Westley pleased despite defeat
WHUFC.com
West Ham United PL2 were beaten 3-0 away at Brighton and Hove Albion on Monday
The Hammers had the lion's share of possession and created more chances
Boss Terry Westley said his side "did lots of good things" despite being beaten
Terry Westley was pleased by his side's performance in terms of possession and chances created, despite being beaten 3-0 away to Brighton and Hove Albion in Premier League 2. The Hammers were aiming for three successive victories in the league, but came unstuck on the south coast, despite dominating possession and shots on goal. A double from Aaron Connolly and an unfortunate Declan Rice own goal made it a frustrating evening for Westley's men. "It was a tough night and we haven't had many this season," Westley declared. "In many ways, we did good things. We dominated large parts of the game, first half was 60-40% possession to us and in the second half we had 70-30%. We had more shots, more corners, more crosses. But in both boxes we weren't quite good enough. "We got caught with a long ball down the pitch for the first goal and then it became a real challenge at half time. I said to the boys, if you're as good as what we believe, as a team and individually, you'll rev it up now and pull it back. "Then there was an own goal and their player put a great cross in for the third goal, but we still had lots of chances to get back into the game. It was one of those frustrating, horrible nights where in both boxes we haven't quite done well enough. We dominated large parts of the game, first half was 60-40% possession to us and in the second half we had 70-30%. We had more shots, more corners, more crosses
The Hammers went behind inside ten minutes when Connolly latched onto a long ball and found the bottom corner of Nathan Trott's goal.
The away side didn't shy away from their slick passing style and created a number of chances to equalise – Moses Makasi couldn't quite divert Dan Kemp's cross into the net and Marcus Browne shot wide as the Hammers tried their utmost to get back into the contest before half-time. However, Brighton doubled their lead shortly after the break when Rice headed into his own net and sealed the victory when Connolly finished well 15 minutes from time. Despite the defeat, Westley maintained pleasure at his side's possession stats after the match and urged his players to stick to their philosophy, which has seen them dismantle a number of teams this year.
"We can't be too angry – when you're the developer, you can't go into the dressing room and steam into people because they've lost possession of the ball when you're asking them to take the ball, make passes and be creative and expansive. "We've played Brighton three times now and they've caused us problems. They've sat deep, put banks of four against us and on the counter attack caused us problems when we are stretched."
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Legend Martin hails 'immense' atmosphere
WHUFC.com
Hammers legend Alvin Martin praised the 'immense' London Stadium atmosphere
Three-time Hammer of the Year was present for Saturday's victory over Crystal Palace
talkSPORT pundit said supporters were there for the team when they needed a boost
West Ham United legend Alvin Martin has described the atmosphere at London Stadium on Saturday as 'immense' and praised the Club's supporters for their tremendous backing of Slaven Bilic and his team. The former Hammers captain, who made 596 appearances for the club between 1978 and 1996, was present for the magnificent 3-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace in his role as a summariser for radio station talkSPORT. The three-time Hammer of the Year, now an athletic 58, believes that West Ham's stunning second-half performance came at a perfect time. "People talk about atmosphere but the supporters can only take it so far," he says. "To really lift it to another level, it has to be generated by what happens on the pitch, and we saw that on Saturday. "It was quiet and a bit edgy in the first half, but you could tell that the fans wanted to get their teeth into it and have something to really shout about.
"Then it exploded, particularly with the fantastic second and third goals, and suddenly the atmosphere was immense. "It is still going to take time for the memories to stack up, but when that second goal flew in, well, that's about as good as it gets. "What was wonderful about Andy's goal was that it came at the perfect time when Slaven really needed it, and the fans really needed it. "Slaven won some big matches last season in his first year with the Club, but I would say that Saturday's was up there with the biggest in terms of the week he'd had, and what he needed from the players and the fans. "The players certainly delivered, and the fans proved yet again that the team, and Slaven, can really count on them when it is needed. That is testament to the loyalty and passion they show for this Club."
Work commitments with talkSPORT have meant that Saturday marked only his third visit to London Stadium, but the former England international did not hesitate when asked to give his overall description of the Club's new home. "It's iconic," he said. "As a player, when you've finished your career, you hope that you can talk about things you've won, great memories and great seasons.
"And people always want to know, have you played at that stadium, or this stadium? I'm very proud to have played at places like Wembley, and the Azteca in Mexico – the kind of great stadiums you dream about playing in when you're kicking a ball around in the street as a boy. "And this is another one. I'm sure a lot of players will want to say that they played here."
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The Big Interview - Darren Randolph
WHUFC.com
Darren Randolph was wearing a broad smile after keeping his first clean sheet of 2017 in Saturday's Premier League win over Crystal Palace.
West Ham United's Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper produced another calm and assured performance, while the defenders in front of him restricted the Eagles to just one shot on target – a Yohan Cabaye volley which Randolph dealt with comfortably.
Having helped the Hammers end a run of three straight defeats, the No1 says Slaven Bilic's side can build on their confidence-boosting 3-0 victory at Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Darren, after a challenging week, that victory seems to have given everybody associated with the Club a real lift?
"Yeah, I was saying in an interview for talkSPORT before the game how important it was to get the win, especially after the week the Club had.
"We went out there and knew it would be a tough game. The first half was pretty boring! It is always hard to break a team down when they put men behind the ball, Sam Allardyce knew how he wanted to set his team up and it worked for them in the first half.
"We changed a few things and managed to get three very good goals."
We had a couple of hairy moments before half-time, with James Tomkins poking wide from close-range and the Yohan Cabaye volley you saved?
"Tonks had a chance and a few other crosses flashed across the box, but Palace are dangerous and they've got dangerous wide men with good delivery, height, speed, power, pace, everything, so we knew we'd need to battle away.
"We knew they'd have chances or half-chances, which they had, but they didn't amount to anything. We stayed in the game and managed to get three goals ourselves."
Sam Byram and James Collins were introduced at half-time after a long time out injured and neither looked like they had been away…
"Ginge and Sam came in and even Michail Antonio had a fever in the days before the game and he put in a good shift. He had three assists in about 15 minutes, so he should be sick more often!
"This game showed how much you need a squad because we needed bodies and players who could come in and do a job, which they did. They came into the team and didn't look like they needed time to settle.
"Again, we produced good performances all around and got what we deserved."
As a goalkeeper, you must have been pleased with a clean sheet?
"I've said before that I always prefer a win over a clean sheet, and we needed the win badly. I wouldn't have cared if we'd scored in the last minute or won 5-4 as long as we won the game.
"To have won 3-0 looks good."
You could feel the unity between the fans and the team throughout the game at the end of a difficult week, couldn't you?
"It was the loudest it has been inside London Stadium for a few games. You could feel the backing that not only the team but the manager had.
"The whole stadium got behind us and got behind the manager and the fans showed their faith and belief they have in him."
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AFCON pair make winning starts
WHUFC.com
West Ham United pair make winning start at 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations
Cheikhou Kouyate captains Senegal to 2-0 win over Algeria
Andre Ayew scores the only goal as Ghana overcome Uganda
West Ham United duo Cheikhou Kouyate and Andre Ayew both got off to a winning start at the 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.
Kouyate captained Senegal to a 2-0 Group B victory over Tunisia in Franceville, where Algeria's 2-2 draw with Zimbabwe means the Lions of Teranga top the group after the first round of fixtures.
Next up for the midfielder is a meeting with Zimbabwe at the same venue on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Ayew was the match-winner as Avram Grant's Ghana got off to a winning start by beating Uganda 1-0 in Port-Gentil.
The forward confidently stroked home from the penalty spot after Asamoah Gyan had been fouled inside the box, setting the Black Stars on course for three points with his 13th international goal.
Ghana will contest their second Group D fixture against Mali on Saturday.
Both matches will be broadcast live in the UK by Eurosport.
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Phillips - First goal is crucial
WHUFC.com
Mark Phillips thinks scoring first is the priority for our U18s against Brighton on Wednesday
The young Hammers are aiming for three successive victories
Their match at the Amex Elite Performance Centre kicks off at 12pm
Assistant manager Mark Phillips has urged his U18s to be proactive and start fast in their league match with Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday.
The young Hammers will hope to better their U23 counterparts who were beaten 3-0 on the south coast on Monday, despite having more possession and creating more chances.
Phillips thinks the first goal will be crucial in their midweek clash with the Seagulls as they aim for three successive victories.
"Brighton like to play on the counter and sit deep with a packed defence. Obviously we've done a bit of work on trying to beat blocks and get shots away," he said.
"We'll have to try and get down the sides or be very patient and intricate in our play. If we can score the first goal, it'll be a different game because they'll have to come out and play."
The Hammers did not play at the weekend, meaning they have had a few days to take in the results from Saturday.
Leaders Chelsea dropped points at home to Aston Villa, meaning the third-placed Irons can close the gap on the top to four points in the U18 Premier League South.
"We don't really look at other team's results and if we keep winning our games, we're going to end up in the top four," Phillips added.
"It's a really important game (against Brighton). We aren't worried about playing the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea but it would be nice to pick up some positive results which will mean we are bedded in the top four nicely when we come to play them."
The Hammers will be without second-highest scorer Korrey Henry on Wednesday who is missing through illness, but manager Steve Potts welcomes back Dan Kemp who has not featured for the U18s since their FA Youth Cup defeat to Stoke City.
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LUNCHTIME ROUND UP: LANZINI THE NEW MAIN MAN? ZAZA SPEAKS OUT ON HAMMERS SPELL, PAYET RETURNS
BY DAN CHAPMAN ON 17 JANUARY 2017 AT 12:28PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Afternoon Hammers, here is the news going around this lunchtime.
Tony Gale says West Ham would be silly not to sell Dimitri Payet this month. (Sky Sports)
I agree, but it has to be for the £40m asking price. Any less and that will be very disappointing. We could strengthen our squad with that money. There is still time in this window to get more players!
Simone Zaza has spoken out on his time at West Ham after signing for Juventus on loan. (Daily Star)
Fair play to Zaza for being honest, it just wasn't meant to be for him in the Premier League. Wish him well for his future.
QPR manager Ian Holloway says Scott Hogan would be a fantastic signing for West Ham. (Talksport)
Holloway is right, he would be. Hogan is a brilliant striker and it will be exciting to see him play for us should we sign him.
West Ham are again chasing striker Martin Braithewaite, as well as a number of European clubs. (Sky Sports)
I would rather keep our signings domestic to be honest. I think it is just the safest option to go with for now.
Paul Merson says Manuel Lanzini can easily fill Dimitri Payet's shoes. (HITC)
Manuel proved on Saturday that he can step up to the plate. Hopefully he can keep up that type of performance and start to show us all that he is our new main man.
Dimitri Payet returned to West Ham training today, and trained with the U23 squad. (Mirror)
As long as he isn't disrupting the first team, then fine. The sooner he disappears all together, the better in my opinion.
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The drummer in the hotel band
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 17th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
A new documentary about West Ham United and life at the Boleyn Ground is set to be released later this year.
Aspiring young film director Tom Godfrey is a long-suffering West Ham supporter. He plans to release a full-length documentary in 2017 featuring content from Boleyn Ground heroes such as Trevor Brooking, Tony Gale and Frank McAvennie.
Godfrey - who previously worked in the oil industry for 16 years - is currently combining his film work with a Master's degree. And to give Hammers fans a taste of what is to come, he has released the following short clip, featuring former club physio Rob Jenkins.
'The drummer in the band' is a reference to West Ham legend Bobby Moore who, as Jenkins explains, was once mistaken by a fellow hotel guest at the Princess Hotel in Bermuda for a musician!
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Redknapp: he'll stink the place out!
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 17th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammers boss Harry Redknapp believes that West Ham must sell Dimitri Payet furing the current transfer window.
Redknapp, who managed West Ham between 1995 and 2001 urged the club to sell the mercurial Frenchman before the deadline - in order to avoid further disruption to West Ham's season.
"They have just got to get the right price," Redknapp told TalkSport. "The deal has got to happen and it will happen, he won't be there at the end of the window - no chance.
"He has got to go, it will stink the place out if he plays and doesn't want to play for you.
"He isn't the best player to play there, they have had hundreds of better players. People like Bobby Moore that played for the club all their lives and [Mark] Noble, they are proper West Ham.
"These guys come for a few years and are on their bikes again."
Meanwhile, Newcastle fan and YouTube star The True Geordie has also been having his say regarding the Dimitri Payet saga; if you are of a sensitive disposition or take issue with foul language, this one's definitely not for you...
In other transfer news today. reports in Italy are linking both West Ham and Watford with a move for Inter defender Andrea Ranocchia. The 28-year-old Italian international is currently out of favour at the San Siro and said to be open to a move to England and the Premier League.
Elsewhere, Leeds United are reported to have told West Ham to pay £15million if they want to sign 25-year-old New Zealand international Chris Wood. The 6'3" striker, who is his country's vice-captain behind West Ham's Winston Reid has scored 17 times in 29 appearances for the Championship side so far this season.
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West Ham 3-0 Crystal Palace (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 17th January 2017
By: HeadHammerShark
1. Time For Heroes
Prior to this game, if someone had asked me to describe the atmosphere at the London Stadium this season, I would have said it was as though a great blanket of negativity had gradually, slowly enveloped the ground over a period of months.
Going to games has been difficult with the transport not up to scratch, the stewarding largely a nightmare, dealing with the ticket office a brief venture in haphazard psychosis and the games themselves being largely dismal affairs played out on a pitch that is miles away from most fans.
And as time has passed, it has gradually dawned on us, that blanket has slowly settled on our heads, that none of that is going to change.
We're always going to have to queue for the trains for ages, we're never going to be able to generate that same Upton Park roar, and as much as we might will it to happen, that pitch isn't getting any closer. This is it.
And amidst that backdrop there has been so much else to be negative about. The transfer disasters, the insipid football, the Board generally dismaying fans with an alacrity that Martin Cearns could only dream of, and now Dimitri Payet turning his back on us.
I hope you don't judge me too harshly then, when I tell you that I skipped this game. I just couldn't take it. I've read this book before folks and I knew how it ended. Big Sam in town, Allardycing us to death in a lousy 2-0 defeat while Palace fans sang Payet songs into the cold January evening.
For 70 minutes I felt pretty justified in my decision, as the game was a stifling mess, bereft of the sort of touches that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would usually bring to the stage.
But football is a wonderful, unpredictable, changeable mistress and she was no different here. Mark Noble was recalled for this game, as a kind of Cockney counterpoint to Payet and he released Michail Antonio into Payet's now vacated inside left channel. Wayne Hennessey was so distressed by this that he came charging off his line with the kind of speed you only usually see from Payet when he spies his wife is flicking through his phone, and with that rush of blood came the opening we craved. Antonio skipped past the crazy fucker and crossed to a possibly offside Sofiane Feghouli, who clearly can't be trusted with anything further out than two yards, and we were in.
The drama is draining and the negativity a constant weight on all our shoulders, but nothing beats a goal. The release was palpable from 10 miles away.
Forget the circus - a weight had been lifted.
2. The Good Old Days
Being one nil up against Sam Allardyce teams is a nice place to be. For 70 minutes his tactics worked superbly as his 5 man midfield forced us into long periods of nothingness, and everything seemed set for the inevitable late Palace winner.
But once behind, Allardyce teams look lost. Told to sit in and frustrate the opposition, it is hard for them to expand on that and throw off those shackles in pursuit of a goal. He's only had Palace for four games and it shows, as they pushed forward and we picked them off with pleasing ease. For a brief moment it was easy to forget about Payet and Zaza and the fact we have no right back, and instead imagine that it was 2015-2016 all over again. Crowd noise, an atmosphere, a genuine striker and West Ham counterattacking like Napoleon at Austerlitz.
If the Feghouli goal was a slight loosening of the pressure valve, then Andy Carroll's goal smashed it open and nailed it to the sky. Noble, Lanzini and Antonio combined once more down the Payet channel, but the latter's cross looked largely optimistic.
Not so said our pissed Geordie octopus, who backed away and fashioned a frankly incredible bicycle kick that was fit to grace any game of football. The ball flew into the roof of the Palace net with the velocity and accuracy of a Patriot missile, and six months of frustration was vented into the skies above East London. Sam Allardyce would later describe this with his customary good grace as a "goal we gifted to them". Hokey dokey Sam, have another pint of wine.
I'm gutted I missed it. Even on a shaky looking stream the place looked to be rocking, and everything I've read since only confirms it.
Good. We deserve it. In a season of unremitting gloom this was as welcome as seeing Diego Costa fall out with Antonio Conte after two days of hearing about Payet from lifelong Chelsea fans, who think football was invented in 2003 and that Mickey Hazard is something to do with Rohypnol.
3. The Man Who Would Be King
Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of Payet's Paul Ince homage has been Manuel Lanzini, who has suddenly become a playmaker destined to benefit from the opportunity to play without Payet. This is a bit barmy, as at least one benefit of a player like Payet is that he draws defenders to him and leaves space for players to Lanzini to exploit.
The Argentine's best performance in a West Ham shirt came at Chelsea last year when his ability to break from midfield was crucial, and should have seen us win comfortably. However, that day he had Kouyate all over the place alongside him, and Payet and Cresswell destroying Chelsea down the left.
This season he has been in and out of the side, with injuries and form being a problem, as well as trying to find a place to fit him into a misfiring midfield. His best turns have been playing deeper, alongside Obiang and using his dribbling to carry us forward. In other words, the glowing accolades suddenly bestowed upon him haven't exactly matched the reality of the matches.
Here he was given licence to roam, with Payet absent and Noble and Obiang behind him to provide ballast, and he was outstanding. His quickness of foot is wonderful, and when the time came to do something, anything, in the final third it mostly fell to him to do it.
His goal was a thing of simple, devastating beauty. The corpse of Loic Remy was raised from the dead by Allardyce for this game, and in the space of a few seconds he lost the ball in our box, and between Reid and Antonio, suddenly Lanzini was breaking free. He carried it to the edge of the box before dinking it over Hennessey - who by this stage had had quite enough of this shit - with impish brilliance. It was a perfect goal to seal a game and the perfect fuck you to Payet, Marseille, agents, Chelsea and all the other evils of the world.
After his 80 yard sprint he then carried on and jumped into the crowd to celebrate, meaning that the overall distance run on the goal was something like two miles.
I can see why fans want to latch on to Lanzini as the perfect replacement for Voldemort, but I'd urge some caution. He seems to function best when paired with others - previously Payet, and here Feghouli - and we'll need to put some equivalent talent around him to get the best out of him. I'm sure that sounds familiar, but I can't figure out why.
4. Don't Look Back Into The Sun
The off the field battle was almost as interesting here as the stuff on the pitch. Bilic has actually beaten Allardyce in both their meetings, and here he did well to adjust on the fly to the Palace tactics.
The first half was largely tedious, with a half chance for Carroll and a golden opportunity for James Tomkins that he Feghoulied wide from about 8 inches.
At half time Bilic introduced a lesser spotted right back and suddenly off we went. Michail Antonio, who had a temperature of 101 on Friday and was rewarded for his determination to play by being stuck out at wing back again, was released to play alongside Carroll and suddenly we were in business. Sam Byram might not be the answer at right back, but he's a better answer than any of other options, and the simple presence of an outlet ball was disproportionately pleasing after a season of watching a succession of square pegs jamming up that particular hole.
The truth is that if we played this game again tomorrow we might just as easily lose. I don't think we were noticeably that much better than Palace but we took our chances, and our manager showed an ability to get his team to play in more than one fashion. You might also reasonably argue that those two fashions were "bad" and "good" but that in itself might sum up the Bilic/Allardyce comparison perfectly.
Palace played okay but never looked like they could transcend that. We were crap and good in the same game. That wild fluctuation seems to be a Bilic trademark as opposed to the steadiness (or tedium, depending on your viewpoint) of Allardyce.
This is really how I view these two. Allardyce can get a team into a certain range in the league and probably not much higher unless he has a lot of time or money. Bilic seems capable of getting higher, but also carries the risk of finishing up lower too, as we are seeing this season.
In the long term it doesn't matter much as Allardyce doesn't manage us anymore, but it felt like an interesting counterpoint, and Bilic deserves credit for the way he changed things up and altered the seemingly inevitable flow of the game.
5. Heart Of The Matter
Mark Noble had an interesting day. He is a lightning rod for those who would affect wild and sweeping changes on the team, with most seeming to think that his lack of pace is career limiting, but on days like these his qualities are evident.
I'm not sure he should be playing ahead of the Kouyate-Obiang-Lanzini axis, but here he did what he does very well. He tackled, worked hard, chivvied and played one or two sublime passes to create the first half chance for Carroll and the through ball that released Antonio for the opener.
His pace is waning, and at this point he has all the speed of Jeremy Hunt answering his phone on a Sunday, but he still has plenty to offer the side. The willingness to get on the ball and make passes, and take responsibility in a struggling side is a significant plus. It strikes me that in a team so low on confidence that it is odd to criticise a player who is willing to do that with regularity. Noble never hides and on days like Saturday that is important, when it feels like an opening will never come, and the tension is palpable.
His role might need to change over the next couple of seasons, but in this week of all weeks it's hard to dispute that the man is committed to the cause.
Also, anyone prepared to lift up a ball boy by the bib deserves some patience.
6. What A Waster
Goodbye then Simone Zaza. We hardly knew ye, except for the fact that you once took a penalty for Italy whilst riding a unicycle, and you have tattooed knees. The issue of Zaza is curious as it seems to be simultaneously the fault of David Sullivan that he failed, due to the ludicrous pressure of being asked to prove himself in 14 games, whilst the chairman also gets credit for not wasting £20m on a player who couldn't find the net with shoal of fish.
In retrospect, the whole Zaza saga reflects poorly on the Club. We signed him late in the summer when it became clear that our ploy of telling everyone that "we've got a load of money and baby we intend to spend it" somehow didn't end up with us being offered top players at knockdown bargain prices.
Thus Zaza arrived, and I have no idea if he was ever a real target, but he played because everyone else was already injured. It was September after all.
I really have no idea how he was ever supposed to fit into our system. He never showed the mobility to play as a lone striker and his link up work was decidedly patchy. I refuse to believe that he was as crap as he looked, but I think he was also symptomatic of the panicky nature of our summer business. Along with Ayew he seemed to have been brought in for entirely the wrong reason.
Ayew to keep Payet company in the canteen and help him argue for TV Monde5 to be on the dressing room telly, whilst Zaza was simply there because he was available. That's a bad sign and a poor reflection on Bilic for agreeing to it. Sadly, I suppose the natural in house replacement - Antonio - was already been deployed at right because of his own managerial fuckwittery, meaning he probably felt he had little choice.
As it is, he is off to Valencia and will probably bang one in against Barcelona soon. C'est la vie.
7. What Became Of The Likely Lads
Two weeks into the transfer window and I'm still trying to balance my opinion on us not having made any panic signings yet. Clearly I am against us doing stupid things in the transfer window - paying £15m for 35 year old Jermain Defoe would be a textbook example of that - but I also do acknowledge that we need some help. Moreso now that Payet has turned footballing quisling.
The thing about Antonio being brilliant on Saturday, and Byram being healthy is that it could easily convince Bilic et al that there is no need to bring in reinforcements. The reality is that most projections for the rest of the season give us about a 2% chance of going down, which doesn't seem that ridiculous as Hull are Hull, Sunderland are also Hull and Swansea have the defensive solidity of Donald Trump's iCloud password.
So I can see the temptation to stay put, tempered with the knowledge that if we do, Byram and Carroll will be involved in a tragic hoovering accident on February 1st and our cover for both of them is the same player.
It's a bit like seeing Katie Hopkins on television. On one hand that's a reason to perforate your own ear drums, but on the other you're also thinking that there's a chance someone might see her and take the opportunity to rob her house. That's a tough choice, and one you shouldn't even have to be thinking about in the first place. Much like buying Jermain Defoe.
I can't really decide what I want from this transfer window. I see little value and the reality is that we're not in much danger any more. All things considered I'd rather that they didn't make any moves and kept the money for someone sensible to make some decisions in the summer. Given that will never happen, I expect to shortly see Defoe and Glen Johnson holding scarves above their head on the West Stand concourse, with the touchline twinkling in the distance behind them.
8. Campaign Of Hate
All of which reminds me that this weeks events have rather neatly detracted away from that nascent anti board movement that was springing up. Despite me thinking they don't seem to know what they're doing, I generally can't fault the board too much. I grew up with the Cearns family, Terry Brown and the broke Icelandic billionaires. I have seen things. I remember.
The problem has never struck me as one of penny pinching or general cheapness - although I'm more sympathetic to that view the more time I spend in the stadium - but more a lack of thought over how their money is spent. But those failures of judgement around how to run a Club pale into insignificance next to the prospects we faced before they took over.
Intellectual heavyweight Scott Duxbury was hosting barbecues and planning for the Champions League whilst failing to notice that new Director of Football, Gianluca Nani, only had one phone number in his book - that of his old club, Brescia. In short, we were fucked.
We've had rank incompetence and borderline criminal negligence in the past and what we have now is different. Most paint the new West Ham as a slick, new brand focused corporate monolith with no soul and a desire to treat us as customers. You can take whatever side you want on that, but that deviousness has come in handy this week.
The more I hear about the Payet business, the more I think the Club have done pretty well. My initial response to be flabbergasted that we would banish him to the reserves whilst telling the world that he wanted to go. This seemed destined to crash his transfer fee, and put us on to the back foot.
However, at that point I didn't know he was on strike, and by doing this they've pretty much cornered him and his agent. He can't now pretend to be injured as nobody will believe him, and the Club can leave him unselected and save themselves plenty of cash by fining him for being on strike.
Tonight we learn that Payet's wife and children are already back in France, leaving him with the prospect of living apart from his family whilst not being paid and being called a mercenary arsehole by model footballers Robbie Savage and Chris Sutton. What's odd about that is that he doesn't seem to want to go for money, he just seems to want to go back to Marseille, which I think most West Ham fans would find eminently understandable.
If I was Payet I would fire my agent and replace him with someone more capable - like Natasha from The Apprentice who said "Do you know what guys, I can't find my underwear. Just trying to work out if it will be any benefit to us whatsoever." - and begin mending some fences.
I cannot for the life of me work out why he didn't just announce he was homesick and wanted to go home, but promise to stay until the summer so as not to leave us in the lurch. His manager was the inventor of that bullshit! The Club could have worked in the background with Marseille to structure a deal and he could have left a hero, not that he gives a shit but it has to be at least slightly better than what he has now.
The word is that Marseille have today upped their initial £19m bid to £20m which I find hilarious, and just about the most David Sullivan thing ever. I'm not sure they actually have enough money to afford Payet, and if they don't then he really doesn't have much choice but to try and come back into the fold.
I still think this saga might have some legs left. Unlike Dimitri if he tries to buy a pint in The Carpenters anytime soon, mind you.
9. Can't Stand Me Now
One thing to consider about Payet, however. Don't be swayed by this belief that we don't need him solely on the basis of one good game. He leads the team in key passes per game this season with 4.1 per game. Next is Lanzini is 1.3 (all stats per WhoScored.com) and thereafter it's a fucking wasteland.
That is a huge creative component suddenly removed from the side, and it's not an easy thing to replace. Feghouli might well be a capable replacement in the longer term but he's a very different type of player and he also can't score unless he's behind the goalkeeper so that hampers his effectiveness somewhat.
We are off to Middlesbrough on Saturday and you might remember that we required the goal of the season to score against them in the first game. I don't care if you think Carroll's goal was better than Payet's - you are wrong. Payet had to do several things brilliantly, whilst Carroll did one thing. If we're one down after an hour again, you might find yourself casting wishful glances at the left wing and wishing that a certain Frenchman wasn't being a dickhead.
10. The Saga
I'm exhausted after all that, so here you go. Here's a Libertines song in honour of those who stayed and fought on Saturday and gave us something back. Not to be melodramatic but we needed that. And don't look now but we've only lost two of our last seven Premier League games.
Thanks West Ham, I cherish you, my love.
* Read more from HeadHammerShark at thehlist.blogspot.co.uk and/or follow him via twitter.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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West Ham players hoping for quick Dimitri Payet exit after French star burns bridges with teammates
It is thought that Slaven Bilic's squad would prefer the club to move the France international on now, rather than risk further disruption to the rest of their season
The Mirror
COMMENTS
BYADRIAN KAJUMBA
19:07, 17 JAN 2017
West Ham 's players want the club to sell Dimitri Payet this month. Payet has angered his teammates after telling boss Slaven Bilic he no longer wants to play for the club. The Hammers haven't given up hope of resolving the situation and keeping the want-away playmaker, 29, until the summer. But members of Bilic's squad feel Payet has burned bridges with his tantrum and refusal to play for the club and now hope he is offloaded rather than retained to avoid further disrupting their season. With Hammers supporters having already turned on Payet the dressing room view adds to the dilemma for the Hammers hierarchy and adds to the sense there is no way back for the Frenchman. Payet, who returned to the club's academy training ground on Tuesday, will work with the club's under-23s while the dispute is ongoing. And he has been ordered to apologise to the club's fuming fans. Payet is desperate to return to former club Marseille, but claims that he wants the move not because he is being greedy but for the sake of his family. Unhappy Payet has even told pals that he will earn LESS at Marseille than the £120,000 a week deal he signed at West Ham last season. Payet insists he wants to go to France for the sake of his marriage and also because he wants his three kids to grow up in France. The French side are lining up a third bid for their former playmaker after having two offers – the latest around £20m - already knocked back by West Ham.
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Dimitri Payet "will take a pay cut to go back to Marseille" according to French football expert Julien Laurens
The West Ham midfielder's imminent exit apparently has nothing to do with wanting more money
The Mirror
BYTHOMAS BRISTOW
21:48, 17 JAN 2017
News of Dimitri Payet handing in a transfer request and going on strike rocked the London Stadium last week. West Ham 's star player, who made himself a club legend in the space of a season, told Slaven Bilic he no longer wanted to be a part of the east Londoners' plans. But if you thought the Frenchman was eyeing up a move to a club in the Champions League or had been swayed by the financial muscle of China, you'd be wrong. Turns out the 29-year-old just wants to go back home. And this was something backed up by French football expert Julien Laurens in the video above. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live , he said: "Payet will take a pay cut to go back to Marseille. It's not about the money, the money has nothing to do with it. "I know he took that £1million bonus but he's not going to China where you double or triple your salary. He's ready to take the pay cut. "Marseille and Payet have already reached an agreement so it's all sorted to go back there."
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Swansea's Gylfi Sigurdsson to snub Everton and West Ham transfer interest and stay with his relegation fighters
The £25m-rated midfielder scores and makes goals and is vital to new boss Paul Clement
The Mirror
BYJAKE BACON
22:30, 17 JAN 2017
Gylfi Sigurdsson will hand Swansea 's survival hopes a major boost by staying at the club. Everton and West Ham have been tracking the £25m-rated Iceland star who is the Swans' top scorer with six goals. But midfield ace Sigurdsson , who signed a new four-year contract at the Liberty Stadium last summer, wants to help new head coach Paul Clement beat the drop. The 27-year-old has underlined his importance to a struggling Swans squad, who find themselves one point from safety, by scoring or assisting in three of their four league wins this term. He is hugely popular among supporters and won the Player of the Year award last season after netting 11 times. Sigurdsson's decision to stay in south Wales will delight Clement, who stated his desire to keep hold of the player last week. He said: "I want to keep Gylfi here, we're in a situation where we want to win games and to have a chance to do that at this level you've got to keep your best players."
Swansea continued their spending spree on Tuesday by signing full-back Martin Olsson and midfield playmaker Tom Carroll from Norwich and Tottenham respectively for a total fee in the region of £9m. Olsson put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year deal, while Carroll has rejoined the Welsh side after a successful loan spell during the 2014-15 campaign in which he featured 18 times and scored once. The pair will join Clement's £4m recruit from PSV Eindhoven, Luciano Narsingh , in trying to steer the Swans away from the drop zone. Meanwhile, Birmingham are in talks to sign winger Wayne Routledge for £3m. The 32-year-old has been at the Welsh club since 2011 but could swap a top-flight relegation dogfight for a Championship play-off push under Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola.
Routledge has been a regular this season under Swansea's three bosses Francesco Guidolin, Bob Bradley and now Clement.
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West Ham would be 'silly not to sell' Dimitri Payet, says Tony Gale
By Stephen Turner
Last Updated: 17/01/17 11:09am
SSN
West Ham should sell Dimitri Payet this month and get on with playing football, according to former defender Tony Gale. The France international told Hammers boss Slaven Bilic last week that he no longer wanted to play for the club despite signing an improved long-term contract last February. Two offers from Marseille have fallen well below West Ham's £30m valuation and, according to Sky sources, joint-chairman David Sullivan will not be bullied into a quick sale. Gale believes a compromise could - and should - be reached this month and says delaying the deal risks costing the club a large profit on a 29-year-old who cost them £10.7m in the summer of 2015. "They want £30m, £20m has been offered, and it wouldn't surprise me if it ends up at £25m," Gale, who spent a decade in east London as a player, told Premier League Daily. "Get shot of him and get on with football because no one is bigger than the club. "They'd be silly not to sell, really. If they let it run until the end of the season he's not going to play any football, then all of a sudden you've got a player whose value is probably down by another £10m or so because of his age. "They have to get rid of him now, but doing the deal is the important thing and getting the best money for the football club. "And whilst you're doing it line up some other moves. It's no good selling him for £25m and not getting anyone else. You can get some quality players for that money - even two, or you could even go for one big player which West Ham fans would love."
Payet's performances last season saw him named Hammer of the Year - an award he called a "huge honour and defining moment" - and earned him a nomination for the PFA Player of the Year trophy. But his form and attitude have tailed off badly, according to Gale, who believes West Ham can move on quickly once he is sold. "Everybody thinks life's not going to go on when a star player leaves," he said. "But it does go on and they're soon forgotten. "Let's face it - he's had one season at West Ham, and the last six games of last season he wasn't performing anyway. "He came back and had 'a rest' because of the European Championships. then he came back and scored a couple of really good goals, but other than that he hasn't really performed. "We're not just talking about someone who can be like an American Footballer and just come on and take free-kicks. We're talking about someone who has to work for the team as well.
"Some of the games I've seen the attitude wasn't there, and I hear around the football club that he's not even been speaking to players over the last four or five weeks."
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West Ham favourites to sign Joe Hart… who is set to return to Premier League - bookies
BOOKIES think Joe Hart is set to return to the Premier League.
The Daily Star
By Jack Wilson / Published 17th January 2017
And they believe West Ham are the club who are best-placed to snap him up. BetStars make it 10/11 for Hart, who is on loan from Manchester City at Torino, to join the Hammers. Liverpool (9/4) and Everton (9/2) are also in the running. BetStars spokesman Ian Marmion said: "Joe Hart is set to complete a return to the Premier League. "West Ham have emerged as the shock frontrunners to sign the England keeper and are now odds on at 10/11 to secure the England Number One's signature. "The Hammers are head and shoulders above the rest in the race for the shot stopper. Both Merseyside clubs are also keen on Joe Hart with a move to Everton priced at 9/2, or Liverpool available at 9/4. "Whilst Claudio Bravo continues to falter between the sticks for Manchester City, it looks like there's no way back at the Etihad for forgotten man Joe Hart. "The chances of a return to City under Pep Guardiola look almost non-existent with the Citizens currently priced at 8/1 to reinstate Hart as their number one."
Pep Guardiola replaced Hart with Claudio Bravo after taking the City job in the summer. But the former Barca man has struggled to hit it out in England. Ian Wright hit out at the decision and told The Sun: "Heaven only knows what Joe Hart thinks when he's watching their games from Italy – especially after this against AC Milan. "Pep insisted he was bringing Bravo over because of his ability with the ball at his feet. "Bringing in Bravo and letting Hart go to Torino will, for me, always be one of the most baffling decisions I've seen. "Bravo, 33, isn't even a second-string keeper. That's not being vindictive or harsh. If City fans are being honest, they know it too. "It's got to the stage where if an opposition shot is on target, there's every chance it will go in. That's anything but the stuff of champions. "I can guarantee, 100 per cent, that if Hart was still No?1 at City, there's no way they'd have let in half the number of goals they have."
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West Ham striker Jonathan Calleri 'interested' in Sao Paulo return, claims club's director of football
SAM LONG
Evening Standard
West Ham striker Jonathan Calleri is 'interested' in returning to Sao Paulo, according to the Brazilian club's director of football.
Calleri joined the Hammers from Deportivo Maldonado on a season-long loan deal last summer, having previously spent the first six months of 2016 on loan at Sao Paulo. The 23-year-old was top scorer in the Copa Libertadores at the time of his departure but is yet to replicate such form for Slaven Bilic's side.
Calleri has made just six Premier League substitute appearances this season and is yet to score for the east Londoners, who recently ended Simone Zaza's loan spell early. Jose Jacobson, Sao Paulo's director of football, is convinced Calleri is keen to return to Brazil but believes a transfer is unlikely with his club not willing to sanction another short-term deal. "I think we lack a number nine," he told Globo Esporte. "Otherwise, I think we're well prepared for this first semester. "Calleri is interested, but there is the problem with the investor group, who paid a lot for him and want him to stay in European football, even if he doesn't stay in West Ham. "Sao Paulo can't invest anything, it's out of our reality. A six-month loan does not interest us. I can't bring Calleri for a short time again." Meanwhile, Standard Sport understands West Ham could forced Dimitri Payet to stay put until the summer. The Frenchman is determined to leave but the Hammers are holding out for a fee in excess of £30million for their talisman.
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Dimitri Payet set for Marseille return, but not everyone will roll out the red carpet for West Ham's wantaway star
JONATHAN JOHNSON
Evening STandard
While West Ham and Marseille continue to haggle over a price, it appears increasingly likely Dimitri Payet will ultimately return to Stade Velodrome. The France international has admitted in the past he never actually wanted to leave the nine-time Ligue 1 winners in the summer of 2015, and now he is proving it to the ailing southern giants' adoring supporters by digging his heels in as he tries to force a way back to the club. If and when it happens, Marseille fans will celebrate Payet's return. Not only do they have fond memories of his first spell there, notably his form under charismatic coach Marcelo Bielsa, it will also signify the end of the financial problems that forced him out to start with. Payet, who is nearly 30, was one of Les Phoceens' best players during almost two years there and for the beleaguered Marseille fans, there has not been much to cheer since he left. His performances on home soil at Euro 2016 will have only heightened their appetites. Like their bitter capital city rivals Paris Saint-Germain with Javier Pastore in the summer of 2011, Marseille want to make a statement with their first big-money signing under new foreign ownership and Payet is as close to a guaranteed success as they will get right now. Of course, there are totally understandable concerns in France that Rudi Garcia's men are going to commit too much money to sign just one player, albeit a very talented one when he is focused, but the boost that actually getting Payet back through the door at their training ground, La Commanderie, will be huge. Whether or not Marseille's new owners intend to spend more this month in other areas, despite the fact midfielder and former Watford target Morgan Sanson is expected to join from Montpellier regardless of the Payet move, remains to be seen. However, once the Payet deal is completed, there will be an expectation among the club's supporters that more big name players follow in the next few months. On top of this, Marseille will not fear losing him in another 18-24 months' time. With the player being adamant that his family's happiness is his sole motivation for seeking the move and returning home, there is a good chance that he will end his career there if Frank McCourt and Jacques-Henri Eyraud's ambitious project bears fruit. Payet has previous in attempting to force his way out of clubs. He performed a U-turn in 2011 when, as a St Etienne player, he tried to push through a move to PSG. His flimsy excuse was that he had gone to the capital for a spot of tourism at the Eiffel Tower. This time, he says he is putting his family first and Marseille fans will revel in that. However, if the France international tries to use his family as justification for another move in future, those same supporters will lose a huge amount of respect for him in the same way West Ham's have done now.
Understandably, there are some detractors. Former Arsenal, Chelsea and France midfielder Emmanuel Petit was incredulous at both Marseille and Payet's stances when speaking with SFR Sport. "I do not understand the timing, I do not understand Marseille," said Petit. "It might disappoint Marseille fans but to spend €35 million (£31m) on a player you sold for €15m 18 months ago, it is a very bad deal financially on a 30-year-old player." "It is also rare to see the fans' attitude change so quickly," the Frenchman continued.
"They are not fickle fans. If they are ready to hate you just as much as they loved you a few months ago, it is for a good reason. There is a hatred that could go beyond sport. "There are people who are ready to punch him in the face."
PSG fans who remember his trip to the Eiffel Tower will also have allowed themselves a wry smile upon learning that Payet is forcing another move. The best moments of Dimitri Payet's debut West Ham season There are also some Marseille supporters who would prefer to see that money spread more evenly over the pitch, notably at left-back, in defensive midfield and in attack. However, on the whole, Payet's return is seen as a good thing for French football and a Marseille squad in need of pulling power. Once he is in place, McCourt, Garcia and Eyraud will be able to add the pieces around him to move the project forward and move Marseille back closer to the top of the domestic tree.
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'I'd make Dimitri Payet train with the kids, take his career and FLUSH it' – Simon Jordan on West Ham's wantaway star
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has told talkSPORT how he'd handle Dimitri Payet's strike at West Ham – make him rot in the reserves and ruin his career. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic revealed last week that Payet is refusing to play for the club again, with the playmaker thought to be keen on a return to Marseille. However, club bosses have insisted they will NOT sell the wantaway star in the January transfer window, with the club reportedly rejecting a £20million bid from the Ligue 1 club on Monday. Speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, Jordan said, if he was in charge at the London Stadium, he'd use the situation to send a message to the rest of the squad. Although he later admitted selling the Frenchman for the best price this month would be the safest move to avoid a backlash in the dressing room. The ex-Eagles chief said: "If you'd have asked me six years ago my reaction would have been, 'you're going over to the reserves or with the academy kids, you're going to sit there for the next three years and I'll take your career and flush it' "And I did that with certain players [during his time at Selhurst Park], and the reason for that would be to send a message to the other players that you don't follow this route and we mean business. "But the flip side of that is it doesn't take much for the whispers to start, for the cancer to spread in the dressing room with destructive and divisive players – there's a balance to be struck. "I think there's something more going on behind the scenes with Payet, and I would like to see the owners come out and be stronger on this. "I think West Ham are a far bigger club than Payet, they survived a long time before he came and they'll survive along time after he's gone, and if it really is as toxic as it seems [they should] get as much money as they can for this fella and move on. "Fans expect certain things from players and loyalty is unrealistic. What you should expect from a player is his very best whilst he's at the club, not his unadulterated loyalty."
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Marseille set deadline for Dimitri Payet business to come to an end
http://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/
Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille have set an internal deadline of this Thursday to resolve the Dimitri Payet situation, according to RMC. French sources assert that Jacques-Henri Eyraud met with West Ham officials yesterday and did not make a new offer for the player, but are expected to do in the coming hours. In the meantime, some thinking time is being taken by the French club. They have no intention of paying €40m for the player, even if L'Équipe assert this morning that West Ham United did not name a specific price demand in the meeting that English reports claim lasted for between 10 to 15 minutes, whereas French sources claim it went on for around an hour.
However, it is difficult to see West Ham United accepting anything less than €34m (£30m) in order to part with the player, they do not feel obliged to sell him, they do not need to do so for financial reasons and the Frenchman signed a new contract recently.
There are even suggestions that West Ham United are prepared to let the player rot in the reserves for the rest of the season, if he does not apologise to supporters, which would be a bitter blow to Payet's chance of maintaining a place in the current French national squad.
Marseille have set an internal deadline of Thursday to finalise a deal for Dimitri Payet and will be wasting no time as you are reading this article in presenting something new to the Hammers. It is difficult to see OM bidding more than €30m plus bonuses for the player, but Payet is resolute in his desire to only leave West Ham for Marseille, with the player's agent understood to have rejected advances from China.
An important day in the Dimitri Payet saga.
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West Ham could force Dimitri Payet to stay until summer as Marseille bid well short of £30m asking price
JAMES OLLEY
Evening STandard
West Ham are determined not to sell Dimitri Payet on the cheap and remain open to the possibility of forcing him to see out the remainder of this season with the club. The Hammers rejected a second bid from Marseille of just over £20million yesterday as talks continued over a reluctant sale of their best player. Payet is desperate to leave having told West Ham he will not play for them again and yesterday it emerged that he had moved his wife and two children back to France in anticipation of a return to his former club. The strength of Payet's feeling gives Marseille the upper hand in contract talks but Standard Sport understands West Ham have taken a dim view of their approach to negotiations so far, particularly in upping their initial £19m offer by a relatively small figure and some way short of the club's valuation. The Hammers are holding out for a fee in excess of £30m but are likely to settle for that figure. Reports in France suggest Marseille could eventually be willing to go that high but there is as yet no firm indication they will do so. Payet has been ordered to training with West Ham's under-23 squad and asked to apologise to fans over his behaviour. Reintegrating the 29-year-old into the squad would be a difficult task for manager Slaven Bilic given the ill-feeling towards him among supporters while team-mate Mark Noble admitted they hadn't spoken for a couple of weeks in the wake of his refusal to play for the club again. But it is believed that West Ham would rather retain Payet until the summer than risk losing him on the cheap this month, especially given the difficulty of finding a replacement during January.
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West Ham rebel Dimitri Payet pictured leaving club's academy training base as wantaway playmaker continues to push for return to Marseille
By Matt Maltby For Mailonline
PUBLISHED: 10:35, 17 January 2017 | UPDATED: 10:43, 17 January 2017
Dimitri Payet has been pictured on Tuesday morning leaving West Ham's Chadwell Heath training ground as he continues to push for an exit this month. In these Sportsmail exclusive snaps, the Hammers rebel can be seen departing the club's academy base in his white Mercedes. Payet cut a glum figure as he left the premises behind the wheel of his left-hand drive AMG CLS63 S sports car, which costs around £90,000, while his future at the London Stadium remains in the balance. The Frenchman has been told to report to work with the Under 23s while West Ham work to resolve the issue, which emerged last week when boss Slaven Bilic revealed Payet had asked to leave the club this month. Payet was spotted at West Ham's Chadwell Heath base which is used by the academy while the first-team are now based at Rush Green. The Premier League club have rejected an improved £22million offer from Marseille for Payet.
Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud arrived in London for talks with West Ham co-owner David Sullivan, but discussions ended in stalemate after West Ham rejected a second offer, leaving Payet in limbo after he told the club last Monday that he never wants to play for them again. Payet only wants to go to Marseille, ending any hopes West Ham have of sparking a bidding war for the player, whose desire to return to the club he left in 2015 are driven by personal reasons. He has been ordered to train with the Under 23s. West Ham have told Marseille they want £40m but a fee closer to £30m could be enough. Sullivan has been adamant Payet is not for sale but the prospect of a huge profit on a player signed for £10.7m last season could be too good an opportunity to turn down. West Ham could move for Leeds' Chris Wood and expect to complete a move for Brentford's Scott Hogan. The club have asked Payet to apologise to fans in the hope it could pave the way for his return to first team training as he is currently working with their Under 23 side. Marseille sense that West Ham would sell Payet this month but want closer to their £35m valuation. The 29-year-old has already told his representatives to reject proposed moves to China as he seeks a return to France. Despite his stance, both co-chairmen Sullivan and David Gold have expressed that they have no financial need to sell the former Lille man and are refusing to be bullied into a quick sale. Bilic announced the news at his press conference ahead of Saturday's 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, saying he was 'let down and angry' at Payet's decision.
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West Ham's striking failure: 32 signed in seven years and still no solution
Jacob Steinberg
In the seven years since David Sullivan and David Gold took charge, West Ham United have signed 32 strikers who have managed 125 goals in 641 games
@JacobSteinberg
Tuesday 17 January 2017 09.54 GMT Last modified on Tuesday 17 January 2017 09.55 GMT
Haggling with Brentford over the asking price for Scott Hogan, testing Sunderland's sense of humour with a £4m offer for Jermain Defoe, steeling themselves for bids for the mutinous Dimitri Payet, waving goodbye to Simone Zaza and preparing to point Jonathan Calleri to the exit, how West Ham United savoured the majesty of Andy Carroll's overhead kick in Saturday's 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace. For a team who had to wait until 27 November for a striker to score this season, Carroll's wonderfully acrobatic goal lifted the mood at the London Stadium and provided a timely tonic after Payet's revolt.
Yet before celebrating too much about showing Payet that they can win without him, West Ham would be wise to pause and consider a statistic that should make David Sullivan and David Gold wince. In the seven years since the pair bought the club, West Ham have completed 32 deals for new strikers for four different managers and the numbers make for grim reading. Between them those players have managed 125 goals in 641 games.
Those figures are a damning indictment of the piecemeal way West Ham have gone about trying to fill such an important position. From mysterious South American imports such as Brian Montenegro and Wellington Paulista, both of whom disappeared without a trace, to forgettable loan signings such as Marco Borriello and Marouane Chamakh, and from flops like Modibo Maïga to stopgaps like Nikica Jelavic, their underwhelming attacking purchases have too often undermined their attempts to grow.
Of those 32 strikers, only four have managed double figures in terms of goals: Diafra Sakho (20 in 52 games), Carroll (26 in 101 games), Frédéric Piquionne (11 in 62 games) and Enner Valencia (10 in 68 games). Ignore strikers who were signed for the youth team and include Calleri and Zaza, and almost a third left east London without scoring. Once Carroll's injury record is taken into account, only Sakho, signed for £3.5m from Metz in 2014, and Demba Ba, whose seven goals following his arrival from Hoffenheim in January 2011 were not enough for Avram Grant's side to avoid relegation to the Championship, can be viewed as successes.
Since their return to the top flight in 2012, only one of the seven strikers who have joined on loan, Carroll, has earned a permanent transfer. In their drive to seek out bargains, West Ham have frittered away too much time and money on strikers who never looked likely to make the grade, leaving them stuck on a loop of short-termism as they find themselves dipping back into the market for the next unsatisfactory quick fix. One mistake simply leads to another.
Nikica Jelavic is one of a number of stopgap strikers bought in the Sullivan and Gold era. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters
Payet's desire to leave is a consequence of unfulfilled promises. After West Ham came close to qualifying for the Champions League last season before squeezing into the Europa League with a seventh-place finish, Sullivan and Slaven Bilic agreed that the priority for the summer had to be the acquisition of a striker with the potency to lift them into the top four. Having finished as the fourth-highest scorers in the league, it was a solid assessment of the side's potential and Sullivan spoke bullishly last May about the need for a striker who could score 20 goals a season, while also raising expectations by talking about imminent £20m and £25m bids for players.
Goal-shy forwards have been a perennial weakness. Only the midfielder Kevin Nolan (10 in 2012-13) and Diafra Sakho (10 in 2014-15) have hit double figures in a single Premier League season in the Sullivan and Gold era. Getting that striker was easier said than done, of course, bearing in mind that the best are usually found at the leading clubs. It is rare to find one away from the elite in England. No player has ever scored 20 league goals in a Premier League season for West Ham.
Leaving Upton Park for the London Stadium is meant to catapult West Ham into the next level, however, and they were keen to make a marquee signing last summer. "Whatever happens, we'll bring a top striker in," Sullivan said. "It's a statement of intent."
What did happen, however, is that West Ham found that Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette and Marseille's Michy Batshuayi had set their sights higher, while talks with Milan's Carlos Bacca went nowhere, and the arrivals of Calleri, Zaza and Ashley Fletcher were the universe's way of telling Sullivan that actions speak louder than words. When West Ham did break their transfer record by spending £20m on Swansea's André Ayew, the money went on an overpriced winger.
Payet cannot be blamed for deciding that he has had enough, even though there is little to admire about the midfielder downing tools in his attempt to force a move to Marseille. While Fletcher has shown promise since his free transfer from Manchester United, Calleri's and Zaza's loan spells have been disastrous and long-term injuries to Carroll and Sakho meant that West Ham were often forced to play without a striker before Christmas.
Calleri has failed to score in nine appearances and the 23-year-old Argentinian is set to return to Deportivo Maldonado, while the Zaza deal was structured in a way that unfairly raised the pressure on the Italy international. Having paid a £5m loan fee to Juventus, West Ham would have had to buy Zaza for a further £20m if he had reached 14 Premier League appearances. The 25-year-old barely threatened a goal in 11 appearances in all competitions before departing for Valencia.
The addition of a lethal striker alone would not eradicate all of West Ham's flaws. Bad defending, muddled tactics, the absence of a right-back and a shortage of resilience have been just as harmful as the lack of a finisher. Sunderland are in relegation trouble despite Defoe's 11 goals and the same applies to Crystal Palace, who spent £32m on Christian Benteke. West Ham, because they played with superior coherence last season, were able to spread the goals around effectively.
Yet achieving that balance was possible only because of forwards creating space for their team-mates. They are a different side when Sakho, strong, fast and instinctive in the area, is fit, but the Senegalese soon succumbed to injury after his early header in the 1-1 draw at Manchester United in November.
That hole in Bilic's attack has placed a heavy strain on the side. They have won one game in which their opponents have scored – five of their seven victories have been by 1-0 scorelines – and they have recovered two points from losing positions.
Diafra Sakho, centre, is the only West Ham forward to score 10 goals in one Premier League season since the ownership of the club last changed. Losing to Palace might have dragged them back into the relegation picture. Instead they are 10 points clear of the bottom three, having displayed character and quality in the face of adversity, and fine performances from Michail Antonio, Manuel Lanzini and Sofiane Feghouli against Sam Allardyce's struggling side offered hope for the future. Yet while Carroll had a fine game, he is their only fit striker and once again they find themselves trying to bolster their attacking options in the January window.
We have been here before. Shortly after Sullivan and Gold's arrival in January 2010, there was talk of Ruud van Nistelrooy being offered a £100,000 a week contract. West Ham ended up with Benni McCarthy, Ilan and Mido. Only Ilan contributed anything, two of the unheralded Brazilian's four goals earning four points that were enough to stave off relegation, but staying up with 35 points was no cause for celebration. Robbie Keane and Ba arrived a year later, but West Ham went down.
The club's parlous financial situation meant that Sullivan and Gold were afforded some slack during that period and West Ham immediately bounced back under Sam Allardyce. Yet history has a way of repeating itself. Having lost Carroll to a nasty foot injury after buying him for £15m from Liverpool, West Ham began the 2013-14 season with Maïga as their only striker. They were reduced to signing two free agents: Carlton Cole, having released him a few months earlier, and Mladen Petric, who made four substitute appearances without scoring a goal. Borriello, a 31-year-old Italian forward, arrived on loan from Roma in January and left after appearing twice.
Something to consider as West Ham mull over whether to meet Brentford's £15m asking price for Hogan, a 24-year-old forward who has scored 14 goals in the Championship this season, and whether £4m might be a touch too low to convince Sunderland to part with their best chance of staying up, is that Sullivan and Gold have rarely used the winter window productively. None of the 10 strikers signed in January has managed a full campaign.
None of this would matter as much if they were still at Upton Park, but West Ham convinced their supporters that staying in E13 would have condemned them to irrelevance. Although it is far too early to offer any definitive judgments about the wisdom of moving to Stratford, there must be evidence of a shift in the board's mentality soon. After six months in their new home, West Ham's most prized asset wants to leave and they will find it hard to attract new punters to the London Stadium without players of Payet's calibre on show. Talk is cheap.
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Ghana FA dismisses report of Asamoah Gyan bust up with Andre Ayew « PrevNext »Comments (3)
Ghanaweb.com
Ghana is playing Uganda in its first game of the tournament at 16:00 GMT The Ghana FA (GFA) has slammed a 'false report' claiming that Asamoah Gyan has stormed out of Black Stars' 2017 Africa Cup of Nations camp on the night before their crunch clash with Uganda in a dispute with Andre Ayew over captaincy. The GFA was forced to issue the midnight statement on Twitter after a website published the sensational news claiming Gyan has left the tournament in Gabon after the bust-up with the West Ham ace. The report claimed that there was a heated exchange between the two before during the team's dinner on Monday night in Port Gentil. However the GFA was quick with its response with a series of Tweets to assure Ghanaians that the news is untrue as the players are focused on defeating the Cranes in Tuesday's Group D match. "Promptly ignore false report that Asamoah Gyan has left Ghana camp at Africa Cup of Nations in a dispute with Andre Ayew," the GFA statement on Twitter read. "All players resting for match against Uganda after this evening's prayers. The Black Stars are united and focused."
Follow
Ghana FA ? @ghanafaofficial
Promptly ignore false report that @ASAMOAH_GYAN3 has left #Ghana camp at #CAN2017 in a dispute with @AyewAndre . #fakenewsalert
11:21 PM - 16 Jan 2017
85 85 Retweets 51 51 likes
This is the latest of the several recent false reports targeted at the Black Stars in the run up to the start of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Even before the team arrived in Port Gentil on Saturday for the start of the tournament, a sports news website and a radio station had reported that the players had rejected the team's hotel and training pitch. This turned out to be false as the players did not reject the hotel and are still staying at the hotel allocated to them by CAF. The Black Stars trained on the pitch allocated to them by CAF since they arrived ahead of their Group D matches. Prior to that some radio station journalists targeted the team with news claiming the players were fighting over the bonuses for the Africa Cup of Nations. This turned out to be another hoax as the players have told their leaders that they will accept anything package government will offer them for the competition.
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Dimitri Payet will never play for West Ham again and he WILL be sold this month, Harry Redknapp tells talkSPORT
By Alex Varney - @lexvarney
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Harry Redknapp has told talkSPORT there is 'no chance' Dimitri Payet will remain at West Ham beyond this transfer window. The Hammers' star man has gone on strike in a bid to force a move back to Marseille. West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan has vowed to keep the 29-year-old against his wishes and rejected a bid of around £20m from the Ligue 1 side on Monday. But with Payet now public enemy number one with the club's fans, Redknapp insists there is no way back for the France star at the London Stadium and he WILL get the move he desires this month. Speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, the former West Ham boss said: "He has got to go. He can't play again. "It will stink the place out if he plays. He wants to go, he don't want to play for you. "They have just got to get the right price. The deal has got to happen and it will happen. "He won't be there at the end of the window - no chance. "He is finished."
Payet was outstanding for West Ham last season and was idolised by supporters before his recent antics. But Redknapp insists he is no club legend and won't be missed. "He ain't the best player to play there," he said. "They have had hundreds of better players. People like Bobby Moore that played for the club all their lives and [Mark] Noble, they are proper West Ham. "These guys [like Payet] come for a few years and are on their bikes again."
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Secret behind Andy Carroll's wondergoal has been revealed - by his fiancee
Billi Mucklow has been getting her other half in sweaty Bikram yoga classes and says the sessions have paid off
The Mirror
BYTOM BRYANT
21:00, 16 JAN 2017
Andy Carroll 's fiance Billi Mucklow has revealed the secret to his wonder goal at the weekend – sweaty yoga sessions with her. The West Ham star's scissor kick on Saturday during the team's 3-0 win over Crystal Palace is a contender for goal of the season. Billi said of the goal: "Looks like the Yoga's Working. Very Proud." Andy has been enjoying 90 minute classes in a room heated to 40 degrees celcius and humidity of 40 per cent. "He's actually quite good," Billi said recently. "He's just so strong. The flexibility is surprising given how strong he is. He's able to get into some positions. I'm a good teacher." Andy recently said how he had been doing yoga especially when on the sidelines. "It's helped me a lot, especially when I've been injured," he said . Carroll said after the match that years of practicing the scissor kick had paid off, He said: "I had done one of those in training last week and it hit the post so I have been practising. "The cross came in and I wanted to try it again and thankfully it has gone into the back of the net so I am over the moon. I think it has to be one of the best of my career."
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West Ham United transfer news: Ian Holloway tells talkSPORT Scott Hogan would be a 'fantastic signing' for the Hammers
By Billy Hawkins - @bhawkinsss
Monday, January 16, 2017
Ian Holloway insists Scott Hogan will be a 'fantastic signing' for West Ham, should the Premier League side wrap up the signing of Brentford's star forward. A deal to bring the 24-year-old striker to the London Stadium has been rumoured since the start of the January transfer window, and it seems Slaven Bilic's men are close to finalising his capture. The Hammers have reportedly agreed to pay £9 million up front, and a further £3 million in the future, although Brentford want £15 million for Hogan - with both clubs continuing to disagree on his valuation. However the Bees appear resigned to losing the player who has scored 14 goals in just 25 matches this season, and it seems a deal for the forward will be complete, providing the Hammers with the goal threat that has so sorely been lacking from Bilic's squad this season. And Holloway believes Hogan will be a 'fantastic signing' for the East London club.
Speaking to Kick Off on talkSPORT, the QPR manager said: "I think he's exceptional when he gets through on goal. "He's a threat over the top, he makes runs and runs and runs - not selfish ones for himself - he makes runs to disrupt the back four. "He works for his team, and I think it's fantastic signing."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, January 18
Tuesday, January 17
Daily WHUFC News - 17th January 2017
Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic says team must build on positive momentum gained from Crystal
Palace win
Boss explains tactical switch at half-time which laid foundation for victory
Manager thrilled with team spirit and application from Hammers
Slaven Bilic hopes his players can use Saturday's win over Crystal Palace as
a positive turning point in their season. The Hammers ended a run of three
defeats without scoring a goal in the best possible manner – smashing three
past Crystal Palace in a second half performance of clinical finishing. More
important for the boss was the show of team unity and he has impressed on
them the importance of capitalising on the momentum gained. Bilic explained:
"The players always give everything, and at half-time I said to the guys, I
don't believe in those sayings 110 percent, 200 percent. There's only 100
percent, but sometimes it's true and this is the time when we have to give
150 or 200 percent. They did it. "I also expected that, I expected that [the
reaction] from the crowd and from the players, and I think it was a great
example that it's all about the team, not individuals. "It's a great moment
for us that we should use to build on. The season is very long, but you have
– like every club – a few crucial moments to drop or to build on and go up.
"We're going to do everything we can to use this kind of situation to lift
us up in every way. If we gain confidence and team character from this, then
it would help us be a better team. That's what we aim to do."
A tactical switch went a long way to the Hammers' victory on Saturday, as a
move to four at the back and shifting Michail Antonio closer to Andy Carroll
pressed Crystal Palace back. Bilic spoke of his reasoning for the change:
"It was an option for us to play with two strikers today, but because we
didn't have Nordtveit at right back we were limited in that position. "To
put Feghouli at right wing-back was a bit too long for him because he has to
defend also. To be fair the only reason we didn't put Sam Byram in from the
start was because he's only come back from a big operation recently. "We
were missing one person to be up there with Andy in the first half, and it
was a good decision for us to make at half-time, going with Sam, changing
the system and it worked really well."
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Noble - We can look forward now
WHUFC.com
Captain proud of the way West Ham United pulled together to beat Crystal
Palace
Hammers had endured a week full of off-field distractions but won 3-0 at
London Stadium
No16 says the squad will now look forward to Saturday's trip to
Middlesbrough with optimism
Mark Noble could not have been a prouder West Ham United captain after his
Club pulled together in Saturday's 3-0 Premier League win over Crystal
Palace. The London Stadium atmosphere was at its best as the Hammers ended a
challenging week with an emphatic win over Sam Allardyce's side. The
skipper, who returned to the side after illness saw him begin the Manchester
City Emirates FA Cup defeat on the bench, said a half-time tactical switch
from manager Slaven Bilic and three fantastic goals from Sofiane Feghouli,
Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini helped everybody put off-field distractions
out of their minds. "It was a definitely a satisfying end to a difficult
week," he confirmed. "Obviously we had the Dimitri Payet situation, Big Sam
[Allardyce] coming back and Tonks (James Tomkins), who is a friend of ours,
coming back too, so there were a lot of factors in play. "In the first half,
there were a few nerves there, but once we got that first goal I thought we
were the old West Ham. We went to two up-front to cause them a few more
problems and it worked, so it was a really commanding performance in the
end. "I'm just happy that the situation got sorted out. A win settles nerves
and puts everything on the backburner and we can look forward to
Middlesbrough."
As captain, Noble took on a leadership role at Rush Green last week,
reminding his teammates of the need to make up for the absences of Payet and
Africa Cup of Nations-bound Andre Ayew and Cheikhou Kouyate. "It gives
players the chance to step up, and I said all week in training to players
like Manu, Sofiane and Big Andy and Michail, who was brilliant, that we've
lost our best player and we need to step up because we need to score goals,"
the No16 continued. "I'm not taking credit for that (the goals we scored)
but they did it on Saturday!"
The highlight of a morale and confidence-boosting win over Palace came with
eleven minutes remaining and the Hammers leading by Feghouli's maiden
Premier League goal. Antonio lofted a cross towards the far post, where
Carroll took to the air before rocketing an unstoppable scissor kick beyond
Wayne Hennessey and high into the top right-hand corner. Noble himself had a
grandstand view of the Goal of the Season contender. "I was right behind it
and in line it was fantastic!" he smiled. "Andy caught it well and funnily
enough he hit the post with one on Thursday during the set plays and the
media said 'Save it for the weekend' so credit to you guys!"
West Ham rose to 12th with victory at the weekend and can climb into the top
half with a win at newly-promoted Middlesbrough on Saturday. With Boro
having not won since 17 December and not scored in their previous two
Premier League matches, Noble knows victory at the Riverside Stadium is well
within the Hammers' capabilities. "We played Manchester United and were hard
done by and then Manchester City in the Cup, which were two tough games
which we lost, so to bounce back and win 3-0 against a strong Palace team
was a really, really, really important result for the Club," he concluded.
"We have put a big gap between ourselves and the bottom three and we can now
move forward to Boro looking upwards rather than over our shoulders."
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Obiang - The whole Club pulled together
WHUFC.com
Team effort was the key to victory over Crystal Palace, says Pedro Obiang
Hammers No14 delighted for Sofiane Feghouli after Algerian nets first
Premier League goal for the Club
Spaniard keen to kick on with Hammers in sight of league's top half
Pedro Obiang says Saturday's 3-0 London derby over Crystal Palace was a true
team effort. The Spanish midfielder believes the three point haul was just
reward for the whole Club pulling together – from fans to the eleven on the
pitch – after a testing week. Sofiane Feghouli, Andy Carroll and Manuel
Lanzini scored the goals, but it was about more than just the headline
makers as the Hammers moved up to 12th in the Premier League table. "It was
a nice moment," beamed the No14. "We wanted to make the fans happy and it's
a great result. "We could feel the support for everybody. We've answered
with three points and everyone is happy."
As a Hammers player who took time to find his feet in east London, Obiang
was particularly happy for Feghouli, who notched his first league goal in
Claret and Blue to get his team rolling. He continued: "For everybody it's
difficult when you arrive as a new player in a new country, with new things.
In that situation you need to stay calm and Sofiane knows we need him. "Now
he has scored maybe [it will all change for him]. Sam Byram has come in too,
and whenever he has time to play he does really well. This is what a squad
is all about."
Obiang also felt a change in tactics at the break paid off, as the Hammers
were able to convert a 0-0 interval scoreline into their emphatic victory.
He added: "The manager and players know that sometimes you have to change
something. In the situation on Saturday, we needed to change how we attacked
because in the first half we gave a lot of space to them and they played. In
the second half it was totally different. "We needed to press, and we have
the players to play football. On Saturday we had Lanzini, Feghouli, Antonio
all playing really well and we need to continue."
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Loan round up
WHUFC.com
Four Hammers were in loan action in the Football League over the weekend
Two others were options on the bench for their respective loan sides
Josh Cullen was named Man of the Match again for Bradford City in his 21st
90 minutes of the season
There were a number of West Ham United players in loan action over the
weekend, and we start with those who played 90 minutes for their respective
temporary sides. First, Josh Cullen completed the full match for the 21st
time this season on loan at Bradford City as they took on Shrewsbury Town
away from home in League One. Despite the 1-0 defeat for the Bantams, Cullen
was named Man of the Match by City fans for the second week running, adding
the personal achievement to the long list of those he has collected this
campaign. The midfielder, who has been in impressive form since he returned
to Valley Parade for the second time, was also named the club's December
Player of the Month. Freddie Ladapo scored the only goal for the hosts in
this weekend's contest though, tapping in on his home debut – the striker is
on loan from the Hammers' Saturday opponents Crystal Palace.
The other Irons man to play the full match this weekend was Alex Pike,
making his debut for Cheltenham Town having joined the Robins during last
week. The defender, who has consistently been a key player in the Hammers'
Premier League 2 side this year, helped his new teammates to a 3-0 victory
over Accrington Stanley in League Two. The hosts were made to wait until
the first half to take the lead however, with skipper Danny Wright giving
Cheltenham the lead ten minutes after the restart. With a quarter of an hour
remaining on the clock, Diego De Girolamo drilled home to put the result
beyond doubt before Billy Waters put the icing on the cake with 12 minutes
left. Accrington's Scott Brown, sent off midway through the second half, did
not help matters for the struggling visitors.
Back in the third tier, Martin Samuelsen played for the third time in his
second loan spell at Peterborough United, though Posh were thrashed 5-1 at
Bury. Samuelsen, who was previously on loan at Blackburn Rovers before
Christmas, was introduced at half time after a disastrous first period for
Peterborough, who found themselves 4-1 down before the half hour stage.
Tom Nichols had given the visitors a dream start after just four minutes,
but James Vaughan levelled three minutes later before bagging another three
himself to make it 4-1 before Peterborough could work out what had gone
wrong. Vaughan's four-goal salvo left Samuelsen's side with little chance in
the second half, and George Miller grabbed a fifth to add to the misery for
Posh. Things were brighter elsewhere in the division for George Dobson
though, who played 16 minutes at the end of his Walsall side's terrific 4-1
thrashing of Sheffield United.
The Saddlers – who began the contest much the second favourites as they took
on the league leaders – got off to the dream start when Amadou Bakayoko
fired home with just five minutes played.
Jack O'Connell equalised from the spot on the ten-minute mark but a
fantastic second half performance from the hosts gave the Yorkshiremen no
chance at the Bescot Stadium.
Jason McCarthy, Joe Edwards and Erhun Otzumer all got on the scoresheet and
Dobson entered the field to shore up the midfield during the final minutes
to help see out the win.
Finally, Reece Burke and Enner Valencia were unused substitutes for their
respective sides at the weekend. Burke's Wigan Athletic were 2-0 winners at
Burton Albion while Valencia's Everton thrashed Manchester City 4-0 at
Goodison Park on Sunday.
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#WHUAREYA - Malyk Hamilton
WHUFC.com
Canadian winger Malyk Hamilton first came to England to trial for West Ham
United when he was ten years old, and even at such a young age, he has not
looked back since.
Under the guidance of the Hammers' Academy staff, the left-sider has
improved dramatically as a player and made his Canada U18s debut recently,
scoring for the side as well.
Hamilton now targets to cement his position in Steve Potts' U18s side and
also pointed to first team midfielder Manuel Lanzini as somebody he likes to
attempt to emulate.
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Byram – It's a great way to return
WHUFC.com
Defender Sam Byram delighted to play his part in winning effort against
Crystal Palace
23-year-old was making first team return after three months out injured
Former Leeds full-back hails team unity after clinical performance against
the Eagles
Sam Byram could not have asked for a better 45 minutes in which to make his
return to first team action than the second half against Crystal Palace.
Following a three-month absence from first team action due to a hamstring
injury, the 23-year-old full-back came off the bench at half time to help
the Hammers to a 3-0 victory over the Eagles on Saturday.
He was thrilled to be back in action at London Stadium, but even more happy
with a valuable three point haul for his team.
"It was a great game to make my return in," he smiled. "I thought we played
well in the second half. We were a bit slow moving the ball in the first
half, but we put together some good moves after half time and scored three
good goals.
"Being on the bench you've always got a chance [of coming on], so I made
sure I was ready, I had a good warm-up and was happy to make my return.
"I'm still feeling a little rusty to be honest! It's early for me to come
back but I'm absolutely delighted that it's come.
"I've got another week now until the next game to get some fitness in and
keep showing the manager what I can do in training."
After single-goal victories over AFC Bournemouth, Sunderland, Burnley and
Hull City at London Stadium this season, Byram is hoping to use a first
thumping win at the Club's new home as momentum to really kick-on in the
second half of the campaign.
He continued: "We've needed this, it does feel like a real lift. The team
were together afterwards and it was a great atmosphere around the place, so
hopefully it's upwards from here.
"There's been a lot in the news over the last week but we're a team and we
stick together. We showed on Saturday, particularly in the second half, that
we can pull together and that we've got a great squad."
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Legend Martin hails 'immense' atmosphere
WHUFC.com
Hammers legend Alvin Martin praised the 'immense' London Stadium atmosphere
Three-time Hammer of the Year was present for Saturday's victory over
Crystal Palace
talkSPORT pundit said supporters were there for the team when they needed a
boost
West Ham United legend Alvin Martin has described the atmosphere at London
Stadium on Saturday as 'immense' and praised the Club's supporters for their
tremendous backing of Slaven Bilic and his team.
The former Hammers captain, who made 596 appearances for the club between
1978 and 1996, was present for the magnificent 3-0 Premier League win over
Crystal Palace in his role as a summariser for radio station talkSPORT.
The three-time Hammer of the Year, now an athletic 58, believes that West
Ham's stunning second-half performance came at a perfect time.
"People talk about atmosphere but the supporters can only take it so far,"
he says. "To really lift it to another level, it has to be generated by what
happens on the pitch, and we saw that on Saturday.
"It was quiet and a bit edgy in the first half, but you could tell that the
fans wanted to get their teeth into it and have something to really shout
about.
"Then it exploded, particularly with the fantastic second and third goals,
and suddenly the atmosphere was immense.
"It is still going to take time for the memories to stack up, but when that
second goal flew in, well, that's about as good as it gets.
"What was wonderful about Andy's goal was that it came at the perfect time
when Slaven really needed it, and the fans really needed it.
"Slaven won some big matches last season in his first year with the Club,
but I would say that Saturday's was up there with the biggest in terms of
the week he'd had, and what he needed from the players and the fans.
"The players certainly delivered, and the fans proved yet again that the
team, and Slaven, can really count on them when it is needed. That is
testament to the loyalty and passion they show for this Club."
Work commitments with talkSPORT have meant that Saturday marked only his
third visit to London Stadium, but the former England international did not
hesitate when asked to give his overall description of the Club's new home.
"It's iconic," he said. "As a player, when you've finished your career, you
hope that you can talk about things you've won, great memories and great
seasons.
"And people always want to know, have you played at that stadium, or this
stadium? I'm very proud to have played at places like Wembley, and the
Azteca in Mexico – the kind of great stadiums you dream about playing in
when you're kicking a ball around in the street as a boy.
"And this is another one. I'm sure a lot of players will want to say that
they played here."
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Payet talks conclude
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
Representatives from Marseille are on their way back to France following a
meeting with West Ham chiefs regarding Dimitri Payet.
The French delegation flew into London earlier this morning for talks
regarding a possible move for the Euro 16 star, who has told West Ham that
he no longer wishes to play for the club and wishes to return to France.
And when asked by a KUMB source how the meeting went, Jacques-Olivier
Auguste, who was representing the French international, simply replied:
"Very well".
Also present this morning was Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud, who
made his way to London via private plane, and other representatives from
L'OM. Marseille are hoping to seal a deal that will allow them to resign
Payet, who moved from the Stade Vélodrome to West Ham in the summer of 2015
in a £10.7million switch. Having already seen a £20million bid rejected, the
French club will have to raise their offer considerably in order to persuade
West Ham to accept - even though the Hammers maintain that they have no
intention of selling Payet during the current transfer window.
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West Ham United 3
Crystal Palace 0
by Gordon Thrower
KUMB.cm
Whatever happened to Harchester United?
So there we were at the end of a week when the old lazy journalistic cliché
using the words "from hero to zero" actually seemed apt for once. It was
cold and, if anyone gives a monkey's, the arthritis in my ankle had been
giving me grief. So yeah I think all in all some of us could be forgiven for
not really looking forward to this match, particularly given the type of
football often associated with the visiting manager.
Team news was that we were going to start with three at the back with
Collins returning to action for the first time in a bit. Payet was missing –
I forget why but I think there was something in the paper about it. Team:
Randolph, Collins, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Antonio, Noble, Obiang,
Feghouli, Lanzini, Carroll.
Well in truth the first half was probably what everyone would have predicted
of this match beforehand. Given a home side that had been through a soap
opera of a week against a team whose last 12 months had been so bad one
might almost have thought that they were a celebrity.
There was little of note. Noble reacted petulantly to an off the ball kick
which prompted a lengthy lecture from ref Swarbrick that on another day
might have been a yellow. Later in the half Carroll did see yellow for a
late but non-malicious challenge on Ward whilst chasing him down in the
corner.
You'll gather that goalmouth action was at a premium given the focus on
matters disciplinary thus far. And you would be right, though there were two
good chances in the half, one for each side. Just short of the half hour
Noble found good space on the right and looked up to see Carroll holding
back on the penalty spot. If anything Carroll caught Noble's fine cross
slightly too cleanly and his first time effort cleared the bar by a couple
of feet to deny what would have been a fine goal.
Shortly after Noble gave away a free kick on the edge of the box, his tackle
bringing him the yellow he might have merited earlier. Townsend's cross was
challenged for by many but somehow found its way to Tomkins at the far post.
However the arrival of the ball appeared to take Tomkins by surprise and his
snatched effort went wide when it might have been easier to score. The miss
prompted chants of "he's one of our own".
The visiting manager will no doubt have been the happier of the two, a
suspicion confirmed when the teams emerged for the restart. We reverted to a
flat back four with Byram returning from injury to move into right back. The
consequent sacrifice of Ogbonna allowed Antonio to push up front and the
tactical change was key to a half that was as different to the one that had
preceded it as the performances of those involved in the previous night's
Bobby Moore tv "drama" had been to real acting.
There was an early taster as Carroll's first time effort from Antonio's
header straight after the restart went wide. Having seen it again it was a
lot close than I originally thought. The lively Feghouli was beginning to
get into the game a bit more and Carroll was beginning to receive the
service he thrives on, a fine Tomkins defensive header preventing us from
going one up.
Feghouli was instrumental in creating another chance for the no.9. Cabaye
clipped the winger and the resulting free-kick from Lanzini was deflected to
the left hand side of the box. Carroll made wonderful space for himself but
couldn't keep the shot on target.
Obiang then played a clever ball out to Byram whose angled drive may have
been a shot or a cross but failed to become either in the end, the ball
beating the far post.
We took the lead on 78 minutes. Carroll won the ball in the air and Noble
played a clever pass over the top for Antonio, who was greeted by an
onrushing Hennessy whose odds on getting the ball were longer than the walk
back to Stratford Station.
Antonio took the ball around the 'keeper and played the ball towards goal.
Shot or cross it proved to be the perfect delivery for Feghouli who banished
memories of his missed effort from similar range against Man City by tapping
in from inches. It was a lead that had been totally deserved on the balance
of play in the second period and it was a lead that was doubled shortly
after.
Byram had picked up a (correct) yellow from Swarbrick who (credit where due)
had had an unusually competent afternoon by the standards of what we have
seen recently. Cresswell then played a superb ball down the left wing to
Lanzini who held the ball up before laying it off to the supporting Antonio.
Antonio clipped a ball across goal and, well, I expect you have all seen I
by now. Carroll's finish was, quite simply, magnificent. I'm now watching it
for the 500th time and even in slow motion it's a blur. I would say its
right up there with DiCanio's effort v Wimbledon it the list of great goals
I have seen live. Excuse me while I press the "keep" button on my Sky Q
box….
Well I suppose if you are a team on an appalling run set up to try for a
draw one goal is going to make things difficult. A second one like that is
going to knock whatever stuffing you thought you had right out of you. It
was therefore little surprise that we made it three five minutes after
Carroll's effort.
In a vain attempt to try and wrest something out of the game Remy went down
their left but found his cross cut out by the splendid Reid. The Kiwi's
headed clearance found Antonio who burst forward and laid off the ball into
the path of Lanzini who bore down on goal before placing an exquisite lift
over the advancing Hennessy to make it 3-0.
It was a sublime finish that was vaguely reminiscent of one from last season
away at the same opponents. Scored by whatsisname. Not that the visiting
support would have realised – the so called "ultras" had departed after
Carroll's goal, presumably they needed an early night for their paper rounds
in the morning.
Lanzini picked up a yellow for "excessive celebration" which was statutory
but harsh – a celebration involving Pink Floyd's laser show and a million
quid's worth of fireworks wouldn't have seemed too excessive after a week
like that in my opinion. And that was pretty much it.
Yes I know it was only Palace but frankly after all that had been going on
the psychological boost of the win after all that's been going on was plain
to see. Throw in a goal like that and the feel good factor gained was out of
all proportion to the strength of opponent.
If nothing else the absence of, er, thingy seemed to unite players and fans
alike. The manager's name was sung throughout leaving nobody in any doubt
whose side the sympathies of the supporters lie. It's an ill wind and all
that….
Player Ratings
Darren Randolph
Largely untested. Dealt with what little Palace had to offer with relative
comfort.
Michail Antonio
Ok at wing back in the first half. Better as a foil for Carroll in the
second half. Provided assists for all three goals. All of that after getting
out of bed with a temperature approaching that of molten steel.
Aaron Cresswell
The lack of attacking threat from the visitors allowed him to get forward to
supplement the attack, which he did well.
Winston Reid
Another strong defensive performance from the Kiwi. I have but one question:
is he that angry off the pitch as well as on it?
Angelo Ogbonna
Did ok first half but was sacrificed in the switch to a flat back four.
Pedro Obiang
Another good solid runout from a player who rarely grabs the headlines.
Sofiane Feghouli
Continues to improve. Not the greatest defensively but today he didn't have
to be.
Mark Noble
Distinctly mediocre first half as pass after pass went astray. Improved in
the second half.
Andy Carroll
Even if you take the goal out of the equation this was AC at his best. Won
everything in the air both with his head and I his chest. Laid the ball off
well and brought players into the game on a regular basis. Then there was
the goal. MOTM.
Manuel Lanzini
Showed signs of coming out of the shadows. Pulled strings and we would all
be raving about his goal were it not for…..
James Collins
Did the throwing himself in front of the ball thing to his usual decent
standard. Not sure he would be first choce pairing with Reid in most matches
but "horses for courses" on this occasion…..
Substitutes
Sam Byram
(Replaced Ogbonna) Received wisdom has it that he is not highly rated behind
the scenes. There will be sterner tests to come – possibly against a team
who actually pose an attacking threat. However, his introduction and the
reversion to a flat back four was the catalyst for the second half. Still
early days.
Edimilson Fernandes
(Replaced Lanzini) A four minute cameo – little time to exert any influence.
Ashley Fletcher
(Replaced Antonio) A three minute cameo – so he had a minute less than
Fernandes to exert any influence.
Adrian San Miguel Del Castillo
Reece Oxford
Domingos Quina
Jonathan Calleri
Match Facts
Referee: Neil Swarbrick.
Attendance: 50,000.
Man of the Match: Andy Carroll.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Payet can go, say West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are willing to sell Dimitri Payet - but not until Marseille
make a suitable offer. Earlier today KUMB.com revealed that representatives
from West Ham and Marseille, who flew in from France this morning, had met
to discuss the possibility of the French international returning to Ligue 1.
The Marseille party, who were represented by Club President Jacques-Henri
Eyraud and Sporting Director Andoni Zubizarreta were joined by Payet's agent
Jacques-Olivier Auguste.
It is understood that no fresh offer was made, although L'OM were instructed
to return with an improved offer closer to West Ham's valuation if their
intentions were serious.
The only bid made by Marseille so far, according to L'Equipe, was their
opening gambit of £22million, with a further £3million to follow dependent
on various clauses being met.
West Ham - who stated previously they have no intention of selling Payet -
will hold out for circa £35million for their star asset, who recently
revealed his desire to leave London due to personal issues.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham yet to agree deal to sell Dimitri Payet to Marseille
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 16/01/17 6:27pm
SSN
Marseille have failed to reach an agreement with West Ham over a deal for
wantaway midfielder Dimitri Payet following talks on Monday, according to
Sky sources.
Sky sources understand West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan has rejected an
improved second bid worth around £20m from the Ligue 1 side and is refusing
to be bullied into a quick sale, with no financial need to sell the
29-year-old.
Marseille's president Jacques-Henri Eyraud held high-level discussions with
West Ham officials in London in a bid to secure a deal for Payet, who played
at Marseille for two seasons before joining the Hammers in the summer of
2015.
West Ham will not consider an offer of less than £30m for Payet, having
turned down a £19.1m bid for the France international from Marseille last
week. Sky sources understand Marseille are concerned that the longer
negotiations drag on, the more likely it is that other clubs will try to
sign Payet. Payet informed West Ham manager Slaven Bilic of his desire to
leave the club last week and was not included in the matchday squad for
Saturday's 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
He is currently not training with the first-team squad and will continue to
work with the under-23s. Sky sources understand West Ham would prefer Payet
apologised to the club and supporters and return to first-team training.
Payet has been a stand-out performer for West Ham since arriving for
£10.75m, scoring 15 goals in 60 appearances, and was rewarded with a new
five-and-a-half year deal in February.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Simone Zaza admits he 'was not right mentally' at West Ham
Last Updated: 16/01/17 3:18pm
SSN
Simone Zaza is hoping to earn himself a long-term stay at Valencia after
admitting he "was not right mentally" during his time at West Ham. The
25-year-old Italy forward has cut short an inauspicious spell at the London
stadium to join Valencia on a deal until the end of the season. Zaza made 11
appearances for West Ham without scoring a goal after joining on a
season-long loan from Juventus and, admits he failed to adapt to the style
of English football. "It was a very difficult time for me," Zaza said. "When
I joined from Juventus I was very optimistic, I wanted to experience playing
in England because I thought it was the football that I liked and where I
could use my qualities. "Everything started badly from the outset, I think
the main blame lies with me because I was not right mentally, I was very
negative and in all the things that happened I never saw the positive side.
"There was an atmosphere, a culture very different to mine. That was a
problem. Now I'm here (in Spain) I feel bad not to have shown in England
what I'm capable of."
Zaza has moved to the Mestalla on an initial six-month deal and is keen to
make up for lost time in La Liga. "I'm really keen to play here, not only
for six months," Zaza added. "I think I can do well here. I like the city,
the people, everything. My hope is to play here. "I would like to score as
many goals as possible, but for me the most important thing is starting
well, being calm, focused. The key thing is get higher up the table."
Valencia are just one place and four points above the relegation zone in La
Liga, but earned themselves a morale-boosting 2-1 victory over Espanyol at
the weekend.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham captain Mark Noble 'angry and disappointed' with Dimitri Payet
By Michael Kelleher
Last Updated: 16/01/17 6:20am
SSN
West Ham captain Mark Noble says he is "angry and disappointed" with Dimitri
Payet and revealed he has not spoken to the unsettled star in weeks. The
French playmaker was left out of the Hammers' squad for Saturday's 3-0
victory over Crystal Palace after telling manager Slaven Bilic he no longer
wants to play for the club. Payet is understood to be keen to return to
France with officials from his former club Marseille set to hold talks with
West Ham on Monday to discuss a deal. When asked about Payet, Noble said: "I
am angry and disappointed, because I have always said that he is one of the
best players I have ever played with. "I had - and I say had because I
haven't really spoken to him for the last two or three weeks - a great
relationship with him, but I don't know his reasons.
"I am not going to comment on why he wanted to leave but I do know that if
someone doesn't want to play for the team then they are better off not even
playing."
Noble also reserved special praise for manager Slaven Bilic for the way he
has handled a difficult situation. "I thought the manager was right in what
he did because it is hard," Noble added. "You have to win games and if you
have your best player who doesn't want to play for you then obviously he has
had to do something about it. "I have been here all my life so I find it
hard to realise that someone wouldn't want to play for the club. It's a
massive club and he is absolutely adored - was adored here - by the fans.
But football and fans change quickly."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marseille and West Ham to hold Dimitri Payet talks
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 15/01/17 9:57pm
SSN
Marseille's president Jacques-Henri Eyraud will meet with high-level West
Ham officials on Monday to discuss a deal for Dimitri Payet, according to
Sky sources. The Hammers beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday without their
France playmaker, who this week told Slaven Bilic he no longer wants to play
for the club. West Ham will not consider offers of less than £30m for Payet,
who cost them just £10.5m when he arrived from Marseille in the summer of
2015. It is understood Marseille are the only club interested, and initially
a compromise deal was put forward which would have seen Payet loaned back to
Bilic's side for the rest of the season.
The prospect of that deal going through receded when West Ham supporters
made their feelings plain on Saturday, repeatedly chanting for last season's
player of the year to leave.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
European clubs chase Braithwaite amid West Ham interest
By Claire Bloomfield
Last Updated: 16/01/17 2:58pm
SSN
West Ham United are considering launching an improved bid for Toulouse
striker Martin Braithwaite, but will face tough competition from 'a number
of European club's', according to Sky Sources. Slaven Bilic's side tabled a
£8.5m offer for the Ligue 1 skipper last month but Toulouse rejected the
deal and claimed they were unwilling to let Braithwaite go for less than
£10m. The 25-year-old Denmark international, who joined his current club
from Danish Superliga outfit Esbjerg FB in the summer of 2013, has now
attracted further interest from Europe. The Hammers could face a bidding war
if they continue to pursue their interest in the player. Braithwaite has
scored seven goals in 17 league appearances so far this season and was
pivotal in helping Toulouse avoid relegation during the 2015-16 campaign.
Toulouse manager Pascal Dupraz, who has been impressed with Braithwaite's
development this season, was thought to be looking for a strike partner to
accompany the player but will now consider offers. A bargain buy at just
£2m, Braithwaite could hand the French club a significant profit should he
make a move during the January transfer window.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marseille fail to agree terms with West Ham for wantaway star Dimitri Payet
The French international has downed tools and refused to train for the east
Londoners in a bid to force a move
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
16:14, 16 JAN 2017UPDATED16:26, 16 JAN 2017
Dimitri Payet remains a West Ham player after Marseille chiefs failed to
convince the Irons to sell him today. Mirror Sport understands there is
currently no chance of a deal as the French club is refusing to meet the
Hammers' asking price of at least £35million. Disgraced playmaker Payet has
made it clear to the club that he wants to rejoin his former club and that
he will neither train nor play if he is denied the move. Payet also
threatened to invent an injury preventing him from playing during an
explosive row last week. Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud flew into
London today in a bid to convince the Irons to reach agreement.
The club have a lucrative deal on the table for the player whose wife is
understood to be keen on a move back to France and has already gone back
there with their children. But West Ham chiefs were dismayed that the
Marseille's proposal was way below their valuation of the playmaker and are
set to dig their heels in.
Meanwhile, Mark Noble revealed he has not spoken to Payet for "two or three
weeks". The Hammers skipper shed light on the extent of the breakdown in
playmaker Payet's relationship with some of his team-mates after the Hammers
beat Crystal Palace 3-0 without him. Payet stunned the club last week by
telling boss Slaven Bilic he no longer wants to play for them. But Noble
insisted he was in the dark, saying: "I have always said that he is up there
with one of the best players I have ever played with and I had – and I say
had because I haven't really spoken to him for the last two or three weeks –
a great relationship with him.
"I don't know his reasons and am not going to comment on why he wanted to
leave, but I do know that if someone doesn't want to play for the team then
he's better off not even playing."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce says West Ham were not that good in 3-0 win v Crystal Palace
HITC
Mathew Nash
The former Hammers boss is not sure what all the fuss was about after the
game. This weekend saw West Ham United put Crystal Palace and their former
manager Sam Allardyce to the sword at the London Stadium. The Hammers
comfortably beat Palace 4-0 with goals from Sofiane Feghouli, Andy Carroll
and Manuel Lanzini doing the damage. It was a game that helped relieve some
of the pressure at West Ham after three straight defeats and it is always
nice to get one over an old manager, as they did with Allardyce. But Big
Sam was clearly not of the opinion that West Ham even played that well. He
was speaking to the press today ahead of Palace's FA Cup replay against
Bolton Wanderers tomorrow when he stated his belief that West Ham were not
as good as it was being made out:
"In fairness, while everyone will say how good West Ham were on Saturday -
they weren't that good. We gifted them the goals. "Their first shot on
target was just before the 70 minute mark, so they couldn't have been as
good as everyone's said." In fairness to Allardyce the game was closer than
the result would suggest and West Ham only really started to dominate the
game when Michail Antonio was pushed forward later in the game. But the
scoreline, West Ham fans will argue, shows that they were the better team
against Palace by a fair distance and that Allardyce is perhaps eating the
sourest of grapes.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham demand more than £30m for Dimitri Payet as star's family prepare
for January move to Marseille
JAMES OLLEY
Evening Standard
Dimitri Payet's family have returned to France as the star continues to
apply pressure on West Ham in his bid force through a move to Marseille. The
29-year-old's wife Ludivine and his two sons Milan and Pharell have left
London in anticipation of the player returning to his former club. The
Hammers have not ruled out selling Payet this month despite co-chairman
David Sullivan declaring on Saturday that the wantaway winger would remain
at the club until the end of the season. Standard Sport understands the
Hammers are considering all possibilities given Payet's insistence he no
longer wants to stay in east London and could yet agree a reluctant sale
before the end of the current transfer window. The French club are due in
London this week to meet with West Ham officials over a possible deal with
the Hammers likely to demand in excess of £30million. Sullivan had written
in his programme notes before Saturday's home game against Crystal Palace
that "the board's position is that we do not want to sell Dimitri, we do not
need to sell Dimitri for financial or any other reasons, and we will NOT
sell Dimitri in the January transfer window."
However, those notes were written on Thursday and Sullivan is privately
believed to be more flexible regarding Payet's departure.
The club's hierarchy remain deeply disappointed with Payet's actions given
he signed a new £125,000-a-week deal last February - and was reportedly
given a £1million loyalty bonus in September after impressing for France at
Euro 2016 – but are determined not to let him leave on the cheap.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tony Evans: Fans missing the 'good old days' should remember when Bobby
Moore wanted to join Tottenham
TONY EVANS
Evening Standard
The word 'mercenary' has been bandied about a lot this week. It has been
used so often about Dimitri Payet that it is surprising Karren Brady has not
tried to trademark it. West Ham are not the only London club going through a
spell of breastbeating because one of their stars wants to leave. At
Chelsea, the fury directed at Diego Costa is palpable. Tianjin Quanjian of
the Chinese Super League are said to be prepared to pay the striker
£30million a year. Supporters who would switch jobs in an instant for a £30
per week pay hike rage at his apparent disloyalty.
Some yearn for the simpler, less craven days before money distorted modern
football. It's absurd. There is a splendid irony at the thought of Chelsea
being bullied financially over players. This is a club that helped transform
the game and inflate the transfer market in the immediate aftermath of Roman
Abramovich's takeover 14 years ago. Costa is highly paid and signed up for
the next two years but he has little allegiance to Chelsea. He knows that
contracts only matter to a club when a player is productive. It's a brutal
business when you become surplus to requirements. No matter how happy and
settled a player is, he is shown the door when he falls out of favour.
Those who refuse to leave are put through a series of indignities designed
to force them out. Training with junior teams is one tactic. At Chelsea,
Nicolas Anelka and Alex were banned from the first-team block at Cobham and
told to move their vehicles to the youth car park. It does not matter how
much a footballer earns, daily humiliations have a wearing effect. It is the
other side of the coin to a player going on strike. Both sides are loyal
only when it suits them.
Payet's loyalty has been a big talking point at the London Stadium. The
Frenchman is talented but the only reason he ended up in the East End for a
knockdown fee of £10.7m was his reputation as a troublemaker. For all his
flair, the 29-year-old was always likely to push the self-destruct button.
It is no surprise that Payet is looking for a way back to Marseille now
things are not going so well for Slaven Bilic's team.
If he is leaving for money then he is in good company. After all, West Ham
departed their traditional home for a clearly unsuitable new ground in
pursuit of extra lucre. The badge has been reworked to include the word
'London' and Brady, the vice-chairman, has talked about getting the "culture
right". She was not talking about heritage as fans recognise it. Brady was
referring to the culture of business. The new stadium and iconography are
designed to increase the value of the 'brand'. In such circumstances it's a
bit rich for supporters to talk about money-mad players.
If Payet knew about the team's history — and for all his badge kissing it is
unlikely he ever cared — he might look to the Bobby Moore Stand and feel
justified in forcing a way out. West Ham make an awful fuss about Moore but
they forget to mention that the golden boy of English football spent some of
his best years as a player simmering with discontent because he was denied
two opportunities to move to Tottenham. The claret-and-blue mythology of
mutual love, fidelity and affection between Moore and the club is built on
fiction. Those were different days when there was no Bosman freedom of
movement when a contract expired but players are still traded like chattels
when it suits their employer. The howls of outrage when the likes of Costa
and Payet try to turn the tables are hypocritical, even if their motivation
is pure greed.
Actually, mercenary is probably the right description for much of football's
mindset but less in the gun-for-hire sense than the
primacy-of-profit-over-ethics meaning of the word. It has been that way
since the first man was paid to kick a ball and there is no sign of it
changing now. Costa and Payet are a contemporary manifestation of how
things work but it was never any different. If Bobby Moore was alive, he
would attest that there was no such thing as the good old days.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Noble angry at wantaway West Ham star Dimitri Payet: I had a great
relationship with him
SAM LONG
Evening Standard
West Ham captain Mark Noble has hit out at wantaway star Dimitri Payet and
insisted the Hammers are better off without him in the team.
Payet struck an instant chord with the West Ham faithful following his
arrival in east London at the start of last season. The France international
quickly established himself as a firm fans' favourite but, despite signing a
long-term contract in February 2016, is now attempting to engineer a move
away from the London Stadium. Payet has demanded a transfer and missed West
Ham's 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace after refusing to play for Slaven
Bilic's side. Standard Sport understands West Ham are 'increasingly minded'
to sell Payet this month, with Marseille keen to re-sign the 29-year-old,
and Noble is furious with his teammate's behaviour. "I had - and I say had
because I haven't really spoken to him for the last two or three weeks - a
great relationship with him, but I don't know his reasons," Noble told Goal.
"I am angry and disappointed, because I have always said that he is one of
the best players I have ever played with. "I am not going to comment on why
he wanted to leave but I do know that if someone doesn't want to play for
the team then they are better off not even playing," he added. Meanwhile,
Andy Carroll believes West Ham's "professional" performance in Payet's
absence proved to be the ideal response to the ongoing transfer saga. The
Hammers now occupy 12th place in the table and could climb into the top half
with victory over Middlesbrough next weekend.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
BRAVE BILIC THE KEY TO BETTER DAYS AHEAD
By HamburgHammer 16 Jan 2017 at 08:00
WTID
Take a bow Slaven Bilic! Our manager has been through what must have been a
few miserable months, capped by the last seven days which surely will have
been not your average rollercoaster of emotions for our Croatian manager,
more like the Nemesis ride at Alton Towers. Now, initially I had planned to
try and write my column without even mentioning Dimitri Payet just in order
to prove a point. But frankly, while a lot of us may consider him to be
history already and prefer to move on without ever hearing his name again,
the truth is that he is still legally a West Ham player and until his sale
has been completed he is still the massive bullfrog (or yellow-bellied toad
if you prefer) in the room so to speak, so he will of course feature in my
column after all.
But first things first! What a fantastic team performance that was. That's
right, TEAM. Which translates as Together Everyone Achieves More. The
keyword being together.
Our team hasn't been together for a long time, I would say not from the very
start of the season, coinciding with Payet's return from the Euro
Championships.
Where surely he was tapped up, maybe multiple times. I'm sure by now
everyone will have read about how our club and also Bilic bent over
backwards in order to make Monsieur Payet feel wanted, loved, appreciated –
hindsight is a wonderful thing, and in hindsight it appears that we have
rather overdone the royalty treatment.
Embed from Getty Images
We'll see what comes out eventually about Payet's true motives of wanting to
leave NOW rather than wait for the summer when apparently West Ham were
quite ready to sell him at that point for the right price, not wishing to
stand in the way of an unhappy or homesick player.
The way though in which Payet basically shat on everything he had at our
club, not acknowledging the role of our club in making him the household
name he is in international football today is truly sad. And a bit pathetic.
From the very beginning he was welcomed and worshipped like a true legend by
the Hammers fans, it felt as if he had been at West Ham for years already
rather than being a new signing. It indeed was a love affair, alas affairs
tend to usually end a) rather quickly and b) rarely on amicable terms – the
love between the player and the club, manager and fans is totally lost now
for obvious reasons.
But you know what? It's a mighty relief to finally have identified the main
root of our problems this season, at least in terms of the team (ignoring
the stadium move for a minute). It looks like indeed Payet's special
treatment he got from the club and management drove a massive wedge right
through the dressing room and also the training pitch at Rush Green. It must
have been so frustrating for the other players seeing it all being about
Payet without our star player backing up all that admiration (and money)
with even halfway decent performances on the pitch. The rest of the team
obviously felt disrespected and undervalued – and all over a guy who
essentially has been a one season wonder for us. Yet the board tied him down
to an improved long-term deal while refusing to afford our manager the same
courtesy, citing their desire to find out if Bilic was a one season wonder
first…
Embed from Getty Images
We will now see if the club are willing to let Payet rot for half a season
in order to get the right price for our prize asset or cave in and sell on
the cheap, just to get rid. With Chinese clubs becoming interested in him
too now Payet can not expect to go back to Marseille for ten million quid
and six bottles of vintage claret, although both he and Marseille for sure
would prefer that of course. I want the club to show some backbone here,
sending out a clear massage to the world that no West Ham player (no matter
how good he is) can just down tools and strop in order to push through a
transfer to his prefered destination for peanuts despite having signed a
long-term contract (and a loyalty bonus of 1 million quid too) just
recently.
Players are on long-term contracts for a reason. They can ask for a transfer
obviously if they no longer wish to stay, but certainly not on their terms.
Clubs need to be protected in a way that they get at least their fair share
should a player want to leave well before reaching the expiry date of his
contract.
So, to finish off the Payet issue: Sell him as quickly as possible, yes, but
only for a price that mirrors his true market value for his next club. That
is much closer to 35 or 40 million rather than 20 in my book. With China
involved maybe even 50 million. How our owners will decide to spend that
kind of money, if they spend any that is, is anybody's guess though.
I'm confident we will make at least a few signings in January, not
necessarily for NOW as we are pretty much safe from relegation already, but
maybe we will pick up some players for the future (like Hogan) now in order
to not miss out on them in the summer (similar to what we did when we picked
up Byram).
Embed from Getty Images
It was a pleasure to see our team perform, well, like a team on Saturday,
especially in the second half. All the players suddenly seemed to have found
another gear or two being freed from the shackles of forever running about
in the shadow of the French Messiah (he's not really, just a very naughty
boy!). The lads played (and celebrated the goals) like a team should,
together, happy to sweat blood and guts for each other. It also seemed to
unite the crowd at London Stadium and Lanzini's jump into the stands was a
nice touch.
(Although only West Ham players seem to get punished with a booking for this
kind of thing these days.)
I am not sure if Lanzini did it on a whim or whether it was premeditated (as
a nod to the Tevez celebration after he scored his first for West Ham or as
a subtle hint in the direction of a sulking Frenchman that he was neither
needed nor wanted back in the team anymore). Either way, it felt incredible
to hear the whole ground singing Slaven's praise and boy, did the man
deserve it!
If there is one guy this club should be built around, if our fanbase should
rally round one chap capable of putting some pride back into this club it is
not a player, but our manager.
Embed from Getty Images
Sure, he makes mistakes too as he is only a human being after all (trying to
turn Antonio into a RB obviously was a massive clanger). But for me he is
the perfect link connecting us to the passion, traditions and values that
are so dear to loyal Hammers fans all over the globe. If we want things to
improve for us in the next few years, we need to make sure to keep Bilic at
West Ham for a long time, so rather than throwing money at another bigger
than his boots primadonna player I would offer Bilic a contract extension
NOW.
Send out a signal that Bilic is our man for the future and then bloody
support him with transfer funds too. It'll be money well spent in my view.
(Well, Bilic didn't know that Tore would get a long-term injury at West Ham,
did he ?)
A final word needs to be said about Andy Carroll. That was a world class
goal indeed and it's highly encouraging to see him score goals like that
because it very much proves that on his day he is so much more than just a
battering ram, thundering in headers or knocking balls down for his
teammates. We may have to wait for another goal of that quality at London
Stadium for another 20 years or so.
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The key for him will be to look after himself and stay injury-free, then the
sky will be the limit for him really. Oh yes, also try to play with two
strikers more in future.
I don't even think it matters that much if it is Sakho, Fletcher, Martinez,
Calleri (or Hogan?) – as long as you have another outlet upfront, staying
close to Carroll, pouncing to exploit any space or opportunity created by
Carroll's presence we will begin to score more goals on a regular basis.
What a great feeling to be talking about positives again for a change! It's
vital now that our board don't rest on their laurels or sit on their hands
and wallets. Our fanbase deserve to see investment in our team. Our manager
deserves support in his endeavour to build a great team. A great team for
West Ham will always be more about players working well as a unit, a
well-oiled machine, rather than trying to keep superstar primadonnas happy.
Maybe that just isn't the West Ham way.
Maybe it's a lesson learned the hard way with Payet. Maybe we don't need 40
million quid players after all, even in a 60.000 seater stadium. Maybe we
just need to sing more songs for Bilic and keep him happy, it's certainly
worth a try! COYI!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dimitri Payet to be sold 'sooner rather than later' as Slaven Bilic shifts
West Ham's focus onto Manuel Lanzini
Karren Brady and David Sullivan have both suggested he will be gone in the
summer
The Independent
Steve Tongue @stevetongue 7 hours ago0 comments
T-shirts emblazoned with what until recently was West Ham supporters'
favourite Dimitri Payet song ("He's Super Slav's man/ He's better than
Zidane") are on sale in the club store for a knockdown price. A much
improved second-half performance in his absence, bringing about a derby
victory on Saturday, will nevertheless instil greater determination to play
hard-ball this week over the disaffected midfielder's future.
A compromise is still possible, the most logical one being to cash in to the
tune of up to £30million if Marseille want the 29 year-old that badly, while
loaning him back until the end of the season. Vice-chair Karren Brady took
the pragmatic approach at the weekend, writing in her newspaper column: "He
has been on half-throttle for some time. With this attitude I suppose that
probably sooner rather than later he will be on his way. We have already
made him our highest-paid player but there has been plenty of evidence
recently of his lost motivation."
David Sullivan, the co-chairman, emphasised there was no financial necessity
to sell but only said the club would not do so "in the January transfer
window". Manager Slaven Bilic has been adamant about keeping his most gifted
player and presumably believes he could restore that lost motivation, but he
could also take positives from the other players' response to his half-time
talk on Saturday.
"I think it was a great example that it's always about the team, not about
an individual," he said of the sudden improvement that brought three fine
goals in a 20-minute spell, including Andy Carroll's goal-of-the-month
bicycle kick.
Carroll benefited from the smart decision to push Mikhail Antonio up
alongside him in support, the latter creating all three goals. The last of
them was chipped in sweetly by Manuel Lanzini, who could thrive with greater
responsibility as the main playmaker if Payet does not return to the side.
"We weren't a one-player team last season," Bilic said. "We have talked
about the importance of Manuel Lanzini last year. But of course from some
players on the ball you are expecting more and for sure, he is one of them."
Meanwhile Sam Allardyce's concerns at Palace are not so much about anyone
wishing to leave as who he can bring in to join Jeffrey Schlupp, a useful
addition from Leicester City. Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson, who played
under him at West Ham, may well be next but Tuesday's FA Cup replay at home
to Bolton will be used to see if any of the shadow squad can improve on
Saturday's performance by players who their manager felt "capitulated" after
conceding the first goal.
He is still learning about the players he inherited from Alan Pardew and had
little time with two of them, Wilfried Zaha and Bakary Sako, before they
were off to the African Nations Cup. Chelsea loanee Loic Remy, he believes,
can offer "something different" in attack but the priority for a team only
one point off the bottom of the table is some clean sheets.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Simone Zaza ends unhappy spell at West Ham as Italian forward completes loan
switch to Valencia
Simone Zaza will join Spanish side Valencia for rest of this season
Italy international failed to establish himself at West Ham in miserable
spell
Terms of his loan to West Ham meant move would be permanent after 14 games
Deal has been cancelled with Zaza moving on to play for struggling La Liga
side
By Simon Jones for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 23:54, 15 January 2017 | UPDATED: 23:55, 15 January 2017
Simone Zaza has cut short his loan spell at West Ham to join Valencia for
the rest of the season. The Italy international joined the Hammers on loan
from Juventus in the summer, but never found his feet in London, failing to
score in 11 appearances in all competitions. With the terms of his loan
dictating that the switch would become permanent if he made 14 appearances,
he fell out of favour and the deal has now been cancelled, freeing him to
join Valencia. 'Valencia Club de Futbol have completed the signing of Simone
Zaza on loan from Juventus until the end of the season,' a club statement
said. 'The player passed a medical with the club and signed his contract on
Sunday. 'The agreement will see him becone a Valencia CF player until the
conclusion of the 2016/17 campaign, with an option to buy.' The 25-year-old,
capped 16 times by Italy, helped Juventus to the Serie A title, Coppa Italia
and Italian Supercoppa while in Turin. But is already becoming
well-travelled in his career, having also played for Atalanta, Sampdoria,
Juve Stabia, Viareggio, Ascoli and Sassuolo.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dimitri Payet has not spoken to me in weeks... I find it hard that somebody
would want to leave us, reveals West Ham skipper Mark Noble
Dimitri Payet wants to leave West Ham to return to former side Marseille
Payet was left out of West Ham's squad to face Crystal Palace at the weekend
West Ham won 3-0 without the services of their star playmaker
By Oliver Todd for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:33, 15 January 2017 | UPDATED: 00:01, 16 January 2017
Mark Noble has revealed Dimtri Payet has not spoken to him in 'weeks' as the
wantaway star's relationships at West Ham collapsed.
Payet is stuck in a stand-off, frozen out of training and refusing to play
while his club are adamant he will not be sold. Now West Ham captain Noble,
who says he once had a great bond with the Frenchman, has given another
indication of how his situation has spiralled. Michail Antonio has been
directly involved in more Premier League goals than any other West Ham
player this season - 11 (8 goals, 3 assists). Payet was a popular member
of the London Stadium dressing room but it is increasingly clear he is
running short on allies after Saturday's victory over Crystal Palace. The
Hammers ran out 3-0 winners as those playing in Payet's place stepped up a
gear for their biggest home victory at the new ground. While his team-mates
take an extra day off ahead of going back to training on Tuesday there is no
indication of a return for Payet. Manager Slaven Bilic says against Palace
he saw 'a great example that it's always about the team — not about an
individual'. And West Ham supporters sang in support of their manager with
the addition of a chant for Payet, echoing his previous popular one, but now
telling him to: 'F*** off… We just don't want you anymore.' Skipper Noble
cannot fathom ever taking a stance like Payet and he says their friendship
has fallen apart as the star seeks a move away. 'I have always said that he
is up there with one of the best players I have ever played with,' Noble
recalls. 'I had — and I say had because I haven't really spoken to him for
the last two or three weeks — a great relationship with him, but I don't
know his reasons. 'I am not going to comment on why he wanted to leave but I
do know that if someone doesn't want to play for the team then they are
better off not even playing.'
Sportsmail understands other team-mates had noticed changes in Payet' s
behaviour before his fall-out with Bilic, too. The 29-year-old wants to
return to France and former club Marseille. 'I thought the manager was right
in what he did because it is hard,' Noble adds. 'You have to win games and
if you have your best player who doesn't want to play for you then obviously
he has had to do something about it. 'I have been here all my life so I find
it hard to realise that someone wouldn't want to play for the club. It's a
massive club and he is absolutely adored — was adored here — by the fans.
But football and fans change quickly.'
West Ham started slow on Saturday but after a change of system at half-time
Michail Antonio was pushed forward from right wing-back and it paid
dividends as he set up all three goals. First Sofiane Feghouli slid home
after Antonio had rounded Wayne Hennessey, then came Andy Carroll's
brilliant scissor kick from the former Nottingham Forest man's cross before
he sent Manuel Lanzini through to clip over the goalkeeper for a sublime
third. In that forward-thinking foursome of provider and goalscorers, Bilic
saw players who stepped up to levels he wouldn't usually believe were
possible. The Croatian coach doesn't usually subscribe to the footballing
cliches of effort levels exceeding the maximum 100 per cent — but Saturday
was different. 'I told them at half-time: "This is the time when we've got
to give 150 or 200 per cent"and they did it to be fair,' Bilic said. 'So I
have noticed it. But I also expected that — expected that from the crowd and
expected that from the players. If we gain confidence, if we gain team
character from this then it would help us to be a better team and that's
what we aim to do. 'We weren't a one-player team last season. But of course
from some players on the ball you are expecting more.' Kept out of the
bottom three only by goal difference, the situation for Sam Allardyce at
Palace became increasingly bleak. The former England manager, marked up as a
Premier League survival specialist, admits he is unsure whether he has
enough in his current squad to avoid relegation. Allardyce says the January
transfer window, which he relied on to revive a sinking Sunderland last
season, is more difficult than he can remember for years. He will try to add
to his side this week after sealing the £9million signing of Jeffrey Schlupp
from Leicester City. 'We have just got to get better, individually and
collectively, and if there's anymore to bring in we'll try our best to do
it,' Allardyce says. 'There's less players available, everybody wants to
keep hold of them and the inflated prices are very difficult to deal with
and the packages are very expensive. 'But when you're in great need,
sometimes you have to go there to make sure you get what you want.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic says team must build on positive momentum gained from Crystal
Palace win
Boss explains tactical switch at half-time which laid foundation for victory
Manager thrilled with team spirit and application from Hammers
Slaven Bilic hopes his players can use Saturday's win over Crystal Palace as
a positive turning point in their season. The Hammers ended a run of three
defeats without scoring a goal in the best possible manner – smashing three
past Crystal Palace in a second half performance of clinical finishing. More
important for the boss was the show of team unity and he has impressed on
them the importance of capitalising on the momentum gained. Bilic explained:
"The players always give everything, and at half-time I said to the guys, I
don't believe in those sayings 110 percent, 200 percent. There's only 100
percent, but sometimes it's true and this is the time when we have to give
150 or 200 percent. They did it. "I also expected that, I expected that [the
reaction] from the crowd and from the players, and I think it was a great
example that it's all about the team, not individuals. "It's a great moment
for us that we should use to build on. The season is very long, but you have
– like every club – a few crucial moments to drop or to build on and go up.
"We're going to do everything we can to use this kind of situation to lift
us up in every way. If we gain confidence and team character from this, then
it would help us be a better team. That's what we aim to do."
A tactical switch went a long way to the Hammers' victory on Saturday, as a
move to four at the back and shifting Michail Antonio closer to Andy Carroll
pressed Crystal Palace back. Bilic spoke of his reasoning for the change:
"It was an option for us to play with two strikers today, but because we
didn't have Nordtveit at right back we were limited in that position. "To
put Feghouli at right wing-back was a bit too long for him because he has to
defend also. To be fair the only reason we didn't put Sam Byram in from the
start was because he's only come back from a big operation recently. "We
were missing one person to be up there with Andy in the first half, and it
was a good decision for us to make at half-time, going with Sam, changing
the system and it worked really well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble - We can look forward now
WHUFC.com
Captain proud of the way West Ham United pulled together to beat Crystal
Palace
Hammers had endured a week full of off-field distractions but won 3-0 at
London Stadium
No16 says the squad will now look forward to Saturday's trip to
Middlesbrough with optimism
Mark Noble could not have been a prouder West Ham United captain after his
Club pulled together in Saturday's 3-0 Premier League win over Crystal
Palace. The London Stadium atmosphere was at its best as the Hammers ended a
challenging week with an emphatic win over Sam Allardyce's side. The
skipper, who returned to the side after illness saw him begin the Manchester
City Emirates FA Cup defeat on the bench, said a half-time tactical switch
from manager Slaven Bilic and three fantastic goals from Sofiane Feghouli,
Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini helped everybody put off-field distractions
out of their minds. "It was a definitely a satisfying end to a difficult
week," he confirmed. "Obviously we had the Dimitri Payet situation, Big Sam
[Allardyce] coming back and Tonks (James Tomkins), who is a friend of ours,
coming back too, so there were a lot of factors in play. "In the first half,
there were a few nerves there, but once we got that first goal I thought we
were the old West Ham. We went to two up-front to cause them a few more
problems and it worked, so it was a really commanding performance in the
end. "I'm just happy that the situation got sorted out. A win settles nerves
and puts everything on the backburner and we can look forward to
Middlesbrough."
As captain, Noble took on a leadership role at Rush Green last week,
reminding his teammates of the need to make up for the absences of Payet and
Africa Cup of Nations-bound Andre Ayew and Cheikhou Kouyate. "It gives
players the chance to step up, and I said all week in training to players
like Manu, Sofiane and Big Andy and Michail, who was brilliant, that we've
lost our best player and we need to step up because we need to score goals,"
the No16 continued. "I'm not taking credit for that (the goals we scored)
but they did it on Saturday!"
The highlight of a morale and confidence-boosting win over Palace came with
eleven minutes remaining and the Hammers leading by Feghouli's maiden
Premier League goal. Antonio lofted a cross towards the far post, where
Carroll took to the air before rocketing an unstoppable scissor kick beyond
Wayne Hennessey and high into the top right-hand corner. Noble himself had a
grandstand view of the Goal of the Season contender. "I was right behind it
and in line it was fantastic!" he smiled. "Andy caught it well and funnily
enough he hit the post with one on Thursday during the set plays and the
media said 'Save it for the weekend' so credit to you guys!"
West Ham rose to 12th with victory at the weekend and can climb into the top
half with a win at newly-promoted Middlesbrough on Saturday. With Boro
having not won since 17 December and not scored in their previous two
Premier League matches, Noble knows victory at the Riverside Stadium is well
within the Hammers' capabilities. "We played Manchester United and were hard
done by and then Manchester City in the Cup, which were two tough games
which we lost, so to bounce back and win 3-0 against a strong Palace team
was a really, really, really important result for the Club," he concluded.
"We have put a big gap between ourselves and the bottom three and we can now
move forward to Boro looking upwards rather than over our shoulders."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Obiang - The whole Club pulled together
WHUFC.com
Team effort was the key to victory over Crystal Palace, says Pedro Obiang
Hammers No14 delighted for Sofiane Feghouli after Algerian nets first
Premier League goal for the Club
Spaniard keen to kick on with Hammers in sight of league's top half
Pedro Obiang says Saturday's 3-0 London derby over Crystal Palace was a true
team effort. The Spanish midfielder believes the three point haul was just
reward for the whole Club pulling together – from fans to the eleven on the
pitch – after a testing week. Sofiane Feghouli, Andy Carroll and Manuel
Lanzini scored the goals, but it was about more than just the headline
makers as the Hammers moved up to 12th in the Premier League table. "It was
a nice moment," beamed the No14. "We wanted to make the fans happy and it's
a great result. "We could feel the support for everybody. We've answered
with three points and everyone is happy."
As a Hammers player who took time to find his feet in east London, Obiang
was particularly happy for Feghouli, who notched his first league goal in
Claret and Blue to get his team rolling. He continued: "For everybody it's
difficult when you arrive as a new player in a new country, with new things.
In that situation you need to stay calm and Sofiane knows we need him. "Now
he has scored maybe [it will all change for him]. Sam Byram has come in too,
and whenever he has time to play he does really well. This is what a squad
is all about."
Obiang also felt a change in tactics at the break paid off, as the Hammers
were able to convert a 0-0 interval scoreline into their emphatic victory.
He added: "The manager and players know that sometimes you have to change
something. In the situation on Saturday, we needed to change how we attacked
because in the first half we gave a lot of space to them and they played. In
the second half it was totally different. "We needed to press, and we have
the players to play football. On Saturday we had Lanzini, Feghouli, Antonio
all playing really well and we need to continue."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Loan round up
WHUFC.com
Four Hammers were in loan action in the Football League over the weekend
Two others were options on the bench for their respective loan sides
Josh Cullen was named Man of the Match again for Bradford City in his 21st
90 minutes of the season
There were a number of West Ham United players in loan action over the
weekend, and we start with those who played 90 minutes for their respective
temporary sides. First, Josh Cullen completed the full match for the 21st
time this season on loan at Bradford City as they took on Shrewsbury Town
away from home in League One. Despite the 1-0 defeat for the Bantams, Cullen
was named Man of the Match by City fans for the second week running, adding
the personal achievement to the long list of those he has collected this
campaign. The midfielder, who has been in impressive form since he returned
to Valley Parade for the second time, was also named the club's December
Player of the Month. Freddie Ladapo scored the only goal for the hosts in
this weekend's contest though, tapping in on his home debut – the striker is
on loan from the Hammers' Saturday opponents Crystal Palace.
The other Irons man to play the full match this weekend was Alex Pike,
making his debut for Cheltenham Town having joined the Robins during last
week. The defender, who has consistently been a key player in the Hammers'
Premier League 2 side this year, helped his new teammates to a 3-0 victory
over Accrington Stanley in League Two. The hosts were made to wait until
the first half to take the lead however, with skipper Danny Wright giving
Cheltenham the lead ten minutes after the restart. With a quarter of an hour
remaining on the clock, Diego De Girolamo drilled home to put the result
beyond doubt before Billy Waters put the icing on the cake with 12 minutes
left. Accrington's Scott Brown, sent off midway through the second half, did
not help matters for the struggling visitors.
Back in the third tier, Martin Samuelsen played for the third time in his
second loan spell at Peterborough United, though Posh were thrashed 5-1 at
Bury. Samuelsen, who was previously on loan at Blackburn Rovers before
Christmas, was introduced at half time after a disastrous first period for
Peterborough, who found themselves 4-1 down before the half hour stage.
Tom Nichols had given the visitors a dream start after just four minutes,
but James Vaughan levelled three minutes later before bagging another three
himself to make it 4-1 before Peterborough could work out what had gone
wrong. Vaughan's four-goal salvo left Samuelsen's side with little chance in
the second half, and George Miller grabbed a fifth to add to the misery for
Posh. Things were brighter elsewhere in the division for George Dobson
though, who played 16 minutes at the end of his Walsall side's terrific 4-1
thrashing of Sheffield United.
The Saddlers – who began the contest much the second favourites as they took
on the league leaders – got off to the dream start when Amadou Bakayoko
fired home with just five minutes played.
Jack O'Connell equalised from the spot on the ten-minute mark but a
fantastic second half performance from the hosts gave the Yorkshiremen no
chance at the Bescot Stadium.
Jason McCarthy, Joe Edwards and Erhun Otzumer all got on the scoresheet and
Dobson entered the field to shore up the midfield during the final minutes
to help see out the win.
Finally, Reece Burke and Enner Valencia were unused substitutes for their
respective sides at the weekend. Burke's Wigan Athletic were 2-0 winners at
Burton Albion while Valencia's Everton thrashed Manchester City 4-0 at
Goodison Park on Sunday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
#WHUAREYA - Malyk Hamilton
WHUFC.com
Canadian winger Malyk Hamilton first came to England to trial for West Ham
United when he was ten years old, and even at such a young age, he has not
looked back since.
Under the guidance of the Hammers' Academy staff, the left-sider has
improved dramatically as a player and made his Canada U18s debut recently,
scoring for the side as well.
Hamilton now targets to cement his position in Steve Potts' U18s side and
also pointed to first team midfielder Manuel Lanzini as somebody he likes to
attempt to emulate.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Byram – It's a great way to return
WHUFC.com
Defender Sam Byram delighted to play his part in winning effort against
Crystal Palace
23-year-old was making first team return after three months out injured
Former Leeds full-back hails team unity after clinical performance against
the Eagles
Sam Byram could not have asked for a better 45 minutes in which to make his
return to first team action than the second half against Crystal Palace.
Following a three-month absence from first team action due to a hamstring
injury, the 23-year-old full-back came off the bench at half time to help
the Hammers to a 3-0 victory over the Eagles on Saturday.
He was thrilled to be back in action at London Stadium, but even more happy
with a valuable three point haul for his team.
"It was a great game to make my return in," he smiled. "I thought we played
well in the second half. We were a bit slow moving the ball in the first
half, but we put together some good moves after half time and scored three
good goals.
"Being on the bench you've always got a chance [of coming on], so I made
sure I was ready, I had a good warm-up and was happy to make my return.
"I'm still feeling a little rusty to be honest! It's early for me to come
back but I'm absolutely delighted that it's come.
"I've got another week now until the next game to get some fitness in and
keep showing the manager what I can do in training."
After single-goal victories over AFC Bournemouth, Sunderland, Burnley and
Hull City at London Stadium this season, Byram is hoping to use a first
thumping win at the Club's new home as momentum to really kick-on in the
second half of the campaign.
He continued: "We've needed this, it does feel like a real lift. The team
were together afterwards and it was a great atmosphere around the place, so
hopefully it's upwards from here.
"There's been a lot in the news over the last week but we're a team and we
stick together. We showed on Saturday, particularly in the second half, that
we can pull together and that we've got a great squad."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Legend Martin hails 'immense' atmosphere
WHUFC.com
Hammers legend Alvin Martin praised the 'immense' London Stadium atmosphere
Three-time Hammer of the Year was present for Saturday's victory over
Crystal Palace
talkSPORT pundit said supporters were there for the team when they needed a
boost
West Ham United legend Alvin Martin has described the atmosphere at London
Stadium on Saturday as 'immense' and praised the Club's supporters for their
tremendous backing of Slaven Bilic and his team.
The former Hammers captain, who made 596 appearances for the club between
1978 and 1996, was present for the magnificent 3-0 Premier League win over
Crystal Palace in his role as a summariser for radio station talkSPORT.
The three-time Hammer of the Year, now an athletic 58, believes that West
Ham's stunning second-half performance came at a perfect time.
"People talk about atmosphere but the supporters can only take it so far,"
he says. "To really lift it to another level, it has to be generated by what
happens on the pitch, and we saw that on Saturday.
"It was quiet and a bit edgy in the first half, but you could tell that the
fans wanted to get their teeth into it and have something to really shout
about.
"Then it exploded, particularly with the fantastic second and third goals,
and suddenly the atmosphere was immense.
"It is still going to take time for the memories to stack up, but when that
second goal flew in, well, that's about as good as it gets.
"What was wonderful about Andy's goal was that it came at the perfect time
when Slaven really needed it, and the fans really needed it.
"Slaven won some big matches last season in his first year with the Club,
but I would say that Saturday's was up there with the biggest in terms of
the week he'd had, and what he needed from the players and the fans.
"The players certainly delivered, and the fans proved yet again that the
team, and Slaven, can really count on them when it is needed. That is
testament to the loyalty and passion they show for this Club."
Work commitments with talkSPORT have meant that Saturday marked only his
third visit to London Stadium, but the former England international did not
hesitate when asked to give his overall description of the Club's new home.
"It's iconic," he said. "As a player, when you've finished your career, you
hope that you can talk about things you've won, great memories and great
seasons.
"And people always want to know, have you played at that stadium, or this
stadium? I'm very proud to have played at places like Wembley, and the
Azteca in Mexico – the kind of great stadiums you dream about playing in
when you're kicking a ball around in the street as a boy.
"And this is another one. I'm sure a lot of players will want to say that
they played here."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Payet talks conclude
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
Representatives from Marseille are on their way back to France following a
meeting with West Ham chiefs regarding Dimitri Payet.
The French delegation flew into London earlier this morning for talks
regarding a possible move for the Euro 16 star, who has told West Ham that
he no longer wishes to play for the club and wishes to return to France.
And when asked by a KUMB source how the meeting went, Jacques-Olivier
Auguste, who was representing the French international, simply replied:
"Very well".
Also present this morning was Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud, who
made his way to London via private plane, and other representatives from
L'OM. Marseille are hoping to seal a deal that will allow them to resign
Payet, who moved from the Stade Vélodrome to West Ham in the summer of 2015
in a £10.7million switch. Having already seen a £20million bid rejected, the
French club will have to raise their offer considerably in order to persuade
West Ham to accept - even though the Hammers maintain that they have no
intention of selling Payet during the current transfer window.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United 3
Crystal Palace 0
by Gordon Thrower
KUMB.cm
Whatever happened to Harchester United?
So there we were at the end of a week when the old lazy journalistic cliché
using the words "from hero to zero" actually seemed apt for once. It was
cold and, if anyone gives a monkey's, the arthritis in my ankle had been
giving me grief. So yeah I think all in all some of us could be forgiven for
not really looking forward to this match, particularly given the type of
football often associated with the visiting manager.
Team news was that we were going to start with three at the back with
Collins returning to action for the first time in a bit. Payet was missing –
I forget why but I think there was something in the paper about it. Team:
Randolph, Collins, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Antonio, Noble, Obiang,
Feghouli, Lanzini, Carroll.
Well in truth the first half was probably what everyone would have predicted
of this match beforehand. Given a home side that had been through a soap
opera of a week against a team whose last 12 months had been so bad one
might almost have thought that they were a celebrity.
There was little of note. Noble reacted petulantly to an off the ball kick
which prompted a lengthy lecture from ref Swarbrick that on another day
might have been a yellow. Later in the half Carroll did see yellow for a
late but non-malicious challenge on Ward whilst chasing him down in the
corner.
You'll gather that goalmouth action was at a premium given the focus on
matters disciplinary thus far. And you would be right, though there were two
good chances in the half, one for each side. Just short of the half hour
Noble found good space on the right and looked up to see Carroll holding
back on the penalty spot. If anything Carroll caught Noble's fine cross
slightly too cleanly and his first time effort cleared the bar by a couple
of feet to deny what would have been a fine goal.
Shortly after Noble gave away a free kick on the edge of the box, his tackle
bringing him the yellow he might have merited earlier. Townsend's cross was
challenged for by many but somehow found its way to Tomkins at the far post.
However the arrival of the ball appeared to take Tomkins by surprise and his
snatched effort went wide when it might have been easier to score. The miss
prompted chants of "he's one of our own".
The visiting manager will no doubt have been the happier of the two, a
suspicion confirmed when the teams emerged for the restart. We reverted to a
flat back four with Byram returning from injury to move into right back. The
consequent sacrifice of Ogbonna allowed Antonio to push up front and the
tactical change was key to a half that was as different to the one that had
preceded it as the performances of those involved in the previous night's
Bobby Moore tv "drama" had been to real acting.
There was an early taster as Carroll's first time effort from Antonio's
header straight after the restart went wide. Having seen it again it was a
lot close than I originally thought. The lively Feghouli was beginning to
get into the game a bit more and Carroll was beginning to receive the
service he thrives on, a fine Tomkins defensive header preventing us from
going one up.
Feghouli was instrumental in creating another chance for the no.9. Cabaye
clipped the winger and the resulting free-kick from Lanzini was deflected to
the left hand side of the box. Carroll made wonderful space for himself but
couldn't keep the shot on target.
Obiang then played a clever ball out to Byram whose angled drive may have
been a shot or a cross but failed to become either in the end, the ball
beating the far post.
We took the lead on 78 minutes. Carroll won the ball in the air and Noble
played a clever pass over the top for Antonio, who was greeted by an
onrushing Hennessy whose odds on getting the ball were longer than the walk
back to Stratford Station.
Antonio took the ball around the 'keeper and played the ball towards goal.
Shot or cross it proved to be the perfect delivery for Feghouli who banished
memories of his missed effort from similar range against Man City by tapping
in from inches. It was a lead that had been totally deserved on the balance
of play in the second period and it was a lead that was doubled shortly
after.
Byram had picked up a (correct) yellow from Swarbrick who (credit where due)
had had an unusually competent afternoon by the standards of what we have
seen recently. Cresswell then played a superb ball down the left wing to
Lanzini who held the ball up before laying it off to the supporting Antonio.
Antonio clipped a ball across goal and, well, I expect you have all seen I
by now. Carroll's finish was, quite simply, magnificent. I'm now watching it
for the 500th time and even in slow motion it's a blur. I would say its
right up there with DiCanio's effort v Wimbledon it the list of great goals
I have seen live. Excuse me while I press the "keep" button on my Sky Q
box….
Well I suppose if you are a team on an appalling run set up to try for a
draw one goal is going to make things difficult. A second one like that is
going to knock whatever stuffing you thought you had right out of you. It
was therefore little surprise that we made it three five minutes after
Carroll's effort.
In a vain attempt to try and wrest something out of the game Remy went down
their left but found his cross cut out by the splendid Reid. The Kiwi's
headed clearance found Antonio who burst forward and laid off the ball into
the path of Lanzini who bore down on goal before placing an exquisite lift
over the advancing Hennessy to make it 3-0.
It was a sublime finish that was vaguely reminiscent of one from last season
away at the same opponents. Scored by whatsisname. Not that the visiting
support would have realised – the so called "ultras" had departed after
Carroll's goal, presumably they needed an early night for their paper rounds
in the morning.
Lanzini picked up a yellow for "excessive celebration" which was statutory
but harsh – a celebration involving Pink Floyd's laser show and a million
quid's worth of fireworks wouldn't have seemed too excessive after a week
like that in my opinion. And that was pretty much it.
Yes I know it was only Palace but frankly after all that had been going on
the psychological boost of the win after all that's been going on was plain
to see. Throw in a goal like that and the feel good factor gained was out of
all proportion to the strength of opponent.
If nothing else the absence of, er, thingy seemed to unite players and fans
alike. The manager's name was sung throughout leaving nobody in any doubt
whose side the sympathies of the supporters lie. It's an ill wind and all
that….
Player Ratings
Darren Randolph
Largely untested. Dealt with what little Palace had to offer with relative
comfort.
Michail Antonio
Ok at wing back in the first half. Better as a foil for Carroll in the
second half. Provided assists for all three goals. All of that after getting
out of bed with a temperature approaching that of molten steel.
Aaron Cresswell
The lack of attacking threat from the visitors allowed him to get forward to
supplement the attack, which he did well.
Winston Reid
Another strong defensive performance from the Kiwi. I have but one question:
is he that angry off the pitch as well as on it?
Angelo Ogbonna
Did ok first half but was sacrificed in the switch to a flat back four.
Pedro Obiang
Another good solid runout from a player who rarely grabs the headlines.
Sofiane Feghouli
Continues to improve. Not the greatest defensively but today he didn't have
to be.
Mark Noble
Distinctly mediocre first half as pass after pass went astray. Improved in
the second half.
Andy Carroll
Even if you take the goal out of the equation this was AC at his best. Won
everything in the air both with his head and I his chest. Laid the ball off
well and brought players into the game on a regular basis. Then there was
the goal. MOTM.
Manuel Lanzini
Showed signs of coming out of the shadows. Pulled strings and we would all
be raving about his goal were it not for…..
James Collins
Did the throwing himself in front of the ball thing to his usual decent
standard. Not sure he would be first choce pairing with Reid in most matches
but "horses for courses" on this occasion…..
Substitutes
Sam Byram
(Replaced Ogbonna) Received wisdom has it that he is not highly rated behind
the scenes. There will be sterner tests to come – possibly against a team
who actually pose an attacking threat. However, his introduction and the
reversion to a flat back four was the catalyst for the second half. Still
early days.
Edimilson Fernandes
(Replaced Lanzini) A four minute cameo – little time to exert any influence.
Ashley Fletcher
(Replaced Antonio) A three minute cameo – so he had a minute less than
Fernandes to exert any influence.
Adrian San Miguel Del Castillo
Reece Oxford
Domingos Quina
Jonathan Calleri
Match Facts
Referee: Neil Swarbrick.
Attendance: 50,000.
Man of the Match: Andy Carroll.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Payet can go, say West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are willing to sell Dimitri Payet - but not until Marseille
make a suitable offer. Earlier today KUMB.com revealed that representatives
from West Ham and Marseille, who flew in from France this morning, had met
to discuss the possibility of the French international returning to Ligue 1.
The Marseille party, who were represented by Club President Jacques-Henri
Eyraud and Sporting Director Andoni Zubizarreta were joined by Payet's agent
Jacques-Olivier Auguste.
It is understood that no fresh offer was made, although L'OM were instructed
to return with an improved offer closer to West Ham's valuation if their
intentions were serious.
The only bid made by Marseille so far, according to L'Equipe, was their
opening gambit of £22million, with a further £3million to follow dependent
on various clauses being met.
West Ham - who stated previously they have no intention of selling Payet -
will hold out for circa £35million for their star asset, who recently
revealed his desire to leave London due to personal issues.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham yet to agree deal to sell Dimitri Payet to Marseille
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 16/01/17 6:27pm
SSN
Marseille have failed to reach an agreement with West Ham over a deal for
wantaway midfielder Dimitri Payet following talks on Monday, according to
Sky sources.
Sky sources understand West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan has rejected an
improved second bid worth around £20m from the Ligue 1 side and is refusing
to be bullied into a quick sale, with no financial need to sell the
29-year-old.
Marseille's president Jacques-Henri Eyraud held high-level discussions with
West Ham officials in London in a bid to secure a deal for Payet, who played
at Marseille for two seasons before joining the Hammers in the summer of
2015.
West Ham will not consider an offer of less than £30m for Payet, having
turned down a £19.1m bid for the France international from Marseille last
week. Sky sources understand Marseille are concerned that the longer
negotiations drag on, the more likely it is that other clubs will try to
sign Payet. Payet informed West Ham manager Slaven Bilic of his desire to
leave the club last week and was not included in the matchday squad for
Saturday's 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
He is currently not training with the first-team squad and will continue to
work with the under-23s. Sky sources understand West Ham would prefer Payet
apologised to the club and supporters and return to first-team training.
Payet has been a stand-out performer for West Ham since arriving for
£10.75m, scoring 15 goals in 60 appearances, and was rewarded with a new
five-and-a-half year deal in February.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Simone Zaza admits he 'was not right mentally' at West Ham
Last Updated: 16/01/17 3:18pm
SSN
Simone Zaza is hoping to earn himself a long-term stay at Valencia after
admitting he "was not right mentally" during his time at West Ham. The
25-year-old Italy forward has cut short an inauspicious spell at the London
stadium to join Valencia on a deal until the end of the season. Zaza made 11
appearances for West Ham without scoring a goal after joining on a
season-long loan from Juventus and, admits he failed to adapt to the style
of English football. "It was a very difficult time for me," Zaza said. "When
I joined from Juventus I was very optimistic, I wanted to experience playing
in England because I thought it was the football that I liked and where I
could use my qualities. "Everything started badly from the outset, I think
the main blame lies with me because I was not right mentally, I was very
negative and in all the things that happened I never saw the positive side.
"There was an atmosphere, a culture very different to mine. That was a
problem. Now I'm here (in Spain) I feel bad not to have shown in England
what I'm capable of."
Zaza has moved to the Mestalla on an initial six-month deal and is keen to
make up for lost time in La Liga. "I'm really keen to play here, not only
for six months," Zaza added. "I think I can do well here. I like the city,
the people, everything. My hope is to play here. "I would like to score as
many goals as possible, but for me the most important thing is starting
well, being calm, focused. The key thing is get higher up the table."
Valencia are just one place and four points above the relegation zone in La
Liga, but earned themselves a morale-boosting 2-1 victory over Espanyol at
the weekend.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham captain Mark Noble 'angry and disappointed' with Dimitri Payet
By Michael Kelleher
Last Updated: 16/01/17 6:20am
SSN
West Ham captain Mark Noble says he is "angry and disappointed" with Dimitri
Payet and revealed he has not spoken to the unsettled star in weeks. The
French playmaker was left out of the Hammers' squad for Saturday's 3-0
victory over Crystal Palace after telling manager Slaven Bilic he no longer
wants to play for the club. Payet is understood to be keen to return to
France with officials from his former club Marseille set to hold talks with
West Ham on Monday to discuss a deal. When asked about Payet, Noble said: "I
am angry and disappointed, because I have always said that he is one of the
best players I have ever played with. "I had - and I say had because I
haven't really spoken to him for the last two or three weeks - a great
relationship with him, but I don't know his reasons.
"I am not going to comment on why he wanted to leave but I do know that if
someone doesn't want to play for the team then they are better off not even
playing."
Noble also reserved special praise for manager Slaven Bilic for the way he
has handled a difficult situation. "I thought the manager was right in what
he did because it is hard," Noble added. "You have to win games and if you
have your best player who doesn't want to play for you then obviously he has
had to do something about it. "I have been here all my life so I find it
hard to realise that someone wouldn't want to play for the club. It's a
massive club and he is absolutely adored - was adored here - by the fans.
But football and fans change quickly."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marseille and West Ham to hold Dimitri Payet talks
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 15/01/17 9:57pm
SSN
Marseille's president Jacques-Henri Eyraud will meet with high-level West
Ham officials on Monday to discuss a deal for Dimitri Payet, according to
Sky sources. The Hammers beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday without their
France playmaker, who this week told Slaven Bilic he no longer wants to play
for the club. West Ham will not consider offers of less than £30m for Payet,
who cost them just £10.5m when he arrived from Marseille in the summer of
2015. It is understood Marseille are the only club interested, and initially
a compromise deal was put forward which would have seen Payet loaned back to
Bilic's side for the rest of the season.
The prospect of that deal going through receded when West Ham supporters
made their feelings plain on Saturday, repeatedly chanting for last season's
player of the year to leave.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
European clubs chase Braithwaite amid West Ham interest
By Claire Bloomfield
Last Updated: 16/01/17 2:58pm
SSN
West Ham United are considering launching an improved bid for Toulouse
striker Martin Braithwaite, but will face tough competition from 'a number
of European club's', according to Sky Sources. Slaven Bilic's side tabled a
£8.5m offer for the Ligue 1 skipper last month but Toulouse rejected the
deal and claimed they were unwilling to let Braithwaite go for less than
£10m. The 25-year-old Denmark international, who joined his current club
from Danish Superliga outfit Esbjerg FB in the summer of 2013, has now
attracted further interest from Europe. The Hammers could face a bidding war
if they continue to pursue their interest in the player. Braithwaite has
scored seven goals in 17 league appearances so far this season and was
pivotal in helping Toulouse avoid relegation during the 2015-16 campaign.
Toulouse manager Pascal Dupraz, who has been impressed with Braithwaite's
development this season, was thought to be looking for a strike partner to
accompany the player but will now consider offers. A bargain buy at just
£2m, Braithwaite could hand the French club a significant profit should he
make a move during the January transfer window.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marseille fail to agree terms with West Ham for wantaway star Dimitri Payet
The French international has downed tools and refused to train for the east
Londoners in a bid to force a move
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
16:14, 16 JAN 2017UPDATED16:26, 16 JAN 2017
Dimitri Payet remains a West Ham player after Marseille chiefs failed to
convince the Irons to sell him today. Mirror Sport understands there is
currently no chance of a deal as the French club is refusing to meet the
Hammers' asking price of at least £35million. Disgraced playmaker Payet has
made it clear to the club that he wants to rejoin his former club and that
he will neither train nor play if he is denied the move. Payet also
threatened to invent an injury preventing him from playing during an
explosive row last week. Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud flew into
London today in a bid to convince the Irons to reach agreement.
The club have a lucrative deal on the table for the player whose wife is
understood to be keen on a move back to France and has already gone back
there with their children. But West Ham chiefs were dismayed that the
Marseille's proposal was way below their valuation of the playmaker and are
set to dig their heels in.
Meanwhile, Mark Noble revealed he has not spoken to Payet for "two or three
weeks". The Hammers skipper shed light on the extent of the breakdown in
playmaker Payet's relationship with some of his team-mates after the Hammers
beat Crystal Palace 3-0 without him. Payet stunned the club last week by
telling boss Slaven Bilic he no longer wants to play for them. But Noble
insisted he was in the dark, saying: "I have always said that he is up there
with one of the best players I have ever played with and I had – and I say
had because I haven't really spoken to him for the last two or three weeks –
a great relationship with him.
"I don't know his reasons and am not going to comment on why he wanted to
leave, but I do know that if someone doesn't want to play for the team then
he's better off not even playing."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce says West Ham were not that good in 3-0 win v Crystal Palace
HITC
Mathew Nash
The former Hammers boss is not sure what all the fuss was about after the
game. This weekend saw West Ham United put Crystal Palace and their former
manager Sam Allardyce to the sword at the London Stadium. The Hammers
comfortably beat Palace 4-0 with goals from Sofiane Feghouli, Andy Carroll
and Manuel Lanzini doing the damage. It was a game that helped relieve some
of the pressure at West Ham after three straight defeats and it is always
nice to get one over an old manager, as they did with Allardyce. But Big
Sam was clearly not of the opinion that West Ham even played that well. He
was speaking to the press today ahead of Palace's FA Cup replay against
Bolton Wanderers tomorrow when he stated his belief that West Ham were not
as good as it was being made out:
"In fairness, while everyone will say how good West Ham were on Saturday -
they weren't that good. We gifted them the goals. "Their first shot on
target was just before the 70 minute mark, so they couldn't have been as
good as everyone's said." In fairness to Allardyce the game was closer than
the result would suggest and West Ham only really started to dominate the
game when Michail Antonio was pushed forward later in the game. But the
scoreline, West Ham fans will argue, shows that they were the better team
against Palace by a fair distance and that Allardyce is perhaps eating the
sourest of grapes.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham demand more than £30m for Dimitri Payet as star's family prepare
for January move to Marseille
JAMES OLLEY
Evening Standard
Dimitri Payet's family have returned to France as the star continues to
apply pressure on West Ham in his bid force through a move to Marseille. The
29-year-old's wife Ludivine and his two sons Milan and Pharell have left
London in anticipation of the player returning to his former club. The
Hammers have not ruled out selling Payet this month despite co-chairman
David Sullivan declaring on Saturday that the wantaway winger would remain
at the club until the end of the season. Standard Sport understands the
Hammers are considering all possibilities given Payet's insistence he no
longer wants to stay in east London and could yet agree a reluctant sale
before the end of the current transfer window. The French club are due in
London this week to meet with West Ham officials over a possible deal with
the Hammers likely to demand in excess of £30million. Sullivan had written
in his programme notes before Saturday's home game against Crystal Palace
that "the board's position is that we do not want to sell Dimitri, we do not
need to sell Dimitri for financial or any other reasons, and we will NOT
sell Dimitri in the January transfer window."
However, those notes were written on Thursday and Sullivan is privately
believed to be more flexible regarding Payet's departure.
The club's hierarchy remain deeply disappointed with Payet's actions given
he signed a new £125,000-a-week deal last February - and was reportedly
given a £1million loyalty bonus in September after impressing for France at
Euro 2016 – but are determined not to let him leave on the cheap.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tony Evans: Fans missing the 'good old days' should remember when Bobby
Moore wanted to join Tottenham
TONY EVANS
Evening Standard
The word 'mercenary' has been bandied about a lot this week. It has been
used so often about Dimitri Payet that it is surprising Karren Brady has not
tried to trademark it. West Ham are not the only London club going through a
spell of breastbeating because one of their stars wants to leave. At
Chelsea, the fury directed at Diego Costa is palpable. Tianjin Quanjian of
the Chinese Super League are said to be prepared to pay the striker
£30million a year. Supporters who would switch jobs in an instant for a £30
per week pay hike rage at his apparent disloyalty.
Some yearn for the simpler, less craven days before money distorted modern
football. It's absurd. There is a splendid irony at the thought of Chelsea
being bullied financially over players. This is a club that helped transform
the game and inflate the transfer market in the immediate aftermath of Roman
Abramovich's takeover 14 years ago. Costa is highly paid and signed up for
the next two years but he has little allegiance to Chelsea. He knows that
contracts only matter to a club when a player is productive. It's a brutal
business when you become surplus to requirements. No matter how happy and
settled a player is, he is shown the door when he falls out of favour.
Those who refuse to leave are put through a series of indignities designed
to force them out. Training with junior teams is one tactic. At Chelsea,
Nicolas Anelka and Alex were banned from the first-team block at Cobham and
told to move their vehicles to the youth car park. It does not matter how
much a footballer earns, daily humiliations have a wearing effect. It is the
other side of the coin to a player going on strike. Both sides are loyal
only when it suits them.
Payet's loyalty has been a big talking point at the London Stadium. The
Frenchman is talented but the only reason he ended up in the East End for a
knockdown fee of £10.7m was his reputation as a troublemaker. For all his
flair, the 29-year-old was always likely to push the self-destruct button.
It is no surprise that Payet is looking for a way back to Marseille now
things are not going so well for Slaven Bilic's team.
If he is leaving for money then he is in good company. After all, West Ham
departed their traditional home for a clearly unsuitable new ground in
pursuit of extra lucre. The badge has been reworked to include the word
'London' and Brady, the vice-chairman, has talked about getting the "culture
right". She was not talking about heritage as fans recognise it. Brady was
referring to the culture of business. The new stadium and iconography are
designed to increase the value of the 'brand'. In such circumstances it's a
bit rich for supporters to talk about money-mad players.
If Payet knew about the team's history — and for all his badge kissing it is
unlikely he ever cared — he might look to the Bobby Moore Stand and feel
justified in forcing a way out. West Ham make an awful fuss about Moore but
they forget to mention that the golden boy of English football spent some of
his best years as a player simmering with discontent because he was denied
two opportunities to move to Tottenham. The claret-and-blue mythology of
mutual love, fidelity and affection between Moore and the club is built on
fiction. Those were different days when there was no Bosman freedom of
movement when a contract expired but players are still traded like chattels
when it suits their employer. The howls of outrage when the likes of Costa
and Payet try to turn the tables are hypocritical, even if their motivation
is pure greed.
Actually, mercenary is probably the right description for much of football's
mindset but less in the gun-for-hire sense than the
primacy-of-profit-over-ethics meaning of the word. It has been that way
since the first man was paid to kick a ball and there is no sign of it
changing now. Costa and Payet are a contemporary manifestation of how
things work but it was never any different. If Bobby Moore was alive, he
would attest that there was no such thing as the good old days.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Noble angry at wantaway West Ham star Dimitri Payet: I had a great
relationship with him
SAM LONG
Evening Standard
West Ham captain Mark Noble has hit out at wantaway star Dimitri Payet and
insisted the Hammers are better off without him in the team.
Payet struck an instant chord with the West Ham faithful following his
arrival in east London at the start of last season. The France international
quickly established himself as a firm fans' favourite but, despite signing a
long-term contract in February 2016, is now attempting to engineer a move
away from the London Stadium. Payet has demanded a transfer and missed West
Ham's 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace after refusing to play for Slaven
Bilic's side. Standard Sport understands West Ham are 'increasingly minded'
to sell Payet this month, with Marseille keen to re-sign the 29-year-old,
and Noble is furious with his teammate's behaviour. "I had - and I say had
because I haven't really spoken to him for the last two or three weeks - a
great relationship with him, but I don't know his reasons," Noble told Goal.
"I am angry and disappointed, because I have always said that he is one of
the best players I have ever played with. "I am not going to comment on why
he wanted to leave but I do know that if someone doesn't want to play for
the team then they are better off not even playing," he added. Meanwhile,
Andy Carroll believes West Ham's "professional" performance in Payet's
absence proved to be the ideal response to the ongoing transfer saga. The
Hammers now occupy 12th place in the table and could climb into the top half
with victory over Middlesbrough next weekend.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
BRAVE BILIC THE KEY TO BETTER DAYS AHEAD
By HamburgHammer 16 Jan 2017 at 08:00
WTID
Take a bow Slaven Bilic! Our manager has been through what must have been a
few miserable months, capped by the last seven days which surely will have
been not your average rollercoaster of emotions for our Croatian manager,
more like the Nemesis ride at Alton Towers. Now, initially I had planned to
try and write my column without even mentioning Dimitri Payet just in order
to prove a point. But frankly, while a lot of us may consider him to be
history already and prefer to move on without ever hearing his name again,
the truth is that he is still legally a West Ham player and until his sale
has been completed he is still the massive bullfrog (or yellow-bellied toad
if you prefer) in the room so to speak, so he will of course feature in my
column after all.
But first things first! What a fantastic team performance that was. That's
right, TEAM. Which translates as Together Everyone Achieves More. The
keyword being together.
Our team hasn't been together for a long time, I would say not from the very
start of the season, coinciding with Payet's return from the Euro
Championships.
Where surely he was tapped up, maybe multiple times. I'm sure by now
everyone will have read about how our club and also Bilic bent over
backwards in order to make Monsieur Payet feel wanted, loved, appreciated –
hindsight is a wonderful thing, and in hindsight it appears that we have
rather overdone the royalty treatment.
Embed from Getty Images
We'll see what comes out eventually about Payet's true motives of wanting to
leave NOW rather than wait for the summer when apparently West Ham were
quite ready to sell him at that point for the right price, not wishing to
stand in the way of an unhappy or homesick player.
The way though in which Payet basically shat on everything he had at our
club, not acknowledging the role of our club in making him the household
name he is in international football today is truly sad. And a bit pathetic.
From the very beginning he was welcomed and worshipped like a true legend by
the Hammers fans, it felt as if he had been at West Ham for years already
rather than being a new signing. It indeed was a love affair, alas affairs
tend to usually end a) rather quickly and b) rarely on amicable terms – the
love between the player and the club, manager and fans is totally lost now
for obvious reasons.
But you know what? It's a mighty relief to finally have identified the main
root of our problems this season, at least in terms of the team (ignoring
the stadium move for a minute). It looks like indeed Payet's special
treatment he got from the club and management drove a massive wedge right
through the dressing room and also the training pitch at Rush Green. It must
have been so frustrating for the other players seeing it all being about
Payet without our star player backing up all that admiration (and money)
with even halfway decent performances on the pitch. The rest of the team
obviously felt disrespected and undervalued – and all over a guy who
essentially has been a one season wonder for us. Yet the board tied him down
to an improved long-term deal while refusing to afford our manager the same
courtesy, citing their desire to find out if Bilic was a one season wonder
first…
Embed from Getty Images
We will now see if the club are willing to let Payet rot for half a season
in order to get the right price for our prize asset or cave in and sell on
the cheap, just to get rid. With Chinese clubs becoming interested in him
too now Payet can not expect to go back to Marseille for ten million quid
and six bottles of vintage claret, although both he and Marseille for sure
would prefer that of course. I want the club to show some backbone here,
sending out a clear massage to the world that no West Ham player (no matter
how good he is) can just down tools and strop in order to push through a
transfer to his prefered destination for peanuts despite having signed a
long-term contract (and a loyalty bonus of 1 million quid too) just
recently.
Players are on long-term contracts for a reason. They can ask for a transfer
obviously if they no longer wish to stay, but certainly not on their terms.
Clubs need to be protected in a way that they get at least their fair share
should a player want to leave well before reaching the expiry date of his
contract.
So, to finish off the Payet issue: Sell him as quickly as possible, yes, but
only for a price that mirrors his true market value for his next club. That
is much closer to 35 or 40 million rather than 20 in my book. With China
involved maybe even 50 million. How our owners will decide to spend that
kind of money, if they spend any that is, is anybody's guess though.
I'm confident we will make at least a few signings in January, not
necessarily for NOW as we are pretty much safe from relegation already, but
maybe we will pick up some players for the future (like Hogan) now in order
to not miss out on them in the summer (similar to what we did when we picked
up Byram).
Embed from Getty Images
It was a pleasure to see our team perform, well, like a team on Saturday,
especially in the second half. All the players suddenly seemed to have found
another gear or two being freed from the shackles of forever running about
in the shadow of the French Messiah (he's not really, just a very naughty
boy!). The lads played (and celebrated the goals) like a team should,
together, happy to sweat blood and guts for each other. It also seemed to
unite the crowd at London Stadium and Lanzini's jump into the stands was a
nice touch.
(Although only West Ham players seem to get punished with a booking for this
kind of thing these days.)
I am not sure if Lanzini did it on a whim or whether it was premeditated (as
a nod to the Tevez celebration after he scored his first for West Ham or as
a subtle hint in the direction of a sulking Frenchman that he was neither
needed nor wanted back in the team anymore). Either way, it felt incredible
to hear the whole ground singing Slaven's praise and boy, did the man
deserve it!
If there is one guy this club should be built around, if our fanbase should
rally round one chap capable of putting some pride back into this club it is
not a player, but our manager.
Embed from Getty Images
Sure, he makes mistakes too as he is only a human being after all (trying to
turn Antonio into a RB obviously was a massive clanger). But for me he is
the perfect link connecting us to the passion, traditions and values that
are so dear to loyal Hammers fans all over the globe. If we want things to
improve for us in the next few years, we need to make sure to keep Bilic at
West Ham for a long time, so rather than throwing money at another bigger
than his boots primadonna player I would offer Bilic a contract extension
NOW.
Send out a signal that Bilic is our man for the future and then bloody
support him with transfer funds too. It'll be money well spent in my view.
(Well, Bilic didn't know that Tore would get a long-term injury at West Ham,
did he ?)
A final word needs to be said about Andy Carroll. That was a world class
goal indeed and it's highly encouraging to see him score goals like that
because it very much proves that on his day he is so much more than just a
battering ram, thundering in headers or knocking balls down for his
teammates. We may have to wait for another goal of that quality at London
Stadium for another 20 years or so.
Embed from Getty Images
The key for him will be to look after himself and stay injury-free, then the
sky will be the limit for him really. Oh yes, also try to play with two
strikers more in future.
I don't even think it matters that much if it is Sakho, Fletcher, Martinez,
Calleri (or Hogan?) – as long as you have another outlet upfront, staying
close to Carroll, pouncing to exploit any space or opportunity created by
Carroll's presence we will begin to score more goals on a regular basis.
What a great feeling to be talking about positives again for a change! It's
vital now that our board don't rest on their laurels or sit on their hands
and wallets. Our fanbase deserve to see investment in our team. Our manager
deserves support in his endeavour to build a great team. A great team for
West Ham will always be more about players working well as a unit, a
well-oiled machine, rather than trying to keep superstar primadonnas happy.
Maybe that just isn't the West Ham way.
Maybe it's a lesson learned the hard way with Payet. Maybe we don't need 40
million quid players after all, even in a 60.000 seater stadium. Maybe we
just need to sing more songs for Bilic and keep him happy, it's certainly
worth a try! COYI!
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Dimitri Payet to be sold 'sooner rather than later' as Slaven Bilic shifts
West Ham's focus onto Manuel Lanzini
Karren Brady and David Sullivan have both suggested he will be gone in the
summer
The Independent
Steve Tongue @stevetongue 7 hours ago0 comments
T-shirts emblazoned with what until recently was West Ham supporters'
favourite Dimitri Payet song ("He's Super Slav's man/ He's better than
Zidane") are on sale in the club store for a knockdown price. A much
improved second-half performance in his absence, bringing about a derby
victory on Saturday, will nevertheless instil greater determination to play
hard-ball this week over the disaffected midfielder's future.
A compromise is still possible, the most logical one being to cash in to the
tune of up to £30million if Marseille want the 29 year-old that badly, while
loaning him back until the end of the season. Vice-chair Karren Brady took
the pragmatic approach at the weekend, writing in her newspaper column: "He
has been on half-throttle for some time. With this attitude I suppose that
probably sooner rather than later he will be on his way. We have already
made him our highest-paid player but there has been plenty of evidence
recently of his lost motivation."
David Sullivan, the co-chairman, emphasised there was no financial necessity
to sell but only said the club would not do so "in the January transfer
window". Manager Slaven Bilic has been adamant about keeping his most gifted
player and presumably believes he could restore that lost motivation, but he
could also take positives from the other players' response to his half-time
talk on Saturday.
"I think it was a great example that it's always about the team, not about
an individual," he said of the sudden improvement that brought three fine
goals in a 20-minute spell, including Andy Carroll's goal-of-the-month
bicycle kick.
Carroll benefited from the smart decision to push Mikhail Antonio up
alongside him in support, the latter creating all three goals. The last of
them was chipped in sweetly by Manuel Lanzini, who could thrive with greater
responsibility as the main playmaker if Payet does not return to the side.
"We weren't a one-player team last season," Bilic said. "We have talked
about the importance of Manuel Lanzini last year. But of course from some
players on the ball you are expecting more and for sure, he is one of them."
Meanwhile Sam Allardyce's concerns at Palace are not so much about anyone
wishing to leave as who he can bring in to join Jeffrey Schlupp, a useful
addition from Leicester City. Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson, who played
under him at West Ham, may well be next but Tuesday's FA Cup replay at home
to Bolton will be used to see if any of the shadow squad can improve on
Saturday's performance by players who their manager felt "capitulated" after
conceding the first goal.
He is still learning about the players he inherited from Alan Pardew and had
little time with two of them, Wilfried Zaha and Bakary Sako, before they
were off to the African Nations Cup. Chelsea loanee Loic Remy, he believes,
can offer "something different" in attack but the priority for a team only
one point off the bottom of the table is some clean sheets.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Simone Zaza ends unhappy spell at West Ham as Italian forward completes loan
switch to Valencia
Simone Zaza will join Spanish side Valencia for rest of this season
Italy international failed to establish himself at West Ham in miserable
spell
Terms of his loan to West Ham meant move would be permanent after 14 games
Deal has been cancelled with Zaza moving on to play for struggling La Liga
side
By Simon Jones for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 23:54, 15 January 2017 | UPDATED: 23:55, 15 January 2017
Simone Zaza has cut short his loan spell at West Ham to join Valencia for
the rest of the season. The Italy international joined the Hammers on loan
from Juventus in the summer, but never found his feet in London, failing to
score in 11 appearances in all competitions. With the terms of his loan
dictating that the switch would become permanent if he made 14 appearances,
he fell out of favour and the deal has now been cancelled, freeing him to
join Valencia. 'Valencia Club de Futbol have completed the signing of Simone
Zaza on loan from Juventus until the end of the season,' a club statement
said. 'The player passed a medical with the club and signed his contract on
Sunday. 'The agreement will see him becone a Valencia CF player until the
conclusion of the 2016/17 campaign, with an option to buy.' The 25-year-old,
capped 16 times by Italy, helped Juventus to the Serie A title, Coppa Italia
and Italian Supercoppa while in Turin. But is already becoming
well-travelled in his career, having also played for Atalanta, Sampdoria,
Juve Stabia, Viareggio, Ascoli and Sassuolo.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dimitri Payet has not spoken to me in weeks... I find it hard that somebody
would want to leave us, reveals West Ham skipper Mark Noble
Dimitri Payet wants to leave West Ham to return to former side Marseille
Payet was left out of West Ham's squad to face Crystal Palace at the weekend
West Ham won 3-0 without the services of their star playmaker
By Oliver Todd for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:33, 15 January 2017 | UPDATED: 00:01, 16 January 2017
Mark Noble has revealed Dimtri Payet has not spoken to him in 'weeks' as the
wantaway star's relationships at West Ham collapsed.
Payet is stuck in a stand-off, frozen out of training and refusing to play
while his club are adamant he will not be sold. Now West Ham captain Noble,
who says he once had a great bond with the Frenchman, has given another
indication of how his situation has spiralled. Michail Antonio has been
directly involved in more Premier League goals than any other West Ham
player this season - 11 (8 goals, 3 assists). Payet was a popular member
of the London Stadium dressing room but it is increasingly clear he is
running short on allies after Saturday's victory over Crystal Palace. The
Hammers ran out 3-0 winners as those playing in Payet's place stepped up a
gear for their biggest home victory at the new ground. While his team-mates
take an extra day off ahead of going back to training on Tuesday there is no
indication of a return for Payet. Manager Slaven Bilic says against Palace
he saw 'a great example that it's always about the team — not about an
individual'. And West Ham supporters sang in support of their manager with
the addition of a chant for Payet, echoing his previous popular one, but now
telling him to: 'F*** off… We just don't want you anymore.' Skipper Noble
cannot fathom ever taking a stance like Payet and he says their friendship
has fallen apart as the star seeks a move away. 'I have always said that he
is up there with one of the best players I have ever played with,' Noble
recalls. 'I had — and I say had because I haven't really spoken to him for
the last two or three weeks — a great relationship with him, but I don't
know his reasons. 'I am not going to comment on why he wanted to leave but I
do know that if someone doesn't want to play for the team then they are
better off not even playing.'
Sportsmail understands other team-mates had noticed changes in Payet' s
behaviour before his fall-out with Bilic, too. The 29-year-old wants to
return to France and former club Marseille. 'I thought the manager was right
in what he did because it is hard,' Noble adds. 'You have to win games and
if you have your best player who doesn't want to play for you then obviously
he has had to do something about it. 'I have been here all my life so I find
it hard to realise that someone wouldn't want to play for the club. It's a
massive club and he is absolutely adored — was adored here — by the fans.
But football and fans change quickly.'
West Ham started slow on Saturday but after a change of system at half-time
Michail Antonio was pushed forward from right wing-back and it paid
dividends as he set up all three goals. First Sofiane Feghouli slid home
after Antonio had rounded Wayne Hennessey, then came Andy Carroll's
brilliant scissor kick from the former Nottingham Forest man's cross before
he sent Manuel Lanzini through to clip over the goalkeeper for a sublime
third. In that forward-thinking foursome of provider and goalscorers, Bilic
saw players who stepped up to levels he wouldn't usually believe were
possible. The Croatian coach doesn't usually subscribe to the footballing
cliches of effort levels exceeding the maximum 100 per cent — but Saturday
was different. 'I told them at half-time: "This is the time when we've got
to give 150 or 200 per cent"and they did it to be fair,' Bilic said. 'So I
have noticed it. But I also expected that — expected that from the crowd and
expected that from the players. If we gain confidence, if we gain team
character from this then it would help us to be a better team and that's
what we aim to do. 'We weren't a one-player team last season. But of course
from some players on the ball you are expecting more.' Kept out of the
bottom three only by goal difference, the situation for Sam Allardyce at
Palace became increasingly bleak. The former England manager, marked up as a
Premier League survival specialist, admits he is unsure whether he has
enough in his current squad to avoid relegation. Allardyce says the January
transfer window, which he relied on to revive a sinking Sunderland last
season, is more difficult than he can remember for years. He will try to add
to his side this week after sealing the £9million signing of Jeffrey Schlupp
from Leicester City. 'We have just got to get better, individually and
collectively, and if there's anymore to bring in we'll try our best to do
it,' Allardyce says. 'There's less players available, everybody wants to
keep hold of them and the inflated prices are very difficult to deal with
and the packages are very expensive. 'But when you're in great need,
sometimes you have to go there to make sure you get what you want.'
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