Daily WHUFC News - 29th January 2016

Westley - It's a big achievement
WHUFC.com

Reflecting on the Development Squad's progression through to the semi-final of the U21 Premier League Cup, Terry Westley said his players and staff had every right to be proud of their achievement. The young Hammers secured their passage into the last four after beating Blackburn Rovers 2-1 at Rush Green on Wednesday 27 January. In front of a packed Rush Green Stadium, Westley's charges started the game brightly and were rewarded in the shape of goals from Djair Parfitt-Williams and Reece Oxford. Speaking after the win, a delighted Westley said: "Tonight we should be celebrating and be happy, the players in the dressing room are certainly happy. We're through to the semi-final of the U21 Premier League Cup so that's a big achievement for everyone. "I'm pleased for all the staff, both players and backroom staff, that have been here for a long time as well as the new staff who have come in, done well and everyone has really gelled together."

Another bonus for everyone connected to the Academy was the fact that the win over the Lancashire club extended the Hammers' unbeaten run to ten matches. Even more impressively, nine of those ten games have been victories. Westley continued: "It's a great run, really good for confidence. When we went 2-0 up I think some of us thought it was a done deal, and it wasn't. We let a goal in just before half-time, which gave the opposition a bit of belief, when they weren't really in it. "The real emphasis at half-time was to say, let's really manage this game, this is a game we want to win, we won't get a second chance, and to be fair to the players, we really did that second half. "The crowd tonight were excellent, we had almost a 1000 people in tonight, and it's going up. To be fair to everyone working behind the scenes, everyone really is pulling in the same direction. And now people are talking about our players, we're 10 games unbeaten, we're in a semi-final, we're heading in the right direction. "If we're lucky enough to get a home tie in the semi-final I'm sure we'll get an even bigger crowd."

Westley continued to stress that while the match may have lacked its usual flow of possession based football, at this stage of the tournament, the win was the all important factor. "It was a totally different game to what we are used to, it was very direct, headers and second ball possession. We can't dictate what the opposition are going to do, not every team is like an Arsenal where they move it around nicely. Tonight it was a different type of game, and we handled that well in the end. "In patches we got it down, not as much as I'd have liked, but I'm not going to be disappointed when we've just won a quarter-final."

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Howes - Dev Squad prepared to face anyone
WHUFC.com

West Ham United goalkeeper Sam Howes said his side are ready and willing to face any team in the semi-finals of the U21 Premier League Cup. Howes' Hammers overcame Blackburn Rovers 2-1 at a packed Rush Green Stadium which was treated to goals from Djair Parfitt-Williams and Reece Oxford. Describing his emotions at full time, Howes said: "I feel really good, it's obviously a good effort from all the boys throughout the 90 minutes; we did well to score two early goals then stuck at it to hold out in the end. "Absolutely, it was a very physical test, a different type of game to what we usually face. Each game in this competition has been very different, Exeter away, Fulham and now Blackburn. Obviously, it's great to have passed this test as well.
"We'll take any team in the semis, we know we can beat anyone, we know when we're on our game we're one of the best sides in the country, we'll just focus on keeping the run going and then we'll stand a chance against anyone."

Djair Parfitt-Williams opened the scoring after just 18 minutes, his fifth goal in four games, as he sided footed Jaanai Gordon's deflected effort past Rovers' goalkeeper Andrew Fisher.
Howes continued to praise the forward's blistering run: "He's on flames the kid isn't he?! He's doing his good properly now. Everyone in the team is really; we're all pulling our weight."

While Parfitt-Williams has been leading the line at one end, Howes has played just as crucial a role at the back in helping the Dev Squad extend their unbeaten run to ten games. Having last lost way back in October, Howes spoke of the confidence in the claret and blue dressing room: "It's a great achievement, ten games unbeaten at any level is a fantastic achievement, we just have to keep on progressing and try to add to it. "I wasn't actually too nervous at 2-1, I was confident we would stay ahead; we're ten games unbeaten so we're full of confidence."

With just two minutes remaining, Howes, largely untested for the majority of the match, pulled off a stunning save to deny a long range effort that looked destined for the bottom corner.
When asked about his heroics, the England youth international replied modestly: "I was just doing my job for the team; it's what I'm there for." As if being a crucial component of the Dev Squad and training regularly with the first team was not enough, Howes has also been getting first team experience out on loan at Wealdstone FC. Howes continued to explain how the new experience was benefitting his all round game: "Playing for Wealdstone is a very different experience, it's a different style of football but it's a great experience, and I'm learning a lot of new things which is the main thing. "It's a bit tiring playing Friday and Saturday for instance, I've done that a few times this season, but it's all part of it, I love playing football so it's all good."

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Slaven Speaks - Liverpool
WHUFC.com

West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic spoke to the media on Thursday ahead of Saturday's Emirates FA Cup trip to Liverpool.
With the end of the transfer window looming, talk of possible arrivals took centre stage, as did an update on Carl Jenkinson's fitness.

Can we start with an update on Carl Jenkinson?

SB: "We will have to see because he has an appointment with the doctor, the specialist, on Thursday and we will wait for results. Based on that we will see how bad the injury is. It's a really unlucky injury – we are still hoping it's not that bad but we will see what it is. "We know it is his knee, but we don't know how bad it is [at this stage]. Based on that we will find a solution which suits everybody."

How is it looking for your two strikers who are injured?

SB: "It's looking good. Not regarding the Liverpool game, but Andy will be back playing, let's say, in ten days, and Diafra and Lanzini in two weeks. "They are ahead of schedule. I was here yesterday on the day off, and I watched Andy train. He was doing basically everything and he will hopefully start to train with us after the Liverpool game, and if he trains good he could be in the squad for the weekend."

With that news, are you still in the market for a striker?

SB: "Yes, we are still in the market. We hope that both of our strikers will come fit for the rest of the season, but we are looking to strengthen our squad. We're not going to buy a player, but if we can loan one we will do it.

There are varying reports regarding the status of where it is at with Emmanuel Emineke. Is he basically at the point of joining the Club on loan?

SB: "We are waiting for that, because it is a complicated situation. He is a Fenerbahce player, but he is on loan to Al Ain. We made contact, basically they called me from Al Ain, and we thought we could do [the deal] with them, but Fenerbahce have to be involved and now we are talking to them. In the beginning it looked easy, and now, according to Sky mostly, the deal is pretty much alive. So hopefully you guys are right."

Any players going out between now and Tuesday?

SB: "No. We have Jelavic who might go to China, but they are in pre-season at the moment, so he is staying with us until he might sort the deal out."

What if you got a silly offer for Payet?

SB: "From my point of view there is no money in the world that we would let him go for."

Can we have the rest of the team news for Saturday?

SB: "We have a big FA Cup game, it is a big weekend. I was not happy with our draw, because we got Liverpool away and it is one of the most difficult games we could have got, but we are very ambitious for the FA Cup and we are looking forward to the game. "We will make some changes, and we have 15-16 players who are regulars and are ready to play. They are not only fit from training but have match fitness too. "Sam Byram is cup tied, but Tomkins is back in training on Thursday and there's only Mark Noble, who has reported a little but of flu and has stayed home, but will hopefully be ok for Friday. "Definitely we will put a very, very strong team out but we will make some changes. Some of the guys who played in the last cup game against Wolves will play again."

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First and Last - Diafra Sakho
WHUFC.com
As West Ham United continue the final season at the Boleyn Ground, we've asked the players for some memorable firsts and lasts from their careers and lives. Today, Diafra Sakho goes under the spotlight…

FIRSTS

What was the first car that you owned?

It was a Nissan, a Qashqai I think it was called. I was about 21 at the time. Until then, I had always lived a stone's throw from the training ground.

What was the first car that you bought?

The first CD that I had was definitely Bob Marley. My uncle listened to a lot of Bob Marley when I was growing up, so I developed the habit too. When I bought my first car, that was when I bought my first Bob Marley CD.

When did you score your first professional goal?

It was against Nantes in 2010. It was in Ligue 2, but it's professional all the same! It ended 1-1 and I opened the scoring. A right foot finish, if memory serves. You can find it on YouTube.

Who would be the first players you'd pick for a pub quiz?

No doubt, for sure it would be Cheikhou. Then, it depends. I'd say Dimitri would be high up on the list and then Adrian as well.

If West Ham were to do the X-Factor, who would you vote off first?

That's tough to say. I think I'd have to say me. I'd kick myself out, not much of a singer, I'm afraid.

What was the last concert that you went to?

It was to see a Senegalese singer-songwriter called Youssou N'Dour. He's well known, he sung at the Opening Ceremony of the 1998 World Cup!

Who would be the last West Ham player you'd taken fashion advice from?

Easy, Adrian, he wears some rubbish. I wear rubbish too, but he's even worse than me. It's true.

Who's the last player you'd want to be stuck in a lift with?

Harsh. I'd probably say Carl Jenkinson, but only because he's quite intense. By comparison, James Tomkins is so calm. When you play, there's pressure, a lot of it. So if you're stuck in a lift, there's pressure as well, so you need someone who's nice and calm and I think Tomkins would be the man for that.

What was the last book that you read?

I read a lot when I was younger, less so now. I think the last one was Didier Drogba's autobiography.

What's the last thing you'd want to hear from the manager after a game?

That I was rubbish, that I didn't do anything. After a match, even if I wasn't able to score, I want to hear, 'you played well'. But if I you say the contrary, 'you didn't play well', that's tough to take, I'd not sleep, I don't think.

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Makasi believes hard work is paying off
WHUFC.com

West Ham midfielder Moses Makasi stressed that the Development Squad's 10 game unbeaten run is the culmination of 18 months' hard work. Despite good performances, converting them into positive results proved difficult until recently. However, Makasi and his teammates are now dominating games while reaping the rewards from their endeavours, and clearly enjoying their football. The versatile 20-year-old explained: "This run we're on now is down to 18 months of hard work, with Terry and all the coaches. It's also great to see young players coming through like Vashon Neufville, coming into the side and doing well." Makasi, playing in an effective midfield trio with George Dobson and Josh Cullen, was one of a number of players to impress during the Dev Squad's 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday 27 January. Reflecting on the win, Makasi continued: "It was a good performance from the team, we deserved to win tonight, we're ten games unbeaten now and hopefully we can carry on winning. "It feels good to be in the team, at the start of the season I wasn't starting many games, but I've worked hard every day in training, now I have played the last few games and I'm feeling good. "We've very hard in training working well as a midfield trio, concentrating on playing the ball out from the back and not rushing it forward, but making sure we play the right pass at the right time."
Now through to the Barclays U21 Premier League semi-finals, the Hammers will have to wait to see who they face in the last four. So far, the possible sides are Liverpool, Hull City, Millwall, Charlton Athletic and Huddersfield Town, with Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion still to play each other. However, Makasi insists he doesn't mind who the Hammers face in the next round: "I don't mind who we get in the next round, we're on a good run so whoever we get, I reckon we'll beat."

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Supporter Advisory Board meeting
WHUFC.com

The West Ham United Supporter Advisory Board met at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday evening to look ahead to the Club's momentous summer move to the former Olympic Stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Managing Director Angus Kinnear, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Tara Warren and Head of Ticketing and Retail Gavin Stanley were on hand to respond to questions from the floor, while the meeting was chaired by Disability Liaison Officer Julie Pidgeon.

At this, the first meeting of 2016, Mrs Warren began with a message from Vice-Chairman Karren Brady, on behalf of the Board, who thanked the SAB for all that they have done to advance the Club in recent years.

Reflecting on the integral part the SAB has played, Mrs Warren explained that each and every item raised in meetings is reported back to the Board in order to inform Club strategy.

The SAB were delighted to welcome representation from the Club's LGBT supporters' club Pride of Irons. Formed just under 12 months ago, they aim to promote tolerance and inclusivity at West Ham, as well a positive image of West Ham.

The question and answer session began with extensive discussion of disabled access to the Stadium. It was confirmed that, in terms of accessibility, the Boleyn Ground is ranked eleventh in the Premier League, while the new Stadium is second in the country. The Club therefore expects the matchday experience for supporters with accessibility requirements to be significantly enhanced come next season.

Additionally, there will be some 49 Blue Badge parking spaces on the Stadium Island, in comparison to just 20 at the Boleyn Ground.

Mr Kinnear reiterated that a travel plan will be widely communicated well in advance of the move and that accessibility plans are right at the heart of everything the Club is doing.

In response to how the Club might cater for supporters on the Autism spectrum at the new Stadium, Mrs Warren confirmed that the Club had been in contact with the Premier League, National Autism Society and the Chairman of Level Playing Field for their recommendations. Following those discussions, West Ham are now hoping to institute pre-visits for supporters and a walkaround with an NAS representative to offer further guidance.

In terms of the first home kit to grace the new Stadium, Mr Kinnear told the SAB that a great deal of the work done in the consultation for the Farewell Boleyn shirt had been carried over and was confident that supporters would be impressed with the results.

The seat selection process, though nearing its conclusion for existing Season Ticket Holders, was another hot topic. Mr Kinnear confirmed that almost every existing Season Ticket Holder had now renewed at the new Stadium, with an appointment satisfaction rate in excess of 80 per cent. He described the process as the most successful Stadium migration in the history of European football.

On a similar note, Mr Kinnear spoke of the Joint-Chairmen's desire to create a family-friendly stadium and that based on the huge success of the Club's £99 Season Tickets, he expects West Ham to have one of the youngest Season Ticket bases across the land.

Alongside the Stadium move, the Hammers are also planning to relocate the first-team's training base to Rush Green for next season. With significant work to be done in the coming months to produce a world-class training facility, Mr Kinnear said the project was a fundamental part of the Club's overall, long-term vision.

Elsewhere, it was confirmed that the Reservation Centre will close its doors next season, with attention set to turn to the Club's dedicated spaces on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with a new Megastore and Ticket Office currently under construction. The former is two-and-a-half times the size of its Boleyn Ground equivalent.

Supporters were pleased to learn that there will be no pitch events in the period between the new Stadium pitch being re-seeded in the summer and the first game of the season. The pitch has been specially designed and tested so that it will be able to be used for other events during the course of the season without affecting its quality or durability.

The SAB's next meeting, the third and final meeting of the season, is now set for the final week of February. There, the application process for the 2016/17 SAB, will be discussed, with the invitation, as it always been, to be extended to the entire West Ham United supporter base.

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Noble Testimonial Ticket News
WHUFC.com

The stars will be out in force for Mark Noble's Testimonial on Monday March 28 and Season Ticket Holders are being given the chance to see the action for just £20 when tickets go on sale on Tuesday 2 February.

The long-serving captain has been honoured with a match between the current West Ham United first-team and a West Ham United All-Stars squad, with all funds raised being donated to Richard House Children's Hospice, Help for Heroes and the DT38 Foundation.

It promises to be a memorable occasion with a number of big names set for their final ever appearance on the Boleyn Ground pitch.

Rio Ferdinand, Anton Ferdinand, Matthew Etherington, Carlton Cole, Craig Bellamy, Scott Parker, Stewart Downing, Danny Gabbidon, Bobby Zamora, Dean Ashton, Yossi Benayoun, Trevor Sinclair, Ian Bishop, Julian Dicks and Ludek Miklosko are all set to feature with more set to follow.

The fixture, which will take place at the Boleyn Ground on Easter Monday at 2pm, will give Hammers of all ages a final opportunity to see many of their heroes in action at the Club's historic home.

Noble, who joined West Ham as a 13-year-old schoolboy and is now approaching 350 first-team appearances in Claret and Blue, cannot wait for the special occasion, which will form part of his overall activities for his Testimonial year.

Noble said: "I've already mentioned some of the players who are coming back for the game and the response has been unbelievable.

"I was a little nervous about it all and wondered if some of the players would want to come but the response has been phenomenal. My only worry now is I might have too many!

"I wanted it to be like this. I didn't want to have a team who didn't really want to be here – to have eleven players who didn't really care about the Club.

"I just wanted players with whom I played and got on well, to come back and really enjoy the occasion – to be out there on the pitch for one final time. It's special for the fans also be see all their old heroes and I believe it will be a fantastic occasion."

Season Ticket Holders can buy their tickets from Tuesday for just £20 with Under-16s paying just £5. Tickets for Under 21s and OAPs will be £10.

For Members, tickets go on sale on Saturday 6 February and will be £25, while Under-16s will pay just £10. Prices for Under 21s and OAPs are £15.

Tickets go on General Sale on Monday 8 February.

Tickets will be available to purchase online, in person at the Betway Stand Ticket Office, or by calling 0871 529 1966 via Option 3 (9am-5pm Monday-Saturdays) or 0871 529 1966 via Option 1 (Call Centre open 24 hours). Calls cost 13p per minute plus your phone company's access charge.

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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFc.com

Hello everyone,

When I was little, I was a Liverpool fan and every time they played in the FA Cup, I wanted the Reds to win. When they won the FA Cup in 2001, I was only eleven and I remember watching the final when Michael Owen scored twice as Liverpool beat Arsenal. Every time Liverpool played, me and my family and lots of my friends want them to win, but on Saturday it's going to be a different matter – I want to beat them for the third time this season! It's the FA Cup and we want to progress to the next round and go as far as we can in the competition and we know it's going to be a tough game, but it's one we're relishing. It's always nice going back home and seeing all my family and friends as well, and most of them will be at the game, but the most important thing is we get through to the next round."

Anfield is one of the best grounds in England and it's a real thrill to play there, especially being a Liverpool fan as a kid. Atmosphere-wise, they always have fantastic support, but hopefully we can silence them and get through."

We most definitely we believe we can beat them. It's the FA Cup, it's Liverpool and it's another incentive to do well on the day and I'm sure all the boys are looking forward to it. We are playing well at the moment and we beat them away and then beat them at home and we've yet to concede a goal, so hopefully that can continue. Before I go, I want to say a word or two about Sam Byram. I've played against Sam in the Championship many times when I was at Ipswich and he's still only 22 and has plenty of years ahead of him in the game. He's played well over 100 games at the age of 22 and I always knew he was good enough to play in the Premier League, and he was fantastic against Manchester City. Sam is cup-tied on Saturday, but the rest of us will be travelling up and doing everything we can to take the next step down the road to Wembley.

Safe trip to everyone going up to Liverpool on Saturday!

Cressy

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Boleyn Memories - Mark Noble
WHUFC.com

Ahead of Saturday's trip to Anfield, West Ham United captain Mark Noble recalls the night he saw off Liverpool with a nerveless last-gasp penalty. The Hammers and Reds were deadlocked at 0-0 going into added-time at the Boleyn Ground on 30 January 2008, when Jamie Carragher upended Freddie Ljungberg inside the penalty area. A hush descended over the famous old stadium, but the 20-year-old midfielder held his nerve to beat Pepe Reina and side-foot West Ham to a valuable Premier League victory.

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Ox set for Championship loan
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th January 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham's England youth international Reece Oxford is on the verge of sealing a loan move to Charlton Athletic, according to reports. The 17-year-old centre half, who can also operate in midfield, is on the verge of completing a move to the Addicks for the rest of the season, reports journalist Matt Law. Struggling Charlton - currently one place off the bottom of the Championship having collected just 21 points from their opening 28 games of the season - are set to confirm the signing imminently. Oxford has represented West Ham on eight occasions so far this season - including four Premier League appearances - with his most recent outing coming in the 1-0 FA Cup third round win over Wolverhampton Wanderers a fortnight ago

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Ex-Hammer joins UK's worst football team
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th January 2016
By: Staff Writer

Stuart Pearce has announced his return to football - in order to sign for Longford AFC, who have been named as 'the worst team in the UK'. 53-year-old Pearce initially hung up his boots in the summer of 2002 after his last playing contract, a 12-month deal with Manchester City, expired. However he has been enticed out of the retirement by the opportunity to represent Longford, who have lost all 19 league games so far this season - scoring three goals and conceding 183, according to the BBC. "I started out in non-league football playing for Wealdstone before joining Coventry City," said Pearce. "So I'm looking forward to working with manager Nick Dawe and hopefully transforming both the dressing room confidence, as well as the on-the-pitch performance, and seeing how far they can go up the league."
Longford began the season in somehwat less than spectacular fashion, having lost their opening four games of the campaign 13-0, 10-0, 13-0 and 14-0. However their fortunes have changed for the better in recent outings with the team having only lost their last three games 9-1 (at home to Abbeymead Rovers), 2-1 (away to Quedgeley Wanderers) and 2-1 (against Lydney Town Reserves). Pearce spent two years at West Ham between 1999 and 2001, making 50 appearances for Harry Redknapp's team.

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Bilic keeps door open for Jenkinson
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th January 2016
By: Staff Writer

Slaven Bilic has refused to rule out a return for Carl Jenkinson at West Ham - despite initial reports suggesting that his season was over. The West Ham manager, talking to the media ahead of this weekend's FA Cup fourth round tie with Liverpool maintained that it was too early to make a final decision on the full back's immediate future. When asked whether Jenkinson would be returning to Arsenal, Bilic replied: "We don't know. We'll have to see. He has an appointment with the specialist on Thursday and we are waiting for the results. We need to see how bad the injury is. He was really unlucky. We're still hoping it's not that bad but we're going to see after today's appointment what it really is. It's definitely his knee but we don't really know how bad it is. Based on that we're going to find a solution that suits everyone."
Jenkinson sustained the injury whilst challenging Manchester City's Sergio Aguero during Saturday's evening's 2-2 draw at the Boleyn Ground. Although he initially played on for a few minutes, the defender was subsequently replaced by debutant Sam Byram.

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West Ham and Norwich line up moves for Davide Santon
HITC
Billy Hawkins

West Ham and Norwich are keen on signing former Newcastle defender Davide Santon. West Ham and Norwich are lining up moves for Davide Santon, Gianluca Di Marzio reports. The Premier League duo are looking for further arrivals before the end of the transfer window, and have targeted Santon of Internazionale. The defender, an eight capped Italian international, is well known to fans of English football, having spent a four-year spell with Newcastle United. He played 94 times for the Wearside club, before leaving last January on a loan deal back to Inter. The move was made permanent over the summer of 2015, but West Ham and Norwich are ready to bring him back to the Premier League. He has fallen out of favour at Inter this season, not playing a game since the end of October, and the Serie A club are not averse to selling him this month. Santon himself could be open to a move to guarantee more consistent playing time in the second half of the campaign.Santon is able to play at both right-back and left-back, and would bring quality and experience to whichever team he signed for. However, first-team chances would not be guaranteed for the 25-year-old, as both clubs have already signed full-backs this month. Sam Byram was brought in by the Hammers, and Ivo Pinto by Norwich, meaning either move is not an amazingly attractive proposition for Santon.

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West Ham starlet Reece Oxford's loan move to Charlton on brink of collapse
Charlton manager Jose Riga had not sanctioned move for 17-year-old midfielder
Telegraph.co.uk
By Matt Law7:52PM GMT 28 Jan 2016

West Ham United fear Reece Oxford's loan move to Charlton Athletic is on the brink of collapse after it emerged that Addicks manager Jose Riga had not given his consent to the deal. Gifted teenager Oxford thought he was on his way to Charlton for the rest of the season on Thursday morning, but by the evening there was a big question mark over whether the loan would go ahead. Charlton's controversial owners had set up the deal only for Riga to block it, with some sources even suggesting he did not know who 17-year-old Oxford was. Missing out on Oxford in such calamitous circumstances would be a big blow to Championship strugglers Charlton and would add to the chaos at the Valley. Oxford shot to prominence at the start of the season with an impressive Premier League debut in West Ham's 2-0 victory over Arsenal, aged 16. That appearance made Oxford, who only lost possession once in the match, the second-youngest starter in Premier League history behind Jose Baxter. Oxford can play in either midfield or defence and has made a total of eight first-team appearances in all competitions for the Hammers this season. But with his first-team opportunities likely to be limited, Oxford had agreed to join Charlton for six months to gather more experience. The player demonstrated his frustration over the move stalling on Thursday night by tweeting an angry face emoticon. The youngster has played for England at Under-16 and U17 level, and has attracted the interest of all of the top clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. Meanwhile, West Ham expect to complete the signing of striker Emmanuel Emenike by the end of the week after agreeing a loan fee with Turkish club Fenerbahce for the Nigerian.
The deal to take Emenike to Upton Park until the end of the season had been complicated by the fact he had been on loan at Al Ain, but negotiations are now complete.

Emenike is travelling to London to undergo a medical and complete the move, which will boost West Ham manager Slaven Bilic's options up front with both Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll out injured. Bilic has claimed that Carroll will be playing again in 10 days and that Sakho should return in two weeks, but the arrival of Emenike will give him much better cover. West Ham have already signed right-back Sam Byram ahead of Everton this month, as the club look to maintain their impressive form over the first six months of the season.

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No money in the world would make us sell Payet
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 28, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham manger Slaven Bilic updated the press on transfer dealings earlier today but insisted West Ham were not in the market to buy any player but would loan one more player. He also admitted Jelavic could still leave after the transfer window closes. He also insisted West Ham would reject any silly offer for Dimitri Payet saying no money in the world would persuade him to let him go. Bilic told reporters "Yes, we are still in the market. We hope that both of our strikers will come fit for the rest of the season, but we are looking to strengthen our squad. We're not going to buy a player, but if we can loan one we will do it"
On the Enenike loan deal Bilic added: "We are waiting for that, because it is a complicated situation. He is a Fenerbahce player, but he is on loan to Al Ain. We made contact, basically they called me from Al Ain, and we thought we could do [the deal] with them, but Fenerbahce have to be involved and now we are talking to them. In the beginning it looked easy, and now, according to Sky mostly, the deal is pretty much alive. So hopefully you guys are right."

On Whether any further players will be leaving the club Bilic answered: "No. We have Jelavic who might go to China, but they are in pre-season at the moment, so he is staying with us until he might sort the deal out."

Finally a question on the club's valuation of Dimitri Payet and whether West Ham would accept a silly offer for their star player. Bilic answered "From my point of view there is no money in the world that we would let him go for."

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Sligo Rovers sign West Ham striker on loan
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 28, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Sligo Rovers have signed Jaanai Gordon on loan from West Ham ahead of the start of the 2016 SSE Airtricity League season.

The 20-year-old striker has signed a short-term loan at the Showgrounds, which will see his initial period at the Bit O'Red last until August this year.

Sligo Manager Dave Robertson said of his latest signing: "I have known Jaanai for a long time. I watched him through his journey. He signed first for the under-12s and came all the way through the system. He got fast-tracked into the first team and made his debut in the Championship at 16 years of age. That attracted a lot of interest from some of the big clubs and he was sold at the age of 17. He has developed really well since and still has two and a half years left on his contract.

"He has been scoring regularly this year with the West Ham under-21s and played last night for them in the Premier League under-21 Cup. Jaanai is an exceptional talent who is a natural goalscorer as well. I think he can score regularly here for us this season.

"I see him as an out and out centre forward. He will give us the threat we need up front to score goals and play with the attacking style we are looking for. He also has good physicality, in the last six games he has scored a few headers and shown great strength and power, he is progressing in that area which will be important for us.

"I know that West Ham will be monitoring how he is doing closely. He has been training regularly with the first team as well as playing with the under-21s. There will be close contact with everybody over there with how things are progressing. They feel that this will really help his game so that when he goes back he will be fitter, stronger and ready to make the break into the first team. He has a really big future."

Gordon has spent the last two years at West Ham, having signed from Peterborough, but has yet to make a first-team appearance. He has previously been loaded to Chelmsford City and Nuneaton town.

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John Lyall gates removal to be honoured
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 28, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham has revealed they will hold a ceremony for the removal of the John Lyall Gates that currently adorn the entrance to the Boleyn Ground. The gates will be relocated to the new club shop outside the former Olympic Stadium later this year. They were originally constructed after West Ham used the £25,000 fee from the 1956 transfer of free-scoring winger Harry Hooper to buy the land that now makes up the main Boleyn Ground car park, with the new gates built at its entrance. In December 2009, the gates were renamed in honour of John Lyall, the Hammers' legendary manager who had died three years previously at the age of 66. After a playing career cruelly cut short by injury, John Lyall joined the Club's coaching ranks in the 1960s under Ron Greenwood. He would go on to succeed his mentor as manager in 1974, leading the Hammers with distinction for some 15 years, always insisting that his teams played football in the 'West Ham Way'. His widow, Yvonne, son Murray and grandchildren were joined at the renaming ceremony in 2009 by Tony Cottee, Tony Gale, Phil Parkes and Ray Stewart, who had played under John Lyall as he led West Ham to their highest ever top-flight finish in 1986. and the club now plan to invite Lyall's family back again for the ceremony of their removal from Green Street.
The plan was revealed at the West Ham Supporters Advisory Board meeting to members.

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Club washes hands of OS "standing" issue
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 28, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham has suggested the issue of supporters standing in front of their seats at the Olympic Stadium from next season is 'a stewarding matter' and not one for the club to answer. In August this year, stewarding for West Ham matches will transfer to Stadium operator London Stadium 185, a subsidiary of French company Vinci Stadiums. Along with OCS, London Stadium 185 have been busy recruiting stewards for Olympic Stadium events including West Ham games and many of the current West Ham stewards are known to have signed up. The question was asked at the West Ham Supporters Advisory board on Tuesday evening and was given a "stewarding issue " answer. The issue of standing at the Olympic Stadium is likely to a thorny issue. Hammers supporters in the Bobby Moore Lower have stood in front of their seats since the stand was build in 1993 and the Sir Trevor Brooking Lower stand together with Chav corner and parts of the East end have also stood up during games for many, many years.

Ever since the introduction of all-seater stadia, many supporters have continued to stand in front of their seats around the country, often for the duration of the game and West Ham have been no different. It is widely believed that this practice is illegal but this is not the case. The law only provides that these clubs should provide seats for all supporters, not that supporters must sit on them.

Standing in seated areas, is, however, contrary to ground regulations. The Premier League regulations state: 'Nobody may stand in any seating area whilst play is in progress. Persistent standing in seated areas whilst play is in progress is strictly forbidden and may result in ejection from the ground'.

Safe standing just won't happen at the Olympic Stadium in the foreseeable future. It would require a rule change from the Premier League and even then the tax payer would be unlikely to fund further modifications to the stadium which has already cost £272m to modify.

In 2014 West Ham chairman, David Gold called standing at football unsafe and unsocial in an interview with Cass Pennant. "It is interesting that for many years we have had unsafe standing, I don't think there is a ground in the country that are all seater stadium that don't have their fans in some area of the ground standing. Now that standing is both unsafe and unsocial. In other words unsocial from the point that if you were to bring a child to that match and that child is suddenly confronted with rows and rows of people in front of him, then he or she is not going to be able to see the match"

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'Carroll, Sakho and Lanzini will be back in 2 weeks'
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 28, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Slaven Bilic has given his press conference ahead of the Liverpool FA cup tie on Saturday. And discussing the various injured players he declared: "We have to see on Jenkinson. We are waiting on the results from the specialist. He is really unlucky with the injury. We will see after today's appointment with the doctor how bad the injury is." "Andy will be back playing in ten days, and Diafra and Lanzini will be back with us in two weeks." "We are still in the market for a striker. We are looking to strengthen our squad. If we can loan one, we will do.
"We have a big FA Cup game on Saturday and we have one of the most difficult draws we could get. We are very ambitious for the FA Cup and we are looking forward to the game." We will make some changes but we have 15-16 players who we are treating as regular ones." "Tomkins is back in training with us. Mark Noble has stayed home today with a bit of flu but hopefully he will be ok tomorrow." "We will make some changes but we will have a very strong side. Our results against Liverpool this season give us confidence, but it is still Liverpool away."

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West Ham reach Semi Finals of U21 PL Cup
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 28, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

After a rocky start for Hammers Academy director Terry Westley, last night's quarter final victory against Blackburn Rovers for the West Ham U21's saw them secure a place in the Under 21 Premier League Cup semis, and extend their unbeaten run to ten games. Reece Oxford who scored one of two goals tweeted "Good 2-1 win tonight, nice to get a goal. 10 games unbeaten onto semi-finals", while Keeper Sam Howes added "What a win tonight vs Blackburn 👌 the boys were class as always 10 games unbeaten and in the semi." Djair Parfitt-Williams scored the other goal.
West Ham U21's are currently fifth in Division Two of the Barclay's Under 21 Premier League on 23 points just one point behind Arsenal and West Brom and two points behind Aston Villa. From 15 games, the Academy youngsters have won seven games, drawn two and lost six. They have scored 26 goals and conceded 25 giving them a positive goal difference of plus one.

U21: Starting XI v Blackburn U21 : Howes, Pike, Neufville, Dobson, Chambers, Oxford (c), Browne, Makasi, Gordon, Cullen, Parfitt-Williams. Subs:Kemp, Brown, Rice, Nasha, Hector-Ingram

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Byram's 275% pay rise after West Ham move
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 28, 2016 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Sources close to Leeds claim Sam Byram earned just £11,000 per week at the championship side which still made him one of their top earners. By contrast the defender is thought to earn a total package of £30,000 per week with a £25,000 per week basic and £5,000 per week appearance bonus. The senior Leeds source – well known to ClaretandHugh -also claimed they actually offered him a new contract but, incredibly, asked him to take a pay cut together with an exit clause allowing him to leave if another club net their valuation.Byram subsequently refused to sign a new contract. Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has made a reduction of the Leeds wage bill a key component of his tenure at the club. That drive has seen the likes of Stephen Warnock, Noel Hunt and Steve Morison released – whilst other players have taken cuts in their wage.

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Emenike undergoes a medical
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 28, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Emmanuel Emenike has arrived London to undergo a medical with West Ham, having already agreed personal terms with the irons. Chairman's son Jack Sullivan confirmed the player has arrived in London and will undergo a medical presumably at West Ham's Spire Roding Hospital, based in Roding Lane South, Redbridge. He tweeted out just after midday "Emenike has arrived in London to under go a medical. More news soon" West Ham are understood to have already agreed a deal with Fenerbahce to bring the 28 year old Emenike on loan for the remainder of the season with an option to buy him permanently. Emenike was the Golden Boot winner at the 2013 African Cup of nations. Yesterday the club's own ITK, the Boleyn Insider revealed "My sources have indicated to me that the Nigerian international could be arriving in England in the next 24 hours and the Hammers are hopeful that a deal can be finalised."

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West Ham starlet Reece Oxford's Charlton loan move is off - because Jose Riga doesn't know who he is
19:29, 28 JAN 2016 UPDATED 19:30, 28 JAN 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Addicks head coach is understood to have vetoed the loan switch which would have seen the 17-year-old gain regular first-team football
The Mirror

West Ham rising star Reece Oxford's move to Charlton is off - because Jose Riga doesn't know who he is. The Addicks head coach is understood to have vetoed the loan switch which would have seen the 17-year-old gain regular first-team football until the end of the season. Oxford hit the headlines earlier this season with an outstanding performance in West Ham's Premier League win over Arsenal. The appearance for the Hammers had made him the second-youngest starter in Premier League history behind Jose Baxter. He lost possession just once during the match playing in front of the back four. He can also, however, play in defence. The idea behind his loan move was for him to further his education in order to help him to break into the Irons first team. Talks are now underway to establish whether Charlton will change their minds.

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CREDIT NOT GIVEN WHERE IT'S DESERVED
By Daniel Margrain 28 Jan 2016 at 15:00
WTID
Daniel bemoans the lack of credit being given to Leicester and West Ham

Reading the various reports' that followed our home 2-2 draw against Manchester City last week, I hadn't read a single one that I felt did our performance justice. The emphasis among most of the scribes putting metaphorical pen to paper who reported from the Boleyn, was to play up Manchester City's supposed weaknesses on the night rather than play up and focus primarily on our superlative level of performance.

The failure of journalists to give due credit to teams who are weaker than their financially muscle flexing competitors is of course nothing new and I'm not singling West Ham out here. But this season I do feel that there has been a growing tendency among some journalists who shall remain nameless who I regard as having largely failed in their duty to accurately reflect in a fair and impartial manner the performances of many of the so-called weaker teams in the Premiership.

It's beyond the scope of this article to go into detail about other clubs, but I think it's fair to say that typically teams like Southampton and, particularly Leicester, come to mind. Jamie Vardy aside, I think most football fans would agree with me that from a journalistic perspective, Claudio Ranieri and his team have not been given a fair crack of the whip. If I was a Leicester fan I would be fuming about the coverage they have been given.

But back to West Ham. I want to focus on the Manchester City game because I think it represents the clearest example of the kind of journalistic shortcomings I've been talking about. According to The Telegraph's lead football writer, for example, the focus of the game was from a City perspective marked by Pellegrini's apparent acceptance of "mediocrity".

Our creditable draw against one of the most accomplished and expensively assembled sides in European football was because Sergio Aguero saved them with two goals against a West Ham side who the journalist in question (grudgingly) conceded were "very good" but who were nonetheless playing against opponents who have "ambitions" who "should of done much better." It seemingly hadn't occurred to this particular journalist that the "unambitious" Hammers are about to move into a shiny new stadium from next season and are in the process of one of the most exciting transitions from a footballing perspective that this 53 year old has known.

I'm not over egging it when I say such a thing. I've had that egg land on my face plenty of times in the past when I've 'bigged up' our prospects only for us to subsequently under achieve. But with the quality and strength of depth that our inspirational manager currently has at his disposal, I think, folks, that what we witnessed against City was far from a fluke. But did we get any sense of that in the reporting?

For the Guardian, Aguero was said to have "rescued city from defeat" as opposed to West Ham throwing away, what was for most rational observers, a deserved win. The emphasis for the Mail was City's "creaky defence" and "bewildering quality in attack" not our brilliant play-making, vibrant attacking or our defensive line that excelled from the first minute to the last. Credit to the Mirror for their acknowledgement that the game was a thriller but still the emphasis was on Aguero's heroics against apparent adversity, and so on and so forth.

The quality of our football was among the best I've seen for years. We were compact and solid when we needed to be with the added ingredient of flair and creativity to complement it. We matched our opponents in every department on the pitch and thoroughly deserved our draw in a great game of competitive football of the highest quality.

I agree with Bobby Shovels who said it was two points dropped. I also agree with HamburgHammer who asserted that it was us, rather than them, who played like Champions. But that still wasn't good enough for the Match of The Day editing team. We were third on the schedule which, I suppose, at least made a change from us being shown last or second from last. And the MOTD pundits did praise Payet and Kante so it's not all negative reporting.

But nevertheless it does seem to me the media have a hard time coming to terms with what is clearly the changing balance of power that's happening in front of their eyes. Iain Dale is surely right when he alluded that the performance against City was a watershed moment. It's a pity that the media pack didn't pick up on it.

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Lionel Messi makes West Ham star Manuel Lanzini's 'dreams come true' by exchanging signed shirt
13:17, 28 JAN 2016
BY AARON FLANAGAN
The pair met as Lanzini continues his recovery from a thigh injury and the 22-year-old took straight to Instagram to post his delight
The Mirror

Manuel Lanzini has been one of West Ham's breakthrough stars of the season - but now we might know where he has been learning his trade. The 22-year-old Argentinian linked up with compatriot and reigning Ballon d'Or holder Lionel Messi earlier this week and found time to pose for the camera. The pair smiled as they were snapped as they exchanged signed shirts.
Lanzini took to Instagram to write that chatting with one of his idols was a "dream come true". The West Ham winger is currently facing around six weeks on the sidelines after picking up a thigh strain earlier this season. Despite his scintillating form, he has yet to be awarded a full call-up to the Argentina national team to play alongside Messi, Sergio Aguero and team-mates. Lanzini has, however, made four appearances for his country's Under-21 side. Since making the loan switch from Abu Dhabi-based Al-Jazira Club, Lanzini has scored four goals in 14 Premier League appearances for the Hammers. Talks have not yet taken place over making his move permanent, but Al-Jazira expect West Ham to make their move soon. Chief executive Ayed Mabkhout admitted recently: "If they decide before April 30 to buy Lanzini then they have to pay €10million. "If they pay it we will take it. There have been no discussions with West Ham until now, but I think they're going to do it. "His performance has been very good up to this moment and they need the player, but we have to wait for something official."

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What is West Ham's strongest midfield?
moorethanjustaclub.com

Following on from my previous article, which was published earlier today about our best back four, in this piece I choose our strongest midfield. As I believe the 4-2-3-1 formation is our strongest, I am playing two holding midfielders, with an attacking midfielder and a left and right wing.

Holding Midfielders
Again, there are a few players with worthy shouts to this position, but the pairing I'm going for are Cheikhou Kouyate and the captain, Mark Noble. Yet again this position represents depth for us with both Alex Song and Pedro Obiang waiting in the wings if given an opportunity, even Reece Oxford may hold a claim of being in contention after his pocketing of Mesut Ozil on the opening day of the season. The competition is so strong that you could choose to shuffle the formation and play three holding midfielders, as we did the other day against City, and it worked pretty well to be fair, but on the other occasions we have deployed three holding players I feel like it leaves us wanting going forward.

The choice of Kouyate is, to me, a simple one. He maintains in my eyes a heartbeat of the team that can do just about anything. He has an engine with pace and power like that of a 4x4, sniffs out a lot with his strength at the back, often very dangerous both in the air and on the deck going forward, as shown against City in his run to create Valencia's first goal as well as almost nicking a winner when his header hit the bar at the death, and he is more than capable of chipping in with a goal, hitting 4 last term and 3 already this time around. If I'm being honest, I absolutely love Cheik and he was never going to be left out.

As for the other slot, as much as he often receives some unnecessary stick and does have the odd poor game, Mark Noble is also a shoe-in for the team. A West Ham team feels incomplete without a local boy in it, and so with Noble flying the flag for the East End in the middle of the park, with the kind of enthusiasm and passion welcomed with open arms at his beloved Upton Park, he provides us with not only a top quality midfielder, but also a top quality captain and a vital link between the fans and the players. As long as his performances are up to scratch, Noble's place in the team is safe. Should Alex Song's performances hit the heights they did before his injury last season then he would be make a hugely strong case for inclusion too, but since that injury he hasn't looked the same player. However, he is still a good player to have, and his performance against City yesterday was a very good one, the closest we have seen to his pre-injury best and fully deserving of the sponsor's man of the match award, so maybe he might just give Bilic another selection headache soon enough.

Not only that, but through no fault of his own, Pedro Obiang has not been able to make his break into the first team permanently since his arrival from Sampdoria in the summer. He looks tidy whenever called upon, and is a comforting late substitution to make if trying to hold onto a result, so once again he's a great player to have around. The depth and quality of these four players is yet again a comforting feeling, as I feel any of the four can certainly do a job if needed, but as for the starting pair, Noble and Kouyate are the two I would want.

Attacking Midfielder
We've got Payet. Dimitri Payet. That should be enough explanation. The man that makes me believe in magic and re-evaluate my sexuality, Dimitri Payet really is one of a kind. He does things with that ball I can barely believe, I almost have to double take. There have been multiple moments this season that he has got us all of our seats just with a little touch or flick to embarrass yet another defender, and there are some glorious moments that he literally makes me laugh at how good he is. I can't give the man enough praise. I love football more than anything, I love West Ham even more than that, and there are times that Dimi just reminds me exactly why I fell in love with both. I just don't think you understand. Needless to say, he's the creative spark in the middle, behind the striker.

Right Wing
This is a position that I feel splits opinion amongst fans. At the start of the season Victor Moses seemed to have made this position his own, but when injuries hit we saw the long awaited introduction of Michail Antonio to the team. Now the two are both fit, there is an argument (or at least there is where I sit anyway) about who you would prefer in the team. My own personal opinion, I sit in the camp that prefers Michail Antonio. He had to be patient while Moses kept him out of the team early in the season, but when he finally got a true chance I feel like he has taken it with open arms. Coming up from the Championship he still has things to learn, but he is learning tremendously quickly and offers plenty to the team. There was a freshness about him I felt, but I couldn't put my finger on what until my mate perfectly described it, he's like the perfect Sunday league kind of winger, and with that specific mate being a left back I'm inclined to agree with him.

Antonio's raw, natural pace and power are a nightmare for defenders, and his work rate is exceptional. Even before his confidence boosting, if not highly fortunate, goal against Southampton, he seemed to be causing problems and bringing this brilliant work rate, which in itself was a threat. I remember in the game against Southampton at one point he won the ball on the edge of our own box, and within a matter of huge touches which he repeatedly ran onto, he won us a throw on the edge of their box, all in the space of seconds. Further, as we remember from the Liverpool game, he won a tackle by our own corner flag before getting up, sprinting fully 90 yards or more up the pitch to get his head on the end of Valencia's delicious cross and put us 1-0 up. His first touch is sometimes not as crisp as you might want, but he is dangerous on the ball, he never seems to stop running, and he also happens to have a hell of a long throw, which came in handy when coupled with his quick thinking for Valencia's 2nd goal.

Left Wing
Another man who has taken the Boleyn Ground by storm this year, rather unexpectedly it could be said, Manuel Lanzini. He's creative, he's agile, he's skilful, he scores goals, he makes goals, he plays with a smile on his face, what more could you want from the little Argentine (except for his signature on a permanent deal)? He can basically play anywhere across the midfield, but to accommodate everyone he often gets stuck out on the left, but he can easily still do a job out there. His little tricks and flicks, as well as the creativity, rank up there with Payet at times, and he can't half hit a ball either. Then again, he's delicate when he needs to be, like that magical little dink against Everton. Lanzini, like Payet, plays football the way everyone wants to see it played, and when it comes off (which it seems to more often than not), it is simply beautiful. The sooner we get him signed up for the long term, the better.

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West Ham's pursuit of Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz is over, reveals Slaven Bilic
By talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) | Thursday, January 28, 2016

Slaven Bilic says West Ham have been told they must buy Burak Yilmaz because Galatasaray are not interested in sending him out on loan. The Hammers have been strongly linked with the Turkish striker, who has hit 65 top-flight goals in 105 appearances since his arrival from Trabzonspor. Bilic has enquired about the 30-year-old's availability but has been told that a loan spell is out of question. On Yilmaz, he said: "We are in the market to take one on loan. His club do not want to loan him. They only want to sell." The West Ham boss is also keen on a loan move for Emanuel Emenike, the Nigeria striker who has hit seven goals in 11 appearances on loan at Al Ain. The Hammers now want to seal a loan spell of their own for the 28-year-old, who is contracted to Fenerbahce. But Bilic said: "Emenike is complicated. He is a Fenerbahce player but he's on loan to Al Ain."

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Burak Yilmaz to West Ham: Hammers unwilling to meet Galatasaray's £8m valuation
KEN DYER Evening Standard

West Ham have dropped out of the race to sign striker Burak Yilmaz from Galatasaray. The club had targeted the 30-year-old following complications in their bid to sign Fenerbahce's Emmanuel Emenike. Talks over the Nigeria striker are continuing with the clubs close to agreeing a deal until the end of the season. However, Galatasaray were keen on a permanent deal for Yilmaz and were asking for £8million. West Ham are unwilling to spend that much at this stage of the season, particularly now their injured strikers are near a return. Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho could both return for the Hammers' trip to face Southampton at St. Mary's on February 8. West Ham will not be seeking a replacement for on-loan right-back Carl Jenkinson, whose season is over after damaging knee ligaments. Manager Slaven Bilic believes he has enough cover in new signing Sam Byram, James Tomkins and Joey O'Brien, who is nearing full fitness after a long-term ankle injury.

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West Ham set to tie up deal for Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike after clubs agree loan fee
By SAMI MOKBEL FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 09:38, 28 January 2016 | UPDATED: 09:43, 28 January 2016

Emmanuel Emenike is due to fly over to England to complete his move to West Ham. The Hammers and Fenerbahce have now agreed a loan fee for the the Nigerian striker after discussions on Wednesday. And the striker is due to arrive in London over the next 24 hours to complete a medical ahead of signing. Sportsmail revealed on Wednesday how West Ham were edging closer to bringing Emenike to Upton Park. The clubs settled on a deal that would see the forward join on loan with an option for the transfer to be made permanent for a fixed fee in the summer following talks on Tuesday night. All that was left was for the two clubs to agree a loan fee - an issue that has now been settled. Officials from both clubs are hopeful of completing a deal by the weekend. The Hammers have already strengthened their squad during this window with the capture of highly-rated right Sam Byram from Leeds united. West Ham signed the 22-year-old defender for £3.7million earlier this month and made his debut in last week's 2-2 draw with Manchester City at Upton Park.

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European club make shock move for West Ham star Dimitri Payet
GALATASARAY have made an ambitious request to strike a deal with West Ham for Dimitri Payet, according to reports.
By LIAM SPENCE
PUBLISHED: 08:54, Thu, Jan 28, 2016 | UPDATED: 09:07, Thu, Jan 28, 2016
Express.co.uk

West Ham star Dimitri Payet has been linked with a shock move to Galatasaray. West Ham have been negotiating a loan deal with the Turkish outfit to try and bring long-term target Burak Yilmaz to Upton Park. However, according to the Daily Mirror, Galatasaray have responded to the Hammers's enquiry by requesting that they take Payet in exchange for Yilmaz. This bold move came after Galatasaray dismissed the prospect of allowing Yilmaz to leave on loan as they are said to prefer a permanent £7miliion move instead. The Hammers are currently without striker Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho due to injury and are said to be in the market for a forward that is good enough to help them maintain their push for European football. Despite seemingly missing out on Yilmaz, West Ham still have a deal with Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike in the pipeline with a move set to be finalised before deadline day. Payet has been one of the brightest sparks in the Premier League since joining the Hammers for £10million from Marseille last summer, so it is no wonder he has been attracting interest from a host of potential suitors. The 27-year-old has made 16 Premier League appearances for the Hammers so far this season, scoring six goals.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 28th January 2016

The Big Interview - Enner Valencia
WHUFC.com

Enner Valencia is arguably in the best form he has shown in a West Ham
United shirt. Fully recovered from the high ankle sprain which ruled him out
earlier this season, and with fellow forwards Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho
nursing their own injuries, the No11 has risen to the challenge of becoming
the Hammers' first-choice centre forward. Two wonderful goals in the
thrilling Barclays Premier League victory at AFC Bournemouth – one a volley
and the other a wickedly dipping free-kick – were followed by two more in
Saturday's rollercoaster 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City. With West Ham
sitting sixth in the table with 15 games to play and looking forward to
Saturday's Emirates FA Cup fourth-round trip to Liverpool, whufc.com
continued Enner Valencia Week by chatting to our outstanding Ecuador
international.

Enner, with four goals in your last three matches, do you feel like you are
in top form?

"Yes, I am very pleased to be among the goals again and have been able to
help the team. I am feeling fully fit and I have a lot of confidence, so it
is a bit of everything as to why I am feeling so good. All these things
help! I feel very happy at the moment. I have had to cope with two very
difficult injuries but now I'm fully fit and doing all I can to help the
team."

It is a cliché, but are we now seeing the 'real' Enner Valencia, the 'real'
Superman, as you are known in your homeland?

"Maybe they are! Obviously in terms of my goals and helping the team stay as
high we can in the league, I feel I am doing well, but I can be giving more
to the team in the future."

You have been playing as a No9, as our centre forward. Are you enjoying that
position?

"Yes, that's the position I really enjoy playing in and of course I am much
nearer to the goal, so that makes it much easier to score goals."

We have seen the full repertoire of goals from you in recent matches – a
volley, a free-kick and a couple of first-time finishes…

"The free-kick was a goal I have been wanting to score since last season,
then there was the volley and obviously the goal against Manchester City
where I managed to hold off the defender Nicolas Otamendi. I am happy with
them and I hope there are lots more to come."

Can you explain the technique you used for the free-kick at Bournemouth,
because the ball was travelling so quickly and dipped so sharply…

"Yes, it is a technique I have seen Cristiano Ronaldo use many times, and
also Juninho Pernambucano who played for Lyon for many seasons. I have been
trying and trying and it finally came off against Bournemouth. You have to
hit the ball the centre of the ball with the point of your toes. It's about
the angle you hit the ball and getting it up and down very quickly. Thank
God it worked against Bournemouth. You must hit the middle of the football
and that way it goes up and down very quickly."

For the second goal against Manchester City, we also saw your strength?

"Yes, it all happened very quickly. Michail Antonio threw the ball over the
top of their defence and I managed to get my body in front and hold off the
defender Otamendi and put the ball away."

You have won trophies with Emelec and scored lots of goals for Pachuca, but
Is this the best club side you have played in?

"Maybe. We have been in great form and are beating some top teams and are
near the top of the Premier League, so we're doing very well. It is
fantastic playing in the team as players like Dimitri Payet, because of
course he is a wonderful teammate to have. You know he can play you in with
one pass and it's my job to make the most of that."

Can we finish the season in the top six?

"Of course the best scenario would be to finish in the top four and qualify
for the Champions League, so of course we're putting in all the hard work we
can and we hope we can finish in the Champions League position."

Finally, we have an FA Cup fourth round tie at Liverpool on Saturday. We
have beaten them twice in the Premier League, so can we make it a memorable
hat-trick?

"Yes, we have beaten them in the last two games we have played them, but
every game with Liverpool is different and we know this one will be very
difficult, so we have to concentrate if we want to get the win."

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Holocaust Memorial Day 2016
WHUFC.com

'Don't Stand By' is the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2016

Joint-Chairman David Gold will today attend Newham Council's Holocaust
Memorial Day commemoration in association with the Holocaust Educational
Trust. Mr Gold has been invited to light one of six candles, alongside
survivor Harry Bibring, Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales, Young Mayor of
Newham Alex Jarrett, West Ham MP Lyn Brown, and Deputy Lieutenant John
Barber, The Queen's representative in Newham, to mark the six million Jews
who died in the Holocaust. Ninety-year-old survivor Harry has been telling
his story for many years. His first-hand testimony is a powerful reminder of
the horrors so many experienced during the Holocaust. He is a living witness
to Nazi persecution, keen to ensure the memory of those who died is
honoured, and learn the lessons of where prejudice and racism can lead.
Retired engineer Harry is now one of a handful of survivors who visit
schools to tell their stories as living witnesses, but the number is getting
smaller. He said: "People ask me why I do it and I say I don't like daytime
television. The real reason of course is that there is still prejudice to
challenge. "Modern society has appeared to have learned nothing from the
Holocaust. People are still discriminated against because they live a
different life or a different skin colour. Just look at Rwanda and Cambodia
and now in Syria where different sections of the same religion are killing
themselves. It has got to stop. "I tell people to never fall into a group
who differentiate against somebody because they are different to you. There
is only race on this earth, the human race, and we have to get on with each
other. "This year's Holocaust Memorial Day message is Don't Stand By. I have
been saying that for years. Standing by is bad. That's why I want to meet
young people and to tell them my story."

The HMD commemoration is to take place on Wednesday 27 January,
9.30am-12.30pm, Old Town Hall, Broadway, Stratford, E15. Harry will share
his story and there will be an opportunity to ask questions, while the
service also includes performances and readings from Newham schoolchildren.
For more information, click here.

As Harry himself points out, 'Don't Stand By' is the theme for Holocaust
Memorial Day 2016. Supporters were able to watch a video on the subject on
the big screens at Saturday's game with Manchester City, courtesy of the
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. In the short film, survivor of the Holocaust
Susan Pollack shares a unique story of surviving genocide.

The Holocaust and subsequent genocides took place because the local
populations allowed insidious persecution to take root. Whilst some actively
supported or facilitated state policies of persecution, the vast majority
stood by silently – at best, afraid to speak out; at worst, indifferent.
Bystanders enabled the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and subsequent genocides.

Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel has written powerfully about the impact of
bystanders: "I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings
endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality
helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor,
never the tormented.

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Boleyn Insider
WHUFC.com

The Boleyn Insider brings you exclusive insight into the behind-the-scenes
goings on at the Boleyn Ground. We are fast approaching the end of the
January transfer window, but it is my understanding that the Club are still
working hard behind the scenes to add another player to the squad. With
Mauro Zarate joining Fiorentina last week, there is the option for the Club
to sign another forward and there have been strong reports in the media
linking Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike with a move to the Boleyn
Ground. My sources have indicated to me that the Nigerian international
could be arriving in England in the next 24 hours and the Hammers are
hopeful that a deal can be finalised. The Club have also been linked with a
move for Galatasaray forward Burak Yilmaz, but I have been told there is no
interest in the experienced Turkish striker. It is my understanding that the
Club are not prepared to take a risk on a player of his age who has never
played outside of Turkey. Looking ahead to the summer, the Hammers have made
it clear that they want to sign a big name striker who has a proven track
record.
Reports are suggesting that Marseille forward Michy Batshuayi is one of the
main targets, but it has been made clear to me that the French club will not
be selling him during this current window and the Hammers will review his
situation at the end of the season. Slaven Bilic made it clear at the start
of the January window that he was happy with his squad and would only
consider something if an exceptional player became available. The signing of
Sam Byram from Leeds United came about earlier than expected due to
Everton's late interest and he has already proved to be a great signing for
the Club. With the Hammers set for a big move to the new Stadium during the
summer I have been told that work has already started on identifying new
players in the summer and that significant funds will be made available
again. The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily
those of West Ham United

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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke with his latest
update – in association with Spire Roding Hospital...

Hello everyone,

We will start this week with an update regarding Carl Jenkinson, who
unfortunately suffered a significant knee injury in Saturday's 2-2 Barclays
Premier League draw with Manchester City.
For the moment, Carl's medical procedures are handled by Arsenal. We wish
Carl all the best at this difficult time.

James Tomkins picked up a groin injury at Newcastle United. James returns to
full training tomorrow and should be available for this Saturday's FA Cup
fourth round tie at Liverpool.

Michail Antonio was one of a few players who picked up knocks in the
Manchester City game, but all of them will be recovered in time to play at
Liverpool. Michail injured his wrist and will wear some protection in the
next few games.

Andy Carroll is close to full fitness. He will be training with the squad
from the beginning of next week.

Manuel Lanzini and Diafra Sakho have started working on the pitch
individually and are coming into the final stages of their rehabilitation.
We are still on target to recover them by the middle of February.

We have five days remaining of the Transfer Window and we will have to see
what happens with regard to any new players coming in, which will
necessitate a medical taking place at Spire Roding Hospital.

Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

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Reid's happy to be back
WHUFC.com

Winston Reid was pleased to play his part as West Ham United secured a point
against title-challengers Manchester City on Saturday. Reid was marking his
return to the starting line-up in the Barclays Premier League following a
month-long injury absence and he chose a high-intensity clash in which to
make his comeback. The Kiwi felt the performance was indicative of how far
the Hammers have come and is confident for a strong end to the campaign. "It
was a bit of a ding dong game and they are a tough team to play against," he
said. "We had other chances too and it showed what a class keeper Joe Hart
is that he saved Dimi's (Payet's) free kick. It was right in the top corner.
"At the end we had a chance with Cheikhou Kouyate, but it wasn't to be. It
was a good performance and we needed to bounce back from the disappointment
against Newcastle. "It was a great game for the fans and it shows how far we
have come as a team to be disappointed in not winning against a team like
Man City. "I haven't been frustrated [at waiting for my chance]. I spoke to
the manager and he told me how the situation was. The defence has been doing
really well since I have been out and I said to him that it is not a
problem, when I am needed he can call upon me to play. "Everyone wants to
play of course, but I know the situation. I trained hard and it gave me a
couple of extra weeks to get my fitness back up."

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Euro 2016: James Collins feared career was over in 2008
BBC.co.uk

Wales defender James Collins will go to the 2016 European Championships this
summer having feared eight years ago his playing career was over. The
32-year-old suffered a knee ligament injury in January 2008 playing for West
Ham United's reserves. Collins says he was "virtually in tears" as he feared
the worst during a scan on the injury. "That's all that was in my head. I'm
thinking this is never going to be the same again," he told Sport Wales. The
Newport-born player added: "I remember at my age looking at the fact that a
cruciate knee injury - you used to see players not come back from it."
Collins made his Wales debut as a 20-year-old in a youthful team fielded by
then-manager Mark Hughes for a 0-0 draw with Norway in May, 2004. The former
Cardiff City player says injuries have restricted his international
appearances, but is relishing what lies ahead in France in the summer. "I
think I made my debut when I was 20 maybe. I am 32 now and only to be on 46
caps is not enough, really," Collins said. "I've pulled out of a lot of
games through injury and I was out for two years from international football
with my knee." Collins says "persistent calf problems" have also limited his
Wales career. "Every time there was a Wales trip coming around I seemed to
be out," he added. "I wasn't playing at my club and obviously I was missing
the Wales games. "So to be involved now still, at 32, and having touched
this successful (Welsh) period and enjoying it more than I ever have, is
great. "A while ago, looking at my Welsh career I thought it would probably
never happen and to be involved and hopefully going into it (Euro 2016)
playing well in a tremendous Welsh team is very exciting."

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Ladies advance in the cup
January 27, 2016
WestHamWay.co.uk
Marc Nurse

We had been looking forward to this game for a few weeks and after a couple
of unavoidable postponements, we were game on! Both teams started slowly
and we conceded an early penalty after a bit of rash challenge from one of
the defenders. Crystal Palace went 1-0 up after 13 minutes and the pressure
was on for us to level the score. I was very confident that we could get
back in to the game and we responded well. One of our most influential
players this season, Shirvae Edwards, intercepted the ball and managed to
slot through to Romina Pinna for the first goal . Once again, Shiv was
phenomenal intercepting the ball and playing forward to Whitney Locke, who
scored a fantastic goal - her first of the season. We went in to the break
2-1 up and the second half was all about hitting them on the break when we
could. We created a few chances but couldn't find the back of the net. We
had a clear penalty, but this was unfortunately not ruled in our favour. I
am really proud of every single one of the players, the defending was
fantastic, especially from corners and set pieces. Katie Bottom showed
great leadership, pushing her side forward to the next round of the FA Cup.
We now will play either Blackburn or Nuneaton at home. I hope to see you
all there! COYI's!

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West Ham agree loan deal for Fenerbahce's Emmanuel Emenike
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 27/01/16 5:12pm
SSN

West Ham have agreed a deal with Fenerbahce to sign Emmanuel Emenike but a
loan move for Galatasaray's Burak Yilmaz appears to be off. Sky sources
understand Turkish club Fenerbahce have accepted West Ham's loan offer for
former Nigeria international striker Emenike, 28. Dubai-based Al Ain, where
he had been on loan, no longer have Emenike registered as one of their three
foreign players. It is understood Emenike will travel to London for a
medical on Thursday and the club will also prepare a work permit
application. And Fenerbahce are in talks with Roma over the signing of
Seydou Doumbia as a replacement for Emenike. The deal for 30-year-old Yilmaz
is less straightforward, with Galatasaray reluctant to sell their Turkey
international striker and likely to demand a fee in the region of £8m. West
Ham have so far only offered a loan deal which is thought to be of no
interest to the selling club or the player, and it is also understood the
Londoners do not want to bring in both players.
Crystal Palace had been interested in Emenike but have abandoned their
pursuit after agreeing a contract with Emmanuel Adebayor on Tuesday.
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic knows the player from his time in charge of
Besiktas.

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Bobby Moore statue must be replaced
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 27, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Newham council have agreed for the 16ft bronze statue of Bobby Moore, Geoff
Hurst and Martin Peters plus Everton's Ray Wilson which celebrates England's
World Cup win in 1966 to be moved to the Olympic Stadium on condition it is
replaced with a sculpture that celebrates West Ham's connection to the area.

ClaretandHugh understands that the club will need to fully fund the
relocation to it's a new home outside the Olympic Stadium ahead of West
Ham's summer move.

bm1Newham councillors backed plans to make the sculpture the showpiece of a
new Champions Place.

Cllr Ken Clark, cabinet member for building communities, public affairs,
regeneration and planning, said: "This is an iconic sculpture showing West
Ham's key role in one of this country's greatest sporting successes.

"There is a strong case for it being relocated, but we must not ignore the
area it will be moving from.Before the sculpture is moved, we must be
assured that appropriate junction improvements and West Ham United's history
at the Boleyn Ground will be commemorated."

The sculpture, designed by Philip Jackson, was unveiled by Prince Andrew in
April 2003.

Councillors have also agreed to develop plans to improve the Barking Road
junction where it currently stands, and will look at the possibility of
incorporating a new sculpture into the design. The council will seek funding
from Transport for London and other sources for the work, which it aims to
complete by 2019.

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Hammers warn against last day pitch invasion
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 27, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham have pleaded with supporters not to spoil the end of season party
by invading the Boleyn Ground pitch after the Swansea City match.

Members of the West Ham Supporters Advisory board were told by club
representatives last night that a pitch invasion after the last game of the
season would completely ruin post match entertainment that has been planned.

The club also refused to rule out life bans including the Olympic Stadium
for anyone caught running onto the pitch after the last ball has been
kicked.

The club did reveal last night that every living player who played for West
Ham will be invited back to a game this season. They said there are over 400
of them in total. Every living Hammer of the year have been invited to the
final game of the season.

Tony Cottee recently revealed "The club have already written to me and for
the Swansea game there's only 37 West Ham players that won Hammer of the
Year, of which 33 are still alive and I am one of the 33 and they have
invited the 33 Hammers of the Years back to celebrate the last game ever at
Upton Park"

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Great news on injury front
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 27, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

James Tomkins is expected to be fit for the FA Cuo clash this weekend while
Andy Carroll is reported to be very close to full fitness. Speakig to the
official site Stijn Vandenbroucke, Head of Medical and Sports Science,
reported: "James Tomkins picked up a little groin injury at Newcastle
United, but he has now returned to full training and should be available for
this Saturday's FA Cup fourth round tie at Liverpool. Michail Antonio was
one of a few players who picked up knocks in the Manchester City game, but
all of them will be recovered in time to play at Liverpool. Michail injured
his wrist and will wear some protection in the next few games. Andy Carroll
is very close to full fitness. He will be training with the squad from the
beginning of next week. Manuel Lanzini and Diafra Sakho have started working
on the pitch individually and are coming into the final stages of their
rehabilitation. We are still on target to recover them by the middle of
February. We have five days remaining of the Transfer Window and we will
have to see what happens with regard to any new players coming in, which
will necessitate a medical taking place at Spire Roding Hospital."

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OFFICIAL: Yes he is the Irons target
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 27, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham have admitted for the first time that Marseilles striker Michy
Batshuayi is – as widely touted – the No 1 summer target. And they have
added that the club will be relying heavily on the Dimitri Payet factor to
swing the race in their favour when the scramble gets underway for his
signature. ClaretandHugh carried a story yesterday in which the striker
admitted he loved Payet in a tweet declaring "PAYET PAYET PAYET" followed by
three hearts! And this morning a top Irons source told us: "Yes, he's the
one we want but we have not -as has been suggested – signed any pre contract
arrangements. The truth is that half of Europe are after him. Obviously
the Payet factor could help – we hope so."
Rumours started circulating on the social networks that the Irons were
negotiating a pre-contract but that was blown out of the water by the
ever-reliable http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ where it was revealed that he
signed a contract extension with Marseilles this month and is under contract
until 2020. However, interestingly the website – seen as a 'bible ' on these
matters by many claims that his market value is only £6.3 million – NOT £20
million. However, one leading agent commented: "It's a guide but the truth
is a player is worth what a club decides it wants to pay." The 22-year-old
striker has scored 15 goals in 27 Ligue 1 and Europa League games for
Marseille this season. Scouts from West Ham, Manchester United and Liverpool
attended Marseille's 1-1 draw with Lyon on Sunday night.

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Fans get last game 'assurance' from club
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 27, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham have asked the Premier League and TV sports broadcasters NOT to
move our last game against Swansea City to a Monday evening. The matter
looks to have finally settled after The West Ham Supporters Advisory Board
was told last night the club has spoken to the Premier League on the matter.
ClaretandHugh has been told by one member present that club representatives
gave the assurance from the platform. A rumour has gathered pace pace in
recent weeks that our final game will be moved to a Monday night to be
screened live by Sky. It's also been speculated that it would also be played
at a time to fit in with Iron Maiden's touring schedule who were suggested
may become surprise guests after the game. However, Maiden and bassist
Steve Harris – a big West Ham fan – are touring ten thousand miles away in
Australia at that time so there is little possibility of them gigging at the
Boleyn. UptonparkThere remains a strong possibility that Sky or BT Sports
could chose the game to be screened LIVE considering the historical
significance of the event. That could mean a lunchtime or evening kick off
on the Saturday, Sunday or a Monday night game. The broadcasters are told to
give six weeks notice of fixture changes to enable supporters to change
plans although this didn't happen with an Arsenal v Leicester City fixture
in February which caused complaints A Premier League statement said: "We
always seek to give fans a minimum of six weeks' notice of any fixture
changes. It is only on extremely rare occasions we don't meet that
aspiration during the normal course of the season.We are currently in
discussions with Arsenal and Leicester City to see what can be done to help
fans affected by this scheduling change."

Last year, Glenn Thompson from IT firm ATOS claimed West Ham made a request
to be at home at the penultimate weekend rather than the last weekend of
their final season at the Boleyn Ground.
Glenn, responsible for calculating Premier League fixtures for the IT firm
told Andy Goldstein on TalkSport radio: "I believe, West Ham requested to
be home on the penultimate weekend."
However, David Gold disputed Mr Thompson at the time saying "I find it very
odd that anyone on this planet would believe that West Ham would ASK to be
away for last game. dg" he issue could still face another twist as described
here yesterday by the progress of ourselves and Manchester United in the FA
Cup.

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West Ham Cottee: That was the best debut I have seen in a very long time
London 24
12:30 27 January 2016

Our West Ham columnist extols the virtues of Sam Byram and Dimitri Payet 1
Sam Byram of West Ham. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) What a cracker of
a game it was at Upton Park on Saturday and though I had been suffering with
a bit of 'man flu' from earlier in the week, I was delighted that I made my
way over from Sky to see the match. Firstly I thought we did everything
right in the game. Apart from maybe 15 minutes after we scored the first
goal, when City began to take charge, I thought we were better than them in
just about every department. I thought Dimitri Payet was absolutely
brilliant. He ran the game from midfield and was only denied a deserved goal
by a brilliant save from Joe Hart. For me, you have to go back to a Carlos
Tevez or a Paolo Di Canio, or going even further back, an Alan Devonshire or
Alan Dickens to see a performance like that from a Hammer. West Ham United's
Dimitri Payet attempts a overhead kick during the Barclays Premier League
match at Upton Park, London. I have always rated Enner Valencia as probably
our best finisher at the club and it is great to see him hit the net, but I
want to give some special praise to young Sam Byram. I have seen him a lot
for Leeds United in the Championship, so I was keen to see how he did in the
Premier League and I thought that was the best debut I have seen in a very
long time. When you are a defender on the bench you condition yourself to
not coming on early and just enjoy the game, but from the moment he stepped
on to the field, he was superb. Within moments he had a ball coming at him
from miles in the air and under pressure, but he controlled it and sent a
stunning ball back across the pitch. From then on, he was strong and he kept
things simple and for me he has to be an automatic pick for the Aston Villa
game. West Ham United's Dimitri Payet reacts during the Barclays Premier
League match at Upton Park, London. Before that, we go to Liverpool in the
FA Cup and I am looking for us to field a strong enough team for at least a
draw. You have to strike a balance with a Premier League game on Tuesday,
something that is a complete nonsense and needs to be sorted. I think Jurgen
Klopp will play a lot of his youngsters, so I would like to see at least six
regular first-teamers for us at Anfield, resting just a few and if so, I
think we can get a result. Villa have certainly picked up lately, despite
not winning many games. You can't take three points for granted in any game,
they won't just roll over and let us beat them, but again I think if we stay
focused and work hard I believe we can win this game and move further up the
table. I am on a good run with my predictions at the moment, so I will go
for a 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Saturday, giving us a nice replay, while
against Villa I think we can get over the line 3-1. The top four is not just
a dream – COYI!

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West Ham transfer report: 'Real deal' Michy Batshuayi could strike up
'deadly partnership' with Dimitri Payet
By WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) | Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Whether it be in January or in the summer, Marseille sensation Michy
Batshuayi is set to be a hot property on the transfer market. It's likely to
be a matter of when, not if, the French side sell and it appears West Ham
have joined the battle for his signature. WhoScored.com have the stats to
support him moving to the Premier League. Check out lots of brilliant West
Ham statistics here, and read on for WhoScored's take on the Belgian
forward… It's becoming increasingly harder for teams across Europe to
protect their young talents from the watchful eyes of the elite on the
continent. The increase in coverage means clubs have greater access to
younger players, which in turn is making it more difficult for smaller teams
to hang onto their prized assets. One such talent set to draw more and more
attention in the coming weeks and months is Batshuayi. The young Belgium
international has quickly established himself as Marseille's first choice
striker in the wake of Andre Ayew and Andre-Pierre Gignac's respective
departures for Swansea and Tigres. Having featured sporadically last season,
Batshuayi has started 21 of 22 games in Ligue 1 season, with his
performances contributing to a WhoScored.com rating of 7.09.
His goalscoring exploits can't be called into question, with his 12 league
goals bettered only by Zlatan Ibrahimvic (17) in Ligue 1 this season,
accentuating his statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of
'finishing'. Yet, the 22-year-old isn't just a goalscoring striker, as his
seven assists indicate. Only Angel Di Maria (9) has registered more than the
youngster this term, highlighting his commendable ability to bring others
into play. While teams were fully aware of his potential last season,
Batshuayi's performances have perhaps exceeded expectations considering
Marseille's major overhaul last summer. Marcelo Bielsa's exit following the
opening day defeat to Caen left the club at a crossroads, though replacement
Michel deserves credit for ensuring they remain in with a chance of securing
Champions League.
In that regard, Batshuayi is crucial for the French side. Of the 33 players
to score 10 or more goals in Ligue 1 since the beginning of last season,
only four are scoring a goal more frequently than Batshuayi (every 131.8
minutes). While a number of big hitters have been credited with an interest
in the Belgian, it's West Ham who seemingly lead the way in their quest to
secure the striker's services. Batshuayi may have signed a new contract with
Marseille earlier this month, but in the January transfer window, rumours
remain abound of 'this club' signing 'that player'. The Hammers are no
different, with their current crop of strikers struggling for form and
regular fitness. Factor in the impressive performances of summer arrival
Dimitri Payet, who continues to excel in his debut campaign in east London,
and a move to West Ham could certainly benefit player and club.
The duo played together at Marseille last season and while Batshuayi rarely
featured due to Gignac's impressive form, the pair would certainly have the
potential to strike up a deadly partnership in the final third. Only three
players have played more key passes in the Premier League this season than
Payet (57), despite the Frenchman missing almost two months of the campaign
with an ankle problem. With Euro 2016 looming, Marseille must be hoping that
Batshuayi's price tag will rise, particularly with the frontman expected to
be part of the Belgium squad that travels to France this summer. It would,
therefore, be in the Hammers' best interests to get a deal completed sooner
rather than later, especially if Batshuayi enjoys a prolific European
Championship that would see interest in his signature increase
significantly.
Some players are hyped despite playing only a handful of games, but
Batshuayi looks the real deal. His already evident striking qualities and
scope to improve means he is a striker that any team in Europe could
utilise. If West Ham manage to beat their rivals to the punch, then it would
be seen as another real coup by the east London outfit.

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West Ham star reveals why he's struggling to settle in England
ANGELO OGBONNA has revealed that he has found it difficult to settle in
England.
By JAMES GRAY
PUBLISHED: 14:49, Wed, Jan 27, 2016 | UPDATED: 15:00, Wed, Jan 27, 2016
Express

Ogbonna signed from Juventus last summer but has struggled to settle. The
27-year-old made a £8.4million switch from Juventus over the summer, netting
an own goal on his debut in the Europa League against Astra Giurgiu. And
although the Italy international has been a regular in the centre of Slaven
Bilic's defence with 16 appearances in all competitions, Ogbonna claims he
has struggled to settle in the country. "Difficulties? The language,"
Ogbonna told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. "Although I have
Nigerian roots, I've always been in Italy.
"The other thing that makes me think is the less sociable nature of the
British. "It's not easy to establish human relationships."
Ogbonna was dropped to the bench last week as Bilic opted for James Collins
and Winston Reid at the heart of his backline. But Ogbonna is confident of a
return to the team, admitting that he feels under considerably less pressure
in England than he did in Italy. "Everything is more relaxed," Ogbonna
added. "There isn't the pressure of Serie A. "We [Italians] work more
though, training sessions every day and double sessions once a week, whereas
here we often rest on Wednesday. "There's more respect on the pitch."

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West Ham defender Joey O'Brien admits he could leave club on loan this month
HITC
Mathew Nash

he Republic of Ireland international is worried about his place in the Euro
2016 finals. West Ham defender Joey O'Brien has confirmed his desire to move
away from the club this month as he returns to first-team training after a
spell out with an ankle injury. The arrival of Sam Byram has seen the
Republic of Ireland international's chances of regular football take another
knock and he confirmed to London 24 that he is open to the idea of leaving
the club. He stated: "I need to go and play games. "The Euros are in the
summer. I need to be playing games to try and get into the next squad for
the friendlies. Then we can see what happens from there but I need to be
playing. Ireland hasn't been to many major championships, so this is a big
deal. "I will have to see what the manager thinks. If he sits me down and
says he wants me to go out on loan then I will look at that. "It is down to
the manager, if he wants me to hang around here then that's what I will do.
But if he wants me to go out on loan, then I will look at that."

O'Brien is one of those players who is not yet assured of a place in Martin
O'Neill's squad for the European Championships in France this summer and
will know he will need to be playing regular football if he is to have any
chance of making the cut. O'Brien, who can play at both left and right-back,
featured just 11 times for West Ham last season and has played just five
times this term with West Ham - and not featured since the Europe League tie
with Astra Giurgiu in July. But it is also likely he might be asked to stick
around by West Ham manager Slaven Bilic - after Arsenal loanee Carl
Jenkinson suffered a potentially season-ending injury at the weekend.

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Why West Ham Could Regret This Deal
The 4th Official's View, West Ham United 26 Jan 2016

This is scheduled to be West Ham United's last season at the Boleyn Ground
as the Hammers will move to their new home Olympic Stadium from the start of
the next season. The ambitious owners are targeting a place in the
continental football next season as they bid a goodbye to the historic
ground.The appointment of Slaven Bilic on the West Ham hot seat and bringing
quality players like Dimitri Payet is serving them well so far and the
Hammers are certainly in the race for a European spot.

The Hammers are sitting sixth on the table right now after 23 game weeks and
has shown signs of a certain improvement this season. If they are able to
bring more consistency to their game and some quality additions, they can
become a giant in English football, exactly what the owners aspire
themselves to become.

The Hammers have not been much active during the winter transfer window as
their only signing so far has been the signature of Sam Byram from Leeds
United but a they have seen a pretty big exit in the winter as Mauro Zarate
finalised his move to Serie A giants Fiorentina. The Hammers have not done
really well attacking wise consistently this season with all of their
strikers Enner Valencia, Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho having injury
concerns. Zarate had a good impact when the frontmen at Bilic's disposal
missed with injuries.

West Ham therefore now have a job on their hands to sign a good forward to
replace Zarate and add depth to their brilliant but injury-prone attack.
West Ham chairman David Sullivan said that they are desperately trying their
best to add a new attacking recruit with a week until the window closes.
After making it clear and official that they are in hunt of an attacker who
can add sharpness to their forward line, the fans have every reason to be
optimistic.

But January transfer window is not the time when you have the best options
available. Most clubs are not open to the idea of letting their stars go
despite being offered the right fee as there is very little time and
opportunity to replace the player with a suitable footballer. West Ham
should not have let Zarate go in the winter. The Argentine did decently in
the first half for them when all of the other three strikers were suffering
from injuries. He has played the most number of minutes among the West Ham
strikers in the Premier League, mostly as a left winger, though.

Zarate's versatility to play as the secondary striker or a wide forward is
another huge thing the Hammers will miss. He was suited perfectly for
Bilic's counter attacking football. His pace, direct running, skills, vision
and selfless play would have helped them to keep up their form for the rest
of the season. And the three strikers the Hammers are left with are not the
best in terms of fitness and Zarate could have been useful if the West Ham
attack suffers another injury scare. Moreover, Carroll and Sakho are injured
now and the only striker remaining fit is Enner Valencia.

If the Hammers cannot sign a good replacement of Zarate in the remainder of
the transfer window, they will regret letting Zarate go. They also did not
receive a healthy transfer fee for the Argentine. West Ham are very much
likely to finish in the top six this season and if they could keep up the
good work, they could have signed a good striker in the summer for Zarate
when plenty of options and time are there but letting Zarate go in the
winter can prove to be a bad decision they made.

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Slaven Bilic staying tight lipped over reunion with top Turkish duo ahead of
deadline day
HITC
Damien Lucas

West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic has spoken on transfer speculation linking
him with a move for two top talents in Turkey. The Hammers have been one of
the standout teams in the Premier League this season and sit sixth with 15
games remaining. Bilic's revolution has got off to a flying start and his
side, glittering with stars like Dimitri Payet, are well poised for an
assault on the European places. But with injuries constantly unsettling his
side, the former Croatia boss has been linked with a host of players before
the January transfer window closes on Monday.

Turkish delight?

And he is remaining tight lipped on two of them after being heavily linked
with moves for midfield duo Gokhan Tore and Tolgay Arslan at his old club
Besiktas. Arslan was one of the big success stories of Bilic's tenure at the
Turkish giants after the midfielder went on to star following his bargain
transfer from Hamburg for less than £500,000. Arslan scored a memorable goal
for Bilic's side as they knocked Liverpool out of the Europa League last
season. And according to Turkish sports website Fanatik Bilic was rumoured
to have promised Arslan the prospect of Premier League football should he
take charge of an English side.

Tore boy

West Ham have also been linked with Arslan's teammate Tore since Bilic's
arrival. The former Chelsea youth prospect was close to a move to East
London in the summer and Bilic told the same website: "The West Ham fans
would have loved him but it did not happen we could not agree a deal." With
the transfer window in full swing, Bilic has spoken out on fresh links to
the duo but is keeping his cards close to his chest. "I have heard the
rumours linking us with Gökhan Töre and Tolgay Arslan but I do not want to
comment on that right now," Bilic told Fanatik.

So there you have it, West Ham could well be in the running to do some
business as they push for a shock tilt at the Champions League places. It
would be a welcome boost for supporters who have been left wondering just
how good their season could have been had they not suffered a glut of
injuries to key players like Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, Diafra Sakho,
Andy Carroll and Winston Reid.

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Burak Yilmaz hands in transfer request amid West Ham United interest
HITC
Dan Coombs

Burak Yilmaz is strongly linked with West Ham. Burak Yilmaz has handed in a
transfer request in order to force a move to West Ham, The Times report. The
Galatasaray striker has been heavily linked with a switch to the Premier
League side since the weekend. Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported yesterday
that Hammers vice-chairman Karren Brady is to fly to Turkey to negotiate.
Yilmaz, 30, has a contract until 2019 and Galatasaray are under no pressure
to sell, but his transfer request could change their stance. He has nine
goals in 15 Super Lig games this season, and is also aiming to play a part
at Euro 2016, with 19 goals in 42 appearances for his country. HITC reported
this week that the Hammers face competition from Tottenham, Liverpool and
Stoke City for his signature, but are showing the strongest interest. West
Ham are also negotiating to sign Fenerbahce forward Emmanuel Emenike, with
SkySports reporting rival interest from Crystal Palace.

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