Daily WHUFC News - 28th November 2015

Preview - WBA
WHUFC.com

The background

West Ham United will look to get back to winning ways this Sunday when they
play host to West Bromwich Albion in the Barclays Premier League.

The Hammers were defeated 4-1 by Tottenham Hotspur in their last outing so
will be wanting to put that heavy defeat behind them as soon as possible.

In fact, since defeating Chelsea in late October, they have picked up just
one point from their last three games – in their last home match against
Everton – a run that manager Slaven Bilic knows needs to end.

West Brom, meanwhile, are six places below the Hammers in 12th, four points
worse off having won five, drawn two and lost six of their 13 league games
to date.

The Baggies secured the notable scalp of Arsenal in their last match, as a
goal from James Morrison and Mikel Arteta's own goal gave them a 2-1
success.

That ended a run of two straight defeats for Tony Pulis' men, who had been
beaten by Leicester City and Manchester United in their previous matches.

Remember Sunday is our Cult Heroes day, so make sure you are in your seats
at half time to welcome back a whole host of iconic figures back to the
Boleyn Ground.

Important security information

With enhanced security checks taking place around the Boleyn Ground for
Sunday's game against West Bromwich Albion, supporters are advised to arrive
earlier in order to allow time to clear security.

As every bag will be checked thoroughly, supporters are therefore advised
not to bring any large bags or rucksacks where possible as this will delay
their entry.

The Stadium will be opening earlier than usual to accommodate these extra
checks ahead of the 2.05pm kick off, but the Club would like to stress that
security will not be reduced in the event that queues form.

So please arrive earlier than normal to ensure you do not miss kick-off
against the Baggies.

The history

This will be the 100th meeting between West Ham and the Baggies, with West
Brom just leading the head-to-head record 39-38.

West Ham will hope to bring that back to level pegging having lost out in
their last encounter – in the FA Cup fifth round in February.

In the league meetings last term, goals from Kevin Nolan and James Tomkins
secured a 2-1 win at the Hawthorns, before Saido Berahino cancelled out
Diafra Sakho's opener for a 1-1 Boleyn Ground draw.

The match

Team news

West Ham United

The Hammers will be without the suspended pair of Mark Noble and James
Collins for Sunday's match. Noble is out having picked up five yellow cards
this term, while Collins serves the final game of his three-match ban for a
sending off in the 2-0 defeat at Watford.

Slaven Bilic will choose between Alex Song and the fit-again Pedro Obiang
for the right to replace Noble in the Hammers midfield.

West Bromwich Albion

Chris Brunt is suspended for the Baggies, but as one player starts a ban,
another finishes with defender Gareth McAuley available for selection again.

Baggies head coach Tony Pulis was keeping his cards close to his chest when
he admitted he had a number of injury worries, but Jonas Olsson could
continue at the back, while Salomon Rondon has been leading the line with
Saido Berahino on the bench.

Match info

Match facts

Sunday's referee is Martin Atkinson, with Mike Mullarkey and Stephen Child
running the line. Kevin Friend is the fourth official
Six of the last nine Barclays Premier League meetings between West Ham and
West Brom have ended as draws (West Ham two wins, West Brom one victory).
Four of the last five at Upton Park have ended all square (one West Ham
win).
Saido Berahino has scored in four of his five appearances against West Ham
in all competitions.
West Ham have used 26 players in the Premier League this season, a figure
only Manchester United can match.
65% of the goals West Ham have conceded have come in the first half, the
highest proportion in the top division (13 out of 20).
The Hammers have gone eight games without a clean sheet and won just two of
their last seven Premier League games (W2 D3 L2).
Only Aston Villa (34) have fired in fewer shots on target than West Brom
this season (39).
The Baggies have won five of their last 10 Premier League away games, losing
just three (D2).
Manuel Lanzini has scored in each of the last three Premier League matches
where he has played the full 90 minutes.

Tickets, coverage, travel and other info

Tickets for this fixture have SOLD OUT.
A rainy Sunday is expected, with temperatures of 12C (54F) at kick-off.
There will be no Hammersmith & City line services to Upton Park on Sunday,
but the District line is set to run as normal. Supporters who use the London
Overground line between Barking-Gospel Oak should note that rail replacement
buses will be running on that route. Click here for the latest info on the
TfL network and here for National Rail.
If you're not heading to the game make sure you keep up to date with all the
action on our digital channels. Our live match centre has audio commentary,
text updates, in-running stats and the best pictures, and you can get
involved with the conversation on social using the hashtag #WHUWBA.

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Chadwell Chatter - Alex Song
WHUFC.com

Hello,

I am very happy to be back on the pitch because I have been ruled out of
action for a long time. I was happy to play the last 10 minutes against
Tottenham and now I am looking to come back slowly, step-by-step and then we
will see what happens in the future. When I am 100 per cent fit I will be
ready to play. Last Sunday was very disappointing against Tottenham. We
don't want to lose a derby, but we have to move forward and put the game
behind us. We have a very big game on Sunday and it is a game that we want
to win. We need to work hard in training and show a different kind of
performance against West Brom. It is very important for us to show the fans
that we have a good character and that we want to put things right after
what happened last weekend. At home we need to show the fans what they want
to see. They expect us to play football and it will be a different game. We
have to score more goals and we need to be the boss at home. The way we
played against Spurs was not good and we want to get back playing how we
performed at the start of the season when we had some great results –
especially away from home. We want to show something different on Sunday. I
have played against West Brom a couple of times and I remember the 1-1 draw
against them last season. We have to dominate the game and show them how we
want to play from the opening part of the game. I know we have some Cult
Heroes returning to West Ham United this weekend. My heroes growing up were
Rigobert Song and Claude Makelele. It is always good that West Ham have
players who the fans look up to. We have to give them a very good welcome.
It is always a pleasure to see the people who have done so well.

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Slaven Speaks - West Bromwich Albion
WHUFC.com

Ahead of the Hammers' game with West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, Slaven Bilic
held his pre-match press conference.

The manager answered a range of questions from bouncing back from the defeat
to Tottenham Hotspur and Alex Song's fitness ahead of facing the Baggies...

Slaven, you haven't won in three games, how do you turn that around?

"We've only got one point from the last three games which is below our
expectations. Every game in the Premier League is tough, but it is still
below what we wanted to achieve. We have a home game on Sunday against a
very good team, but are plan, of course, is to win it. We need to win it
because we haven't got enough recently."

After a defeat like last weekend, how do you react in the dressing room?

"Sometime you have to show your emotions, but the feelings were all the same
from the staff and the players, we didn't feel any different. Like the fans,
we were hugely disappointed and we were angry to represent West Ham like
that.

"Sometimes you can be satisfied with your performance even when you lose,
but not last weekend. We had only ourselves to blame, and we all knew that
straight away, which was good because we didn't hide or make any excuses. We
will do everything we can do bounce back on Sunday."

Is Alex Song near to coming back?

"Alex is a great player, we also have Pedro Obiang coming back too. The
situations are a little bit different given the length of injuries they had.
Pedro was only out for four weeks, now he is back and looking good in
training.

"Alex is back in full training, he played ten minutes against Spurs and in
training he is also looking very good. We have to be patient because his
break was a lot longer, he hasn't played for almost half a year, so we will
have to make a decision between the two."

What have you been doing differently from this week to last?

"We haven't done anything differently, after a game like Spurs you want to
put it to bed as quickly as possible because you don't want to let it affect
confidence too much. We always analyse our performances after every game,
and that's no different win or lose. We already knew mainly where we went
wrong anyway."

How confident are you that you can bounce back on Sunday?

"I am very confident, I am very optimistic generally. I believe in our
players, I know what we are capable of doing. We haven't dropped in form
because it is only a few games, but we have dropped points. I am also
confident because in our last two home games, against Everton and Chelsea we
played really good so we shouldn't allow our confidence to go down."

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Diangana aiming to inspire Hammers
WHUFC.com

After his hat-trick scoring heroics last weekend, explosive winger is
looking forward to facing Arsenal's U18s at Little Heath on Saturday 28
November.
The 17-year-old flair player has been in outstanding form for the young
Hammers this season, netting six times in eleven starts. Reflecting on his
man-of-the-match display last weekend, he said: "I was very happy to score a
hat-trick last weekend, but obviously it was disappointing to lose to
Norwich, that's the main thing. "I think my first goal was definitely the
best, I've scored a few goals so far which I'm happy with. I haven't set
myself a target but I'd like to score as many as possible, and create as
many as possible too."

Diangana's creative influence has had a notable impact on the U18s this
season who after a difficult start, have won an impressive eight matches out
of the last 12 games. Despite Diangana's best efforts, the Hammers slipped
to a 4-3 defeat to Norwich City thanks to a last minute winner. This weekend
Steve Potts' side will be looking to bounce back against a skilful Arsenal
side. Looking ahead to the London derby, Diangana continued: "Arsenal are
always a passing side, they like to dominate possession, they're usually a
very good side and hard to beat. "I think everyone has been good this
season, which is why we've been doing so well lately. We're all in good
form, working hard for each other and it's paying off. "It's good to see
younger players get given opportunities, it's very important. "I really
enjoy working with Steve and Mark, it's a lot of fun. Obviously, it's
serious when it has to be and they push you to be the best you can be but I
really enjoy working with them. "A top four finish is the aim, and then
hopefully we can do well in the next phase. I'm confident in myself, my
teammates and the staff that that is something we can achieve."

As for Diangana himself, the teenager is hoping to maintain his sparkling
form for the rest of the campaign and try and force his way into the U21
side.
"I've been quite consistent this season, I'm pleased about that because
that's something I've been working on. "I've played a couple of times for
the U21s this season, the aim is definitely to play more regularly for them
and try and impress at that level. "I'd describe myself as a skillful,
attack-minded and a creative player, I like to make things happen. I really
like Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini, away from West Ham I really like
Philippe Coutinho at Liverpool too."

The West Ham United U18s host Arsenal at Little Heath on Saturday 28
November at Little Heath. Kick off is 11am, FREE admission for all fans.

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From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com

There is no question that we are looking to bounce straight back against
West Brom on Sunday following the defeat against Spurs. I am sure we will
see a much improved performance. We have to find a way to be at our best
without Dimitri Payet and it is about finding a formation that works without
him. I am sure that Slaven would have worked that out. We looked very
comfortable before Tottenham scored their opener and you could easily argue
that it was a bit of luck that led to the first goal with a ricochet that
fell perfectly for Harry Kane. The ball bounced around in the box and on
another day it would have fallen nicely for one of our players to clear. You
could feel the disappointment among the players and we need to bounce back
quickly.
I still felt at 2-0 down that we could get back into it but the third goal
just minutes after the break killed the game. But we have a new game to
prepare for on Sunday and we will have great determination to get straight
back on the winning trail. It will not be easy as West Brom had a good
result against Arsenal last weekend and we know how Tony Pulis makes his
side hard to beat. But we have enough talented players to break them down
and we want to make the Boleyn Ground a fortress again and make us hard to
beat. We also want to attack teams and have an attacking formation. You can
see the quality from players like Zarate, Song, Lanzini who can unlock a
defence.

It is a great boost for us to see Alex Song back in first-team action and on
his day he is unplayable. I don't think anyone doubts his quality. He is as
fit as can be, but just needs more game time as he has not had a lot of
match fitness over the last six months. But I would not bet against a man of
his experience coming straight back into the team as if he has never been
away.

I know we are welcoming back some of our Cult Heroes to the Boleyn Ground on
Sunday. There is no doubt of the fondness and the relationship that fans
have with former players and it is great that there is a platform for them
to experience coming back to the stadium and sharing some of their memories
once again with the fans. My Cult Heroes go back a long way, but I will
never forget looking up to people like Eric Parsons, who was nicknamed 'The
Rabbit' and Ken Tucker who was a left winger. He was someone who I tried to
emulate. In recent times my heroes would be Sir Trevor Brooking and Alan
Devonshire. Like many supporters I will never forget Sir Trevor's winning
goal against Arsenal in the Cup Final. I hope everyone has a great day on
Sunday and we can come away celebrating another victory.

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West Ham v WBA
KO 14:05
27 November 2015

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Upton Park Date: Sunday, 29 November
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (0) & SUBSTITUTIONS (0)

TEAM NEWS

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has confirmed either Pedro Obiang or Alex Song
will start against West Brom in place of suspended captain Mark Noble.
Obiang has been out for a month with a thigh injury, while fit-again Song
made his first appearance of the season as a substitute last weekend.
Chris Brunt must serve a suspension for West Brom but Gareth McAuley is
available after a ban. Head coach Tony Pulis admits he has several players
nursing injuries.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

John Roder: "On New Year's Day, Tony Pulis was at Upton Park ahead of his
appointment as West Bromwich Albion's head coach. "The Baggies were in
trouble and had turned to the man who has never been relegated in his
managerial career to keep them in the Premier League. "Almost 11 months on,
West Brom travel to London on the back of victory over Arsenal, but Slaven
Bilic has given West Ham a fresh perspective and they come into this match
unbeaten in their last four at home. "Back on 1 January it was a 1-1 draw;
don't be surprised if it ends the same way this weekend."

Twitter: @johnrodercomm
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "The players, like the whole staff, were
hugely disappointed after the game on Sunday and angry with the way we
played [against Tottenham]. "In the last three games we have got only one
point and that is not what we want. We have a home game now and our plan is
to try to win. "We will do everything we can to bounce back on Sunday."

West Brom head coach Tony Pulis compares the club to Crystal Palace, who he
managed previously: "They are clubs who have potential to be top 10 and
better Premier League clubs, and ones which can win cup competitions.
"That's what you have to strive for but you need time. "There's a big job on
at this football club. I haven't been in the job a year yet. There are
things which can be changed and improved but that doesn't happen for a
period of time. "You have to win games to have a chance and opportunity to
change things."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

West Ham were taken apart by Spurs, and were very poor. However, the Hammers
might chuck Andy Carroll up front because they are at home on Sunday, and I
think they will pose much more of a threat this time.

Head-to-head
MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
This is the 100th meeting between the clubs in all competitions. West Brom
have registered 39 wins, one more than West Ham.
The Hammers have gone six home matches without defeat in this fixture since
a 4-3 loss in the second tier in November 2003. Albion also won at Upton
Park in the Premier League the previous year.
Six of the last nine Premier League meetings have been drawn.

West Ham
The Hammers are winless in three matches (D1, L2), their worst run under
Slaven Bilic.
They have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last eight league
games, conceding 14 goals. It's the longest current such streak in the
division.
West Ham have won just five of their last 16 Premier League games at home
(W5, D5, L6).
Bilic's side have scored in all but one game this season, a record only
bettered by Leicester.

West Bromwich Albion
Albion's five wins this season have all come by the odd goal.
West Brom's first-half record is only bettered by Manchester United. The
Baggies have been ahead in five games at half-time and behind in only two.
Four of their six clean sheets have come away - only Manchester City (5)
have more.
Saido Berahino has scored in four of his five appearances against West Ham
in all competitions.

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Slaven Bilic column: West Ham boss talks Tony Pulis, Jamie Vardy, Alex Song
and more
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard

Tony Pulis gets criticised for his brand of football but he doesn't hide it,
like others. There are a lot of clubs playing exactly the same way in many
parts of the game. In England, they all sit back when opponents have a
direct attacking style. He is a great coach and a very honest man. I have
been a TV pundit with him and he called me a few times when I was at
Besiktas to ask about a few players in Turkey. He is very passionate and
understands football in many different leagues across Europe. I respect him
also because he never tells lies, even though you can bend the truth in
football when the result allows you to. His West Brom team, who we face at
Upton Park on Sunday, achieved a big win against Arsenal but he said they
were lucky and needed to defend very well. He is pragmatic. He uses what he
has to achieve reasonable objectives. When critics put a label on you, it
sticks — even if your teams are not like that week in, week out. I watched
Albion against Everton in September when they lost 3-2 at home. They were
winning 2-0 and scored the second goal after 54 minutes. They played good
football which was enjoyable to watch. They weren't 2-0 up because of
set-pieces alone or negative tactics.

Of course, Pulis's teams are very well organised. And every team in the
Premier League have quality now. They have Saido Berahino, Salomon Rondon,
Rickie Lambert and Stephane Sessegnon — all players who give them pace,
goals and a physical presence. That is the strength of this League. It has
always been the most demanding in the world. Look at the results. Crystal
Palace losing against Sunderland, Liverpool beating Manchester City — in any
other country people would think it was match-fixing!

The league that produces the Champions League winners in any given year is
usually heralded as the best but the Premier League is always the toughest.
And the greater financial income for all clubs means the smaller ones can be
stronger when it comes to the possibility of losing their best players.

Clubs have more options. They might agree to sell a player but can hold out
for a high price because they, too, have money and do not have to accept a
cheap price. Or, and this is a big difference, a club such as West Brom may
not sell at all and could still add another player to their squad.

What West Brom did with Berahino was brilliant. It is very hard to be that
resilient. It was like the situation with John Stones at Everton, who
rejected big money from Chelsea but still bought Ramiro Funes Mori for
£9.5million.

West Brom resisted Tottenham over Berahino but paid £15m for Rondon.Okay,
Berahino might go in January but if so West Brom will do it on their terms.
That is the best way to show to everybody that you are a serious, big club.

It should be like that because many 18-21-year-olds think they are bigger
than the clubs. I'm not saying that is the case with Berahino but so many
kids earn big money very young and believe they have made it.

For us, we need to get back to winning ways. We are a really good team and
have showed that on a lot of occasions this season. But we are only good if
we are totally focused, moving and thinking as a unit. We can't continue to
make individual mistakes that are leading directly to goals. The statistics
show we are by far the worst team in the League for that. Firstly, we must
stop those errors but also we have to react quicker as a team when they are
made.

We can make a mistake but it doesn't have to automatically mean a goal
against us. Take the third goal against Tottenham last weekend. James
Tomkins gave the ball away but it was not in the middle of our box. Harry
Kane scored but it was avoidable if we reacted faster to the danger from 35
yards out. Our recoveries in those situations are not good enough.

Going forward, coaches often talk about transitions and even for Barcelona
they are the most important part of the game because if you do it quickly,
your best players have the space to play. We were second best in that
aspect, too, against Spurs.

If we improve our transitions and tighten up defensively, we can get the
positive result we want.

Every player starting out should look up to Vardy

I didn't know a lot about Jamie Vardy until I began watching a DVD of
Leicester's opening game of the season against Sunderland because we were
playing them in week two. They were already well ahead in the match when he
got the ball from a throw-in just inside Sunderland's half. He sprinted all
the way down the wing, cut inside and hit the post. I called my assistants
and said: "Who is this guy?" This was in the first game of the season and he
hasn't stopped sprinting since. His story is great. He should be the example
for every kid who starts in football or is already playing in a lower
division in any country, anywhere in the world. Vardy has probably been
assessed many times by coaches, directors or agents and told he is not good
enough. He made it to the top regardless and still at a great age. He shows
you should never take the criticism as a final verdict and, equally, he is
in such good form because he has not been carried away by a lot of praise. I
hope he scores for the 11th successive Premier League game against
Manchester United to break that record.

Alex is back on song but we must still tread carefully

It is important to have Alex Song back but we have to remember he has been
out for six months and don't want to jeopardise the long-term quality of his
performances by rushing him into action. He is physically ready but short
of match fitness. We are not in pre-season so we need to find the right
opportunities for him to get some game time. We will be without our captain
Mark Noble on Sunday after he picked up five bookings and that is a blow
but, to be fair, we have a couple of options. Alex is there but we also
missed Pedro Obiang, too. He is available and has looked good in training.
Unless we change the system, it will be one of those two who replaces Mark.
Olsson's tactic is really a foul… let's not be caught out by it
We saw West Brom's set-piece tactic which helped them turn the game against
Arsenal and must be ready if they try it again on Sunday. For their
equalising goal, Jonas Olsson stood in an offside position to block off Per
Mertesacker, allowing James Morrison to run into space and volley home Chris
Brunt's free-kick. All football coaches are clever lawyers trying to find an
angle — and that's what West Brom have done here. A lot of teams do it. In
football, you have a rule about passive or active offside. It is a grey
zone. For me, offside should be offside and that is it. There is too much of
that grey zone. This tactic is a problem. Olsson is not just in an active
position — it is his assist! It should be a foul but the referee cannot see
it. And according to the rule book, he is not offside. You can stop it in a
couple of ways. Firstly, you talk to the referee to make him aware of what
is happening. Your team can also avoid it with a different type of marking.
But when you prepare players properly, they are so concentrated on the
moment, they are in a trance. They don't remember all the tactical details
you tell them. At set-pieces, they recall who to mark or what runs to make
when we have the ball and maybe they remember one combination play you told
them. But midway through the second half, when they are tired, the game is
moving at a fast pace and the crowd are up, they aren't going to remember
that Olsson is there to block off a specific player. That's why you need
your leaders on the pitch. It is impossible for all 11 to remember but your
two or three leaders must do the thinking for the rest. They have to be able
to stay calm in key moments and say, "Hey, remember what Olsson does" and
mark him differently.

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West Ham v West Brom preview: Hammers aiming to end winless run
Last Updated: 27/11/15 9:26pm
SSN

West Ham are looking to end their worst run of form this season when they
welcome West Brom to Upton Park on Sunday, live on Sky Sports. The Hammers
are without a win in three games following their defeat by Tottenham at
White Hart Lane last Sunday, and they face a West Brom side buoyed by their
recent 2-1 victory over Arsenal. After a strong start to the Premier League
season, Slaven Bilic's side have now gone eight games without a clean sheet,
a run that includes just two wins from their last seven league games,
although the form of Manuel Lanzini has been a positive.
As for the Baggies, manager Tony Pulis has them tough to beat on their
travels, and they have only lost three of their last 10 league games away
from The Hawthorns. Three wins from their last five matches has lifted West
Brom into mid-table, but they face challenging tests on the horizon with
games at Liverpool and home to Spurs to come.

Team news

Chris Brunt is suspended with Pulis also admitting he has several injury
worries. The former Stoke boss refused to name those who are doubtful, but
Gareth McAuley is available after missing the win over Arsenal through
suspension. Jonas Olsson replaced McAuley against the Gunners and impressed,
while Saido Berahino may continue on the bench with Salomon Rondon leading
the line.

Bilic has a decision to make as to who will replace suspended captain Mark
Noble. The midfielder received his fifth yellow card of the campaign in the
Hammers' loss to Tottenham, and Bilic has confirmed either Pedro Obiang or
Alex Song will start in his place. Both have been struggling with injury
this season but are available for selection, while Dimitri Payet (ankle),
Enner Valencia (ankle/foot) and Darren Randolph (knee) are all still out.

Opta stats

Six of the last nine league meetings between the two clubs have ended as
draws (West Ham two wins, West Brom one victory).

Berahino has scored in four of his five appearances against West Ham in all
competitions.

Bilic has used 26 players in the league this season, a figure only
Manchester United can match.

Only Aston Villa (34) have fired in fewer shots on target than West Brom
this season (39).

The Hammers have won just five of their last 16 top flight games at Upton
Park. (W5 D5 L6).

Lanzini has scored in each of the last three league matches when he has
played the full 90 minutes.

Merson's prediction

West Ham need to get moving. They need to win. They're starting to all of a
sudden become the team we expected them to be at the start of the season.
I know they miss Payet, but you can't rely on one player, and that's
disrespectful to the rest of the players too. West Brom had a phenomenal
result last week against Arsenal. For them to go and win was just amazing,
nobody gave them a chance. I've watched them away from home, and I know how
they play. They'll turn up, stick 10 behind the ball and frustrate West Ham.
If West Ham don't score first they're in trouble, but I think you'll see a
reaction here from the hosts.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 (8/1 with Sky Bet)

Betting

Sky Bet make West Ham even-money favourites against 11/4 shots West Brom.
Four of the last five meetings have seen both teams find the net and it's
5/6 for that trend to continue.

This season the Baggies have seen only seven goals scored in their six away
matches and they are 4/1 to win by exactly one goal. It's 6/1 for a Baggies'
win and under 2.5 goals in the match.

Diafra Sakho scored the opener last season and is 11/2 to net first on
Sunday with Rondon a 9/4 shot to get his name of the scoresheet. Check out
the Sky Bet tips from pundits Jamie Redknapp, Charlie Nicholas, Matt Le
Tissier and Phil Thompson here.

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West Ham manager Slaven Bilic to be patient with Alex Song
Last Updated: 27/11/15 4:09pm
SSN

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic admits he will need to treat Alex Song's
return to action with caution. Song made his long-awaited comeback from an
ankle injury in last Sunday's 4-1 defeat against Tottenham, playing the
final 10 minutes at White Hart Lane following six months out. Song, on a
second season-long loan from Barcelona, is in contention to make his first
start of the season against West Bromwich Albion at the Boleyn Ground on
Sunday with captain Mark Noble ruled out because of a suspension.
Midfielder Pedro Obiang is also back in full training following four weeks
out with a thigh problem and Bilic says both players will come into his
thinking for the visit of Tony Pulis' side. "Alex [Song] is a great player,
we also have Pedro Obiang coming back too. The situations are a little bit
different given the length of injuries they had. Pedro was only out for four
weeks, now he is back and looking good in training," Bilic said. "Alex is
back in full training, he played ten minutes against Spurs and in training
he is also looking very good. We have to be patient because his break was a
lot longer, he hasn't played for almost half a year, so we will have to make
a decision between the two."

Having enjoyed a superb start to the season - winning six of their opening
10 matches - West Ham are now without a victory in their previous three
games. Despite the recent slump in results, Bilic is confident his side can
rediscover their best form and claim their first home league victory over
the Baggies since March 2013. "We've only got one point from the last three
games which is below our expectations. Every game in the Premier League is
tough, but it is still below what we wanted to achieve," he said. "We have
a home game on Sunday against a very good team, but are plan, of course, is
to win it. We need to win it because we haven't got enough recently."

Bilic added: "I am very confident, I am very optimistic generally. I believe
in our players, I know what we are capable of doing. "We haven't dropped in
form because it is only a few games, but we have dropped points. I am also
confident because in our last two home games, against Everton and Chelsea we
played really good so we shouldn't allow our confidence to go down."

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Everton, Aston Villa and West Ham eye transfer of £15m-rated Burnley striker
Andre Gray
22:30, 27 NOV 2015
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
The 24-year-old has 11 goals this season but has played for two clubs
already in the campaign so a summer move is more likely than a January one
The Mirror

Burnley hotshot Andre Gray is a wanted man again – after just three months
at Turf Moor. Everton and Aston Villa are monitoring striker Gray following
his blistering start to his Clarets career. Meanwhile West Ham are also
continuing to keep tabs on the 24 year-old, having considered a move for
Gray before he joined Burnley from Brentford. Gray has scored nine times in
just 12 starts for Sean Dyche's side this season. Gray was at the centre of
another scramble in the summer when Burnley beat Hull and Bristol City to
sign him for £9m. Gray's valuation has rocketed towards the £15m mark though
his suitors will almost certainly have to wait until next summer to make
their move. While players can be registered with three clubs in one season,
FIFA rules state they can only play for two. Gray played two games for
Brentford at the start of the campaign, scoring twice, before sealing his
switch to Turf Moor.

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Pulis on threat of Irons front man
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 28, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Brom boss Tony Pulis won't be taking Andy Carroll lightly should he
appear at any point tomorrow. The West Brom boss holds a healthy respect
both for the striker and the Hammers manager Slaven Bilic who has refused to
bow to criticism of the striker. Carroll has a fifty/fifty chance of making
the line up tomorrow but the odds are obviously high of him making an
appearance at some stage. And such is his respect for Bilic the West Brom
boss admitted: "He has been phenominally successful and it is a long haul
for a new manager at a club, however well he knows it, as Slaven does West
Ham
Of Carroll Pulis declares: "The game has evolved and it goes in circles but
Carroll's a good player whatever your ideas are. "I'm not sure if that sort
of player is dying out but he is still a useful acquisition. If you play him
the right way, he'll definitely get goals. "Whether you start with him or
bring him on, he can be effective — I really do rate him."

Bilic is under pressure to play Diafra Sakho in a central role and leave
Carroll on the bench but against a well organised and strong tackling
defence may defy expectations by choosing to go with the big man's aerial
power. He has a big call to make after gleaning just one point from three
games.

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Bilic breaks Antonio silence
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in Hugh's Blogs, News,
Whispers
C and H

Slaven Bilic appears to be sending out mixed messages on the future of
Michail Antonio. The manager's attitude towards the £7 million signing has
been closely examined over recent weeks and he has now broken his silence on
the player. He is reported in The Wharf as saying: " "We were short of
players in that position when we brought him to the club, then we got a few
more players in at the end of the transfer window. "He hasn't had the chance
because of the number of players we had. We were playing good and we didn't
change a lot." "I've had a few chats with him and he's working hard and is a
good player – that's why we brought him. Now we've had a few injuries that
we didn't want I've told him that his chance will come. Like any other
player he has to prove himself in training and to convince me and the member
of my staff. He's working hard and his chance will probably come soon."

It's an interesting explanation and appears to cover all ends against the
middle by declaring on the one hand his chance "will probably come soon" (my
italics) whilst at the same time saying "he has to prove he is a member of
his staff." ClaretandHugh revealed earlier today however, that the manager
had resisted the advances of five Championship clubs who had wanted to take
him in the emergency loan market so that will offer the player some hope
that he will soon be used. Michail – it would seem from that – is in the
manager's mind although at £7 million – a substantial amount of money in
West Ham terms – to still be having to prove himself is something of an
eyebrow raiser!

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Bilic plays a game of bluff with Pulis
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Slaven Bilic and Alex Song appear to playing a game of bluff and double
bluff with West Brom over Sunday's team selection. Song has declared this
morning that he will take things slowly and on first appearances appears to
have been joined by the manager. Bilic – assessing the situation said: "It
is important to have Alex Song back but we have to remember he has been out
for six months and don't want to jeopardise the long-term quality of his
performances by rushing him into action. He is physically ready but short
of match fitness. We are not in pre-season so we need to find the right
opportunities for him to get some game time. We will be without our captain
Mark Noble on Sunday after he picked up five bookings and that is a blow
but, to be fair, we have a couple of options.

Alex is there but we also missed Pedro Obiang, too. He is available and has
looked good in training." Then comes the sting in the tail, designed of
course to keep Baggies boss Tony Pulis on the back foot when he says:
"Unless we change the system, it will be one of those two who replaces
Mark."

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FIVE clubs chase unhappy Antonio
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
EXCLUSIVE

Michail Antonio is becoming increasingly unhappy after ClaretandHugh
learned that the 25 year old has been refused the opportunity of a loan
move. ClaretandHugh revealed last night that doubts continue to grow around
his West Ham future and that the £7 million wideman could eventually be
forced into showdown talks with boss Slaven Bilic. We have learned
exclusively that no less that FIVE Championship approached the club
"desperate " to take the player on loan. But manager Bilic mad it clear
that he would not allow him to go as "he needs him" despite not having
given him a first team outing apart from a brief appearance at Manchester
City. It was described as "a strange situation" by one top insider who said:
" The manager wouldn't let him go on loan, as he said he needs him, yet he
never gives him a chance. It's strange. Five Championship clubs came in
desperate to borrow him so we wait with interest to see if he gets on
against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. Obviously he's not entirely
happy!"

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Big player missing for WBA at Boleyn
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in News
C and H

Influential West Brom winger/attacking Chris Brunt midfielder is banned for
Sunday's clash with the Irons at the Boleyn. And although he chose not to
name them, Tony Pulis admits he has several injury worries for the trip to
East London. Gareth McAuley is available after missing the 2-1 win over
Arsenal through suspension while Saido Berahino may continue to be benched
with Salomon Rondon leading the line.
Provisional squad: Myhill, Lindegaard, Chester, Dawson, Olsson, McAuley,
Evans, Pocognoli, Gamboa, McManaman, Gardner, Fletcher, Yacob, McClean,
Morrison, Rondon, Sessegnon, Berahino, Lambert.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Antonio doubts grow
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 26, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Fears are growing for Michail Antonio's West Ham future with Slaven Bilic
still keeping an eye on Beskitas winger Gokhan Tore. And the one way the
Irons could move for the player would be to offload the former Forest star
who still has to make a first team debut. The Hammers have again been linked
with Everton's Kevin Miralles who was a serious target in the summer before
signing a new deal but Bilic has spoken in the past of his great admiration
for Tore. He is on the record as saying that they would love to have brought
him to Upton Park last summer but said "the timing was wrong."
But he too finds himself in the cold at Goodison and commented that he may
again have to look at his position if things haven't changed in January
after struggling to force his way into Roberto Martinez's plans. The Hammers
have repeatedly claimed they have no cash in the kitty for a transfer market
raid in January but possibly significantly have consistently refused to give
an explanation of Antonio's current position. A senior source, however,
talking to ClaretandHugh has admitted that the 25 year old is likely to have
to show to show a lot of patience before adding with heavy emphasis that
"anything is possible in this game."
And it is well known that several Premier League outfits were tracking
Antonio which acted as a spur for the Irons to move in on deadline day. Our
source said: "The lad is showing fantastic character and it can't be easy
for him. Anything is possible in this game . Many inside the club are
surprised that we haven't seen him in action at all for the first team apart
from as a sub at Manchester City. It would be good to see him get his
chance, perhaps even this weekend."

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Another Hammer goes out on loan
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 26, 2015 in News
C and H

Elliot Lee is off to Blackpool on loan. He follows Doneil Henry and Martin
Samuelsen who have joined Blackburn Rovers and Peterborough United on short
term deals. He will join up with boss Neil MacDonald has worked with the
striker before during his time at Upton Park and will be available for
Sunday's derby match with Fleetwood. The 20-year-old provides Blackpool with
another striking option after Kwame Thomas returned to Derby on Thursday.
Lee has played six times for the Hammers including competing over the summer
in the Europa League and it is hoped he will bring some goals to a side who
have lost their last seven games. He has previous Football League experience
from loan spells with Colchester, Southend and Luton.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Midfielder plays down weekend hopes
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Alex Song has dampened down hopes that he may be ready to play from the
start against West Brom on Sunday afternoon. The match – being shown live on
TV – may come to soon for the midfielder who has made it clear he won't be
rushed back into action. He played just ten minutes last week at White Hart
Lane and can expect to step up on that against Albion but is unlikely to
feature in the starting line up. Having been out of the frame for the first
three months of the season he is determined to protect himself against
further problems. And that will please Baggies boss Tont Pulis who had
commented to CaretandHugh: "He is a very very good player and one we will
eed to keep quiet should he play."
Once again Slaven Bilic has kept his team plans very much under wraps with
uncertainty surrounding possible involvement by Michail Antonio – as
reported elsewhere on the site. Son, meanwhile, taking to the official site
said: "I was happy to play the last 10 minutes against Tottenham and now I
am looking to come back slowly, step-by-step and then we will see what
happens in the future. "When I am 100 per cent fit I will be ready to play."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons: "Morrison desperate to return"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham have again been forced to knock back pleas that Ravel Morrison is
given another chance at the club. With the player due to leave Lazio in
January for "personal reasons" the club has elaborated on the position
surrounding the former player and England under 21 international. A top
level source revealed to ClaretandHugh that the player is desperate for the
opportunity of a second chance at the Boleyn. His enthusiasm to return has
been relayed the the club through third parties but the likelihood remains
remote after yet another failed attempt to settle into a club – this time in
Serie A. It follows well known problems at Manchester United and with the
Irons, QPR and Cardiff where he was loaned out under the former manager. Our
source explained: "He would love to return to West Ham. We have been made
very well aware of that but given his history and the fact that he is now 22
presents a problem. "We have a very settled squad and we can't afford to
take any sort of chance on it becoming unsettled."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Zamora couldn't betray Irons roots
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2015 in News
C and H

Former Millwall boss Ian Holloway has revealed how he was unable to sign
Bobby Zamora while in charge of the club because the striker refused to
betray his West Ham roots! The 34 year old – now finding real form at
Brighton and thriving at the age of 34 – grew up as an avid Iron and remains
a Hammers favourite. Now he will go even higher in the fans' estimation
after Holloway revealed how his love of the club kept him out of Millwall.
Holloway said: "Brighton have been playing excellent football for the last
few years but they've added a couple of lethal strikers this season in Tomer
Hemed and Bobby Zamora to finish off the chances. "I signed Zamora in my
first job at Bristol Rovers when he was 17 and tried to sign him while I was
at Millwall, but he was worried about the West Ham link. "I'm glad it's
worked out for one of us! Perhaps if we got him, I'd still be Millwall
manager – but such is life. "What a fantastic player to have around the
place. He's a winner and it's always good to see a player go back to a club
where he's loved."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 27th November 2015

View on the Visitors - West Bromwich Albion
WHUFC.com

West Bromwich Albion correspondent Paul Suart for The Birmingham Mail lifts
the lid on Sunday's visitors

A huge win for the Baggies last weekend over Arsenal, how important could
that result be?

"It was a huge win really especially considering they had back-to-back
defeats before that, so it was very important to get back to winning ways. I
think it was also important because it showed they can compete with the big
teams in the division. It was also Albion's first comeback win under Tony
Pulis, so to come back from behind against a team like Arsenal was massive."

How would you summarise West Brom's season so far?

"It's been very hit and miss, they've struggled to find any kind of
consistency. Generally away from home they've been extremely tight and hard
to break down. I don't think they've actually conceded a goal in the first
half of a match yet, so that shows how organised and disciplined Pulis has
got his side, and how hard they are to break down when playing away."

Who for you has been the stand out performers, which players have caught
your eye?

"James McClean has done very well over the last month, he has really stood
out. He was fabulous against Arsenal, tracking back to help Chris Brunt deal
with Alexis Sanchez and then bombing forward. His work rate is just
phenomenal; he has got such an engine on him. He's always so committed and
full blooded in the tackle, while improving his end product too.

"In terms of the new signings, Jonny Evans has been easily the best, he's
barely put a foot wrong at the heart of defence; he's been brilliant."

The Baggies spent a lot of money on Salomon Rondon, what have you made of
him so far?

"He's a good player, he's taken a while to adjust to the pace and the power
of the English game, he's definitely equipped for it. He's quite speedy and
mobile, a willing runner down the channels and exceptional in the air. He's
slowly but surely working on his hold-up play. He's struggled a little bit
after each international break because he has to come back from South
America playing for Venezuela, so he's adjusting to that as well."

In all likelihood, this is the Baggies' last visit to the Boleyn Ground,
what memories do you have of this stadium?

"I'm fairly new to sports reporting actually so this will be my first and
probably last visit to the Boleyn Ground. As an outsider, it's always been a
place where the fans are very passionate and really get involved, it's quite
an intimate place. From watching games on TV it looks like quite a cosy
ground, so definitely a tough place for any team to come and play at."

What is your prediction for Sunday's score?

"I'll go with 1-1, which I think West Brom would take. An away point is
always useful, and I know West Ham are missing a few key players. I'm sure
West Brom will set up to frustrate and I'll think they'll be able to do that
for most of the game but they won't be able to hold them out for a full 90
minutes."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Cheikhou Jackson' wants Hammers to beat it
WHUFC.com

Snappy dresser 'Cheikhou Jackson' Kouyate wants West Ham United to 'Beat It'
when they face West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

The midfielder turned heads when he arrived at Chadwell Heath dressed head
to toe in a Michael Jackson-eque black outfit this week, topped by a very
fetching wide-rimmed fedora hat.

Kouyate's 'Bad' appearance led to him being given the nickname 'Cheikhou
Jackson' by captain Mark Noble, while teammates lined up to take selfies
with West Ham's very own 'Man in the Mirror'.

"It's true everybody was very funny as they all seemed to like my clothes!"
he laughed "I came in and Mark Noble saw me and he immediately called me
'Cheikhou Jackson' and I like it.

"I like my clothes and this is the new look. Sometimes, you have to change
your look!"

Kouyate is also keen that West Ham change their results, with the team
currently on a run of three Barclays Premier League matches without a win.

The No8 gave everything at White Hart Lane last weekend, hitting the
crossbar with a fantastic scissor-kick, but still ended up on the end of bad
a 4-1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur.

He is anxious not to suffer the same disappointment when the Hammers host
West Bromwich Albion on Sunday – a game which promises to be a 'Thriller' at
the Boleyn Ground.

"Last week was a bad week," he admitted. "We just have to forget this game,
all the players and supporters, and look forward to the West Bromwich game.

"West Ham need the victory and need the points and we will go into battle to
earn the three points.

"This is not an easy game. This is a very difficult team to play against,
but we've been working hard this week and have good preparation for this
game.

Looking further forward, Kouyate is preparing for his second festive season
in English football.

As a practising Muslim, the midfielder does not celebrate Christmas himself,
but he knows how important this time of year is for football.

"I like Christmas but I don't celebrate it myself so there is no party for
me!" he explained. "But I have a lot of friends who will celebrate so it is
a nice time for them and I hope we can get some good results for them."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Boleyn Memories - Alan Devonshire

Alan Devonshire will always be regarded as one of the biggest legends in
West Ham United's history and is considered one of the greatest midfielders
to have ever put on a claret and blue shirt. The talented midfielder made
448 appearances for the Hammers scoring 32 goals during his memorable
14-year spell in east London. Devonshire has many magical memories playing
at the Boleyn Ground and says he will never forget the unique atmosphere
that was created by the supporters. Devonshire said: "I remember the
atmosphere in the tunnel and it was unbelievable. It used to make the hairs
on the back of my neck stand up. The night games at the Boleyn Ground were
magnificent occasions. "Bonzo was great to play alongside and I played with
the best keeper I have ever seen in Phil Parkes. He should have got more
caps for England. "The 1985/86 season was one of the standout memories and
we came so close to winning the league. If we had not had a backlog of games
I am sure we would have won the title. I have spoken to people from
Liverpool and Everton and they said we were the best team that season. "I
always had a great rapport with the fans and they are the best for me. They
stood with me when I had a knee injury and I had to change my game, but they
always got behind me and I will always be thankful for that."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fans slam pitch ban decision
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th November 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United supporters have slammed the decision not to allow them onto
the Boleyn Ground pitch after the club's final ever home game in Upton Park.
Following KUMB.com's exclusive revelation yesterday that West Ham would be
hiring extra stewards to ensure fans do not encroach onto the playing
surface after the match with Swansea, in order to protect it for subsequent
commercial events, supporters accused the club of "greed".

KUMB member OllyWHU6 said: "It just doesn't make sense. It will also foster
so much ill-will between fans and ownership. Karren Brady, as much as she
has her flaws, must know that alienating a customer base before a major
transition is reckless."

Fellow member Row X insisted that staging corporate events after the final
first team match would be an insult. "The club are just trying to get every
last penny out of the ground, and have stupidly arranged events after the
final game of the season," he said.

"In my view, the last ever football kicked at the ground should be a
competitive game involving West Ham United - not Dave and his mates from the
pub in a five-a-side game."

That view was echoed by Whitters, who added: "The last game should be a
competitive fixture involving the first team. I went to a football dinner a
year or so ago and Richard Keys was boasting how he was the last person to
score at Highfield Road.

"I would hate the same to happen to us, with some ex-cast member of
Eastenders or X Factor contestant having that honour."

Meanwhile claretcloggy, who will travelling from the Netherlands for the
game, also admitted his disappointment. "I've been saving up for a few
months now. Never have i walked onto a football pitch as a fan, but I was
certainly planning on doing it for this occasion," he said.

"This feels so incredibly cruel and really like a slap in the face by the
Board. It honestly makes my blood boil that they would deny us, the
lifeblood of the club, this opportunity."

And Maltab believes the decision is financially-motivated, suggested that
the club have good reason to prevent people onto the playing surface. "I
reckon the club will set up an auction site," he said.

"A free for all with people scrapping to dig pieces of the pitch up, and
ripping up things, would be a sad way to see the BG go. Although it's
probably every West Ham United fan's dream to go on the pitch, where their
idols once played."

Supporters were also angered by the decision as co-chairman David Gold told
a meeting of season ticket holders in December 2013 that the club were
planning a huge party ON THE PITCH to mark the landmark final game.

And others were deeply concerned that the input of the much-maligned
Supporter's Advisory Board had effectively been ignored.

"It was stated in the SAB focus groups on a number of occasions, and agreed
by the marketing director, that the final game on the pitch would be the
last competitive fixture," wrote Mr Dallas. "I'm glad to see the sum total
of nil was achieved by all the input, questionnaires and fans' opinion."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Drogba fan on West Ham's radar
KUMb.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th November 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are understood to have sent scouts to watch goalscoring sensation
Gohi Bi Cyriac.

The 25-year-old Ivory Coast international has scored 10 times already this
season for his current club Oostende in the Belgian Pro League, having moved
to the club from Anderlecht last season.

And it has been reported that both West Ham and fellow Premier League side
Crystal Palace have been keeping tabs on Cyriac, who scored the only goal in
his country's 1-0 World Cup qualifying win against Liberia earlier this
month (see below) and confesses to being a huge fan of former Chelsea star
Didier Drogba.

"I'm happy about that. I like those clubs. They would be a challenge for
me," Cyriac said when asked about interest from West Ham and the Eagles. "I
was told they were in the stadium [recently] and that there is interest, but
I am just concentrating on playing for my club.

"I would be happy to play in the best league in the world one day. It is
very physical and referees play with a good spirit and don't stop the
attacks all the time. I like the Premier League a lot; when I was a kid I
liked Wayne Rooney and I met Didier Drogba playing for the Ivory Coast.

"He has given me lots of advice. He is like a father figure. He has helped
me a lot. But right now I want to help Oostende qualify for Europe."

Having began his career with ASEC Mimosas in Abidjan, Cyriac moved to Europe
in 2009 after signing a five-year contract with Standard Liege. Three years
later he was snapped up by Anderlecht, where he featured alongside West Ham
midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, but failed to impress.

That led to a move to his current club earlier this year, for whom he has
already reached double figures in the league. His goals have helped left KVO
to third place in the Belgian Pro League, just two point behind current
leaders Gent and two ahead of his former club Anderlecht.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Three year deal awaits player if all goes well
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 26, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

ClaretandHugh understands that Alex Song will be offered a three year deal
next summer should he make a successful comeback from injury. Initially, the
manager was believed ready to offer the Barcelona loanee a two year contract
but is now understood to be ready with a three year deal if things go well.
Sources inside the club are disappointed the midfielder didn't get longer on
the pitch last Sunday but are hoping he will start or get an extended
run-out against West Brom. With the injury to Dmitri Payet, Song's return
could hardly be more timely as the Hammers look for more creativity. And
Bilic is understood to have agreed that a three year deal will be on the
table should Song return to the early season form of last season and hold it
throughout the campaign. We were told: "Alex has impressed the boss with his
determination and application during his recovery and is a hugely popular
individual inside the club. "If he can recapture the early season form that
made him such a favourite there is a three year deal waiting for him."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Super Frankie Mc gives his Carroll verdict
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 26, 2015 in News, Super Mc's Blogs,
Whispers
C and H

I've decided to join the Andy Carroll debate which has been concentrating
minds since last Sunday and before. But let me get this out of the way
first, the performance against Spurs was horrible and I don't really want to
think about it for long. Sadly for Andy it just didn't work for him and in
fact hasn't since he came back into the team. I'm honestly not sure if he is
fully fit but whether he is or not, the fact remains that West Ham – who
have been producing the unpredictable this season – were thoroughly
predictable at White Hart Lane. I agree 100 per cent with those who say
Sakho must go through the middle – that's as clear as day after last weekend
and was even before his lay off. I don't see how that leaves a place for
Carroll – who is without doubt a very good player – in the team He was fine
under Sam Allardyce because that was the way the previous manager played but
we are a changed team under Slav. I'm hoping that Alex Song is fit and if so
would play him in a midfield five of himself, Kouyate, Lanzini, Obiang and
Moses.
Songy is capable of providing the craft and guile we hare missing as a
result of Payet's absence and that midfield behind Sakho up front looks
strong.

It forces Kouyate into a holding role in front of the back four
unfortunately but the midfield looks strong and has goals in it. I think I'd
stay with Jenkinson at right back for now whilst bringing back Ogbonna
alongside Reid with Cresswell on the left of course. We need a top
performance after last weekend. It really was awful and we want no more
displays like that this season.

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This return just isn't going to happen
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 26, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

News that Ravel Morrison is set to leave Lazio for "personal reasons" has
again started the same old 'will he won't he" rumours circulating.

But many of those on social media crying out for him to come back to West
Ham are missing one very serious point.

If he couldn't make it into West Ham team without the likes of Payet and
Lanzini around, how would he ever expect to get into one with them.

"Personal reasons " can of course cover a multitude of issues but if we are
entirely honest "personal reasons have too often been the problem in
Ravel's life.

Incredibly, many, failing to see the multitude of problems and increasingly
heavy baggage the player brings have been screaming for him to return.

But a source told us: "It's such an old chestnut and it's just not going to
happen. Simple. With everybody fit and firing can anyone really see a place
for Ravel in the set-up anyway. We wish him well but we have been there and
done that."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cottee: "We can't use same excuse for defeats"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 26, 2015 in News
C and H

Tony Cottee has told West Ham they really cannot use the absence of Dimi
Payet as the reason for a dip in form. The former striker – talking about
the defeat at Spurs – said: "We were without Dimitri Payet of course and
though he is our best player, we can't keep using his absence as an excuse.
Going on about him being injured may well be justified for a couple of
weeks, but we have to get over it and set up another team who can be
successful and pick up the points we need to cling on to the top six going
into Christmas. He told London24.com: We get a chance to make up for the
Tottenham loss this Sunday when we take on West Brom, but it is certainly
not going to be easy. I think all the teams in the Premier League this
season have strengthened, including West Brom, who had a great result
against Arsenal last weekend. You can't go around saying that 'it is West
Brom this weekend, we will win that', it doesn't work that way. You have to
work hard for any win in this league. We need to bounce back and I am going
for a 2-0 win. I will be there myself on Sunday so I would like to see a
better display and a nice win.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Good news from treatment room
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 26, 2015 in News
C and H

Pedro Obiang has been declared fit for action on Sunday! Head of Medical and
Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke has revealed in his latest update: "He
returned to training with the group last week following his recovery from a
quadriceps injury. Pedro has now got more training days under his belt. He
will be available for selection on Sunday." Speaking to the club's official
website he added: "Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia are both in a period of
immobilisation and wearing a boot. We will look to start their
rehabilitation next week and take their treatment to the next stage. Darren
Randolph is still recovering from the knee injury he suffered while on
international duty with Republic of Ireland. Finally, Reece Oxford had a
nasty fall in Monday's Development Squad win over Derby County and was taken
off as a precautionary measure at half-time. Reece will return to training
this week with a view to being available for selection this weekend."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold in Lord Sugar mickey-taking jibe
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 26, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Gold has taken the mickey out of former Spurs owner Lord Sugar on
Twitter. The architect of 'The Apprentice' show who of course employs Karren
Brady as one of his judges on the show, decided to appear on the daytime TV
show Loose Women recently. This led to some of the usual banter involving
himself and regular sparring partner on the social network, Piers Morgan,
who himself had appeared on the show. Lord-Sugar-and-Piers-MorganApparently,
women in the audience had shrieked that the good Lord was sexier than Morgan
and Sugar who then produced a rather sad image of a certificate from the
show declaring he was officially a 'loose man." All of this left Gold
entirely unmoved and he decided to intervene in the discussion between the
warring parties of Arsenal (Morgan) and Sugar. Having seen the certificate
appear, he declared: "That reminds me, I must paint my fence."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
No regrets at not joining Hammers
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 26, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Andre Ayew admits he has no regrets about not joining West ham in the summer
after becoming a main target for the club Ayew has scored six goals in 14
appearances for Swansea and was a main target of Slaven Bilic but his
decision to make the move to Wales opened up the way for the Irons to land
Dimitri Payet. Ayew claims he has no regrets saying: "Before I signed for
Swansea, I had offers from big clubs. It was a choice that I really thought
about. "I took my time, weighed up the positives and the negatives, my age,
what I want to achieve in football and how I was going to get there. "With
my family, I took the decision to go to Swansea, somewhere where I had the
confidence of the manager and the president at 100%. "I really wanted to
take my time to adapt to this league, in a good team. I did not want to go
to a team where I would not play, that would not try to create, score goals.
"Swansea gave me everything that I wanted, in terms of football and
financially. Now, I am ambitious and we will see what happens.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
By Jo Phillips 26 Nov 2015 at 08:00
WTID

Football is, often unfairly, used as a barometer of a nation, a set of
attitudes or behaviours that have nothing to do with the game.Football fans
are lumped together regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or social class in
a way that any self respecting social scientist would find lazy and
indicative of nothing. There is no more reason to judge the tens of
thousands of people who go to matches each week than the same number who go
shopping or to rock concerts. But, as we all know, there is something that
eternally fascinates people about football fans – the tribalism, the
gladiatorial contest, the clothes, the songs and the humour – outward signs
that conveniently mark football fans from the rest of the population.

We are scrutinised more, tarred with a brush of brutality and bad behaviour
that is mercifully now outdated and often the subject of astonishment when
we behave perfectly normally. Of course, tens of thousands of noisy people
descending on suburban streets will have an impact. The economy of football,
locally, nationally and internationally dwarfs many FTSE companies and other
industries.

And, of course the behaviour of players, fans and managers will always get
headlines not least because it's all so very public and quite often they're
behaving like total pillocks.
In the past ten days we've seen the incredible sight of Wembley, dressed for
the England France game where the discipline, respect and genuine human
warmth was moving and appropriate even if the singing wasn't quite up to the
mark. Most of us who've been at Upton Park in early November will have been
moved by the silence to mark Remembrance Day, the wreath laying and the
sight of immaculately uniformed service men and women marching round the
ground. Because football is a spectacle, full of noise and action, it is the
contrast of utter silence and stillness just seconds before the raucousness
of a game that makes it so remarkable and moving. Because it brings together
people who would otherwise have no common ground, it creates a unity that is
hard to find in daily life.

How sad then that at the weekend, a fan was stabbed outside White Hart Lane.
Football can't take responsibility for idiots with knives or mindless
violence and thuggery but because it happened at a game, inevitably it
raises fears that are not that far buried, of the bad old days of football
matches being an excuse for fighting.
Earlier this week, a young Muslim woman was subjected to racist abuse while
travelling on a train near Newcastle. Football fans were among those that
came to her defence and cheered when the abusive passenger got off. Some
reports of this incident barely disguised amazement that people "wearing
replica football tops" would be among those who stood up for decency.

Why?

Football fans are just normal people, the good, the bad and the ugly. And
the less said about that ugly game on Sunday, the better.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lets make changes against WBA
November 25, 2015
thewesthamway.co.uk
Jack Sullivan

Spurs away is a Sunday we can all forget. Lets be honest, this was by far
our worst performance this season and Spurs were on the top of their game.
Even though I hate to say it, I reckon they have a really good chance of
making the top 4. They pressured very well and put our defences under a lot
of pressure which we don't like playing against, as we have made the most
defence errors so far this season and made two again on Sunday. We need to
cut this out of our game in my opinion, but at the same time I understand
why we are making them as we are playing much better football so far this
year.

We had some horrible performances from a few players on Sunday, but I would
struggle to tell you who had a good performance, apart from Reid, maybe
Kouyate and Sakho at times. Lanzini scored a great goal and also showed
some flashes of a real player and maybe a good replacement for Payet for the
next three months. They always say you learn more about the team when you
lose than when you win and I really believe this is true against Spurs and
we maybe learnt that three in the heart of midfield may have paid off. At
the same time I think the idea was to play Carroll and to get balls into the
box, as Giroud and Arsenal did it very well a few weeks before.

Everyone was gutted with the performance, from the board to the players and
manger! We all know for the fans it's a huge game, which Bilic did say in
his interview after. I really liked how Bilic was so honest in his
interview and took credit for the loss, which I have massive respect for.
He spoke to my Dad on Monday and they both agree 1 point from the last 3
games just wasn't good enough. He had some idea on how to change it and I'm
sure he will! Viva Bilic!!!

I am really loooking forward to the West Brom game too, although it is not
going to be an easy game. They are a very hard team to break down,
especially away from home. For we should win it though. I would make a
few changes, maybe bring in Ogbonna and move Sakho up front, Our next six
games are all winnable! I really hope we can hold our position and I really
believe that we can!!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish is at the crossroads - he really must
grow up
Aston Villa prodigy must copy former England stalwart Rio Ferdinand and
escape the drinking culture while young, writes Sam Wallace
Telegraph.co.uk
Sam Wallace By Sam Wallace, Chief Football Writer

Reading the chapter "Getting Hammered" in Rio Ferdinand's first
autobiography, about the drinking culture at West Ham United in the
mid-1990s, is a bit like watching one of those particularly bibulous
episodes of Mad Men. There is so much booze involved that by the end of it
you feel a bit tipsy yourself, whether you have had a drink or not.
Young Ferdinand was out every Saturday night for a big one and then back to
meet Frank Lampard on a Sunday afternoon for another session into the early
hours. The pair were up early for training on Monday morning and then a
party somewhere on Monday night. "I would be drinking alcopops and Jack
Daniels four days a week minimum," Ferdinand recalls, "I never thought,
'Jesus, I'm pissed a lot'. I was enjoying it. It was part of the culture and
I was locked into it."

Twenty years on, the boys of the Premier League would never get away with
the kind of intake that would have floored even Roger Sterling, never mind
Raheem Sterling, just as the Ferdinand generation learned that they could
not expect the same leeway as their 1980s predecessors. The restrictions on
a professional footballer have never been higher in the modern game, as the
power and stamina levels go up and the GPS tracking stats offer no place to
hide.

Which brings us to Jack Grealish, last season's prodigy, sparko in Tenerife
last summer, and back out on the town in Manchester on a night-out that has
seen him busted down to Aston Villa's Under-21s at exactly the time his
hometown club find themselves in big trouble. There has to be some slack cut
for a young man who has spent his teenage years in the developmental
hot-house of elite football, but at some point Grealish, 20, would do well
to look around him and wonder why there are so few others spending Saturday
nights the same way. For the likes of Harry Kane, Ross Barkley and Dele Alli
the penny has dropped that it is hard enough making a career in the world's
richest league, without earning a reputation as trouble. If it is the case
that these are just rare nights out for Grealish then he would do well to
note that just as crucial to his career is the way that he is perceived - by
coaches, prospective clubs, even international managers. If Grealish thinks
that the pictures and videos of him are unrepresentative of the life he
leads then he should put some distance between himself and the people who
are taking them.

The consensus on Grealish is that he is gifted on the pitch and likeable off
it, albeit long considered one of the least likely at Villa's academy to
obtain a basic pass grade in common sense. There is despair in some quarters
that Remi Garde and his staff gave permission to Grealish, and others, to
leave the Villa party that departed Goodison Park on Saturday night and
travel home separately.

Grealish found himself on his way to Manchester and then to Birmingham, his
home patch where he is always likely to attract attention. To most
20-years-olds a restriction on Saturday nights would seem most unfair, but
then he is a 20-year-old who plays Premier League football. If he could not
see that a night-out after a 4-0 defeat was inappropriate then it needed
someone older and wiser to point it out to him.

It is a gilded cage that the current generation of prodigies in English
football find themselves in and Grealish is no exception: his current deal
can earn him more than £20,000 a week with bonuses. It is not his fault that
he finds himself young, homegrown and talented at a time when, like never
before, English football is making millionaires of English boys, but it is
something he needs to deal with.

In reaching a Premier League first team in his teens, he has come through
one of the most exacting challenges in professional sport and in an ideal
world probably would be allowed a few drinks occasionally without having to
concern himself with the camera phones clicking around him. But this is the
Premier League of 2015 where the scrutiny is relentless, and the sooner you
accept the rules of engagement, the better.

That is what Kane has done and the rewards have been obvious. Grealish
himself is managed by the agents Jonathan Barnett and David Manasseh who,
among others, have overseen the hugely successful career of the abstemious
Gareth Bale. Moreover, Grealish is playing for a club where there will be
opportunities and, unlike his peers at more successful clubs, he has a
precious chance to play.

For a 20-year-old with money to burn, friends to collude with and the
weekend stretching out ahead of him, it must be a powerful temptation.
Re-reading Ferdinand's stories of smoking and drinking on the team coach
with Slaven Bilic, Julian Dicks and Bernard Lama, one thing is obvious: if
he had been playing 20 years later it would have been very different.
"Some of the players were the worst influence a young lad could ever have,"
he writes, "Smoking, drinking, gambling, clubbing – they did it all." Even
at 21, he knew he had to get out of West Ham. As Grealish trains with his
Under-21s peers this week as he can either curse his bad luck at being born
in the wrong era, or make the grown-up decision that something – someone –
has to change.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham fly 11,000 miles to pluck young prodigy from 300 footballers at New
Zealand training session
HITC
Damien Lucas

West Ham United have cast their net all the way to New Zealand in the search
for new talent. The Hammers are famous for their Academy and have a rich
history of launching the careers of many celebrated internationals. From
England's World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore right through to Reece
Oxford, who became the youngest player in West Ham's history this season.
Well now Auckland teenager Lewis Tiller will get his chance after the club
plucked him out of a crowd of 300 at a training session 11,000 miles from
East London. Tiller, 17, has been selected to play for the West Ham Under
18s squad after being spotted by Hammers officials on a scouting mission
recently. The young Kiwi will undoubtedly be made to feel more at home by
Hammers first team star Winston Reid, who captains the New Zealand national
side. Tiller must have some talent too. He was the only player from the
300-strong training session to be selected to be part of a training and
development squad at West Ham's London base. But West Ham were so impressed
they instead selected him to be part of the Under 18 setup. His old coach is
not surprised at the youngster's progress, though.

'It's a huge feat'

Jim Evans, head coach and director of football at Lewis' former club, Waiuku
AFC, told the NZ Herald the fact Tiller was the only player to be selected
from the entire continent speaks volumes about his talent. "Definitely,
huge, it's a massive deal," Evans told the NZ Herald. "Lewis was a young,
promising player who had benefited both physically and mentally from
training and playing with his older teammates. "To actually be the one
picked out of so many players is a feat in itself, it's a huge feat. "So you
have to be surprised and he's probably surprised too but am I surprised with
his ambition and commitment to the sport? No."

Perfect timing

Tiller may be signing for the Hammers at just the right time too. Fans had
grown fed up at seeing their famous Academy ignored by former manager Sam
Allardyce. Players like American Seb Lletget were released by Big Sam and
have gone on to show they should have been given more of a chance. But
Allardyce departed in the summer and his replacement Slaven Bilic is a
manager who cares about the long-term development of the club. Bilic has a
proven track record of developing young talent for the very top particularly
during his time with the Croatian national team. The former defender has
also proved this season that age is nothing but a number to him, handing
16-year-old Reece Oxford his Premier League debut against Arsenal in a
memorable 2-0 win, in which the teen was voted man of the match.

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



http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 26th November 2015

Gina Allen
WHUFC.com

Everyone at West Ham United has been deeply saddened by the passing of our
former colleague Gina Allen, following a short but determined fight against
pancreatic cancer. Fans will know Gina from the 16 years she spent working
at the Club, originally as part of the commercial team before fulfilling the
roles of Disabled Liaison Officer and Ticket Office Counter Supervisor. The
Club, and particularly those who worked closely with Gina during her long
and hugely popular time with us, would like to offer our sincere condolences
to her daughter Natalie, two granddaughters Hannah and Ava and all her
family and friends. Gina's funeral will take place at 1pm on Wednesday 9
December at Parndon Wood, Parndon Wood Road, Harlow, Essex. CM19 4SF. All
are welcome to pay their own respects to Gina at The Link Social Club,
Parsloe Road, Harlow, Essex. CM19 4PT from 2.30pm.

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

Hello everyone,

We start with Pedro Obiang, who returned to training with the group last
week following his recovery from a quadriceps injury. Pedro has now got more
training days under his belt. He will be available for selection on Sunday.

Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia are both in a period of immobilisation and
wearing a boot. We will look to start their rehabilitation next week and
take their treatment to the next stage.

Darren Randolph is still recovering from the knee injury he suffered while
on international duty with Republic of Ireland.

Finally, Reece Oxford had a nasty fall in Monday's Development Squad win
over Derby County and was taken off as a precautionary measure at half-time.
Reece will return to training this week with a view to being available for
selection this weekend.

Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arrive early on Sunday
WHUFC.com

With enhanced security checks taking place around the Boleyn Ground for
Sunday's game against West Bromwich Albion, supporters are advised to arrive
earlier in order to allow time to clear security.

As every bag will be checked thoroughly, supporters are therefore advised
not to bring any large bags or rucksacks where possible as this will delay
their entry.

The Stadium will be opening earlier than usual to accommodate these extra
checks ahead of the 2.05pm kick off, but the Club would like to stress that
security will not be reduced in the event that queues form.

So please arrive earlier than normal to ensure you do not miss kick-off
against the Baggies.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cullen keen to build on promising start
WHUFC.com

Highly rated teenage midfielder Josh Cullen said he is ready to grab the
next first team opportunity with both hands as he aims to establish himself
at his boyhood club.

The Southend-on-Sea native caught the eye during the Hammers' Europa League
run before making his Premier League bow in the historic 3-0 win over
Liverpool at Anfield.

Reflecting on a promising start to the season, Cullen said: "It's been a
good start to the season, I knew I wouldn't break into the squad
immediately, we've got a great squad now, so it'll be tough but I'll keep on
plugging away in the U21s and when I go away with Ireland, I'll always try
and do as well as I can."

Modest off the pitch, he is certainly doing more than 'plugging away' on it.
With Slaven Bilic said to be impressed with the youngsters exploits in
training, he is also an integral player for the Development Squad.

Often captaining the side, the midfielder has helped inspire the Dev Squad
to three wins in their last four games by scoring crucial goals in
consecutive games: "We had a tough start to the season, people outside the
Club probably thought we were a bad team, but that wasn't case.

"We knew we were a good side but we lost to a few sloppy goals or late
goals. We've got two on the bounce now so hopefully we can carry that on."

However, with the Club aiming for a top half finish, if not higher, Cullen
knows it'll be a tough challenge ahead: "With the way the Club wants to go
it'll be tough. We want to be a top six club and the quality of the players
here is about as good as it's ever been, certainly that I can remember.

"It's a challenge, but one I look forward too, you can always learn from the
players that are here as well, that's a good positive. You can always take
tips from them and that helps to prove to people that I am good enough to
play in the first team."

Another positive for the all-action midfielder, is the fact he has taken his
Club form with him when representing the Republic of Ireland.

Having made the step up from the U19s to the U21s, Cullen scored on his
debut in a 4-1 win over Qatar U23.

He continued: "I'm very pleased to be playing for Ireland and doing well, I
enjoy going away with them. To get that feedback and recognition is always
nice, now it's about me kicking on and trying to get into the first team
here."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reece Burke: Bradford City extend defender's loan from West Ham
BBC.co.uk

League One Bradford City have extended defender Reece Burke's youth loan
deal from West Ham United until 2 January. The 19-year-old has made 13
league appearances for Phil Parkinson's side so far, scoring once. He
briefly went back to the Premier League club for treatment on a knee
problem, but now returns to Yorkshire. "We are very pleased Reece is
remaining with us. We are going to need everyone over this busy Christmas
period," City boss Parkinson told the club website.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Obiang returns for Albion test
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 25th November 2015
By: Staff Writer

Pedro Obiang is fit and available for selection ahead of this week's visit
of West Bromwich Albion, says West Ham's Head of Medical and Sport Science.

The Spanish Under 21 international has been out of action since the 2-1 win
over Chelsea a month ago but is ready to be called upon on Saturday, says
Stijn Vandenbroucke.

"Pedro returned to training with the group last week following his recovery
from a quadriceps injury," Vandenbroucke told the club's website. "He has
now got more training days under his belt and he will be available for
selection on Sunday."

And there was further good news regarding 16-year-old defender Reece Oxford,
who picked up a knock earlier in the week.

"Reece had a nasty fall in Monday's Development Squad win over Derby County
and was taken off as a precautionary measure at half-time," he added. "Reece
will return to training this week with a view to being available for
selection this weekend."

Vandenbroucke also confirmed that Darren Randolph is still recovering from a
knee injury sustained whilst on international duty with Ireland, whilst
long-term absentees Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia will begin the "next
stage" of their recovery programmes from next week.

As far as this week's opposition are concerned Tony Pulis has few injury
worries but will be without Chris Brunt, who picked up a fifth booking last
weekend against Arsenal which rules him out of the game.

West Ham captain Mark Noble will also miss out after picking up his fifth
yellow of the campaign at Tottenham last Sunday, with his place expected to
go to Alex Song who made his return from a lengthy injury in the same match.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Life bans for fans who enter pitch on final day
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 25th November 2015
By: Staff Writer

A document sent to prospective clients of West Ham United claims that fans
who encroach onto the pitch following the final home game of the season
could face lifetime bans. A letter, which has been sent to a number of
parties interested in staging events at the Boleyn Ground before it is
handed over to developers next summer, claims that supporters will be liable
to prosecution under the Football Offence Act 1991 should they enter the
field of play when West Ham face Swansea in their last ever home game next
May. Issued by Commercial Director Felicity Barnard, the letter confirms
that summer pitch events will be staged at the Boleyn Ground between
14th-30th May 2016 - and that the club will do "everything possible to
ensure the pitch is in the best possible condition following the
celebrations to mark our departure from Upton Park".
In the weeks leading up to the Swansea game, which is currently scheduled
for Saturday 7 May, West Ham will "proactively warn" supporters not to
access the pitch following the final whistle - a policy they intend to
enforce by deploying "increased stewards" at the game to ensure that "the
occasion is not spoilt by over exuberance".
And fans will be reminded that "entering the field of play is a criminal
act" - with any ignoring the order liable to prosecution under the 1991 act
and likely to be banned "from all football stadia" - including the club's
new Olympic Stadium home. The club add that summer events will be treated as
"a priority" and that the aforementioned measures are necessary to ensure
that all such commercial arrangements "are protected".
West Ham United have called the Boleyn Ground home since 1904. The ground,
which the club currently owns has been sold to Galliard Homes and will be
replaced by a housing development. West Ham's 99-year tenancy of the Olympic
Stadium commences next summer.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Burke extends Bantams loan
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 25th November 2015
By: Staff Writer

Young centre half Reece Burke has extended his youth loan with League One
Bradford City until the new year. The 18-year-old defender has been at
Valley Parade since August and has proved to be a huge hit with supporters
of the Yorkshire club. City boss Phil Parkinson told the club's website: "We
are very pleased that Reece is remaining with us - we are going to need
everyone over this busy Christmas period. "Reece has been excellent for us,
he is a very good player, but we just need to make sure we get his injury
right first. It is important that we focus on this first but he is a good
addition for us until January." Burke recently returned to West Ham in order
to undergo treatment for a knee injury, but is set to rejoin Parkinson's
squad ahead of this weekend's trip to Walsall. He has made a total of 14
appearances for Bradford since joining the club - 13 in League One and one
in the FA Cup, that being City's goalless draw at Aldershot in his most
recent appearance on 8 November.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Manuel Lanzini trying to fill the gap left by Dimitri Payet at West Ham
Last Updated: 25/11/15 1:54am
SSN

Manuel Lanzini has been a surprise hit at West Ham following his loan move
from Al Jazira but the onus is really on him now following Dimitri Payet's
injury. Adam Bate looks at his impact so far...

Many of the West Ham fans had already begun to trudge their way down the
Seven Sisters Road by the time that Manuel Lanzini lashed in the team's
consolation goal in their 4-1 defeat at Tottenham on Sunday. Slaven Bilic
wasn't in the mood to make excuses and so the moment couldn't offer too much
comfort, but it was a reminder that Lanzini has been a success since his
summer arrival.

After playing just 15 minutes of West Ham's first three matches, the
Argentine announced himself at Anfield in late August. He opened the scoring
inside three minutes before muscling Dejan Lovren off the ball to set up
Mark Noble for the second goal in a 3-0 win over Liverpool. Further goals
against Crystal Palace and Everton have established him as a favourite among
fans and team-mates alike.

Lanzini scored three minutes into his West Ham debut away to Astra Giurgiu
in the Europa League and then repeated the feat by scoring three minutes
into his Premier League debut against Liverpool.
"He has been one of the players of the season so far for us," said Winston
Reid. "He's not just an attacker, he also defends and he can run from box to
box. He's very creative, so it's good. He's only a young kid, there are
going to be some difficult games for him, but fortunately for us he's having
really, really good games at the moment. The main thing is that he keeps
developing."

However, there were no guarantees that would be the case. Lanzini, nicknamed
'The Jewel', did have a considerable reputation as a teenager having been
part of the River Plate first-team at 17. Wearing the No.10 shirt, he later
played a big role in River's promotion and their subsequent title win. Twice
he scored against Boca Juniors in La Bombonera. But he has joined West Ham
from Al Jazira not River Plate.

The Arabian Gulf League might not conjure exciting thoughts of young talent
readying themselves to make an instant impact upon the Premier League, but
those preconceptions have been challenged. Sure, Lanzini's spell there
would've been motivated by money but spare him the sanctimony. Big contracts
are scarce in Argentina and the player has found his way to Europe
nevertheless.

Former West Ham player Tony Gale looks at the problem of replacing Dimitri
Payet. Any concerns that Lanzini might be too lightweight for the Premier
League have proven erroneous too. In fact, only four of his team-mates have
made more tackles and there's been an appetite for work that - prior to the
weekend - saw West Ham flourish on their travels. "He does not look strong
but some players can defy that physicality to impose themselves," said
Bilic.

The West Ham boss has been an admirer for some time. Indeed, he wanted to
take Lanzini with him to Turkey when he was coaching Besiktas. A further
clue to how highly he regards the 22-year-old is that he recently compared
him to Luka Modric, with whom he worked during his time in charge of the
Croatia national team. It's high praise and a reflection of Lanzini's
quality in possession.

"He always wants the ball," Bilic explained in his column for the Evening
Standard. "That's why we put him in midfield. He could play in a number of
positions but his best is wherever the ball is. So he has to be central
where he can have most contact. He always makes himself available. If the
players are in trouble, he comes and gets it."

West Ham - Premier League 2015/16

Player Dribbles Per 90
Manuel Lanzini 27 3.1
Mauro Zarate 10 2.6
Dimitri Payet 28 2.4
Victor Moses 14 2.4

It would have been easy for Bilic to banish Lanzini to the fringes of the
game. Instead, he has gone with the brave option - rewarding the player's
own bravery in trying to make things happen. The responsibility is greater
following Dimitri Payet's injury but it seems as though Lanzini has the
character to embrace it. "He's always playing pranks and having a laugh,"
says Enner Valencia.

Lanzini's Ecuadorian team-mate is one of a number of Spanish speakers within
the West Ham dressing room. It's helped him to settle and he's on record in
wanting to make his loan stay permanent. There have been reports of interest
from Liverpool but David Sullivan has stressed that the option belongs to
the Hammers.

A battle for Lanzini's services was not necessarily what was anticipated
when this deal was confirmed, but it's a testament to the speed with which
he's made the adjustment. His former River team-mate Erik Lamela took rather
longer to adapt. West Ham supporters will now be hoping that Lanzini's
Premier League stay lasts as long as that of his compatriot.

West Ham v West Brom is live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 1pm on Sunday

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
IN SLAVEN WE TRUST
By Tony Hanna 25 Nov 2015 at 17:00
WTID

West Ham fans reaction to the defeat at Tottenham has been by and large
fairly predictable. Any defeat leaves us fairly deflated for a day or two,
maybe even more, but to lose 4-1 and to a bitter rival is a recipe for even
more frustration and anger than usual. The knee jerk reaction in today's
"want it all now" social media driven society can often lead to false
expectations but on this occasion I do feel we are right to have some minor
concerns. So, should we be worried or are the inept performances at Watford
and Tottenham a sign that other teams are working us out? We are currently
6th in the table, equal third highest scorers in the division and have
pocketed four highly prized scalps but our team no longer looks like one
that exudes confidence. The early losses to Leicester and Bournemouth did
not seem to make sense when you look at the results either side of those
defeats. Victories at Arsenal and Liverpool were much more palatable.
However, the loss to Leicester has much more credibility about it now when
you look at today's Premier League table!

Slaven Bilic has been a breath of fresh air this season but he now has to
contemplate some rather difficult decisions. Robbed of his star player
Dimitri Payet for three months does not help matters but for me it is the
defence and holding midfielders that should be put under the microscope. The
goalkeeper, back four and two holding midfielders that played at Spurs are
the same seven that pretty much played most games in the nosedive of last
season. We top the league in defensive errors punished and we can take the
rose tinted glasses off now – we do not look comfortable playing the ball
out from the back. Many of the errors that have cost us goals this season
have been due to poor passes more often or not because of the opposition
closing our defenders down. Noble, Cresswell, Tomkins and Jenkinson have all
been guilty this season and Slaven has to ponder how to put things right.
Jenkinson and Cresswell in my opinion are the two players who are struggling
this season and it is in the full back positions where we have the least
amount of quality cover. Jenkinson is way down on last season's form and
Arsenal must be wishing they sold him to us now rather than extending and
improving his contract at the Emirates. Cresswell, for me, has never been a
good defender but the way he gets forward is exciting and fan pleasing. I am
still dumbfounded as to how he won last years HOTY over Kouyate or Adrian?

I would be really surprised now if Ogbonna is not picked for the West Brom
game. He is fit and raring to go and was a player that Bilic really wanted
this season. He identified a centre back as his priority signing when he got
the managers job. So, what will happen at right back? Will Tomkins move
there or will Jenkinson hold his place? And what about left back? Perhaps
Stephen Hendrie will be given his chance or will Bilic persevere with
Cresswell? Indeed, Ogbonna can play at left back and he could leave the
central defence unchanged?

On reading many of the comments on here, there has been a lot of negative
chat about Noble and Carroll. With Song now back and Noble suspended this
week, it will give Bilic the chance to see how the team performs without its
skipper. Whilst Song is not fully match fit he has to grab this opportunity
with both hands. I still think Slaven is working out a few players in this
squad and he seems determined to give some of them a fair crack. After all,
he played Maiga and Nolan several times at the start of the season. He could
have asked us – we would have told him! But no, Slaven wanted to see for
himself. And in many ways I liken that to the recent selection of Andy
Carroll. I think Bilic would like it to work but from what we have seen it
just does not. My view is that big Andy will not be with us for the start of
the Olympic Stadium season. Unplayable? Sometimes yes, but Sam was right.
For Andy to work you have to build a team around him and that is just not in
our DNA any more.

So, whilst there is no need to panic, we still have the strongest squad in
depth ever, but Slaven Bilic has got some difficult decisions to make to get
the most out of this squad. I have not mentioned Antonio as yet and perhaps
that is best left to another article. From what I have seen of the lad in
Championship games he looked pretty decent? Again, time will tell, but in
Slaven we must trust.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SHOULD A SONG-OBIANG PARTNERSHIP START VS WBA, WITH KOUYATE PUSHED FURTHER
FORWARD?
By S J Chandos 25 Nov 2015 at 08:00
WTID

The Spurs match was an unmitigated disaster. A combination of tactical
mistakes, selection issues and poor team application/player form directly
contributed to a comprehensive defeat. Much as I hate to admit it, Spurs
were far better on the day and, crucially, we did not handle their high,
aggressive, pressing game at all well. Indeed, one of the things that I
found slightly alarming is that this is the second consecutive match where
we have been out-muscled by the physical approach/tactics of our opponents.
Although we all want to see the present transition to the expansive, passing
game under Bilic, I had hoped that we would still retain the physicality
that we developed under Allardyce and the ability to meet 'fire with fire'
in such situations.

With Mark Noble now suspended for the WBA game, there is the opportunity to
fundamentally re-jig the midfield. In particular, there is the prospect that
we can inject some extra steel in to the side by selecting a new partnership
of Alex Song and Pedro Obiang in the dual defensive-anchor role. That would
then allow Bilic to push Kouyate forward to play in the central role in the
three forward positions supporting Sakho up top (with Carroll on the bench).
Arguably that would facilitate Kouyate using his power, physical presence
and eye for goal to the best possible effect. It would also have the added
bonus of allowing Lanzini to continue working his magic on the right flank,
with either Moses or Antonio on the left. With Payet missing we need a major
adjustment in our approach, to find a new winning combination, and I would
contend that the best solution is pushing Kouyate in to this more advanced
attacking role.

In defence, one could argue that it is time to reconstitute the Ogbonna-Reid
central defensive partnership. Whether Tomkins steps down to the bench or
replaces the 'out of sorts' Jenkinson, at right-back, is a moot point. On
balance, I would probably stick with Jenkinson. Mostly because of the
assurance provided by Obiang and Song and the potentially decisive role the
full-backs could play on the overlap, providing extra width and stretching
WBA's defence. The key question is: are Song and Obiang fit enough to start?
Is it an excessive risk playing two players only recently back from injury
lay-offs? I am not currently sure about Obiang's fitness, but hopefully he
is ready. And I really like the idea of playing this particular combination
together in front of our defence.

The one thing I do not want to see is Tony Pulis' WBA coming to Upton Park
and winning the physical contests. Otherwise, a little bit of a negative
pattern could establish itself, which other sides learning from and adopting
it as part of their tactics at Upton Park. In retrospect, we are extremely
lucky that Winston Reid did not receive a serious injury in the Spurs match.
Walker's 'over the top' tackle on Reid could easily have broke his leg.
Luckily Reid emerged uninjured, but it could have been a very different
outcome. In my view, Walker should not even have been on the pitch to score
that fourth goal.

In conclusion, we need a positive response from the squad. We were bound to
hit a difficult patch at some point and with one point from the last three
matches, this is probably it. We need Bilic to make some decisive changes in
selection and find a new winning combination. My view is that Song, Obiang
and Kouyate could be key to finding it. We are still 6th in the table, but
this poor run of three games have allowed some of the teams behind us to
make up ground. There is no need to 'wake up to reality' or 'down grade our
ambitions' as some would have us believe. What we need to do is rejig
effectively to compensate for Payet's absence and get firmly back on track.
I am not sure Lanzini in a central attacking role is necessarily the answer,
but perhaps Kouyate is?

SJ. Chandos.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WE NEEDED A BIG DEFEAT TO BRING US BACK TO EARTH
By Bobby Shovels 24 Nov 2015 at 17:00
WTID

Oh here he comes, Bobby Shovels and his "theory of negativity." That's the
cry I get a lot, and fair enough a lot of that criticism holds up, in that I
do not have as rosy an outlook as others.

Yet, if you look at my "negative" ramblings since the start of the season, a
lot of it implied a catastrophic defeat against Spurs: the reliance on
Payet, the individual errors, the lack of defensive cohesion, the inability
to even impose ourselves on lower opposition. Everything was building to a
disaster when all of those failures, that have been papered over by some
fortunate results, all came together. We have conceded the most goals
(eight) from defensive errors this season – many of us were worried about
this earlier in the season; others just said it was the occasional error.
It's not occasional anymore: it's a huge problem. When we play a team

Sorry guys, but I think Sunday showed that some of that talk of top six
finishes or – as the KUMB podcast tried to vaguely argue – this being a team
akin to 86, is not really going to hold true. I'm not saying that we're
awful and we're going to get relegated, but as I have said countless times,
the over excitement about the first 12 games went too far.

Already I feel bored that everyone goes on about us beating City, Liverpool
and Arsenal away – has anyone noticed that the City game was back in
September? That since then we've lost away to Watford and been thrashed by
Spurs? Our season is already becoming defined by our exploits in the first
few weeks. Furthermore, I am delighted at the fact we beat all those teams,
but would I rather have maybe lost against City and had a better result
against Spurs? Of course. The Tottenham game was a wake-up call.

Yet, we should learn from Spurs. They have had many false dawns in the past
few years – like the time when AVB beat United away – their first league
victory there in ages, or even when Sherwood did the same – each time the
club thought they had turned a corner, but they hadn't. Now, giving
Pochettino a year or so to bed in and make the team his own, they are
reaping the rewards. Spurs have spent a while trying to get themselves into
the top four, and they may just do it now.

Similarly, we need time to do the same. Hence, I have always said that those
saying we're going to be miles ahead of last season in Bilic's first year in
charge is ludicrous. We need time to become a big club – and I think our
disaster at White Hart Lane should have silenced those who think our away
form at the start was a sign of things to come. Fact is, we've had one point
out of our last possible nine, and we face a West Brom side who we haven't
beaten at home in the last two years (3-3 and 1-1) and lost against 4-0 in
the Cup. Furthermore, they're coming off the back of a victory against
Arsenal – a victory much more in the recent memory than our Emirates
triumph. A win against us and they're only one point behind us. Indeed, look
at the table, and another loss and we drop into tenth or lower – it's fine
to embrace the good start, but remember how close this league is becoming,
how many teams are clustered in the middle of the pack: one point in nine
and already we are falling back.

This is not a blog to brag or boast that I warned you of a sign of things to
come against Spurs. Just that this defeat should not be seen as a surprise
nor something to make us negative: more it shows that there is a long way to
go to ensure we are at the consistency and high level of Tottenham. That's
not a nice thing to say, but if we admit our failings, we have a realistic
idea of what is to come this year, and the amazing potential of future
seasons.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham plot transfer of Besiktas winger Gokhan Tore for reunion with
Slaven Bilic
20:33, 25 NOV 2015 UPDATED 20:44, 25 NOV 2015
BY DARREN WITCOOP
The move would push £7m summer signing Michail Antonio further down the
pecking order potentially forcing a move away from the Hammers
The Mirror

Slaven Bilic is eyeing a reunion with Gokhan Tore to leave West Ham outcast
Michail Antonio fighting for his future. The Hammers' boss is a big fan of
the 23-year-old Besiktas winger, who was on Chelsea's books as a teenager,
and could raid his previous employers for the Turk in January. That will
leave forgotten man Antonio vulnerable - just months after arriving at Upton
Park. The £7million deadline day signing was an ever-present at the City
Ground for Nottingham Forest last season but has made just one sub
appearance so far for West Ham in the league. The lack of appearances for
the Hammers this season may see Derby renew their interest in the winger.
The Rams were interested in signing Antonio in the summer, but arch-rivals
Forest were reluctant to do business.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Smart money on this guy to get armband
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 25, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Alex Song is emerging as favourite to take over the skipper's armband at the
weekend should manager Slaven Bilic hand him his first start since his
recovery from an ankle injury.

The on-loan Barcelona player is a hugely popular figure in the dressing room
and is considered a real leader among the backroom staff.

Manager Bilic will be very tempted to start the 28 year old despite him
only seeing 10 minutes of action in the last game against Spurs and it would
be no surprise were he to be given the captaincy in Mark Noble's absence
through suspension..

ClaretandHugh readers handed Winston Reid a huge 61 per cent vote in our
poll which closed this evening with the midfielder in the runners-up spot.

We were told by one insider: "If there was a book on it Songy would probably
be odds-on. He captained the team last season and if picked it looks quite
likely. He's a dynamic indicidual who has real leadership qualities.

"Winston would have to be in with a shout but I think most people's money
would probably be on Alex."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic ready to bring this player back
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 25, 2015 in Hugh's Blogs, News,
Whispers
C and H

It was well known insider knowledge when Slaven Bilic took over as our boss
that his first priority in the transfer market would be a world class
central defender. And so it proved with Angelo Ogbonna arriving from
Juventus for £8 million as the natural partner to Winston Reid with James
Tomkins being left to fight for a position. Nothing disturbed that view when
the opening game arrived at Arsenal and Ogbonna was in at central defence
with JT slotting in at right back where he performed admirably defensively.
Since then – because of injuries – Ogbonna has become the forgotten man but
Slav didn't spend £8 million because he likes the colour of the Davids'
money. He rates Ogbonna highly. And given the Tomkins clanger at Spurs which
led to the third goal, not the first time a mistake of his has led to a
goal, I'm sure it will be all change this time around. I hope so because the
little we've seen of the Italian s highly encouraging – in a word the
bloke's a monster who gives strikers a seriously hard time. And with Saido
Berahino coming to visit we are going to need that brand of no holds-barred
defending he brings to the table. I'm sure he will be recalled. Whether
Tomkins is shifted into the right back position remains to be seen. The
doubt would be that he brings little offensively to the team which may
upset the balance of the team. My bet is Slav will continue with Jenkinson.
I hope I'm wrong but I fear Andy Carroll may get one more game as the
manager ensures there can be no complaints when the time – probably not far
away – for him to be told: "It hasn't worked – we are going in a different
direction."
We need Diafra Sakho back leading the attack this weekend. I hope Slav is
brave and does precisely that but whatever else he doesn't do I believe
Ogbonna will return perhaps with Obiang returning to toughen up midfield
along with Alex Song.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Young Hammer to be handed his chance
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 25, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Martin Samuelsen will be launched straight into the Peterborough United
first team at Scunthorpe on Saturday as he takes his first steps into the
"rough and tumble of competitive league football." The young Norwegian only
signed on loan for The Posh two hours before last night's match against
Barnsley and watched the team win 3-2 from the bench. But Posh director of
football Barry Fry revealed that he's certain to get a run out at the
weekend declaring: "He's the icing on the cake for us. "I think the club
would sooner he had gone to a Championship club but we managed to get it
done and I'm thrilled. He's a terrific player and a great young man. "He
tore us apart in a pre-season friendly and he will be magnificent for us.
I'm sure of that. We explained he will be playing in a diamond rather than
out wide and he said that suited him down to the ground because he'd have
more of the ball. Great attitude."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This player will give us the missing creativity
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 25, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Gold is expecting Alex Song to start providing some of the creativity
lost because of Dmitri Payet's absence. The midfielder made just a cameo
performance against Spurs but he is expected to step straight back into the
team this weekend against West Brom. And Gold – stressing that it is
entirely the manager's decision – believes the player will rapidly come back
to his best and start providing the killer passes which undo defences. And
with Mark Noble missing through suspension, should the manager select Song,
he could also inherit the captain's armband. Go to
www.claretandhugh.info/poll-who-should-skipper-the-hammers-2/ …
Gold is buoyant going into the game despite the weekend defeat declaring: "I
no longer go into games against sides who are outside the top six thinking
we will get beaten. "That's why Spurs was such a disappointment because
quite apart from being our keenest rivals they were a team I felt we could
beat . "Of course we were always going to miss Payet but Alex Song has had
another week's training and should he play he brings real creativity. We all
know what he can do at his best." Gold is not dismissive of West Brom
saying: "We new Tony Pulis teams are very hard to beat and well drilled but
the players are determined to get back to winning ways and I am fascinated
to see how Slaven sets us up."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pulis knows Irons will be "as tough as it gets"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 25, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Pulis expects the toughest game possible
against West Ham at the weekend. And it may well be that Slaven Bilic will
succeed where Sam Allardyce has failed throughout his career by beating a
Pulis-managed team. Speaking exclusively to ClaretandHugh he said: "Slaven
Bilic has done an absolutely superb job at the club and I know this will be
one of the toughest games of the season. "For the Hamemrs it's all about
finishing as high as posible and I believe they will be very well placed at
the end of the season and then moving onto a big new chapter in the club's
history. "It's a shame for you that you have injuries to a couple of key
players but the club has bought brilliantly in the summer and you look very
strong in all areas. "Your bench looks very strong and I know the players
and managers will have put the weekend result behind them. It's going to be
hard for us." Pulis' West Brom saw off Arsenal 2-1 at the weekend and Pulis
describes them as being in good shape ahead of the game but said: "The Irons
game will be as tough as it gets." The Baggies sit in twelfth place but just
four points behind the Irons.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham chairman David Gold wishes Martin Samuelson luck in loan move
HITC
Mathew Nash

The Norwegian is set to play with Peterborough United until January. West
Ham chairman David Gold is one of the bigger tweeters when it comes to
football chairmen. He co-controls West Ham with his good friend and long
time business partner David Sullivan and last night he took to twitter to
confirm ab outgoing loan deal for one of the club's summer signings and wish
him luck in his move. Young Norwegian Martin Samuelson has headed out on
loan to League One side Peterborough United until January. The 18-year-old
midfielder joined up with The Hammers in the summer from the academy at
Manchester City, where he had impressed. Samuelson has impressed in the West
Ham under-21s and he has even made his first-team debut for West Ham -
playing against Birkirkara in the Europa League Now he will be hoping to
impress with The Posh - a team he scored against in a pre-season friendly
back in July. The Norwegian youth international will now be hoping to
impress enough to get some more first-team football for West Ham as the
season goes on.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ivory Coast ace issues come and get me plea to West Ham and Crystal Palace
IVORY COAST hotshot Gohi Bi Zoro Cyriac has issued a come and get me plea to
West Ham and Crystal Palace.
Daily Star
By Paul Brown / Published 25th November 2015

Both clubs have watched the 25-year-old striker, who is currently top scorer
in Belgium with ten goals in 15 games for Oostende. And Cyriac admits he has
his heart set on following in the footsteps of father figure Didier Drogba
by making a move to the Premier League. Asked about the interest from West
Ham and Palace, he said: "I'm happy about that. I like those clubs. They
would be a challenge for me. "I was told they were in the stadium and that
there is possible interest, but I am just concentrating on playing for my
club. "I would be happy to play in the best league in the world one day but
right now I want to help Oostende qualify for Europe. "I was told they were
in the stadium and that there is possible interest, but I am just
concentrating on playing for my club" "I like the Premier League a lot.
When I was a kid I liked Wayne Rooney, and I met Didier Drogba playing for
the Ivory Coast. He has given me lots of advice. "He is like a father
figure. He has helped me a lot. I like the Premier League. It is very
physical and referees play with a good spirit and don't stop the attacks all
the time."
Cyriac, who joined Oostende from Anderlecht last summer, is under contract
until 2019 but is understood to be keen on a move. Palace are in the market
because because they have struggled to get goals from their strikers this
season, while West Ham are looking for depth as Diafra Sakho has struggled
with injuries.

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