. It's two families and every
member of those families are passionate about our football club. "They –
every member of the families – recognise that their Dads have shown their
own passion for this club and they respect everything their fathers are and
have tried to achieve. "We are pretty good at what we do and we both have
regular medical check ups. I would be very disappointed if I wasn't here
and involved in 10 years time. "You may ask what a man of 90 does with his
time – well probably by them I will be ready to retire!"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Song keeps fingers crossed
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Alex Song is still hopeful he can make the Irons squad for the weekend game
at Watford. The midfielder is back in training with the first team squad
this week and although the Everton game was the original target for his
comeback, there is a small chance he could make the squad for the weekend.
Sources inside the club have told ClaretandHugh that there's an outside
chance and that it's an issue of regaining match fitness rather than
overcoming the injury problem itself. We were told: "Everton was indeed the
target but he's looking good and there's a chance – it's no more than that
but he's working well." The manager's other big decision will be making a
choice between Saturday's first scorer Mauro Zarate or Victor Moses with the
loan signing looking likely to get the shout. Winston Reid is also rated
50/50 for the game and is slowly shaking off the hip/thigh injury that
sidelined him from the Chelsea match.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons take Henry by surprise
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 27, 2015 in News
C and H

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is the latest player to refuse ruling out West
Ham as top four contenders. Not unnaturally he believes the Gunners can win
the title and that they and the two Manchester teams are set to battle it
out at the top. But he has encouraging words for the Irons hordes who are
watching the lads rub shoulders with the Premier League elite. And he said:
"You always have one team that is trying to make the top four and thinking
why not push and fight for the title. "Every weekend I think: 'Today will be
a bit too much for West Ham,' but every week they win the game! "You never
know what can happen but I think United, City and Arsenal will be in the top
three at the end of the season with a surprise team in the top four or
Chelsea coming back at the end."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham don't fear anyone, says Hammers defender Aaron Cresswell
VAISHALI BHARDWAJ 6 hours ago0 comments
Evening Standard

West Ham defender Aaron Cresswell has revealed the Hammers do not fear any
Premier League side after the club claimed a famous win over champions
Chelsea at the weekend. Slaven Bilic's high-flying team secured a 2-1
victory over the Blues at Upton Park on Saturday afternoon, which sent the
Hammers into third place in the league table following what has been the
club's best-ever start to a Premier League campaign. West Ham have now
beaten Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City away from home and, after
adding Chelsea to their list of victims at the weekend, defender Cresswell
admitted the club's players feel fearless. "We are going into each game full
of confidence," he said. "We don't fear anyone, whether we're away or at
home against the top sides. "We try to win every game and must continue the
form we are in, especially on the road." West Ham travel to play Watford on
Saturday in their next Premier League fixture before hosting Everton at the
Boleyn Ground one week later.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll involved in restaurant row with 'drunk Chelsea fan' after
scoring West Ham winner
Carroll was dining in Canary Wharf on Sunday night
Express.co.uk

West Ham striker Andy Carroll was allegedly involved in a row with a "drunk
Chelsea fan" at a trendy Japanese restaurant in Canary Wharf, London, on
Sunday evening. The 26-year-old scored a brilliant header to hand the
Hammers a 2-1 win at Upton Park.
On Sunday night the former England striker was dining with friends at Roka
when a row ensued during which his security guards had to intervene. Some
reports suggest that wine was thrown, based on a Tweet by onlooker Paige
Waller - although she later cleared up that her words were not to be taken
literally. An unnamed onlooker told The Sun: "A man, who was in a group of
Chelsea fans, tried to go up and kiss him, which led to a skirmish. "Carroll
hadn't even had food or a drink at that point when the hammered geezer
started giving him s***." An anonymous member of staff also spoke to the
paper, confirming the incident. "It happened between 5pm and 5.30pm as they
were sitting down to eat," they said. "His personal security guards broke up
the fight."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham transfer report: Hammers set to miss out on Inter Milan defender
By talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) | Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Fiorentina are lining up a New Year move for West Ham target Danilo
D'Ambrosio. The 27-year-old full-back was on Slaven Bilic's radar in the
summer but he eventually stayed put at Inter Milan. However, D'Ambrosio, who
only arrived from Torino in 2014, is yet to feature in the league this
season and he looks set to leave when the transfer window opens. The Hammers
have been linked with a fresh move for the 27-year-old but now reports in
Italy have suggested that Fiorentina are the new front-runners to land him.
La Viola are hopeful of sealing a loan deal until next summer, when they
will have the option to purchase D'Ambrosio, who is under contract at the
San Siro until 2018.

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


http://vyperz.blogspot.com




---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus