Joy for Kemp after England's Toulon triumph
WHUFC.com
Dan Kemp described lifting silverware with England U20s as an 'amazing experience'
The winger triumphed with his country in the Toulon Tournament on Saturday after beating Ivory Coast on penalties in the final
The West Ham winger played three times for the Young Lions during the tournament success
"Pure joy" – the two simple words West Ham United winger Dan Kemp used to sum up his emotions after clinching the Toulon Tournament title with England U20s on Saturday. The Young Lions, taking on Ivory Coast in the final of the prestigious French tournament, held their nerve in a vital penalty shootout after the 1-1 stalemate to eventually get their hands on the trophy for a second year running.
Sheffield United midfielder David Brooks had given England the lead after 13 minutes and with the scoreline still at 1-0 with the full 80 minutes played, it looked as though they were home and dry. But one minute into injury time, there was a late twist as Ake Loba equalised, taking the tie straight to penalties. The Lions remained calm, though, and scored all five of their penalties to clinch the title as their fellow U20 teammates would also do a day later in the U20 FIFA World Cup. Kemp, who played three times during the competition, was delighted to get his hands on the trophy. He said: "It was an amazing feeling to win such a great tournament with my country – the best experience I've had so far in my career. To put the England shirt on and play for your country is an incredible feeling and to go and win is amazing. "The feeling at the end was amazing and pure joy. I'm proud to win for my country and proud of the boys after such a great tournament for us. We were all so happy and buzzing to win. "When Ivory Coast scored we were all a bit surprised as we felt we had done enough to see out the win but it shows in football it's never over until the end. Then, it was about believing we could and will win it on penalties."
Kemp did not get on the pitch in the final, but having been named in the squad for the first time just this summer, the winger was pleased with his progress during a maiden international call-up. "I feel like it had been an amazing experience to play for my country three times and contribute with a couple of assists in the games I played in. I would have obviously loved to play in the final but I still feel I have contributed well to the tournament win. "I want to keep working hard to make sure I get more and more international caps to come and one day make my debut for the senior team. That is the ultimate goal. I just want to keep learning more and more. "This has been a perfect end to a great season for me personally and one that I've massively enjoyed. I am looking forward to resting up now and then getting back to working hard prior to the new season. I want to achieve more and more and win more next year."
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England's Cresswell keen to impress in France clash
WHUFC.com
Hammers full-back Aaron Cresswell is hoping to impress England boss Gareth Southgate if called upon against France on Tuesday
The Three Lions take on Didier Deschamps' team at the Stade de France in Paris
And Cresswell, who could make his second international appearance, is ready to challenge the other left-backs at the manager's disposal
West Ham United left-back Aaron Cresswell will hope to be given the opportunity to impress England manager Gareth Southgate when the Three Lions take on France in Paris on Tuesday night. The 27-year-old was kept out the side by Ryan Bertrand on Saturday when England picked up a FIFA World Cup qualifying point in a 2-2 draw against Scotland, but will be keen to earn his second cap against Didier Deschamps' team. Cresswell, who made his first senior international appearance in November, replacing Danny Rose as a sub against Spain at Wembley, is expected to be pushed into the starting XI as Southgate looks to access other areas of his squad following the Hampden Park stalemate. And the full-back is keen to prove he can challenge the other left-sided defenders that are also at the manager's disposal. It doesn't matter if it's a friendly match or a qualifier, you still want to win. As footballers, that's what you want to do – you want to win games and trophies.
He said: "There have been plenty of top left-backs over the years and you look at it now with Bertrand, Luke Shaw and Danny Rose – there are plenty there to fight with. "You have got to do the best for your club first and foremost and hopefully the manager will see a performance that merits a place in the team. "It doesn't matter if it's a friendly match or a qualifier, you still want to win. As footballers, that's what you want to do – you want to win games and trophies. "There is not one single lad in there who is going to take their foot off the gas, knowing it's a friendly match [against France] and take it easy. That won't be the case. We want to win every game."
Cresswell was utilised as both a regular full-back as well as an energetic wing-back throughout the season at West Ham under Bilic.
And with the England side, the Liverpool-born defender is ready to do whatever is asked of him at the Stade de France this week. "I've played in both positions at West Ham, in three at the back or four at the back. I'm more than capable of doing that. Whatever the manager wants me to play, I am sure the lads will adapt. "I don't have a preference really. It is all down to the preference of the manager, the opposition you are going to play and what formation is going to suit the team. "It is good to test yourself against some of the best players in the world and France have certainly got them. It is going to be another tough venue to go to, similar to Saturday. We are looking forward to it."
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Randolph helps Ireland to crucial Austria draw
WHUFC.com
Darren Randolph's Republic of Ireland kept themselves in the hunt for World Cup qualification with a 1-1 draw against Austria on Sunday.
Ireland needed Jonathan Walters to pop up with an equaliser five minutes from time at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin after Martin Hinteregger gave Austria a first half lead. Walters' late strike was reward for an improved display in the second half from Ireland, who moved to the top of Group D in European qualification. Randolph earned his 22nd Republic of Ireland cap in the draw - 20 of which have come since his move to the Hammers from Birmingham in summer 2015. Elsewhere on Sunday, Andre Ayew and Ghana enjoyed a perfect start to their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign by dispatching Ethiopia 5-0 in Kumasi. Ghana top the four-team group after goals from Asamoah Gyan, John Boye, Ebenezer Ofori and Raphael Dwamena twice fired them to victory.
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Hammers fan Stephen Moyer relishes Hatton Garden Job role
WHUFC.com
West Ham United fan and Hatton Garden Job star Stephen Moyer has talked about how immersed himself in the role of Marcus Ford. The Essex-born actor takes on the role of East End high-roller Ford, who was one of the criminals involved in the now infamous burglary of safety deposit boxes containing jewellery worth an estimated £14m in April 2015. The underground heist saw a group of veteran thieves drill through 50cm thick vault walls before making off with their ill-gotten booty. Seven men have since been found guilty and jailed for their roles in the crime. The Hatton Garden Job, which was produced by Signature Entertainment and directed by Stephen Thompson, is available on Blu-Ray and DVD from all retailers nationwide from Monday 12 June at 9am – the perfect gift for Father's Day! Moyer, whose role as vampire Bill Compton in the hit HBO series True Blood has made him a household name, said he had to empathise with Ford, despite his criminal intentions and actions. "I think that it's very difficult to play any character if you don't find something that you like in them," the 47-year-old told ContactMusic.com. "Even if you read something and you don't particularly like the person, I'm not saying that that's the case with this, but you have to find something that you like about them in order to make it believable for you. "Ultimately, I always say that you kind of have to love the guy you're playing even if he's despicable. "I always end up loving the people I play. For me it's not about right or wrong unless the story's about right or wrong."
California-based Moyer, who has also starred in the recent hit drama Shots Fired, is a lifelong Hammer and visited the squad during their pre-season tour of the United States in summer 2016. The biggest heist in British history. This is the remarkable true story. The Hatton Garden Job is available on DVD and Blu-Ray on Monday.
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West Ham a possible loan destination for Joe Hart with wages stopping permanent deal
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 12/06/17 12:34pm
SSN
Manchester City will let England goalkeeper Joe Hart go on loan to West Ham if a permanent deal away from the Etihad Stadium cannot be agreed. Sky Sports News HQ understands West Ham are keeping tabs on Hart's situation, but his present wage deal means they would only consider a loan move. Hart spent the 2016/17 season away from City on loan, having signed for Serie A side Torino during last summer's transfer window. Both the player and his club expect more potential suitors to become apparent following the international break but, after England's 2-2 draw in Glasgow, Hart admitted he was yet to receive any offers for the next campaign. "I would love to give you a poker-straight answer, but I've got nothing at the moment because I think people are focused on international duty and respecting that players are focusing on international duty," Hart said "Come Tuesday night, I don't know how everyone else finishes, after that is when conversations can be had and people can start being real. "I need an offer first and then I need to work out my options if I have choices. I want to be playing at the highest possible level, pushing myself. "It's a short career. I want to push everything out of me. Physically I feel in great condition and I want to go again."
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Stay of execution for Supporters Club
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 12th June 2017
By: Staff Writer
The Hammers Supporters Club has been saved from closure following the formation of a new Committee. The club, based in Castle Street, was due to close at the end of May after the former Committee agreed to cease trading. However the Club has been saved, for now, after a new Committee was installed.
Paul Christmas, the Club's new Social Secretary told KUMB: "I am very pleased to announce that the members of the Hammers Supporters Club have supported and agreed to a rescue package for the club. "The HSC is looking at opening in Stratford in order to be closer to the new ground and has had discussions with West Ham United and Newham Council to this effect. "But without help and support from Hammers fans and members of the Club, it will be in serious trouble. We have lost enough of our West Ham heritage as it is. Let's not lose any more - and this time, this is in our OWN hands."
In order to help kick start the regeneration of the Club, Christmas revealed that several changes were already earmarked. "A new website will be opened shortly while all members from the past few years are to be contacted about joining again or continuing their membership," he confirmed. "You are welcome to contact us to help with time and costs! "There will also be the Hammer of the Year presentation in early August - further details to follow. The original HotY trophy now in its 70th year will be presented and it is hoped many of the club's players past and present will be there. "Membership will be £10 until 31 December. Membership forms are available at the Club or may be downloaded once the website is up an running."
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Nordtveit hints at early departure
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 12th June 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's Norwegian midfielder Havard Nordtveit has hinted that he may be open to a return to the Bundesliga this summer. The 26-year-old was Slaven Bilic's first signing of last summer, joining the Hammers on a free transfer after his contract with German side Borussia Mönchengladbach expired. However just one year into a five year contract, Nordtveit has suggested that all may not be as well as hoped at the Olympic Stadium - whilst admitting that he would not be averse to a return to Germany. And conveniently, at least three clubs - believed to include Hoffenheim, Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg - have been cited as possible destinations in the German press, leaving Nordtveit - whose potential departure is unlikely to be challenged by West Ham - with some thinking to do. " I still have four years left on his contract with West Ham and I'm getting ready to participate in preparation for the new season," he told dagbladet.no. "It starts in July. "Currently I'll let the speculation lie. But yes, I had success in Germany, absolutely. I was there for nearly six years - and I will never reject a return to the Bundesliga."
Nordtveit, who is valued at circa £4-5million made 22 appearances for West Ham during his first season at the club, including 16 in the Premier League.
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West Ham face competition in Iheanacho race
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 12th June 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham may face competition in the battle to sign Manchester City youngster Kelechi Iheanacho. The 20-year-old Nigerian has been linked with a move to the Olympic Stadium for some considerable time, but remains a City player. And West Ham's inability to complete a deal has alerted a string of other Premier League clubs, with Crystal Palace the latest to be linked with the promising youngster Darren Lewis, Mirror). Although he has been told he can leave the Etihad Stadium, Iheanacho has previously indicated his desire to stay and fight for a place. Everton and Swansea are also said to be monitoring the situation.
* In other news, West Ham are reported to have made a bid worth around £7million for Iheanacho's fellow country man Henry Onyekuru (Pieter-Jan Calcoen, HLN). The bid, which KUMB understands has been rejected falls short of the £8million valuation fee set by his current club, Eupen, who finished fourth from bottom of the Jupiler League last season.
* West Ham are one of several clubs keeping tabs on Manchester United defender Chris Smalling (various sources). The England international is reported to be surplus to requirements at Old Trafford and the Hammers - who made tentative enquiries into his availability last summer - are one of several clubs to have expressed an interest.
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New name, same game
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 12th June 2017
By: Staff Writer
The Football League Cup has been renamed the Carabao Cup after undergoing it's TENTH name change.
Created 57 years ago, the nation's second-biggest Cup competition has been renamed the Carabao Cup after the League secured a three-year contract with the Far East drinks manufacturer, who also sponsor Chelsea and Reading.
And tomorrow the draw for the first round will take place (in Bangkok, Thailand) although West Ham - along with the remaining Premier League clubs not involved in European competition - receive a bye to the Second Round.
First created for the 1960/61 season, the competition was known as the Football League Cup for its first 21 years before a deal with the Milk Marketing Board saw it renamed as the Milk Cup.
In 1986, mail order firm Littlewoods replaced the MMB as chief sponsor which saw the competition relaunched as the Littlewoods Challenge Cup - who were swiftly followed by Rumbelows (1991-1992), Coca Cola (1993-1998), Worthington's (199-2003), Carling (2004-2012) and Capital One (2013-2016).
Last season the Cup - for which the winners receive a place in the Europa League - returned to its sponsor-less state, although it was renamed as the EFL Cup prior to securing the deal with Carabou.
West Ham have never won the competition but reached the Final in 1966 (losing 5-2 on aggregate to West Bromwich Albion) and 1981, when European Champions Liverpool won a Villa Park replay 2-1.
The Hammers have also reached the semi finals on a further SIX occasions - against Leicester City (1963/64, lost 6-3 on aggregate), West Brom (1966/67 - lost 6-2 on agg), Stoke City (1971/72 lost second replay 3-2), Luton Town (1988/89 - lost 5-0 on agg), Oldham (1989/90 - lost 6-3 on agg) and Birmingham City (2010/11 - lost 4-3 on agg).
West Ham also reached the semi final of the 1999/2000 competition after beating Aston Villa in the quarter final on penalties, but were forced to replay the game - which they lost - after it was revealed that Manny Omoyinmi had featured for another club in the earlier stages of the competition whilst on loan.
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OZYAKUP REPORTEDLY KEEN ON BILIC REUNION
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
ReadWestHam
West Ham have been linked with a move for Besiktas midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup in recent days, and it's been claimed that he's keen on a reunion with Slaven Bilic.
According to a report today from the printed edition of Turkish news outlet Fanatik, as covered by Sport Witness, the exciting midfielder is open to a switch to the London Stadium as he seeks pastures new this summer.
Ozyakup has gone from strength to strength with Besiktas ever since his move from Arsenal, and he could very well be set to depart Turkey for a return to the Premier League in the coming months.
It's stated that Besiktas will demand a sum of €15m to lure Ozyakup away – a sum that is almost certainly affordable to Bilic and West Ham.
The Turkey international is entering the final year of his contract at Besiktas, and this could play to West Ham's advantage as they look to bring him to the club.
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Manuel Lanzini set to make full Argentina debut in a bizarre formation as Messi and Higuain miss out
The Hammers magician is set to start for his country for the first time
Football London
BYROB GUEST
18:18, 12 JUN 2017
Manuel Lanzini will be handed his first Argentina start by manager Jorge Sampaoli in tomorrow's friendly with Singapore. The West Ham midfielder made his international debut on Friday against Brazil after coming on in the 80 minute in the 1-0 win in Melbourne. Recently appointed manager Sampaoli has named his starting XI for the friendly and it includes the 24-year-old after an impressive season in east London.
Rafael Oliveira ✔ @OliveiraRafa
O "2-3-4-1" que Sampaoli pode usar no amistoso de amanhã contra Cingapura. Roda o elenco e vai com time bem ofensivo
1:54 PM - 12 Jun 2017
19 19 Retweets 116 116 likes
Argentina certainly looks like they are going all out to score goals in Kallang after Sampaoli elected to line up with an unusual 2-3-4-1 formation. Lanzini will start alongside Angel Di Maria, Paulo Dybala and Alejandro Gomez as part of the four attackers who will support lone striker Joaquin Correa. Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain will not be involved in the friendly at the National Stadium after they both withdrew from the match in Singapore.
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WEST HAM FIRST CLUB TO OFFER FOR ONYEKURU
SAM HAMMOND @SamHammondSFC
ReadWestHam
West Ham are the first and only club to make a formal bid for Nigerian striker Henry Onyekuru. Nigerian news outlet Own Goal Nigeria report that a 'top official' from his club KAS Eupen has stated that the Hammers are the only side to table a bid for the youngster.
Onyekuru has lit up the Belgian league recently – finishing joint top scorer in the past campaign at just 19-years-old. He has been heavily linked with a move to fellow London club Arsenal, and a fee was understood to have be agreed, but it appears the deal fell through. West Ham are now said to be the front-runners in the race to sign the forward, but teams such as Newcastle and Swansea City are claimed to hold an interest in the KAS Eupen man too. Onyekuru is capable on both sides of an attacking trident and most naturally in the centre – a player that would certainly be welcome at the London Stadium as Slaven Bilic's side aim to build on last season's disappointing 11th place finish.
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West Ham transfer news: Bilic wants Hart loan; Onyekuru tipped to sign next week and more
HITC
Vincent Ralph
A select round-up of the latest news relating to West Ham United.
England's Joe Hart
According to a report from the Sun, West Ham United are ready to approach Manchester City with an offer to initially sign goalkeeper Joe Hart on loan before buying him permanently next summer. The report claims that the Hammers would struggle to afford Hart's £100,000-a-week wages and City's £18million asking price this summer, hoping instead to bring him in during this transfer window but only pay a fee in 12 months. It is a somewhat strange proposal but it perhaps suggests that West Ham are keen to put the majority of their transfer funds into strengthening elsewhere, knowing that Hart is surplus to requirements at City following the arrival of Ederson from Benfica earlier this month.
In other news, the Daily Mail claims Eupen forward Henry Onyekuru will travel to London next week to conclude a £7million move to the London Stadium. It had been suggested that Arsenal would get the Nigerian goal-scorer in a cut-price deal but now it seems West Ham have beaten the Gunners to the punch. Fresh off the back of a blistering campaign, Onyekuru will reportedly fly to England on Tuesday if talks progress in the interim.
According to Sky Sports, West Ham will have to fork out £20million if they want to bring Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud to the club this summer. Slaven Bilic's side may well look to bring in two new forwards this summer after so many of their goal-scoring options under-performed last time out, yet a move for the French international seems unlikely at this stage. And finally, the Mirror claims West Ham are open to selling January signing Robert Snodgrass in this window. It shows how little impact the Scotland international has had at the Hammers thus far, but despite that a whole host of clubs are said to be keen including Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland, who will all be competing for promotion from the Championship next season.
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What happens to West Ham's Andy Carroll is Olivier Giroud is signed
HITC
Shane Callaghan
West Ham United are interested in the Arsenal hitman, according to reports. If rumours are to be believed then West Ham United want Olivier Giroud from Arsenal. The Mirror reported on the weekend that the £20 million-rated striker is fed up with a bit-part role at the Emirates and West Ham will offer the Frenchman an escape route. Should such a transfer materialise then there would probably be no room for Andy Carroll with the East Londoners any longer. They are both towering strikers, with very limited mobility, and logically manager Slavan Bilic has no need for two of them at the club, meaning that Carroll - a £15 million signing in 2013 - might well end up leaving East London. And that would not be a disaster. Despite them both being of a similar mould, Giroud is a better number nine with more dimensions to his game than the 28-year-old. The France international, 30, reminded Arsenal fans what he was capable of with a truly stunning volley against Sweden on Friday night, having hit 12 goals in 11 Premier League starts for the Gunners last season.
Plus, he is nowhere near as injury prone as Carroll, who has started 52 Premier League matches since the 2013-14 campaign. If the West Ham boss does move for him then the implication might be that Carroll can leave. Giroud is two years older, but he is certainly an upgrade.
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West Ham midfielder refuses to rule out transfer as three Bundesliga clubs consider bids
It hasn't been a smooth first season in east London for Havard Nordtveit
Football London
BYROB GUEST
21:00, 11 JUN 2017UPDATED21:13, 11 JUN 2017
West Ham United midfielder Havard Nordtveit is refusing to rule out a return to Germany after three Bundesliga clubs were linked with potential summer moves. The Norwegian only joined the Hammers last season from Borussia Monchengladbach but Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg are all reportedly interested in his signature. Nordtveit endured a difficult first season in east London and only made 16 appearances but he impressed towards the end of the campaign in his preferred role as a defensive midfielder. Despite claiming earlier in the week that he was looking forward to starting next season with the Hammers, the 26-year-old has not ruled out a return to Germany in the future. Nordtveit, speaking to Dagbladet in his home country, said: "At the moment, I let the speculation lie.
"I still have four years left on his contract with West Ham. And I'm getting ready to take part in preparations for the new season."
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Kelechi Iheanacho told he will leave Manchester City as talks continue with West Ham – report
ByCity WatchPosted on June 11, 2017
Kelechi Iheanacho is set to be one of the more unfortunate victims of Pep Guardiola's summer overhaul at Manchester City, despite the 20-year-old being desperate to stay at the club that brought him to England. According to an exclusive article for The West Ham Way by ExWHUEmployee, undoubtedly the most reliable West Ham source around, the Nigerian has been told to brace himself for an Etihad departure.
West Ham have been in talks to sign Kelechi but have found negotiations with Man City difficult, the problem largely surrounding City's demand for a buy-back clause in any sale. Despite frustration for the Hammers so far, talks continue and are not dead. If West Ham do fail to strike a deal for the clinical young striker, many other clubs are interested. It is thought that City could demand over £20 million for Kelechi, which would represent one of the club's biggest profits ever on a player. For now, negotiations go on but it appears to be only a matter of time until Kelechi Iheanacho says goodbye to Manchester City.
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Joe Hart admits he hasn't had a single offer to leave Manchester City
Simon Rice for Metro.co.uk
Sunday 11 Jun 2017 10:59 pm
Joe Hart has admitted he's not had a single offer despite it being clear he has no future at Manchester City. The England No 1 spent last season on loan with Serie A side Torino after being pushed out by Pep Guardiola. Hart is due to return to Manchester City next month, however the club recently signed Ederson for £34.7million from Benfica. The Brazilian's arrival confirmed there is no place for Hart at the Etihad. Liverpool, West Ham and Manchester United have all been linked with a swoop for the two-time Premier League title winner. However if any of them are interested, they're yet to show it. 'I need an offer first, then I can work out my options,' the 30-year-old admitted. 'I've got nothing at the moment. My situation now is interesting and patience is going to be the key.' He continued: 'I'm lucky I've got this great distraction of being involved with my country — and then we will see. 'I'd love to be withholding information about my future but I don't have information to withhold. 'I have not spoken to City. They have obviously signed a new keeper and I get the direction where they are going. 'I'm not a kid any more. I can't just pack my stuff like a 17-year-old and go on loan — I like stability.' Hart, who has 71 caps for England but who will be rested for the upcoming friendly against France, revealed he could be available for a reasonable fee. 'I don't think City are going to price me out of a move,' he said. 'There is no animosity between the two parties. 'I just want to play football. That's what I live and breathe — and I want to play at the highest possible level.
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Aaron Cresswell will seize chance to hammer former West Ham team-mate Dimitri Payet
JAMES OLLEY
Evening Standard
The prospect of sharing a pitch with Dimitri Payet once again prompts Aaron Cresswell to break out into a smile. It is, in that moment, difficult to interpret given the acrimonious manner in which Payet departed West Ham less than six months ago, thereby ending his club association with Cresswell and the rest of his disbelieving team-mates. Payet forced through his move back to Marseille in unedifying circumstances, signing a new contract which included a £1million loyalty bonus payment in September only to refuse to play for the club by January. He was subsequently instructed by manager Slaven Bilic to train with the reserves and the inevitable but protracted exit which followed preceded a stream of damning vitriol from West Ham's co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan, most prominent among the accusations was of a lack of respect towards everyone at the club.
It would be easy to assume, then, that Cresswell might view Tuesday night's friendly between France and England in Paris with particular relish. Manager Gareth Southgate is expected to make several changes in the wake of Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Scotland. For the second time in three days after last week's general election, the United Kingdom witnessed something originally billed as a coronation ending in an unexpectedly fierce contest. The need to re-energise a squad showing the effects of a long Premier League season will further encourage rotation and Cresswell is a contender to be involved at the Stade de France having been an unused substitute at Hampden Park. If successful, it would only be his second senior cap following an 11-minute appearance against Spain last November.
Payet played 76 minutes of France's surprise 2-1 defeat to Sweden in Stockholm on Friday and were he to line up against Cresswell on Tuesday evening, there would be a few Hammers fans willing him on to make his presence felt with a firm tackle or two, won't there?
"That's football," the 27-year-old told Standard Sport. "It is good to test yourself against some of the best players in the world and France have certainly got them. It is going to be another tough venue to go to, similar to Saturday. We are looking forward to it.
"I've just mentioned world-class players and Dimi is certainly up there. I only spent 18 months with him but I certainly know what he is all about, certainly his free-kicks and stuff but not just Dimi, they have got some very good players.
Payet cited homesickness as the reason for leaving West Ham but in March he told France newspaper L'Equipe that "I had no desire to play in the lower reaches of the Premier League". While focusing his attention on Bilic's "defensive" system which left him "pissed off" and "bored", the implied criticism of his team-mates could understandably provoke anger and frustration in those he left behind.
Cresswell, however, reserved special praise for Payet. "He was sort of unheard of before he joined the Premier League and West Ham," said Cresswell. "For me personally, I didn't know much about him. But you knew he had the quality after a week or two training with us.
"He is arguably the best player I have played with and he certainly showed that day in, day out in training and of course in the games.
"Of course. It would have been nice to see him stay. Nobody knows his reason why he wanted to leave but it is what it is. We move on. People move on and the club moves on. "It won't be strange [to play against him] because I used to face him sometimes in training. You think you know him inside out but we'll see what happens on the day. I concentrate on my own game and I want to do well."
Danny Rose's knee injury has given his rivals a chance to press their case to be England's left-back, a position in which Southgate looks to be particularly well stocked. Ryan Bertrand performed well against Scotland, a display Cresswell will hope to surpass having beaten both Kieran Gibbs and Luke Shaw into the squad. "There have been plenty of top left-backs over the years and you look at it now with Bertrand, Luke Shaw and Danny Rose – there are plenty there to fight with," said Cresswell. "You have got to do the best for your club first and foremost and hopefully the manager will see a performance that merits a place in the team."
Southgate experimented with a 3-4-2-1 shape in England's previous friendly against Germany in March to positive effect and Cresswell has already proven his tactical flexibility at club level, with Bilic switching between a three-man and four-man defence during the campaign. "I've played both positions at West Ham in three at the back or four at the back," he said. "I'm more than capable of doing that. Whatever the manager wants to play, I am sure the lads will adapt. "I don't have a preference really. It is all down to the preference of the manager, the opposition you are going to play and what formation is going to suit the team."
Any experimentation will only enhance the end of season feel at the end of another gruelling campaign but Cresswell insisted there would be no letting up. "It doesn't matter if it's a friendly match or a qualifier," he said. "You still want to win. As footballers, that's what you want to do – you want to win games and trophies. There is not one single lad in there who is going to take their foot off the gas, knowing it's a friendly match and take it easy. That won't be the case. We want to win every game." Payet's presence may just focus a few minds, too.
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Havard Nordtveit admits to disappointment over debut West Ham season as he hints at Bundesliga return
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard
Havard Nordtveit has admitted that he did not expect his move to West Ham to transpire in the way it has after a disappointing return to the Premier League. Former Arsenal midfielder returned to England after five years at Borussia Monchengladbach on a free transfer last summer, joining Slaven Bilic's side on a free transfer. Nordtveit was expected to be a regular in West Ham's midfield, where he would add physicality and tackling ability, but largely struggled to establish himself on Bilic's team-sheet. The 26-year-old made only 16 Premier League appearances for West Ham this season and was named in the starting lineup on only three occasions after January 2.
With ankle injuries also curtailing Nordtveit's involvement it has not been the glorious return to England the Norwegian international had dreamed off and he did little to dispel rumours of a return to the Bundesliga. "It was not like I had envisioned it to be," Nordtveit told Dagbladet of his first season at the London Stadium. "For now I let the speculation lie. I still have four years left on my contract with West Ham. "Yes I had success in Germany… I will never reject a return to the Bundesliga."
Nordtveit has been linked with both Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg in recent weeks.
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WEST HAM BID FOR HENRY ONYEKURU REJECTED
ABDULLAH MULLA @AbzMulla6
ReadWestHam
Belgian club Eupen have turned down West Ham United's £7m bid for exciting forward Henry Onyekuru because they want to sell him to a more "prestigious club", according to Belgian reporter Kristof Terreur.
The 20-year-old striker seemed to be convinced by the Hammers to move to the Premier League to join them as he had been given the promise of first team football, however, his club looks like they don't want to sell to West Ham and would rather sell to the likes of London rivals Arsenal.
The Nigerian International scored a whopping 25 goals last season and registered 14 assists, which has attracted interest from major European clubs. Arsenal were in pole position before West Ham registered their interest in Onyekuru and it seemed a move to the Hammers was on the cards but Eupen are not keen to sell to them.
Onyekuru can operate anywhere in the front-line, however, he does prefer the left side as if offers him space to run with the ball at his feet. He likes to cut in on his stronger right foot and shoot but he can also go down the line and use his weaker foot to deliver the ball into the box.
His quick feet have been a nightmare for defenders in the Belgian league this season and with Hammers boss Slaven Bilic looking to add firepower up front, he seemed to be the perfect man.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Tuesday, June 13
Sunday, June 11
Daily WHUFC News - 12th June 2017
West Ham star Pedro Obiang says he will be fit for start of pre-season
WHUFC.com
Pedro Obiang says he is on track to be fit for the start of pre-season
training. The West Ham United midfielder has been working hard on his rehab
after suffering a leg injury in the Premier League defeat by Leicester City
at London Stadium in March. The Spaniard underwent season-ending surgery,
but his professional approach and natural athleticism mean he should be
ready to go when the Hammers return to the pitch in early July. "I'm coming
back to Rush Green to continue my fitness work in a few days because I have
to work for to be ready for the fifth of July," he told whufc.com on the
second anniversary of his arrival in east London. "I been on holiday with my
family and some friends to Mykonos and Athens in Greece, Belgrade in Serbian
and Montenegro, which was both interesting and relaxing, but now is the time
to think about my work because I want to be ready to train and play."
Obiang enjoyed a breakthrough 2016/17 season in Claret and Blue, making 30
appearances and scoring his maiden goal in the Premier League win at
Southampton. Reflecting on his opening two years as a Hammer, Obiang cited
that goal, as well as the Final Game victory over Manchester United at the
Boleyn Ground in May 2016 among his standout moments. "I have many good
memories of my time with West Ham," he said. "The last game in Upton Park,
the atmosphere and everything was amazing, and of course the game in the FA
Cup against Liverpool when Angelo Ogbonna scored the winner in the last
minute.
"This last season, the best moments were when I scored my first goal and
when I saw the videos of the supporters singing my song!"
An all-round midfielder who can break up play and put his own team on the
offensive, the 25-year-old is aiming to become a more potent attacking
threat next term. "I have two things to improve," he confirmed. "I need to
shoot more at the goal and give more assists to my teammates." One of those
teammates will be new signing Pablo Zabaleta, who has agreed to join the
Club following a super spell with Manchester City. Obiang believes the
Argentinian full-back will add a great deal to the West Ham squad. "I think
he is a really good player, a nice player," said the No14. "He has great
experience and he can help us to became more solid and competitive."
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Bobby Moore was always destined for greatness, says long-time pal Brian Dear
WHUFC.com
Today marks the 59th anniversary of a landmark moment in West Ham United
history – Bobby Moore signed apprentice terms with the Club. After catching
the eye while playing for Essex schoolboys, Moore was invited to train at
Chadwell Heath, where he continued his development as a member of the Colts
side. Under the guidance of manager Ted Fenton and first-team centre-half
and coach Malcolm Allison, Moore's game flourished and the teenager was
rewarded with an apprenticeship and joined the Boleyn Ground groundstaff. In
August 1958, Allison's illness gave Moore, still just 17, an opportunity to
make his first-team debut in a First Division fixture with Manchester
United. The Hammers won 3-2 and the rest, as they say, is history.
A year later, another local lad who would make good followed in Moore's
footsteps by joining the Club at the age of 15 and going on to star for the
first team – Brian Dear. The striker became close pals with the centre-back,
who was two-and-a-half years his senior, and the friendship endured until
Moore's tragic passing from cancer in February 1993, aged just 51. Dear
spoke to whufc.com about Moore's formative years and how his ability and
determination to succeed helped the great defender overcome any physical
shortcomings he may have had. "Going back to when he signed as an
apprentice, Bobby got nothing and when he became a professional his family
got £20 for signing and £12 a week, whereas now clubs are paying five or ten
million for players who never go on to play in the first team!" Dear began.
"I was lucky enough to come across Bob in 1959/60, when we were back in the
First Division and he was 18 and trying to establish himself in the first
team. "But of course those were the days before big matchday squads and
substitutes, so I played regularly alongside Bob in our Metropolitan League
side. We were lucky enough to play competitive football every week. "Bob
made the game look quite easy, even at that age. It was in early 1960 that
he got his place in the first team on a regular basis and we didn't see as
much of him then, as his career really took off."
While Moore missed just four First Division fixtures in 1960/61, with the
manager who handed him is debut, Fenton, being replaced by the visionary Ron
Greenwood with a month of the season to go. The following year, 1962,
Greenwood handed Dear his own debut, reuniting him with old pal Moore in a
goalless top-flight draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Over the next few
seasons, the pair would turn out alongside one another dozens more times,
most notably during the run to European Cup Winners' Cup glory in 1964/65.
"From the very start, you could tell that Bob was going to be a good
player," Dear, now 73, confirmed. "The management found out he wasn't that
quick, but we played 4-2-4 and he just sat there alongside Ken Brown and his
game progressed. "He started something really different as a defender.
Everyone said he couldn't jump and he couldn't do this or that, but 640-odd
games and 108 England caps, 90 of them as captain, he must have been doing
something right!"
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Darren Randolph targets place at 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia
WHUFC.com
Having starred for his country at UEFA Euro 2016, Darren Randolph would love
nothing more than to represent Republic of Ireland at next summer's FIFA
World Cup finals in Russia.
Randolph produced a series of outstanding displays to help Ireland qualify
via a Play-Off victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, qualify from a group
that also included Italy, Sweden and Italy and push hosts France all the way
in the Round of 16.
The Boys in Green have faced Mexico and Uruguay in friendly internationals
since the Premier League season ended, but are now ready for their third,
final and most important of three summer post-season matches – a World Cup
European Group D qualifier with Austria at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on Sunday
11 June.
Victory over the Austrians will put Randolph and company in a very strong
position, with leaders Serbia hosting third place Wales in Belgrade on the
same date.
Wins for Ireland and Serbia would put the pair seven points clear of their
rivals on 14 points, with four rounds of matches left to play. The group
winners qualify automatically, while the runners-up will go into a play-off.
Republic of Ireland host Serbia in Dublin on 5 September.
"We can definitely finish in the top two," Randolph continued. "It's like
any small group, if you can take points off the teams who are going to be
the biggest threats to you to qualify, those wins are massive.
"In our group there is Serbia, Wales, Austria and ourselves who everyone
else would have said would be up there to qualify – no disrespect to Georgia
or Moldova – so if we manage to beat Austria, if won't secure any
qualification, but it makes it a bit easier.
"Our ultimate goal is to qualify for Russia next summer."
Ireland have not been to a World Cup finals since Japan/South Korea 2002,
when Mick McCarthy's squad reached the Round of 16.
The Boys in Green also famously reached the quarter-finals at Italia '90,
before West Ham Academy graduate Ray Houghton's winner against Italy helped
them reach the Round of 16 at USA '96 – both under Jack Charlton.
Randolph has been part of O'Neil's squad in each of the last two summers,
sitting on the bench for the goalless friendly draw with England in June
2015, before keeping goal for his country at UEFA Euro 2016 a year ago.
In all, the 30-year-old Hammer has been capped 21 times since making his
debut against Oman at Craven Cottage in September 2011.
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Snodgrass' Scotland pick up point against England
WHUFC.com
Robert Snodgrass collected his 24th Scotland cap on Saturday as his side
picked up a point in a 2-2 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw with England at
Hampden Park. The midfielder started and played 65 minutes before being
replaced by Ryan Fraser for Gordan Strachen's outfit who remain six points
behind the Three Lions at the top of Group F. Meanwhile, Aaron Cresswell –
the Hammers left-back included in Gareth Southgate's squad – was left on the
substitutes' bench north of the border, with Southampton's Ryan Bertrand
filling the berth on the left side of defence. Leigh Griffiths was the man
in the spotlight in the clash, overturning England's one-goal advantage with
four minutes remaining, curling home two beautiful free-kicks from almost
the exact same position 25 yards from goal with three minutes separating the
strikes. Both sides had their chances before the opener, with Jake Livermore
hitting the post for the visitors in the second half before Andrew Robertson
lashed over from a good position shortly after. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
opened the scoring though, smashing in with his left foot shortly after
replacing Marcus Rashford from the bench. The points looked to be heading
south but with four minutes remaining on the clock, Griffiths stepped up and
levelled before beating Joe Hart once again moments later. There was a final
late twist however, as Harry Kane finished well from close range to silence
the home supporters and make the scoreline 2-2 as the referee's final
whistle sounded. Scotland now wait until September for their next fixture –
another World Cup qualifier against Lithuania – while England face France in
an international friendly on Tuesday, giving Cresswell another chance to
grab his second international cap.
Havard Nordtveit was also in action on Saturday, as his Norway side faced
the Czech Republic in Group C qualifying, with the clash ending in a 1-1
stalemate.
Theodor Gebe Selassie gave the visitors the lead before Alexander Soderlund
equalised for Nordtveit's team, who are 14 points below top of the group
Germany, who have a 100 per cent record in qualifying. Alexander Soderland
opened the scoring for Nordtveit's team before
Elsewhere, West Ham's Dan Kemp celebrated England U20s' Toulon Tournament
triumph as the Young Lions beat the Ivory Coast on penalties in the final.
The promising winger, who was instrumental in the youngsters reaching the
final, was left as a sub in the match which finished 1-1 after extra time.
Sheffield United midfielder Daniel Brooks scored the opener in the tie and
it looked to be the winner until the final minutes, when opponents Ivory
Coast grabbed a late equaliser through Ake Loba. There were no nerves from
the U20s from 12 yards though, as they converted all five of their
penalties, with Jean Amani missing the crucial spot-kick for Cote d'Ivoire,
meaning Kemp and England lifted the highly coveted trophy for the second
year running.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE'S EXCLUSIVE COLUMN: TRANSFER AND KIT UPDATES
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 11 JUNE 2017 AT 10:41AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
So this column comes a little earlier than I had expected but some of the
news I was going to talk about is breaking elsewhere so I thought I should
get it out now. Most of this has been covered in my section on the radio
show.
So transfers are what most people want to hear about and this is where I
will start. Iheanacho is the first one. Talks have been ongoing and largely
around his buy back clause. These talks have been quite frustrating and not
as productive as we would have hoped however they are not dead. Iheanacho
wants to stay at Manchester City and the injury to Gabriel Jesus in the week
is not ideal. The situation however is that he was told he will leave the
club and that he has to brace himself for this. There are other clubs
interested in him and it will be interesting to see how this transfer
develops over the week however he is still very much a target of ours.
There is more positive news for another Nigerian and that is Henry Onyekuru
who is a 20 year old who scored 25 goals and got 14 assists last season for
Eupen who are one of the smaller teams in the league. He has played on the
wing and upfront and is said to have traits that are similar to his namesake
Thierry Henry. This versatility is an attractive option for us. The only
problem with this transfer is that he has only played one international game
which means he could struggle for a work permit but his transfer fee, wages
and performances last season may enable this to go through under the special
talent rule. There is a release clause of £7m for this deal and he is said
to have turned down Arsenal already. He had met with their officials but
because they cannot promise him first team football he has turned them down
which shows a good attitude in my opinion. He has interest from other clubs
and is expected to choose us over them when he flies into the training
ground on Tuesday. This story was covered on our radio show on Wednesday,
it has been picked up by Simon Jones of the Mail too but this is often the
case with him and my news. I have spoke to the mail about securing some
form of acknowledgment for his regular use of my stories but unless I want
to go through a legal proceeding I can't. So this is likely to happen
throughout the summer as a heads up.
We still have a very strong interest in Batshuayi of Chelsea and hope that
Chelsea will complete the signing of Lukaku, keep Costa and maybe add
another forward to this deal. We are likely to loan the Belgian
international but the only problem could be that Everton ask for him as part
of the Lukaku deal. If Batshuayi doesn't come or moves elsewhere we could
turn to Traore or Abraham from the same club on loan deals. Both had
impressive loan spells at Ajax and Bristol City with impressive goals to
games records. We do have some concerns about their ability to transfer
this to the top flight but a loan deal could ease those worries.
Breaking news last night was that we would be after Giroud. This is an
interest that we have had for many years and you can trace this back through
my columns, the "If I owned the club" alternative ITK feature we ran last
year and hope to resurrect this year and through my tweets. We have always
rated the player and made a move for him last summer. His age, lack of
football this year and the fact Arsenal look set to sign another former
target of ours in Lacazette could mean that he becomes available. We would
certainly move for the player and have said we will match any offer that
goes in for him. A similar policy that we did with Fonte and Snodgrass
which has often been overlooked by the board bashers although of course in
this case neither proved to be a great signing. There is also lesser
interest in Lucas Perez another Arsenal forward who is also out of favour at
present.
Forward is the number one priority and the club are determined to not have a
repeat of last summer where these players didn't come (I also covered other
targets on the radio show which I will not repeat again. Here is the link:
https://www.mixcloud.com/phoenixfm/the-west-ham-way-show-44-07-jun-2017/ In
other news we had scout Thomas Hengen, someone who Tony Henry brought with
him from Everton at the Under 20s World Cup looking for new talent. The
transfer window is only just opening and it is important to not be too
negative if the deals are not completed yet although I can understand why
people are worried after last year.
The home shirt has been leaked online because it has gone on sale in
Thailand and Hammers Thailand facebook group have put them online. You can
see the picture below.
The shorts have now been changed to plain white with the badge on one leg
and a claret Umbro on the other leg. The socks are also white with a thin
Claret hoop and a large light blue hoop near the top. There is a Claret
Umbro badge in the middle and some Claret stripe hoops near the ankle which
looks a bit like a barcode. The goalkeeper kit that goes with the home
shirt is all yellow except for some green going up to the arm and under the
arm pit down to the elbow on each sleeve. The shorts and the socks are
exactly the same as the outfit kit except they are yellow and where there is
a light blue hoop on the socks it is a green hoop. There are two potential
dates schedule for the launch one is next Thursday the 15th of June (which I
think will be the new date due to the online leaks) or the original date of
Wednesday 21st June. You can hear the kits first being described on the
radio show in my section on this show:
https://www.mixcloud.com/phoenixfm/the-west-ham-way-show-42-24-may-2017/
There is a third shirt and this is all light blue with a thin claret ending
to both sleeves and a button collar which the other shirts do not have. The
shorts are white with a Claret stripe running down each side. The keeper
shirt for the third shirt kit is all dark green with claret in the same
place as the green on the home keeper shirt. This shirt is due to be
released just before the season starts. I have seen the designs for each
shirt for a while now and have them on my phone, as a few people including
Sammy McNess, can vouch for but have chosen to not release them online due
to the legal implications having spoken to the club about it.
Speaking of Sammy don't forget to get your tickets for his up and coming
fight on the 8th July. It promises to be a great West Ham event and in the
absence of the football this is the perfect substitute. To get tickets make
sure you contact Sammy via his email TeamMcNess@gmail.com
We are hoping to continue with our radio show weekly throughout the summer
including one in Ibiza! If you fancy coming to Ibiza with a load of West Ham
fans then we are out there on the 30th July. Next week we are delighted to
have Sammy on our show and there will be further transfer updates there!
Make sure that you tune in!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend! COYI
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A VIEW FROM ACROSS THE POND
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 10 JUNE 2017 AT 8:36PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
By @WestHamAmerican
The chairmen of the 20 Premier League clubs are set to meet this week in
Harrogate, and one of the early reports is that the "Big Six" owners are
making demands of a greater share of the broadcast revenues. Whether this is
some idea to make BPL clubs more competitive in the Champion's League
(doubtful) or just a ploy to increase the wealth of the club owners
(probable) it is a bad idea for the league and for all of English football.
Many remember the blunt statement from Ian Ayre, the former Liverpool
executive, who stated a few years ago that "in Kuala Lumpur there isn't
anyone subscribing to ESPN to watch Bolton." While certainly not winning
Old Ian any love from the neighborhood surrounding Macron Stadium, he is
probably correct in that assessment. Those in America that regularly watch
the Premier League overwhelmingly support one of those top six clubs. As a
West Ham supporter in the United States, I am more likely to encounter a
bear walking down my small town's streets than another claret-clad West Ham
fan. But a healthy league must have parity. Each of the 20 clubs in this
league must at least have hope and a path to a top 5 finish in the next
three seasons, or else the Premier League becomes top-heavy and predictable
like the other major European leagues.
In fact, the improbable championship won by Leicester City last year, was
great for the Premier League as a product. It proved that a scrappy but
determined side with small wages could deliver a championship to its fans.
As unlikely as the Foxes' run was in 2016, could a club in their second year
of promotion pull off that feat in the French, German, or the Spanish
leagues? Very doubtful. It was the fair distribution of the massive Premier
League broadcast revenue that at least gives bottom ten clubs a chance.
I often tend to contrast Premier League policies with the NFL in the USA.
This is because it's the most financially successful sports league in the
states. Not only do they share their broadcast income, but they also share
apparel sales. While there will always be some teams with better stadium
arrangements and attendance revenue, every team has a chance, and thus the
NFL remains popular because all the fans have hope. In over 50 years of
Super Bowl play all but four of the 32 clubs have at least won their way
into the final game once. Almost every team can boast a top 2 finish at
some point. And with the NFL draft, the worst team doesn't get relegated,
but gets the first choice of the top "academy" talent. It would be as if
Sunderland, by virtue of their poor finish, had the rights to pick the best
U-23 player in England as their reward of failure. Alas, some NFL clubs
are so poorly managed; they can't find success even under that arrangement.
But my point is parity is good for the success of the league. At the
beginning of the season, NFL teams all at least have hope to compete unlike
our baseball teams which have much greater inequities in their wage
structures between the top clubs and the bottom clubs.
In America, Premier League matches have better ratings than our own MLS
matches do. The Premier League's viewership numbers are successful in the
US and they continue to grow. (West Ham finished with the 5th highest
average viewership in America this season, better than Spurs and Chelsea,
although our matches were broadcast half as many times.) Our people enjoy
the English version of the game. There are 300 million fans to be won over
here.
Hopefully the BPL owners will keep the playing field as level as possible.
I really don't see the other 14 team owners voting to grant the bigger clubs
more money, but for the health of the Premier League, another
Leicester-style surprise would certainly be better than Chelsea and
Manchester City splitting the next five championships.
Now, let's sign that 20 goal-a-season striker and we'll write our own
unlikely story.
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Arsenal face missing out on Henry Onyekuru as West Ham push to finalise £7m
deal for Nigerian sensation
The 20-year-old struck 25 goals and made 14 more in a superb year for Eupen
in the Belgian First Division A
The Mirror
BYJACK RATHBORN
17:25, 11 JUN 2017UPDATED17:27, 11 JUN 2017
Arsenal look set to miss out on Henry Onyekuru as West Ham grow in
confidence that they have won the race for the Nigerian super talent. The
Eupen forward has been linked with the Gunners but the Hammers appear close
to finalising a deal, report the Mail. A £6.8m release clause appears to be
a bargain for whoever signs the 20-year-old given he struck 25 goals and
made 14 more to ensure the Pandas avoided relegation. Onyekuru is rumoured
to be planning a visit to the capital on Tuesday for a medical. The Nigeria
international will command wages of around £35,000-per-week in order to
remove the hurdle of a work permit. It will prove to be quite the coup for
West Ham and add to the sense of optimism after Pablo Zabaleta joined on a
free transfer from Manchester City. Arsenal, Lille, Anderlecht and Club
Brugge were all prepared to meet Onyekuru's buy-out clause, while Monaco,
Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan have also been linked.
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West Ham target transfer of Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud after he reveals
frustration at being on the bench
There's also interest from Marseille and clubs in Italy but the Hammers are
confident they can match any offers
The Mirror
BYTOM HOPKINSON
22:30, 10 JUN 2017
West Ham are ready to make a stunning move for Arsenal's Olivier Giroud.
France international Giroud confirmed last week that he "will not settle for
another year with such limited playing time" at the Emirates. There has
already been interest in the 30-year-old from French giants Marseille and
several clubs in Italy, but the Hammers are confident they can match any
offer and keep the £20million striker in London. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger
and chief executive Ivan Gazidis were in Nice last week, reportedly talking
to Lyon president Jean Michael-Aulas about Alexandre Lacazette, while their
desire to sign 18-year-old sensation Kylian Mbappe from Monaco is also
confirmed — and neither frontman would join to play second-fiddle to Giroud.
In the season just ended, Alexis Sanchez was often preferred through the
middle, and Wenger went with Danny Welbeck ahead of Giroud in the FA Cup
final. Giroud, capped 63 times by France, cost Arsenal £13m when he joined
from Montpellier in 2012 and has scored 69 goals in 118 Premier League
appearances for the club. But despite that impressive record he still splits
opinion among Gunners fans and, despite the respect Wenger has for a player
who worked his way up from the French football's lower tiers, he isn't
automatically Plan A for his manager.
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West Ham put Robert Snodgrass up for sale less than five months after his
£10m transfer
The Scotland midfielder has only started eight games for the Hammers but
they have decided he doesn't fit their plans
The Mirror
BYNEIL MOXLEY
22:30, 10 JUN 2017
West Ham are looking to offload Robert Snodgrass just months after paying
£10million for him. The Hammers are willing to take a hit on the Scotland
international midfielder, who started just eight games after his arrival
from Hull. However, the East Enders have realised Snodgrass is not the right
fit – and they will listen to offers. Championship sides Middlesbrough,
Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday would all take the 29-year-old, but he
does not want to drop down from the Premier League. West Ham believe
promoted Brighton would be a good fit, but they may have to supplement his
wages of more than £50,000 a week.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Pedro Obiang says he is on track to be fit for the start of pre-season
training. The West Ham United midfielder has been working hard on his rehab
after suffering a leg injury in the Premier League defeat by Leicester City
at London Stadium in March. The Spaniard underwent season-ending surgery,
but his professional approach and natural athleticism mean he should be
ready to go when the Hammers return to the pitch in early July. "I'm coming
back to Rush Green to continue my fitness work in a few days because I have
to work for to be ready for the fifth of July," he told whufc.com on the
second anniversary of his arrival in east London. "I been on holiday with my
family and some friends to Mykonos and Athens in Greece, Belgrade in Serbian
and Montenegro, which was both interesting and relaxing, but now is the time
to think about my work because I want to be ready to train and play."
Obiang enjoyed a breakthrough 2016/17 season in Claret and Blue, making 30
appearances and scoring his maiden goal in the Premier League win at
Southampton. Reflecting on his opening two years as a Hammer, Obiang cited
that goal, as well as the Final Game victory over Manchester United at the
Boleyn Ground in May 2016 among his standout moments. "I have many good
memories of my time with West Ham," he said. "The last game in Upton Park,
the atmosphere and everything was amazing, and of course the game in the FA
Cup against Liverpool when Angelo Ogbonna scored the winner in the last
minute.
"This last season, the best moments were when I scored my first goal and
when I saw the videos of the supporters singing my song!"
An all-round midfielder who can break up play and put his own team on the
offensive, the 25-year-old is aiming to become a more potent attacking
threat next term. "I have two things to improve," he confirmed. "I need to
shoot more at the goal and give more assists to my teammates." One of those
teammates will be new signing Pablo Zabaleta, who has agreed to join the
Club following a super spell with Manchester City. Obiang believes the
Argentinian full-back will add a great deal to the West Ham squad. "I think
he is a really good player, a nice player," said the No14. "He has great
experience and he can help us to became more solid and competitive."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bobby Moore was always destined for greatness, says long-time pal Brian Dear
WHUFC.com
Today marks the 59th anniversary of a landmark moment in West Ham United
history – Bobby Moore signed apprentice terms with the Club. After catching
the eye while playing for Essex schoolboys, Moore was invited to train at
Chadwell Heath, where he continued his development as a member of the Colts
side. Under the guidance of manager Ted Fenton and first-team centre-half
and coach Malcolm Allison, Moore's game flourished and the teenager was
rewarded with an apprenticeship and joined the Boleyn Ground groundstaff. In
August 1958, Allison's illness gave Moore, still just 17, an opportunity to
make his first-team debut in a First Division fixture with Manchester
United. The Hammers won 3-2 and the rest, as they say, is history.
A year later, another local lad who would make good followed in Moore's
footsteps by joining the Club at the age of 15 and going on to star for the
first team – Brian Dear. The striker became close pals with the centre-back,
who was two-and-a-half years his senior, and the friendship endured until
Moore's tragic passing from cancer in February 1993, aged just 51. Dear
spoke to whufc.com about Moore's formative years and how his ability and
determination to succeed helped the great defender overcome any physical
shortcomings he may have had. "Going back to when he signed as an
apprentice, Bobby got nothing and when he became a professional his family
got £20 for signing and £12 a week, whereas now clubs are paying five or ten
million for players who never go on to play in the first team!" Dear began.
"I was lucky enough to come across Bob in 1959/60, when we were back in the
First Division and he was 18 and trying to establish himself in the first
team. "But of course those were the days before big matchday squads and
substitutes, so I played regularly alongside Bob in our Metropolitan League
side. We were lucky enough to play competitive football every week. "Bob
made the game look quite easy, even at that age. It was in early 1960 that
he got his place in the first team on a regular basis and we didn't see as
much of him then, as his career really took off."
While Moore missed just four First Division fixtures in 1960/61, with the
manager who handed him is debut, Fenton, being replaced by the visionary Ron
Greenwood with a month of the season to go. The following year, 1962,
Greenwood handed Dear his own debut, reuniting him with old pal Moore in a
goalless top-flight draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Over the next few
seasons, the pair would turn out alongside one another dozens more times,
most notably during the run to European Cup Winners' Cup glory in 1964/65.
"From the very start, you could tell that Bob was going to be a good
player," Dear, now 73, confirmed. "The management found out he wasn't that
quick, but we played 4-2-4 and he just sat there alongside Ken Brown and his
game progressed. "He started something really different as a defender.
Everyone said he couldn't jump and he couldn't do this or that, but 640-odd
games and 108 England caps, 90 of them as captain, he must have been doing
something right!"
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Darren Randolph targets place at 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia
WHUFC.com
Having starred for his country at UEFA Euro 2016, Darren Randolph would love
nothing more than to represent Republic of Ireland at next summer's FIFA
World Cup finals in Russia.
Randolph produced a series of outstanding displays to help Ireland qualify
via a Play-Off victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, qualify from a group
that also included Italy, Sweden and Italy and push hosts France all the way
in the Round of 16.
The Boys in Green have faced Mexico and Uruguay in friendly internationals
since the Premier League season ended, but are now ready for their third,
final and most important of three summer post-season matches – a World Cup
European Group D qualifier with Austria at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on Sunday
11 June.
Victory over the Austrians will put Randolph and company in a very strong
position, with leaders Serbia hosting third place Wales in Belgrade on the
same date.
Wins for Ireland and Serbia would put the pair seven points clear of their
rivals on 14 points, with four rounds of matches left to play. The group
winners qualify automatically, while the runners-up will go into a play-off.
Republic of Ireland host Serbia in Dublin on 5 September.
"We can definitely finish in the top two," Randolph continued. "It's like
any small group, if you can take points off the teams who are going to be
the biggest threats to you to qualify, those wins are massive.
"In our group there is Serbia, Wales, Austria and ourselves who everyone
else would have said would be up there to qualify – no disrespect to Georgia
or Moldova – so if we manage to beat Austria, if won't secure any
qualification, but it makes it a bit easier.
"Our ultimate goal is to qualify for Russia next summer."
Ireland have not been to a World Cup finals since Japan/South Korea 2002,
when Mick McCarthy's squad reached the Round of 16.
The Boys in Green also famously reached the quarter-finals at Italia '90,
before West Ham Academy graduate Ray Houghton's winner against Italy helped
them reach the Round of 16 at USA '96 – both under Jack Charlton.
Randolph has been part of O'Neil's squad in each of the last two summers,
sitting on the bench for the goalless friendly draw with England in June
2015, before keeping goal for his country at UEFA Euro 2016 a year ago.
In all, the 30-year-old Hammer has been capped 21 times since making his
debut against Oman at Craven Cottage in September 2011.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Snodgrass' Scotland pick up point against England
WHUFC.com
Robert Snodgrass collected his 24th Scotland cap on Saturday as his side
picked up a point in a 2-2 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw with England at
Hampden Park. The midfielder started and played 65 minutes before being
replaced by Ryan Fraser for Gordan Strachen's outfit who remain six points
behind the Three Lions at the top of Group F. Meanwhile, Aaron Cresswell –
the Hammers left-back included in Gareth Southgate's squad – was left on the
substitutes' bench north of the border, with Southampton's Ryan Bertrand
filling the berth on the left side of defence. Leigh Griffiths was the man
in the spotlight in the clash, overturning England's one-goal advantage with
four minutes remaining, curling home two beautiful free-kicks from almost
the exact same position 25 yards from goal with three minutes separating the
strikes. Both sides had their chances before the opener, with Jake Livermore
hitting the post for the visitors in the second half before Andrew Robertson
lashed over from a good position shortly after. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
opened the scoring though, smashing in with his left foot shortly after
replacing Marcus Rashford from the bench. The points looked to be heading
south but with four minutes remaining on the clock, Griffiths stepped up and
levelled before beating Joe Hart once again moments later. There was a final
late twist however, as Harry Kane finished well from close range to silence
the home supporters and make the scoreline 2-2 as the referee's final
whistle sounded. Scotland now wait until September for their next fixture –
another World Cup qualifier against Lithuania – while England face France in
an international friendly on Tuesday, giving Cresswell another chance to
grab his second international cap.
Havard Nordtveit was also in action on Saturday, as his Norway side faced
the Czech Republic in Group C qualifying, with the clash ending in a 1-1
stalemate.
Theodor Gebe Selassie gave the visitors the lead before Alexander Soderlund
equalised for Nordtveit's team, who are 14 points below top of the group
Germany, who have a 100 per cent record in qualifying. Alexander Soderland
opened the scoring for Nordtveit's team before
Elsewhere, West Ham's Dan Kemp celebrated England U20s' Toulon Tournament
triumph as the Young Lions beat the Ivory Coast on penalties in the final.
The promising winger, who was instrumental in the youngsters reaching the
final, was left as a sub in the match which finished 1-1 after extra time.
Sheffield United midfielder Daniel Brooks scored the opener in the tie and
it looked to be the winner until the final minutes, when opponents Ivory
Coast grabbed a late equaliser through Ake Loba. There were no nerves from
the U20s from 12 yards though, as they converted all five of their
penalties, with Jean Amani missing the crucial spot-kick for Cote d'Ivoire,
meaning Kemp and England lifted the highly coveted trophy for the second
year running.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE'S EXCLUSIVE COLUMN: TRANSFER AND KIT UPDATES
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 11 JUNE 2017 AT 10:41AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
So this column comes a little earlier than I had expected but some of the
news I was going to talk about is breaking elsewhere so I thought I should
get it out now. Most of this has been covered in my section on the radio
show.
So transfers are what most people want to hear about and this is where I
will start. Iheanacho is the first one. Talks have been ongoing and largely
around his buy back clause. These talks have been quite frustrating and not
as productive as we would have hoped however they are not dead. Iheanacho
wants to stay at Manchester City and the injury to Gabriel Jesus in the week
is not ideal. The situation however is that he was told he will leave the
club and that he has to brace himself for this. There are other clubs
interested in him and it will be interesting to see how this transfer
develops over the week however he is still very much a target of ours.
There is more positive news for another Nigerian and that is Henry Onyekuru
who is a 20 year old who scored 25 goals and got 14 assists last season for
Eupen who are one of the smaller teams in the league. He has played on the
wing and upfront and is said to have traits that are similar to his namesake
Thierry Henry. This versatility is an attractive option for us. The only
problem with this transfer is that he has only played one international game
which means he could struggle for a work permit but his transfer fee, wages
and performances last season may enable this to go through under the special
talent rule. There is a release clause of £7m for this deal and he is said
to have turned down Arsenal already. He had met with their officials but
because they cannot promise him first team football he has turned them down
which shows a good attitude in my opinion. He has interest from other clubs
and is expected to choose us over them when he flies into the training
ground on Tuesday. This story was covered on our radio show on Wednesday,
it has been picked up by Simon Jones of the Mail too but this is often the
case with him and my news. I have spoke to the mail about securing some
form of acknowledgment for his regular use of my stories but unless I want
to go through a legal proceeding I can't. So this is likely to happen
throughout the summer as a heads up.
We still have a very strong interest in Batshuayi of Chelsea and hope that
Chelsea will complete the signing of Lukaku, keep Costa and maybe add
another forward to this deal. We are likely to loan the Belgian
international but the only problem could be that Everton ask for him as part
of the Lukaku deal. If Batshuayi doesn't come or moves elsewhere we could
turn to Traore or Abraham from the same club on loan deals. Both had
impressive loan spells at Ajax and Bristol City with impressive goals to
games records. We do have some concerns about their ability to transfer
this to the top flight but a loan deal could ease those worries.
Breaking news last night was that we would be after Giroud. This is an
interest that we have had for many years and you can trace this back through
my columns, the "If I owned the club" alternative ITK feature we ran last
year and hope to resurrect this year and through my tweets. We have always
rated the player and made a move for him last summer. His age, lack of
football this year and the fact Arsenal look set to sign another former
target of ours in Lacazette could mean that he becomes available. We would
certainly move for the player and have said we will match any offer that
goes in for him. A similar policy that we did with Fonte and Snodgrass
which has often been overlooked by the board bashers although of course in
this case neither proved to be a great signing. There is also lesser
interest in Lucas Perez another Arsenal forward who is also out of favour at
present.
Forward is the number one priority and the club are determined to not have a
repeat of last summer where these players didn't come (I also covered other
targets on the radio show which I will not repeat again. Here is the link:
https://www.mixcloud.com/phoenixfm/the-west-ham-way-show-44-07-jun-2017/ In
other news we had scout Thomas Hengen, someone who Tony Henry brought with
him from Everton at the Under 20s World Cup looking for new talent. The
transfer window is only just opening and it is important to not be too
negative if the deals are not completed yet although I can understand why
people are worried after last year.
The home shirt has been leaked online because it has gone on sale in
Thailand and Hammers Thailand facebook group have put them online. You can
see the picture below.
The shorts have now been changed to plain white with the badge on one leg
and a claret Umbro on the other leg. The socks are also white with a thin
Claret hoop and a large light blue hoop near the top. There is a Claret
Umbro badge in the middle and some Claret stripe hoops near the ankle which
looks a bit like a barcode. The goalkeeper kit that goes with the home
shirt is all yellow except for some green going up to the arm and under the
arm pit down to the elbow on each sleeve. The shorts and the socks are
exactly the same as the outfit kit except they are yellow and where there is
a light blue hoop on the socks it is a green hoop. There are two potential
dates schedule for the launch one is next Thursday the 15th of June (which I
think will be the new date due to the online leaks) or the original date of
Wednesday 21st June. You can hear the kits first being described on the
radio show in my section on this show:
https://www.mixcloud.com/phoenixfm/the-west-ham-way-show-42-24-may-2017/
There is a third shirt and this is all light blue with a thin claret ending
to both sleeves and a button collar which the other shirts do not have. The
shorts are white with a Claret stripe running down each side. The keeper
shirt for the third shirt kit is all dark green with claret in the same
place as the green on the home keeper shirt. This shirt is due to be
released just before the season starts. I have seen the designs for each
shirt for a while now and have them on my phone, as a few people including
Sammy McNess, can vouch for but have chosen to not release them online due
to the legal implications having spoken to the club about it.
Speaking of Sammy don't forget to get your tickets for his up and coming
fight on the 8th July. It promises to be a great West Ham event and in the
absence of the football this is the perfect substitute. To get tickets make
sure you contact Sammy via his email TeamMcNess@gmail.com
We are hoping to continue with our radio show weekly throughout the summer
including one in Ibiza! If you fancy coming to Ibiza with a load of West Ham
fans then we are out there on the 30th July. Next week we are delighted to
have Sammy on our show and there will be further transfer updates there!
Make sure that you tune in!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend! COYI
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A VIEW FROM ACROSS THE POND
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 10 JUNE 2017 AT 8:36PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
By @WestHamAmerican
The chairmen of the 20 Premier League clubs are set to meet this week in
Harrogate, and one of the early reports is that the "Big Six" owners are
making demands of a greater share of the broadcast revenues. Whether this is
some idea to make BPL clubs more competitive in the Champion's League
(doubtful) or just a ploy to increase the wealth of the club owners
(probable) it is a bad idea for the league and for all of English football.
Many remember the blunt statement from Ian Ayre, the former Liverpool
executive, who stated a few years ago that "in Kuala Lumpur there isn't
anyone subscribing to ESPN to watch Bolton." While certainly not winning
Old Ian any love from the neighborhood surrounding Macron Stadium, he is
probably correct in that assessment. Those in America that regularly watch
the Premier League overwhelmingly support one of those top six clubs. As a
West Ham supporter in the United States, I am more likely to encounter a
bear walking down my small town's streets than another claret-clad West Ham
fan. But a healthy league must have parity. Each of the 20 clubs in this
league must at least have hope and a path to a top 5 finish in the next
three seasons, or else the Premier League becomes top-heavy and predictable
like the other major European leagues.
In fact, the improbable championship won by Leicester City last year, was
great for the Premier League as a product. It proved that a scrappy but
determined side with small wages could deliver a championship to its fans.
As unlikely as the Foxes' run was in 2016, could a club in their second year
of promotion pull off that feat in the French, German, or the Spanish
leagues? Very doubtful. It was the fair distribution of the massive Premier
League broadcast revenue that at least gives bottom ten clubs a chance.
I often tend to contrast Premier League policies with the NFL in the USA.
This is because it's the most financially successful sports league in the
states. Not only do they share their broadcast income, but they also share
apparel sales. While there will always be some teams with better stadium
arrangements and attendance revenue, every team has a chance, and thus the
NFL remains popular because all the fans have hope. In over 50 years of
Super Bowl play all but four of the 32 clubs have at least won their way
into the final game once. Almost every team can boast a top 2 finish at
some point. And with the NFL draft, the worst team doesn't get relegated,
but gets the first choice of the top "academy" talent. It would be as if
Sunderland, by virtue of their poor finish, had the rights to pick the best
U-23 player in England as their reward of failure. Alas, some NFL clubs
are so poorly managed; they can't find success even under that arrangement.
But my point is parity is good for the success of the league. At the
beginning of the season, NFL teams all at least have hope to compete unlike
our baseball teams which have much greater inequities in their wage
structures between the top clubs and the bottom clubs.
In America, Premier League matches have better ratings than our own MLS
matches do. The Premier League's viewership numbers are successful in the
US and they continue to grow. (West Ham finished with the 5th highest
average viewership in America this season, better than Spurs and Chelsea,
although our matches were broadcast half as many times.) Our people enjoy
the English version of the game. There are 300 million fans to be won over
here.
Hopefully the BPL owners will keep the playing field as level as possible.
I really don't see the other 14 team owners voting to grant the bigger clubs
more money, but for the health of the Premier League, another
Leicester-style surprise would certainly be better than Chelsea and
Manchester City splitting the next five championships.
Now, let's sign that 20 goal-a-season striker and we'll write our own
unlikely story.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arsenal face missing out on Henry Onyekuru as West Ham push to finalise £7m
deal for Nigerian sensation
The 20-year-old struck 25 goals and made 14 more in a superb year for Eupen
in the Belgian First Division A
The Mirror
BYJACK RATHBORN
17:25, 11 JUN 2017UPDATED17:27, 11 JUN 2017
Arsenal look set to miss out on Henry Onyekuru as West Ham grow in
confidence that they have won the race for the Nigerian super talent. The
Eupen forward has been linked with the Gunners but the Hammers appear close
to finalising a deal, report the Mail. A £6.8m release clause appears to be
a bargain for whoever signs the 20-year-old given he struck 25 goals and
made 14 more to ensure the Pandas avoided relegation. Onyekuru is rumoured
to be planning a visit to the capital on Tuesday for a medical. The Nigeria
international will command wages of around £35,000-per-week in order to
remove the hurdle of a work permit. It will prove to be quite the coup for
West Ham and add to the sense of optimism after Pablo Zabaleta joined on a
free transfer from Manchester City. Arsenal, Lille, Anderlecht and Club
Brugge were all prepared to meet Onyekuru's buy-out clause, while Monaco,
Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan have also been linked.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham target transfer of Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud after he reveals
frustration at being on the bench
There's also interest from Marseille and clubs in Italy but the Hammers are
confident they can match any offers
The Mirror
BYTOM HOPKINSON
22:30, 10 JUN 2017
West Ham are ready to make a stunning move for Arsenal's Olivier Giroud.
France international Giroud confirmed last week that he "will not settle for
another year with such limited playing time" at the Emirates. There has
already been interest in the 30-year-old from French giants Marseille and
several clubs in Italy, but the Hammers are confident they can match any
offer and keep the £20million striker in London. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger
and chief executive Ivan Gazidis were in Nice last week, reportedly talking
to Lyon president Jean Michael-Aulas about Alexandre Lacazette, while their
desire to sign 18-year-old sensation Kylian Mbappe from Monaco is also
confirmed — and neither frontman would join to play second-fiddle to Giroud.
In the season just ended, Alexis Sanchez was often preferred through the
middle, and Wenger went with Danny Welbeck ahead of Giroud in the FA Cup
final. Giroud, capped 63 times by France, cost Arsenal £13m when he joined
from Montpellier in 2012 and has scored 69 goals in 118 Premier League
appearances for the club. But despite that impressive record he still splits
opinion among Gunners fans and, despite the respect Wenger has for a player
who worked his way up from the French football's lower tiers, he isn't
automatically Plan A for his manager.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham put Robert Snodgrass up for sale less than five months after his
£10m transfer
The Scotland midfielder has only started eight games for the Hammers but
they have decided he doesn't fit their plans
The Mirror
BYNEIL MOXLEY
22:30, 10 JUN 2017
West Ham are looking to offload Robert Snodgrass just months after paying
£10million for him. The Hammers are willing to take a hit on the Scotland
international midfielder, who started just eight games after his arrival
from Hull. However, the East Enders have realised Snodgrass is not the right
fit – and they will listen to offers. Championship sides Middlesbrough,
Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday would all take the 29-year-old, but he
does not want to drop down from the Premier League. West Ham believe
promoted Brighton would be a good fit, but they may have to supplement his
wages of more than £50,000 a week.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, June 10
Daily WHUFC News - 10th June 2017
West Ham United's band of internationals set for a busy weekend of action
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's international players will have no time to rest this
weekend, with nine Hammers in action across the globe.
Friday kicks-off with Manuel Lanzini set to make his Argentina debut when
the South Americans tackle old rivals Brazil at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
in Australia on Friday morning. Kick-off in Australia is at 11.05am BST and
Hammers fans will likely be able to find live coverage of the game online.
Later on Friday, Jose Fonte and Edimilson Fernandes will continue their
quest to reach the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in European qualifying Group B
with Portugal and Switzerland respectively.
UEFA Euro 2016 winner Fonte travels to Latvia, while Switzerland are also
away from home in the Faroe Islands, with both ties kicking off at 7.45pm
BST. The Swiss top the group with a perfect five wins out of five, while
Portugal sit second with 12 points from a possible 15 – their only defeat
coming in Switzerland last September.
Moving on to Saturday and two more Hammers will be in direct competition at
Hampden Park in Glasgow, where Scotland host England in a vital Group F
qualifier at 5pm BST.
Aaron Cresswell's England top the group with 13 points, six more than the
fourth-placed Scots after five rounds of matches, but a home win for Robert
Snodgrass and company on home turf would open the group up.
Farther afield, Havard Nordtveit's Norway also need a win when they host the
Czech Republic in Oslo. With Germany and Northern Ireland setting the pace
in Group C, both sides need to win, with the struggling Norwegians already
all but eliminated from the qualification race.
After helping England U20s to reach the final of the Toulon Tournament in
France on Friday, young winger Dan Kemp and the Young Lions take on Ivory
Coast for the trophy in Aubagne on Saturday at 4.30pm BST.
Heading back to senior level, Darren Randolph's Republic of Ireland continue
their own World Cup qualifying campaign when Austria visit the Aviva Stadium
in Group D on Sunday afternoon.
Victory in the 5pm kick-off in Dublin will strengthen the second-place Boys
in Green's position and could even see them leapfrog Serbia and go top of
their group.
Finally, Andre Ayew's Ghana host Ethiopia in their opening 2019 Africa Cup
of Nations Group F qualifier in Kumasi on Sunday at 4.30pm.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United star Manuel Lanzini makes Argentina debut
WHUFC.com
Manuel Lanzini has become West Ham United's 157th senior international after
making his Argentina debut. The Hammers No10 was introduced as a second-half
substitute as La Albiceleste recorded a 1-0 friendly win over Brazil in
front of a 90,000-strong crowd in Australia. Lanzini replaced Internazionale
midfielder Ever Banega with ten minutes at Melbourne Cricket Ground and
helped Argentina complete victory over their South American rivals. The late
cameo saw the 24-year-old become West Ham's fourth full Argentina
international after full-back Lionel Scaloni, midfielder Javier Mascherano
and forward Carlos Tevez, who all featured back in 2006.
Friday's fixture was settled by a goal from defender Gabriel Mercado, who
Lanzini played alongside for two seasons at Argentinian giants River Plate
between 2012 and 2014. Jorge Sampaoli's squad will now fly to Singapore,
where they will square-off against the Southeast Asian nation in a friendly
on Tuesday 13 June at 1pm BST.
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West Ham trying to sign £17million Chelsea forward Bertrand Traore
The Irons are big admirers of the 21-year-old who reached the Europa League
final with Ajax and want to secure a loan deal
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
18:09, 9 JUN 2017
West Ham want to sign £17million Chelsea forward Bertrand Traore. The Irons
are big admirers of the 21-year-old who reached the Europa League final with
Ajax and want to secure a loan deal. They are prepared, however, to sign him
permanently if the Champions are open to allowing him to leave. The interest
could be scuppered by Everton who are keen on Traore as part of any deal to
take Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea. Traore scored 14 times from 43 appearances in
all competition over the past season.
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Robert Snodgrass brushes off transfer talk as he vows to make a success of
faltering West Ham career
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard
West Ham midfielder Robert Snodgrass is determined to make a success of his
career at the London Stadium after a slow start under Slaven Bilic. The
Scotland international joined in a £10.2million deal from Hull in January
but struggled to make an immediate impact under Slaven Bilic and started
only one of West Ham's final five league games of the season. With Bilic
eager to revamp an attack that faltered throughout much of the season
Snodgrass' place in the West Ham squad could be in doubt and Brighton are
among the clubs being linked with a move. However the 29-year-old, who
scored nine goals before leaving Hull midway through the season, is
convinced he has a great deal to offer the Hammers. "It's not easy moving
to a new club in the middle of the season but I chose to join West Ham above
other teams because of their great tradition and fanbase and I'm determined
to make it a success," Snodgrass said. "There were some factors that made
things difficult last season. I was living away from my family because we
didn't want to interrupt schooling but next season I'll have my wife and
three kids with me. "I was also asked to play on the left to fill the gap
vacated by Dmitri Payet but it's never been my position. I've scored nearly
a hundred goals as a mainly right-sided player and I've said to the manager
that's where I think I'm most effective. "We've had a very good discussion
and hopefully I'll be given a run of games where I'm comfortable. If it
doesn't happen right away, I will have to wait for my chance. "I'm really
looking forward to meeting up with the West Ham boys for pre-season and
starting again."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham star Manuel Lanzini makes Argentina debut in Albiceleste's 1-0 win
over Brazil
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard
West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini made his debut for Argentina this
afternoon as the Albiceleste defeated great rivals Brazil 1-0 in a friendly
in Australia.
Lanzini replaced Inter Milan midfielder Even Banega for the final ten
minutes of the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, fulfilling his dream
of lining up alongside Lionel Messi. "He is the best player in the world and
we are lucky as he is Argentinian. We need to take advantage of this,"
Lanzini told the club website earlier this week. It was an assessment echoed
by Argentina's new head coach Jorge Sampaoli, who said after the win: "When
it comes to Messi, he is and will continue to be the best player in the
world until he retires. "That is simply the way I feel about Leo."
Argentina's win had already been secured in the first half of the friendly
match, centre-back Gerardo Mercado tapping home the rebound when Nicolas
Otamendi's flicked header hit the post. The win was Argentina's first in six
meetings with Brazil, a winless run dating back to 2012. Lanzini will remain
with Sampaoli's squad for Tuesday's friendly in Singapore.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Forget Daniel Sturridge and Jack Wilshere – West Ham need the pace of Jurgen
Damm and Kelechi Iheanacho
JOHN DILLON
London Standard
Last season couldn't end quickly enough for the Hammers - even though they
won on the final day at Burnley and surprised even themselves by finishing
11th. The first priority for Slaven Bilic now must to be sort out a
recruitment policy which was a calamity last summer. Pablo Zabaleta's
arrival has been greeted warmly by supporters who feel he can provide the
team with some leadership and strength of character. This could be critical
as the side must play at least their first three games away from home while
the London Stadium is re-configured following the summer's World Athletics
Championships there. A reported bid for the high-speed Mexican winger Jurgen
Damm of Tigres would address another fundamental problem for the side - a
lack of pace. Many fans are also enthused about the idea of landing
Manchester City youngster Kelechi Iheanacho. But most are not so keen on the
injury prone Daniel Sturridge or midfielder Jack Wilshere - having been
frustrated for long enough by Andy Carroll's regular absences. However,
Bilic does need to get more creativity and energy into the side. And he must
address the defensive problems which saw the team concede three or more 12
times last season. James Collins, a fans favourite, will be 34 soon. Jose
Fonte didn't live up to expectation after his mid-season arrival from
Southampton. So things need to improve at the back. And perhaps a move for
Joe Hart in goal might convince the fans that the owners are as ambitious as
they say they are.
In truth, most would like to hear a little less from David Sullivan and
David Gold for a while. There was genuine concern when manager Bilic's
position appeared rocky last season and most wondered if the boardroom had
become a little too leaky. The initial traumas of the move to the London
Stadium have been endured now. It will never match Upton Park. But West Ham
are there to stay and now it needs to feel a lot more like home. There's a
simple way to help that happen - for the team to perform much better on a
pitch where they were thrashed far too often last season, with the final
home game, a miserable 4-0 defeat by Liverpool, a particularly dismal
send-off. This has to change.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Henry Onyekuru outlines demands amid Arsenal, West Ham and Newcastle
transfer links
Louis Sealey for Metro.co.uk
Friday 9 Jun 2017 8:18 am
Eupen star Henry Onyekuru says he won't accept a role as a bit-part player
amid speculation linking him with a move to the Premier League. The Nigerian
striker enjoyed a fine season, scoring 20 goals in 36 games to end the
campaign as the joint-top scorer in the Belgian top-flight. His performances
have attracted attention from a host of English clubs, with Arsenal, West
Ham and Newcastle linked with moves. And Onyekuru insists guarantees over
playing time will play a significant part as he mulls over a summer switch.
'The first and most important thing for a player is to get playing time,'
Eupen's star striker told ESPN. 'My agents are in talks with top clubs in
the Premier League, Bundesliga, French league and others. If they accept our
terms, then I'll make a decision. 'It's not just about going to a big club
and sitting on the bench. It's not good for me, or being loaned to a club
where I won't play or where I will struggle to play. 'The money can come
later but for now, I just want to play to improve, not just to play for a
big club.'
Despite Onyekuru's best efforts, Eupen finished 13th last season, only
winning eight of their 30 games. 'It was very hard for me last season in
Belgium because we just got promoted and our first objective was to stay in
the league,' he added. 'Sometimes I would score two goals and we would end
up losing the game. That was tough for me. 'So I won't like to go to a club
where I will fight again just to stay in the league. I want to win trophies
and if I can win trophies at my age, it will be good for me.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Brendan Rodgers the perfect man to get West Ham prodigy's career on track
HITC
Damien Lucas
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is the perfect man to get West Ham United
prodigy Reece Oxford's career on track next season. According to The Sun,
the supremely talented Oxford is set to be farmed out on a season-long loan
to German side Borussia Monchengladbach to gain more first-team experience.
Oxford shot to prominence when he made his debut with a midfield masterclass
in a 2-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates in the opening game of the 2015/16
season aged just 16. He has found game time hard to come by since with
Slaven Bilic reluctant to use him and a loan spell at Reading failing to
work out. Speculation was rife over the 6ft 5 teenager's future for much of
last season with reports in the likes of the Mirror that Manchester United
boss Jose Mourinho was one of a clutch of managers at Europe's top clubs
keen on securing his signature. Talk was put to bed when the youngster
signed a long term deal with the Hammers which was expected to see him fast
tracked into an ageing West Ham defence. But now he is being linked with
another loan exit in what could be the most important move of his fledgling
career. And the perfect place for Oxford would be Celtic working under
Brendan Rodgers.
The former Swansea and Liverpool boss has restored his reputation with a
record-breaking treble with the Hoops in his debut season.
Rodgers has always promoted and encouraged youth from his time at Watford
and Reading right through to his current role at Celtic.
Celtic had an average age of just 25 across the entire squad last season and
Rodgers would be the ideal man to coax the best out of Oxford. Ironically
the youngster could actually gain more experience at Celtic than he would in
East London with the possibility of being involved with Champions League
football. Moussa Dembele, Scott Sinclair and Stuart Armstrong are all
examples of how Rodger's management style can get the best out of players
who were perhaps struggling to fulfil their potential elsewhere.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's international players will have no time to rest this
weekend, with nine Hammers in action across the globe.
Friday kicks-off with Manuel Lanzini set to make his Argentina debut when
the South Americans tackle old rivals Brazil at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
in Australia on Friday morning. Kick-off in Australia is at 11.05am BST and
Hammers fans will likely be able to find live coverage of the game online.
Later on Friday, Jose Fonte and Edimilson Fernandes will continue their
quest to reach the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in European qualifying Group B
with Portugal and Switzerland respectively.
UEFA Euro 2016 winner Fonte travels to Latvia, while Switzerland are also
away from home in the Faroe Islands, with both ties kicking off at 7.45pm
BST. The Swiss top the group with a perfect five wins out of five, while
Portugal sit second with 12 points from a possible 15 – their only defeat
coming in Switzerland last September.
Moving on to Saturday and two more Hammers will be in direct competition at
Hampden Park in Glasgow, where Scotland host England in a vital Group F
qualifier at 5pm BST.
Aaron Cresswell's England top the group with 13 points, six more than the
fourth-placed Scots after five rounds of matches, but a home win for Robert
Snodgrass and company on home turf would open the group up.
Farther afield, Havard Nordtveit's Norway also need a win when they host the
Czech Republic in Oslo. With Germany and Northern Ireland setting the pace
in Group C, both sides need to win, with the struggling Norwegians already
all but eliminated from the qualification race.
After helping England U20s to reach the final of the Toulon Tournament in
France on Friday, young winger Dan Kemp and the Young Lions take on Ivory
Coast for the trophy in Aubagne on Saturday at 4.30pm BST.
Heading back to senior level, Darren Randolph's Republic of Ireland continue
their own World Cup qualifying campaign when Austria visit the Aviva Stadium
in Group D on Sunday afternoon.
Victory in the 5pm kick-off in Dublin will strengthen the second-place Boys
in Green's position and could even see them leapfrog Serbia and go top of
their group.
Finally, Andre Ayew's Ghana host Ethiopia in their opening 2019 Africa Cup
of Nations Group F qualifier in Kumasi on Sunday at 4.30pm.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United star Manuel Lanzini makes Argentina debut
WHUFC.com
Manuel Lanzini has become West Ham United's 157th senior international after
making his Argentina debut. The Hammers No10 was introduced as a second-half
substitute as La Albiceleste recorded a 1-0 friendly win over Brazil in
front of a 90,000-strong crowd in Australia. Lanzini replaced Internazionale
midfielder Ever Banega with ten minutes at Melbourne Cricket Ground and
helped Argentina complete victory over their South American rivals. The late
cameo saw the 24-year-old become West Ham's fourth full Argentina
international after full-back Lionel Scaloni, midfielder Javier Mascherano
and forward Carlos Tevez, who all featured back in 2006.
Friday's fixture was settled by a goal from defender Gabriel Mercado, who
Lanzini played alongside for two seasons at Argentinian giants River Plate
between 2012 and 2014. Jorge Sampaoli's squad will now fly to Singapore,
where they will square-off against the Southeast Asian nation in a friendly
on Tuesday 13 June at 1pm BST.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham trying to sign £17million Chelsea forward Bertrand Traore
The Irons are big admirers of the 21-year-old who reached the Europa League
final with Ajax and want to secure a loan deal
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
18:09, 9 JUN 2017
West Ham want to sign £17million Chelsea forward Bertrand Traore. The Irons
are big admirers of the 21-year-old who reached the Europa League final with
Ajax and want to secure a loan deal. They are prepared, however, to sign him
permanently if the Champions are open to allowing him to leave. The interest
could be scuppered by Everton who are keen on Traore as part of any deal to
take Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea. Traore scored 14 times from 43 appearances in
all competition over the past season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Robert Snodgrass brushes off transfer talk as he vows to make a success of
faltering West Ham career
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard
West Ham midfielder Robert Snodgrass is determined to make a success of his
career at the London Stadium after a slow start under Slaven Bilic. The
Scotland international joined in a £10.2million deal from Hull in January
but struggled to make an immediate impact under Slaven Bilic and started
only one of West Ham's final five league games of the season. With Bilic
eager to revamp an attack that faltered throughout much of the season
Snodgrass' place in the West Ham squad could be in doubt and Brighton are
among the clubs being linked with a move. However the 29-year-old, who
scored nine goals before leaving Hull midway through the season, is
convinced he has a great deal to offer the Hammers. "It's not easy moving
to a new club in the middle of the season but I chose to join West Ham above
other teams because of their great tradition and fanbase and I'm determined
to make it a success," Snodgrass said. "There were some factors that made
things difficult last season. I was living away from my family because we
didn't want to interrupt schooling but next season I'll have my wife and
three kids with me. "I was also asked to play on the left to fill the gap
vacated by Dmitri Payet but it's never been my position. I've scored nearly
a hundred goals as a mainly right-sided player and I've said to the manager
that's where I think I'm most effective. "We've had a very good discussion
and hopefully I'll be given a run of games where I'm comfortable. If it
doesn't happen right away, I will have to wait for my chance. "I'm really
looking forward to meeting up with the West Ham boys for pre-season and
starting again."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham star Manuel Lanzini makes Argentina debut in Albiceleste's 1-0 win
over Brazil
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard
West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini made his debut for Argentina this
afternoon as the Albiceleste defeated great rivals Brazil 1-0 in a friendly
in Australia.
Lanzini replaced Inter Milan midfielder Even Banega for the final ten
minutes of the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, fulfilling his dream
of lining up alongside Lionel Messi. "He is the best player in the world and
we are lucky as he is Argentinian. We need to take advantage of this,"
Lanzini told the club website earlier this week. It was an assessment echoed
by Argentina's new head coach Jorge Sampaoli, who said after the win: "When
it comes to Messi, he is and will continue to be the best player in the
world until he retires. "That is simply the way I feel about Leo."
Argentina's win had already been secured in the first half of the friendly
match, centre-back Gerardo Mercado tapping home the rebound when Nicolas
Otamendi's flicked header hit the post. The win was Argentina's first in six
meetings with Brazil, a winless run dating back to 2012. Lanzini will remain
with Sampaoli's squad for Tuesday's friendly in Singapore.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Forget Daniel Sturridge and Jack Wilshere – West Ham need the pace of Jurgen
Damm and Kelechi Iheanacho
JOHN DILLON
London Standard
Last season couldn't end quickly enough for the Hammers - even though they
won on the final day at Burnley and surprised even themselves by finishing
11th. The first priority for Slaven Bilic now must to be sort out a
recruitment policy which was a calamity last summer. Pablo Zabaleta's
arrival has been greeted warmly by supporters who feel he can provide the
team with some leadership and strength of character. This could be critical
as the side must play at least their first three games away from home while
the London Stadium is re-configured following the summer's World Athletics
Championships there. A reported bid for the high-speed Mexican winger Jurgen
Damm of Tigres would address another fundamental problem for the side - a
lack of pace. Many fans are also enthused about the idea of landing
Manchester City youngster Kelechi Iheanacho. But most are not so keen on the
injury prone Daniel Sturridge or midfielder Jack Wilshere - having been
frustrated for long enough by Andy Carroll's regular absences. However,
Bilic does need to get more creativity and energy into the side. And he must
address the defensive problems which saw the team concede three or more 12
times last season. James Collins, a fans favourite, will be 34 soon. Jose
Fonte didn't live up to expectation after his mid-season arrival from
Southampton. So things need to improve at the back. And perhaps a move for
Joe Hart in goal might convince the fans that the owners are as ambitious as
they say they are.
In truth, most would like to hear a little less from David Sullivan and
David Gold for a while. There was genuine concern when manager Bilic's
position appeared rocky last season and most wondered if the boardroom had
become a little too leaky. The initial traumas of the move to the London
Stadium have been endured now. It will never match Upton Park. But West Ham
are there to stay and now it needs to feel a lot more like home. There's a
simple way to help that happen - for the team to perform much better on a
pitch where they were thrashed far too often last season, with the final
home game, a miserable 4-0 defeat by Liverpool, a particularly dismal
send-off. This has to change.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Henry Onyekuru outlines demands amid Arsenal, West Ham and Newcastle
transfer links
Louis Sealey for Metro.co.uk
Friday 9 Jun 2017 8:18 am
Eupen star Henry Onyekuru says he won't accept a role as a bit-part player
amid speculation linking him with a move to the Premier League. The Nigerian
striker enjoyed a fine season, scoring 20 goals in 36 games to end the
campaign as the joint-top scorer in the Belgian top-flight. His performances
have attracted attention from a host of English clubs, with Arsenal, West
Ham and Newcastle linked with moves. And Onyekuru insists guarantees over
playing time will play a significant part as he mulls over a summer switch.
'The first and most important thing for a player is to get playing time,'
Eupen's star striker told ESPN. 'My agents are in talks with top clubs in
the Premier League, Bundesliga, French league and others. If they accept our
terms, then I'll make a decision. 'It's not just about going to a big club
and sitting on the bench. It's not good for me, or being loaned to a club
where I won't play or where I will struggle to play. 'The money can come
later but for now, I just want to play to improve, not just to play for a
big club.'
Despite Onyekuru's best efforts, Eupen finished 13th last season, only
winning eight of their 30 games. 'It was very hard for me last season in
Belgium because we just got promoted and our first objective was to stay in
the league,' he added. 'Sometimes I would score two goals and we would end
up losing the game. That was tough for me. 'So I won't like to go to a club
where I will fight again just to stay in the league. I want to win trophies
and if I can win trophies at my age, it will be good for me.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Brendan Rodgers the perfect man to get West Ham prodigy's career on track
HITC
Damien Lucas
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is the perfect man to get West Ham United
prodigy Reece Oxford's career on track next season. According to The Sun,
the supremely talented Oxford is set to be farmed out on a season-long loan
to German side Borussia Monchengladbach to gain more first-team experience.
Oxford shot to prominence when he made his debut with a midfield masterclass
in a 2-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates in the opening game of the 2015/16
season aged just 16. He has found game time hard to come by since with
Slaven Bilic reluctant to use him and a loan spell at Reading failing to
work out. Speculation was rife over the 6ft 5 teenager's future for much of
last season with reports in the likes of the Mirror that Manchester United
boss Jose Mourinho was one of a clutch of managers at Europe's top clubs
keen on securing his signature. Talk was put to bed when the youngster
signed a long term deal with the Hammers which was expected to see him fast
tracked into an ageing West Ham defence. But now he is being linked with
another loan exit in what could be the most important move of his fledgling
career. And the perfect place for Oxford would be Celtic working under
Brendan Rodgers.
The former Swansea and Liverpool boss has restored his reputation with a
record-breaking treble with the Hoops in his debut season.
Rodgers has always promoted and encouraged youth from his time at Watford
and Reading right through to his current role at Celtic.
Celtic had an average age of just 25 across the entire squad last season and
Rodgers would be the ideal man to coax the best out of Oxford. Ironically
the youngster could actually gain more experience at Celtic than he would in
East London with the possibility of being involved with Champions League
football. Moussa Dembele, Scott Sinclair and Stuart Armstrong are all
examples of how Rodger's management style can get the best out of players
who were perhaps struggling to fulfil their potential elsewhere.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, June 9
Daily WHUFC News - 9th June 2017
Andre Ayew targets opening Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win
WHUFC.com
Andre Ayew wants to take his late-season form for West Ham United into
Ghana's opening 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier this weekend.
The Black Stars forward ended 2016/17 with five goals and three assists in
the Hammers' closing 13 Premier League fixtures, including the winner in the
final-day victory at Burnley. Now, the vastly-experienced 27-year-old, wants
to add to his 14 international goals when Ghana take on Ethiopia in their
Group F tie in Kumasi on Sunday afternoon.
Ghana finished fourth in the 2017 tournament, which was held in Gabon
earlier this year, with Ayew scoring two goals, but the No20 wants to do
even better at the 2019 finals in Cameroon. Ghana will also face Kenya and
Sierra Leone in their qualifying group.
Having started their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a draw
with Uganda and defeat in Egypt, Ayew wants Ghana to return to winning ways
as they seek qualification for their continent's own major tournament.
"It will be very important to start the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations campaign
on a winning note," he confirmed. "We have a goal which is qualifying for
the 2019 AFCON and we must start by getting good results here and we know
the bad results we had against Uganda made our World Cup campaign a
difficult one.
"That is not yet over, but we have put that on the sideline now and think
about the Africa Cup of Nations. Now thinking about the game against
Ethiopia where we want all three points and we're going to work towards
that.
"We can't sit here and say we want to win the Africa Cup of Nations if we
have not qualified, so we need to do our job and qualify. It's going to be
very tough and very difficult, but Ghana is a team which has to win
trophies.
"Now until then is a long time, so we don't want to predict anything, but
that's the goal we are working towards, going to Cameroon and doing
something great. But before that, we have to pass Kenya, Ethopia and Sierra
Leone, so we have a lot of games."
Following their Group F opener, Ghana travel to North America for friendly
internationals with Mexico and the United States before recommencing their
stuttering World Cup qualifying campaign.
Ayew and company host Congo on 28 August before travelling to face the same
opposition on 2 September, and the West Ham man knows two victories are
vital against their pointless opponents.
"Nothing is impossible but we can say that it's close to an impossible
mission!" he smiled. "People who know me know that I never give up and in
one game everything can change.
"So, we have to stay calm and put everything in the hands of the almighty
Allah, but also in our legs, because we have a lot of work to do if we want
to go to Russia. We have to win all four games and I expect Egypt to lose a
game or draw two. So we're going to wait and see, but every game for us is a
must-win."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dan Kemp previews Toulon Tournament semi-final against Scotland
WHUFC.com
Dan Kemp hopes to draw on his knockout fixture experience when England U20s
face Scotland in the semi-finals of the Toulon Tournament.
Kemp was part of the Hammers U23 side that won both knockout games in the
Premier League 2 Division 2 play-offs to win promotion last month. Since
winning promotion for West Ham PL2, Kemp has played a key role for England
in France, helping them make it through to the semi-finals. A mouthwatering
clash against their close rivals Scotland awaits on Thursday (4pm BST) and
Kemp hopes his knockout experience will prove helpful. "I think it (knockout
football experience) will help me a little bit because I have played in some
big games before," he said. "But this will be one of the biggest, if not the
biggest game I would have been involved in. "I love and enjoy playing in the
big games because I know that this is where I can learn and show people what
I can do."
England made it through to the semi-finals in Toulon after achieving a 100%
record in Group A. Kemp featured in their opening match against Angola when
a solitary header from Chelsea striker Ike Ugbo was enough to give them a
1-0 victory. England then thrashed Cuba 7-1 to qualify for the knockout
phase before edging out Japan 2-1 in their final group match to maintain
their winning record. Kemp was involved in the first of England's two goals
after being fouled in penalty area – Sheffield Wednesday's George Hirst
scored the spot-kick to set the Young Lions on their way. Meanwhile,
Scotland only made it into the knockout phase as the best second-placed team
from the group stage, but Kemp is well aware of the threat they pose. "I'm
very excited and I cannot wait for the game," he added. "It will be a good
test against Scotland but we are all looking forward to it. These are the
games you want to play in. "It (the rivalry) definitely adds some importance
to the game but it also give you extra incentive to push the extra bit to
get the win. The win is all that matters."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United's all-time most-capped international XI
WHUFC.com
While West Ham United's season may be over, a host of first-team stars are
away representing their countries on international duty.
From Wales wing half William Jones in 1901 to Portugal centre-back Jose
Fonte earlier this year, some 156 Hammers have pulled on the jerseys of
their respective nations.
To mark the current busy schedule of FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of
Nations qualifiers, FIFA Confederations Cup and friendly matches, we delved
deep into the record books to select a team of players who earned the most
caps during their time in east London. The resulting XI may surprise you…
Goalkeeper: Craig Forrest
Country: Canada
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 23
Craig Forrest had already been a Canada international for nine years when he
joined the Hammers from Ipswich Town in 1998.
The athletic British Colombia-born stopper excelled for his country during
his five years with West Ham United, winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the
Most Valuable Player and Canadian International Player of the Year awards in
2000, before appearing at the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Right-back: Rigobert Song
Country: Cameroon
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 22
Another experienced campaigner, Rigobert Song made his Cameroon debut at the
age of 17 back in 1993 – before he had even played a first-team game for
French club Metz! Song appeared at two FIFA World Cup and three Africa Cup
of Nations finals – winning one – before joining West Ham United from
Liverpool in 2000. The versatile defender played three times at the 2002
FIFA World Cup finals in Japan before joining French side RC Lens later that
summer.
Left-back: Jonathan Spector
Country: United States
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 34
Fresh-faced defender Jonathan Spector joined West Ham United from Manchester
United as a 20-year-old in summer 2006 – nearly two years after he had made
his United States debut against Jamaica. Spector enjoyed international
success while with the Hammers, winning the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup on home
turf before helping the Americans to the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup final
and travelling to the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament, both in South Africa.
Centre-back: Bobby Moore
Country: England
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 108
England's greatest-ever captain marshaled the Three Lions defence for more
than a decade, earning a then-record 108 caps between May 1962 and November
1973. As every West Ham United fan will tell you, Moore led his country to
FIFA World Cup glory in 1966, to the UEFA European Championship semi-finals
in 1968 and the knockout stages at Mexico 1970.
Centre-back: James Collins
Country: Wales
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 39
Still plying his trade in Claret and Blue at the age of 33, James Collins
has earned 39 of his 51 Wales caps during his ten seasons with West Ham
United. Newport-born Ginge debuted for Wales against Norway in 2004 and has
featured at least once in every calendar year since then, culminating in the
fabulous run to the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2016.
Right midfield: Steve Lomas
Country: Northern Ireland
Centre-back: Bobby Moore
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 27
Born in Germany to the family of a British serviceman before being raised in
the town of Coleraine, Steve Lomas made his Northern Ireland debut against
Liechtenstein while a Manchester City player in April 1994. The combative
midfielder and captain moved to east London three years later and continued
to be picked regularly for his country for the next six seasons, taking his
caps total to 45.
Central midfield: Christian Dailly
Country: Scotland
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 39
Just eight players have been capped more times by Scotland than Christian
Dailly, who earned 67 pieces of headwear to cover his curly hair between
1997 and 2008. After debuting and appearing at the 1998 FIFA World Cup
finals while a Derby County player, Dailly spent two seasons with Blackburn
Rovers before earning more than half his caps during his seven seasons in
Claret and Blue.
Central midfield: Martin Peters
Country: England
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 33
The second of three 1966 FIFA World Cup winners in this XI, Martin Peters
forced his way into Alf Ramsey's side just weeks before the tournament
began, at the age of just 22. A versatile performer who earned rave reviews
from teammates and managers alike, Peters earned 33 of his 67 caps between
1966 and 1970, when he joined Tottenham Hotspur and then added the remaining
34.
Left midfield: Trevor Brooking
Country: England
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 47
The first of two team members to earn all of his international caps while
with West Ham United, Trevor Brooking's talents saw him debut against
Portugal in 1974. He remained a regular member of the England squad for the
next eight years, appearing at UEFA Euro 1980 in Italy and the 1982 FIFA
World Cup finals in Spain.
Forward: Enner Valencia
Country: Ecuador
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 23
The second member of the side still playing for West Ham United, Enner
Valencia joined the Hammers after excelling for Ecuador at the 2014 FIFA
World Cup finals. Prior to that tournament, the forward netted in a friendly
against England, and since arriving in east London he has continued to be
capped – and score – regularly for his country, appearing at the 2015 and
2016 Copa America tournaments.
Forward: Geoff Hurst
Country: England
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 49
Last but by no means least, Geoff Hurst is the second player to have earned
all of his caps while a Hammer – 49 in total between 1966 and 1972. The 1966
FIFA World Cup fina l hat-trick hero scored 24 goals for his country and
also appeared at UEFA Euro 1968 and Mexico 1970, netting against the Soviet
Union and Romania respectively.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Robert Snodgrass - Beat England and Scotland can qualify for the World Cup
WHUFC.com
West Ham United winger Robert Snodgrass is out to make himself an unpopular
figure among the Claret and Blue Army this weekend. The Hammers wideman is
set to start for his country when Scotland host England in a vital 2018 FIFA
World Cup qualifier at Hampden Park on Saturday evening. The Scots need to
win the Group F tie to give themselves any real hope of reaching Russia and,
despite having beaten England just once in their last ten meetings with the
Auld Enemy dating back to 1985, Snodgrass insists the Tartan Army will rise
to the challenge. "I have never ever had that sort of feeling [of
inferiority] since I went down to England," the No11 told The Scottish Sun.
"I have always had that drive inside my stomach, that burning feeling to get
the success you want to achieve as an individual, and to keep hitting
targets. "I want to keep driving forward, and I have never had the feeling
of being feart of this player or that player. I look forward to it more than
anything." "You can sit and say 'That's Scottish fitba', if we go and beat
them. So there is that to consider, but there are loads of different things
about this match. "On the day, it will be about which team wants it the
most. It will be about which team has that desire to get on the ball and
make things happen."
England won the reverse fixture at Wembley 3-0 before Christmas, with
Snodgrass missing the Scots' best chance of the game with his side just a
single goal down. While that result might have been a big blow to Scotland's
hopes of reaching a first World Cup since 1998, they go into Saturday's
mouth-watering Glasgow showdown on the back of a morale-boosting 1-0 win
over Slovenia in their last qualifier. The Hammers star has challenged his
compatriots to repeat that performance and result when they take on Aaron
Cresswell and company in his home city. "We all knew after the last game
against Slovenia that was more like the Scotland we all want to see," he
confirmed. "There was no fear and there is nothing to be scared of on
Saturday. "We have good players playing at a good level, so let's go out and
express ourselves."
Victory over their neighbours would close Scotland's deficit to England to
just three points, with four qualification matches still to play. While it
looked very unlikely a few months ago, Snodgrass insists a win this weekend
would give Gordon Strachan's side a real chance of overhauling England and
topping the group. "It would give everyone the belief again that we are
serious contenders," said the midfielder, who scored a hat-trick in a win
over Malta earlier in the current qualification campaign. "We need to focus
on group position, and we need to get the win for that reason. It is all
about qualifying. "That was our objective at the start. It wasn't to just
fight for second place. "You saw against England we had a lot of chances,
and if we didn't believe we would never have got those chances. "We have
always believed that we could go for automatic qualification in this group.
But when you take hits and have to take a step back, you then need to try
and take two forward. "We want to get there automatically, we want to beat
England and kick on."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The day West Ham United braved the bombs to win at Wembley
WHUFC.com
While the Football League may have been suspended just three games into the
1939/40 season due to the onset of the Second World War, West Ham United
continued to compete throughout the conflict-torn decade. Just as had
occurred during the First World War 25 years earlier, a regional War-Time
league competition was introduced, with the divisions and their make-up
fluctuating from season to season.
Every football club in the land sent men to fight for their country and West
Ham were no different, with no fewer than 41 players swapping their football
kit for military uniform. The FA Cup was also suspended for the duration of
the War, with the Football League War Cup being introduced in its place, and
it was in this competition that the Hammers enjoyed a unforgettable day in
the Club's history.
The final was played on 8 June 1940 at Wembley Stadium at 6.30pm - before
the night-time blackout - despite fears that London would be bombed that
evening by the Luftwaffe, West Ham defeated Blackburn Rovers 1-0 through a
34th-minute goal from Sam Small. Amazingly, a crowd of 42,300 bravely turned
out to see Charlie Paynter's Hammers presented with the trophy by A.V.
Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty.
As a further reminder that the country was at war, the crowd included
wounded members of the British Expeditionary Force recently evacuated from
Dunkirk in northern France, while a number of players headed straight back
to their service units after the game.
West Ham United's War Cup final-winning team
Herman Conway
Charlie Bicknell (capt.)
Charlie Walker
Ted Fenton
Dick Walker
Joe Cockroft
Sam Small
Archie Macauley
Alec George Foreman
Len Goulden
Stan Foxall
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When do Premier League clubs return for pre-season?
Last Updated: 07/06/17 2:12pm
SSN
The Premier League season may have just ended, but clubs are already
preparing for pre-season. We look at when are each team will be back in
training...
Arsenal - July 3
The Gunners officially return to pre-season training on July 3, but players
are expected to come back in groups due to international fixtures. Arsene
Wenger also confirmed that he would be staying at the club for another two
years on Wednesday May 31, meaning there will be no worry over who will be
at the helm when the players return - including new signing Sead Kolasinac
from Schalke. The FA Cup holders then jet off around the world for their
pre-season friendlies, heading to Sydney and Beijing - where they will take
part in the International Champions Cup - before competing in the Emirates
Cup on home turf.
Bournemouth - July 1
The Cherries return to pre-season action on July 1 as they look to maintain
their Premier League status for a third consecutive season.
Eddie Howe's men have one friendly slated so far against QPR, heading to
Loftus Road on July 29 for a game which is being played to commemorate Rs
legend Stan Bowles.
Brighton - June 29
One of the earliest returners are promoted Brighton, who will be back at the
American Express Elite Football Performance Centre on June 29. The Seagulls
will be playing their first season in the Premier League having previously
had four seasons in the old Division One, and are mostly staying in the UK
for their friendlies. They travel to Crawley Town on July 22 in their first
fixture which culminates in a showpiece match against Atletico Madrid at the
Amex Stadium in August 6, one week before their opening league match.
Burnley - July 5
Burnley welcome back their players on July 5 and their extensive pre-season
schedule starts with a week-long training camp in the Republic of Ireland as
well as a first friendly against Shamrock Rovers on July 14. Trips to
Nottingham Forest and Preston follow among others, including two
as-yet-unconfirmed home fixtures, before the August 12 opener in the Premier
League. Speaking about pre-season, manager Sean Dyche told the club's
website: "Pre-season is a long period, so I think it's good to get the lads
away, and in that more confined environment where everyone is together for
five or six days to allow us to get that bonding done, as well as the
physical, tactical and technical work."
Chelsea - July 3
The Premier League champions begin their preparations for a title defence on
July 3, although this is also expected to be affected by international
duties. Chelsea will also be playing their pre-season friendlies across the
globe with a game scheduled against Arsenal at the Bird's Nest in Beijing
before two matches in Singapore when they compete in the International
Champions Cup. Their first competitive fixture will be on the opening day of
the Premier League season, with their Champions League campaign getting
underway in September.
Crystal Palace - TBC
Crystal Palace are yet to confirm a date, but do say it will be at the
beginning of July and will release a specific day when they have appointed a
new manager. The Eagles will take part in the Premier League Asia Trophy,
shown live on Sky Sports, where they will play Liverpool and either
Leicester or West Brom on July 19 and 22 in Hong Kong.
Everton - July 3
Ronald Koeman will have his squad back in training on July 3 as they look
towards a busy season that will include the third round of Europa League
qualification on July 27. However, some players could return after the
allocated date after international commitments, with manager Ronald Koeman
telling the Liverpool Echo: "I believe the players need at least three weeks
of holiday and maybe I will decide several players come back even later than
that date." The Toffees will also become the first Premier League side to
play in Tanzania for a pre-season fixture on July 13 and will also host
Sevilla on August 6.
Huddersfield - July 5
Play-off winners Huddersfield will start preparing for life in the Premier
League for the first time on July 5 when the players return to their
training ground, the Canalside Sports Complex. It remains to be seen if loan
players that helped them to promotion like Aaron Mooy, Izzy Brown and Danny
Ward will be in the squad with David Wagner saying after the Wembley
victory: "I think I have a lot of calls to do." The Terriers are yet to
announce their pre-season friendlies.
Leicester - July 3
Craig Shakespeare is yet to be confirmed as Leicester's boss, though he will
be expected to take charge of the Foxes going into next season after
impressing as interim boss at the King Power. The players will return to
training on July 3 before travelling to the Far East to take part in the
Premier League Asia Trophy. They face West Brom in Hong Kong (July 19),
while a second match in Asia will be followed by a number of friendlies back
home. Visits to Luton, MK Dons, Wolves and Burton are all in the pipeline.
Liverpool - first week of July
Jurgen Klopp's side ended the season with a friendly Down Under against
Sydney FC - which also featured Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher - and are
set to return to pre-season training in the first week of July. The Reds
travel to the Far East for the Premier League Asia Trophy, where they will
first face Crystal Palace (July 19) in Hong Kong. Liverpool will also play
Hertha Berlin (July 29) at the Olympiastadion before heading to Dublin to
take on Athletic Bilbao (August 5).
Manchester City - July 10
City have provisionally set a July 10 date for the squad to return to
training, though they will soon jet off to the United States to feature in
the International Champions Cup. Pep Guardiola's side will take on city
rivals Manchester United in Houston (July 20), before facing Real Madrid in
LA (July 26) and Tottenham in Nashville (July 29).
Manchester United - TBC
After ending the 2016/17 season with the Europa League glory, and the
guarantee of a Champions League spot to boot, Jose Mourinho's side return to
Carrington in the first few weeks of July - although the players will be
arriving at different times, depending on international commitments. United
take on LA Galaxy (July 15) and Real Salt Lake (July 17) before playing Man
City (July 20) in Houston. Friendlies against Real Madrid (July 23) and
Barcelona (July 26) follow, before they return to Europe to play Valerenga
IF (July 30) in Oslo and Sampdoria (August 2) in Dublin.
Newcastle - July 3
Sky Bet Championship winners Newcastle are back in the big time after just
one season away, and are heading back to training on July 3.
Rafa Benitez's side are yet to finalise pre-season plans in terms of
friendlies.
Southampton - TBC
Southampton are yet to confirm when their players will be returning for
pre-season training, with the future of manager Claude Puel still in doubt.
Southampton also have just one friendly match confirmed so far, as they
attempt to build on their eighth-place finish in the league last season.
They travel to Brentford on July 22.
Stoke - July 5
The Potters get their pre-season preparations underway on July 5 as they
look to improve on their 13th place finish from last season.
Stoke then travel to Switzerland to participate in the Uhrencup with matches
in the UK against Sheffield United, Bolton and Crewe Alexandra also on the
cards.
Swansea - July 3
After surviving the drop by the skin of their teeth last term, Paul Clement
will begin his first full pre-season at Swansea on July 3 when the players
return to training. It's then a hop across the pond for the Welsh side as
they play three friendlies against American opponents during a 10-day
pre-season camp and a fourth friendly against Birmingham City to be played
at St Andrew's on July 29.
Speaking about the USA tour, Swans vice-chairman Leigh Dineen told the
club's website: "The tour is not only designed to provide Paul Clement with
the best environment to prepare the squad for the new campaign, but it also
gives Swans fans at home and in the States the opportunity to plan potential
trips well in advance.''
Tottenham - July 3
Mauricio Pochettino's side are another who have earmarked July 3 as a return
date for their players, but with international fixtures coming up, they will
return at different times. Tottenham are heading to the USA for their
pre-season tour, playing games in Florida, New Jersey and Tennessee as they
compete in the International Champions Cup before returning to the UK for
the start of the Premier League season. "We are delighted to be taking part
in the International Champions Cup this summer - a competition that will
provide our players with ideal preparation for the season ahead and give our
passionate US fanbase a unique chance of seeing the team test themselves
against top European opposition in their home country," Spurs chairman
Daniel Levy told the club's official website.
Watford - TBC
Watford are yet to confirm when new Hornets boss Marco Silva will welcome
his players back to training, but the Portuguese boss will be busy this
summer after taking over from Walter Mazzarri, who was sacked after one
season in charge. Watford head to Woking (July 8) and AFC Wimbledon (July
15) for pre-season friendlies before hosting Aston Villa at Vicarage Road on
July 29.
West Brom - July 3
The Baggies are back in training on July 3, and will be looking to get their
form back on track after failing to win any of their last nine Premier
League games at the end of the previous campaign. Tony Pulis' side will be
jetting to Hong Kong to take part in the Premier League Asia Trophy, live on
Sky Sports, along with Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Leicester and also have
a host of domestic fixtures including games against Burton and Bristol
Rovers.
West Ham - July 5
West Ham return to pre-season training on July 5, although the club are yet
to announce any friendly matches. However, they are expected to mostly be
playing away games as the London Stadium will host the World Para-Athletics
Championships and World Championships in Athletics at the end of July and
the start of August respectively.
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Robert Snodgrass reveals that he will stay at West Ham after 'difficult'
start to Hammers career
The midfielder has struggled since his move from Hull City
Football London
BYROB GUEST
15:00, 8 JUN 2017
Robert Snodgrass has revealed he will stay at West Ham next season after
holding talks with manager Slaven Bilic. Snodgrass struggled in east London
following his move from Hull City but he has said he is committed to the
club despite rumours of a potential transfer.
The Scotland international failed to score in his 15 appearances for the
Hammers after netting nine goals for the Tigers prior to his £10.2million
transfer. The 29-year-old admits he struggled without his family in London
last season, as well as trying to fill Dmitri Payet's boots. "It's not easy
moving to a new club in the middle of the season but I chose to join West
Ham above other teams because of their great tradition and fanbase and I'm
determined to make it a success," said Snodgrass. "There were some factors
that made things difficult last season. I was living away from my family
because we didn't want to interrupt schooling but next season I'll have my
wife and three kids with me. "I was also asked to play on the left to fill
the gap vacated by Dmitri Payet but it's never been my position. I've scored
nearly a hundred goals as a mainly right-sided player and I've said to the
manager that's where I think I'm most effective. "We've had a very good
discussion and hopefully I'll be given a run of games where I'm comfortable.
If it doesn't happen right away, I will have to wait for my chance. "I'm
really looking forward to meeting up with the West Ham boys for pre-season
and starting again."
Snodgrass is now looking to hit top form once the new season gets underway
after a difficult start to life in a claret and blue shirt.
After playing on the right in the final game of the season at Burnley, the
Scotsman is hoping to take that performance into the new campaign. "I scored
nine goals for Hull and a hat-trick for Scotland in the first half of the
season, you don't do that and then become an average player overnight, so I
know I can contribute to West Ham," added Snodgrass. "I was heartened by
playing on the right for the final game against Burnley which we won. It
gave me a bit of confidence and I want to take that momentum into the new
season. I don't know where the stories have come about moving on. I am
committed to West Ham."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM INTERESTED IN BARCELONA STAR MUNIR EL HADDADI
ABDULLAH MULLA @AbzMulla6
ReadWestHam
West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Southampton are interested in signing
highly-rated Barcelona forward Munir El Haddadi as the youngster looks
surplus to requirements at the Nou Camp, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Barcelona are ready to sell Munir, who spent this season on loan at fellow
La Liga club Valencia. The Catalan club are willing to listen to offers of
around £10 million and it is understood that West Ham are considering a bid.
Munir scored seven times in all competitions for Valencia this season and
the report states the La Liga club have been given the option to sign him
permanently but are unlikely to take the Catalan side up on it. Hammers boss
Slaven Bilic is looking to add firepower up front and with the anticipated
departure of Enner Valencia imminent, Munir could be the perfect
replacement. The Spanish forward first broke into the Barcelona squad in the
2014/15 season and managed to score six goals in 26 appearances. He then
fell out of favour and didn't manage to get enough game time which
ultimately led to his loan move to Valencia this season, where he was
impressive.
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BESIKTAS LINING UP A MOVE FOR ENNER VALENCIA
ABDULLAH MULLA @AbzMulla6
ReadWestHam
West Ham United striker Enner Valencia is set to leave the London club, with
Turkish Champions Besiktas lining up a move for the out of favour forward,
according to a report on Football London. Reports in Turkey are suggesting
that the 27-year-old could be playing Champions League football with
Besiktas next season as the Istanbul-based club look to add firepower to
their frontline. Valencia spent this season on loan at fellow Premier League
club Everton but failed to make a lasting impression as Ronald Koeman
rejected the chance to sign him permanently for the Merseyside club. The
Toffees had an option of signing Valencia for £11m, but Koeman turned down
the deal. He scored three times for the Merseyside club this season in the
Premier League in 21 appearances. Valencia still has two years remaining on
his West Ham contract but it seems he has failed to impress Hammers boss
Slaven Bilic, as the manager looks set to cash in on the Ecuadorian forward.
The Hammers had huge problems in finding the back of the net this season and
Bilic is looking to strengthen his attack in this summer's transfer window.
It is highly likely that Valencia will be joined by Diafra Sakho through the
exit door.
Mexican side Cruz Azul and former club Pachuca have also shown interest in
Valencia but it is thought that Besiktas are leading the line for his
signature.
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Robert Snodgrass commits to West Ham despite tough start to Hammers life and
interest from Brighton: 'I'm determined to make it a success'
West Ham signed Robert Snodgrass for £10.2million from Hull in January
The midfielder has only made 15 appearances, eight as a substitute
Brighton are interested in the Scot but he has pledged himself to the
Hammers
By Joe Bernstein for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 12:24, 8 June 2017 | UPDATED: 12:25, 8 June 2017
Scotland midfielder Robert Snodgrass will remain at West Ham next season
after discussions with manager Slaven Bilic. Snodgrass, in Gordon Strachan's
squad to face England on Saturday, failed to score for the Hammers following
a £10.2million move from Hull City in January but has reaffirmed his
commitment despite interest from Premier League new boys Brighton. 'It's not
easy moving to a new club in the middle of the season but I chose to join
West Ham above other teams because of their great tradition and fanbase and
I'm determined to make it a success,' said 29-year-old Snodgrass. 'There
were some factors that made things difficult last season. I was living away
from my family because we didn't want to interrupt schooling but next season
I'll have my wife and three kids with me.
'I was also asked to play on the left to fill the gap vacated by Dmitri
Payet but it's never been my position. I've scored nearly a hundred goals as
a mainly right-sided player and I've said to the manager that's where I
think I'm most effective. 'We've had a very good discussion and hopefully
I'll be given a run of games where I'm comfortable. If it doesn't happen
right away, I will have to wait for my chance. 'I'm really looking forward
to meeting up with the West Ham boys for pre-season and starting again.'
Though Bilic shared the frustration of Snodgrass' slow start to his West Ham
career – not helped by an ankle injury – he regards it as unfair to make a
final judgement after less than six months. 'I scored nine goals for Hull
and a hat-trick for Scotland in the first half of the season, you don't do
that and then become an average player overnight, so I know I can contribute
to West Ham,' said Snodgrass. 'I was heartened by playing on the right for
the final game against Burnley which we won. It gave me a bit of confidence
and I want to take that momentum into the new season. I don't know where the
stories have come about moving on. I am committed to West Ham.'
Eight of Snodgrass' 15 West Ham appearances have been off the substitutes'
bench but he can still end the season on a high with a famous result against
England at Hampden. 'It feels as if I've had two different seasons already
but playing England in a World Cup qualifier is a great way to go into the
summer,' he said. 'After that, I can't wait to rejoin the lads at West Ham
for pre-season training and show the real me.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham fans most responsible for rise in football-related arrests on
British transport network
Telegraph.co.uk
Alistair Tweedale
8 JUNE 2017 • 10:55AM
Hooliganism may no longer be quite the issue it once was in this country,
but problems still persist, particularly on our trains. Research conducted
by ticketgum into a Home Office news release reveals that while
football-related arrests have decreased over the last five seasons, the
number made on the transport network has risen for a fourth year running.
The statistics show that over the past five years there has been a decrease
in the number of football-related arrests across the country, from around
2,400 in 2011/12 to 1,895 in 2015/16, the most recent season charted.
However, arrests made on public transport have continued to rise, with 22
per cent of all football-related arrests made by the British Transport
Police. Football-related arrests have played a big part in overall crime on
the railway increasing by four per cent. Of the incidents where a Premier
League football club was mentioned, West Ham were responsible for the most,
with Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea next on the
list.
Liverpool and Middlesbrough were mentioned in just one per cent of those
arrests where fans of a specific Premier League club were involved. The fact
that the 'bigger' Premier League clubs are mostly nearer the top of this
list may be accounted for by their larger fanbases and attendances. However,
West Ham were still playing at the Boleyn Ground in 2015/16, while
Liverpool's Anfield home is one of the biggest in the country, so the number
of fans at matches cannot be the only explanation.
One of the reported offences included "4-500 fans who boarded a special
train service. While at platform the doors of the train were forced open and
coins thrown at rival fans. Due to the difficulty closing doors, the train
lost power, causing one cancellation and delays to 15 trains. [A] train
window was later found to have been smashed."
Another incident was said to have caused more than £3000 in damages. On the
matter, the British Transport Police stated the following, "We adopt a
proactive approach to football policing, with officers escorting trains
before and after matches and patrolling stations where large numbers of fans
are expected." The BTP added that "fixed penalty notices are not used for
football-related offences, making sure that offenders are charged with the
most serious offences their conduct warrants." BTP chief constable Paul
Crowther said in 2015 that the number of incidents on the transport network
may be even higher, because victims feel too frightened to talk to British
Transport Police officials. The three most common football-related offences
are public disorder, alcohol offences and violent disorder, which make up 96
per cent of arrests. Earlier this year, a French court found four Chelsea
fans guilty of racist violence on the Paris metro before a Champions League
match in February 2015. West Ham have endured more problems since moving to
the London Stadium, with visiting Middlesbrough fans attacked after their
match there last October.
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Chelsea refusing to allow wantaway Michy Batshuayi's transfer until they
sign a new striker
Clubs across Europe are after the £33m Belgian, who confirmed he wants to be
playing more next season in a World Cup year
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
22:30, 7 JUN 2017
Michy Batshuayi will not be permitted to leave Chelsea until the champions
have landed a replacement. West Ham, Scotland's Rangers, French side Monaco
and Sevilla of Spain are all keen to snap up the 23-year-old, who spent last
season on the fringes for the Blues before scoring in three of his final
four games — including the late winner at West Brom that confirmed them as
champions. Chelsea, meanwhile, are trying to agree a fee with Everton for
their star frontman Romelu Lukaku . The Toffees' 25-goal leading scorer
wants a return to Stamford Bridge, where he spent three seasons from 2011
albeit mostly out on loan. However, Everton require a world-record
£100million for him. The future of Diego Costa , the champions' current
first-choice up front, is also uncertain. The Spain striker is reluctant to
move to the Chinese Super League, where Tianjin Quinjan are ready to pay
£76million for him. He is prepared to rejoin previous club Atletico Madrid,
but the La Liga heavyweights are under a transfer ban and will not be able
to register new players until January. It means Costa could stay at Stamford
Bridge, and Belgium international Batshuayi is unwilling to endure another
season on the bench in a World Cup year. He said: "No, no, no. Everyone
knows that I have to play more, that I have to score goals. There's a World
Cup coming up next year. I want to be ready for the World Cup. "But I'm not
going to ask anything. I'm going to listen to what they are saying. They are
the boss, not me. And afterwards I'll discuss it with my agent and the club.
Amicably, as friends. Of course. "A loan? That's not up to me. That's up to
them. They take the decisions, not me. "Diego is a top player who has played
in top teams and has scored a lot of goals at the highest level. I'm still
young, so I've learned a lot from him. "I have lived difficult moments, but
it's in times like those that you learn the most. "Certainly when you're
surrounded by top class players, like Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard, all of
them, you only can make progress in a situation like that. I haven't played
a lot, you know, but I managed to scored one of the most important goals.
"It gave me a boost. Good for me, good for the team. Of course I wanted to
play more. And of course I wanted to score more goals. That's normal. All
players want that. But we have become champions. That's really good for me.
It's a wonderful experience."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea title hero Michy Batshuayi insists he cannot accept another season
sitting on the Blues' bench
Michy Batshuayi has admits he cannot spend another season on Chelsea's bench
The Belgian striker became a Blues hero after scoring the title-winning goal
Batshuayi ended the season in a purple patch, scoring in three consecutive
ties
West Ham and Everton have been linked with the 23-year-old
By Danny Gallagher For Mailonline
PUBLISHED: 23:16, 7 June 2017 | UPDATED: 23:17, 7 June 2017
Chelsea's title hero Michy Batshuayi has admitted he cannot spend another
season wallowing on the substitutes' bench at Stamford Bridge.
The Belgian youngster spent the majority of the season seeing only glimpses
of action, before bursting onto the scene in the latter stages to score the
title-clinching goal during Chelsea's away clash with West Brom. He went on
to find the back of the net in each of Chelsea's two final fixtures of the
season, ending his personal campaign on a high. And now the 23-year-old has
spoken openly regarding his immediate future, maintaining that he cannot
spend another season as a bit-part player. 'Everyone knows that I have to
play more, that I have to score goals. There's a World Cup coming up next
year. I want to be ready for the World Cup,' said Batshuayi in an interview
with The Guardian. 'But I'm not going to ask anything. I'm going to listen
to what they are saying. They are the boss, not me. And afterwards I'll
discuss it with my agent and the club. Amicably, as friends of course. A
loan? That's not up to me. That's up to them. They take the decisions, not
me.'
Despite the frustration of limited time out on the pitch, Batshuayi believes
he has grown as a player as a result of the talent around him. This, plus
the additional confidence of a title-winning goal, is set to stand him in
good stead ahead of the coming season, the striker believes: 'I have lived
difficult moments, but it's in times like those that you learn the most.
Certainly when you're surrounded by top class players, like Cesc Fàbregas,
Eden Hazard, all of them, you only can make progress in a situation like
that.
'I haven't played a lot, you know, but I managed to scored one of the most
important goals. It gave me a boost. Good for me, good for the team. Of
course I wanted to play more. And of course I wanted to score more goals.
That's normal,' he added. West Ham, who bid for Batshuayi before he made the
move from Marseille to Chelsea, have again been linked with the player.
Everton have likewise also been touted as a destination, with Batshuayi a
potential inclusion in any possible deal to bring Romelu Lukaku back to
Stamford Bridge.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Andre Ayew wants to take his late-season form for West Ham United into
Ghana's opening 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier this weekend.
The Black Stars forward ended 2016/17 with five goals and three assists in
the Hammers' closing 13 Premier League fixtures, including the winner in the
final-day victory at Burnley. Now, the vastly-experienced 27-year-old, wants
to add to his 14 international goals when Ghana take on Ethiopia in their
Group F tie in Kumasi on Sunday afternoon.
Ghana finished fourth in the 2017 tournament, which was held in Gabon
earlier this year, with Ayew scoring two goals, but the No20 wants to do
even better at the 2019 finals in Cameroon. Ghana will also face Kenya and
Sierra Leone in their qualifying group.
Having started their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a draw
with Uganda and defeat in Egypt, Ayew wants Ghana to return to winning ways
as they seek qualification for their continent's own major tournament.
"It will be very important to start the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations campaign
on a winning note," he confirmed. "We have a goal which is qualifying for
the 2019 AFCON and we must start by getting good results here and we know
the bad results we had against Uganda made our World Cup campaign a
difficult one.
"That is not yet over, but we have put that on the sideline now and think
about the Africa Cup of Nations. Now thinking about the game against
Ethiopia where we want all three points and we're going to work towards
that.
"We can't sit here and say we want to win the Africa Cup of Nations if we
have not qualified, so we need to do our job and qualify. It's going to be
very tough and very difficult, but Ghana is a team which has to win
trophies.
"Now until then is a long time, so we don't want to predict anything, but
that's the goal we are working towards, going to Cameroon and doing
something great. But before that, we have to pass Kenya, Ethopia and Sierra
Leone, so we have a lot of games."
Following their Group F opener, Ghana travel to North America for friendly
internationals with Mexico and the United States before recommencing their
stuttering World Cup qualifying campaign.
Ayew and company host Congo on 28 August before travelling to face the same
opposition on 2 September, and the West Ham man knows two victories are
vital against their pointless opponents.
"Nothing is impossible but we can say that it's close to an impossible
mission!" he smiled. "People who know me know that I never give up and in
one game everything can change.
"So, we have to stay calm and put everything in the hands of the almighty
Allah, but also in our legs, because we have a lot of work to do if we want
to go to Russia. We have to win all four games and I expect Egypt to lose a
game or draw two. So we're going to wait and see, but every game for us is a
must-win."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dan Kemp previews Toulon Tournament semi-final against Scotland
WHUFC.com
Dan Kemp hopes to draw on his knockout fixture experience when England U20s
face Scotland in the semi-finals of the Toulon Tournament.
Kemp was part of the Hammers U23 side that won both knockout games in the
Premier League 2 Division 2 play-offs to win promotion last month. Since
winning promotion for West Ham PL2, Kemp has played a key role for England
in France, helping them make it through to the semi-finals. A mouthwatering
clash against their close rivals Scotland awaits on Thursday (4pm BST) and
Kemp hopes his knockout experience will prove helpful. "I think it (knockout
football experience) will help me a little bit because I have played in some
big games before," he said. "But this will be one of the biggest, if not the
biggest game I would have been involved in. "I love and enjoy playing in the
big games because I know that this is where I can learn and show people what
I can do."
England made it through to the semi-finals in Toulon after achieving a 100%
record in Group A. Kemp featured in their opening match against Angola when
a solitary header from Chelsea striker Ike Ugbo was enough to give them a
1-0 victory. England then thrashed Cuba 7-1 to qualify for the knockout
phase before edging out Japan 2-1 in their final group match to maintain
their winning record. Kemp was involved in the first of England's two goals
after being fouled in penalty area – Sheffield Wednesday's George Hirst
scored the spot-kick to set the Young Lions on their way. Meanwhile,
Scotland only made it into the knockout phase as the best second-placed team
from the group stage, but Kemp is well aware of the threat they pose. "I'm
very excited and I cannot wait for the game," he added. "It will be a good
test against Scotland but we are all looking forward to it. These are the
games you want to play in. "It (the rivalry) definitely adds some importance
to the game but it also give you extra incentive to push the extra bit to
get the win. The win is all that matters."
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West Ham United's all-time most-capped international XI
WHUFC.com
While West Ham United's season may be over, a host of first-team stars are
away representing their countries on international duty.
From Wales wing half William Jones in 1901 to Portugal centre-back Jose
Fonte earlier this year, some 156 Hammers have pulled on the jerseys of
their respective nations.
To mark the current busy schedule of FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of
Nations qualifiers, FIFA Confederations Cup and friendly matches, we delved
deep into the record books to select a team of players who earned the most
caps during their time in east London. The resulting XI may surprise you…
Goalkeeper: Craig Forrest
Country: Canada
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 23
Craig Forrest had already been a Canada international for nine years when he
joined the Hammers from Ipswich Town in 1998.
The athletic British Colombia-born stopper excelled for his country during
his five years with West Ham United, winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the
Most Valuable Player and Canadian International Player of the Year awards in
2000, before appearing at the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Right-back: Rigobert Song
Country: Cameroon
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 22
Another experienced campaigner, Rigobert Song made his Cameroon debut at the
age of 17 back in 1993 – before he had even played a first-team game for
French club Metz! Song appeared at two FIFA World Cup and three Africa Cup
of Nations finals – winning one – before joining West Ham United from
Liverpool in 2000. The versatile defender played three times at the 2002
FIFA World Cup finals in Japan before joining French side RC Lens later that
summer.
Left-back: Jonathan Spector
Country: United States
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 34
Fresh-faced defender Jonathan Spector joined West Ham United from Manchester
United as a 20-year-old in summer 2006 – nearly two years after he had made
his United States debut against Jamaica. Spector enjoyed international
success while with the Hammers, winning the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup on home
turf before helping the Americans to the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup final
and travelling to the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament, both in South Africa.
Centre-back: Bobby Moore
Country: England
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 108
England's greatest-ever captain marshaled the Three Lions defence for more
than a decade, earning a then-record 108 caps between May 1962 and November
1973. As every West Ham United fan will tell you, Moore led his country to
FIFA World Cup glory in 1966, to the UEFA European Championship semi-finals
in 1968 and the knockout stages at Mexico 1970.
Centre-back: James Collins
Country: Wales
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 39
Still plying his trade in Claret and Blue at the age of 33, James Collins
has earned 39 of his 51 Wales caps during his ten seasons with West Ham
United. Newport-born Ginge debuted for Wales against Norway in 2004 and has
featured at least once in every calendar year since then, culminating in the
fabulous run to the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2016.
Right midfield: Steve Lomas
Country: Northern Ireland
Centre-back: Bobby Moore
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 27
Born in Germany to the family of a British serviceman before being raised in
the town of Coleraine, Steve Lomas made his Northern Ireland debut against
Liechtenstein while a Manchester City player in April 1994. The combative
midfielder and captain moved to east London three years later and continued
to be picked regularly for his country for the next six seasons, taking his
caps total to 45.
Central midfield: Christian Dailly
Country: Scotland
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 39
Just eight players have been capped more times by Scotland than Christian
Dailly, who earned 67 pieces of headwear to cover his curly hair between
1997 and 2008. After debuting and appearing at the 1998 FIFA World Cup
finals while a Derby County player, Dailly spent two seasons with Blackburn
Rovers before earning more than half his caps during his seven seasons in
Claret and Blue.
Central midfield: Martin Peters
Country: England
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 33
The second of three 1966 FIFA World Cup winners in this XI, Martin Peters
forced his way into Alf Ramsey's side just weeks before the tournament
began, at the age of just 22. A versatile performer who earned rave reviews
from teammates and managers alike, Peters earned 33 of his 67 caps between
1966 and 1970, when he joined Tottenham Hotspur and then added the remaining
34.
Left midfield: Trevor Brooking
Country: England
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 47
The first of two team members to earn all of his international caps while
with West Ham United, Trevor Brooking's talents saw him debut against
Portugal in 1974. He remained a regular member of the England squad for the
next eight years, appearing at UEFA Euro 1980 in Italy and the 1982 FIFA
World Cup finals in Spain.
Forward: Enner Valencia
Country: Ecuador
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 23
The second member of the side still playing for West Ham United, Enner
Valencia joined the Hammers after excelling for Ecuador at the 2014 FIFA
World Cup finals. Prior to that tournament, the forward netted in a friendly
against England, and since arriving in east London he has continued to be
capped – and score – regularly for his country, appearing at the 2015 and
2016 Copa America tournaments.
Forward: Geoff Hurst
Country: England
Caps awarded while at West Ham United: 49
Last but by no means least, Geoff Hurst is the second player to have earned
all of his caps while a Hammer – 49 in total between 1966 and 1972. The 1966
FIFA World Cup fina l hat-trick hero scored 24 goals for his country and
also appeared at UEFA Euro 1968 and Mexico 1970, netting against the Soviet
Union and Romania respectively.
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Robert Snodgrass - Beat England and Scotland can qualify for the World Cup
WHUFC.com
West Ham United winger Robert Snodgrass is out to make himself an unpopular
figure among the Claret and Blue Army this weekend. The Hammers wideman is
set to start for his country when Scotland host England in a vital 2018 FIFA
World Cup qualifier at Hampden Park on Saturday evening. The Scots need to
win the Group F tie to give themselves any real hope of reaching Russia and,
despite having beaten England just once in their last ten meetings with the
Auld Enemy dating back to 1985, Snodgrass insists the Tartan Army will rise
to the challenge. "I have never ever had that sort of feeling [of
inferiority] since I went down to England," the No11 told The Scottish Sun.
"I have always had that drive inside my stomach, that burning feeling to get
the success you want to achieve as an individual, and to keep hitting
targets. "I want to keep driving forward, and I have never had the feeling
of being feart of this player or that player. I look forward to it more than
anything." "You can sit and say 'That's Scottish fitba', if we go and beat
them. So there is that to consider, but there are loads of different things
about this match. "On the day, it will be about which team wants it the
most. It will be about which team has that desire to get on the ball and
make things happen."
England won the reverse fixture at Wembley 3-0 before Christmas, with
Snodgrass missing the Scots' best chance of the game with his side just a
single goal down. While that result might have been a big blow to Scotland's
hopes of reaching a first World Cup since 1998, they go into Saturday's
mouth-watering Glasgow showdown on the back of a morale-boosting 1-0 win
over Slovenia in their last qualifier. The Hammers star has challenged his
compatriots to repeat that performance and result when they take on Aaron
Cresswell and company in his home city. "We all knew after the last game
against Slovenia that was more like the Scotland we all want to see," he
confirmed. "There was no fear and there is nothing to be scared of on
Saturday. "We have good players playing at a good level, so let's go out and
express ourselves."
Victory over their neighbours would close Scotland's deficit to England to
just three points, with four qualification matches still to play. While it
looked very unlikely a few months ago, Snodgrass insists a win this weekend
would give Gordon Strachan's side a real chance of overhauling England and
topping the group. "It would give everyone the belief again that we are
serious contenders," said the midfielder, who scored a hat-trick in a win
over Malta earlier in the current qualification campaign. "We need to focus
on group position, and we need to get the win for that reason. It is all
about qualifying. "That was our objective at the start. It wasn't to just
fight for second place. "You saw against England we had a lot of chances,
and if we didn't believe we would never have got those chances. "We have
always believed that we could go for automatic qualification in this group.
But when you take hits and have to take a step back, you then need to try
and take two forward. "We want to get there automatically, we want to beat
England and kick on."
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The day West Ham United braved the bombs to win at Wembley
WHUFC.com
While the Football League may have been suspended just three games into the
1939/40 season due to the onset of the Second World War, West Ham United
continued to compete throughout the conflict-torn decade. Just as had
occurred during the First World War 25 years earlier, a regional War-Time
league competition was introduced, with the divisions and their make-up
fluctuating from season to season.
Every football club in the land sent men to fight for their country and West
Ham were no different, with no fewer than 41 players swapping their football
kit for military uniform. The FA Cup was also suspended for the duration of
the War, with the Football League War Cup being introduced in its place, and
it was in this competition that the Hammers enjoyed a unforgettable day in
the Club's history.
The final was played on 8 June 1940 at Wembley Stadium at 6.30pm - before
the night-time blackout - despite fears that London would be bombed that
evening by the Luftwaffe, West Ham defeated Blackburn Rovers 1-0 through a
34th-minute goal from Sam Small. Amazingly, a crowd of 42,300 bravely turned
out to see Charlie Paynter's Hammers presented with the trophy by A.V.
Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty.
As a further reminder that the country was at war, the crowd included
wounded members of the British Expeditionary Force recently evacuated from
Dunkirk in northern France, while a number of players headed straight back
to their service units after the game.
West Ham United's War Cup final-winning team
Herman Conway
Charlie Bicknell (capt.)
Charlie Walker
Ted Fenton
Dick Walker
Joe Cockroft
Sam Small
Archie Macauley
Alec George Foreman
Len Goulden
Stan Foxall
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When do Premier League clubs return for pre-season?
Last Updated: 07/06/17 2:12pm
SSN
The Premier League season may have just ended, but clubs are already
preparing for pre-season. We look at when are each team will be back in
training...
Arsenal - July 3
The Gunners officially return to pre-season training on July 3, but players
are expected to come back in groups due to international fixtures. Arsene
Wenger also confirmed that he would be staying at the club for another two
years on Wednesday May 31, meaning there will be no worry over who will be
at the helm when the players return - including new signing Sead Kolasinac
from Schalke. The FA Cup holders then jet off around the world for their
pre-season friendlies, heading to Sydney and Beijing - where they will take
part in the International Champions Cup - before competing in the Emirates
Cup on home turf.
Bournemouth - July 1
The Cherries return to pre-season action on July 1 as they look to maintain
their Premier League status for a third consecutive season.
Eddie Howe's men have one friendly slated so far against QPR, heading to
Loftus Road on July 29 for a game which is being played to commemorate Rs
legend Stan Bowles.
Brighton - June 29
One of the earliest returners are promoted Brighton, who will be back at the
American Express Elite Football Performance Centre on June 29. The Seagulls
will be playing their first season in the Premier League having previously
had four seasons in the old Division One, and are mostly staying in the UK
for their friendlies. They travel to Crawley Town on July 22 in their first
fixture which culminates in a showpiece match against Atletico Madrid at the
Amex Stadium in August 6, one week before their opening league match.
Burnley - July 5
Burnley welcome back their players on July 5 and their extensive pre-season
schedule starts with a week-long training camp in the Republic of Ireland as
well as a first friendly against Shamrock Rovers on July 14. Trips to
Nottingham Forest and Preston follow among others, including two
as-yet-unconfirmed home fixtures, before the August 12 opener in the Premier
League. Speaking about pre-season, manager Sean Dyche told the club's
website: "Pre-season is a long period, so I think it's good to get the lads
away, and in that more confined environment where everyone is together for
five or six days to allow us to get that bonding done, as well as the
physical, tactical and technical work."
Chelsea - July 3
The Premier League champions begin their preparations for a title defence on
July 3, although this is also expected to be affected by international
duties. Chelsea will also be playing their pre-season friendlies across the
globe with a game scheduled against Arsenal at the Bird's Nest in Beijing
before two matches in Singapore when they compete in the International
Champions Cup. Their first competitive fixture will be on the opening day of
the Premier League season, with their Champions League campaign getting
underway in September.
Crystal Palace - TBC
Crystal Palace are yet to confirm a date, but do say it will be at the
beginning of July and will release a specific day when they have appointed a
new manager. The Eagles will take part in the Premier League Asia Trophy,
shown live on Sky Sports, where they will play Liverpool and either
Leicester or West Brom on July 19 and 22 in Hong Kong.
Everton - July 3
Ronald Koeman will have his squad back in training on July 3 as they look
towards a busy season that will include the third round of Europa League
qualification on July 27. However, some players could return after the
allocated date after international commitments, with manager Ronald Koeman
telling the Liverpool Echo: "I believe the players need at least three weeks
of holiday and maybe I will decide several players come back even later than
that date." The Toffees will also become the first Premier League side to
play in Tanzania for a pre-season fixture on July 13 and will also host
Sevilla on August 6.
Huddersfield - July 5
Play-off winners Huddersfield will start preparing for life in the Premier
League for the first time on July 5 when the players return to their
training ground, the Canalside Sports Complex. It remains to be seen if loan
players that helped them to promotion like Aaron Mooy, Izzy Brown and Danny
Ward will be in the squad with David Wagner saying after the Wembley
victory: "I think I have a lot of calls to do." The Terriers are yet to
announce their pre-season friendlies.
Leicester - July 3
Craig Shakespeare is yet to be confirmed as Leicester's boss, though he will
be expected to take charge of the Foxes going into next season after
impressing as interim boss at the King Power. The players will return to
training on July 3 before travelling to the Far East to take part in the
Premier League Asia Trophy. They face West Brom in Hong Kong (July 19),
while a second match in Asia will be followed by a number of friendlies back
home. Visits to Luton, MK Dons, Wolves and Burton are all in the pipeline.
Liverpool - first week of July
Jurgen Klopp's side ended the season with a friendly Down Under against
Sydney FC - which also featured Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher - and are
set to return to pre-season training in the first week of July. The Reds
travel to the Far East for the Premier League Asia Trophy, where they will
first face Crystal Palace (July 19) in Hong Kong. Liverpool will also play
Hertha Berlin (July 29) at the Olympiastadion before heading to Dublin to
take on Athletic Bilbao (August 5).
Manchester City - July 10
City have provisionally set a July 10 date for the squad to return to
training, though they will soon jet off to the United States to feature in
the International Champions Cup. Pep Guardiola's side will take on city
rivals Manchester United in Houston (July 20), before facing Real Madrid in
LA (July 26) and Tottenham in Nashville (July 29).
Manchester United - TBC
After ending the 2016/17 season with the Europa League glory, and the
guarantee of a Champions League spot to boot, Jose Mourinho's side return to
Carrington in the first few weeks of July - although the players will be
arriving at different times, depending on international commitments. United
take on LA Galaxy (July 15) and Real Salt Lake (July 17) before playing Man
City (July 20) in Houston. Friendlies against Real Madrid (July 23) and
Barcelona (July 26) follow, before they return to Europe to play Valerenga
IF (July 30) in Oslo and Sampdoria (August 2) in Dublin.
Newcastle - July 3
Sky Bet Championship winners Newcastle are back in the big time after just
one season away, and are heading back to training on July 3.
Rafa Benitez's side are yet to finalise pre-season plans in terms of
friendlies.
Southampton - TBC
Southampton are yet to confirm when their players will be returning for
pre-season training, with the future of manager Claude Puel still in doubt.
Southampton also have just one friendly match confirmed so far, as they
attempt to build on their eighth-place finish in the league last season.
They travel to Brentford on July 22.
Stoke - July 5
The Potters get their pre-season preparations underway on July 5 as they
look to improve on their 13th place finish from last season.
Stoke then travel to Switzerland to participate in the Uhrencup with matches
in the UK against Sheffield United, Bolton and Crewe Alexandra also on the
cards.
Swansea - July 3
After surviving the drop by the skin of their teeth last term, Paul Clement
will begin his first full pre-season at Swansea on July 3 when the players
return to training. It's then a hop across the pond for the Welsh side as
they play three friendlies against American opponents during a 10-day
pre-season camp and a fourth friendly against Birmingham City to be played
at St Andrew's on July 29.
Speaking about the USA tour, Swans vice-chairman Leigh Dineen told the
club's website: "The tour is not only designed to provide Paul Clement with
the best environment to prepare the squad for the new campaign, but it also
gives Swans fans at home and in the States the opportunity to plan potential
trips well in advance.''
Tottenham - July 3
Mauricio Pochettino's side are another who have earmarked July 3 as a return
date for their players, but with international fixtures coming up, they will
return at different times. Tottenham are heading to the USA for their
pre-season tour, playing games in Florida, New Jersey and Tennessee as they
compete in the International Champions Cup before returning to the UK for
the start of the Premier League season. "We are delighted to be taking part
in the International Champions Cup this summer - a competition that will
provide our players with ideal preparation for the season ahead and give our
passionate US fanbase a unique chance of seeing the team test themselves
against top European opposition in their home country," Spurs chairman
Daniel Levy told the club's official website.
Watford - TBC
Watford are yet to confirm when new Hornets boss Marco Silva will welcome
his players back to training, but the Portuguese boss will be busy this
summer after taking over from Walter Mazzarri, who was sacked after one
season in charge. Watford head to Woking (July 8) and AFC Wimbledon (July
15) for pre-season friendlies before hosting Aston Villa at Vicarage Road on
July 29.
West Brom - July 3
The Baggies are back in training on July 3, and will be looking to get their
form back on track after failing to win any of their last nine Premier
League games at the end of the previous campaign. Tony Pulis' side will be
jetting to Hong Kong to take part in the Premier League Asia Trophy, live on
Sky Sports, along with Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Leicester and also have
a host of domestic fixtures including games against Burton and Bristol
Rovers.
West Ham - July 5
West Ham return to pre-season training on July 5, although the club are yet
to announce any friendly matches. However, they are expected to mostly be
playing away games as the London Stadium will host the World Para-Athletics
Championships and World Championships in Athletics at the end of July and
the start of August respectively.
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Robert Snodgrass reveals that he will stay at West Ham after 'difficult'
start to Hammers career
The midfielder has struggled since his move from Hull City
Football London
BYROB GUEST
15:00, 8 JUN 2017
Robert Snodgrass has revealed he will stay at West Ham next season after
holding talks with manager Slaven Bilic. Snodgrass struggled in east London
following his move from Hull City but he has said he is committed to the
club despite rumours of a potential transfer.
The Scotland international failed to score in his 15 appearances for the
Hammers after netting nine goals for the Tigers prior to his £10.2million
transfer. The 29-year-old admits he struggled without his family in London
last season, as well as trying to fill Dmitri Payet's boots. "It's not easy
moving to a new club in the middle of the season but I chose to join West
Ham above other teams because of their great tradition and fanbase and I'm
determined to make it a success," said Snodgrass. "There were some factors
that made things difficult last season. I was living away from my family
because we didn't want to interrupt schooling but next season I'll have my
wife and three kids with me. "I was also asked to play on the left to fill
the gap vacated by Dmitri Payet but it's never been my position. I've scored
nearly a hundred goals as a mainly right-sided player and I've said to the
manager that's where I think I'm most effective. "We've had a very good
discussion and hopefully I'll be given a run of games where I'm comfortable.
If it doesn't happen right away, I will have to wait for my chance. "I'm
really looking forward to meeting up with the West Ham boys for pre-season
and starting again."
Snodgrass is now looking to hit top form once the new season gets underway
after a difficult start to life in a claret and blue shirt.
After playing on the right in the final game of the season at Burnley, the
Scotsman is hoping to take that performance into the new campaign. "I scored
nine goals for Hull and a hat-trick for Scotland in the first half of the
season, you don't do that and then become an average player overnight, so I
know I can contribute to West Ham," added Snodgrass. "I was heartened by
playing on the right for the final game against Burnley which we won. It
gave me a bit of confidence and I want to take that momentum into the new
season. I don't know where the stories have come about moving on. I am
committed to West Ham."
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WEST HAM INTERESTED IN BARCELONA STAR MUNIR EL HADDADI
ABDULLAH MULLA @AbzMulla6
ReadWestHam
West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Southampton are interested in signing
highly-rated Barcelona forward Munir El Haddadi as the youngster looks
surplus to requirements at the Nou Camp, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Barcelona are ready to sell Munir, who spent this season on loan at fellow
La Liga club Valencia. The Catalan club are willing to listen to offers of
around £10 million and it is understood that West Ham are considering a bid.
Munir scored seven times in all competitions for Valencia this season and
the report states the La Liga club have been given the option to sign him
permanently but are unlikely to take the Catalan side up on it. Hammers boss
Slaven Bilic is looking to add firepower up front and with the anticipated
departure of Enner Valencia imminent, Munir could be the perfect
replacement. The Spanish forward first broke into the Barcelona squad in the
2014/15 season and managed to score six goals in 26 appearances. He then
fell out of favour and didn't manage to get enough game time which
ultimately led to his loan move to Valencia this season, where he was
impressive.
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BESIKTAS LINING UP A MOVE FOR ENNER VALENCIA
ABDULLAH MULLA @AbzMulla6
ReadWestHam
West Ham United striker Enner Valencia is set to leave the London club, with
Turkish Champions Besiktas lining up a move for the out of favour forward,
according to a report on Football London. Reports in Turkey are suggesting
that the 27-year-old could be playing Champions League football with
Besiktas next season as the Istanbul-based club look to add firepower to
their frontline. Valencia spent this season on loan at fellow Premier League
club Everton but failed to make a lasting impression as Ronald Koeman
rejected the chance to sign him permanently for the Merseyside club. The
Toffees had an option of signing Valencia for £11m, but Koeman turned down
the deal. He scored three times for the Merseyside club this season in the
Premier League in 21 appearances. Valencia still has two years remaining on
his West Ham contract but it seems he has failed to impress Hammers boss
Slaven Bilic, as the manager looks set to cash in on the Ecuadorian forward.
The Hammers had huge problems in finding the back of the net this season and
Bilic is looking to strengthen his attack in this summer's transfer window.
It is highly likely that Valencia will be joined by Diafra Sakho through the
exit door.
Mexican side Cruz Azul and former club Pachuca have also shown interest in
Valencia but it is thought that Besiktas are leading the line for his
signature.
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Robert Snodgrass commits to West Ham despite tough start to Hammers life and
interest from Brighton: 'I'm determined to make it a success'
West Ham signed Robert Snodgrass for £10.2million from Hull in January
The midfielder has only made 15 appearances, eight as a substitute
Brighton are interested in the Scot but he has pledged himself to the
Hammers
By Joe Bernstein for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 12:24, 8 June 2017 | UPDATED: 12:25, 8 June 2017
Scotland midfielder Robert Snodgrass will remain at West Ham next season
after discussions with manager Slaven Bilic. Snodgrass, in Gordon Strachan's
squad to face England on Saturday, failed to score for the Hammers following
a £10.2million move from Hull City in January but has reaffirmed his
commitment despite interest from Premier League new boys Brighton. 'It's not
easy moving to a new club in the middle of the season but I chose to join
West Ham above other teams because of their great tradition and fanbase and
I'm determined to make it a success,' said 29-year-old Snodgrass. 'There
were some factors that made things difficult last season. I was living away
from my family because we didn't want to interrupt schooling but next season
I'll have my wife and three kids with me.
'I was also asked to play on the left to fill the gap vacated by Dmitri
Payet but it's never been my position. I've scored nearly a hundred goals as
a mainly right-sided player and I've said to the manager that's where I
think I'm most effective. 'We've had a very good discussion and hopefully
I'll be given a run of games where I'm comfortable. If it doesn't happen
right away, I will have to wait for my chance. 'I'm really looking forward
to meeting up with the West Ham boys for pre-season and starting again.'
Though Bilic shared the frustration of Snodgrass' slow start to his West Ham
career – not helped by an ankle injury – he regards it as unfair to make a
final judgement after less than six months. 'I scored nine goals for Hull
and a hat-trick for Scotland in the first half of the season, you don't do
that and then become an average player overnight, so I know I can contribute
to West Ham,' said Snodgrass. 'I was heartened by playing on the right for
the final game against Burnley which we won. It gave me a bit of confidence
and I want to take that momentum into the new season. I don't know where the
stories have come about moving on. I am committed to West Ham.'
Eight of Snodgrass' 15 West Ham appearances have been off the substitutes'
bench but he can still end the season on a high with a famous result against
England at Hampden. 'It feels as if I've had two different seasons already
but playing England in a World Cup qualifier is a great way to go into the
summer,' he said. 'After that, I can't wait to rejoin the lads at West Ham
for pre-season training and show the real me.'
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West Ham fans most responsible for rise in football-related arrests on
British transport network
Telegraph.co.uk
Alistair Tweedale
8 JUNE 2017 • 10:55AM
Hooliganism may no longer be quite the issue it once was in this country,
but problems still persist, particularly on our trains. Research conducted
by ticketgum into a Home Office news release reveals that while
football-related arrests have decreased over the last five seasons, the
number made on the transport network has risen for a fourth year running.
The statistics show that over the past five years there has been a decrease
in the number of football-related arrests across the country, from around
2,400 in 2011/12 to 1,895 in 2015/16, the most recent season charted.
However, arrests made on public transport have continued to rise, with 22
per cent of all football-related arrests made by the British Transport
Police. Football-related arrests have played a big part in overall crime on
the railway increasing by four per cent. Of the incidents where a Premier
League football club was mentioned, West Ham were responsible for the most,
with Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea next on the
list.
Liverpool and Middlesbrough were mentioned in just one per cent of those
arrests where fans of a specific Premier League club were involved. The fact
that the 'bigger' Premier League clubs are mostly nearer the top of this
list may be accounted for by their larger fanbases and attendances. However,
West Ham were still playing at the Boleyn Ground in 2015/16, while
Liverpool's Anfield home is one of the biggest in the country, so the number
of fans at matches cannot be the only explanation.
One of the reported offences included "4-500 fans who boarded a special
train service. While at platform the doors of the train were forced open and
coins thrown at rival fans. Due to the difficulty closing doors, the train
lost power, causing one cancellation and delays to 15 trains. [A] train
window was later found to have been smashed."
Another incident was said to have caused more than £3000 in damages. On the
matter, the British Transport Police stated the following, "We adopt a
proactive approach to football policing, with officers escorting trains
before and after matches and patrolling stations where large numbers of fans
are expected." The BTP added that "fixed penalty notices are not used for
football-related offences, making sure that offenders are charged with the
most serious offences their conduct warrants." BTP chief constable Paul
Crowther said in 2015 that the number of incidents on the transport network
may be even higher, because victims feel too frightened to talk to British
Transport Police officials. The three most common football-related offences
are public disorder, alcohol offences and violent disorder, which make up 96
per cent of arrests. Earlier this year, a French court found four Chelsea
fans guilty of racist violence on the Paris metro before a Champions League
match in February 2015. West Ham have endured more problems since moving to
the London Stadium, with visiting Middlesbrough fans attacked after their
match there last October.
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Chelsea refusing to allow wantaway Michy Batshuayi's transfer until they
sign a new striker
Clubs across Europe are after the £33m Belgian, who confirmed he wants to be
playing more next season in a World Cup year
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
22:30, 7 JUN 2017
Michy Batshuayi will not be permitted to leave Chelsea until the champions
have landed a replacement. West Ham, Scotland's Rangers, French side Monaco
and Sevilla of Spain are all keen to snap up the 23-year-old, who spent last
season on the fringes for the Blues before scoring in three of his final
four games — including the late winner at West Brom that confirmed them as
champions. Chelsea, meanwhile, are trying to agree a fee with Everton for
their star frontman Romelu Lukaku . The Toffees' 25-goal leading scorer
wants a return to Stamford Bridge, where he spent three seasons from 2011
albeit mostly out on loan. However, Everton require a world-record
£100million for him. The future of Diego Costa , the champions' current
first-choice up front, is also uncertain. The Spain striker is reluctant to
move to the Chinese Super League, where Tianjin Quinjan are ready to pay
£76million for him. He is prepared to rejoin previous club Atletico Madrid,
but the La Liga heavyweights are under a transfer ban and will not be able
to register new players until January. It means Costa could stay at Stamford
Bridge, and Belgium international Batshuayi is unwilling to endure another
season on the bench in a World Cup year. He said: "No, no, no. Everyone
knows that I have to play more, that I have to score goals. There's a World
Cup coming up next year. I want to be ready for the World Cup. "But I'm not
going to ask anything. I'm going to listen to what they are saying. They are
the boss, not me. And afterwards I'll discuss it with my agent and the club.
Amicably, as friends. Of course. "A loan? That's not up to me. That's up to
them. They take the decisions, not me. "Diego is a top player who has played
in top teams and has scored a lot of goals at the highest level. I'm still
young, so I've learned a lot from him. "I have lived difficult moments, but
it's in times like those that you learn the most. "Certainly when you're
surrounded by top class players, like Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard, all of
them, you only can make progress in a situation like that. I haven't played
a lot, you know, but I managed to scored one of the most important goals.
"It gave me a boost. Good for me, good for the team. Of course I wanted to
play more. And of course I wanted to score more goals. That's normal. All
players want that. But we have become champions. That's really good for me.
It's a wonderful experience."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea title hero Michy Batshuayi insists he cannot accept another season
sitting on the Blues' bench
Michy Batshuayi has admits he cannot spend another season on Chelsea's bench
The Belgian striker became a Blues hero after scoring the title-winning goal
Batshuayi ended the season in a purple patch, scoring in three consecutive
ties
West Ham and Everton have been linked with the 23-year-old
By Danny Gallagher For Mailonline
PUBLISHED: 23:16, 7 June 2017 | UPDATED: 23:17, 7 June 2017
Chelsea's title hero Michy Batshuayi has admitted he cannot spend another
season wallowing on the substitutes' bench at Stamford Bridge.
The Belgian youngster spent the majority of the season seeing only glimpses
of action, before bursting onto the scene in the latter stages to score the
title-clinching goal during Chelsea's away clash with West Brom. He went on
to find the back of the net in each of Chelsea's two final fixtures of the
season, ending his personal campaign on a high. And now the 23-year-old has
spoken openly regarding his immediate future, maintaining that he cannot
spend another season as a bit-part player. 'Everyone knows that I have to
play more, that I have to score goals. There's a World Cup coming up next
year. I want to be ready for the World Cup,' said Batshuayi in an interview
with The Guardian. 'But I'm not going to ask anything. I'm going to listen
to what they are saying. They are the boss, not me. And afterwards I'll
discuss it with my agent and the club. Amicably, as friends of course. A
loan? That's not up to me. That's up to them. They take the decisions, not
me.'
Despite the frustration of limited time out on the pitch, Batshuayi believes
he has grown as a player as a result of the talent around him. This, plus
the additional confidence of a title-winning goal, is set to stand him in
good stead ahead of the coming season, the striker believes: 'I have lived
difficult moments, but it's in times like those that you learn the most.
Certainly when you're surrounded by top class players, like Cesc Fàbregas,
Eden Hazard, all of them, you only can make progress in a situation like
that.
'I haven't played a lot, you know, but I managed to scored one of the most
important goals. It gave me a boost. Good for me, good for the team. Of
course I wanted to play more. And of course I wanted to score more goals.
That's normal,' he added. West Ham, who bid for Batshuayi before he made the
move from Marseille to Chelsea, have again been linked with the player.
Everton have likewise also been touted as a destination, with Batshuayi a
potential inclusion in any possible deal to bring Romelu Lukaku back to
Stamford Bridge.
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