International round-up: Cresswell makes full England debut
WHUFC.com
West Ham left-back Aaron Cresswell made his full England debut as the Three
Lions secured a 1-0 win over Lithuania on Sunday. The 27-year-old, prior to
this match, had two England caps to his name but both of those outings came
from the bench. With England earning their spot at the 2018 World Cup in
Russia thanks to a win over Slovenia on Thursday, Gareth Southgate gave
Cresswell the chance to start his first international game against
Lithuania, with victory secured thanks to a first-half Harry Kane penalty.
Joe Hart, who played the full 90 minutes of Thursday's victory, was left on
the bench for this match as Stoke City's Jack Butland was instead given more
England experience.
The result gives England 26 points from their ten qualifying matches played
in Group F.
Elsewhere Sead Haksabanovic came off the bench as Montenegro fell to a 4-2
defeat against Poland, despite a battling effort to equalise by the away
side. Finishes from Krzysztof Mączyński and Kamil Grosicki had put the home
side ahead, with Montenegro bringing on Haksabanovic after 67 minutes. The
18-year-old was on the field as Nikola Vukčević and Stefan Mugoša fired the
team level at the Stadion Narodowy, before goals from Robert Lewandowski and
a Filip Stojković own-goal secured the win for Poland in the Group E
qualifier.
Loaned winger Robert Snodgrass made an impact for Scotland, firing his
international side's second goal home in the 2-2 draw with Slovenia.
Snodgrass, on loan at Aston Villa, was introduced on 79 minutes with the
Scots 2-1 down, and hooked in an effort from Darren Fletcher's free-kick
with three minutes to play. However the draw was not enough to earn Scotland
a play-off spot with Slovakia pipping Gordan Strachan's side to second in
Group F, behind England, meaning they won't be at next summer's World Cup.
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Sakho notches vital goal in Senegal win
WHUFC.com
Diafra Sakho marked his return to the international stage with a vital goal
in Senegal's 2-0 victory over Cape Verde Islands in Saturday's World Cup
qualifiers.
On his first international appearance in almost two years, Sakho broke the
deadlock with just eight minutes remaining to help the Lions of Teranga to
the three points which take them top of Group C in the African qualification
tournament. Cheikhou Kouyate also played the 90 minutes in Praia, as Senegal
moved within a victory of booking their place in Russia. Aliou Cisse's men
have two chances to claim the points they need, with a double header against
South Africa to come next month.
In Europe, Jose Fonte was an unused substitute as Portugal needed two second
half goals to see off Andorra. The visitors were forced to call upon
Cristiano Ronaldo from the bench with the scoresheet still blank at the
break, and the Real Madrid man delivered with the opening goal just after
the hour. AC Milan's Andre Silva added a second near the end, and now
Portugal know victory against Switzerland in Tuesday's final group game
would result in qualification.
Finally, Anthony Scully was also an unused substitute for Republic of
Ireland's U19s, who earned a thumping 5-0 win against Cyprus in Waterford to
give their hopes of progressing from the UEFA U19 Championship qualifying
round a boost. They face Serbia in their final Group 7 game on Tuesday.
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Anderson-James rocket caps five-star win over Swindon
WHUFC.com
Two goals from Paige Anderson-James, including a sensational long-ranged
finish, helped West Ham United Ladies get back to winning ways with a
deserved 5-0 defeat of Swindon Town. Dominant from the opening whistle, the
Hammers were two goals ahead at half-time as Hannah Wheeler and Molly Peters
scored after defensive lapses by the away side. Anderson-James made it three
from close range in the second period before stunning the Rush Green crowd
with a brilliant rocket from distance. Substitute Kelly Wealthall finished
the game with a composed run and finish, capping a fantastic showing by Greg
De Carnys's side. West Ham had Amber Stobbs back from injury for this match
and the No10 had the first two meaningful efforts of the game, striking
efforts from distance that went just over and was well saved, respectively.
It was Wheeler that opened the scoring for the Hammers on 18 minutes. A
Stobbs free-kick caused havoc in the Swindon area, from which the defender
gratefully stabbed home into an empty net. Peters made it two just after the
half hour mark. The striker's pace had caused Swindon problems already and
she once again got away from the defenders, latching on to a clever
long-ball by Chloe Burr and delightfully curling past the goalkeeper.
Debutant Rosie Kmita came close to making it three with a powerful strike
which rattled the bar, while Anderson-James created a number of
opportunities thanks to her impressive runs into space and pinpoint
crossing. The striker's performance was deserving of a goal and that's
exactly what Anderson-James got in the second period. The No12 found the net
with a low effort just after the hour to put the home team three goals ahead
and in complete control. The moment of the match came just a few minutes
later as Anderson-James turned with the ball from 25 yards, before
unleashing an unstoppable rocket which found the top corner, much to the
delight of the crowd at Rush Green. There was no time to celebrate
Anderson-James's brilliant finish though as the Hammers had their fifth only
moments later. Substitute Wealthall rounded the goalkeeper to tuck into an
empty net. Anderson-James came close to completing a second-half hat-trick
as another effort struck the woodwork, while Wealthall, Stobbs and Burr also
saw shots test Swindon before the end of the contest.
West Ham United Ladies: Rowlands; Mackie, Wheeler, Austin, Auguste; Cooper,
Burr, R Kmita, Stobbs (M Kmita 82'); Anderson-James, Peters (Wealthall 55')
Subs not used: Chong,
Goals: Wheeler 18', Peters 34', Anderson-James 63' 75', Wealthall 79'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Anderson-James 'gobsmacked' by Swindon super strike
WHUFC.com
Paige Anderson-James scored a sensational goal from distance in West Ham
United Ladies' 5-0 win over Swindon Town, an effort that left the striker
"gobsmacked" and "buzzing". Anderson-James scored two second-half goals to
help Greg De Carnys's side claim a much deserved 5-0 victory over Swindon,
but it was the forward's second effort that astounded the attending
supporters, her teammates and, by her own admission, herself at Rush Green.
Collecting the ball 25 yards from goal, Anderson-James turned and unleashed
a curling rocket that flew past the Swindon goalkeeper and into the top, far
corner of the net. The initial lack of a celebration seemed to suggest
Anderson-James's disbelief that her long-ranged shot had found the net,
something that the attacker has now confirmed. "I had to look twice," she
admitted to whufc.com when asked about her world-class goal: "I didn't
realise it had gone in until Amber [Stobbs] jumped on me and pushed me to
the floor. I'm so proud of it and I can't wait to watch it back, again and
again! "I was so shocked it went in. I was literally 100 per cent
gobsmacked. I'm just delighted with it."
Anderson-James's second goal of the match was the stand-out moment in a
terrific performance by the home side, who led 2-0 at the interval thanks to
efforts from Hannah Wheeler and Molly Peters. The striker's first of the
game – and West Ham's third – was a low finish inside the penalty area
before she netted her wonder-strike just a few minutes later. Kelly
Wealthall wrapped up a dominant win just after, tucking the ball into the
empty net after rounding the Swindon goalkeeper. Anderson-James added: "I am
absolutely buzzing! It's three points in the bag. The girls are thrilled. We
couldn't have wished for a better result, to be honest "I'm so happy with
how we played, how I played, my goals and the points."
The Ladies won't have long to savour this brilliant victory, however, as
they return to action on Wednesday evening against league leaders Charlton
Athletic, who continued their winning run on Sunday with a 1-0 win over
Crystal Palace. And Anderson-James says that she and her teammates are ready
for Wednesday's trip to The Valley already, insisting that Sunday's win will
serve only as further motivation to earn more points. "This is a major
confidence boost," Anderson-James said: "We're looking at the next game
already. Today was three points that we really deserved and now we just want
more. All we want is another three points on Wednesday now. "Right now,
everyone is happy. The coaches are happy, we're happy and the fans are
happy. But Wednesday is a quick turnaround and we have to be ready. We as
players are buzzing to play again so quickly after this result."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Javier Hernandez insists he is happy at West Ham and not looking to leave
the club
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 08/10/17 8:55am
SSN
Javier Hernandez has dismissed claims he is unhappy at West Ham and wants to
leave the club in January. The Mexico forward has scored three goals for the
Hammers since his £16m summer switch from Bayer Leverkusen, but has often
been deployed on the left side of a front three by manager Slaven Bilic.
Reports in Spain emerged on Saturday suggesting Hernandez had already
indicated his desire to end his spell at the London Stadium and instructed
his agent to secure a move to either Sevilla or Valencia. But, in response
to those suggestions, the 29-year-old said via his official Twitter account:
"That's a lie! I'm very happy at West Ham!! #COYI." Hernandez, who scored
in Mexico's 3-1 victory over Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday, has over
two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract at West Ham. West Ham have
endured a mixed start to the season, despite the arrival of Hernandez at the
club, and currently sit in 15th place with seven points from as many
matches.
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West Ham hoping to beat Liverpool to signing of Anderlecht's £7million-rated
striker Lukasz Teodorczyk
The Polish front man was wanted at Anfield over the summer but the Hammers
now believe they can secure his services
The Mirror
BYFOOTBALL SPY
22:30, 7 OCT 2017
West Ham are ready to pounce for £7million-rated Polish striker Lukasz
Teodorczyk at Anderlecht – and beat Liverpool to his signature. The
26-year-old is a former Dynamo Kiev star who was linked with Anfield in the
summer after scoring 27 goals in Belgium. The deal never materialised, but
West Ham have been watching him closely – including sending scouts to the
Champions League clash against Celtic – and feel that the time could be ripe
to now make a bid. Anderlecht's resolve to keep the player has been lessened
by a poor Champions League campaign and a slow start to the season back
home. Reports in Belgium suggest they will listen to offers – with Italian
club Torino also interested.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, October 9
Sunday, October 8
Daily WHUFC News - 8th October 2017
Ladies' determination has 'doubled' ahead of Swindon tie - De Carnys
WHUFC.com
Greg de Carnys has hailed his team for 'literally doubling' their efforts in training this week ahead of their clash with Swindon Town Ladies at Rush Green on Sunday. West Ham Ladies take on Swindon this weekend, who sit bottom of the Women's Southern Division after six games. The Ladies have been doing extra training sessions and De Carnys says the team's high work ethic is a measure of their determination to enjoy a successful season. "This week has seen us literally double our efforts," De Carnys told whufc.com: "The Ladies have been coming in on their days off, they've come to do extra training all week, and I've seen a real determination in them to get a positive result on Sunday."
The Hammers boss is confident his team will not be complacent and has said, despite Swindon Town Ladies being bottom of the league, victory on Sunday must be earned by the players. "This is a game against a team that is in and around us in the league" he said. "It's important we focus on our own performance and don't underestimate the task at hand and the threat they pose. "We need to be focused, we need to be ready and we need to give the best performance we can to get the three points."
West Ham have been without a host of top names for the last few games, including new signing Amber Stobbs, but De Carnys is hopeful he can welcome them back for this match. "We're looking like we're going to have a few key players back, which is going to be very important to our team. "The girls trained again on Saturday and we'll make sure they are ready for Swindon."
It has been announced in recent weeks that the FA have approved changes to the Women's Super League that include the expansion of the league from ten to 14 teams. West Ham Ladies have since expressed their strong intention to apply for a license to play in the new formatted league when it begins in the 2018/19 campaign. De Carnys welcomes the expansion and has called on his players to use this opportunity as motivation have a successful season. "The news is good news, undoubtedly, for ladies football" he explained: "They will have more time to devote to becoming better players and the professionalism will increase as a result. "They've taken it as a positive and we can use the announcement as a motivator."
West Ham United Ladies vs Swindon Town Ladies
Kick Off: 2pm, Sunday 8 October
Location: West Ham United Training Ground, Rush Green Road, RM7 0LU
Cost: Free for Season Ticket Holders or Claret Members, Adults: £2, U16s: Free
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chicharito on target as Mexico see off Trinidad & Tobago
WHUFC.com
West Ham United striker Chicharito played the full 90 minutes and contributed a goal in Mexico's 3-1 over Trinidad and Tobago in a CONCACAF FIFA World Cup qualifying match on Friday night. Chicharito gave a good performance, with his usual dangerous moves inside the box, and crowned it with a beautiful header in the 88th minute after Trinidad goalkeeper Adrian Foncette had palmed away a shot by Jesús Corona. Chicharito's effort saved some blushes for El Tri, who had a much more difficult time than expected at home against the last placed team of the CONCACAF qualifying group. Although fans in the central city of San Luis Potosí were expecting a rout, they had to wait until the very end to see their team score, and even had a big scare when Shahdon Winchester broke the deadlock for the visitors in the 66th minute. Mexico, who had played very calmly until then, reacted strongly, and equalized at the 78th minute, when PSV's Hirving Lozano cooly finished a nice cross by Miguel Layún. Encouraged by the crowd, El Tri pushed forward in search of the deciding goal and they got it by none other than Chicharito, who scored it with an acrobatic header from close range, two minutes from the end, where he showed all his goalscoring intuition and his ability to make difficult things seem easy. There was still time for another goal, a powerful free kick by Héctor Herrera in injury time. After last night's result, the already qualified Mexico have practically secured the first place of group. El Tri lead with 21 points, six ahead of second placed Costa Rica, who will host Honduras tonight, in a match that was postponed one day because of the tropical storm Nate.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ARSENAL SET TO OFFLOAD WEST HAM TARGET
DANIEL EMERY @DanielEmeryRS
Arsenal are set to let West Ham target Theo Walcott leave the club in January. According to The Express, a number of clubs are keen to bring the winger in and could pay between £12-15m for his services. The report claims that Arsenal are set to offload Walcott in January and that West Ham are interested in adding him to their squad. However, there are a number of clubs that are ready to rival West Ham to his signature. Everton, Southampton and Inter Milan are all said to be watching Walcott closely ahead of a potential move. Walcott is currently struggling to get into Arsene Wenger's side, having failed to start a Premier League game this season. The next transfer window does not open for over two months, which means that Walcott has time to break back into the Arsenal set-up and put the transfer rumours to bed. Walcott was left out of the latest England squad.
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PAUL MERSON THINKS ANDY CARROLL SHOULD GO TO THE WORLD CUP
SHELDON MUCHMORE
ReadWestHam
England booked their place at the World Cup on Thursday evening after a late Harry Kane goal saw them beat Slovenia 1-0. Now, Paul Merson has provided Sky Sports with the 23-man squad that he believes should be taken to Russia and he has included West Ham's Andy Carroll in his list of names. Merson knows that not many England fans will agree with his choice of striker, but he believes that Carroll will provide Gareth Southgate with a different option should England be losing a game with just 15-20 minutes to spare. He suggests that if England are desperate for a goal, bringing Carroll, an imposing striker, off the bench will enable England to simply pump the ball up him to see what carnage he can cause. On his day, and when he is fully fit, Carroll has the ability to cause any defence problems, and when it comes to his ability in the air, there are not many who surpass him. You never know, if given the chance, he might just score or set up a goal that keeps England at the World Cup.
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Javier Hernandez speaks out on speculation he wants to leave West Ham
Damien Lucas
HITC
West Ham United star Javier Hernandez has spoken out about speculation he wants to leave in January. West Ham have endured a torrid start to the new season winning just two of their opening seven Premier League games. Manager Slaven Bilic is under mounting pressure and has been heavily criticised by supporters for the quality of football on offer. He has also been slammed for not shaping the side around star summer arrival Javier Hernandez who has been forced to play out of position on the wing and also substituted in most games. So Hammers fans were dismayed if unsurprised when reports surfaced this week that Hernandez is seeking a swift exit in January. Spanish media outlet Don Balon claims Chicarito wants to move to Spain to be closer to his girlfriend and Spanish actress Andrea Duro. As a result the likes of Sevilla and Villareal are rumoured to be interested. The news caused a meltdown from disgruntled Hammers fans on social media.
But supporters will be relieved after the Mexican hit out at the rumours on Twitter on Saturday night even copying his girlfriend into the tweet to prove a point.
That's a lie!" Chicharito said. "I'm very happy at West Ham!! Come on you Irons!"
Spanish media claim Chicharito @CH14_ wants to move to Spain to be closer to his actress girlfriend @AndreaDuro http://www.claretandhugh.info/chicharito-wants-move-to-spain-for-love/ … pic.twitter.com/FIVg3fHkjH
Follow
Chicharito Hernandez ✔@CH14_
That's a lie! I'm very happy at West Ham!! #COYI
6:27 PM - Oct 7, 2017
193 193 Replies 1,187 1,187 Retweets 4,339 4,339 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
It is easy to see why there is talk of an early exit. Aside from not playing in his natural position, finishing matches and West Ham's poor start, a big risk factor for West Ham this January is European football and the fact Hernandez is not cup-tied. Mexico's all-time record goalscorer is a proven top quality operator and having spent most of his career playing in the Champions League he is accustomed to that level of football. Some big clubs, be it in the Champions League or Europa League, may be in need of a striker come January and there won't be many quality players who are not cup-tied for Europe like Hernandez. he likes of Chelsea and even Arsenal and Spurs on these shores and a host of others like Bayern Munich, Monaco and Sevilla would all benefit massively from having Hernandez around.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Greg de Carnys has hailed his team for 'literally doubling' their efforts in training this week ahead of their clash with Swindon Town Ladies at Rush Green on Sunday. West Ham Ladies take on Swindon this weekend, who sit bottom of the Women's Southern Division after six games. The Ladies have been doing extra training sessions and De Carnys says the team's high work ethic is a measure of their determination to enjoy a successful season. "This week has seen us literally double our efforts," De Carnys told whufc.com: "The Ladies have been coming in on their days off, they've come to do extra training all week, and I've seen a real determination in them to get a positive result on Sunday."
The Hammers boss is confident his team will not be complacent and has said, despite Swindon Town Ladies being bottom of the league, victory on Sunday must be earned by the players. "This is a game against a team that is in and around us in the league" he said. "It's important we focus on our own performance and don't underestimate the task at hand and the threat they pose. "We need to be focused, we need to be ready and we need to give the best performance we can to get the three points."
West Ham have been without a host of top names for the last few games, including new signing Amber Stobbs, but De Carnys is hopeful he can welcome them back for this match. "We're looking like we're going to have a few key players back, which is going to be very important to our team. "The girls trained again on Saturday and we'll make sure they are ready for Swindon."
It has been announced in recent weeks that the FA have approved changes to the Women's Super League that include the expansion of the league from ten to 14 teams. West Ham Ladies have since expressed their strong intention to apply for a license to play in the new formatted league when it begins in the 2018/19 campaign. De Carnys welcomes the expansion and has called on his players to use this opportunity as motivation have a successful season. "The news is good news, undoubtedly, for ladies football" he explained: "They will have more time to devote to becoming better players and the professionalism will increase as a result. "They've taken it as a positive and we can use the announcement as a motivator."
West Ham United Ladies vs Swindon Town Ladies
Kick Off: 2pm, Sunday 8 October
Location: West Ham United Training Ground, Rush Green Road, RM7 0LU
Cost: Free for Season Ticket Holders or Claret Members, Adults: £2, U16s: Free
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chicharito on target as Mexico see off Trinidad & Tobago
WHUFC.com
West Ham United striker Chicharito played the full 90 minutes and contributed a goal in Mexico's 3-1 over Trinidad and Tobago in a CONCACAF FIFA World Cup qualifying match on Friday night. Chicharito gave a good performance, with his usual dangerous moves inside the box, and crowned it with a beautiful header in the 88th minute after Trinidad goalkeeper Adrian Foncette had palmed away a shot by Jesús Corona. Chicharito's effort saved some blushes for El Tri, who had a much more difficult time than expected at home against the last placed team of the CONCACAF qualifying group. Although fans in the central city of San Luis Potosí were expecting a rout, they had to wait until the very end to see their team score, and even had a big scare when Shahdon Winchester broke the deadlock for the visitors in the 66th minute. Mexico, who had played very calmly until then, reacted strongly, and equalized at the 78th minute, when PSV's Hirving Lozano cooly finished a nice cross by Miguel Layún. Encouraged by the crowd, El Tri pushed forward in search of the deciding goal and they got it by none other than Chicharito, who scored it with an acrobatic header from close range, two minutes from the end, where he showed all his goalscoring intuition and his ability to make difficult things seem easy. There was still time for another goal, a powerful free kick by Héctor Herrera in injury time. After last night's result, the already qualified Mexico have practically secured the first place of group. El Tri lead with 21 points, six ahead of second placed Costa Rica, who will host Honduras tonight, in a match that was postponed one day because of the tropical storm Nate.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ARSENAL SET TO OFFLOAD WEST HAM TARGET
DANIEL EMERY @DanielEmeryRS
Arsenal are set to let West Ham target Theo Walcott leave the club in January. According to The Express, a number of clubs are keen to bring the winger in and could pay between £12-15m for his services. The report claims that Arsenal are set to offload Walcott in January and that West Ham are interested in adding him to their squad. However, there are a number of clubs that are ready to rival West Ham to his signature. Everton, Southampton and Inter Milan are all said to be watching Walcott closely ahead of a potential move. Walcott is currently struggling to get into Arsene Wenger's side, having failed to start a Premier League game this season. The next transfer window does not open for over two months, which means that Walcott has time to break back into the Arsenal set-up and put the transfer rumours to bed. Walcott was left out of the latest England squad.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
PAUL MERSON THINKS ANDY CARROLL SHOULD GO TO THE WORLD CUP
SHELDON MUCHMORE
ReadWestHam
England booked their place at the World Cup on Thursday evening after a late Harry Kane goal saw them beat Slovenia 1-0. Now, Paul Merson has provided Sky Sports with the 23-man squad that he believes should be taken to Russia and he has included West Ham's Andy Carroll in his list of names. Merson knows that not many England fans will agree with his choice of striker, but he believes that Carroll will provide Gareth Southgate with a different option should England be losing a game with just 15-20 minutes to spare. He suggests that if England are desperate for a goal, bringing Carroll, an imposing striker, off the bench will enable England to simply pump the ball up him to see what carnage he can cause. On his day, and when he is fully fit, Carroll has the ability to cause any defence problems, and when it comes to his ability in the air, there are not many who surpass him. You never know, if given the chance, he might just score or set up a goal that keeps England at the World Cup.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Javier Hernandez speaks out on speculation he wants to leave West Ham
Damien Lucas
HITC
West Ham United star Javier Hernandez has spoken out about speculation he wants to leave in January. West Ham have endured a torrid start to the new season winning just two of their opening seven Premier League games. Manager Slaven Bilic is under mounting pressure and has been heavily criticised by supporters for the quality of football on offer. He has also been slammed for not shaping the side around star summer arrival Javier Hernandez who has been forced to play out of position on the wing and also substituted in most games. So Hammers fans were dismayed if unsurprised when reports surfaced this week that Hernandez is seeking a swift exit in January. Spanish media outlet Don Balon claims Chicarito wants to move to Spain to be closer to his girlfriend and Spanish actress Andrea Duro. As a result the likes of Sevilla and Villareal are rumoured to be interested. The news caused a meltdown from disgruntled Hammers fans on social media.
But supporters will be relieved after the Mexican hit out at the rumours on Twitter on Saturday night even copying his girlfriend into the tweet to prove a point.
That's a lie!" Chicharito said. "I'm very happy at West Ham!! Come on you Irons!"
Spanish media claim Chicharito @CH14_ wants to move to Spain to be closer to his actress girlfriend @AndreaDuro http://www.claretandhugh.info/chicharito-wants-move-to-spain-for-love/ … pic.twitter.com/FIVg3fHkjH
Follow
Chicharito Hernandez ✔@CH14_
That's a lie! I'm very happy at West Ham!! #COYI
6:27 PM - Oct 7, 2017
193 193 Replies 1,187 1,187 Retweets 4,339 4,339 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
It is easy to see why there is talk of an early exit. Aside from not playing in his natural position, finishing matches and West Ham's poor start, a big risk factor for West Ham this January is European football and the fact Hernandez is not cup-tied. Mexico's all-time record goalscorer is a proven top quality operator and having spent most of his career playing in the Champions League he is accustomed to that level of football. Some big clubs, be it in the Champions League or Europa League, may be in need of a striker come January and there won't be many quality players who are not cup-tied for Europe like Hernandez. he likes of Chelsea and even Arsenal and Spurs on these shores and a host of others like Bayern Munich, Monaco and Sevilla would all benefit massively from having Hernandez around.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, October 7
Daily WHUFC News - 7th October 2017
Arnautovic scores as Austria defeat Serbia in World Cup qualifying
WHUFC.com
Marko Arnautovic was on target as Austria defeated Serbia in a five-goal thriller in World Cup qualifying on Friday night. Arnautovic's 16th international goal gave Austria the lead for the first time at 2-1 after Guido Burgstaller had cancelled out Luka Milivojevic's opener. With the West Ham man's goal coming after 76 minutes, a final scoreline of 3-2 might have seemed unlikely, but there was still time for Manchester United's Nemanja Matic to level before Louis Schaub won it for Austria at the death.
Wins for Wales and the Republic of Ireland mean Austria can no longer qualify for next summer's finals in Russia, despite their three point haul on Friday, and Chris Coleman's Wales now sit just a point behind Serbia at the summit of Group D.
Meanwhile, Winston Reid played the 90 minutes for New Zealand as they prepared for next month's inter-continental World Cup play-offs with a narrow 2-1 friendly defeat to Japan. The All Whites looked set to take a share of the spoils when Burnley's Chris Wood equalised in the second period, but a last-gasp goal from Shu Kurata secured victory for the home side.
Also on Friday, Dan Kemp was an unused substitute as England U19 were defeated 1-0 in a friendly by Czech Republic U19 in Znojmo.
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Hart named Man of the Match as England seal World Cup spot
WHUFC.com
Joe Hart helped England secure their place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia on Thursday night as the Three Lions beat Slovenia 1-0. Gareth Southgate's men looked as if they were going to have to settle for a goalless draw for much of the Wembley Group F clash, however Harry Kane popped up in injury time to slide Kyle Walker's cross over the line to seal the three points. West Ham United goalkeeper Hart, who has been in fine recent form for the Hammers, had little to do at Wembley as Gareth Southgate's men were winners courtesy of the Spurs forward's goal. However, a superb double save to deny first Tim Matavz and then Aljaz Struna in the remaining ten minutes – when the score was still 0-0 – was worthy of a Man of the Match award. Hart has kept three clean sheets in his last four matches for the Hammers and has now conceded just six goals in eleven matches in an international jersey since the Three Lions exited Euro 2016. The goalkeeper, making his 74th appearance for his country, overtook Gordon Banks in overall caps on Thursday and is now just behind two stoppers – Peter Shilton and David Seaman – in the appearance standings.
Aaron Cresswell, who was also named in Southgate's squad, was left on the bench during Thursday's clash and awaits his third England cap. Marcus Rashford thought he had spurned England's best chance to win the match, racing clear following Raheem Sterling's pass just past the hour mark, but the Manchester United forward's chip, despite evading the Slovenia goalkeeper, was cleared inside the six-yard-box. Soon after, there was another opportunity to break the deadlock when the ball fell kindly to Raheem Sterling on the penalty spot, but the winger's effort was terrifically blocked by visiting skipper Bostjan Cesar. But deep into injury time, a lung-busting Walker run down the right yielded the all important goal as Kane – captain for the night – converted from close range. It meant that Scotland's 1-0 victory over Slovakia, thanks to a late Martin Skrtel own goal, was of little importance as the Three Lions celebrated securing their World Cup spot.
Southgate's side have joined the likes of Brazil, Belgium and Mexico in securing their qualification to next summer's tournament. Should England No1 Hart be selected to travel to Russia next year, it will be the Manchester City loanee's third World Cup and fifth major international tournament. He did not feature under Fabio Capello in South Africa seven years ago, but has been England's preferred choice between the sticks in all three competitions since.
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Michail Antonio honoured at London Stadium
WHUFC.com
Michail Antonio has become the latest Hammers hero to be honoured with a giant hanging shirt bearing his name and number at London Stadium. The 27-year-old winger has been celebrated in recognition of his status as the reigning Hammer of the Year – the first recipient of the prestigious award at our new home last season. Antonio's number 30 shirt was unveiled this week and will now hang in the concourse for the entire 2017/18 season, alongside permanent tributes to Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Sir Trevor Brooking and Billy Bonds. "It's a great honour," said Michail. "To be named Hammer of the Year last season was a fantastic achievement and this is a really nice touch from the Club. "To have my name and number up there with the likes of Bobby Moore, Billy Bonds and Sir Trevor Brooking makes me feel very proud and humble. "It's thanks to the fans who voted for me. I'm so grateful for their support and hope that I can continue to repay them with goals and good performances this season."
Hammers fans will be able to see Michail's giant shirt for the first time at the next home match against Brighton on Friday 20 October, located by Block 131 at the corner of the East and Sir Trevor Brooking Stands.
Until midnight on Sunday, you can get free ANTONIO 30 printing on 2017/18 shirts purchased. Simply click here to buy now.
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Rowland 'dying' for clean-sheet against Swindon Town
WHUFC.com
Goalkeeper Cherie Rowland has admitted she is 'dying' to keep a clean-sheet when the West Ham United Ladies take on Swindon Town on Sunday. The Ladies side are yet to play a match without conceding a goal this campaign in what has been a difficult start to the season for Greg De Carnys's side. Swindon, who sit bottom of the WPL Southern Division with no points from their six matches so far, represent a good opportunity for the Hammers to get their own campaign back on track.
And Rowland is desperate to get a first clean-sheet of her West Ham career but insists that her hopes for this cannot turn into expectation and complacency against Swindon. "I am dying to get a clean-sheet," Rowland told whufc.com: "It will be lovely, absolutely lovely, but we can't go into this game expecting to come away with anything – not a clean-sheet and certainly not the three points. "It something we can hope for and fight for, and work as hard as we can to achieve, but it's paramount we don't just expect it."
Since joining the side Rowland has been West Ham's first-choice goalkeeper, an honour that the shot-stopper is intent on keeping for the foreseeable future, despite her admittance that Lottie Ivison and Layla Prior are pushing her to her best. She added: "We've got Lottie and Layla and they're both pushing on. I never expected to come over to the club and play first team football as soon as I did. That's something I want to keep hold of. "I love those other girls to death but that first team spot is something I continue to fight for."
After a run of losses, the Ladies have stepped up their efforts on the training field in the last week with the majority of the team volunteering their own time for extra sessions. Rowland has been impressed with the level of commitment she has seen from her colleagues at Rush Green and wants that determination and self-belief from the training pitch to carry over into Sunday's fixture. "It's been a really good week of training," she said: "The girls seem to now realise that we can play football and play football well, and we need to start showing that now. "The commitment from the girls in terms of getting into training – whether that shows itself as an extra day or coming in early – shows that we are now showing our willingness to give our absolute best for West Ham. Sometimes on matchday I think the self-belief for everyone, including me, falls away. "The girls need to realise that we can do it and keep that self-belief high when we play Swindon this week."
West Ham United Ladies vs Swindon Town Ladies
Kick Off: 2pm, Sunday 8 October
Location: West Ham United Training Ground, Rush Green Road, RM7 0LU
Cost: Free for Season Ticket Holders or Claret Members, Adults: £2, U16s: Free
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Newcastle United 'abused tax system', HMRC alleges
4 October 2017
BBCco.uk
Newcastle United "systematically abused" the tax system to "secretly" make payments to agents and players during transfers, a court has heard. The allegations emerged after the Tyneside club challenged a raid by HM Revenue and Customs in April. United argued no reasonable grounds existed for believing it had engaged in tax fraud, but High Court judges ruled the warrants were "lawfully issued". The club said it was "disappointed" and "considering its options". St James' Park and West Ham's London Stadium were raided as part of a £5m fraud investigation. Business and financial records were seized, along with computers and mobile phones, and Newcastle's managing director Lee Charnley was among several men arrested and later released without charge. The club challenged the legality of the search-and-seize orders obtained by HMRC, and a hearing has been held at Leeds Crown Court.
'Secret' payments
HMRC argued that reasonable grounds existed for believing Newcastle United was ''knowingly involved'' in a multimillion-pound tax fraud, and the club's application for judicial view was dismissed. The full judgement has now been published. It reveals Operation Loom is looking into whether the club knew payments to agents were being "secretly" funnelled to other unlicensed agents and players themselves in a bid to circumvent income tax and National Insurance. Regarding Demba Ba's transfer to Newcastle from West Ham, HMRC said: "It appears NUFC paid agent's fees for services of £1.9m in full knowledge that the majority would be passed on to other agents... and to a company associated with the player." There were "further suspicions" arising out of his transfer to Chelsea in January 2013.
HMRC said it believed "NUFC systematically abused the tax system... and all payments to agents made were potentially the subject of criminal proceedings".
A spokesman for HMRC said: "We are very pleased with the court's decision which we are studying in detail. We do not comment on individual cases or ongoing investigations." Newcastle United said in a statement: "We are disappointed with this decision given the court's findings. "We are considering all of our options with our advisers, including whether to pursue an appeal."
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The questions they don't want you to ask
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 4th October 2017
By: HeadHammerShark
"Jim stops and gets out the car, goes to a house in Emperor's Gate
Through the door and to his room, then he puts the TV on
Turns it off and makes some tea, says "Modern life, well it's rubbish"
I'm holding on for tomorrow"
- Blur, "For Tomorrow"
Those plucky underdogs win again
The Premier League clubs are meeting today, with a view to taking a decision so momentous it has the possibility to change English football forever. I had originally planned to write a series of articles laying out my proposals to make modern football fairer, and less rubbish, but time passed by and now we're here on the day of the vote. As such I've slung this together and I'm hoping for the best. A little like Slaven Bilic and his West Ham squad. You may know about this vote, but if not this is a primer. Put simply, the self styled "Big Six" (Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool for those who aren't immediately sure) want a bigger slice of the TV income to reflect their belief that they are the primary reason for such riches. That money is currently shared equally among all the Premier League teams, which those at the top somehow have the temerity to label as "unfair". Equal sharing of revenue is unfair. It should be divided on "merit".
Spurs last won the league in 1961. Liverpool in 1990.
I have questions.
Many questions.
And these are questions they don't want us to ask.
***
High Cool
What, I wonder, is the point of being a modern day fan of a smaller Premier League club?
The Premier League makes much of it's competitiveness, but my team cannot win it. For those fans of the select few clubs at the top of the money tree it promises to be a season of great excitement, and for the rest of us it will be the customary race to 40 points and praying for a decent cup run.
For this privilege we get to pay...the same ticket prices as everyone else.
Why, I wonder, do we so meekly accept this?
West Ham splurged plenty of money this summer, with their customary lack of planning and "darts into the Panini album" style of scouting, and yet would have to spend another £300m to even dream of nudging their way up against the top four. Everton spent heavily and will most likely finish seventh again.
This is not enough for The Big Six.
It's not even a case that there is an established cycle of success and we smaller Joe's just need to wait and bide our time to get good again. European football doesn't work that way. Nobody even pretends that it does.
And still we come, in our droves, to watch our teams playing in a competition that doesn't even pretend to be equitable or fair. We have become so used to being cannon fodder for the rich that we have succumbed to a footballing Stockholm Syndrome where Phil Thompson and Paul Merson stare balefully at us and tells us we've had a great year if we come 8th.
Not for me, Jeff.
How, I wonder, did we all come to accept this as perfectly normal?
By now I'm sensing a few furrowed brows. Am I suggesting we all just give up and go home? No, I want to end the dominance of Big Clubs™. Let's fix modern football. And by "fix" I mean "mend" rather than conspire to rig it in favour of certain teams. That's pretty much the problem as it stands now anyway.
For you see, there is a cancer at the rotten core of European football. An environment has developed in which an elite cabal of teams have, with UEFA's blessing, carved up the modern game for their own ends. Money, players, sponsors, success - they all flow firstly to this small group of clubs, and then trickle down to the rest of us.
The Champions League - a misnomer right up there with the People's Game - was the seismic shock that changed the game irrevocably. Suddenly, those elite teams who already ruled Europe due to their huge fanbases and commercial advantages, were now being subsidised by UEFA. With every passing season, and every £30m cheque from the continental governing body, those teams separated themselves yet further from the rest of us.
The prize money for simply being big enough to qualify for the Champions League then became the guarantee that ensured that qualification forever more. It was a beautifully circular arrangement, supplemented nicely when the UEFA Cup was reconstituted into the Europa League, a competition so arduous and difficult to win that it rendered those clubs on the cusp of the Champions League unable to take the extra step up to the Promised Land.
There were lots of near misses, and many a team has nearly destroyed themselves in the pursuit of such riches. But the elite have largely survived, with another large cheque arriving each summer to allow them to buy those players from any teams genuinely threatening the arrangement.
And when the likes of Manchester City and PSG arrived, with oil revenues dripping from their pockets, the Financial Fair Play rules were drawn up to try and enshrine the principle that the only allowable way to be good was to be rich, and the only allowable way to be rich was to always have been rich.
What a bunch of charlatans.
What, I wonder, were we thinking when we let that happen?
For fans of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Bayern, Dortmund, Roma, Juventus et al it is probably hard to understand what I am saying. There's will be a belief that their teams have earned their dominance and supremacy. After all, to paraphrase the wonderful Marina Hyde, nobody wants to accept they were born on second base when it's easier to believe they hit a double.
This is the upshot of privilege.
So now, as the rest of us stare in bemusement as Manchester United genuinely try and convince Swansea to give up their TV revenues so that United can better compete with Barcelona, we have to remember that this is the simple outcome of allowing such privilege to go unchecked for so long.
Manchester United can't understand that we want to keep the Premier League competitive because in reality it never has been. So why not just accept that they will always finish in the top four and give them a better chance of winning the Champions League? This seems to be a genuine part of the argument.
And this stranglehold has conspired to make football smaller for the rest of us. We aren't allowed to measure our success in terms of league titles and instead our aspirations have had to be revised downwards. For us it is now the small triumph of avoiding relegation or a once in a generation cup final appearance. The simple thrill of our players being in international squads or the emergence of a decent young player.
Put simply, we don't matter as much as them.
This is the upshot of privilege.
But, what can we do?
And folks, I know that none of this will ever change. There is too much power and too much money tied up in the current structure to ever allow the likes of West Ham, Getafe, Lorient or Padova the chance to dream of winning the league or making Champions League finals.
This is little more than the ranting of an angry and frustrated man, watching in utter disbelief as Chelsea bring a begging bowl to our doorstep and ask the rest of us to give them money to have a better chance of beating Bayern.
The state of it.
***
Repetition
If we take the creation of the Premier League as an entirely artificial starting point for "modern football", then we can see that the major European leagues have been won as follows across that twenty five year span:
England: Man Utd (13); Chelsea (5); Arsenal (3); Man City (2); Blackburn (1); Leicester (1)
Germany: Bayern (15); Dortmund (5); Werder Bremen (2); Kaiserslautern (1); Stuttgart (1); Wolfsburg (1)
Spain: Barcelona (12); Real Madrid (8); Valencia (2); Atletico Madrid (2); Deportivo La Coruna (1)
Italy: Juventus (11); AC Milan (6); Inter (5); Roma (1); Lazio (1)
(*) No title in Italy in 04-05 due to the Juventus match fixing scandal
(**) I have excluded France for the moment as their resurgence is more of a recent development, although Lyon and PSG still account for roughly half their titles in this period.
So of the last 99 titles awarded in the main four European leagues, 51 (52%) have been won by the single most successful team in that country. That number rises to 75 (76%) if we include the second most successful team in each league.
To lay that out starkly, eight clubs have won 76% of the main European league titles for the last quarter of a century. As far as entertainment goes, this doesn't strike me as being terribly, well, entertaining and instead seems a bit more "Ed Sheeran headlining Glastonbury for the next seven years".
Stereotypes
And what about that prize money? Well, in 2014-15, UEFA paid out a cool €1.08bn to the 32 participants in the group stages of the Champions League.
Of that, a stunning €543m went to Juventus, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Dortmund, Man City, Roma, Bayern, PSG, Barcelona and Chelsea. A third of the clubs trousering half of the money. That's some nice work if you can get it.
Particularly galling was Liverpool taking home €33.5m for getting knocked out in the group stages, whilst Porto received €27m for making the quarter finals. This was due to UEFA rules favouring teams from countries with bigger TV deals and giving a nice insight into what it must be like for Hollywood actresses when they try and negotiate their pay.
What's great about this is that you'll remember that the Big Six want a bigger slice of the English TV money because they "merit it". But when they play in Europe they feel they should just get more money for the simple fact that they come from a country where BT Sport were stupid enough to shell out a billion quid for the rights to the competition.
Worse still, is the latest development whereby part of the Champions League prize money will in future be distributed with the amount being dependent upon the historic success of the club involved. That's right folks, we're now giving more money to Real Madrid because they were good in the past.
IT'S LIKE A FUCKING BOND VILLAIN IS WRITING THESE RULES.
At some point I feel I have to ask fans of these clubs...is this actually fun any more? What kind of mental gymnastics are you having to perform to convince yourself that winning is actually an achievement for you? You're cheering for the Empire to beat the Rebel Alliance. You're screaming for the house in a casino. You're standing at the side of the road lauding the naked Emperor. Don't look now guys, but you're in Slytherin.
I'm not being facetious when I say this, but I honestly don't understand how being a fan of one of these clubs can be as enjoyable as supporting a smaller team. Our victories are fewer, but they aren't earned with loaded dice.
I'm Just A Killer For Your Love
But, I hear you say, why does any of this actually matter? We've had imbalance for years and stadiums are still full and the great God television continues to rule all. If this was all so unfair then why has this construct persisted for so long?
Well, it matters because when we pay for our tickets, or buy our Sky subscriptions nobody is giving us a discount because our teams won't win anything. In fact, they love us right up until it's time for us to take our seats, at which point we immediately become less important than Liverpool fans. And that's a club that haven't won the league at all in a quarter of a century, although it's not for the want of UEFA giving them money.
The table below, which I've picked up from a Daily Mail article, highlights the point. West Ham and Spurs fans are paying way more at the top end for their tickets than Manchester United and Manchester City and yet neither have won the league in this time. In fairness, Spurs are giving it a good go right now, but are well behind rivals Arsenal in terms of actual silverware over this time span, and yet had the second highest average ticket price in the league in 2015/16. West Ham, meanwhile, are just incompetent.
West Brom though. Still a rip off.
Of course each club has it's own financial model and supply and demand, metropolitan location and demographic all play a huge a part in what clubs charge their fans. But the broader point is this; football fans are treated identically in every area except one - expectations.
If you are a fan of a Big Club™ you are entitled to expect success. Manchester United not challenging for the league for two seasons is considered a genuine issue by the British press. It takes up a lot of time on Monday Night Football and Sunday Supplement.
But compare the prices shown above for Manchester United and Southampton and see if you can figure out why one set of fans are "entitled" to demand success and why the other must be content with getting a good price from Liverpool for their players.
It feels to me like paying money for an Odeon annual cinema pass but being told I can't see the 3D releases, unlike other customers who are also paying less than me because they once won a competition thirty years ago. We are in a curious thrall to a world order that was created either many years ago by old money (Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal) or on the whim of billionaire new money investors (Chelsea, Manchester City).
There Are Too Many Of Us
It also matters because there are more of us than them. If you take the Big Six then they comprise about 44% of last year's Premier League attendances. That percentage drops hugely once you factor in the entire football pyramid - particularly well supported clubs like Newcastle, Aston Villa, Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday - and it's amazing how often those fans are ignored completely.
At no juncture in this latest power grab has it ever entered the discussion that concentrating more money in England's six biggest clubs might be detrimental to the wider game, despite the fact that the vast majority of those who attend football games in this country don't watch the Big Six.
Team/Total Attendance
Man Utd 1,430,502
Arsenal 1,139,177
West Ham 1,082,464
Man City 1,026,358
Liverpool 1,007,311
Chelsea 788,645
Sunderland 784,450
Everton 746,890
Leicester 605,968
Spurs 601,143
Southampton 587,787
Middlesbrough 578,539
Stoke 521,230
Crystal Palace 478,052
WBA 453,646
Hull 394,466
Swansea 391,766
Watford 390,849
Burnley 390,609
Bournemouth 212,464
Big Six: 5,993,136
Others: 7,619,180
TOTAL: 13,612,316
As you can see, the Big Six have big attendances - it's almost as though they are resident in huge metropolitan areas with a massive population base to call from - but they aren't the majority. And, sure, they have big followings on Facebook and Twitter, but the notion that armchair supporters of Arsenal are more important than fans who actually attend games at Bournemouth isn't one I'm prepared to accept.
So yeah - the "Big Six"? More fans don't watch them than do.
No Distance Left To Run
What all of this does is to bring in to focus the existential questions I raised above. Put simply - why do the majority of us still bother to follow our football teams?
For some, simply asking this question is treasonous. We follow because we are, and we are because we follow. The team is part of our blood, and we a part of theirs. It is simply not a question that one asks. A bit like when my daughter tells me about her favourite YouTubers and I ask the unaskable by saying "What do these people actually do?".
Crucially, the very absence of winning anything is worn like a badge of honour because it proves our worthiness as fans. We look down upon those Surrey based Man Utd fans who pretend their fathers were from Stretford in order to attach themselves to a winning club. We measure our mettle as supporters not by the number of Cup finals we have attended, but instead by miserable, unsuccessful away trips on frozen midweek nights when lesser men or women would have simply given up. And when we do make a Cup final we are told that we are "tinpot" for caring at all. This is our lot.
"Tinpot"
But to me, that badge of honour is a symbol of stupidity. We all have a neon sign saying "idiot" writ large upon our breast. We buy our tickets that are more expensive than those sold to Man City fans, we buy our TV subscriptions that cost the same as they do for Arsenal fans and we wear replica shirts sold on the same rack and for the same price as Chelsea's and we still accept it as a central core of our fandom than our teams do not have any right to compete with those same Big Clubs™ because of history.
"Not tinpot"
**
To The End
So, with that context offered and those problems identified, how exactly is it possible to make football fairer? Well, look, I have lots of ideas about that and at some point I plan to get round to publishing them. I have them drafted and some great other writers lined up from other teams to tell me why they will or won't work, but ultimately this vote got here before I could finish up. Veyr simply they involve limiting squad sizes, limiting loans, fairer distribution of income and probably abolishing Chelsea.
But let me be clear - opposing this is important for all English football fans irrespective of any future changes. It isn't a West Ham thing. It's a football thing.
Put simply, I think Richard Scudamore should be fired because his dumbass plan is predicated upon making his six biggest members more successful in a different competition to the one he is responsible for.
Put slightly less simply, here are the reasons this proposal must be rejected:
1. The Premier League has convinced the world it is more competitive than other leagues, and foreign audiences seem to agree. The act of taking £15m a year income from Bournemouth and giving it to Liverpool will inevitably damage this, although it would be helpful if Bournemouth stopped doing this themselves voluntarily, ahem, Jordon Ibe. Once the league becomes even more utterly predictable than it is now, and the Big Six enshrine themselves in the top six places, those TV rights will no longer be as valuable because the league will no longer be able to sell the idea that anyone can beat anyone.
2. The counter argument that having more than two big clubs will always make the league more attractive than La Liga is bullshit. It's been thirteen years since one of Liverpool, Spurs or Arsenal won the league. The table above shows that having more big clubs hasn't changed the balance of power in England.
3. Leicester wasn't proof of parity. I can't explain Leicester other than to say I think it was the perfect confluence of luck, planning and every good force in the universe coming together at once. A 5,000-1 shot winning the league doesn't strike me as great evidence of equality, however. And the very fact that the Big Six now want more money to stop another Leicester should tell us all we need to know about how much they value competition.
4. They already play in a European Super League, so they aren't going to create another one. Liverpool won't give up playing Everton. Spurs won't give up playing in the FA Cup. And there won't be room for all six of them anyway.
5. English clubs are disadvantaged when playing in Europe, they tell us. Fuck 'em. They've rigged it so the rest of us can't qualify and now they want us to care? Don't let the door hit you on the way out, lads.
6. The West Ham board think this is a good idea. This should give anyone in support of this pause for thought.
7. When foreign fans tune in to watch Burnley play Manchester United, they actually are tuning in to watch Burnley. Otherwise, it would just be a Manchester United training session. Competitions need, you know, competitors.
***
I suspect this proposal will be rejected, even though Everton, West Ham and Leicester are allegedly in support, but the very fact it is on the agenda is bad news. We will now hear the rumblings of discontent for a while until the next power grab.
But, in the meantime, we need to make ourselves better heard. We, the fans of the majority of English clubs, need to stop silently acquiescing to the idea of our own inferiority. These clubs take the money, the players, the power and now they want the very soul of the game.
So, ask the questions they don't want you to ask.
And then demand some answers.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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Join Bianca and legends live!
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 6th October 2017
By: Staff Writer
Sky Sports presenter and Hammers fan Bianca Westwood is hosting an evening with two Hammers legends in London later this month.
Later this month, on Tuesday, 24 October Westwood - who also co-presented Series 4 and 5 of the KUMB Podcast - will be compering a special event featuring West Ham legends Tony Cottee and Tony Gale in Holborn, London.
The two former Hammers will talk about their time as players and recollect their exploits both on and off the pitch, whilst the second half of the evening is scheduled to conclude with a Q&A session giving you the opportunity to ask them your questions.
Tickets are available for just £35 each and are available from pizzaexpresslive.com now. Fans are advised to book early in order to avoid disappointment.
Tony Cottee
Tony Cottee began his career at West Ham aged 17, where he made his professional debut in the First Division against Tottenham on New Year's Day 1983.
He was a prolific goalscorer in the claret and blue of West Ham and was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1986, when West Ham finished third and recorded their highest league finish to date.
It was during this successful spell that Cottee crossed paths with namesake Tony Gale, who played a key role in the side forming a notable defensive partnership with Alvin Martin.
During a 19-year career, Tony Cottee made over 600 appearances and represented England seven times.
Tony Gale
Tony Gale made 636 appearances as a defender during a 22-year career from 1977 until 1998, winning the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers in 1995. He also played for Fulham, West Ham United and Crystal Palace.
After progressing through the youth ranks of Fulham, Gale narrowly missed out on promotion to the First Division during the 1982-83 season. The following season he joined The Hammers for £200,000 in order to play in the First Division and went on to make over 300 appearances.
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PLAYER CHEMISTRY – WHEN PARTNERSHIPS CLICK
By Goatygav 7 Oct 2017 at 08:00
WTID
On a day when England could qualify for the forthcoming World Cup in Russia I was thinking back to the great understanding that Sir Trev and Kevin Keegan cultivated in their time together for the National side. On so many occasions the pair of them came up with important goals made for and scored by each other. I've searched for footage but not been able to find the TV interview where they tested the 'telepathic understanding' claims using shapes on cards. Sir Trev and Kevin got remarkable scores in the experiment however Keegan later admitted that he had cheated as he could see the shapes on the cards being held up in the reflection in the TV Camera's lense in the studio.
Keegan later admitted that he had cheated as he could see the shapes on the cards
Some examples of the pairing working so well can be viewed on Youtube at the following links. The first of which was a lovely 1-2 to set up the second goal against Scotland at Wembley.
& Keegan for Brooking before Keegan for Brooking's lovely strike, that got wedged in the top corner of the net, when hugely up against it away in Hungary in a vital World Cup qualifier in 1981.
The 2-0 win against Italy was another great example.
It's a beautiful thing when two players with great footballing intelligence combine in this way. For me Brooking and Keegan typified this 'chemistry' and became a terrific partnership. So often either would put the ball exactly where the other wanted it. In the overwhelming majority of occasions this would have been in front of the other player, maintaining the momentum of an attack, which I don't think we see often enough nowadays. Passes played behind players make me groan at times. Yes there's a time and a place for it however it generally gives the opposition time to re-shape and start to press which puts pressure on the team in possession. Not that I suspect it will make much difference to our national team but I will always encourage kids I coach to play passes in front of the player on the other end of the ball.
Sir Trev and Keegan were brought on too late in the day against Spain, in the 0-0 draw that prevented our progress, in the last game of the World Cup in '82 IMO. A shame that injuries prevented them spending much time together on the pitch in that particular tournament. For me one of those games that you remember exactly where you were.
I wish the pair's partnership could have been for club and country but I'm not too sure that Mr Len would have forked out the amount it would have taken to bring Kevin Keegan to West Ham back in those days. Perhaps those teams in the early '80's would have achieved so much more if he had've come.
In terms of partnerships that did flourish at West Ham those old enough to remember the famous 'Boys of '86' will fondly recall the lethal Cottee/McAvennie strike partnership that was so effective and took us to the brink of the League Title. There were other great partnerships in that side between those like Alan Dickens and Alan Devonshire, Dickens also combined beautifully with Mark Ward too. I remember Geoff Pike linking up well with almost any player – extremely underrated IMHO. At the back you had our great captain, and all round top bloke, Alvin Martin alongside the charismatic Tony Gale who was solid as a rock – the pair of them combining to form a formidable partnership for the season. I could go on – there were so many that 'Cliked' in that best ever league campaign.
It's, potentially, a lethal combination that could yield a great number of goals
Of course it doesn't always work. Players that you think would be great together just don't seem to be able to gain an understanding. By now I think you've probably guessed where I'm going with this in relation the current season. Although it's too early to call, and they've not had sufficient time to gel, I think it's fair to say that we've all expected much more of an Andy Carroll/Javiez Hernandez partnership. The long ball tactic that has been employed so many times this term, with the flick on or lay off coming from AC, just hasn't been read by Chicha and/or Chicha hasn't got it where he's wanted it. It's something that I would expect the pair of them to have been working on as it's, potentially, a lethal combination that could yield a great number of goals. Instead of that the two of them look like strangers up there. If this partnership doesn't come to fruition it will be a crying shame. I'm still hopeful, though, as there's time for it to 'Click'. Like Cottee and McAvennie I get the feeling that there's a hint of 'this town's not big enough for the two of us' sentiment knocking around. Looking back those two got over the gunslinger 'style cramping'. Perhaps the international break might give the pair enough space, and Slaven enough time to find a better formation, for them to flourish by feeding off each other. Playing in correct positions to get the best out of your key players is important and it's clear that Slaven is, very much, still finding out about the current squad with it's quality additions this Summer. Food for thought for him ahead of the Burnley game.
Could this be the start of something good between the pair of them?
I'm not a big fan of the '5 reasons why' type internet posts. Whilst they bring up some interesting stats they very rarely give the whole picture on a specific subject. To a degree that was the case on the official club site this week in their "5 Reasons Why West Ham United's Defensive Record Has Improved" "click here" :https://tinyurl.com/y9els4fk . That said it was an interesting piece that suggested that Reid and Fonte are developing a good combination at Centre Back. If you've read it I'd like to hear your thoughts on it and if you haven't then please give it a look if you have time. I did think there was an element of blue sky optimism about the stats quoted. For one thing it doesn't really consider the teams that we've been playing in September compared with August but the specific part about Reid and Fonte still stood out. There's no denying that Fonte has looked better lately. Could this be the start of something good between the pair of them? Hope so – especially with Ginge out for a while.
Back to England Luthuania shouldn't pose to difficult a question. A genuine 'good luck' to Scotland from me. Would be great to see a Scottish team at a World Cup finals again. Same goes for Northern Ireland who I've enjoyed watching. Between the ROI and Wales it's only going to be one of the two who qualify, by the looks of things, so it's down to a straight shootout between them in the final game to decide who goes through or gains a place in the play offs.
COYI – West Ham 4 The Cup!
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Hernandez, Lozano lead Mexico rally past Trinidad and Tobago
Javier Hernandez scored the winner for Mexico against Trinidad and Tobago. Hector Vivas/Getty Images
4:26 AM BST
ESPN staff
Mexico roared back from a second-half deficit to beat Trinidad and Tobago 3-1 in its second-to-last CONCACAF World Cup qualifier of the Hexagonal round on Friday night. A lacklustre first half gave way to a four-goal second, with Shahdon Winchester scoring in the 66th minute to give the second-choice visiting side a 1-0 lead. But Mexico, who haven't lost in qualifying and are already guaranteed a spot in Russia next summer, could not be denied. Hirving Lozano levelled matters in the 78th minute, before Javier Hernandez hit the winner 10 minutes later. Hector Herrera added a third in stoppage time to reach the final scoreline to put Mexico on 21 points, two shy of the CONCACAF record of 23 set by Costa Rica in the 2002 World Cup cycle. Mexico faces Honduras away on Tuesday, while Trinidad hosts the United States on the same day on the last day of qualifying for the region.
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West Ham United starlet scores beauty
HITC
Shane Callaghan
Anouar El Mhassani was West Ham United's second signing of the summer. Very little known was known about Anouar El Mhassani when West Ham United made him their second signing of the summer transfer window. In fact, the former Ajax academy product could probably walk past David Gold and David Sullivan on the street and neither of the Irons co-owners would have a clue who he was. But they might in the coming years if his goal for West Ham's Under-18s is anything to go by. Frustrations were reaching boiling point in East London at the time of El Mhassani's arrival on July 19. The Hammers hadn't paid money for anybody (Pablo Zabaleta had joined on a free transfer) and exciting transfer links to big players weren't materialising. So it didn't exactly help matters when Bilic went and signed a 16-year-old who was let go by Ajax's academy after struggling with injury. As a result, United fans mocked his arrival - evident by HITC Sport's fan reaction article - but El Mhassani scored a fine goal in an Under-18 game for West Ham last weekend.
Follow
AjaxDaily Youth @ajaxdailydotya
Former Ajax-talent Anouar El Mhassani (16) scored his first goal for West Ham United U18 last weekend! ⚽️👌@WHUFC_News @UberWestHam
7:44 PM - Oct 4, 2017
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At just 16, it might be a while before West Ham catch a glimpse of El Mhassani in a senior game, though it's by no means a guaranteed sight, but they might be slightly more excited about him now than they were when he joined.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Marko Arnautovic was on target as Austria defeated Serbia in a five-goal thriller in World Cup qualifying on Friday night. Arnautovic's 16th international goal gave Austria the lead for the first time at 2-1 after Guido Burgstaller had cancelled out Luka Milivojevic's opener. With the West Ham man's goal coming after 76 minutes, a final scoreline of 3-2 might have seemed unlikely, but there was still time for Manchester United's Nemanja Matic to level before Louis Schaub won it for Austria at the death.
Wins for Wales and the Republic of Ireland mean Austria can no longer qualify for next summer's finals in Russia, despite their three point haul on Friday, and Chris Coleman's Wales now sit just a point behind Serbia at the summit of Group D.
Meanwhile, Winston Reid played the 90 minutes for New Zealand as they prepared for next month's inter-continental World Cup play-offs with a narrow 2-1 friendly defeat to Japan. The All Whites looked set to take a share of the spoils when Burnley's Chris Wood equalised in the second period, but a last-gasp goal from Shu Kurata secured victory for the home side.
Also on Friday, Dan Kemp was an unused substitute as England U19 were defeated 1-0 in a friendly by Czech Republic U19 in Znojmo.
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Hart named Man of the Match as England seal World Cup spot
WHUFC.com
Joe Hart helped England secure their place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia on Thursday night as the Three Lions beat Slovenia 1-0. Gareth Southgate's men looked as if they were going to have to settle for a goalless draw for much of the Wembley Group F clash, however Harry Kane popped up in injury time to slide Kyle Walker's cross over the line to seal the three points. West Ham United goalkeeper Hart, who has been in fine recent form for the Hammers, had little to do at Wembley as Gareth Southgate's men were winners courtesy of the Spurs forward's goal. However, a superb double save to deny first Tim Matavz and then Aljaz Struna in the remaining ten minutes – when the score was still 0-0 – was worthy of a Man of the Match award. Hart has kept three clean sheets in his last four matches for the Hammers and has now conceded just six goals in eleven matches in an international jersey since the Three Lions exited Euro 2016. The goalkeeper, making his 74th appearance for his country, overtook Gordon Banks in overall caps on Thursday and is now just behind two stoppers – Peter Shilton and David Seaman – in the appearance standings.
Aaron Cresswell, who was also named in Southgate's squad, was left on the bench during Thursday's clash and awaits his third England cap. Marcus Rashford thought he had spurned England's best chance to win the match, racing clear following Raheem Sterling's pass just past the hour mark, but the Manchester United forward's chip, despite evading the Slovenia goalkeeper, was cleared inside the six-yard-box. Soon after, there was another opportunity to break the deadlock when the ball fell kindly to Raheem Sterling on the penalty spot, but the winger's effort was terrifically blocked by visiting skipper Bostjan Cesar. But deep into injury time, a lung-busting Walker run down the right yielded the all important goal as Kane – captain for the night – converted from close range. It meant that Scotland's 1-0 victory over Slovakia, thanks to a late Martin Skrtel own goal, was of little importance as the Three Lions celebrated securing their World Cup spot.
Southgate's side have joined the likes of Brazil, Belgium and Mexico in securing their qualification to next summer's tournament. Should England No1 Hart be selected to travel to Russia next year, it will be the Manchester City loanee's third World Cup and fifth major international tournament. He did not feature under Fabio Capello in South Africa seven years ago, but has been England's preferred choice between the sticks in all three competitions since.
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Michail Antonio honoured at London Stadium
WHUFC.com
Michail Antonio has become the latest Hammers hero to be honoured with a giant hanging shirt bearing his name and number at London Stadium. The 27-year-old winger has been celebrated in recognition of his status as the reigning Hammer of the Year – the first recipient of the prestigious award at our new home last season. Antonio's number 30 shirt was unveiled this week and will now hang in the concourse for the entire 2017/18 season, alongside permanent tributes to Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Sir Trevor Brooking and Billy Bonds. "It's a great honour," said Michail. "To be named Hammer of the Year last season was a fantastic achievement and this is a really nice touch from the Club. "To have my name and number up there with the likes of Bobby Moore, Billy Bonds and Sir Trevor Brooking makes me feel very proud and humble. "It's thanks to the fans who voted for me. I'm so grateful for their support and hope that I can continue to repay them with goals and good performances this season."
Hammers fans will be able to see Michail's giant shirt for the first time at the next home match against Brighton on Friday 20 October, located by Block 131 at the corner of the East and Sir Trevor Brooking Stands.
Until midnight on Sunday, you can get free ANTONIO 30 printing on 2017/18 shirts purchased. Simply click here to buy now.
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Rowland 'dying' for clean-sheet against Swindon Town
WHUFC.com
Goalkeeper Cherie Rowland has admitted she is 'dying' to keep a clean-sheet when the West Ham United Ladies take on Swindon Town on Sunday. The Ladies side are yet to play a match without conceding a goal this campaign in what has been a difficult start to the season for Greg De Carnys's side. Swindon, who sit bottom of the WPL Southern Division with no points from their six matches so far, represent a good opportunity for the Hammers to get their own campaign back on track.
And Rowland is desperate to get a first clean-sheet of her West Ham career but insists that her hopes for this cannot turn into expectation and complacency against Swindon. "I am dying to get a clean-sheet," Rowland told whufc.com: "It will be lovely, absolutely lovely, but we can't go into this game expecting to come away with anything – not a clean-sheet and certainly not the three points. "It something we can hope for and fight for, and work as hard as we can to achieve, but it's paramount we don't just expect it."
Since joining the side Rowland has been West Ham's first-choice goalkeeper, an honour that the shot-stopper is intent on keeping for the foreseeable future, despite her admittance that Lottie Ivison and Layla Prior are pushing her to her best. She added: "We've got Lottie and Layla and they're both pushing on. I never expected to come over to the club and play first team football as soon as I did. That's something I want to keep hold of. "I love those other girls to death but that first team spot is something I continue to fight for."
After a run of losses, the Ladies have stepped up their efforts on the training field in the last week with the majority of the team volunteering their own time for extra sessions. Rowland has been impressed with the level of commitment she has seen from her colleagues at Rush Green and wants that determination and self-belief from the training pitch to carry over into Sunday's fixture. "It's been a really good week of training," she said: "The girls seem to now realise that we can play football and play football well, and we need to start showing that now. "The commitment from the girls in terms of getting into training – whether that shows itself as an extra day or coming in early – shows that we are now showing our willingness to give our absolute best for West Ham. Sometimes on matchday I think the self-belief for everyone, including me, falls away. "The girls need to realise that we can do it and keep that self-belief high when we play Swindon this week."
West Ham United Ladies vs Swindon Town Ladies
Kick Off: 2pm, Sunday 8 October
Location: West Ham United Training Ground, Rush Green Road, RM7 0LU
Cost: Free for Season Ticket Holders or Claret Members, Adults: £2, U16s: Free
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Newcastle United 'abused tax system', HMRC alleges
4 October 2017
BBCco.uk
Newcastle United "systematically abused" the tax system to "secretly" make payments to agents and players during transfers, a court has heard. The allegations emerged after the Tyneside club challenged a raid by HM Revenue and Customs in April. United argued no reasonable grounds existed for believing it had engaged in tax fraud, but High Court judges ruled the warrants were "lawfully issued". The club said it was "disappointed" and "considering its options". St James' Park and West Ham's London Stadium were raided as part of a £5m fraud investigation. Business and financial records were seized, along with computers and mobile phones, and Newcastle's managing director Lee Charnley was among several men arrested and later released without charge. The club challenged the legality of the search-and-seize orders obtained by HMRC, and a hearing has been held at Leeds Crown Court.
'Secret' payments
HMRC argued that reasonable grounds existed for believing Newcastle United was ''knowingly involved'' in a multimillion-pound tax fraud, and the club's application for judicial view was dismissed. The full judgement has now been published. It reveals Operation Loom is looking into whether the club knew payments to agents were being "secretly" funnelled to other unlicensed agents and players themselves in a bid to circumvent income tax and National Insurance. Regarding Demba Ba's transfer to Newcastle from West Ham, HMRC said: "It appears NUFC paid agent's fees for services of £1.9m in full knowledge that the majority would be passed on to other agents... and to a company associated with the player." There were "further suspicions" arising out of his transfer to Chelsea in January 2013.
HMRC said it believed "NUFC systematically abused the tax system... and all payments to agents made were potentially the subject of criminal proceedings".
A spokesman for HMRC said: "We are very pleased with the court's decision which we are studying in detail. We do not comment on individual cases or ongoing investigations." Newcastle United said in a statement: "We are disappointed with this decision given the court's findings. "We are considering all of our options with our advisers, including whether to pursue an appeal."
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The questions they don't want you to ask
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 4th October 2017
By: HeadHammerShark
"Jim stops and gets out the car, goes to a house in Emperor's Gate
Through the door and to his room, then he puts the TV on
Turns it off and makes some tea, says "Modern life, well it's rubbish"
I'm holding on for tomorrow"
- Blur, "For Tomorrow"
Those plucky underdogs win again
The Premier League clubs are meeting today, with a view to taking a decision so momentous it has the possibility to change English football forever. I had originally planned to write a series of articles laying out my proposals to make modern football fairer, and less rubbish, but time passed by and now we're here on the day of the vote. As such I've slung this together and I'm hoping for the best. A little like Slaven Bilic and his West Ham squad. You may know about this vote, but if not this is a primer. Put simply, the self styled "Big Six" (Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool for those who aren't immediately sure) want a bigger slice of the TV income to reflect their belief that they are the primary reason for such riches. That money is currently shared equally among all the Premier League teams, which those at the top somehow have the temerity to label as "unfair". Equal sharing of revenue is unfair. It should be divided on "merit".
Spurs last won the league in 1961. Liverpool in 1990.
I have questions.
Many questions.
And these are questions they don't want us to ask.
***
High Cool
What, I wonder, is the point of being a modern day fan of a smaller Premier League club?
The Premier League makes much of it's competitiveness, but my team cannot win it. For those fans of the select few clubs at the top of the money tree it promises to be a season of great excitement, and for the rest of us it will be the customary race to 40 points and praying for a decent cup run.
For this privilege we get to pay...the same ticket prices as everyone else.
Why, I wonder, do we so meekly accept this?
West Ham splurged plenty of money this summer, with their customary lack of planning and "darts into the Panini album" style of scouting, and yet would have to spend another £300m to even dream of nudging their way up against the top four. Everton spent heavily and will most likely finish seventh again.
This is not enough for The Big Six.
It's not even a case that there is an established cycle of success and we smaller Joe's just need to wait and bide our time to get good again. European football doesn't work that way. Nobody even pretends that it does.
And still we come, in our droves, to watch our teams playing in a competition that doesn't even pretend to be equitable or fair. We have become so used to being cannon fodder for the rich that we have succumbed to a footballing Stockholm Syndrome where Phil Thompson and Paul Merson stare balefully at us and tells us we've had a great year if we come 8th.
Not for me, Jeff.
How, I wonder, did we all come to accept this as perfectly normal?
By now I'm sensing a few furrowed brows. Am I suggesting we all just give up and go home? No, I want to end the dominance of Big Clubs™. Let's fix modern football. And by "fix" I mean "mend" rather than conspire to rig it in favour of certain teams. That's pretty much the problem as it stands now anyway.
For you see, there is a cancer at the rotten core of European football. An environment has developed in which an elite cabal of teams have, with UEFA's blessing, carved up the modern game for their own ends. Money, players, sponsors, success - they all flow firstly to this small group of clubs, and then trickle down to the rest of us.
The Champions League - a misnomer right up there with the People's Game - was the seismic shock that changed the game irrevocably. Suddenly, those elite teams who already ruled Europe due to their huge fanbases and commercial advantages, were now being subsidised by UEFA. With every passing season, and every £30m cheque from the continental governing body, those teams separated themselves yet further from the rest of us.
The prize money for simply being big enough to qualify for the Champions League then became the guarantee that ensured that qualification forever more. It was a beautifully circular arrangement, supplemented nicely when the UEFA Cup was reconstituted into the Europa League, a competition so arduous and difficult to win that it rendered those clubs on the cusp of the Champions League unable to take the extra step up to the Promised Land.
There were lots of near misses, and many a team has nearly destroyed themselves in the pursuit of such riches. But the elite have largely survived, with another large cheque arriving each summer to allow them to buy those players from any teams genuinely threatening the arrangement.
And when the likes of Manchester City and PSG arrived, with oil revenues dripping from their pockets, the Financial Fair Play rules were drawn up to try and enshrine the principle that the only allowable way to be good was to be rich, and the only allowable way to be rich was to always have been rich.
What a bunch of charlatans.
What, I wonder, were we thinking when we let that happen?
For fans of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Bayern, Dortmund, Roma, Juventus et al it is probably hard to understand what I am saying. There's will be a belief that their teams have earned their dominance and supremacy. After all, to paraphrase the wonderful Marina Hyde, nobody wants to accept they were born on second base when it's easier to believe they hit a double.
This is the upshot of privilege.
So now, as the rest of us stare in bemusement as Manchester United genuinely try and convince Swansea to give up their TV revenues so that United can better compete with Barcelona, we have to remember that this is the simple outcome of allowing such privilege to go unchecked for so long.
Manchester United can't understand that we want to keep the Premier League competitive because in reality it never has been. So why not just accept that they will always finish in the top four and give them a better chance of winning the Champions League? This seems to be a genuine part of the argument.
And this stranglehold has conspired to make football smaller for the rest of us. We aren't allowed to measure our success in terms of league titles and instead our aspirations have had to be revised downwards. For us it is now the small triumph of avoiding relegation or a once in a generation cup final appearance. The simple thrill of our players being in international squads or the emergence of a decent young player.
Put simply, we don't matter as much as them.
This is the upshot of privilege.
But, what can we do?
And folks, I know that none of this will ever change. There is too much power and too much money tied up in the current structure to ever allow the likes of West Ham, Getafe, Lorient or Padova the chance to dream of winning the league or making Champions League finals.
This is little more than the ranting of an angry and frustrated man, watching in utter disbelief as Chelsea bring a begging bowl to our doorstep and ask the rest of us to give them money to have a better chance of beating Bayern.
The state of it.
***
Repetition
If we take the creation of the Premier League as an entirely artificial starting point for "modern football", then we can see that the major European leagues have been won as follows across that twenty five year span:
England: Man Utd (13); Chelsea (5); Arsenal (3); Man City (2); Blackburn (1); Leicester (1)
Germany: Bayern (15); Dortmund (5); Werder Bremen (2); Kaiserslautern (1); Stuttgart (1); Wolfsburg (1)
Spain: Barcelona (12); Real Madrid (8); Valencia (2); Atletico Madrid (2); Deportivo La Coruna (1)
Italy: Juventus (11); AC Milan (6); Inter (5); Roma (1); Lazio (1)
(*) No title in Italy in 04-05 due to the Juventus match fixing scandal
(**) I have excluded France for the moment as their resurgence is more of a recent development, although Lyon and PSG still account for roughly half their titles in this period.
So of the last 99 titles awarded in the main four European leagues, 51 (52%) have been won by the single most successful team in that country. That number rises to 75 (76%) if we include the second most successful team in each league.
To lay that out starkly, eight clubs have won 76% of the main European league titles for the last quarter of a century. As far as entertainment goes, this doesn't strike me as being terribly, well, entertaining and instead seems a bit more "Ed Sheeran headlining Glastonbury for the next seven years".
Stereotypes
And what about that prize money? Well, in 2014-15, UEFA paid out a cool €1.08bn to the 32 participants in the group stages of the Champions League.
Of that, a stunning €543m went to Juventus, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Dortmund, Man City, Roma, Bayern, PSG, Barcelona and Chelsea. A third of the clubs trousering half of the money. That's some nice work if you can get it.
Particularly galling was Liverpool taking home €33.5m for getting knocked out in the group stages, whilst Porto received €27m for making the quarter finals. This was due to UEFA rules favouring teams from countries with bigger TV deals and giving a nice insight into what it must be like for Hollywood actresses when they try and negotiate their pay.
What's great about this is that you'll remember that the Big Six want a bigger slice of the English TV money because they "merit it". But when they play in Europe they feel they should just get more money for the simple fact that they come from a country where BT Sport were stupid enough to shell out a billion quid for the rights to the competition.
Worse still, is the latest development whereby part of the Champions League prize money will in future be distributed with the amount being dependent upon the historic success of the club involved. That's right folks, we're now giving more money to Real Madrid because they were good in the past.
IT'S LIKE A FUCKING BOND VILLAIN IS WRITING THESE RULES.
At some point I feel I have to ask fans of these clubs...is this actually fun any more? What kind of mental gymnastics are you having to perform to convince yourself that winning is actually an achievement for you? You're cheering for the Empire to beat the Rebel Alliance. You're screaming for the house in a casino. You're standing at the side of the road lauding the naked Emperor. Don't look now guys, but you're in Slytherin.
I'm not being facetious when I say this, but I honestly don't understand how being a fan of one of these clubs can be as enjoyable as supporting a smaller team. Our victories are fewer, but they aren't earned with loaded dice.
I'm Just A Killer For Your Love
But, I hear you say, why does any of this actually matter? We've had imbalance for years and stadiums are still full and the great God television continues to rule all. If this was all so unfair then why has this construct persisted for so long?
Well, it matters because when we pay for our tickets, or buy our Sky subscriptions nobody is giving us a discount because our teams won't win anything. In fact, they love us right up until it's time for us to take our seats, at which point we immediately become less important than Liverpool fans. And that's a club that haven't won the league at all in a quarter of a century, although it's not for the want of UEFA giving them money.
The table below, which I've picked up from a Daily Mail article, highlights the point. West Ham and Spurs fans are paying way more at the top end for their tickets than Manchester United and Manchester City and yet neither have won the league in this time. In fairness, Spurs are giving it a good go right now, but are well behind rivals Arsenal in terms of actual silverware over this time span, and yet had the second highest average ticket price in the league in 2015/16. West Ham, meanwhile, are just incompetent.
West Brom though. Still a rip off.
Of course each club has it's own financial model and supply and demand, metropolitan location and demographic all play a huge a part in what clubs charge their fans. But the broader point is this; football fans are treated identically in every area except one - expectations.
If you are a fan of a Big Club™ you are entitled to expect success. Manchester United not challenging for the league for two seasons is considered a genuine issue by the British press. It takes up a lot of time on Monday Night Football and Sunday Supplement.
But compare the prices shown above for Manchester United and Southampton and see if you can figure out why one set of fans are "entitled" to demand success and why the other must be content with getting a good price from Liverpool for their players.
It feels to me like paying money for an Odeon annual cinema pass but being told I can't see the 3D releases, unlike other customers who are also paying less than me because they once won a competition thirty years ago. We are in a curious thrall to a world order that was created either many years ago by old money (Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal) or on the whim of billionaire new money investors (Chelsea, Manchester City).
There Are Too Many Of Us
It also matters because there are more of us than them. If you take the Big Six then they comprise about 44% of last year's Premier League attendances. That percentage drops hugely once you factor in the entire football pyramid - particularly well supported clubs like Newcastle, Aston Villa, Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday - and it's amazing how often those fans are ignored completely.
At no juncture in this latest power grab has it ever entered the discussion that concentrating more money in England's six biggest clubs might be detrimental to the wider game, despite the fact that the vast majority of those who attend football games in this country don't watch the Big Six.
Team/Total Attendance
Man Utd 1,430,502
Arsenal 1,139,177
West Ham 1,082,464
Man City 1,026,358
Liverpool 1,007,311
Chelsea 788,645
Sunderland 784,450
Everton 746,890
Leicester 605,968
Spurs 601,143
Southampton 587,787
Middlesbrough 578,539
Stoke 521,230
Crystal Palace 478,052
WBA 453,646
Hull 394,466
Swansea 391,766
Watford 390,849
Burnley 390,609
Bournemouth 212,464
Big Six: 5,993,136
Others: 7,619,180
TOTAL: 13,612,316
As you can see, the Big Six have big attendances - it's almost as though they are resident in huge metropolitan areas with a massive population base to call from - but they aren't the majority. And, sure, they have big followings on Facebook and Twitter, but the notion that armchair supporters of Arsenal are more important than fans who actually attend games at Bournemouth isn't one I'm prepared to accept.
So yeah - the "Big Six"? More fans don't watch them than do.
No Distance Left To Run
What all of this does is to bring in to focus the existential questions I raised above. Put simply - why do the majority of us still bother to follow our football teams?
For some, simply asking this question is treasonous. We follow because we are, and we are because we follow. The team is part of our blood, and we a part of theirs. It is simply not a question that one asks. A bit like when my daughter tells me about her favourite YouTubers and I ask the unaskable by saying "What do these people actually do?".
Crucially, the very absence of winning anything is worn like a badge of honour because it proves our worthiness as fans. We look down upon those Surrey based Man Utd fans who pretend their fathers were from Stretford in order to attach themselves to a winning club. We measure our mettle as supporters not by the number of Cup finals we have attended, but instead by miserable, unsuccessful away trips on frozen midweek nights when lesser men or women would have simply given up. And when we do make a Cup final we are told that we are "tinpot" for caring at all. This is our lot.
"Tinpot"
But to me, that badge of honour is a symbol of stupidity. We all have a neon sign saying "idiot" writ large upon our breast. We buy our tickets that are more expensive than those sold to Man City fans, we buy our TV subscriptions that cost the same as they do for Arsenal fans and we wear replica shirts sold on the same rack and for the same price as Chelsea's and we still accept it as a central core of our fandom than our teams do not have any right to compete with those same Big Clubs™ because of history.
"Not tinpot"
**
To The End
So, with that context offered and those problems identified, how exactly is it possible to make football fairer? Well, look, I have lots of ideas about that and at some point I plan to get round to publishing them. I have them drafted and some great other writers lined up from other teams to tell me why they will or won't work, but ultimately this vote got here before I could finish up. Veyr simply they involve limiting squad sizes, limiting loans, fairer distribution of income and probably abolishing Chelsea.
But let me be clear - opposing this is important for all English football fans irrespective of any future changes. It isn't a West Ham thing. It's a football thing.
Put simply, I think Richard Scudamore should be fired because his dumbass plan is predicated upon making his six biggest members more successful in a different competition to the one he is responsible for.
Put slightly less simply, here are the reasons this proposal must be rejected:
1. The Premier League has convinced the world it is more competitive than other leagues, and foreign audiences seem to agree. The act of taking £15m a year income from Bournemouth and giving it to Liverpool will inevitably damage this, although it would be helpful if Bournemouth stopped doing this themselves voluntarily, ahem, Jordon Ibe. Once the league becomes even more utterly predictable than it is now, and the Big Six enshrine themselves in the top six places, those TV rights will no longer be as valuable because the league will no longer be able to sell the idea that anyone can beat anyone.
2. The counter argument that having more than two big clubs will always make the league more attractive than La Liga is bullshit. It's been thirteen years since one of Liverpool, Spurs or Arsenal won the league. The table above shows that having more big clubs hasn't changed the balance of power in England.
3. Leicester wasn't proof of parity. I can't explain Leicester other than to say I think it was the perfect confluence of luck, planning and every good force in the universe coming together at once. A 5,000-1 shot winning the league doesn't strike me as great evidence of equality, however. And the very fact that the Big Six now want more money to stop another Leicester should tell us all we need to know about how much they value competition.
4. They already play in a European Super League, so they aren't going to create another one. Liverpool won't give up playing Everton. Spurs won't give up playing in the FA Cup. And there won't be room for all six of them anyway.
5. English clubs are disadvantaged when playing in Europe, they tell us. Fuck 'em. They've rigged it so the rest of us can't qualify and now they want us to care? Don't let the door hit you on the way out, lads.
6. The West Ham board think this is a good idea. This should give anyone in support of this pause for thought.
7. When foreign fans tune in to watch Burnley play Manchester United, they actually are tuning in to watch Burnley. Otherwise, it would just be a Manchester United training session. Competitions need, you know, competitors.
***
I suspect this proposal will be rejected, even though Everton, West Ham and Leicester are allegedly in support, but the very fact it is on the agenda is bad news. We will now hear the rumblings of discontent for a while until the next power grab.
But, in the meantime, we need to make ourselves better heard. We, the fans of the majority of English clubs, need to stop silently acquiescing to the idea of our own inferiority. These clubs take the money, the players, the power and now they want the very soul of the game.
So, ask the questions they don't want you to ask.
And then demand some answers.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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Join Bianca and legends live!
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 6th October 2017
By: Staff Writer
Sky Sports presenter and Hammers fan Bianca Westwood is hosting an evening with two Hammers legends in London later this month.
Later this month, on Tuesday, 24 October Westwood - who also co-presented Series 4 and 5 of the KUMB Podcast - will be compering a special event featuring West Ham legends Tony Cottee and Tony Gale in Holborn, London.
The two former Hammers will talk about their time as players and recollect their exploits both on and off the pitch, whilst the second half of the evening is scheduled to conclude with a Q&A session giving you the opportunity to ask them your questions.
Tickets are available for just £35 each and are available from pizzaexpresslive.com now. Fans are advised to book early in order to avoid disappointment.
Tony Cottee
Tony Cottee began his career at West Ham aged 17, where he made his professional debut in the First Division against Tottenham on New Year's Day 1983.
He was a prolific goalscorer in the claret and blue of West Ham and was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1986, when West Ham finished third and recorded their highest league finish to date.
It was during this successful spell that Cottee crossed paths with namesake Tony Gale, who played a key role in the side forming a notable defensive partnership with Alvin Martin.
During a 19-year career, Tony Cottee made over 600 appearances and represented England seven times.
Tony Gale
Tony Gale made 636 appearances as a defender during a 22-year career from 1977 until 1998, winning the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers in 1995. He also played for Fulham, West Ham United and Crystal Palace.
After progressing through the youth ranks of Fulham, Gale narrowly missed out on promotion to the First Division during the 1982-83 season. The following season he joined The Hammers for £200,000 in order to play in the First Division and went on to make over 300 appearances.
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PLAYER CHEMISTRY – WHEN PARTNERSHIPS CLICK
By Goatygav 7 Oct 2017 at 08:00
WTID
On a day when England could qualify for the forthcoming World Cup in Russia I was thinking back to the great understanding that Sir Trev and Kevin Keegan cultivated in their time together for the National side. On so many occasions the pair of them came up with important goals made for and scored by each other. I've searched for footage but not been able to find the TV interview where they tested the 'telepathic understanding' claims using shapes on cards. Sir Trev and Kevin got remarkable scores in the experiment however Keegan later admitted that he had cheated as he could see the shapes on the cards being held up in the reflection in the TV Camera's lense in the studio.
Keegan later admitted that he had cheated as he could see the shapes on the cards
Some examples of the pairing working so well can be viewed on Youtube at the following links. The first of which was a lovely 1-2 to set up the second goal against Scotland at Wembley.
& Keegan for Brooking before Keegan for Brooking's lovely strike, that got wedged in the top corner of the net, when hugely up against it away in Hungary in a vital World Cup qualifier in 1981.
The 2-0 win against Italy was another great example.
It's a beautiful thing when two players with great footballing intelligence combine in this way. For me Brooking and Keegan typified this 'chemistry' and became a terrific partnership. So often either would put the ball exactly where the other wanted it. In the overwhelming majority of occasions this would have been in front of the other player, maintaining the momentum of an attack, which I don't think we see often enough nowadays. Passes played behind players make me groan at times. Yes there's a time and a place for it however it generally gives the opposition time to re-shape and start to press which puts pressure on the team in possession. Not that I suspect it will make much difference to our national team but I will always encourage kids I coach to play passes in front of the player on the other end of the ball.
Sir Trev and Keegan were brought on too late in the day against Spain, in the 0-0 draw that prevented our progress, in the last game of the World Cup in '82 IMO. A shame that injuries prevented them spending much time together on the pitch in that particular tournament. For me one of those games that you remember exactly where you were.
I wish the pair's partnership could have been for club and country but I'm not too sure that Mr Len would have forked out the amount it would have taken to bring Kevin Keegan to West Ham back in those days. Perhaps those teams in the early '80's would have achieved so much more if he had've come.
In terms of partnerships that did flourish at West Ham those old enough to remember the famous 'Boys of '86' will fondly recall the lethal Cottee/McAvennie strike partnership that was so effective and took us to the brink of the League Title. There were other great partnerships in that side between those like Alan Dickens and Alan Devonshire, Dickens also combined beautifully with Mark Ward too. I remember Geoff Pike linking up well with almost any player – extremely underrated IMHO. At the back you had our great captain, and all round top bloke, Alvin Martin alongside the charismatic Tony Gale who was solid as a rock – the pair of them combining to form a formidable partnership for the season. I could go on – there were so many that 'Cliked' in that best ever league campaign.
It's, potentially, a lethal combination that could yield a great number of goals
Of course it doesn't always work. Players that you think would be great together just don't seem to be able to gain an understanding. By now I think you've probably guessed where I'm going with this in relation the current season. Although it's too early to call, and they've not had sufficient time to gel, I think it's fair to say that we've all expected much more of an Andy Carroll/Javiez Hernandez partnership. The long ball tactic that has been employed so many times this term, with the flick on or lay off coming from AC, just hasn't been read by Chicha and/or Chicha hasn't got it where he's wanted it. It's something that I would expect the pair of them to have been working on as it's, potentially, a lethal combination that could yield a great number of goals. Instead of that the two of them look like strangers up there. If this partnership doesn't come to fruition it will be a crying shame. I'm still hopeful, though, as there's time for it to 'Click'. Like Cottee and McAvennie I get the feeling that there's a hint of 'this town's not big enough for the two of us' sentiment knocking around. Looking back those two got over the gunslinger 'style cramping'. Perhaps the international break might give the pair enough space, and Slaven enough time to find a better formation, for them to flourish by feeding off each other. Playing in correct positions to get the best out of your key players is important and it's clear that Slaven is, very much, still finding out about the current squad with it's quality additions this Summer. Food for thought for him ahead of the Burnley game.
Could this be the start of something good between the pair of them?
I'm not a big fan of the '5 reasons why' type internet posts. Whilst they bring up some interesting stats they very rarely give the whole picture on a specific subject. To a degree that was the case on the official club site this week in their "5 Reasons Why West Ham United's Defensive Record Has Improved" "click here" :https://tinyurl.com/y9els4fk . That said it was an interesting piece that suggested that Reid and Fonte are developing a good combination at Centre Back. If you've read it I'd like to hear your thoughts on it and if you haven't then please give it a look if you have time. I did think there was an element of blue sky optimism about the stats quoted. For one thing it doesn't really consider the teams that we've been playing in September compared with August but the specific part about Reid and Fonte still stood out. There's no denying that Fonte has looked better lately. Could this be the start of something good between the pair of them? Hope so – especially with Ginge out for a while.
Back to England Luthuania shouldn't pose to difficult a question. A genuine 'good luck' to Scotland from me. Would be great to see a Scottish team at a World Cup finals again. Same goes for Northern Ireland who I've enjoyed watching. Between the ROI and Wales it's only going to be one of the two who qualify, by the looks of things, so it's down to a straight shootout between them in the final game to decide who goes through or gains a place in the play offs.
COYI – West Ham 4 The Cup!
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Hernandez, Lozano lead Mexico rally past Trinidad and Tobago
Javier Hernandez scored the winner for Mexico against Trinidad and Tobago. Hector Vivas/Getty Images
4:26 AM BST
ESPN staff
Mexico roared back from a second-half deficit to beat Trinidad and Tobago 3-1 in its second-to-last CONCACAF World Cup qualifier of the Hexagonal round on Friday night. A lacklustre first half gave way to a four-goal second, with Shahdon Winchester scoring in the 66th minute to give the second-choice visiting side a 1-0 lead. But Mexico, who haven't lost in qualifying and are already guaranteed a spot in Russia next summer, could not be denied. Hirving Lozano levelled matters in the 78th minute, before Javier Hernandez hit the winner 10 minutes later. Hector Herrera added a third in stoppage time to reach the final scoreline to put Mexico on 21 points, two shy of the CONCACAF record of 23 set by Costa Rica in the 2002 World Cup cycle. Mexico faces Honduras away on Tuesday, while Trinidad hosts the United States on the same day on the last day of qualifying for the region.
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West Ham United starlet scores beauty
HITC
Shane Callaghan
Anouar El Mhassani was West Ham United's second signing of the summer. Very little known was known about Anouar El Mhassani when West Ham United made him their second signing of the summer transfer window. In fact, the former Ajax academy product could probably walk past David Gold and David Sullivan on the street and neither of the Irons co-owners would have a clue who he was. But they might in the coming years if his goal for West Ham's Under-18s is anything to go by. Frustrations were reaching boiling point in East London at the time of El Mhassani's arrival on July 19. The Hammers hadn't paid money for anybody (Pablo Zabaleta had joined on a free transfer) and exciting transfer links to big players weren't materialising. So it didn't exactly help matters when Bilic went and signed a 16-year-old who was let go by Ajax's academy after struggling with injury. As a result, United fans mocked his arrival - evident by HITC Sport's fan reaction article - but El Mhassani scored a fine goal in an Under-18 game for West Ham last weekend.
Follow
AjaxDaily Youth @ajaxdailydotya
Former Ajax-talent Anouar El Mhassani (16) scored his first goal for West Ham United U18 last weekend! ⚽️👌@WHUFC_News @UberWestHam
7:44 PM - Oct 4, 2017
Replies Retweets 5 5 likes
At just 16, it might be a while before West Ham catch a glimpse of El Mhassani in a senior game, though it's by no means a guaranteed sight, but they might be slightly more excited about him now than they were when he joined.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, October 6
Daily WHUFC News - 6th October 2017
Hammers youngster Scully frustrated in Euro U19 opener
WHUFC.com
West Ham United youngster Anthony Scully kicked-off the Hammers' busy
international schedule by starting for Republic of Ireland U19s on Wednesday
evening.
The midfielder played the opening 71 minutes of the Boys in Green's goalless
2018 UEFA European U19 Championship qualifying round Group 7 draw with
Azerbaijan in Waterford. The Irish dominated at the Regional Sports Centre,
creating 13 goal attempts to their opponents' four, but were unable to find
a way past Azeri goalkeeper Murad Popov. And when Tom Mohan's side were
reduced to ten men with six minutes remaining, the home side settled for a
point from their first of three qualifying matches. Scully, who does not
turn 18 until December, will hope for a better result when Ireland host
Cyprus at the same venue on Saturday evening. The Cypriots were beaten 1-0
by Serbia in their opening fixture. Ireland will complete their Group 7
schedule when they take on Serbia at the RSC next Tuesday afternoon, with
the top two qualifying for the Elite Round.
The final eight-team tournament, which was won by Nathan Trott and England
in 2017, will take place in Finland next summer.
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Gary Lewin: This is a key fortnight for several players
WHUFC.com
For Gary Lewin, international football became a way of life during his
20-year career as physiotherapist for the England national team. The
relationships and expertise Lewin gained in that role are now benefitting
West Ham United in his role as head of medical services. With a dozen
Hammers away representing their countries all over the world, and 14 more
back at Rush Green preparing for the Premier League trip to Burnley, Lewin
revealed the challenges a top club faces during an international break…
This is no international 'break'!
The term 'international break' is inaccurate as for the medical services
team here at West Ham United, it is a busy time. While we come away from the
pressures of the Premier League for a fortnight, the 'break' from domestic
fixtures gives us the opportunity to work closely with players at Rush
Green. With less players around, the staff can work one-to-one with players
who need treatment or rehabilitation work, and also those who have recently
returned from injury and need extra work to improve their fitness levels.
These two weeks will be key for the likes of Pedro Obiang, James Collins and
Domingos Quina, who will receive treatment on a daily basis. He may have
returned and played against Swansea on Saturday, but Manuel Lanzini has only
recently returned from injury and will do extra work to raise his fitness
levels ahead of the Burnley game a week on Saturday. Likewise, Edimilson
Fernandes is back in full training with the group and will work on building
up his fitness over the coming days. So, while the Premier League may be
taking a break, that is certainly not the case for the staff and players at
Rush Green.
Relationships and communication are key
The process of our players being called-up for international duty starts the
week before the squads are announced, when we get calls from the countries
concerned. We provide information about any injuries or illnesses they may
be suffering from and give them our information on any rehabilitation or
treatment they will need, and also share our thoughts on training loads,
strength and conditioning programmes and, when the match is a friendly,
their match minutes. We have got quite a good relationship with most
countries and it is essentially about exchanging information. For example,
Marko Arnautovic was ill and missed the Swansea game, so we were in contact
with the Austrian Football Association medical team and kept them informed,
and he recovered in time to accept the call-up and join up with his national
squad. When the players go away, we keep in regular contact with both them
and their national team medical staff via text message and every one of them
is required to report any issues they may suffer as soon as possible after
the relevant training session or game. Having followed this process with my
previous club and also combined that role with that of England
physiotherapist for 20 years, I have got to know the international medical
staff working for other countries well, meaning I have a good relationship
with, for example, the Austrian doctor or the Swiss physio. With players
scattered all over the world, it is very important to have good lines of
communication and understanding and we are fortunate that we have that at
West Ham.
All our thoughts are focused on Burnley
Our international players will all return at different times, as the match
calendar is now staggered, rather than all countries playing on the same
night like they did a few years ago. So, we need to plan for each individual
player returning and schedule their training, strength and conditioning,
fitness and recovery sessions accordingly. As a staff, we work backwards
from the Burnley game, because while players may be representing their
countries in important international fixtures, the needs to West Ham United
are always at the front of our thoughts. At the same time, we have ten
first-team players training fully at Rush Green this week and it is our job
to ensure they are at optimum fitness level for the Burnley match, while
also giving them a few days off to recharge mentally and physically. The
overall aim is that, by next Friday, everyone is at the same level and
available for selection at Turf Moor.
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Noble & Byram surprise Chinese super-fan
WHUFC.com
West Ham United captain Mark Noble surprised super fan Pan Xiang during a
recent visit to Rush Green in celebration of the Chinese Mid-Autumn
Festival. Having met Noble and posted a picture on social media, which the
skipper shared on Twitter, West Ham invited Pan Xiang and his wife, Zhang
Yingwen, to come to the Rush Green training facility under the guise of an
interview about his love for the club. During the interview Noble and Sam
Byram interrupted Xiang to congratulate the supporter and his wife on their
recent marriage and to share in some mooncakes, a bakery snack associated
with the festival.
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Oxford helps England U20s thrash Italy
WHUFC.com
Reece Oxford helped England U20s to a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Italy's
equivalent youth side on Thursday afternoon. The West Ham United defender,
currently on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, completed 80 minutes for the
young Lions in Gorgonzola as they ran out comfortable winners in the
international friendly. The defender started while Nathan Trott, the
Hammers' first choice U23 stopper, was on the bench with Bournemouth
goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks. England took the lead after
just five minutes when Benfica forward Chris Willock – who joined the
Portuguese outfit after leaving Arsenal this summer – broke the deadlock.
The Azzurri were back on level terms ten minutes later though, Cesena man
Guiseppe Panico equalised.
Tottenham Hotspur man Marcus Edwards ensured England regained the lead on 22
minutes however, and the visitors added a third ten minutes before the break
through FC Twente's Isaac Buckley-Ricketts. Then, two goals in four minutes
courtesy of captain Easah Sulliman – a defender – and Barnsley's Ike Ugbo
ensured the young Lions would see out the win. Oxford was replaced – after
being booked – by Charlton Athletic defender Ezri Konsa with ten minutes
remaining, but the win marked his fourth appearance for the U20s in total.
The side are back in action again on Tuesday, with Czech Republic this time
the opponents at St. George's Park in another friendly clash.
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Arthur Masauku's screamer is your Goal of the Month
WHUFC.com
Arthur Masuaku's brilliant long-ranged strike in West Ham United's 3-0 win
over Bolton Wanderers has been selected as your Goal of the Month for
September.
The left-back fired an unstoppable rocket from 25 yards in the dying embers
of our Carabao Cup win against the Championship side on September 19, giving
the Hammers a 3-0 victory. The finish marked Masuaku's first goal for West
Ham and the 23-year-old's maiden effort will also be remembered as
September's Goal of the Month, as voted for by supporters. Thousands of
supporters registered their choices through our official West Ham social
media channels - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - and Masuaku's goal was
the resounding winner, collecting 68% of all votes. The defender was up
against Cheikhou Kouyate's bullet header against Tottenham, Diafra Sakho's
winning goal against Swansea City and Martin Samuelsen's sweeping finish in
the U23s victory at Sunderland.
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Vash back and hoping to grow Holland partnership
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Vashon Neufville returned to action after three weeks off
with injury, but was unable to help stop a ruthless Villarreal side who ran
out 3-0 winners in the Premier League International Cup on Wednesday
evening. The left-back, who has become a mainstay in Terry Westley's side
this year, had been out since early September with a hamstring injury but
came back to produce one of the more impressive displays on what proved a
tough evening for the Hammers. "It's good to be back fit, I was out for a
little while but now I feel good" he explained. Conor Coventry was cheaply
dispossessed in midfield and it cost the Hammers dearly as Adrian Dalmau
scored the first of his three on the night just 15 seconds from kick-off.
The Segunda B outfit were a constant threat and Neufville highlighted one
area of the game where their visitors were particularly impressive. "They
were very good, they played a lot of one-two touch, moved it quickly and
made things very hard for us." he said. "They played a different kind of
style to how we're used to in England, but in terms of moving the ball, it
is a style that we try to play. "They had a lot of players in the middle of
the park and didn't really play wide all that much. It was pretty congested
in the middle."
Despite probably deserving all three points, a 3-0 score line certainly
flattered the visitors with the Hammers going close on multiple occasions.
On another night Neufville felt things could have been different: "We had a
few chances, some at key times in the game, [Jahmal Hector-Ingram's] one off
the line, but we couldn't take them and they did – that was the difference."
In his post-match reaction, Academy Director Terry Westley praised Neufville
and Nathan Holland for their contribution and for the defender, it was good
to re-form a partnership which had started the season so impressively.
"Yeah, it was nice playing on that left side with Nathan again" Neufville
explained. "I think we tried to make things happen. We have a good
relationship on and off the pitch, he's a good friend, and I think that is
helping both of us when we play. Hopefully it can get better and better."
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West Ham set to ditch their backing of the 'Big Six' in Premier League's
overseas TV rights war
The Hammers were one of three sides set to back a new system where overseas
TV money is part-distributed on the basis of league position
The M irror
BYANDY DUNN
15:48, 5 OCT 2017
West Ham are ready to ditch their backing of the Big Six in the TV cash row
that is threatening to destabilise the Premier League. Their defection would
be a big blow to the clubs wanting a bigger slice of overseas television
rights. West Ham were seen as one of the few clubs outside the Big Six who
would agree a compromise meaning TV money from abroad would be
part-distributed on the basis of league finishing positions. Yet even though
Wednesday's summit meeting was adjourned with no decision being made, Mirror
Sport understands West Ham are now reconsidering their original position.
Along with Everton and Leicester City, they were one of three clubs ready to
back the Big Six. But that is set to change, meaning the chances of the two
Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool forcing through a
new system by a simple vote seems unlikely. A revamp would need the support
of 14 clubs.
However, that will not be the end of it. Behind the scenes, Premier League
officials and chief executives expect the money generated by overseas rights
to rocket over the next couple of decades, even dwarfing the enormous
domestic packages. The Big Six want a bigger share and even if, as expected,
any vote goes against them at next month's Premier League meeting, they will
not let it lie.
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LANZINI TO UP HIS RECOVERY EFFORTS AHEAD OF BURNLEY CLASH
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
West Ham are set to be boosted ahead of their clash against Burnley, with
Manuel Lanzini upping his efforts to make a full return. The Argentina
international made his return from injury on Saturday afternoon in West
Ham's 1-0 win over Swansea, but is still yet to reach full fitness. He came
off the bench with 27 minutes still to play, and helped the Hammers
consolidate what was an important victory. Gary Lewin, the head of West
Ham's medical department, has delivered a positive update on Lanzini's
fitness in recent times too. As quoted by Football London, Lewin stated that
the creative midfielder will take part in extra fitness work in order to
shape up for the Burnley clash after the international break. Manuel Lanzini
has only recently returned from injury and will do extra work to raise his
fitness levels ahead of the Burnley game. With less players around, the
staff can work one-to-one with players who need treatment or rehabilitation
work, and also those who have recently returned from injury and need extra
work to improve their fitness levels. Lanzini has been a big loss to West
Ham during the opening stages of the season and it's sure to come as a big
bonus for Slaven Bilic if he is available to start against the Clarets.
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What Carlo Ancelotti said about West Ham United's Javier Hernandez
HITC
Shane Callaghan
West Ham United have been linked with Carlo Ancelotti. According to The
Guardian, Carlo Ancelotti is in the running to replace under-pressure West
Ham United manager Slaven Bilic in East London. The legendary Italian coach
was sacked by Bayern Munich last week and speculation has mounted that West
Ham could turn to him if they and Bilic part ways. The Irons are 15th in the
Premier League table after picking up only seven points from seven games and
the Croat has it all to do in order to turn things around. Ancelotti would
be an inspired appointment based on his illustrious managerial career which
includes three Champions League crowns and various top-flight league titles
from his time in Italy, England, France and Germany. That on its own is
enough to excite West Ham fans, but Hammers supporters should also look
forward to the prospect of summer signing Javier Hernandez enjoying an
upturn in fortunes if the former Real Madrid coach was to get the job. Head
coach Carlo Ancelotti of FC Bayern Muenchen attends the Audi Cup 2017 Press
Conference at Westin Grand Hotel on July 31, 2017 in Munich, Germany.
Hernandez previously played under Ancelotti in the Spanish capital and the
58-year-old praised the Mexican hitman in 2015, describing him as a
"non-negotiable" after extending his goal-laden form. He said to The
Guardian: "He's enjoying the run that he's on, it's a really good one. If
Chicharito is in this form he's non-negotiable. I have a team of
non-negotiables but only 11 can play and the rest stay on the bench."
Hernandez spent much of that season behind Karim Benzema in the pecking
order under Ancelotti, though he did produce when called upon - a late
winner in a Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid springs
to mind - but a reunion could see him deliver his best form after being
played on the wing for much of the season under Bilic.
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Pedro Obiang, Edimilson Fernandes, James Collins - injured West Ham players
and their expected returns
The Hammers injury woes have eased in recent weeks but there are still a few
out
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
11:52, 5 OCT 2017
West Ham over the past season and a bit seemed to have been consistently
fend off injury problems that would threaten to derail their season. Every
week, it was like Slaven Bilic was forced into making at least a change or
two as players picked up knocks in training, added on to players that were
also out for long periods of time like Andy Carroll and Michail Antonio.
This season though, Carroll has managed to stay injury free since his return
to action but Manuel Lanzini has missed a lot of game time through a knee
problem he picked up in pre-season. There are just the four players injured
or unavailable at the moment as we embark on the international break but
there is no real long-term absentees at the London Stadium.
Here's who is injured and when we can expect them to return.
Pedro Obiang
Injury - Muscular problem
Out since - September 16th
Expected return date - October 15
James Collins
Injury - ankle ligament damage
Out since - September 16
Expected return date: October 28
What Bilic said: "It's a big blow. It looked worse, to be fair, and it
looked like being a few months but, touch wood, it's only going to be a
couple of weeks. He just did the scan and it's not ideal, of course, but I
expected far worse based on how he got injured."
Edimilson Fernandes
Injury - Ankle
Out since - September 26
Expected return - October 14
What Bilic has said: "He is progressing well and should resume full training
in the next few days."
Marko Arnautovic
Injury - Illness
Out since - September 30
Expected return - October 14
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CROSSED HAMMERS & THREE LIONS: ALAN DEVONSHIRE
By Dan Coker 5 Oct 2017 at 08:00
WTID
Welcome to the fifth in a series of articles designed for international
weekends – a look back at former Hammers players who wore the Three Lions of
England. Today, as England prepare to face Slovenia at Wembley, we look back
at arguably one of the Hammers' most skilful players of all-time – Alan
Devonshire.
Dev was born in Park Royal, north-west London on the 13th April 1956 and
started his career with non-league Southall while working as a fork-lift
truck driver at the Hoover Factory in Perivale having been rejected twice by
Crystal Palace for being too small. He joined West Ham United for a paltry
£5,000 in 1976 and made his debut on the 27th October that year in a 2-0
home defeat to Q.P.R. in the fourth round of the League Cup. In his debut
season, the supporters named the 21-year-old Devonshire as runner-up to
Trevor Brooking in the voting for the 1976/77 Hammer of the Year. Devonshire
and Brooking would go on to enjoy a fantastically entertaining, almost
telepathic, partnership at the club.
Dev's first goals for the club came on the 12th November 1977 as he struck
twice in a 3-3 draw with West Brom at the Boleyn Ground but his efforts in
that 1977/78 season could not prevent the Hammers from being relegated.
Devonshire scored five goals in 43 appearances and was voted Hammer of the
Year as his silky skills helped the Hammers finish fifth in the Second
Division in 1978/79. An attacking left-sided midfielder who possessed
tremendous dribbling skills and the ability to beat a series of players in
quick succession, it was Devonshire who gave West Ham the lead in the FA Cup
semi-final replay against Everton in 1980 – Frank Lampard later ensuring the
Hammers' successful path through to the Final after Bob Latchford had
equalised.
Devonshire became an FA Cup winner at Wembley, his run and cross eventually
leading to Brooking heading what would prove to be the winner against
Arsenal. Later that month, Devonshire made his England debut under Ron
Greenwood in a 1-1 draw against Northern Ireland. The presence of Glenn
Hoddle often blocked Devonshire's path to the England team and he would only
go on to win eight caps for his country, missing out on a place in
Greenwood's squad for the 1982 World Cup and making his final appearance
under Bobby Robson against Luxembourg towards the end of 1983.
West Ham did win promotion in 1980/81, with a two-goal salvo in a 5-0
triumph over Preston proving to be a particular highlight and the start of
five goals in five games for Devonshire. His double in the Preston match,
the fourth and fifth goals of the game, can be viewed in my video below. He
would also play in the League Cup Final that season but the Hammers were
beaten by Liverpool in a replay.
The Hammers consolidated as a top-flight club and Devonshire would go on to
play a part in the Boleyn Ground's biggest-ever winning scoreline as he
scored twice in the 10-0 League Cup second round second leg win over Bury.
However, less than three months later, on the 7th January 1984, disaster
struck for Dev as he snapped three ligaments in his right knee in a 1-0 FA
Cup third round win over Wigan. He would not play again for 14 months but
broke down in his second game back, a 5-1 FA Cup fifth round replay win
against Wimbledon.
Devonshire made a full comeback from the start of the 1985/86 season as the
Hammers marched to a third-place finish, the club's highest ever. He had
lost some of his pace but his creative nous had not waned. He made 47 starts
in all competitions that season and 27 in the following campaign. His
stunning strike at Chelsea opened the scoring with the Hammers going on to
record a memorable 4-0 victory at Stamford Bridge in March 1986.
1987/88 was to be another injury nightmare for Dev however as he snapped his
Achilles tendon 15 minutes into the opening game against Q.P.R. He would
again be out of action for over a year. The Hammers were in decline when he
returned and would be relegated in 1988/89, with Devonshire making 20 league
starts. John Lyall, with whom Devonshire had won an FA Cup, promotion to the
First Division, experienced European football and a third-placed finish, was
sacked. Devonshire did not see too much action under Lou Macari and he
deserved better than the finish to his West Ham career that he had to
endure, with his final game being the 6-0 defeat at Oldham in the League Cup
semi-final first leg. At the age of 34, Devonshire was granted a free
transfer by new manager Billy Bonds in May 1990 – he had made 448
appearances in all competitions for West Ham United, scoring 32 goals.
My video below showcases 14 of Dev's 32 goals in a West Ham shirt.
Devonshire signed for Watford, where he played for two years, making 27
appearances and scoring one goal, before retiring as a player in 1992. Now
61, Dev is now a highly-respected manager at non-league level having accrued
vast experience over a number of years. He started at Maidenhead United
before moving on to Hampton & Richmond Borough. He spent four years at
Braintree Town, making the part-time outfit a competitive force in the
National League (formerly the Conference), a division which contains a
number of professional clubs. Dev, who was strongly linked with a move into
the Football League with Colchester two years ago, is now back with
Maidenhead who currently lie 13th in the National League having gained
promotion by winning the National League South under Devonshire last season.
England v Slovenia
England face Slovenia on Thursday in a World Cup 2018 qualifier – it will be
the sixth meeting between the two nations. Joe Hart and Aaron Cresswell are
both in the squad, fresh from being part of a Hammers defence which has kept
three clean sheets in the last four Premier League matches.
England's only previous competitive match against Slovenia at Wembley
resulted in a 3-1 win for the Three Lions in a Euro 2016 qualifier in front
of 82,305 at Wembley on 15th November 2014. Cheryl was number one with 'I
Don't Care', Interstellar topped the UK box office and the last ceramic
poppy had just been laid at the Tower of London memorial art installation to
join the 888,245 flowers commemorating the armistice and centenary of the
First World War.
The visitors scored the opening goal three minutes before the hour mark –
Omonoia winger Andraz Kirm curled in an angled free-kick which Liverpool's
Jordan Henderson turned into his own net.
Just two minutes later, England skipper Wayne Rooney, winning his 100th cap,
was brought down in the penalty area and converted the resulting spot-kick
himself. Roy Hodgson's England were ahead on 66 minutes through a scuffed
strike by Danny Welbeck, before the Arsenal striker doubled his tally six
minutes later after neat interplay with Liverpool's Raheem Sterling to round
off the scoring and complete England's 3-1 victory.
England: Joe Hart (Man City), Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton), Gary Cahill
(Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Jordan Henderson
(Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney
(captain, Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal).
Subs: James Milner (Man City) for Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal)
for Sterling, Chris Smalling (Man Utd) for Jagielka.
Slovenia: Samir Handanovic (Inter Milan), Bostjan Cesar (captain, Chievo),
Andraz Struna (PAS Giannina), Branko Ilic (Partizan Belgrade), Andraz Kirm
(Omonoia), Jasmin Kurtic (Fiorentina), Ales Mertelj (Maribor), Miso Brecko
(Cologne), Kevin Kampl (Red Bull Salzburg), Valter Birsa (Chievo), Milivoje
Novakovic (Shimizu S Pulse).
Subs: Dejan Lazarevic (Chievo) for Birsa, Rajko Rotman (Istanbul Basaksehir)
for Kurtic, Zlatan Ljubijankic (Omiya Ardija) for Kirm.
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Three youngsters West Ham should loan out in January including Toni Martinez
HITC
Vincent Ralph
West Ham United are not using their young prospects so January loan stints
may be best for all concerned. West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic rarely
gives chances to the club's young players despite the Hammers having some of
the most talented prospects in the country.
Here we take a look at three under-23 players West Ham should send out on
loan in January if they have no intention of giving them minutes with the
senior side.
Toni Martinez
Spanish forward Toni Martinez is far too good for West Ham's second string,
scoring 18 goals in 20 appearances for their under-23s. He enjoyed a loan
spell at Oxford United last season, where his exploits in FA Cup matches
against Middlesbrough and Newcastle United caught the attention, and yet for
now Bilic continues to overlook the 20-year-old. If that continues to be the
case, he needs to be sent out on loan to continue his development,
potentially to a Championship side.
Nathan Holland
Arguably the cream of the crop when it comes to West Ham's academy, winger
Nathan Holland got a run-out in the EFL Cup against Bolton Wanderers earlier
this season. Although more chances are expected in due course, his failure
to make the bench in the league this season suggests he is still some way
off a breakthrough. A six-month loan to a League One side could be ideal for
the talented wide man.
Martin Samuelsen
While fellow midfielder Domingos Quina is expected to get more first-team
chances in the coming months, the same cannot be said for Martin Samuelsen.
The Norwegian has slipped down the pecking order after some poor loan spells
followed his initial promising stint at Peterborough United, but the only
way to get the best out of him will be to send him back out where he can
play regular football and rediscover his confidence.
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Rice grateful to talent scout O'Toole for helping his swift rise
Irishindependant.ie
John Fallon
October 5 2017 2:30 AM
Declan Rice counts John Terry and Roy Keane amongst his heroes but the
influence of another less conspicuous man bodes well for Irish football.
Mark O'Toole was earlier this week name-checked by Aiden O'Brien for
kick-starting his international career and while the ongoing ascent of West
Ham United's Rice is more rapid, the FAI's most successful English-based
scout is centrally involved. The English FA, fresh from almost losing
Brummie Jack Grealish to Ireland, have applied a more dedicated approach to
monitoring dual-nationality prospects and it is inevitable they will
intensify efforts to dissuade Rice from closing the option of switching to
his homeland.
The 18-year-old added to the Premier League debut he earned on the final day
of last season by clocking up six more outings for the Hammers so far this
season.
On merit alone, there is a solid argument for him being part of the senior
squad but Martin O'Neill feels the sampler he got during a training camp in
Cork just days after that bow at Burnley is sufficient for now.
That full cap could come next month in a friendly, should the World Cup
campaign cease in Cardiff on Monday, and it would be fully deserved in the
context of rebuilding the squad, be it O'Neill or a successor at the helm.
Satisfied
London-born but declared for Ireland since 16 through his Cork-born
grandparents, Rice is satisfied with where his international career rests.
This evening at Tallaght Stadium, he'll win his second cap for the U-21s in
their European Championship qualifier against Norway (7.45), with another
fixture against Israel to come at the same venue on Monday. Nothing more
than extending Ireland's winning start in the campaign to four games
consumes the thoughts of Rice and, with O'Toole maintaining contact outside
of international gatherings, an uninterrupted graduation looks likely for
one of the Premier League's breakthrough gems.
"I'm still eligible for Ireland's Under-19s so I don't expect to be in the
senior squad full-time," he confessed. "I really enjoyed working with Martin
O'Neill and Roy in Cork. Roy maybe didn't get the recognition he deserved in
England as a player but to me he was an icon. "I'm very happy to be with the
U-21s. Mark O'Toole from the FAI has looked after me well back in England to
the point that I consider him a father figure. "Mark always told me my
chance with Ireland would come once I worked hard and he was right."
Irish Independent
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Redknapp calls for Arthur Masuaku and Diafra Sakho to start for West Ham
against Burnley
The Sky Sports pundit has had his say on the Hammers duo
Football London
BYALASDAIR GOLD
06:30, 5 OCT 2017
Jamie Redknapp believes that Arthur Masuaku and Diafra Sakho must start for
West Ham United in their next Premier League match against Burnley. The duo
impressed in the 1-0 victory against Swansea City after coming off the bench
and Sky Sports pundit Redknapp mentioned the pair in his latest column in
the Daily Mail. The former England international wrote after the game: "You
wouldn't know it from the pressure he has been under but Slaven Bilic has
the best points-per-game ratio of any West Ham manager in the Premier
League. "His 1.37 points per game puts him ahead of Alan Curbishley on 1.32
and my dad on 1.31. Despite a poor performance against Swansea, Bilic
deserves credit for changing the game by sending on super subs Diafra Sakho
and Arthur Masuaku. "They gave West Ham much more energy and purpose in the
final third and both should start at Burnley in the club's first game after
the international break."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United youngster Anthony Scully kicked-off the Hammers' busy
international schedule by starting for Republic of Ireland U19s on Wednesday
evening.
The midfielder played the opening 71 minutes of the Boys in Green's goalless
2018 UEFA European U19 Championship qualifying round Group 7 draw with
Azerbaijan in Waterford. The Irish dominated at the Regional Sports Centre,
creating 13 goal attempts to their opponents' four, but were unable to find
a way past Azeri goalkeeper Murad Popov. And when Tom Mohan's side were
reduced to ten men with six minutes remaining, the home side settled for a
point from their first of three qualifying matches. Scully, who does not
turn 18 until December, will hope for a better result when Ireland host
Cyprus at the same venue on Saturday evening. The Cypriots were beaten 1-0
by Serbia in their opening fixture. Ireland will complete their Group 7
schedule when they take on Serbia at the RSC next Tuesday afternoon, with
the top two qualifying for the Elite Round.
The final eight-team tournament, which was won by Nathan Trott and England
in 2017, will take place in Finland next summer.
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Gary Lewin: This is a key fortnight for several players
WHUFC.com
For Gary Lewin, international football became a way of life during his
20-year career as physiotherapist for the England national team. The
relationships and expertise Lewin gained in that role are now benefitting
West Ham United in his role as head of medical services. With a dozen
Hammers away representing their countries all over the world, and 14 more
back at Rush Green preparing for the Premier League trip to Burnley, Lewin
revealed the challenges a top club faces during an international break…
This is no international 'break'!
The term 'international break' is inaccurate as for the medical services
team here at West Ham United, it is a busy time. While we come away from the
pressures of the Premier League for a fortnight, the 'break' from domestic
fixtures gives us the opportunity to work closely with players at Rush
Green. With less players around, the staff can work one-to-one with players
who need treatment or rehabilitation work, and also those who have recently
returned from injury and need extra work to improve their fitness levels.
These two weeks will be key for the likes of Pedro Obiang, James Collins and
Domingos Quina, who will receive treatment on a daily basis. He may have
returned and played against Swansea on Saturday, but Manuel Lanzini has only
recently returned from injury and will do extra work to raise his fitness
levels ahead of the Burnley game a week on Saturday. Likewise, Edimilson
Fernandes is back in full training with the group and will work on building
up his fitness over the coming days. So, while the Premier League may be
taking a break, that is certainly not the case for the staff and players at
Rush Green.
Relationships and communication are key
The process of our players being called-up for international duty starts the
week before the squads are announced, when we get calls from the countries
concerned. We provide information about any injuries or illnesses they may
be suffering from and give them our information on any rehabilitation or
treatment they will need, and also share our thoughts on training loads,
strength and conditioning programmes and, when the match is a friendly,
their match minutes. We have got quite a good relationship with most
countries and it is essentially about exchanging information. For example,
Marko Arnautovic was ill and missed the Swansea game, so we were in contact
with the Austrian Football Association medical team and kept them informed,
and he recovered in time to accept the call-up and join up with his national
squad. When the players go away, we keep in regular contact with both them
and their national team medical staff via text message and every one of them
is required to report any issues they may suffer as soon as possible after
the relevant training session or game. Having followed this process with my
previous club and also combined that role with that of England
physiotherapist for 20 years, I have got to know the international medical
staff working for other countries well, meaning I have a good relationship
with, for example, the Austrian doctor or the Swiss physio. With players
scattered all over the world, it is very important to have good lines of
communication and understanding and we are fortunate that we have that at
West Ham.
All our thoughts are focused on Burnley
Our international players will all return at different times, as the match
calendar is now staggered, rather than all countries playing on the same
night like they did a few years ago. So, we need to plan for each individual
player returning and schedule their training, strength and conditioning,
fitness and recovery sessions accordingly. As a staff, we work backwards
from the Burnley game, because while players may be representing their
countries in important international fixtures, the needs to West Ham United
are always at the front of our thoughts. At the same time, we have ten
first-team players training fully at Rush Green this week and it is our job
to ensure they are at optimum fitness level for the Burnley match, while
also giving them a few days off to recharge mentally and physically. The
overall aim is that, by next Friday, everyone is at the same level and
available for selection at Turf Moor.
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Noble & Byram surprise Chinese super-fan
WHUFC.com
West Ham United captain Mark Noble surprised super fan Pan Xiang during a
recent visit to Rush Green in celebration of the Chinese Mid-Autumn
Festival. Having met Noble and posted a picture on social media, which the
skipper shared on Twitter, West Ham invited Pan Xiang and his wife, Zhang
Yingwen, to come to the Rush Green training facility under the guise of an
interview about his love for the club. During the interview Noble and Sam
Byram interrupted Xiang to congratulate the supporter and his wife on their
recent marriage and to share in some mooncakes, a bakery snack associated
with the festival.
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Oxford helps England U20s thrash Italy
WHUFC.com
Reece Oxford helped England U20s to a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Italy's
equivalent youth side on Thursday afternoon. The West Ham United defender,
currently on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, completed 80 minutes for the
young Lions in Gorgonzola as they ran out comfortable winners in the
international friendly. The defender started while Nathan Trott, the
Hammers' first choice U23 stopper, was on the bench with Bournemouth
goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks. England took the lead after
just five minutes when Benfica forward Chris Willock – who joined the
Portuguese outfit after leaving Arsenal this summer – broke the deadlock.
The Azzurri were back on level terms ten minutes later though, Cesena man
Guiseppe Panico equalised.
Tottenham Hotspur man Marcus Edwards ensured England regained the lead on 22
minutes however, and the visitors added a third ten minutes before the break
through FC Twente's Isaac Buckley-Ricketts. Then, two goals in four minutes
courtesy of captain Easah Sulliman – a defender – and Barnsley's Ike Ugbo
ensured the young Lions would see out the win. Oxford was replaced – after
being booked – by Charlton Athletic defender Ezri Konsa with ten minutes
remaining, but the win marked his fourth appearance for the U20s in total.
The side are back in action again on Tuesday, with Czech Republic this time
the opponents at St. George's Park in another friendly clash.
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Arthur Masauku's screamer is your Goal of the Month
WHUFC.com
Arthur Masuaku's brilliant long-ranged strike in West Ham United's 3-0 win
over Bolton Wanderers has been selected as your Goal of the Month for
September.
The left-back fired an unstoppable rocket from 25 yards in the dying embers
of our Carabao Cup win against the Championship side on September 19, giving
the Hammers a 3-0 victory. The finish marked Masuaku's first goal for West
Ham and the 23-year-old's maiden effort will also be remembered as
September's Goal of the Month, as voted for by supporters. Thousands of
supporters registered their choices through our official West Ham social
media channels - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - and Masuaku's goal was
the resounding winner, collecting 68% of all votes. The defender was up
against Cheikhou Kouyate's bullet header against Tottenham, Diafra Sakho's
winning goal against Swansea City and Martin Samuelsen's sweeping finish in
the U23s victory at Sunderland.
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Vash back and hoping to grow Holland partnership
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Vashon Neufville returned to action after three weeks off
with injury, but was unable to help stop a ruthless Villarreal side who ran
out 3-0 winners in the Premier League International Cup on Wednesday
evening. The left-back, who has become a mainstay in Terry Westley's side
this year, had been out since early September with a hamstring injury but
came back to produce one of the more impressive displays on what proved a
tough evening for the Hammers. "It's good to be back fit, I was out for a
little while but now I feel good" he explained. Conor Coventry was cheaply
dispossessed in midfield and it cost the Hammers dearly as Adrian Dalmau
scored the first of his three on the night just 15 seconds from kick-off.
The Segunda B outfit were a constant threat and Neufville highlighted one
area of the game where their visitors were particularly impressive. "They
were very good, they played a lot of one-two touch, moved it quickly and
made things very hard for us." he said. "They played a different kind of
style to how we're used to in England, but in terms of moving the ball, it
is a style that we try to play. "They had a lot of players in the middle of
the park and didn't really play wide all that much. It was pretty congested
in the middle."
Despite probably deserving all three points, a 3-0 score line certainly
flattered the visitors with the Hammers going close on multiple occasions.
On another night Neufville felt things could have been different: "We had a
few chances, some at key times in the game, [Jahmal Hector-Ingram's] one off
the line, but we couldn't take them and they did – that was the difference."
In his post-match reaction, Academy Director Terry Westley praised Neufville
and Nathan Holland for their contribution and for the defender, it was good
to re-form a partnership which had started the season so impressively.
"Yeah, it was nice playing on that left side with Nathan again" Neufville
explained. "I think we tried to make things happen. We have a good
relationship on and off the pitch, he's a good friend, and I think that is
helping both of us when we play. Hopefully it can get better and better."
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West Ham set to ditch their backing of the 'Big Six' in Premier League's
overseas TV rights war
The Hammers were one of three sides set to back a new system where overseas
TV money is part-distributed on the basis of league position
The M irror
BYANDY DUNN
15:48, 5 OCT 2017
West Ham are ready to ditch their backing of the Big Six in the TV cash row
that is threatening to destabilise the Premier League. Their defection would
be a big blow to the clubs wanting a bigger slice of overseas television
rights. West Ham were seen as one of the few clubs outside the Big Six who
would agree a compromise meaning TV money from abroad would be
part-distributed on the basis of league finishing positions. Yet even though
Wednesday's summit meeting was adjourned with no decision being made, Mirror
Sport understands West Ham are now reconsidering their original position.
Along with Everton and Leicester City, they were one of three clubs ready to
back the Big Six. But that is set to change, meaning the chances of the two
Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool forcing through a
new system by a simple vote seems unlikely. A revamp would need the support
of 14 clubs.
However, that will not be the end of it. Behind the scenes, Premier League
officials and chief executives expect the money generated by overseas rights
to rocket over the next couple of decades, even dwarfing the enormous
domestic packages. The Big Six want a bigger share and even if, as expected,
any vote goes against them at next month's Premier League meeting, they will
not let it lie.
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LANZINI TO UP HIS RECOVERY EFFORTS AHEAD OF BURNLEY CLASH
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
West Ham are set to be boosted ahead of their clash against Burnley, with
Manuel Lanzini upping his efforts to make a full return. The Argentina
international made his return from injury on Saturday afternoon in West
Ham's 1-0 win over Swansea, but is still yet to reach full fitness. He came
off the bench with 27 minutes still to play, and helped the Hammers
consolidate what was an important victory. Gary Lewin, the head of West
Ham's medical department, has delivered a positive update on Lanzini's
fitness in recent times too. As quoted by Football London, Lewin stated that
the creative midfielder will take part in extra fitness work in order to
shape up for the Burnley clash after the international break. Manuel Lanzini
has only recently returned from injury and will do extra work to raise his
fitness levels ahead of the Burnley game. With less players around, the
staff can work one-to-one with players who need treatment or rehabilitation
work, and also those who have recently returned from injury and need extra
work to improve their fitness levels. Lanzini has been a big loss to West
Ham during the opening stages of the season and it's sure to come as a big
bonus for Slaven Bilic if he is available to start against the Clarets.
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What Carlo Ancelotti said about West Ham United's Javier Hernandez
HITC
Shane Callaghan
West Ham United have been linked with Carlo Ancelotti. According to The
Guardian, Carlo Ancelotti is in the running to replace under-pressure West
Ham United manager Slaven Bilic in East London. The legendary Italian coach
was sacked by Bayern Munich last week and speculation has mounted that West
Ham could turn to him if they and Bilic part ways. The Irons are 15th in the
Premier League table after picking up only seven points from seven games and
the Croat has it all to do in order to turn things around. Ancelotti would
be an inspired appointment based on his illustrious managerial career which
includes three Champions League crowns and various top-flight league titles
from his time in Italy, England, France and Germany. That on its own is
enough to excite West Ham fans, but Hammers supporters should also look
forward to the prospect of summer signing Javier Hernandez enjoying an
upturn in fortunes if the former Real Madrid coach was to get the job. Head
coach Carlo Ancelotti of FC Bayern Muenchen attends the Audi Cup 2017 Press
Conference at Westin Grand Hotel on July 31, 2017 in Munich, Germany.
Hernandez previously played under Ancelotti in the Spanish capital and the
58-year-old praised the Mexican hitman in 2015, describing him as a
"non-negotiable" after extending his goal-laden form. He said to The
Guardian: "He's enjoying the run that he's on, it's a really good one. If
Chicharito is in this form he's non-negotiable. I have a team of
non-negotiables but only 11 can play and the rest stay on the bench."
Hernandez spent much of that season behind Karim Benzema in the pecking
order under Ancelotti, though he did produce when called upon - a late
winner in a Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid springs
to mind - but a reunion could see him deliver his best form after being
played on the wing for much of the season under Bilic.
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Pedro Obiang, Edimilson Fernandes, James Collins - injured West Ham players
and their expected returns
The Hammers injury woes have eased in recent weeks but there are still a few
out
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
11:52, 5 OCT 2017
West Ham over the past season and a bit seemed to have been consistently
fend off injury problems that would threaten to derail their season. Every
week, it was like Slaven Bilic was forced into making at least a change or
two as players picked up knocks in training, added on to players that were
also out for long periods of time like Andy Carroll and Michail Antonio.
This season though, Carroll has managed to stay injury free since his return
to action but Manuel Lanzini has missed a lot of game time through a knee
problem he picked up in pre-season. There are just the four players injured
or unavailable at the moment as we embark on the international break but
there is no real long-term absentees at the London Stadium.
Here's who is injured and when we can expect them to return.
Pedro Obiang
Injury - Muscular problem
Out since - September 16th
Expected return date - October 15
James Collins
Injury - ankle ligament damage
Out since - September 16
Expected return date: October 28
What Bilic said: "It's a big blow. It looked worse, to be fair, and it
looked like being a few months but, touch wood, it's only going to be a
couple of weeks. He just did the scan and it's not ideal, of course, but I
expected far worse based on how he got injured."
Edimilson Fernandes
Injury - Ankle
Out since - September 26
Expected return - October 14
What Bilic has said: "He is progressing well and should resume full training
in the next few days."
Marko Arnautovic
Injury - Illness
Out since - September 30
Expected return - October 14
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CROSSED HAMMERS & THREE LIONS: ALAN DEVONSHIRE
By Dan Coker 5 Oct 2017 at 08:00
WTID
Welcome to the fifth in a series of articles designed for international
weekends – a look back at former Hammers players who wore the Three Lions of
England. Today, as England prepare to face Slovenia at Wembley, we look back
at arguably one of the Hammers' most skilful players of all-time – Alan
Devonshire.
Dev was born in Park Royal, north-west London on the 13th April 1956 and
started his career with non-league Southall while working as a fork-lift
truck driver at the Hoover Factory in Perivale having been rejected twice by
Crystal Palace for being too small. He joined West Ham United for a paltry
£5,000 in 1976 and made his debut on the 27th October that year in a 2-0
home defeat to Q.P.R. in the fourth round of the League Cup. In his debut
season, the supporters named the 21-year-old Devonshire as runner-up to
Trevor Brooking in the voting for the 1976/77 Hammer of the Year. Devonshire
and Brooking would go on to enjoy a fantastically entertaining, almost
telepathic, partnership at the club.
Dev's first goals for the club came on the 12th November 1977 as he struck
twice in a 3-3 draw with West Brom at the Boleyn Ground but his efforts in
that 1977/78 season could not prevent the Hammers from being relegated.
Devonshire scored five goals in 43 appearances and was voted Hammer of the
Year as his silky skills helped the Hammers finish fifth in the Second
Division in 1978/79. An attacking left-sided midfielder who possessed
tremendous dribbling skills and the ability to beat a series of players in
quick succession, it was Devonshire who gave West Ham the lead in the FA Cup
semi-final replay against Everton in 1980 – Frank Lampard later ensuring the
Hammers' successful path through to the Final after Bob Latchford had
equalised.
Devonshire became an FA Cup winner at Wembley, his run and cross eventually
leading to Brooking heading what would prove to be the winner against
Arsenal. Later that month, Devonshire made his England debut under Ron
Greenwood in a 1-1 draw against Northern Ireland. The presence of Glenn
Hoddle often blocked Devonshire's path to the England team and he would only
go on to win eight caps for his country, missing out on a place in
Greenwood's squad for the 1982 World Cup and making his final appearance
under Bobby Robson against Luxembourg towards the end of 1983.
West Ham did win promotion in 1980/81, with a two-goal salvo in a 5-0
triumph over Preston proving to be a particular highlight and the start of
five goals in five games for Devonshire. His double in the Preston match,
the fourth and fifth goals of the game, can be viewed in my video below. He
would also play in the League Cup Final that season but the Hammers were
beaten by Liverpool in a replay.
The Hammers consolidated as a top-flight club and Devonshire would go on to
play a part in the Boleyn Ground's biggest-ever winning scoreline as he
scored twice in the 10-0 League Cup second round second leg win over Bury.
However, less than three months later, on the 7th January 1984, disaster
struck for Dev as he snapped three ligaments in his right knee in a 1-0 FA
Cup third round win over Wigan. He would not play again for 14 months but
broke down in his second game back, a 5-1 FA Cup fifth round replay win
against Wimbledon.
Devonshire made a full comeback from the start of the 1985/86 season as the
Hammers marched to a third-place finish, the club's highest ever. He had
lost some of his pace but his creative nous had not waned. He made 47 starts
in all competitions that season and 27 in the following campaign. His
stunning strike at Chelsea opened the scoring with the Hammers going on to
record a memorable 4-0 victory at Stamford Bridge in March 1986.
1987/88 was to be another injury nightmare for Dev however as he snapped his
Achilles tendon 15 minutes into the opening game against Q.P.R. He would
again be out of action for over a year. The Hammers were in decline when he
returned and would be relegated in 1988/89, with Devonshire making 20 league
starts. John Lyall, with whom Devonshire had won an FA Cup, promotion to the
First Division, experienced European football and a third-placed finish, was
sacked. Devonshire did not see too much action under Lou Macari and he
deserved better than the finish to his West Ham career that he had to
endure, with his final game being the 6-0 defeat at Oldham in the League Cup
semi-final first leg. At the age of 34, Devonshire was granted a free
transfer by new manager Billy Bonds in May 1990 – he had made 448
appearances in all competitions for West Ham United, scoring 32 goals.
My video below showcases 14 of Dev's 32 goals in a West Ham shirt.
Devonshire signed for Watford, where he played for two years, making 27
appearances and scoring one goal, before retiring as a player in 1992. Now
61, Dev is now a highly-respected manager at non-league level having accrued
vast experience over a number of years. He started at Maidenhead United
before moving on to Hampton & Richmond Borough. He spent four years at
Braintree Town, making the part-time outfit a competitive force in the
National League (formerly the Conference), a division which contains a
number of professional clubs. Dev, who was strongly linked with a move into
the Football League with Colchester two years ago, is now back with
Maidenhead who currently lie 13th in the National League having gained
promotion by winning the National League South under Devonshire last season.
England v Slovenia
England face Slovenia on Thursday in a World Cup 2018 qualifier – it will be
the sixth meeting between the two nations. Joe Hart and Aaron Cresswell are
both in the squad, fresh from being part of a Hammers defence which has kept
three clean sheets in the last four Premier League matches.
England's only previous competitive match against Slovenia at Wembley
resulted in a 3-1 win for the Three Lions in a Euro 2016 qualifier in front
of 82,305 at Wembley on 15th November 2014. Cheryl was number one with 'I
Don't Care', Interstellar topped the UK box office and the last ceramic
poppy had just been laid at the Tower of London memorial art installation to
join the 888,245 flowers commemorating the armistice and centenary of the
First World War.
The visitors scored the opening goal three minutes before the hour mark –
Omonoia winger Andraz Kirm curled in an angled free-kick which Liverpool's
Jordan Henderson turned into his own net.
Just two minutes later, England skipper Wayne Rooney, winning his 100th cap,
was brought down in the penalty area and converted the resulting spot-kick
himself. Roy Hodgson's England were ahead on 66 minutes through a scuffed
strike by Danny Welbeck, before the Arsenal striker doubled his tally six
minutes later after neat interplay with Liverpool's Raheem Sterling to round
off the scoring and complete England's 3-1 victory.
England: Joe Hart (Man City), Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton), Gary Cahill
(Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Jordan Henderson
(Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney
(captain, Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal).
Subs: James Milner (Man City) for Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal)
for Sterling, Chris Smalling (Man Utd) for Jagielka.
Slovenia: Samir Handanovic (Inter Milan), Bostjan Cesar (captain, Chievo),
Andraz Struna (PAS Giannina), Branko Ilic (Partizan Belgrade), Andraz Kirm
(Omonoia), Jasmin Kurtic (Fiorentina), Ales Mertelj (Maribor), Miso Brecko
(Cologne), Kevin Kampl (Red Bull Salzburg), Valter Birsa (Chievo), Milivoje
Novakovic (Shimizu S Pulse).
Subs: Dejan Lazarevic (Chievo) for Birsa, Rajko Rotman (Istanbul Basaksehir)
for Kurtic, Zlatan Ljubijankic (Omiya Ardija) for Kirm.
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Three youngsters West Ham should loan out in January including Toni Martinez
HITC
Vincent Ralph
West Ham United are not using their young prospects so January loan stints
may be best for all concerned. West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic rarely
gives chances to the club's young players despite the Hammers having some of
the most talented prospects in the country.
Here we take a look at three under-23 players West Ham should send out on
loan in January if they have no intention of giving them minutes with the
senior side.
Toni Martinez
Spanish forward Toni Martinez is far too good for West Ham's second string,
scoring 18 goals in 20 appearances for their under-23s. He enjoyed a loan
spell at Oxford United last season, where his exploits in FA Cup matches
against Middlesbrough and Newcastle United caught the attention, and yet for
now Bilic continues to overlook the 20-year-old. If that continues to be the
case, he needs to be sent out on loan to continue his development,
potentially to a Championship side.
Nathan Holland
Arguably the cream of the crop when it comes to West Ham's academy, winger
Nathan Holland got a run-out in the EFL Cup against Bolton Wanderers earlier
this season. Although more chances are expected in due course, his failure
to make the bench in the league this season suggests he is still some way
off a breakthrough. A six-month loan to a League One side could be ideal for
the talented wide man.
Martin Samuelsen
While fellow midfielder Domingos Quina is expected to get more first-team
chances in the coming months, the same cannot be said for Martin Samuelsen.
The Norwegian has slipped down the pecking order after some poor loan spells
followed his initial promising stint at Peterborough United, but the only
way to get the best out of him will be to send him back out where he can
play regular football and rediscover his confidence.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rice grateful to talent scout O'Toole for helping his swift rise
Irishindependant.ie
John Fallon
October 5 2017 2:30 AM
Declan Rice counts John Terry and Roy Keane amongst his heroes but the
influence of another less conspicuous man bodes well for Irish football.
Mark O'Toole was earlier this week name-checked by Aiden O'Brien for
kick-starting his international career and while the ongoing ascent of West
Ham United's Rice is more rapid, the FAI's most successful English-based
scout is centrally involved. The English FA, fresh from almost losing
Brummie Jack Grealish to Ireland, have applied a more dedicated approach to
monitoring dual-nationality prospects and it is inevitable they will
intensify efforts to dissuade Rice from closing the option of switching to
his homeland.
The 18-year-old added to the Premier League debut he earned on the final day
of last season by clocking up six more outings for the Hammers so far this
season.
On merit alone, there is a solid argument for him being part of the senior
squad but Martin O'Neill feels the sampler he got during a training camp in
Cork just days after that bow at Burnley is sufficient for now.
That full cap could come next month in a friendly, should the World Cup
campaign cease in Cardiff on Monday, and it would be fully deserved in the
context of rebuilding the squad, be it O'Neill or a successor at the helm.
Satisfied
London-born but declared for Ireland since 16 through his Cork-born
grandparents, Rice is satisfied with where his international career rests.
This evening at Tallaght Stadium, he'll win his second cap for the U-21s in
their European Championship qualifier against Norway (7.45), with another
fixture against Israel to come at the same venue on Monday. Nothing more
than extending Ireland's winning start in the campaign to four games
consumes the thoughts of Rice and, with O'Toole maintaining contact outside
of international gatherings, an uninterrupted graduation looks likely for
one of the Premier League's breakthrough gems.
"I'm still eligible for Ireland's Under-19s so I don't expect to be in the
senior squad full-time," he confessed. "I really enjoyed working with Martin
O'Neill and Roy in Cork. Roy maybe didn't get the recognition he deserved in
England as a player but to me he was an icon. "I'm very happy to be with the
U-21s. Mark O'Toole from the FAI has looked after me well back in England to
the point that I consider him a father figure. "Mark always told me my
chance with Ireland would come once I worked hard and he was right."
Irish Independent
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Redknapp calls for Arthur Masuaku and Diafra Sakho to start for West Ham
against Burnley
The Sky Sports pundit has had his say on the Hammers duo
Football London
BYALASDAIR GOLD
06:30, 5 OCT 2017
Jamie Redknapp believes that Arthur Masuaku and Diafra Sakho must start for
West Ham United in their next Premier League match against Burnley. The duo
impressed in the 1-0 victory against Swansea City after coming off the bench
and Sky Sports pundit Redknapp mentioned the pair in his latest column in
the Daily Mail. The former England international wrote after the game: "You
wouldn't know it from the pressure he has been under but Slaven Bilic has
the best points-per-game ratio of any West Ham manager in the Premier
League. "His 1.37 points per game puts him ahead of Alan Curbishley on 1.32
and my dad on 1.31. Despite a poor performance against Swansea, Bilic
deserves credit for changing the game by sending on super subs Diafra Sakho
and Arthur Masuaku. "They gave West Ham much more energy and purpose in the
final third and both should start at Burnley in the club's first game after
the international break."
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