Thanks to Dave Witts who kept us all informed in my absence :) Cheers Dave,
much appreciated!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Preview - Astra Giurgiu
WHUFC.com
West Ham face Romanian champions Astra Giurgiu in UEFA Europa League
play-off round
Hammers were defeated 4-3 on aggregate by Astra in the same competition last
season
Slaven Bilic says West Ham will take Thursday's tie very seriously
When and where?
Astra Giurgiu v West Ham United
UEFA Europa League play-off round first leg
Thursday 18 August 2016, 9.15pm CEST (7.15pm BST)
Stadionul Marin Anastasovici
What's the story?
West Ham United continue their quest for a maiden UEFA Europa League crown
by taking on Romanian Liga I champions Astra Giurgiu on Thursday evening.
The Hammers take on Astra in the play-off round with a place in the
lucrative group stage at stake, having been defeated by the same opposition
in the third qualifying round last season.
This time round, Slaven Bilic is planning for things to be very different,
having brought a strong yet injury-depleted squad to Eastern Europe.
The two clubs reached this stage by different paths, with the Hammers having
finished seventh in the Premier League last season before overcoming NK
Domzale of Slovenia 4-2 in the third qualifying round.
Astra, meanwhile, reached the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, only to be
knocked out at the first stage by Danish side FC Copenhagen. That meant they
dropped into the Europa League qualifiers.
Team news
West Ham are without a few first-team players in Romania, both through
injury and also due to considerations being made ahead of Sunday's Premier
League home opener with AFC Bournemouth at London Stadium.
Aaron Cresswell and Manuel Lanzini (both knee) are on the mend, while Andre
Ayew misses out with the thigh injury he suffered at Chelsea on Monday
evening. Dimitri Payet and Havard Nordtveit have been left in London to rest
ahead of Sunday's game, while left-back Arthur Masuaku is cup-tied after
playing for Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers earlier this
summer.
Astra will be without their coach, Marius Sumudica, who has been suspended
for two months due to off-field issues.
Any links between the two?
Well, as mentioned above, the two clubs faced one another in last season's
UEFA Europa League.
The Hammers raced into a two-goal lead at the Boleyn Ground through goals
from South American pair Enner Valencia and Mauro Zarate, only for a James
Collins red card to spark a late comeback that saw the first leg end 2-2.
In the return leg in Giurgiu, Manuel Lanzini fired West Ham ahead on his
debut after just two minutes, only for Romania international Constantin
Budescu to net either side of half-time to send Astra through 4-3 on
aggregate.
How do I get to the game?
Supporters travelling to Romania will likely be based in Bucharest. From the
city, it is a 90-minute drive or train ride from the capital city's Nord
station to Giurgiu. Approximately 400 West Ham fans are expected to attend
the match.
The game will be played at Astra's Stadionul Marin Anastasovici, which has
an 8,500-capacity and is located in the southern Romanian city of Giurgiu,
near to the border with Bulgaria.
Fans should note that tickets will NOT be on sale on matchday in Giurgiu, so
they are strongly advised not to travel to the game without one.
For full advice issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), click
here.
Where can I watch the game?
Thursday night's match broadcast live in the UK by BT Sport 2 from 7pm BST.
You can also follow the action on our digital channels with live audio
commentary, in-game stats, Social Media updates and more. Head to whufc.com
for the Live Match Centre, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and
Snapchat.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Speaks - Astra Giurgiu
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic says West Ham United want to reach the UEFA Europa League group
stage
Hammers face Romanian champions Astra Giurgiu in third qualifying round on
Thursday
West Ham finished seventh in Premier League last season to qualify
Slaven Bilic says West Ham United will be doing everything they can to reach
the UEFA Europa League group stage. Speaking ahead of the Hammers' third
qualifying round first-leg tie with Astra Giurgiu in Romania, the manager
dismissed suggestions that the Club should dismiss the competition and
concentrate only on the Premier League. Instead, he spoke enthusiastically
about instilling a mentality within the Club whereby playing three
competitive games every week becomes the norm.
Slaven, can we start with team news please? How seriously are you taking
this tie?
"We have a training session on Wednesday evening and then we will pick the
team on Thursday, but we will definitely be picking the strongest team we
can, because that's why we came here. "I said openly before the Domzale game
and at the start of the pre-season that we want to get into the Europa
League group stage. This is the play-off round and it's very important to
win for West Ham United.
But will qualification for the group stage – and another six Thursday night
matches – have an effect on your Premier League campaign?
"Look, we want to qualify. We had a good season last year and are one of the
few clubs from the Premier League who are privileged to be competing in
Europe. "We have got a chance. We are two games away from the group stage
and the Club, the fans and the players – individually and as a team – and
the staff want to participate in it. "I saw that it affects your chances in
the Premier League but, despite that, we're going to try it and it's good
for everyone. It's good for the players to play in different countries and
against different teams, they become better players as well."
How do you counteract any negative effect Europe might have on your Premier
League form?
"You can have a very big squad, but on paper we are prepared for that. We
have a big squad, but we have some injuries from pre-season and they'll miss
the game on Thursday, but they'll come back and hopefully we will have
qualified. "This is a football team and you can make a few changes of
course, but we have to adjust to this. Man City played Saturday and then
Tuesday and Monday and Thursday is the same. You have enough time and maybe
their players are more used to midweek football, and we didn't, but we want
it. We want to be part of that group. Everybody wants it and that's why we
came here. "Although it's not normal for West Ham to play Monday, Thursday
and Sunday, we want to. Why do we talk about qualifying for Europe the whole
season if, when you qualify, the first question you ask is 'Why did you want
to qualify?'"
What do you know about Astra Giurgiu? Did you know they have lost a lot of
players and their coach is suspended at present?
"I know they have many of the same players as last year [when Astra won 4-3
on aggregate in the third qualifying round] and I know they have many
internationals from different countries. "They sold a few players, that's
also true, but they have a team who have played together for some time. They
gave FC Copenhagen a good game at home in the UEFA Champions League
qualifiers, drawing 1-1, and for me what is crucial is that they're the
current champions of Romania. "I know the Romanian league, being from
Croatia, and I know how good Romanian teams can be. OK, maybe they sold a
few players, but I'm expecting a tough game."
Does the fact Darren Randolph is sat next to you suggest he will start on
Thursday? And also, how is Adrian's leg after Diego Costa's challenge at
Chelsea on Monday evening?
"I said openly last season when we won 3-0 at Anfield that the only
department that I don't have to talk about are 'keepers because we have
great goalkeepers and also Rafa Spiegel who is a young and exciting No3.
"There will be competition. Adrian is the No1 but Randy will get his chance
because he deserves it. I'm not doing it because I want to please everyone,
but because he showed last season that he can do the job so he's going to
play in Europe and in cup ties in England minimum." "Adrian's leg is OK, but
since the game he didn't train. He had a recovery session on Tuesday, but he
seems OK."
You have brought Jonathan Calleri with you to Romania. What can you tell us
about him?
"He has travelled and is with us for a couple of reasons. First off all, it
was a deal that was done a while ago and we knew about it. "He has been with
Argentina at the Olympics and we were very happy when he decided to come to
us. He's a really good striker and we need that kind of a player. "He came
and trained on Tuesday in the morning, but the other players weren't out on
the pitch. He trained with the guys this evening and he might be out there
tomorrow. "He is in form, played in three games at the Olympics and scored,
so he is definitely in good shape and doesn't need pre-season and all that.
The only question-mark is jet-lag, so we'll see on Thursday."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SAG set Bournemouth capacity at 57,000
WHUFC.com
All Season Ticket Holders, Club London Members and Claret Members who have
already been allocated tickets in the ballot will be accommodated within the
57,000 capacity.
At this time the Club is unable to release further tickets in the ballot to
Claret Members, as had originally been planned, despite unprecedented demand
for tickets.
Following a meeting of the London Stadium Safety Advisory Group, Newham
Council has formally agreed to increase the working capacity of the London
Stadium to 57,000 (from 54,000) ahead of the Club's first home Premier
League match against AFC Bournemouth on Sunday 21 August.
All West Ham United Season Ticket Holders, Club London Members and Claret
Members who have already been allocated tickets in the ballot for the game
will be able to take their seats for the historic match, alongside AFC
Bournemouth's official allocation of away supporters.
Both of the opening two fixtures were hailed a resounding success by
supporters and media commentators alike but the LSSAG has identified that
standing in an all-seater stadium is dangerous and contrary to ground
regulations.
The Club appreciates that many supporters across the country do stand at
football matches, but London Stadium is licensed as an all-seater Stadium
and persistent standing has posed a significant problem to many supporters,
particularly young and disabled ticket holders.
LSSAG will continue to monitor the situation very closely and has noted that
the Club has issued messages to supporters to remain seated throughout the
game, and acknowledge that the Club will want to increase the capacity to
60,000 as soon as possible.
Vice Chairman Baroness Brady CBE said: "As a Board we must follow the
guidance as set out by LSSAG to ensure more supporters are able to attend
matches at our stunning new home.
"While an increased capacity of 57,000 is naturally a significant step
forward for all concerned, we absolutely aim to operate at the full 60,000
capacity in the very near future.
"We respect the decision of LSSAG and Newham Council and will work closely
with them, and with our supporters, so that we are able to reach a 60,000
capacity in the coming weeks.
"The LSSAG have identified that standing in an all-seater stadium is
dangerous and that we must continue to communicate this to our supporters."
Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold added: "We understand the
traditions of football and that many supporters like to stand, but the
reality is that the license is for all-seating. Therefore, we urge our
supporters to watch the game from their seats."
The Club will continue to work with LS185, London Borough of Newham, the
LSSAG and all relevant authorities and partners to operate at the intended
60,000 capacity as soon as possible.
Will I be able to sit in my regular Season Ticket seat for Bournemouth?
Yes.
What will the capacity be for the Europa League game versus Astra Giurgiu?
The capacity is now set at 57,000.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Calleri completes Hammers move
WHUFC.com
Jonathan Calleri receives international clearance to complete season-long
loan move
Twenty-two-year-old arrives from Uruguayan club Deportivo Maldonado
Argentina Olympic striker has netted 39 goals in 90 appearances over last
two seasons
West Ham United are delighted to announce that exciting Argentine striker
Jonathan Calleri has completed his season-long loan move to east London. The
22-year-old has received international clearance and joined his new
teammates in training at Rush Green on Tuesday. Calleri, who has arrived
from Uruguayan club Deportivo Maldonado after prolific spells with Argentine
giants Boca Juniors and Brazilian side Sao Paulo, is in Slaven Bilic's squad
for Thursday's UEFA Europa League play-off round tie with Astra Giurgiu and
cannot wait to get started.
"I am very happy to have signed for West Ham," said the new No28, who
finished as leading scorer in the 2015 Copa Libertadores – South America's
equivalent of the UEFA Champions League – for Sao Paulo. "This represents a
fantastic new challenge for me and I am really looking forward to it. "The
Premier League is the best league in the world and so I am delighted to have
this opportunity to play in such a prestigious league."
Calleri arrives ready to make an immediate impact after playing and scoring
for his country at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. After netting 39 goals in 90
appearances over the last two seasons, the forward is hungry to hit the net
on a regular basis in Claret and Blue. While it may take some overseas stars
time to settle in English football, Calleri is willing to make all the
sacrifices necessary to ensure he is a success on this side of the Atlantic.
"It is a new chapter for me and so I am excited to get started here and to
fit in as quickly as possible, so that I can be as useful as possible to my
new teammates and manager," he insisted. "These are exciting times for me
personally and I am motivated to adapt my game to this new environment. "I
am a player who always tries to work as hard as I can and to do my best for
the team."
Born in Buenos Aires, Calleri started his career with Primera Division side
All Boys, making his senior debut at the age of 19 in August 2013. The young
forward's ability and promise attracted the attention of Argentina's biggest
clubs and it was no surprise when legendary South American coach Carlos
Bianchi took him to Boca Juniors in July 2014. There, Calleri netted his
first goal on his second start at Estudiantes before celebrating his 20th
birthday with the winner against local rivals Racing Club. The busy South
American fixture list saw Calleri amass an impressive 53 appearances, 21
goals and eleven assists in a successful 18-month spell with Boca that saw
him win the Primera Division and Copa Argentina double in late 2015. The
exciting youngster joined Uruguayan club Deportivo Maldonado in January 2016
and was soon loaned to Brazilian giants Sao Paulo. Calleri spent six months
in southern Brazil, scoring 16 goals in 30 appearances, including an
impressive nine in 12 Copa Libertadores ties as Sao Paulo reached the
semi-finals. He will become the sixth Argentine to play for West Ham after
Lionel Scaloni, Javier Mascherano, Carlos Tevez, Mauro Zarate and current
star Manuel Lanzini.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Joint-Chairman - Calleri is a top player
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Sullivan believes new signing Jonathan
Calleri has the potential to become the Club's top goalscorer this season.
Calleri has joined the east London Club on a season-long loan and has been
granted international clearance. The Argentine forward is available to face
Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League on Thursday night and Mr Sullivan is
expecting big things from the talented forward. Mr Sullivan said: "He's a
top player and was the leading goalscorer this season in the Copa
Libertadores, the South American version of the Champions League. "He is the
immediate back up for Argentina who are the number one rated team in the
world. "He showed his quality at the Olympic Games for Argentina this summer
and will be another great addition to the squad. "We have a great track
record of signing players from Argentina with Carlos Tevez and Manuel
Lanzini becoming big players at West Ham United. It would be great if
Jonathan could follow in their footsteps. "We expect him to be one of our
top goalscorers this season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jonathan Calleri - Ten Fast Facts
WHUFC.com
Find out more about West Ham United's exciting new Argentine striker
Jonathan Calleri…
Born in Buenos Aires, Calleri started his senior career with the All Boys
club which also developed former West Ham favourite Carlos Tevez in the
1990s.
Calleri appeared as a teenager at the Viareggio Cup competition in Tuscany,
Italy, in February 2013, scoring in a win over Italian club Sampdoria.
A first-team debut arrived in August 2013, when the 19-year-old Calleri
appeared as a substitute in the Copa Argentina tie against Estudiantes de La
Plata.
A Primera Division debut arrived the following month, when Calleri played
for the final 16 minutes at Argentinos on 7 September 2013.
Calleri's maiden senior goal arrived in the Primera Division draw at Arsenal
de Sarandi on 1 November 2013 – two months after his 20th birthday.
The forward joined Boca Juniors in July 2014, where he managed an impressive
21 goals and eleven goals in 53 appearances in all competitions in his debut
season.
The 2014/15 campaign also brought silverware in the shape of Primera
Division and Copa Argentina winner's medals.
Calleri later spent the 2015 Argentine season playing alongside Tevez at
Boca Juniors. The pair combined to score 24 goals between them in all
competitions.
Calleri finished as the top scorer in the 2016 Copa Libertadores with nine
goals – one more than fellow countrymen Marco Ruben of Rosario Central and
Ismael Sosa of Mexican club UNAM Pumas.
The 22-year-old's form saw him included – initially alongside Manuel Lanzini
– in Argentina's Olympic squad for Rio 2016, where he scored the winner in
the group-stage victory over Algeria.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Masuaku - This is a big week for the Club
WHUFC.com
Masuaku was impressive during his Premier League debut for the Hammers
The French defender hopes his side can get straight back on the winning
trail
Masuaku is relishing the chance to play in England
West Ham United defender Arthur Masuaku is confident his side can bounce
straight following the defeat against Chelsea and knows the importance of
winning the next two games. Masuaku had a mixed night of emotions following
his debut for the Club at Stamford Bridge. The French defender was thrilled
to play his first Premier League game, but was upset that his side failed to
take anything from the game after Diego Costa scored a dramatic last minute
winner. Masuaku has stressed the importance of getting back straight back on
the winning trail and feels the players will have a point to prove when they
face Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League on Thursday and Bournemouth at home
on Sunday. Masuaku said: "All the players were disappointed because we
conceded the goal in the last minute. I thought was the game was in our
hands but unfortunately we let in the second goal. We just have to keep
working hard together as a team. "It was a great strike from Ginge to get us
back into the game and I thought Dimitri came on and changed the game
because he has great quality and for me he is a world class player. "We saw
what he can do as he crossed the ball in for the goal. It was unfortunate
that we could not hold but we have to move on now. "I really enjoyed my
Premier League debut as it was always my target to play in England since I
was a youngster. "The Premier League is very fast and for me it was tough
physically as I am not 100 per cent yet. I just want to keep going, work
hard and hopefully show my best form. "This is a big week for the Club and
we have two important games in the Europa League and then the first home
game against Bournemouth. I hope we are going to win the next two games."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
From the Newsroom
WHUFC.com
Andy Dillon is an established football writer for The Sun and has been
covering Chelsea and West Ham for a number of years. Dillon feels it shows
how far the Hammers have come that they are disappointed to have suffered a
narrow defeat at Stamford Bridge....
To concede with a minute to go must have been very hard to take for Slaven
Bilic and the West Ham players. It was even more heartbreaking considering
who scored the goal following all the controversy over Diego Costa's
challenge on Adrian and whether he should have still been on the pitch.
Everything seemed to go against the Hammers and it was a bad goal to concede
considering Costa was outside the box. But I have to say that West Ham
didn't deserve to win the game and the performance was nothing like last
year when the Hammers came away with a 2-2 draw. The big difference this
time around was that Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini were missing from the
team. Not having either player in the starting line-up was a big blow and
West Ham look a different team when they are not playing. You can also argue
that Andy Carroll didn't get any kind of service and looked totally isolated
in the Hammers attack. There is obviously a big debate over Michail Antonio
playing at right back. I believe his big strength is charging down the right
wing but Slaven obviously feels he can do a good job playing at right back.
You could see he was devastated to give away the penalty and he was then
taken off so it was not a great night for him. On the positive side, it was
Chelsea's first game under new manager Antonio Conte so the whole place had
a lift from the start and the fans were optimistic. It shows how far West
Ham have come that despite a bad performance, they are deeply unhappy to be
beaten in the final minute. We have still got a couple of exciting players
to come back into the team which will make them a lot stronger. This is now
a big week coming up for Slaven and his players and he will be hoping that
they can bounce back straight away and get a victory against Astra Giurgiu
in the Europa League on Thursday. The Europa League can be a distraction and
it can drain a team, but for a club like West Ham, it is important they are
playing in Europe. The key is how Slaven manages it. It is a great
experience for the players and a victory in Romania will set them up nicely
for the first ever game at the new Stadium against Bournemouth on Sunday
which is another big game. For any team moving into a new ground, the key is
to get points on the board quickly and they will want revenge for what
happened last season.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those
of West Ham United
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble looking for Romanian response
WHUFC.com
Ahead of the Hammers' Europa League Play Off first leg away at Romanian side
Astra Girgiu, captain Mark Noble said he and teammates cannot wait for the
opportunity to bounce back from Monday's defeat. The Hammers were edged out
2-1 at Stamford Bridge and now have to refocus quickly in time to face
opponents Astra tomorrow evening. Looking ahead to the tie, Noble said: "The
games are coming thick and fast, had we got a point at Chelsea it would have
been fantastic. "Now we have a huge week ahead, first away in Romania and
the very first Premier League game at the new stadium."
Following Thursday's European excursion, the Hammers play again on Sunday –
their third in seven days – at home to AFC Bournemouth in the first ever
Premier League game at London Stadium.
Noble continued: "The game against Bournemouth is going to be great, the
atmosphere is going to be fantastic. Again, it's another hard game but we
have to pick up points."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Randolph - It is down to me to perform
WHUFC.com
Darren Randolph admits he is full of confidence following his performances
at the European Championship Finals during the summer and hopes to play a
major role for West Ham in the Europa League this season. Randolph enjoyed
one of the best moments of his career when he was picked to start in goal
for the Republic of Ireland and played his part in helping them qualify from
the group stage. Despite being beaten by the host nation France in the last
16 of the competition, the Hammers keeper insists he will never forget the
experience. After signing a new four-year deal at the end of July, Randolph
has been told he will be first-choice keeper in the Europa League and is now
looking forward to making his first competitive start against Astra Giurgiu
on Thursday night.
Randolph said: "It didn't feel like I had a break which is good in a way
because I am full of confidence and enjoying my football. I am really
enjoying being part of everything that is happening at West Ham. "It was one
of the best experiences of my career during the summer and I have enjoyed
the last year-and-a-half. I just want it to continue for as long as
possible. "Playing at the Euros against those teams and players can only
help you when you perform at that level and give you confidence. "I had a
good cup run last season and I ended up playing a number of games. If that
happens again this season it is down to me to perform whenever I get the
chance to play. "If we can get into the group stages it will be good for me
and the rest of the players who have worked just as hard. It is a great
experience for us to play in different countries and sample different
atmospheres. It will only benefit the team."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andre Ayew update
WHUFC.com
Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke has issued an update
on Andre Ayew, who suffered an injury in Monday's Premier League game at
Chelsea. "Andre Ayew injured his right thigh at Chelsea on Monday and
underwent a scan on Wednesday afternoon," Vandenbroucke told whufc.com. "The
medical team will now assess the results with a leading consultant before
drawing any conclusions. "My first thought and priority is with the player
and his physical and mental wellbeing. He has suffered a significant injury
and it is imperative that we do not rush to conclusions and we receive the
correct diagnosis by consulting top specialists. "At this time, it is too
early to put a timeframe on his potential return date but Andre is facing a
significant rehabilitation period. "The best thing we can do as a Club is to
support Andre through this difficult period. We will keep you updated
throughout this process and I am sure he will be come back stronger than
ever."
Everyone at West Ham United wishes Andre a speedy recovery and return to
action.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
From the Terraces
WHUFC.com
Fan blogger Joe Difford looks back at Monday's game at Chelsea…
This time last year, West Ham were faced with the task of going to Emirates
Stadium on the opening day of the season, but we stunned the division by
comfortably taking all three points.
This season we were dealt a tough opening game again, having to travel to
Stamford Bridge to face a Chelsea side who were expected to bounce back
after a train wreck of a campaign last year.
As luck would have it, we were already missing Aaron Cresswell, Manuel
Lanzini and Sofiane Feghouli to injury.
The hosts began as expected, keeping possession and settling fast, getting
Eden Hazard on the ball and helping him grow in confidence after a
surprisingly poor season last year. The left winger reverted back to his old
self however, causing early problems for Michail Antonio, again used as a
right back.
Antonio Conte's side were in control throughout, and Oscar saw a penalty
appeal correctly waved away after beating Winston Reid and falling to the
ground from the slightest of brushes from the Kiwi's arm.
The first half ended with fans worrying about new record signing Andre Ayew,
as the former Swansea man pulled up with what looked like a thigh injury and
was forced to come off.
It was a spot kick just after the restart that gave the Blues a
much-deserved opener, as Antonio attempted to run the ball out of defence,
was dispossessed, and bundled over Cesar Azpilicueta. Hazard buried the
resulting penalty, and it looked as if Chelsea would leave with a narrow
victory.
For all their possession however, Conte's men struggled to break down the
Hammers, and James Collins put in yet another quality performance alongside
the confident and composed Reid. New signing Arthur Masuaku had an
impressive debut, looking assured with the ball at his feet, and he will
only improve with time.
The biggest talking point came midway through the second half, as Adrian
attempted to trick Diego Costa with some quick footwork, before the Chelsea
striker dived in off the floor with a slide tackle that was worthy of a red
card. His studs were planted into the middle of the Hammers' keeper's shin,
but the referee failed to even show Costa a yellow card, which incidentally
would have been his second of the game, after he was booked in the first
half for arguing with the match official.
11 vs 11, the game continued, and James Collins managed to claw back an
equaliser in the 77th minute, following some great play from substitute
Dimitri Payet. The Frenchman's corner was whipped in and cleared only as far
as Collins, who smashed home into the corner, sending the travelling fans
into a frenzy.
A draw would have been a great result considering the disappointing
performance and wealth of injuries in our squad, but Costa crushed Hammers'
hearts in the final minute.
Chelsea new boy Michy Batshuayi flicked it on to Costa, who found space and
smashed the ball into the corner, through a box-full of claret and blue
shirts. The result wouldn't have been too hard to take if not for the fact
that the striker was lucky to be on the pitch at this point. He wheeled away
to the fans and leapt over the advertising boards, another bookable offence
in some games.
It might have been a frustrating opening day for Slaven Bilic and Co., but
it is just one of 38 games to come this season, and with a fully fit squad
and some better refereeing decisions, we still have the potential to enjoy a
great season.
For more West Ham fan views or to join the conversation visit www.90min.com
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those
of West Ham United
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THU, 18 AUG 2016EUROPA LEAGUE - QUALIFYING PLAY-OFFS - 1ST LEG
19:15
Venue: Stadionul Marin Anastasovici
Astra Giurgiu v West Ham United (Thu)
BBC.co.uk
Europa League qualifying play-off first leg
Date: Thursday 18 August
Kick-off: 19:15 BST
How to follow:
Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website; live on BBC Radio London 94.9
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says there is a "big hype" about the club
qualifying for the Europa League. The Hammers come up against Romanian side
Astra Giurgui, the side who beat them at the same stage last season, in the
play-off round on Thursday. "We wanted to get into the Europa League and it
was a reward for last season," said boss Bilic.
Striker Andre Ayew will miss out with a thigh injury so on-loan Jonathan
Calleri could make his debut. Bilic confirmed goalkeeper Darren Randolph
will start in place of Adrian, but midfielder Manuel Lanzini - who scored
against Astra last season - is still a week away from a return to training.
The London side entered the Europa League at the third qualifying round
after finishing seventh in the Premier League last season, and have so far
beaten Slovenia's NK Domzale. Last season, after a 2-2 draw in the first leg
at Upton Park, West Ham suffered a 2-1 defeat in Giurgiu to exit the
competition. Bilic added: "Everyone at the club wants to participate. It is
a great experience for the players to participate in different countries.
"We have a big job to do against the Romanian champions. I know there are
many players from last year and a lot of international players. "For me they
played a good game against Copenhagen at home and I know how good the teams
from Romania can be."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andre Ayew: West Ham's new signing out with 'significant' injury
BBC.co.uk
West Ham's Andre Ayew faces a "significant rehabilitation period" after
injuring a thigh during Monday's 2-1 loss at Chelsea.
The 26-year-old played only 35 minutes of his league debut for the east
London club before he had to be taken off.
The club confirmed a scan on Wednesday showed the new signing from Swansea
had "a significant injury".
They added it was too early to put a timeframe on a potential return date
for the Ghana forward.
Stijn Vandenbroucke, the head of West Ham's medical and sports science team,
said it was "imperative that we do not rush to conclusions and we receive
the correct diagnosis by consulting top specialists".
He added: "My first thought and priority is with the player and his physical
and mental wellbeing.
"The best thing we can do as a club is to support Andre through this
difficult period."
Ayew joined the Hammers from Swansea for £20.5m last week.
He scored 12 league goals for the Swans last season having signed for them
in June 2015.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sponsors apologise for Antonio tweet
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's principal sponsors Betway have issued an apology after a
tweet criticising Slaven Bilic's selection of Michail Antonio at right back
was published on the company's timeline. Following last night's 2-1 defeat
at Stamford Bridge a post on the Betway account slammed Bilic for playing
the right-winger in defence. "Antonio has been an accident waiting to happen
in defence," it read. "West Ham fans will hope that's the end of the
experiment." But having received much criticism from supporters since,
Betway backtracked and issued an apology on their timeline this lunchtime,
as you can see below: Despite the furore caused by the offending tweet, a
number of supporters have expressed support for the message it carried.
"Betway have apologised, although I'm not sure why," wrote one supporter on
the KUMB Forum this morning, "as it's a fact many of us concur with."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Calleri set for Europa debut
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 17th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Jonathan Calleri is available for selection when West Ham face Astra Giurgiu
in the Europa League play-offs on Thursday. The 22-year-old striker
officially joined the club yesterday after weeks of waiting for a work
permit to be issued. And the good news is that he is in line for selection
when West Ham face the Romanians at the Stadionul Marin Anastasovici in 48
hours time.
David Sullivan, who was heavily involved in the deal believes that Slaven
Bilic's latest squad addition has what it takes to be a major success in the
Premier League. "He's a top player and was the leading goalscorer this
season in the Copa Libertadores," he told West Ham's website. "He showed his
quality at the Olympic Games for Argentina this summer and will be another
great addition to the squad. "We have a great track record of signing
players from Argentina with Carlos Tevez and Manuel Lanzini becoming big
players at West Ham United. It would be great if Jonathan could follow in
their footsteps."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Capacity raised for Bournemouth clash
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 17th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are set to break their attendance record for the second time in a
fortnight after it was confirmed that the Olympic Stadium's capacity will be
raised to 57,000 for the visit of Bournemouth this weekend. With the club's
previous longstanding record having been surpassed by the recent visits of
Domzale and Juventus, for which 54,000 were in attendance, an extra 3,000
are set to attend this weekend's meeting with the Cherries. "Following a
meeting of the London Stadium Safety Advisory Group, Newham Council has
formally agreed to increase the working capacity of the London Stadium to
57,000," read a statement published on whufc.com. "All West Ham United
season ticket holders, Club London members and Claret Members who have
already been allocated tickets in the ballot for the game will be able to
take their seats alongside Bournemouth's official allocation of away
supporters."
With stadium management no longer in the club's hands, the capacity has been
set by the London Stadium Safety Advisory Group, who will "continue to
monitor the situation very closely."
West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady added: "While an increased capacity of
57,000 is naturally a significant step forward for all concerned, we
absolutely aim to operate at the full 60,000 capacity in the very near
future. "We respect the decision of LSSAG and Newham Council and will work
closely with them, and with our supporters, so that we are able to reach a
60,000 capacity in the coming weeks."
The LSSAG are understood to have refused to allow the full 60,000 allocation
at present due to persistent standing at the Olympic Stadium by some
supporters.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The woes of Michail Antonio
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 17th August 2016
By: Tom Kilbey
Now the dust has settled on our opening day defeat and while the performance
raised a number of questions (such as, is Gokhan Tore, Bilic's number one
target this season, actually a fat man in disguise, or, who is responsible
for placing the 'record signing' curse on us?) but undoubtedly the number
one talking point was Michail Antonio, and his apparent fall out with Slaven
Bilic.
Before I go on, let me put this in context. Anyone who knows me will be
completely sick of the extent to which I wax lyrical about the pacey winger.
My 'second team' is Sheffield Wednesday simply because I used to enjoy
watching them play to see Antonio terrorising Championshp defenders, and I
was so excited when he was linked with us that I promised to buy a shirt
with his name on if he scored. Never have I been so glad to part with £60.
So in light of Antonio forced to play out of position, you may be thinking
you know exactly where I am heading with this. But you might be wrong.
First, I must say that there has been a whole lot of rubbish being spoken on
Twitter over the last few days. Someone even blamed Bilic playing Antonio at
right back for Ayew's injury. Apparently, if we had a 'proper' right back,
then Ayew wouldn't have needed to track back and hence wouldn't have got
injured. I suspect that even Byram himself, who would have been up against
Hazard all evening, would not have fancied himself one on one with the the
Belgian. This is just not a useful argument to make.
So instead, I will look at the situation from each of the individual's
points of view. In my mind, it is clear that both Slaven and Michail are
discontent with the current situation, and I don't agree that Slaven has
some sort of childish vendetta, or even a Allardyce size bout of
stubbornness. Instead I think there are sensible reasons for the sitation
that we are watching play out.
Michail's point of view
Michail Antonio is one of the most exciting players in England. He's hugely
ambitious too - after turning down the opportunity to play for Jamaica, it's
clear he has set his sights on the England team.
He brings something entirely different from what the national side currently
has, and based on his performances last season, was surely in line for a
call up to fill a position that no one in the country has nailed down for
years. Back at West Ham, Antonio has had a difficult start to the season,
being played out of position and making mistakes. One could argue that Bilic
didn't even fancy him from the outset, and there were signs of frustration
even early last season when he was consistently being overlooked for an
opportunity to perform.
When Michail did get his opportunity, it wasn't long before he was forced
into playing at full back and did so admirably. His work rate was enormous,
and he continued to be a threat going forward despite taking on more
defensive responsibilities. His attitude and work rate were second to none,
and he was maturely doing what was required for the team. This season, Bilic
had the opportunity to deal with the lack of full backs, and instead has
watched Bilic sign several wingers that have clearly jumped the queue.
Michail can even point to the lack of goals we apparently have in our team
to make a case for playing further up the pitch. He scored a number of
hugely important goals last season, amassing 8 goals - bettered only by
Carroll and Payet. Equally, when he does not play, our quality from wide
areas is rarely there. Take into account that Payet and Cresswell, surely
our other two best crossers of the ball, are currently injured, Michail's
frustration is completely understandable. In light of all of this, it would
be hard to begrudge him if he handed in a transfer request in January if
nothing changes.
Slaven's point of view
What I plan to say here essentially assumes three things. A quick twitter
search appears to suggest that some disagree with these points, but for
argument's sake let's agree that:
1) Slaven is not an idiot.
2) Slaven will not have taken pleasure in the fact that Michail looked
devastated after being substituted on Monday night.
3) Slaven will surely know that all else being equal, Michail can do more
damage further up the pitch, than in defence.
What people fail to remember is that Michail played at defence a few times
last season with success. He did the basics right, and was solid
defensively. While we would all prefer he was playing higher up the park,
once Jenkinson returned to Arsenal, it was generally accepted that he was
performing fairly well. This was during a period in the season when we were
being heavily tipped for a Top 4 finish - we were winning matches. In
essence, there was no massive issue with Antonio in the right back position.
What we've seen this season is something slightly different. In the away leg
against Domzale, it's difficult to argue that Antonio was doing anything
other than protesting against playing in defence by, well, not playing
there. The holes in our defence that evening were ridiculous, and he and
would not have put a performance like that in last season - just take a look
at some of his performances at right back last season. I promise you'll find
that for the most part, he was a dependable and solid right back.
Now take a look at his performance at Stamford Bridge. After hanging on to
the clean sheet in the first half, Slaven would undoubtedly have told his
players to settle down, make it difficult for Chelsea for play, and most
importantly to avoid making any mistakes. Imagine his frustration, then,
when barely before his words had stopped echoing around the changing room,
Michail Antonio did the absolute opposite.
You do not have to be a natural defender to know what Antonio did was
brainless. He could easily have found himself in that position playing as a
winger, I'm sorry, but playing in a somewhat unfamiliar position does not
suddenly make moments of stupidity excusable. He has to accept a huge amount
of blame for his performances against Domzale and Chelsea, and this explains
why Bilic was so angry when he was substituted.
So what's next?
Antonio has to get his head down. I absolutely believe that he has a future
at the club. Slaven has flirted with the idea of playing three at the back
in the past, and Antonio is a fantastic asset to have when this is the
chosen tactic. Not to mention our injury record, along with the fact that
Tore looks entirely unfit and nowhere near good enough, means that Antonio
could soon find himself our main winger once again.
I think he needs to return to his attitude he had last season where he did
what was required for the team. If he does this, he will win back the
respect of his manager, and put him in a good position for selection. A lack
of application and motivation when called upon is not the answer, and he is
surely professional enough to know that. In turn and in time, I have faith
that Bilic will surely will reward Michail with the opportunities further up
the pitch he dearly craves.
Let me know what you think - contact me at @tom29whu.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Payet excused Euro duty
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 17th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Dimitri Payet will not be joining the rest of the West Ham's first team
squad in Bucharest having been excused Europa League duty. The French
international, who was a losing finalist in the summer's Euro 16 tournament
has played just 25 minutes for the Hammers since returning to England having
taken a late pre-season break. And KUMB has learned that he has not
travelled to Romania for the Europa League play-off round first leg tie with
Astra Giurgiu, who knocked West Ham out of the tournament last season.
Also absent from the touring party is new signing Arthur Masuaku, who made
his debut at Stamford Bridge on Monday night. Additionally Havard Nodtveit,
Sofiane Feghouli and the injured Andre Ayew have all failed to travel. That
means the likes of Marcus Browne, Ashley Fletcher and new signing Jonathan
Calleri (pictured above) - all of whom flew to Bucharest this morning with
the first team squad - have been granted the opportunity to impress instead.
West Ham face Astra in the first leg of the play-off this Thursday evening,
with the return leg scheduled for the Olympic Stadium seven days later
(Thursday, 25 August).
Team to face Astra Giurgiu (from): Darren Randolph, Adrian, Raphael Speigel;
Reece Burke, Sam Byram, James Collins, Angelo Ogbonna, Reece Oxford, Winston
Reid; Michail Antonio, Cheikhou Kouyate, Mark Noble, Pedro Obiang, Gokhan
Tore; Marcus Browne, Jonathan Calleri, Andy Carroll, Ashley Fletcher, Enner
Valencia.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic wants extended Europa campaign
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 17/08/16 7:02pm
SSN
West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic is taking the Europa League seriously this
season despite admitting it could affect their Premier League form. The
Hammers face a two-legged tie against Romanian champions Astra Giurgiu, with
the away leg on Thursday evening, as they bid to reach the group stages for
the first time. In the past some clubs have taken the competition lightly -
including West Ham last season when they qualified through the Fair Play
League and were knocked out by Astra in the qualifying round. Bilic fielded
a team of youngsters for that clash but has brought a full squad, including
the likes of Dimitri Payet, Mark Noble and Andy Carroll, for the rematch.
"We will put out a strong team," he said. "We want to get to the group
stages. These are two very important games for West Ham United. "We want to
qualify. It's a reward for a good season last year and only a few clubs from
the Premier League are privileged to play in Europe. We are two games from
the group stages and we want to participate. "All the talk all season is
'will you qualify for Europe', and then you do and the next question is 'why
did you qualify?' Well, we have to adjust. "We know it affects your chances
in the next Premier League game but we want to try it. It's good for
everyone, it's good for the players to play games against teams from
different countries, they become better players."
Astra beat the Hammers 2-1 in Giurgiu last season but are in some disarray
this time around having lost a number of key players and their coach Marius
Sumudica, who is suspended for betting on matches. The Romanians were
initially in the Champions League but were knocked out in the qualifiers by
FC Copenhagen. Bilic added: "They have many internationals, although they
sold a few players. They have a team who have played together for some time.
"Look, they played a good game against Copenhagen at home, drew 1-1, and
what is crucial is that they are current champions of Romania. I'm Croatian,
so I know how good teams from Romania can be. I'm expecting a tough game."
West Ham will be without £20m striker Andre Ayew, who is awaiting the result
of a scan on the thigh injury he suffered at Chelsea on Saturday, with Bilic
fearing he will be out for 'weeks, rather than days'. Aaron Cresswell,
Manuel Lanzini and Sofiane Feghouli are also injured and new left-back
Arthur Masuaku is cup-tied.
But Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri has travelled with the squad and
could be involved following his loan switch from from Uruguayan club
Deportivo Maldonado.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United's record signing Andre Ayew facing 'four months out'
By Chris MacRae
Last Updated: 17/08/16 8:37pm
SSN
West Ham United's record signing Andre Ayew requires surgery on his thigh
injury and could be out of action for up to four months. Ayew was forced to
come off in the first half of his competitive debut, the Sky Live 2-1 defeat
at Chelsea on Monday Night Football. West Ham boss Slaven Bilic travelled to
Romania for the club's latest Europa League qualifier on Wednesday without
their record signing saying he expected the Ghana international would be out
"for a few weeks".
But Jack Sullivan, son of West ham joint-chairman David, said on social
media: "We are devastated that Ayew will be out for about 4 month (sic). He
needs a surgery."
In a statement on their website, the club's head of medical and sports
science Stijn Vandenbroucke admitted the player faced "a significant
rehabilitation period" out of the game. He said: "Andre Ayew injured his
right thigh at Chelsea on Monday and underwent a scan on Wednesday
afternoon. "The medical team will now assess the results with a leading
consultant before drawing any conclusions. "My first thought and priority is
with the player and his physical and mental wellbeing. He has suffered a
significant injury and it is imperative that we do not rush to conclusions
and we receive the correct diagnosis by consulting top specialists. "At this
time, it is too early to put a time-frame on his potential return date but
Andre is facing a significant rehabilitation period. "The best thing we can
do as a Club is to support Andre through this difficult period. We will keep
you updated throughout this process and I am sure he will be come back
stronger than ever."
West Ham, who finished seventh last season, host their first league game -
and the Sky Sports cameras - at the London stadium when they entertain
Bournemouth on Sunday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham rocked by Andre Ayew injury blow as striker ruled out for four
months
19:14, 17 AUG 2016 UPDATED 20:42, 17 AUG 2016
BY TOM HOPKINSON
The former Swansea frontman limped off with a thigh problem just half an
hour into his debut following his £20.5m switch to east London
The Mirror
West Ham have been rocked by the news that record signing Andre Ayew needs
surgery on the thigh injury he sustained against Chelsea on Monday and could
be out until the new year. The £20.5million summer signing from Swansea
lasted just 35 minutes into his Hammers debut before pulling up sharply
after a short sprint. Manager Slaven Bilic said yesterday that he feared the
forward would be out for up to three weeks. But an hour later the results of
a scan confirmed the injury was far worse than had first been expected. The
Hammers' head of medical Stijn Vandenbroucke said: "Andre underwent a scan
and the medical team will now assess the results with a leading consultant
before drawing any conclusions. "He has suffered a significant injury and it
is imperative that we do not rush to conclusions and we receive the correct
diagnosis by consulting top specialists. "At this time, it is too early to
put a timeframe on his potential return date but Andre is facing a
significant rehabilitation period." Ayew had stayed behind in England to
undergo the scan while the rest of the team jetted out to Romania for the
first leg of their Europa League qualifier against Astra Giurgiu on Thursday
night.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham must learn to cope with demands of Europe if they want to join
England's elite, warns Slaven Bilic
18:38, 17 AUG 2016 UPDATED 18:39, 17 AUG 2016
BY TOM HOPKINSON
The Hammers will qualify for the Europa League group stage if they beat
Romanian champions Astra Giurgiu over two legs, starting in Giurgiu on
Thursday
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic has told his West Ham stars they must learn to cope with the
demands of Europe like the rest of the Premier League's big boys. The
Hammers will qualify for the Europa League group stage if they beat Romanian
champions Astra Giurgiu over two legs, starting in Giurgiu on Thursday. And
Bilic, who fears he will be without record signing Andre Ayew for up to
three weeks after he sustained a thigh injury against Chelsea, wants his
players to soak up the experience and get used to the gruelling
Thursday-Sunday schedule which goes with it. Bilic said: "I have said a
number of times it affects your chances in the next game in the Premier
League but despite that we want to try. "It's good for everyone, it's good
for the players, if they play in different countries against different teams
they become better players as well. "It is not very common for West Ham to
play on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, but why talk about qualifying for
Europe all season, with a big hype about it, and then whoever qualifies, the
next question is, 'Why did you qualify?' "So we have to adjust. Like
Manchester City played Saturday and Tuesday, we played Monday and Thursday,
it's the same. "And okay, from Tuesday they have enough time till Saturday
when they play, while from Thursday we don't have a lot of time till Sunday.
"And I know that Manchester City players, for the whole of their careers
they get used to playing in midweek in the Champions League for Valencia,
Manchester City, Lazio, whoever. "We didn't, but we want to give it a go."
West Ham lost to Astra, whose coach Marius Sumudica is banned from all
football activity for two months because of a betting offence, in the Europa
League qualifying phase last season. Bilic added: "We came here knowing we
have a very, very tough team to face. "They are champions of Romania, a team
we respect a lot, and we have a big job to do."
Dimitri Payet has stayed in London to work on his fitness while Adrian, who
has not trained since Diego Costa caught him with a late challenge on
Monday, has travelled but will be replaced by Darren Randolph. Argentinian
Jonathan Calleri, who completed his season-long loan to West Ham from
Deportivo Maldonado earlier this week, is likely to feature. Bilic said:
"He's a very good striker and we need that kind of player. "He is in form,
he played in the Olympics, so he is definitely in a good shape. "He doesn't
need a pre-season. The only question is a bit of jet-lag, it was a long
flight, but that was four days ago."
LIKELY LINE-UPS
ASTRA: Lung, Sapunaru, Geraldo, Fabricio, Junior Morais, Lovin, Takayuki,
Teixeira, Ionita, Boudjemaa, Niculae.
WEST HAM: Randolph, Burke, Reid, Collins, Byram, Obiang, Kouyate, Antonio,
Noble, Valencia, Carroll.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham capacity at London stadium increased to 57,000
By Chris MacRae
Last Updated: 16/08/16 9:17pm
SSN
West Ham have had their safety certificate approved for increased capacity
of up to 57,000 people for their first Premier League game at their new
home. The club had sought approval for a 60,000 capacity at the London
stadium for the Sky Live game against Bournemouth and are still hoping to
achieve that in the coming weeks but Newham Council has agreed an initial
increase of 3,000 for this Sunday's match. A Safety Advisory Group
identified a problem with persistent standing in an all-seater stadium
during the Europa League qualifier against NK Domzale. Vice Chairman
Baroness Brady CBE said: "As a Board we must follow the guidance as set out
by the London stadium Safety Advisory Group to ensure more supporters are
able to attend matches at our stunning new home. "While an increased
capacity of 57,000 is naturally a significant step forward for all
concerned, we absolutely aim to operate at the full 60,000 capacity in the
very near future. "We respect the decision of LSSAG and Newham Council and
will work closely with them, and with our supporters, so that we are able to
reach a 60,000 capacity in the coming weeks. "The LSSAG have identified that
standing in an all-seater stadium is dangerous and that we must continue to
communicate this to our supporters."
The increased capacity means only Old Trafford (75,635) and the Emirates
(60,432) can host larger crowds in the Premier League.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's sponsor apologise to Michail Antonio over tweet
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 16/08/16 2:24pm
SSN
West Ham's official shirt sponsors, Betway, have apologised for criticising
Michail Antonio on social media on Monday night. Antonio gave away a penalty
as the Hammers opened their 2016/17 Premier League campaign with a 2-1
defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday Night Football. Eden Hazard
converted from 12-yards and, though James Collins restored parity with less
than 15 minutes to go, Diego Costa netted the home side's winner in the 89th
minute. Antonio, whose usual position is as a right winger, has been
utilised as a right-back by manager Slaven Bilic since the end of last
season, despite a certain section of the club's support calling for him to
be restored to an attacking position. Following his error last night, Betway
tweeted from their official Twitter account: "Antonio has been an accident
waiting to happen in defence… West Ham fans will hope that's the end of the
experiment."
Sky sources understand West Ham and Betway held a conference call on Tuesday
to discuss the tweet. Betway have told Sky Sports News HQ they have a team
of passionate writers who provide impartial opinion across all sports, but
acknowledge this particular tweet was inappropriate in light of the
company's relationship with West Ham.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Adrian says he is lucky Diego Costa tackle in Chelsea win over West Ham did
not cause serious injury
By James Dale
Last Updated: 16/08/16 6:35pm
SSN
West Ham goalkeeper Adrian has said he is lucky not to have been seriously
injured after he was fouled by Diego Costa in the defeat to Chelsea on
Monday Night Football. Costa had already been booked when he fouled Adrian
in the second half and although referee Anthony Taylor awarded a free-kick,
he did not produce a second yellow card. The Chelsea forward then went on to
score an 89th-minute winner to secure a 2-1 victory for his side in Antonio
Conte's first Premier League match. Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville felt
Diego Costa should have been sent off against West Ham. Adrian has now
responded to the incident by posting an image depicting Costa's high tackle
with the hashtag '#fairplay', and expressing his relief at not sustaining
more serious damage.
The West Ham goalkeeper said on Twitter: "Disappointed about last night!!
Thank God my leg is okay after that, could have been much…" Costa, 27,
scored just 12 Premier League goals last season after scoring 20 in his
first season and with Chelsea signing forward Michy Batshuayi for £33m in
the summer, it was thought Costa's first-team place may be at risk.
However, the Spanish forward started Conte's first league game in charge and
his goal could help him keep his place in the side for their trip to Watford
on Saturday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jonathan Calleri ready to fight after joining West Ham
Last Updated: 16/08/16 10:11pm
SSN
West Ham have completed the signing of Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri on
a season-long loan. Slaven Bilic revealed last week a deal was almost done
to bring in the 22-year-old from Uruguayan club Deportivo Maldonado. And
Calleri has completed the paperwork in time to join the squad for West Ham's
Europa League qualifier against Romania's Astra Giurgiu on Thursday.
"I am very happy to have signed for West Ham," he told the club website.
"This represents a fantastic new challenge for me and I am really looking
forward to it. "The Premier League is the best league in the world and so I
am delighted to have this opportunity to play in such a prestigious league."
Calleri's previous clubs include Boca Juniors and Sao Paulo, and he was part
of the Argentina squad beaten in the first round at the Rio Olympics this
month. "These are exciting times for me personally and I am motivated to
adapt my game to this new environment," he said. "I am a player who always
tries to work as hard as I can and to do my best for the team.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Diego Costa great escape leaves West Ham skipper calling for video replays
so refs get big decisions right
22:30, 16 AUG 2016
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
Chelsea star was already on a booking when he got away with a studs-up
challenge on keeper Adrian — before then crushing Mark Noble and co by
scoring the winner
The Mirror
Diego Costa's red card row is further evidence that referees need more video
technology help, according to West Ham skipper Mark Noble. Chelsea star
Costa had a big escape when he avoided a second yellow card against the
Hammers on Monday. Already on a booking for dissent, striker Costa lunged in
on keeper Adrian and caught his fellow Spaniard halfway up his right shin
with a studs-first challenge. Referee Anthony Taylor decided not to caution
the 27-year-old again, after initially looking like he was about to.
Ben Foster drops the ball behind him but the goal line technology shows the
ball wasn't fully over the line...as has already happened with the system
which takes the guesswork out of goals And, to rub salt into West Ham's
wounds, Costa popped up in the 89th minute to score the winner and deny
Slaven Bilic's side a point. TV replays of the incident didn't reflect well
on either Costa or Taylor and midfielder Noble said: "It probably takes
about five seconds for someone upstairs to look at a video. And that works
both ways then. "I never blame the refs, because I know how tough it is, how
fast the play goes, how difficult it is to keep up with the play, but
someone has got to give us some help.
"We have put goal-line technology in - we have done that and does anyone
argue over whether the ball was over the line any more? No. Did we used to?
Yes. "Simple, isn't it?
"I've always been against this sort of stuff but sometimes it cost us last
year. Big decisions. They do even themselves out but it hurts, doesn't it?
"I knew it was a bad tackle. He didn't get anywhere near the ball — if I
made that tackle in the middle of the pitch am I getting a yellow card? "I
said to Anthony in the game, and I think he is a really good ref, 'What's
the difference between that sort of tackle, which could really injure
someone, and a yellow card for a slight pull-back on a shirt?' You tell me
the difference? "They won't get everything right [because] they are human.
But those decisions really hurt teams now with what is at stake and the
amount of stuff that goes on."
West Ham have to dust themselves down quickly as they travel to Romanians
Astra Giurgiu in the opening leg of a Europa League qualifying play-off on
Thursday, before hosting Bournemouth on Sunday in their first Premier League
game at the Olympic Stadium. They are likely to be without £20.5m record
signing Andre Ayew. Ghanaian forward Ayew, 26, is facing a month out after
being forced off with a thigh injury in the first half at Chelsea.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham captain Mark Noble wants video replays to be introduced after
controversial defeat at Chelsea
Diego Costa's dramatic winner secured win for Chelsea over West Ham
Costa had already been booked before he fouled goalkeeper Adrian
Mark Noble suggested the Blues striker deserved a second yellow card
The Hammers skipper has called on video replays to be introduced
By MATT MALTBY FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 12:52, 17 August 2016 | UPDATED: 12:52, 17 August 2016
West Ham captain Mark Noble has called on video replays to be introduced in
the Premier League following his side's incident-packed defeat at Chelsea on
Monday. The Hammers left Stamford Bridge without a point after Diego Costa,
who was fortunate to be on the pitch, netted a dramatic last-gasp winner.
Costa was booked in the first-half and escaped without another booking in
the second period when he caught West Ham keeper Adrian with a reckless
challenge. The lunge, which incensed the Spanish shot-stopper, has led Noble
to suggest referees need help - and he believes video replays are the best
option. Speaking to The Sun, he said: 'I knew it was a bad tackle. He didn't
get anywhere near the ball. If I made that tackle in the middle of the pitch
am I getting a yellow? 'We have put goal-line technology in, we've done that
and does anyone argue over whether the ball was over any more? No. Did we
used to? Yes. 'Simple isn't it? It probably takes about five seconds for
someone upstairs to look at a video. 'I've always been against technology
stuff but it cost us last year too. Big decisions. Maybe they do even
themselves out but it hurts at the time doesn't it?' Sportsmail columnist
Jamie Carragher was in no doubt that Costa was 'lucky' to avoid a red card
in the Premier League opener. Former Liverpool and England defender
Carragher, speaking in his role as a Sky Sports pundit, insisted match
official Anthony Taylor got the decision wrong.
'This is a straight red card, that challenge there, it's typical Costa, it
happens too often.'That there, it comes down the shin, over the ankle, it
won't be the first time, it won't be the last time, he shouldn't be on the
pitch.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM REGISTER SQUAD FOR EUROPA LEAGUE PLAY-OFF
MICHAEL OLIVER @ReadWestHam
West Ham have registered their squad for their Europa League play-off round
fixtures against Astra Giurgiu. The Hammers successfully navigated the third
qualifying round earlier this month with a 4-2 aggregate victory over
Slovenian side NK Domzale. Romanian outfit Astra Giurgiu meanwhile drop down
into the Europa League play-offs after losing their Champions League third
qualifying round tie with Danish side FC Copenhagen 4-1 on aggregate,
setting up a tie with the Hammers.
Slaven Bilic and Co. will be out for revenge against Astra Giurgiu on
Thursday night, the same team that knocked the Hammers out of the Europa
League qualifiers last season 4-3 on aggregate. West Ham will field a much
strong side one year on from their 2-1 away defeat in Romania last season.
Here's the team that started last season against the same opposition:
Randolph; Knoyle, Jenkinson, Henry, Page; Poyet, Nolan, Cullen; Maiga, Lee,
Lanzini.
As for the squad registered to play Astra Giurgiu, latest signing Jonathan
Calleri has now completed his move to West Ham and received international
clearance to play, he goes straight into the squad for Thursday's game.
Club-record signing Andre Ayew is also included, but the Ghanaian is not
expected to feature after suffering a thigh injury in Monday's Premier
League curtain-raiser against Chelsea. Dimitri Payet, now having returned
from his post-Euro 2016 break, is also back in the fold to play on Thursday
night.
Defenders Lewis Page and Josh Pask, and midfielder Josh Cullen have both
been removed from the squad having completed loan moves to Gillingham and
Bradford respectively, while Aaron Cresswell and Diafra Sakho have both also
been excluded as neither are fit to play. Arthur Masuaku is ineligible to
play having featured for Olympiakos in their Champions League third
qualifying round defeat to Hapoel Beer Sheva earlier this month.
Here is West Ham's registered squad in full:
Goalkeepers:
1) Darren Randolph
13) Adrian
34) Raphael Spiegel
46) Sam Howes*
Defenders:
2) Winston Reid
8) Cheikhou Kouyate
19) James Collins
21) Angelo Ogbonna
22) Sam Byram
32) Reece Burke*
35) Reece Oxford*
51) Mason Barrett*
56) Korrey Henry*
63) Vashon Neufville*
64) Ben Wells*
66) Alex Pike*
70) Tunji Akinola*
Midfielders:
4) Havard Nordtveit
7) Sofiane Feghouli
11) Enner Valencia
14) Pedro Obiang
16) Mark Noble
17) Gökhan Töre
27) Dimitri Payet
41) Declan Rice*
52) Marcus Browne*
53) Matt Carter*
54) Conor Coventry*
55) Grady Diangana*
58) Noha Sylvestre*
60) Moses Makasi*
61) Malyk Hamilton*
69) Anthony Scully*
71) Alfie Lewis*
Forwards:
9) Andy Carroll
20) Andre Ayew
24) Ashley Fletcher
28) Jonathan Calleri
30) Michail Antonio
36) Domingos Quina
40) Djair Parfitt-Williams*
42) Martin Samuelsen
57) Jahmal Hector-Ingram*
62) Benjamin Johnson*
67) Joe Powell*
72) Rosaire Mbule*
* Player B List (Players under the age of 21 that have completed at least
two years at the club – do not need to be registered in the A List)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham starlet Reece Oxford keen to revive talks over new contract as
Manchester United wait in the wings
Reece Oxford has two years remaining on his West Ham contract
The Hammers have been in no rush to hold new contract talks
The 17-year-old defender has been valued at around £15million
Jose Mourinho has been monitoring his situation in recent weeks
By SAM CUNNINGHAM FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 09:27, 17 August 2016 | UPDATED: 10:35, 17 August 2016
Reece Oxford is keen to return to the negotiating table and thrash out new
terms with only two years remaining on his West Ham contract. Oxford and the
club are still some distance apart in all aspects of the protracted deal and
no further discussions have been forthcoming recently. The 17-year-old has
been valued at around £15million and his representatives feel he deserves a
contract that reflects that, but Sportsmail understands that no deal is
currently on the horizon. Oxford started in West Ham's 3-0 victory against
NK Domzale in their first ever match at the Olympic Stadium and is expected
to feature regularly for manager Slaven Bilic this season. The Croatian
handed Oxford his debut last season and he made 12 appearances in all
competitions. Such was his progress that Jose Mourinho has been monitoring
his situation since taking over at Manchester United and sent scouts to
watch him at Under 19 European Championships playing for England. The
Portuguese has identified him as a potential key player for the future. West
Ham are adamant they do not want to sell the player and Bilic is in need of
a large squad this season as he competes for domestic success and in the
Europa League.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Thursday, August 18
Tuesday, August 16
Daily WHUFC News - 16th August
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham United - WHU Official Site
Diego Costa netted a dramatic last minute winner for Chelsea to help the
west London Club secure a 2-1 victory over West Ham at Stamford Bridge.
The Hammers looked to have salvaged a point after James Collins impressive
strike on 77 minutes cancelled out a penalty from Eden Hazard at the start
of the second half.
But Costa stole all the headlines for the home side on 89 minutes when he
drilled in a low shot from the edge of the box to hand Antonio Conte his
first victory as Chelsea manager in the Premier League.
It was harsh luck on Slaven Bilic and his players who showed great
determination to come from a goal down and force their way back into the
game.
The home side dominated the first half proceedings and could have opened the
scoring after 13 minutes when Branislav Ivanovic turned Cheikhou Kouyate
inside the box and fired a low shot which produced a fine save from Adrian
diving low to his left hand side.
Chelsea had claims for a penalty turned down on 19 minutes after Oscar went
down inside the area following a challenge by Winston Reid, but referee
Anthony Taylor waved for play to continue.
The home side continued to create the best openings and came close again on
the half hour mark when Hazard raced unchallenged into the West Ham penalty
box before striking a shot inches past the post.
The Hammers suffered a major injury blow on 32 minutes when club record
signing Andre Ayew was forced to leave the field and was replaced by fellow
summer signing Gokhan Tore who was making his Premier League debut against
his former club.
Adrian came to West Ham's rescue once again on the stroke of half-time when
he was in the right place to tip Willian's curling free-kick over the bar.
Bilic would have been hoping for a better response in the second half, but
they got off to the worst possible start when Antonio conceded a penalty
just sixty seconds after the re-start.
The Hammers full-back brought down Cesar Azpilicueta inside the box and
Taylor immediately pointed to the spot.
Hazard fired the spot kick straight down the middle and into the back of the
net giving Adrian no chance in the West Ham goal.
Costa was fortunate to escape a red card on 68 minutes following a late
challenge on Adrian, especially after he had been booked earlier in the game
and it was to prove crucial in the final outcome.
Bilic made his final change when he brought Dimitri Payet into the action
and the move paid off as the Hammers drew level on 77 minutes.
Payet's corner fell perfectly to Enner Valencia who saw his shot blocked.
The rebound fell to Collins and he made no mistake striking a fierce shot
into the corner of the net.
But the Hammers were unable to hold on to a draw and Costa scored the
winning goal on 89 minutes.
Nemanja Matic saw his long ball flicked on by substitute Michy Batshuayi
into the path of Costa and he fired the ball past Adrian.
Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Kante; Willian
(Pedro 80), Matic, Oscar (Batshuayi 85), Hazard (Moses 85); Costa
Subs not used: Begovic, Aina, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek
Bookings: Kante, Costa, Matic, Azpilicueta, Pedro
West Ham: Adrian; Antonio (Byram 52), Collins, Reid, Masuaku; Nordtveit
(Payet 66), Noble, Kouyate; Ayew (Tore 32), Carroll, Valencia
Subs not used: Randolph, Ogbonna, Obiang, Oxford
Bookings: Antonio, Collins
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Attendance: 41,521
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic frustrated by Chelsea defeat - WHUFC Official Site
Slaven Bilic was in philosophical mood after his West Ham United side were
controversially beaten in their Premier League opener at Chelsea.
The Hammers manager admitted his injury-depleted team were not at their best
at Stamford Bridge, but James Collins' smart second-half strike looked set
to earn them a hard-earned point.
Eden Hazard – arguably the best player on the pitch – had put Chelsea ahead
from the penalty spot 90 minutes after half-time, and there was no disputing
that the Blues played the more enterprising football. However, West Ham
stuck to their task and were left feeling hard done by.
With a minute of normal time remaining, Diego Costa struck an agonising
winner – but not before the Brazilian had been booked and then escaped
further punishment when he brought down Adrian with a nasty-looking lunge.
"It's the first game of the season and we are already talking about those
kind of decisions," said Bilic. "From our point of view, of course we are
not happy with it.
"I saw the incident again and I don't think it was reckless. It definitely
wasn't a reckless one and it wasn't deliberate in my opinion, but it was,
late very late.
"Nine times out of ten, when you see that challenge on a goalkeeper he ends
up with a booking, but unfortunately this was the tenth time! Really,
though, I am more disappointed with the late goal than the incident with
Costa."
Bilic was asked repeatedly about his view on Costa's non-red card, but
insisted he was more concerned about his side's own difficulty in imposing
themselves on the game than referee Anthony Taylor's decision not to send
the Chelsea striker for an early bath.
"Of course when you concede so late in the first game it leaves you
disappointed and is a big frustration for us," Bilic continued. "We were so
close against a top side on their ground, but they deserved it.
"We were so close and we thought that's it, but let's be honest, apart from
the first 15 minutes and from the time we equalised, they were better than
us. They didn't create many chances, but we gave them the penalty from our
ball possession and the second goal was like that as we had the ball totally
under our control in the middle of the park.
"They were much more aggressive than us, they were there and winning the
second balls and, on top of that, they have players like Hazard who were on
form and on fire. You have to admit they were better than us.
"From the moment we equalised and from there we were in control of the game
as they lost their shape and changed their system and were playing long
balls, which I expected us to cope with a little bit better, but then they
scored a good goal."
To add injuries to the insult of conceding so late, Bilic also lost record
signing Andre Ayew to a thigh injury in the first half, while winger Sofiane
Feghouli was not involved after suffering a hamstring problem.
"Ayew has a thigh injury," he confirmed. "He told me it is not a big one,
but you never know and he will have a scan on Tuesday and we have to wait
for the result of the scan to know how long he will be out.
"Feghouli picked up something against Juventus which we didn't think was an
injury and he trained for a week, but he missed tonight because he is
injured."
Bilic and his wounded squad will need to regroup quickly, as the Hammers
travel to Romania on Wednesday for a UEFA Europa League play-off round
first-leg tie with Astra Giurgiu on Thursday evening.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Collins - It's a tough loss - WHUFC Official Site
James Collins said scoring on his return to the starting XI meant nothing as
West Ham United were controversially beaten 2-1 in their Premier League
opener at Chelsea.
The defender scored the Hammers' equaliser at Stamford Bridge only for Diego
Costa, who should arguably have been sent-off for a reckless late challenge
on Adrian, to net the Blues' 89th-minute winner.
For Collins, who helped Wales reach the semi-finals of Euro 2016, defeat was
hard to stomach after a determined rearguard action looked to have earned a
point in west London.
"It was tough," said the No19. "I don't think we played particularly well
and didn't deserve a win or maybe even a draw, but when you get to the 89th
minute at 1-1, you should be hanging on to a point. Obviously we didn't play
as well as we could, but it would have been a great point.
"You never think you have done enough against Chelsea because they're a
class team. They had a dip last year but they were right back on form
tonight and it was a tough game. We're obviously disappointed.
"The goal is no consolation and I should score more, to be honest, the
amount of time I go up for corners and that. It just dropped nice and I
stuck it in, but it would have been nicer if it was the equaliser and we'd
got a point."
West Ham need to get over Monday's disappointment quickly, as Slaven Bilic's
side head to Romania on Wednesday for a UEFA Europa League play-off round
first-round tie with Astra Giurgiu.
He added: "We go on to the next one. We've got a tough game away in Romania,
so we'll regroup, we''ll train on Tuesday, watch the video from the game and
take what we can out of it."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Loan round-up - WHU Official Site
Josh Pask helped Gillingham reach the summit of League One at the weekend as
he was one of three young Hammers in loan action in the third tier.
The centre-back, playing his second fixture since joining the Kent outfit on
loan, played 90 minutes as the Gills beat Bury 2-1 at the Priestfield
Stadium.
The hosts were in front after just six minutes as right-back Ryan Jackson
opened the scoring, and it was two twelve minutes into the second half as
Antony Kay put into his own net.
Tom Pope pulled one back but Pask and Gillingham defended well to hold on
and record their second league win in as many matches having beaten Southend
United on day one.
Meanwhile, there was a debut for Lewis Page at new club Coventry City as
they picked up a goalless draw at home to Shrewsbury.
The Sky Blues, who were beaten by Swindon Town in their opening fixture,
picked up their first point of the season, with Page playing 90 minutes for
Tony Mowbray's outfit.
Also making his debut – albeit a second one at Bradford City – was Josh
Cullen, who returned to the Yorkshire club recently after an impressive
spell there last campaign.
The Bantams, looking to better their opening day draw with Port Vale, were
1-0 winners at the Hammers' Dev Squad opponents Peterborough United.
Cullen played the full match in midfield for Stuart McCall's team, who had
Jordy Hiwula – on loan from Huddersfield Town – to thank after he scored the
eleventh minute winner.
Elsewhere in the division, George Dobson – who has made one appearance so
far on loan at Walsall – was an unused substitute as the Saddlers were held
0-0 at Oldham Athletic.
Finally, Kyle Knoyle – on loan at Wigan Athletic after last term's spell in
Scotland with Dundee United – continued his recovery from injury and watched
on as the Latics thrashed Blackburn Rovers 3-0.
Will Grigg, Nick Powell and a Shane Duffy own goal gave Gary Caldwell's side
the comfortable victory to earn their first points of the season in the
Championship.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
From the Boardroom - David Sullivan - WHUFC Official Site
We are all disappointed that we could not take anything from the opening
game against Chelsea on Monday night.
But if we are honest we know that the performance was not good enough and
Slaven was the first to admit that after the game.
We raised the bar with our performance levels last season and the players
are capable of showing a lot more.
We know the importance of bouncing straight back and we have the ideal
opportunity to do that when we play Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League on
Thursday night and then Bournemouth at home on Sunday.
The injuries are hurting us badly and it is disappointing that Andre Ayew
will now face a spell on the sidelines.
We need to get Manuel Lanzini, Andre Ayew, Diafra Sakho and Sofiane Feghouli
back in action as soon as possible.
The good thing to come out of the Chelsea game was the impressive debut by
our new left back Arthur Masuaku and he will hopefully become a great
signing for the Club.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Masuaku - This is a big week for the Club
West Ham United defender Arthur Masuaku is confident his side can bounce
straight following the defeat against Chelsea and knows the importance of
winning the next two games.
Masuaku had a mixed night of emotions following his debut for the Club at
Stamford Bridge.
The French defender was thrilled to play his first Premier League game, but
was upset that his side failed to take anything from the game after Diego
Costa scored a dramatic last minute winner.
Masuaku has stressed the importance of getting back straight back on the
winning trail and feels the players will have a point to prove when they
face Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League on Thursday and Bournemouth at home
on Sunday.
Masuaku said: "All the players were disappointed because we conceded the
goal in the last minute. I thought was the game was in our hands but
unfortunately we let in the second goal. We just have to keep working hard
together as a team.
"It was a great strike from Ginge to get us back into the game and I thought
Dimitri came on and changed the game because he has great quality and for me
he is a world class player.
"We saw what he can do as he crossed the ball in for the goal. It was
unfortunate that we could not hold but we have to move on now.
"I really enjoyed my Premier League debut as it was always my target to play
in England since I was a youngster.
"The Premier League is very fast and for me it was tough physically as I am
not 100 per cent yet. I just want to keep going, work hard and hopefully
show my best form.
"This is a big week for the Club and we have two important games in the
Europa League and then the first home game against Bournemouth. I hope we
are going to win the next two games."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Farewell to Upton Park
West Ham United fans will never forget the Boleyn Ground.
For that reason alone, a stunning new book celebrating the Hammers' historic
home of 112 years entitled Farewell to Upton Park should be part of every
supporters' Claret and Blue collection.
Containing more than 230 exclusive and evocative images, which will chime
with every Hammer, from the characters that made the stadium great, to
nostalgic scenes at the historic Boleyn Tavern and inside the ground itself,
this is a book every fan will treasure for years to come.
Farewell to Upton Park will go on sale at the Stadium Store ahead of West
Ham's Premier League fixture with AFC Bournemouth on Sunday 21 August, where
a very special Hammers guest will be signing copies for supporters!
Officially endorsed by the Club, Farewell to Upton Park was the brainchild
of West Ham Season Ticket Holder and Daily Mail and MailOnline Head of Sport
Lee Clayton, while many of the images inside were captured by the Mail's
award-winning sports photographer Andy Hooper.
To celebrate the launch, the Club and publishers have teamed up to give away
ten copies in a special competition. To enter, simply follow us on Instagram
@westham and follow the simple instructions!
The book contains many pictures of Upton Park as I remember it, lots of
pictures of fans and inside and outside the ground and that matchday
atmosphere that we all loved
As a collection it forms a beautiful testament of what it meant to go to a
game and be among the fans at a stadium that will live long in the memory of
everyone who visited it.
A lifelong Hammer, Clayton is rightly proud of the publication that he and
Hooper have produced.
"The book is called Farewell to Upton Park and I've got to say it's a real
show of Andy's work," he said. "He is a brilliant photographer who I have
worked with for the last 13 years at the Mail and he has got a great eye for
these things.
"The original idea for the book came when I was talking with a fellow Season
Ticket Holder and we took a long walk around the area surrounding the Boleyn
Ground and thought 'We will never see this again' because there are not so
many reasons to return to the area now West Ham have left.
"I spoke to Andy, as he has an eye for those shots, and the Club have been
brilliant in allowing us in with the Board, the players and the management
and access all areas, which was a fantastic opportunity.
"All that is reflected in this book, which contains many pictures of Upton
Park as I remember it, lots of pictures of fans and inside and outside the
ground and that matchday atmosphere that we all loved."
We wanted this to be reportage and not pose any pictures, but rather be
moments in time that were observed and won't happen again
"It is really unusual for someone outside the Club to be given such access
and everyone inside was very friendly," he confirmed. "We worked in the
dressing room and tunnel area around the players and coaching staff, which
is traditionally a very difficult area to work in because you can't get in
anyone's way, but it worked well.
"Over time, you build up relationships and everyone was really friendly and
allowed me to take pictures. We wanted to show everything that happens off
the pitch which fans normally don't see at a match.
"We didn't want to set anything up because we want every photo in the book
to be something that happened naturally, be it the tea lady serving a cuppa
or Dimitri Payet doing keepy-ups in the dressing room.
"The book started off showing the architecture and the stadium to give fans
a memory of that, but the fans themselves became the book – the goal
celebrations make the most incredible pictures because the drama, emotion
and the passion that came out, particularly after Winston Reid's final goal
against Manchester United, were incredible.
"We wanted this to be reportage and not pose any pictures, but rather be
moments in time that were observed and won't happen again."
Hooper will describe his favourite images in the Official Programme
throughout the 2016/17 season.
*Farewell to Upton Park – The Official Celebration of West Ham United's
Home – 1904–2016 will be published by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd on Sunday
21 August 2016.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea 2 v 1 West Ham United - BBC Sport
By Chris Osborne
Diego Costa's late strike gave Antonio Conte a dramatic winning start as
Chelsea manager as his side secured a season-opening victory over West Ham.
The Spain striker found the net from 20 yards in the 89th minute to spark
wild scenes at Stamford Bridge, with Conte celebrating among supporters.
Eden Hazard had put the Blues in front from the spot after Michail Antonio
fouled Cesar Azpilicueta.
James Collins levelled for the Hammers, but Costa's finish settled it.
After a disastrous start to last season, which led to Jose Mourinho's
sacking in December and a 10th-place finish, Conte's arrival at Chelsea will
at the very least inject passion and animation into a side routinely accused
of lacking commitment last term.
The former Juventus coach, where he won Serie A three times, is fresh from
taking Italy to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, where he displayed tactical
nous alongside animated touchline antics.
And Chelsea supporters hugged their new manager in delight as he sprinted
along the front of the stands following Costa's low shot had crept into the
net.
But the 27-year-old had been fortunate to still be on the pitch when, having
already been booked for remonstrating with the referee, he escaped a second
booking when he caught Hammers keeper Adrian high up on the shin with a late
challenge.
The question of whether Chelsea can mount a strong title challenge will
still remain after this display, with the Blues dominating possession but
failing to finish off the visitors until late on.
But the all-action, energetic performance of £30m midfield signing N'Golo
Kante - who won the title with Leicester City last season - and the vibrancy
of Hazard, were positive signs.
Belgium winger Hazard looked particularly sharp and creative, following an
impressive European Championship for his country.
However, Conte is likely to pursue further signings, with striker Michy
Batshuayi - a late substitute - the only other new arrival.
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham: Slaven Bilic disappointed with sloppy mistakes
West Ham have brought in eight players over the summer and three of them
started - Arthur Masuaku, Havard Nordveit and Andre Ayew.
Striker Ayew, a £20m signing from Swansea, had a miserable night as he
limped off in the first half with a thigh injury.
And manager Slaven Bilic is likely to have also been disappointed with the
performance of his side, who struggled to get a foothold in the game and did
not produce a shot on target until Collins lashed home a loose ball after a
77th-minute corner.
Dimitri Payet, so often the Hammers' star last season, was restricted to
coming off the bench after his exertions for France at Euro 2016 and was
unable to make an impact in his 20 minutes on the pitch.
Man of the match - Eden Hazard
Much maligned for his performances last season, Eden Hazard was persistently
Chelsea's most potent attacking threat
What they said - 'We played like tigers'
Chelsea forward Eden Hazard told Sky Sports: "It was good to be back on the
pitch in front of our own supporters. We did very well and we played 90
minutes like tigers.
"It's not every year I score in my first game. Last season is finished - we
are looking forward to the future. We want to bring a lot of emotion to the
fans."
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic told Sky Sports: "When you lose a game and
concede late, of course you are disappointed. Apart from the first 15
minutes until we equalised, they were much better than us.
"They were better on the ball, in pressing and much more aggressive than us.
They had the individual class of Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Willian.
"We came back into the game. We played well after 1-1, but we made the
mistake in the middle of the park. We gave the ball away and conceded a
cheap goal."
What's next?
Chelsea travel to Watford on Saturday after the Hornets started the season
with a draw at Southampton. West Ham have a trip to Romania on Thursday for
the first leg of their Europa League qualifier against Astra Giurgiu.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Diego Costa challenge: Chelsea boss Antonio Conte backs referee - BBC Sport
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte says the referee "made the right decision" in
taking no action against striker Diego Costa after his challenge on West Ham
goalkeeper Adrian.
Costa, already booked, caught Adrian high on his shin in the second half.
Anthony Taylor did not produce a second yellow card and Costa went on to
make it 2-1 to Chelsea in the 89th minute.
Conte said he "did not see" the tackle, adding: "I saw Costa put the
pressure on the keeper and then try to stop."
Chelsea led 1-0 when Costa made the challenge and even though James Collins
equalised for West Ham, the Spain international settled the game with a low,
20-yard strike.
"It was not reckless or deliberate, but it was quite late," said Hammers
boss Slaven Bilic referring to the incident.
"He could have been booked again and so a red card. I am not frustrated
because of that, I am frustrated because of the late goal."
Referees have been instructed to book players who protest against decisions
this season and Costa was initially cautioned for chasing Taylor following a
penalty appeal.
"Diego is a good player and a passionate man - sometimes it happens that he
can receive a yellow card," Conte told Sky Sports.
"I think in the situation with Adriano the referee took the right decision."
Collins' goal was West Ham's only shot on target and striker Andre Ayew, a
£20m summer signing from Swansea, limping off in the first half is a concern
for Bilic.
"We have to wait on Andre Ayew," said the Croat, whose side travel to
Romania on Thursday for the first leg of their Europa League qualifier
against Astra Giurgiu.
"It is a thigh injury and we will find out after the scan on Tuesday."
Conte has arrived at Chelsea with a reputation for being an expert
tactician, as displayed by taking Italy to the European Championship
quarter-finals, but also for being a passionate and animated character on
the touchline.
The Italian lived up that billing by rushing towards fans to celebrate
Costa's winner.
"I knew the Premier League only through television. I played against English
teams in the Champions League and Europa League, but playing this league is
very difficult," said the 47-year-old.
"There is a great intensity in the Premier League and it's very physical. I
don't know if I'll sleep tonight because the adrenaline is high."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham – Match Report - thewesthamway
by Brian Knox on 15 August 2016 at 11:26pm
West Ham lost their opening Premier League game this evening when Diego
Costa netted a dramatic last minute winner for Chelsea to secure a 2-1
victory at Stamford Bridge.
The Hammers looked to have salvaged a point after James Collins impressive
strike on 77 minutes cancelled out a penalty from Eden Hazard at the start
of the second half.
But Costa drilled in a low shot from the edge of the box to hand Antonio
Conte his first victory as Chelsea manager in the Premier League.
In reality the Spaniard shouldn't have even been on the pitch but Anthony
Taylor totally bottled his decision on a challenge Costa made on Adrian
which many including ex-referees viewed as an automatic red card offence.
The Hammers and Slaven Bilic will feel hard done by but in truth their
performance didn't deserve anything from the game. The team were slow on
the night, didn't look confident and rarely troubled the Chelsea back four
with constant aerial passes to Andy Carroll who resembled more of a Tom
Hanks character from Castaway than a well supported frontman. The side were
missing influencial playmaking stars such as Dimitri Payet (for most of the
game) and the injured duo Manuel Lanzini and Sofiane Feghouli which
obviously affected the flow of West Ham's usual attacking prowess. To make
matters worse, the Hammers lost record signing Andre Ayew, 32 minutes into
his debut for the club with what looks like a leg injury. The club will
surely be sweating on the results of that scan with the transfer window
closure just over two weeks away.
The home side dominated the first half proceedings and could have opened the
scoring after 13 minutes when Branislav Ivanovic turned Cheikhou Kouyate
inside the box and fired a low shot which produced a fine save from Adrian
diving low to his left hand side.
Chelsea had claims for a penalty turned down 6 minutes later after Oscar
went down inside the area following a challenge by Winston Reid, but referee
Anthony Taylor waved for play to continue.
The home side continued to create the best openings and came close again
when Hazard raced unchallenged into the West Ham penalty box before striking
a shot inches past the post.
Bilic was forced into his first change on 32 minutes when club record
signing Andre Ayew was forced to leave the field and was replaced by fellow
summer signing Gokhan Tore who was making his Premier League debut against
his former club.
Adrian came to West Ham's rescue once again on the stroke of half-time when
he was in the right place to tip Willian's curling free-kick over the bar.
Bilic would have been hoping for a better response in the second half, but
they got off to the worst possible start when Michail Antonio conceded a
penalty just after the re-start.
The Hammers winger brought down Cesar Azpilicueta inside the box and Taylor
immediately pointed to the spot.
Hazard fired the spot kick straight down the middle giving Adrian no chance
in the West Ham goal.
Slaven immediately replaced Antonio with Sam Byram and the ex Forest man
looked very downhearted.
Bilic made his final change when he brought on Dimitri Payet into the action
and the move paid off as the Hammers drew level on 77 minutes.
Payet's corner fell perfectly to Enner Valencia who saw his shot blocked.
The rebound fell to Collins and he made no mistake striking a fierce shot
into the corner of the net.
But the Hammers were unable to hold on to a draw.
Bilic wont have too long to dwell on tonight's result and performance as the
club travel to Romania on Thursday to face FC Astra in the 1st leg of their
Europa League Play-off tie against the side that eliminated them from last
season's tournament.
Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Kante; Willian
(Pedro 80), Matic, Oscar (Batshuayi 85), Hazard (Moses 85); Costa
Subs not used: Begovic, Aina, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek
Bookings: Kante
West Ham: Adrian; Antonio (Byram 52), Collins, Reid, Masuaku; Nordtveit
(Payet 66), Noble, Kouyate; Ayew (Tore 32), Carroll, Valencia
Subs not used: Randolph, Ogbonna, Obiang, Oxford
Bookings: Antonio, Collins
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Attendance: 41,521
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ref Watch – Chelsea vs West Ham – Anthony Taylor - thewesthamway
by Brian Knox on 15 August 2016 at 11:32pm
Written by Sam Royden-Ryell
New season, new rules and a lot at stake in this highly anticipated season.
After a 7th place finish last season, a potential place in Europa League
group stage and smashing our transfer record, it's looking very good for
West Ham. Gameweek 1 of the new Premier League season started at Stamford
Bridge with a highly anticipated London derby against Chelsea. The referee
appointed for this game was Anthony Taylor.
Business as usual for Taylor in the first half with a handful of cautions
but nothing that he couldn't handle. The first caution of the game came
within the first four minutes when £32m summer signing N'Golo Kanté got
beaten to the ball by Andy Carroll before Kanté hacked down the West Ham
front man. Kanté couldn't have any complaints after that kind of challenge
as it came from behind but also as Carroll was progressing to the Chelsea
half.
One of the biggest decisions Taylor had to make in the first half was to
decide whether to award a penalty against Winston Reid after Oscar went down
in the West Ham penalty area. For me, Oscars fall was far too theatrical.
Oscar was in possession and skilfully flicked the ball past Reid and there
was contact from Reid without a doubt, however the contact wasn't enough for
Oscar to go down like he did and his fall clearly didn't convince Taylor
that it was worthy of a penalty.
Diego Costa was the second player to join Kanté in Taylor's book after Costa
was protesting Taylor's decision to wave away Chelsea's penalty appeal but
in an unacceptable manner. This season, new powers have been given to the
referees to protect themselves but also their assistants. Referees have been
urged to take a stronger stand on "intolerable behaviour" by players. This
includes running to contest decisions, arguing face-to-face with officials,
and "visibly disrespectful" actions will result in yellow cards. This makes
sense for me and I don't understand why this hasn't been brought in sooner,
but it's better late than never. You will see a lot of cautions this season
because of this new inclusion and it's no surprise that Costa was penalised.
Collins was the first West Ham player to be cautioned after the West Ham man
brought Diego Costa down just inside Chelsea's half. It was an unnecessary
challenge but rightly penalised by Taylor. There were a couple of strange
decisions, one being penalising Enner Valencia for attempting to challenge
for the ball when at hip height and Cahill attempted to challenge with his
head. Taylor gave a foul for a high boot against Valencia and this is
incorrect in my opinion. The fact Cahill put his head in an unnatural area
to challenge for the ball meant this shouldn't have been awarded against
West Ham.
Just two minutes into the second half and Taylor correctly awarded a penalty
to Chelsea after waving away one in the first half. Michail Antonio decided
he was going attempt to run the ball out from the back before getting
challenged by César Azpilicueta. Antonio made a horrendous attempt to win
the ball back but brought down Azpilicueta at the same time and kicked the
ball away in frustration which resulted in a caution.
Arguably the biggest question West Ham fans are asking – Should Diego Costa
have been sent off for a second bookable offence for his challenge on
Adrian? A natural instinct as a striker is always going challenge for every
ball and will chase every ball. However, Diego Costa's challenge was late,
it was reckless and it did deserve a second bookable offence. Costa's
reputation is always going to cause a stir because of the type of player he
is and he can be over aggressive on more occasions that not. If this was on
anywhere else on the pitch, Taylor would have more than likely blew for the
foul and cautioned the player, or in Costa's intense, second bookable
offence. Therefore, I feel that Costa is extremely lucky to still be on the
field and I do sympathise with Taylor as we do have the luxury of multiple
instant replays but it's a decision he did get correct amongst many he did
get correct which is a shame on his overall performance.
After Taylor got a high boot decision incorrect in the first half, Taylor
got a different high boot decision correct as Azpilicueta challenged for the
ball at shoulder height with Andy Carroll challenging with his head. This
was the correct decision rather than the Valencia challenge at hip height on
Cahill. Azpilicueta protested and was booked on this occasion.
Was Kanté lucky to stay on the pitch as well after the foul on Dimitri
Payet? Not for me on this occasion. Not every foul is punished with a
caution or red card. Kanté was generally going for the ball. Admittedly, he
was late but the attempt was there and Taylor correctly blew for the foul.
Diego Costa was amongst it again when he ran into Arthur Masuaku and went
down inside the box. Costa was obviously looking for a penalty but Taylor
was having none of it and waved it away almost instantly. Within the last
couple of minutes of the game, Pedro was cautioned after a nasty-looking
late challenge on Reid. A caution was the minimum punishment needed for that
type of late challenge with Taylor right on the spot to make that decision.
Overall, not a bad start to the season for Taylor. He continued the trend of
referees in this opening weekend to attempt to stamp out intolerable
behaviour by players. Arguably, the biggest decision was to determine
whether Costa's challenge on Adrian was deserved of a caution or not. Taylor
thought not, but replays showed that there was defiantly a case for a second
bookable offence. A very poor performance by West Ham with not much going
forward, a lack of composure and we didn't get into the game. We couldn't
keep the ball nor pass to our own players. We cannot rely on Payet to change
games as much as he is by far our best player. We need other players to
stand up in instances like this game against Chelsea and Slav has a lot to
think about before the first Premier League game at the London Stadium
against Bournemouth next week, which fans are expecting to win. Let us know
your thoughts @TheWestHamWay and @SamRoyden using the hashtag
#AskWestHamWayRef with your thoughts, opinions and questions.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea performance was poor… but let's not panic! Bilic will fix this.
by Ben Cooper on 16 August 2016 at 2:18pm
This article was written by Richard Jones (@emagehtjr on twitter)
Obviously the main question from last night is 'why is Antonio being played
at right back?'From Bilic's point of view, he wants an attacking right back
who can help support attacking moves going forward. Antonio suits that part
of the role very well, but defensively he just isn't going to cut it I'm
afraid. He is way too attack minded, too eager to get forward and this
leaves us exposed if we lose the ball unexpectedly. This weakness was
emphasised by the way we played last night in midfield with the poor
passing.
Antonio does not have a strong defensive instinct, the difference when Byram
came on was clear to see. Byram was clean in the tackle and didn't look as
shaky. However, the lack of match fitness of some key players and
unfortunate injuries were bigger contributors to the defeat.
Its possible that Bilic feels that the right back position is the only way
he can utilise Antonio in the team. Now, with the likes of Ayew, Feghouli,
Payet, and Tore, is Antonio dropped out of the starting eleven altogether if
he doesn't play right back? One thing is for sure and that is we can't have
Antonio playing at right back any more. I'm sure Bilic must realise this
now, he isn't naive.
Slaven is a very intelligent man and I believe he is just trying to make the
best out of what he has at his disposal. He has shown bravery by trying to
turn Antonio into a right back. However, I feel that Antonio is never going
to be that right back who will sense danger defensively.
I do not believe Antonio's future at the club is in doubt, far from it,
there are a lot of games to play this season and all of the squad will be
needed.
Some observations from the match itself:
The passing was poor, the tactics didn't work but this is not Bilic's fault,
its more down to the options he currently has.
We started the game well but as the game went on it became evident that it
was going to be one of those nights for u.
The mistake Antonio made led to a Chelsea goal.
We didn't have enough shots on goal ourselves.
Ayew getting injured was typical West Ham luck. Some of the referee's
decisions were not at all lucky for us either.
There were limited crosses for Carroll to attack until Payet came on.
The only highlight was the great finish by Collins on his weaker foot.
Nordtveit and Tore were both poor but I don't believe it's appropriate to
judge new signings after one game, I believe we have signed some real
quality and they just need time to bed in.
Moving forward:
If Sakho was fit and focused, it would of worked better with him as striker.
I believe we would of had more of an outlet on the break which gives you
that extra threat in away games on the counter.
Also, with Calleri soon to join up, I believe he will give us a different
option up front. He is comfortable on the ball, will work hard to stretch
defences and be a threat in the box.
It's not a time to panic and I think we will have a great season
COYI.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
If I were Antonio's agent… thewesthamway
by Mitch Foyle-York on 16 August 2016 at 10:04am
I think it's fair to say that every West Ham fan's heart melted when they
saw Antonio leave the field last night, his face riddled with despair and
frustration. At first, like most West Ham fans, I decided to trust Bilic
with his decision to play Antonio at RB. However, since then, we have seen
nothing but mistakes from the natural winger.
I have often made the case that Bilic doesn't see Antonio as the way
forward, in terms of his attacking unite. Look at the rest of our attacking
midfielders: Payet, Lanzini, Tore, Feghouli and Ayew. They are all
playmaking midfielders, who like to nip in and out of each other. Antonio is
the complete opposite. He simply doesn't pass Bilic's checklist, he's far
too raw and direct for Bilic's liking.
So where does this leave Michail Antonio? Surely now Bilic has realised he
simply can't play him at RB? For the record, I must say I was disgusted with
the lack of respect Bilic showed Antonio after subbing him last night.
Antonio doesn't deserve this, he was-arguably-our second best player last
season. Not only has Antonio been denied a chance to play a huge role in our
attack this season, he has (almost) been replaced by Tore, Feghouli and
Ayew. He must be thinking "what more can I do?".
I love Michail Antonio, but if I were his agent I would be telling him to
reconsider his position at the club. This situation is a lose-lose. It isn't
fair on him, it's tarnishing his reputation, and it's not fair on the team,
who are paying the ultimate price for this foolishness. No one is benefiting
from Antonio playing RB. Of course I don't want Antonio to leave, but for
the sake of his career I honestly think he should already consider moving
on. Unless Bilic reassures him that he will be getting the chance to play
plenty of first team football as a winger from now on.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham Utd - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 15th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Diego Costa grabbed an 89th-minute winner for Chelsea in tonight's Premier
League opener at Stamford Bridge on a night when he could - and perhaps
should - have been booked FOUR times.
The Spanish international - who was already on a yellow before committing
three further bookable offences, all of which referee Anthony Taylor
ignored - struck the winning goal with seconds to spare after James Collins'
77th-minute strike looked to have rescued a point for the Hammers.
West Ham, missing the likes of Angelo Ogbonna, Manuel Lanzini and Aaron
Cresswell also started without Dimitri Payet, who is still recovering from
his Euro 16 exploits.
And despite enjoying the bulk of possession in the opening half hour, the
Hammers failed to seriously test Thibaut Courtois until Collins recorded
United's first effort on target with his goal, 13 minutes from time.
By that time the hosts had perhaps deservedly taken the lead through a
47th-minute Hazard penalty, conceded by Michail Antonio who inadvertently
felled Cesar Azpilicueta inside the box.
The right winger, playing again at full back was rewarded by being instantly
replaced by Sam Byram - and ignored by manager Slaven Bilic as he trudged
dejectedly back to the visitors' dugout.
Thereafter Byram proved an able replacement for Antonio, playing on the
opposite side to new signing Arthur Masuaku who was one of three players
making their Premier League debuts in United's starting XI.
Havard Nordtveit and Andre Ayew also started for the first time although the
latter's evening was cut short just 35 minutes in after he suffered a thigh
strain, an injury that will be assessed tomorrow morning. Gokhan Tore made
his debut from the bench as a replacement for the stricken Ayew.
Chelsea, despite looked in control after taking the lead were always
susceptible to a sucker punch holding such a slender lead. And it was James
Collins who delivered what appeared to be a knockout blow when he steered
the ball through a cluster of bodies to draw West Ham level 13 minutes from
time.
That was until Costa fired across Adrian from an acute angle to win all
three points for the hosts with little more than a minute of normal time
remaining. Controversially, because had referee Anthony Taylor applied the
letter of the law correctly the Spaniard might have been dismissed twice
before scoring his goal - and once more again thereafter!
Booked for dissent in the first half, Costa deliberately raked Adrian's shin
in the second only for Taylor to simply award a free kick; the ugly
challenge was quite possibly worthy of a straight red on its own.
Minutes later his attempt at simulation inside West Ham's penalty area also
went unpunished, as did the removal of his shirt whilst celebrating the
winning goal. Although they were poor tonight, it's fair to say the Hammers
haven't had the best of luck with match officials at Stamford Bridge this
calendar year.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Club sponsor criticises Antonio selection - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 15th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's principal sponsor Betway has slammed manager Slaven
Bilic's decision to persist with winger Michail Antonio at right back.
In an extraordinary message posted via their official Twitter timeline
following West Ham's 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge, the gambling firm - who
have worked hard to engage with the club's supporters since forging the link
with West Ham - called the decision to play Antonio at right back an
"accident waiting to happen".
Slaven And whilst that opinion might chime with the club's fanbase, the vast
majority of whom have called for Antonio to be restored to his favoured and
most effective position - it will cause more than a modicum of embarrassment
for the club.
Antonio, who was exceptional on the right flank during his first season in
the Premier League was responsible for conceding the penalty that led to
Chelsea's opening goal in tonight's clash.
The 26-year-old former Forest star was rewarded for his error by being
immediately substituted by Slaven Bilic, who replaced him with Sam Byram.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Costa not reckless, says Bilic - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 16th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Slaven BIlic refused to criticise Chelsea's Diego Costa for his challenge on
Adrian following last night's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea.
The Hammers boss, who saw his team concede in the final minute of normal
time felt that the striker's challenge - whilst late - was not particularly
dangerous.
"It's the first game of the season and we are already talking about those
kind of decisions," he told the media post-match. "Of course, from our point
of view, of course we are not happy with it.
"I saw the incident again and I don't think it was reckless. It definitely
wasn't a reckless one and in my opinion it wasn't deliberate, but it was,
late very late.
"Nine times out of ten, when you see that challenge on a goalkeeper he ends
up with a booking, but unfortunately this was the tenth time! Really,
though, I am more disappointed with the late goal than the incident with
Costa."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Not good enough, warns Sullivan - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 16th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has criticised Slaven Bilic and his
squad for their below-par performance at Stamford Bridge last night.
The Hammers were beaten 2-1 thanks to a last-minute effort by Diego Costa,
who should have been dismissed earlier in the game for a reckless challenge
on West Ham goalkeeper Adrian.
And Sullivan, speaking via the club's website this morning said that the
team were simply "not good enough" against Antonio Costa's side.
"We are all disappointed that we could not take anything from Chelsea on
Monday night," he said. "But if we are honest, we know that the performance
was not good enough.
"We raised the bar with our performance levels last season and the players
are capable of showing a lot more.
"We know the importance of bouncing straight back and we have the ideal
opportunity to do that when we play Astra Giurgiu on Thursday night and then
Bournemouth on Sunday."
Sullivan was also full of praise for debutant Arthur Masuaku - and keen to
see the return of several players currently sidelined by injury.
"One good thing to come out of the Chelsea game was the impressive debut by
our new left back; hopefully he will become a great signing for the club,"
he added.
"But the injuries are hurting us badly and it is disappointing that Andre
Ayew will now face a spell on the sidelines. We need to get Manuel Lanzini,
Andre Ayew, Diafra Sakho and Sofiane Feghouli back in action as soon as
possible."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The opposition view: Chelsea - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 16th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
You'd think they'd be happy with an opening day win - yet there were still
plenty of moans emanating from West London. Welcome back to a new season of
the OV....
"Well that was bloody brilliant. I had a feeling that West Ham were bad
opponents to face on the opening day, but I thought that was the best I have
seen us play in over a year. The way we won back possession so effectively
with such high intensity made West Ham look incredibly uncomfortable on the
ball, and this was reflected in the fact that they really struggled to
string a meaningful attack together all game. Their goal was their first
shot on target, and was born from rather dubious circumstances, but other
than than the nervous goal mouth scramble at the end, they created next to
nothing. Great win, great performance matched with a cracking atmosphere."
- mclovin83
"West Ham resorted to playing deep and actually played well defensively.
Hazard was marked by three players at times. To dominate West Ham like we
did shows how much we have improved. It was refreshing to see a solid
midfield which West Ham didn't have an answer for."
- Fendieta
"Let's face it, on another day it could have been easily a stalemate. We
didn't create a single clear-cut chance at home against only West Ham and
Costa should have been sent off before he got the chance to score that
winning goal. Maybe that's the so-called lucky part... It's really a very
small margin between lost, draw and victory in this game."
- bola
"Worst performance by far the ref. Oscar penalty wasn't given, Costa second
yellow, Costa penalty at the end probably should have been and Carroll
diving for the high foot which lead to their goal. Azpilicueta didn't even
have his foot up. This is why I'm not a fan of the new rules. Referee's have
zero accountability and these types of sh*t show performances will become
the norm now."
- Rusty-Man
"I wouldn't be surprised if the FA make another case against Costa, thanks
to those clueless pundits. I couldn't understand the first yellow card, was
that for talking to the referee? It's funny [Manchester] United basically
had the game gifted to them by a team in the bottle half and they are
everyone's favourite to win the title, We beat a top eight team from last
season, and all because the referee didn't send off Costa..."
- icecoolguy22
"That booking for 'dissent' is a stupid rule, what classifies dissent? Seems
like any form of somewhat raised voice is a booking, Costa was hardly
screaming in his face. There's going to be a lot of very soft red cards this
year for all teams."
- bluelion111
"The Mail opens with'Diego Costa swung a right boot,more in desperation than
expectation'. His challenge on Adrian probably should have been a yellow,he
got away with that one. I have more of a problem with his booking for
dissent earlier. Was his questioning of a decision any worse than others
seen doing similar throughout the weekend? Common sense needs to prevail
with this new law, clearly weaker referees will use it as a tool to control
and more so against players they may dislike. I'll be very surprised if this
is the last time Costa gets booked for this offence."
- charierre
"It's funny, after a few months away from the PL and Chelsea-related news, I
forgot how absurd some of the coverage we receive is. The press and social
media acting as if West Ham were hard done by because Costa lost out on a
50/50 and didn't get a second yellow after a very soft first, and totally
ignoring that Oscar should have had a peno in the first half, and that their
goal only came by way of an abysmal dive by Carroll."
- Jonty
"We definitely deserved to win this one. We looked energetic and hungry, and
confidence is definitely coming back with the likes of Hazard and Costa. I
can't remember the last time we won a game at the death, such a great
feeling. Funny that all the pundits could talk about was how poor West Ham
was, and Costa should have been sent off. Make no mistake, West Ham is a
good team playing away, they will get plenty of points on the road."
- icecoolguy22
"Let's be real here...we played well in patches but ultimately we lacked
creativity from the midfield and Conte got lucky. You can do as many Mr
Grimsdale impersonations as you like Conte, but I haven't seen anything yet
to that says we'll compete against wither of the Manchester teams."
- doctorblue
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sponsors apologise for Antonio tweet - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 16th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's principal sponsors Betway have issued an apology after a
tweet criticising Slaven Bilic's selection of Michail Antonio at right back
was published on the company's timeline.
Following last night's 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge a post on the Betway
account slammed Bilic for playing the right-winger in defence. "Antonio has
been an accident waiting to happen in defence," it read. "West Ham fans will
hope that's the end of the experiment."
But having received much criticism from supporters since, Betway backtracked
and issued an apology on their timeline this lunchtime, as you can see
below:
Despite the furore caused by the offending tweet, a number of supporters
have expressed support for the message it carried.
"Betway have apologised, although I'm not sure why," wrote one supporter on
the KUMB Forum this morning, "as it's a fact many of us concur with."
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Diego Costa netted a dramatic last minute winner for Chelsea to help the
west London Club secure a 2-1 victory over West Ham at Stamford Bridge.
The Hammers looked to have salvaged a point after James Collins impressive
strike on 77 minutes cancelled out a penalty from Eden Hazard at the start
of the second half.
But Costa stole all the headlines for the home side on 89 minutes when he
drilled in a low shot from the edge of the box to hand Antonio Conte his
first victory as Chelsea manager in the Premier League.
It was harsh luck on Slaven Bilic and his players who showed great
determination to come from a goal down and force their way back into the
game.
The home side dominated the first half proceedings and could have opened the
scoring after 13 minutes when Branislav Ivanovic turned Cheikhou Kouyate
inside the box and fired a low shot which produced a fine save from Adrian
diving low to his left hand side.
Chelsea had claims for a penalty turned down on 19 minutes after Oscar went
down inside the area following a challenge by Winston Reid, but referee
Anthony Taylor waved for play to continue.
The home side continued to create the best openings and came close again on
the half hour mark when Hazard raced unchallenged into the West Ham penalty
box before striking a shot inches past the post.
The Hammers suffered a major injury blow on 32 minutes when club record
signing Andre Ayew was forced to leave the field and was replaced by fellow
summer signing Gokhan Tore who was making his Premier League debut against
his former club.
Adrian came to West Ham's rescue once again on the stroke of half-time when
he was in the right place to tip Willian's curling free-kick over the bar.
Bilic would have been hoping for a better response in the second half, but
they got off to the worst possible start when Antonio conceded a penalty
just sixty seconds after the re-start.
The Hammers full-back brought down Cesar Azpilicueta inside the box and
Taylor immediately pointed to the spot.
Hazard fired the spot kick straight down the middle and into the back of the
net giving Adrian no chance in the West Ham goal.
Costa was fortunate to escape a red card on 68 minutes following a late
challenge on Adrian, especially after he had been booked earlier in the game
and it was to prove crucial in the final outcome.
Bilic made his final change when he brought Dimitri Payet into the action
and the move paid off as the Hammers drew level on 77 minutes.
Payet's corner fell perfectly to Enner Valencia who saw his shot blocked.
The rebound fell to Collins and he made no mistake striking a fierce shot
into the corner of the net.
But the Hammers were unable to hold on to a draw and Costa scored the
winning goal on 89 minutes.
Nemanja Matic saw his long ball flicked on by substitute Michy Batshuayi
into the path of Costa and he fired the ball past Adrian.
Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Kante; Willian
(Pedro 80), Matic, Oscar (Batshuayi 85), Hazard (Moses 85); Costa
Subs not used: Begovic, Aina, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek
Bookings: Kante, Costa, Matic, Azpilicueta, Pedro
West Ham: Adrian; Antonio (Byram 52), Collins, Reid, Masuaku; Nordtveit
(Payet 66), Noble, Kouyate; Ayew (Tore 32), Carroll, Valencia
Subs not used: Randolph, Ogbonna, Obiang, Oxford
Bookings: Antonio, Collins
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Attendance: 41,521
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic frustrated by Chelsea defeat - WHUFC Official Site
Slaven Bilic was in philosophical mood after his West Ham United side were
controversially beaten in their Premier League opener at Chelsea.
The Hammers manager admitted his injury-depleted team were not at their best
at Stamford Bridge, but James Collins' smart second-half strike looked set
to earn them a hard-earned point.
Eden Hazard – arguably the best player on the pitch – had put Chelsea ahead
from the penalty spot 90 minutes after half-time, and there was no disputing
that the Blues played the more enterprising football. However, West Ham
stuck to their task and were left feeling hard done by.
With a minute of normal time remaining, Diego Costa struck an agonising
winner – but not before the Brazilian had been booked and then escaped
further punishment when he brought down Adrian with a nasty-looking lunge.
"It's the first game of the season and we are already talking about those
kind of decisions," said Bilic. "From our point of view, of course we are
not happy with it.
"I saw the incident again and I don't think it was reckless. It definitely
wasn't a reckless one and it wasn't deliberate in my opinion, but it was,
late very late.
"Nine times out of ten, when you see that challenge on a goalkeeper he ends
up with a booking, but unfortunately this was the tenth time! Really,
though, I am more disappointed with the late goal than the incident with
Costa."
Bilic was asked repeatedly about his view on Costa's non-red card, but
insisted he was more concerned about his side's own difficulty in imposing
themselves on the game than referee Anthony Taylor's decision not to send
the Chelsea striker for an early bath.
"Of course when you concede so late in the first game it leaves you
disappointed and is a big frustration for us," Bilic continued. "We were so
close against a top side on their ground, but they deserved it.
"We were so close and we thought that's it, but let's be honest, apart from
the first 15 minutes and from the time we equalised, they were better than
us. They didn't create many chances, but we gave them the penalty from our
ball possession and the second goal was like that as we had the ball totally
under our control in the middle of the park.
"They were much more aggressive than us, they were there and winning the
second balls and, on top of that, they have players like Hazard who were on
form and on fire. You have to admit they were better than us.
"From the moment we equalised and from there we were in control of the game
as they lost their shape and changed their system and were playing long
balls, which I expected us to cope with a little bit better, but then they
scored a good goal."
To add injuries to the insult of conceding so late, Bilic also lost record
signing Andre Ayew to a thigh injury in the first half, while winger Sofiane
Feghouli was not involved after suffering a hamstring problem.
"Ayew has a thigh injury," he confirmed. "He told me it is not a big one,
but you never know and he will have a scan on Tuesday and we have to wait
for the result of the scan to know how long he will be out.
"Feghouli picked up something against Juventus which we didn't think was an
injury and he trained for a week, but he missed tonight because he is
injured."
Bilic and his wounded squad will need to regroup quickly, as the Hammers
travel to Romania on Wednesday for a UEFA Europa League play-off round
first-leg tie with Astra Giurgiu on Thursday evening.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Collins - It's a tough loss - WHUFC Official Site
James Collins said scoring on his return to the starting XI meant nothing as
West Ham United were controversially beaten 2-1 in their Premier League
opener at Chelsea.
The defender scored the Hammers' equaliser at Stamford Bridge only for Diego
Costa, who should arguably have been sent-off for a reckless late challenge
on Adrian, to net the Blues' 89th-minute winner.
For Collins, who helped Wales reach the semi-finals of Euro 2016, defeat was
hard to stomach after a determined rearguard action looked to have earned a
point in west London.
"It was tough," said the No19. "I don't think we played particularly well
and didn't deserve a win or maybe even a draw, but when you get to the 89th
minute at 1-1, you should be hanging on to a point. Obviously we didn't play
as well as we could, but it would have been a great point.
"You never think you have done enough against Chelsea because they're a
class team. They had a dip last year but they were right back on form
tonight and it was a tough game. We're obviously disappointed.
"The goal is no consolation and I should score more, to be honest, the
amount of time I go up for corners and that. It just dropped nice and I
stuck it in, but it would have been nicer if it was the equaliser and we'd
got a point."
West Ham need to get over Monday's disappointment quickly, as Slaven Bilic's
side head to Romania on Wednesday for a UEFA Europa League play-off round
first-round tie with Astra Giurgiu.
He added: "We go on to the next one. We've got a tough game away in Romania,
so we'll regroup, we''ll train on Tuesday, watch the video from the game and
take what we can out of it."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Loan round-up - WHU Official Site
Josh Pask helped Gillingham reach the summit of League One at the weekend as
he was one of three young Hammers in loan action in the third tier.
The centre-back, playing his second fixture since joining the Kent outfit on
loan, played 90 minutes as the Gills beat Bury 2-1 at the Priestfield
Stadium.
The hosts were in front after just six minutes as right-back Ryan Jackson
opened the scoring, and it was two twelve minutes into the second half as
Antony Kay put into his own net.
Tom Pope pulled one back but Pask and Gillingham defended well to hold on
and record their second league win in as many matches having beaten Southend
United on day one.
Meanwhile, there was a debut for Lewis Page at new club Coventry City as
they picked up a goalless draw at home to Shrewsbury.
The Sky Blues, who were beaten by Swindon Town in their opening fixture,
picked up their first point of the season, with Page playing 90 minutes for
Tony Mowbray's outfit.
Also making his debut – albeit a second one at Bradford City – was Josh
Cullen, who returned to the Yorkshire club recently after an impressive
spell there last campaign.
The Bantams, looking to better their opening day draw with Port Vale, were
1-0 winners at the Hammers' Dev Squad opponents Peterborough United.
Cullen played the full match in midfield for Stuart McCall's team, who had
Jordy Hiwula – on loan from Huddersfield Town – to thank after he scored the
eleventh minute winner.
Elsewhere in the division, George Dobson – who has made one appearance so
far on loan at Walsall – was an unused substitute as the Saddlers were held
0-0 at Oldham Athletic.
Finally, Kyle Knoyle – on loan at Wigan Athletic after last term's spell in
Scotland with Dundee United – continued his recovery from injury and watched
on as the Latics thrashed Blackburn Rovers 3-0.
Will Grigg, Nick Powell and a Shane Duffy own goal gave Gary Caldwell's side
the comfortable victory to earn their first points of the season in the
Championship.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
From the Boardroom - David Sullivan - WHUFC Official Site
We are all disappointed that we could not take anything from the opening
game against Chelsea on Monday night.
But if we are honest we know that the performance was not good enough and
Slaven was the first to admit that after the game.
We raised the bar with our performance levels last season and the players
are capable of showing a lot more.
We know the importance of bouncing straight back and we have the ideal
opportunity to do that when we play Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League on
Thursday night and then Bournemouth at home on Sunday.
The injuries are hurting us badly and it is disappointing that Andre Ayew
will now face a spell on the sidelines.
We need to get Manuel Lanzini, Andre Ayew, Diafra Sakho and Sofiane Feghouli
back in action as soon as possible.
The good thing to come out of the Chelsea game was the impressive debut by
our new left back Arthur Masuaku and he will hopefully become a great
signing for the Club.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Masuaku - This is a big week for the Club
West Ham United defender Arthur Masuaku is confident his side can bounce
straight following the defeat against Chelsea and knows the importance of
winning the next two games.
Masuaku had a mixed night of emotions following his debut for the Club at
Stamford Bridge.
The French defender was thrilled to play his first Premier League game, but
was upset that his side failed to take anything from the game after Diego
Costa scored a dramatic last minute winner.
Masuaku has stressed the importance of getting back straight back on the
winning trail and feels the players will have a point to prove when they
face Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League on Thursday and Bournemouth at home
on Sunday.
Masuaku said: "All the players were disappointed because we conceded the
goal in the last minute. I thought was the game was in our hands but
unfortunately we let in the second goal. We just have to keep working hard
together as a team.
"It was a great strike from Ginge to get us back into the game and I thought
Dimitri came on and changed the game because he has great quality and for me
he is a world class player.
"We saw what he can do as he crossed the ball in for the goal. It was
unfortunate that we could not hold but we have to move on now.
"I really enjoyed my Premier League debut as it was always my target to play
in England since I was a youngster.
"The Premier League is very fast and for me it was tough physically as I am
not 100 per cent yet. I just want to keep going, work hard and hopefully
show my best form.
"This is a big week for the Club and we have two important games in the
Europa League and then the first home game against Bournemouth. I hope we
are going to win the next two games."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Farewell to Upton Park
West Ham United fans will never forget the Boleyn Ground.
For that reason alone, a stunning new book celebrating the Hammers' historic
home of 112 years entitled Farewell to Upton Park should be part of every
supporters' Claret and Blue collection.
Containing more than 230 exclusive and evocative images, which will chime
with every Hammer, from the characters that made the stadium great, to
nostalgic scenes at the historic Boleyn Tavern and inside the ground itself,
this is a book every fan will treasure for years to come.
Farewell to Upton Park will go on sale at the Stadium Store ahead of West
Ham's Premier League fixture with AFC Bournemouth on Sunday 21 August, where
a very special Hammers guest will be signing copies for supporters!
Officially endorsed by the Club, Farewell to Upton Park was the brainchild
of West Ham Season Ticket Holder and Daily Mail and MailOnline Head of Sport
Lee Clayton, while many of the images inside were captured by the Mail's
award-winning sports photographer Andy Hooper.
To celebrate the launch, the Club and publishers have teamed up to give away
ten copies in a special competition. To enter, simply follow us on Instagram
@westham and follow the simple instructions!
The book contains many pictures of Upton Park as I remember it, lots of
pictures of fans and inside and outside the ground and that matchday
atmosphere that we all loved
As a collection it forms a beautiful testament of what it meant to go to a
game and be among the fans at a stadium that will live long in the memory of
everyone who visited it.
A lifelong Hammer, Clayton is rightly proud of the publication that he and
Hooper have produced.
"The book is called Farewell to Upton Park and I've got to say it's a real
show of Andy's work," he said. "He is a brilliant photographer who I have
worked with for the last 13 years at the Mail and he has got a great eye for
these things.
"The original idea for the book came when I was talking with a fellow Season
Ticket Holder and we took a long walk around the area surrounding the Boleyn
Ground and thought 'We will never see this again' because there are not so
many reasons to return to the area now West Ham have left.
"I spoke to Andy, as he has an eye for those shots, and the Club have been
brilliant in allowing us in with the Board, the players and the management
and access all areas, which was a fantastic opportunity.
"All that is reflected in this book, which contains many pictures of Upton
Park as I remember it, lots of pictures of fans and inside and outside the
ground and that matchday atmosphere that we all loved."
We wanted this to be reportage and not pose any pictures, but rather be
moments in time that were observed and won't happen again
"It is really unusual for someone outside the Club to be given such access
and everyone inside was very friendly," he confirmed. "We worked in the
dressing room and tunnel area around the players and coaching staff, which
is traditionally a very difficult area to work in because you can't get in
anyone's way, but it worked well.
"Over time, you build up relationships and everyone was really friendly and
allowed me to take pictures. We wanted to show everything that happens off
the pitch which fans normally don't see at a match.
"We didn't want to set anything up because we want every photo in the book
to be something that happened naturally, be it the tea lady serving a cuppa
or Dimitri Payet doing keepy-ups in the dressing room.
"The book started off showing the architecture and the stadium to give fans
a memory of that, but the fans themselves became the book – the goal
celebrations make the most incredible pictures because the drama, emotion
and the passion that came out, particularly after Winston Reid's final goal
against Manchester United, were incredible.
"We wanted this to be reportage and not pose any pictures, but rather be
moments in time that were observed and won't happen again."
Hooper will describe his favourite images in the Official Programme
throughout the 2016/17 season.
*Farewell to Upton Park – The Official Celebration of West Ham United's
Home – 1904–2016 will be published by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd on Sunday
21 August 2016.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea 2 v 1 West Ham United - BBC Sport
By Chris Osborne
Diego Costa's late strike gave Antonio Conte a dramatic winning start as
Chelsea manager as his side secured a season-opening victory over West Ham.
The Spain striker found the net from 20 yards in the 89th minute to spark
wild scenes at Stamford Bridge, with Conte celebrating among supporters.
Eden Hazard had put the Blues in front from the spot after Michail Antonio
fouled Cesar Azpilicueta.
James Collins levelled for the Hammers, but Costa's finish settled it.
After a disastrous start to last season, which led to Jose Mourinho's
sacking in December and a 10th-place finish, Conte's arrival at Chelsea will
at the very least inject passion and animation into a side routinely accused
of lacking commitment last term.
The former Juventus coach, where he won Serie A three times, is fresh from
taking Italy to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, where he displayed tactical
nous alongside animated touchline antics.
And Chelsea supporters hugged their new manager in delight as he sprinted
along the front of the stands following Costa's low shot had crept into the
net.
But the 27-year-old had been fortunate to still be on the pitch when, having
already been booked for remonstrating with the referee, he escaped a second
booking when he caught Hammers keeper Adrian high up on the shin with a late
challenge.
The question of whether Chelsea can mount a strong title challenge will
still remain after this display, with the Blues dominating possession but
failing to finish off the visitors until late on.
But the all-action, energetic performance of £30m midfield signing N'Golo
Kante - who won the title with Leicester City last season - and the vibrancy
of Hazard, were positive signs.
Belgium winger Hazard looked particularly sharp and creative, following an
impressive European Championship for his country.
However, Conte is likely to pursue further signings, with striker Michy
Batshuayi - a late substitute - the only other new arrival.
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham: Slaven Bilic disappointed with sloppy mistakes
West Ham have brought in eight players over the summer and three of them
started - Arthur Masuaku, Havard Nordveit and Andre Ayew.
Striker Ayew, a £20m signing from Swansea, had a miserable night as he
limped off in the first half with a thigh injury.
And manager Slaven Bilic is likely to have also been disappointed with the
performance of his side, who struggled to get a foothold in the game and did
not produce a shot on target until Collins lashed home a loose ball after a
77th-minute corner.
Dimitri Payet, so often the Hammers' star last season, was restricted to
coming off the bench after his exertions for France at Euro 2016 and was
unable to make an impact in his 20 minutes on the pitch.
Man of the match - Eden Hazard
Much maligned for his performances last season, Eden Hazard was persistently
Chelsea's most potent attacking threat
What they said - 'We played like tigers'
Chelsea forward Eden Hazard told Sky Sports: "It was good to be back on the
pitch in front of our own supporters. We did very well and we played 90
minutes like tigers.
"It's not every year I score in my first game. Last season is finished - we
are looking forward to the future. We want to bring a lot of emotion to the
fans."
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic told Sky Sports: "When you lose a game and
concede late, of course you are disappointed. Apart from the first 15
minutes until we equalised, they were much better than us.
"They were better on the ball, in pressing and much more aggressive than us.
They had the individual class of Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Willian.
"We came back into the game. We played well after 1-1, but we made the
mistake in the middle of the park. We gave the ball away and conceded a
cheap goal."
What's next?
Chelsea travel to Watford on Saturday after the Hornets started the season
with a draw at Southampton. West Ham have a trip to Romania on Thursday for
the first leg of their Europa League qualifier against Astra Giurgiu.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Diego Costa challenge: Chelsea boss Antonio Conte backs referee - BBC Sport
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte says the referee "made the right decision" in
taking no action against striker Diego Costa after his challenge on West Ham
goalkeeper Adrian.
Costa, already booked, caught Adrian high on his shin in the second half.
Anthony Taylor did not produce a second yellow card and Costa went on to
make it 2-1 to Chelsea in the 89th minute.
Conte said he "did not see" the tackle, adding: "I saw Costa put the
pressure on the keeper and then try to stop."
Chelsea led 1-0 when Costa made the challenge and even though James Collins
equalised for West Ham, the Spain international settled the game with a low,
20-yard strike.
"It was not reckless or deliberate, but it was quite late," said Hammers
boss Slaven Bilic referring to the incident.
"He could have been booked again and so a red card. I am not frustrated
because of that, I am frustrated because of the late goal."
Referees have been instructed to book players who protest against decisions
this season and Costa was initially cautioned for chasing Taylor following a
penalty appeal.
"Diego is a good player and a passionate man - sometimes it happens that he
can receive a yellow card," Conte told Sky Sports.
"I think in the situation with Adriano the referee took the right decision."
Collins' goal was West Ham's only shot on target and striker Andre Ayew, a
£20m summer signing from Swansea, limping off in the first half is a concern
for Bilic.
"We have to wait on Andre Ayew," said the Croat, whose side travel to
Romania on Thursday for the first leg of their Europa League qualifier
against Astra Giurgiu.
"It is a thigh injury and we will find out after the scan on Tuesday."
Conte has arrived at Chelsea with a reputation for being an expert
tactician, as displayed by taking Italy to the European Championship
quarter-finals, but also for being a passionate and animated character on
the touchline.
The Italian lived up that billing by rushing towards fans to celebrate
Costa's winner.
"I knew the Premier League only through television. I played against English
teams in the Champions League and Europa League, but playing this league is
very difficult," said the 47-year-old.
"There is a great intensity in the Premier League and it's very physical. I
don't know if I'll sleep tonight because the adrenaline is high."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham – Match Report - thewesthamway
by Brian Knox on 15 August 2016 at 11:26pm
West Ham lost their opening Premier League game this evening when Diego
Costa netted a dramatic last minute winner for Chelsea to secure a 2-1
victory at Stamford Bridge.
The Hammers looked to have salvaged a point after James Collins impressive
strike on 77 minutes cancelled out a penalty from Eden Hazard at the start
of the second half.
But Costa drilled in a low shot from the edge of the box to hand Antonio
Conte his first victory as Chelsea manager in the Premier League.
In reality the Spaniard shouldn't have even been on the pitch but Anthony
Taylor totally bottled his decision on a challenge Costa made on Adrian
which many including ex-referees viewed as an automatic red card offence.
The Hammers and Slaven Bilic will feel hard done by but in truth their
performance didn't deserve anything from the game. The team were slow on
the night, didn't look confident and rarely troubled the Chelsea back four
with constant aerial passes to Andy Carroll who resembled more of a Tom
Hanks character from Castaway than a well supported frontman. The side were
missing influencial playmaking stars such as Dimitri Payet (for most of the
game) and the injured duo Manuel Lanzini and Sofiane Feghouli which
obviously affected the flow of West Ham's usual attacking prowess. To make
matters worse, the Hammers lost record signing Andre Ayew, 32 minutes into
his debut for the club with what looks like a leg injury. The club will
surely be sweating on the results of that scan with the transfer window
closure just over two weeks away.
The home side dominated the first half proceedings and could have opened the
scoring after 13 minutes when Branislav Ivanovic turned Cheikhou Kouyate
inside the box and fired a low shot which produced a fine save from Adrian
diving low to his left hand side.
Chelsea had claims for a penalty turned down 6 minutes later after Oscar
went down inside the area following a challenge by Winston Reid, but referee
Anthony Taylor waved for play to continue.
The home side continued to create the best openings and came close again
when Hazard raced unchallenged into the West Ham penalty box before striking
a shot inches past the post.
Bilic was forced into his first change on 32 minutes when club record
signing Andre Ayew was forced to leave the field and was replaced by fellow
summer signing Gokhan Tore who was making his Premier League debut against
his former club.
Adrian came to West Ham's rescue once again on the stroke of half-time when
he was in the right place to tip Willian's curling free-kick over the bar.
Bilic would have been hoping for a better response in the second half, but
they got off to the worst possible start when Michail Antonio conceded a
penalty just after the re-start.
The Hammers winger brought down Cesar Azpilicueta inside the box and Taylor
immediately pointed to the spot.
Hazard fired the spot kick straight down the middle giving Adrian no chance
in the West Ham goal.
Slaven immediately replaced Antonio with Sam Byram and the ex Forest man
looked very downhearted.
Bilic made his final change when he brought on Dimitri Payet into the action
and the move paid off as the Hammers drew level on 77 minutes.
Payet's corner fell perfectly to Enner Valencia who saw his shot blocked.
The rebound fell to Collins and he made no mistake striking a fierce shot
into the corner of the net.
But the Hammers were unable to hold on to a draw.
Bilic wont have too long to dwell on tonight's result and performance as the
club travel to Romania on Thursday to face FC Astra in the 1st leg of their
Europa League Play-off tie against the side that eliminated them from last
season's tournament.
Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Kante; Willian
(Pedro 80), Matic, Oscar (Batshuayi 85), Hazard (Moses 85); Costa
Subs not used: Begovic, Aina, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek
Bookings: Kante
West Ham: Adrian; Antonio (Byram 52), Collins, Reid, Masuaku; Nordtveit
(Payet 66), Noble, Kouyate; Ayew (Tore 32), Carroll, Valencia
Subs not used: Randolph, Ogbonna, Obiang, Oxford
Bookings: Antonio, Collins
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Attendance: 41,521
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ref Watch – Chelsea vs West Ham – Anthony Taylor - thewesthamway
by Brian Knox on 15 August 2016 at 11:32pm
Written by Sam Royden-Ryell
New season, new rules and a lot at stake in this highly anticipated season.
After a 7th place finish last season, a potential place in Europa League
group stage and smashing our transfer record, it's looking very good for
West Ham. Gameweek 1 of the new Premier League season started at Stamford
Bridge with a highly anticipated London derby against Chelsea. The referee
appointed for this game was Anthony Taylor.
Business as usual for Taylor in the first half with a handful of cautions
but nothing that he couldn't handle. The first caution of the game came
within the first four minutes when £32m summer signing N'Golo Kanté got
beaten to the ball by Andy Carroll before Kanté hacked down the West Ham
front man. Kanté couldn't have any complaints after that kind of challenge
as it came from behind but also as Carroll was progressing to the Chelsea
half.
One of the biggest decisions Taylor had to make in the first half was to
decide whether to award a penalty against Winston Reid after Oscar went down
in the West Ham penalty area. For me, Oscars fall was far too theatrical.
Oscar was in possession and skilfully flicked the ball past Reid and there
was contact from Reid without a doubt, however the contact wasn't enough for
Oscar to go down like he did and his fall clearly didn't convince Taylor
that it was worthy of a penalty.
Diego Costa was the second player to join Kanté in Taylor's book after Costa
was protesting Taylor's decision to wave away Chelsea's penalty appeal but
in an unacceptable manner. This season, new powers have been given to the
referees to protect themselves but also their assistants. Referees have been
urged to take a stronger stand on "intolerable behaviour" by players. This
includes running to contest decisions, arguing face-to-face with officials,
and "visibly disrespectful" actions will result in yellow cards. This makes
sense for me and I don't understand why this hasn't been brought in sooner,
but it's better late than never. You will see a lot of cautions this season
because of this new inclusion and it's no surprise that Costa was penalised.
Collins was the first West Ham player to be cautioned after the West Ham man
brought Diego Costa down just inside Chelsea's half. It was an unnecessary
challenge but rightly penalised by Taylor. There were a couple of strange
decisions, one being penalising Enner Valencia for attempting to challenge
for the ball when at hip height and Cahill attempted to challenge with his
head. Taylor gave a foul for a high boot against Valencia and this is
incorrect in my opinion. The fact Cahill put his head in an unnatural area
to challenge for the ball meant this shouldn't have been awarded against
West Ham.
Just two minutes into the second half and Taylor correctly awarded a penalty
to Chelsea after waving away one in the first half. Michail Antonio decided
he was going attempt to run the ball out from the back before getting
challenged by César Azpilicueta. Antonio made a horrendous attempt to win
the ball back but brought down Azpilicueta at the same time and kicked the
ball away in frustration which resulted in a caution.
Arguably the biggest question West Ham fans are asking – Should Diego Costa
have been sent off for a second bookable offence for his challenge on
Adrian? A natural instinct as a striker is always going challenge for every
ball and will chase every ball. However, Diego Costa's challenge was late,
it was reckless and it did deserve a second bookable offence. Costa's
reputation is always going to cause a stir because of the type of player he
is and he can be over aggressive on more occasions that not. If this was on
anywhere else on the pitch, Taylor would have more than likely blew for the
foul and cautioned the player, or in Costa's intense, second bookable
offence. Therefore, I feel that Costa is extremely lucky to still be on the
field and I do sympathise with Taylor as we do have the luxury of multiple
instant replays but it's a decision he did get correct amongst many he did
get correct which is a shame on his overall performance.
After Taylor got a high boot decision incorrect in the first half, Taylor
got a different high boot decision correct as Azpilicueta challenged for the
ball at shoulder height with Andy Carroll challenging with his head. This
was the correct decision rather than the Valencia challenge at hip height on
Cahill. Azpilicueta protested and was booked on this occasion.
Was Kanté lucky to stay on the pitch as well after the foul on Dimitri
Payet? Not for me on this occasion. Not every foul is punished with a
caution or red card. Kanté was generally going for the ball. Admittedly, he
was late but the attempt was there and Taylor correctly blew for the foul.
Diego Costa was amongst it again when he ran into Arthur Masuaku and went
down inside the box. Costa was obviously looking for a penalty but Taylor
was having none of it and waved it away almost instantly. Within the last
couple of minutes of the game, Pedro was cautioned after a nasty-looking
late challenge on Reid. A caution was the minimum punishment needed for that
type of late challenge with Taylor right on the spot to make that decision.
Overall, not a bad start to the season for Taylor. He continued the trend of
referees in this opening weekend to attempt to stamp out intolerable
behaviour by players. Arguably, the biggest decision was to determine
whether Costa's challenge on Adrian was deserved of a caution or not. Taylor
thought not, but replays showed that there was defiantly a case for a second
bookable offence. A very poor performance by West Ham with not much going
forward, a lack of composure and we didn't get into the game. We couldn't
keep the ball nor pass to our own players. We cannot rely on Payet to change
games as much as he is by far our best player. We need other players to
stand up in instances like this game against Chelsea and Slav has a lot to
think about before the first Premier League game at the London Stadium
against Bournemouth next week, which fans are expecting to win. Let us know
your thoughts @TheWestHamWay and @SamRoyden using the hashtag
#AskWestHamWayRef with your thoughts, opinions and questions.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea performance was poor… but let's not panic! Bilic will fix this.
by Ben Cooper on 16 August 2016 at 2:18pm
This article was written by Richard Jones (@emagehtjr on twitter)
Obviously the main question from last night is 'why is Antonio being played
at right back?'From Bilic's point of view, he wants an attacking right back
who can help support attacking moves going forward. Antonio suits that part
of the role very well, but defensively he just isn't going to cut it I'm
afraid. He is way too attack minded, too eager to get forward and this
leaves us exposed if we lose the ball unexpectedly. This weakness was
emphasised by the way we played last night in midfield with the poor
passing.
Antonio does not have a strong defensive instinct, the difference when Byram
came on was clear to see. Byram was clean in the tackle and didn't look as
shaky. However, the lack of match fitness of some key players and
unfortunate injuries were bigger contributors to the defeat.
Its possible that Bilic feels that the right back position is the only way
he can utilise Antonio in the team. Now, with the likes of Ayew, Feghouli,
Payet, and Tore, is Antonio dropped out of the starting eleven altogether if
he doesn't play right back? One thing is for sure and that is we can't have
Antonio playing at right back any more. I'm sure Bilic must realise this
now, he isn't naive.
Slaven is a very intelligent man and I believe he is just trying to make the
best out of what he has at his disposal. He has shown bravery by trying to
turn Antonio into a right back. However, I feel that Antonio is never going
to be that right back who will sense danger defensively.
I do not believe Antonio's future at the club is in doubt, far from it,
there are a lot of games to play this season and all of the squad will be
needed.
Some observations from the match itself:
The passing was poor, the tactics didn't work but this is not Bilic's fault,
its more down to the options he currently has.
We started the game well but as the game went on it became evident that it
was going to be one of those nights for u.
The mistake Antonio made led to a Chelsea goal.
We didn't have enough shots on goal ourselves.
Ayew getting injured was typical West Ham luck. Some of the referee's
decisions were not at all lucky for us either.
There were limited crosses for Carroll to attack until Payet came on.
The only highlight was the great finish by Collins on his weaker foot.
Nordtveit and Tore were both poor but I don't believe it's appropriate to
judge new signings after one game, I believe we have signed some real
quality and they just need time to bed in.
Moving forward:
If Sakho was fit and focused, it would of worked better with him as striker.
I believe we would of had more of an outlet on the break which gives you
that extra threat in away games on the counter.
Also, with Calleri soon to join up, I believe he will give us a different
option up front. He is comfortable on the ball, will work hard to stretch
defences and be a threat in the box.
It's not a time to panic and I think we will have a great season
COYI.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
If I were Antonio's agent… thewesthamway
by Mitch Foyle-York on 16 August 2016 at 10:04am
I think it's fair to say that every West Ham fan's heart melted when they
saw Antonio leave the field last night, his face riddled with despair and
frustration. At first, like most West Ham fans, I decided to trust Bilic
with his decision to play Antonio at RB. However, since then, we have seen
nothing but mistakes from the natural winger.
I have often made the case that Bilic doesn't see Antonio as the way
forward, in terms of his attacking unite. Look at the rest of our attacking
midfielders: Payet, Lanzini, Tore, Feghouli and Ayew. They are all
playmaking midfielders, who like to nip in and out of each other. Antonio is
the complete opposite. He simply doesn't pass Bilic's checklist, he's far
too raw and direct for Bilic's liking.
So where does this leave Michail Antonio? Surely now Bilic has realised he
simply can't play him at RB? For the record, I must say I was disgusted with
the lack of respect Bilic showed Antonio after subbing him last night.
Antonio doesn't deserve this, he was-arguably-our second best player last
season. Not only has Antonio been denied a chance to play a huge role in our
attack this season, he has (almost) been replaced by Tore, Feghouli and
Ayew. He must be thinking "what more can I do?".
I love Michail Antonio, but if I were his agent I would be telling him to
reconsider his position at the club. This situation is a lose-lose. It isn't
fair on him, it's tarnishing his reputation, and it's not fair on the team,
who are paying the ultimate price for this foolishness. No one is benefiting
from Antonio playing RB. Of course I don't want Antonio to leave, but for
the sake of his career I honestly think he should already consider moving
on. Unless Bilic reassures him that he will be getting the chance to play
plenty of first team football as a winger from now on.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham Utd - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 15th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Diego Costa grabbed an 89th-minute winner for Chelsea in tonight's Premier
League opener at Stamford Bridge on a night when he could - and perhaps
should - have been booked FOUR times.
The Spanish international - who was already on a yellow before committing
three further bookable offences, all of which referee Anthony Taylor
ignored - struck the winning goal with seconds to spare after James Collins'
77th-minute strike looked to have rescued a point for the Hammers.
West Ham, missing the likes of Angelo Ogbonna, Manuel Lanzini and Aaron
Cresswell also started without Dimitri Payet, who is still recovering from
his Euro 16 exploits.
And despite enjoying the bulk of possession in the opening half hour, the
Hammers failed to seriously test Thibaut Courtois until Collins recorded
United's first effort on target with his goal, 13 minutes from time.
By that time the hosts had perhaps deservedly taken the lead through a
47th-minute Hazard penalty, conceded by Michail Antonio who inadvertently
felled Cesar Azpilicueta inside the box.
The right winger, playing again at full back was rewarded by being instantly
replaced by Sam Byram - and ignored by manager Slaven Bilic as he trudged
dejectedly back to the visitors' dugout.
Thereafter Byram proved an able replacement for Antonio, playing on the
opposite side to new signing Arthur Masuaku who was one of three players
making their Premier League debuts in United's starting XI.
Havard Nordtveit and Andre Ayew also started for the first time although the
latter's evening was cut short just 35 minutes in after he suffered a thigh
strain, an injury that will be assessed tomorrow morning. Gokhan Tore made
his debut from the bench as a replacement for the stricken Ayew.
Chelsea, despite looked in control after taking the lead were always
susceptible to a sucker punch holding such a slender lead. And it was James
Collins who delivered what appeared to be a knockout blow when he steered
the ball through a cluster of bodies to draw West Ham level 13 minutes from
time.
That was until Costa fired across Adrian from an acute angle to win all
three points for the hosts with little more than a minute of normal time
remaining. Controversially, because had referee Anthony Taylor applied the
letter of the law correctly the Spaniard might have been dismissed twice
before scoring his goal - and once more again thereafter!
Booked for dissent in the first half, Costa deliberately raked Adrian's shin
in the second only for Taylor to simply award a free kick; the ugly
challenge was quite possibly worthy of a straight red on its own.
Minutes later his attempt at simulation inside West Ham's penalty area also
went unpunished, as did the removal of his shirt whilst celebrating the
winning goal. Although they were poor tonight, it's fair to say the Hammers
haven't had the best of luck with match officials at Stamford Bridge this
calendar year.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Club sponsor criticises Antonio selection - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 15th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's principal sponsor Betway has slammed manager Slaven
Bilic's decision to persist with winger Michail Antonio at right back.
In an extraordinary message posted via their official Twitter timeline
following West Ham's 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge, the gambling firm - who
have worked hard to engage with the club's supporters since forging the link
with West Ham - called the decision to play Antonio at right back an
"accident waiting to happen".
Slaven And whilst that opinion might chime with the club's fanbase, the vast
majority of whom have called for Antonio to be restored to his favoured and
most effective position - it will cause more than a modicum of embarrassment
for the club.
Antonio, who was exceptional on the right flank during his first season in
the Premier League was responsible for conceding the penalty that led to
Chelsea's opening goal in tonight's clash.
The 26-year-old former Forest star was rewarded for his error by being
immediately substituted by Slaven Bilic, who replaced him with Sam Byram.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Costa not reckless, says Bilic - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 16th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Slaven BIlic refused to criticise Chelsea's Diego Costa for his challenge on
Adrian following last night's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea.
The Hammers boss, who saw his team concede in the final minute of normal
time felt that the striker's challenge - whilst late - was not particularly
dangerous.
"It's the first game of the season and we are already talking about those
kind of decisions," he told the media post-match. "Of course, from our point
of view, of course we are not happy with it.
"I saw the incident again and I don't think it was reckless. It definitely
wasn't a reckless one and in my opinion it wasn't deliberate, but it was,
late very late.
"Nine times out of ten, when you see that challenge on a goalkeeper he ends
up with a booking, but unfortunately this was the tenth time! Really,
though, I am more disappointed with the late goal than the incident with
Costa."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Not good enough, warns Sullivan - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 16th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has criticised Slaven Bilic and his
squad for their below-par performance at Stamford Bridge last night.
The Hammers were beaten 2-1 thanks to a last-minute effort by Diego Costa,
who should have been dismissed earlier in the game for a reckless challenge
on West Ham goalkeeper Adrian.
And Sullivan, speaking via the club's website this morning said that the
team were simply "not good enough" against Antonio Costa's side.
"We are all disappointed that we could not take anything from Chelsea on
Monday night," he said. "But if we are honest, we know that the performance
was not good enough.
"We raised the bar with our performance levels last season and the players
are capable of showing a lot more.
"We know the importance of bouncing straight back and we have the ideal
opportunity to do that when we play Astra Giurgiu on Thursday night and then
Bournemouth on Sunday."
Sullivan was also full of praise for debutant Arthur Masuaku - and keen to
see the return of several players currently sidelined by injury.
"One good thing to come out of the Chelsea game was the impressive debut by
our new left back; hopefully he will become a great signing for the club,"
he added.
"But the injuries are hurting us badly and it is disappointing that Andre
Ayew will now face a spell on the sidelines. We need to get Manuel Lanzini,
Andre Ayew, Diafra Sakho and Sofiane Feghouli back in action as soon as
possible."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The opposition view: Chelsea - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 16th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
You'd think they'd be happy with an opening day win - yet there were still
plenty of moans emanating from West London. Welcome back to a new season of
the OV....
"Well that was bloody brilliant. I had a feeling that West Ham were bad
opponents to face on the opening day, but I thought that was the best I have
seen us play in over a year. The way we won back possession so effectively
with such high intensity made West Ham look incredibly uncomfortable on the
ball, and this was reflected in the fact that they really struggled to
string a meaningful attack together all game. Their goal was their first
shot on target, and was born from rather dubious circumstances, but other
than than the nervous goal mouth scramble at the end, they created next to
nothing. Great win, great performance matched with a cracking atmosphere."
- mclovin83
"West Ham resorted to playing deep and actually played well defensively.
Hazard was marked by three players at times. To dominate West Ham like we
did shows how much we have improved. It was refreshing to see a solid
midfield which West Ham didn't have an answer for."
- Fendieta
"Let's face it, on another day it could have been easily a stalemate. We
didn't create a single clear-cut chance at home against only West Ham and
Costa should have been sent off before he got the chance to score that
winning goal. Maybe that's the so-called lucky part... It's really a very
small margin between lost, draw and victory in this game."
- bola
"Worst performance by far the ref. Oscar penalty wasn't given, Costa second
yellow, Costa penalty at the end probably should have been and Carroll
diving for the high foot which lead to their goal. Azpilicueta didn't even
have his foot up. This is why I'm not a fan of the new rules. Referee's have
zero accountability and these types of sh*t show performances will become
the norm now."
- Rusty-Man
"I wouldn't be surprised if the FA make another case against Costa, thanks
to those clueless pundits. I couldn't understand the first yellow card, was
that for talking to the referee? It's funny [Manchester] United basically
had the game gifted to them by a team in the bottle half and they are
everyone's favourite to win the title, We beat a top eight team from last
season, and all because the referee didn't send off Costa..."
- icecoolguy22
"That booking for 'dissent' is a stupid rule, what classifies dissent? Seems
like any form of somewhat raised voice is a booking, Costa was hardly
screaming in his face. There's going to be a lot of very soft red cards this
year for all teams."
- bluelion111
"The Mail opens with'Diego Costa swung a right boot,more in desperation than
expectation'. His challenge on Adrian probably should have been a yellow,he
got away with that one. I have more of a problem with his booking for
dissent earlier. Was his questioning of a decision any worse than others
seen doing similar throughout the weekend? Common sense needs to prevail
with this new law, clearly weaker referees will use it as a tool to control
and more so against players they may dislike. I'll be very surprised if this
is the last time Costa gets booked for this offence."
- charierre
"It's funny, after a few months away from the PL and Chelsea-related news, I
forgot how absurd some of the coverage we receive is. The press and social
media acting as if West Ham were hard done by because Costa lost out on a
50/50 and didn't get a second yellow after a very soft first, and totally
ignoring that Oscar should have had a peno in the first half, and that their
goal only came by way of an abysmal dive by Carroll."
- Jonty
"We definitely deserved to win this one. We looked energetic and hungry, and
confidence is definitely coming back with the likes of Hazard and Costa. I
can't remember the last time we won a game at the death, such a great
feeling. Funny that all the pundits could talk about was how poor West Ham
was, and Costa should have been sent off. Make no mistake, West Ham is a
good team playing away, they will get plenty of points on the road."
- icecoolguy22
"Let's be real here...we played well in patches but ultimately we lacked
creativity from the midfield and Conte got lucky. You can do as many Mr
Grimsdale impersonations as you like Conte, but I haven't seen anything yet
to that says we'll compete against wither of the Manchester teams."
- doctorblue
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sponsors apologise for Antonio tweet - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 16th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's principal sponsors Betway have issued an apology after a
tweet criticising Slaven Bilic's selection of Michail Antonio at right back
was published on the company's timeline.
Following last night's 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge a post on the Betway
account slammed Bilic for playing the right-winger in defence. "Antonio has
been an accident waiting to happen in defence," it read. "West Ham fans will
hope that's the end of the experiment."
But having received much criticism from supporters since, Betway backtracked
and issued an apology on their timeline this lunchtime, as you can see
below:
Despite the furore caused by the offending tweet, a number of supporters
have expressed support for the message it carried.
"Betway have apologised, although I'm not sure why," wrote one supporter on
the KUMB Forum this morning, "as it's a fact many of us concur with."
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
