West Ham United Ladies sign WSL star Molly Clark
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies are delighted to announce the signing of Molly Clark
from Portsmouth Ladies. Midfielder Clark brings a host of experience to the
Irons, having played in the FA WSL Spring Series with Yeovil Town last
season. Clark also previously represented Bristol City in WSL1 and helped
the club reach the FA Women's Cup final in 2011. The 26-year-old is thrilled
to sign for the Irons and is eager to get going, having been sold on the
commitment the Club has to developing women's football. And Clark is ready
to help West Ham United Ladies keep winning, with the side currently
unbeaten in 2018, and climb up the divisions. "I am really excited to be
joining West Ham United Ladies," Clark told whufc.com. "I think the league
has seen a different side to West Ham since the turn of the year and I'm
delighted to be a part of the journey. "This is a great opportunity for me.
As soon as [General Manager] Karen Ray told me about the vision that she and
[Managing Director] Jack Sullivan have for the Club, I knew I had to take it
with both hands. "I just can't wait to get started now. I just want to get
in amongst my new teammates and show them, the coaches, and the fans what I
can do on the pitch."
Ray, currently also serving as the team's interim head coach, is thrilled to
welcome a player of Clark's quality to the side, and is looking forward to
working with the new signing. She said: "We are really excited to welcome
Molly Clark to West Ham United Ladies. She is an experienced midfielder, who
has the ability to turn and play forward because she finds herself great
pockets of space, which really suits our newfound attacking prowess. "Having
played at the very top of the pyramid, Molly will naturally lead with her
professionalism and understanding of what it takes to play at the highest
level of the women's game. Personally, I am really looking forward to
working with Molly and developing her further within our environment."
Clark, having played for hometown club Portsmouth on three occasions, as
well as representing Southampton, Yeovil Town and Bristol City, has been
struck by the commitment and positive attitude of her new colleagues
already. "I've played for a few teams but I was struck by the determination
to win that all the girls, and Karen, have," she admitted. "I'm on the same
wavelength in that regard. I just really want to win matches. "There's a
really professional environment here and that is really important to me. The
girls show it, Karen shows it, and I just want to be in a team that has the
same attitude as I do. I truly believe I've found that here."
A player driven by her passion for the game, and giving her all on the
pitch, Clark is keeping her cards close to her chest about her actual
playing style. However, the midfielder is eager to give her all for her new
side and show the supporters what she can offer on the pitch. "I'll be
surprised if you see anyone else with my style of play, let's just put it
that way," Clark hints. "I'm comfortable doing a number of things and
performing a number of roles on the pitch. "I'm all about giving 100 per
cent in every game, and I expect the same from my teammates. That's the
feeling I've got from the girls and I love that attitude. I want to have to
fight for my place in the team every week, both on the training pitches and
in matches. "I'm just really excited to get going and pull on the shirt for
the first time. The team understands what it means to wear the badge, and I
can't wait to get that feeling and get stuck in."
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U18s coach Phillips 'quietly confident' of Brighton result
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U18's coach Mark Phillips says he is quietly confident of a
victory against Brighton & Hove Albion ahead of Saturday's contest at the
Little Heath Sports Ground. A win over Saturday's opponents will see the
Hammers leapfrog Reading into 10th and move within one point of Brighton in
the Premier League U18. The Hammers' coach is hoping for another positive
showing following last week's 2-1 win over Leicester City. However, winning
is a second priority for Phillips, who believes the players' attitude and
performance on and off pitch is more important for their devolvement. We've
won our last game and have a reasonably strong team, we're quietly confident
of getting the three points, but most importantly, we're hoping for a
positive performance.
Mark Phillips
He told whufc.com: "We've had good training sessions this week and are in a
positive frame of mind. We are in good shape. "We've won our last game and
have a reasonably strong team, we're quietly confident of getting the three
points, but most importantly, we're hoping for a positive performance. "I'm
more interested in the performance [than the Leicester game], it was a very
good performance from the lads. "Sometimes players play and win a game where
they didn't deserve to win. However I felt that our win was justified by our
performance." He continued: "We never mention the word 'winning' to the
players, we tell them to keep on installing the good habits in the team,
keep working hard and staying focused on the job in hand." Phillips has
revealed that Hammer's centre back, Ajibola Alese, has returned from England
duty and could be involved this weekend. The 17-year-old was called up to
Steve Cooper's side to feature in the Algarve Tournament.
Alese suffered a lengthy injury that has largely interrupted his campaign
campaign this season but now the centre-back is back and ready to show what
he can do for West Ham. "It will be nice to have him back in the squad, he's
an important player who hasn't played for us much this year. It's a big
bonus for us."
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West Ham United legend Ken Brown turns 84!
WHUFC.com
A truly unique figure in West Ham United history celebrates his 84th
birthday today. Ken Brown Senior is the only Hammer to win the 1958 Second
Division championship, the 1964 FA Cup and 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup.
Brown, who played 474 times in Claret and Blue between February 1953 and
February 1967, was crowned Hammer of the Year and capped by England in 1959,
personified the transformation of West Ham from also-rans to one of the
finest teams in the country. A tough centre-half on the field and a true
gentleman off it, Brown mentored dozens of future first-team stars through
the Academy of Football and partnered the 17-year-old Bobby Moore on his
debut in September 1958. He was rewarded for an outstanding career with a
Testimonial match in May 1967, when he captained a Select XI including
Gordon Banks and his fellow 1964 FA Cup winners John Bond and Johnny Byrne
against a West Ham side captained by his long-time friend and teammate
Moore.
This May, Brown will be honoured by the Club when he receives the Lifetime
Achievement Award at the 2018 Player Awards brought to you by Betway in aid
of the Academy, continuing a relationship with the Hammers dating back more
than 65 years. "I was brought up at West Ham and had the best years of my
life at the Club," said Brown, who now lives in Norfolk with his wife
Elaine. "I used to come into the Boleyn Ground in the early days with a
fella called Dick Walker who taught me how to approach football and I have
never forgotten that. "There have been lots of other people at the Club who
have all made me feel welcome and always wanted me to do well. "I didn't
expect to be named Hammer of the Year but when I look back now it is
something that I fully appreciate. No matter what anyone says no-one will
ever take my memories away from this place. "From day one it was such a
pleasure to play with all my old team-mates. Dick Walker encouraged me how
to behave as a footballer and everyone loved him. I would always try to live
in his footsteps. "Bobby Moore was different class. He was two or three
steps ahead of anyone he played against and he was an incredible player. It
was a privilege to play next to him. He certainly made my life a lot
easier!"
Born in Forest Gate, played for Dagenham-based Neville United before Brown
was given his big chance by West Ham in 1951, when he signed his first
professional contract at the age of 17. Two years later, between two stints
of National Service, Brown was given his first-team debut by Ted Fenton in a
1-1 Second Division draw with Rotherham United in February 1953. Five years
later, he partnered Moore on his own debut against Manchester United at the
Boleyn Ground, before going on to enjoy great success under Fenton's
successor Ron Greenwood. Brown played all seven ties as the Hammers won the
FA Cup for the first time in 1964, and all nine as Greenwood led them to
European Cup Winners' Cup glory at Wembley a year later. Despite those
outstanding achievements, the modest defender never felt he was a good
enough to satisfy his visionary manager. "The wonderful managers including
Ron Greenwood who was fantastic for me and put so many ideas into our heads.
"I sometimes thought that I wasn't good enough to play under Ron because he
had so many brainwaves of perfection that I could never live up to that, but
I had so many magical memories!"
Brown ended his time as a professional player alongside Bond at Torquay
United before embarking on his own successful managerial career, leading
Norwich City to League Cup glory in 1985 and a then-record high league
finish of fifth a year later. Son Kenny played under his father at Carrow
Road before moving to West Ham himself in 1991, spending five years at the
Club. The elder Brown also managed Shrewsbury Town and Plymouth Argyle and
scouted for England managers Terry Venables, Glenn Hoddle and Kevin Keegan.
Everyone at West Ham United would like to wish Ken a very happy birthday!
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Cresswell: We're doing well, but there is more work to be done
WHUFC.com
West Ham United might have collected 20 points from their last dozen Premier
League matches, but Aaron Cresswell says there is still plenty of work to be
done. The Hammers have won five and drawn five of those 12 games, climbing
seven places in the table, but remain just four points above the relegation
zone. With away matches at high-flying Liverpool and resurgent Swansea City
next on the fixture list, Cresswell knows West Ham need to maintain their
own level of performance to steer clear of the bottom three. "I didn't
realise we'd collected that many points from those games and if we were to
do that over the course of a whole season, you'd be sitting sixth or seventh
in the league at the end of it, if you kept that tally up," said the in-form
No3, who has started eleven of those 12 matches. "Twenty points in 12 games
is a good return and certainly since the new manager has come in, we've had
a turn in fortune and some good results. "We didn't get off the best of
starts at Watford and Everton, but 20 points from our last 12 games is a
good return for any manager. "It's certainly not over, though, and we have
eleven games to play and a lot of points to play for, so we've got to keep
pushing and striving and hopefully we will be OK."
While most clubs experience a 'bounce' when a new manager is appointed, West
Ham have continued to bounce for three months since David Moyes' arrival in
November. Cresswell has enjoyed working under the Scot and his experienced
and hard-working assistants Alan Irvine, Stuart Pearce and Billy McKinlay.
The quartet, with the support of a committed backroom staff, have left no
stone unturned in their quest to turn West Ham's fortunes around – an
approach welcomed by the England international. "We feel we-prepared for
every game," he confirmed. "That was the manager's thing from day one, that
if you don't work hard and put your effort in for the team, your teammates,
the manager, the staff and everyone here, it's clear you wouldn't play. "I
think he set his stall out well and everyone understands what their role is
and what the job is and you could arguably say we're a lot more organised
going into a game. "The performance analysts work tirelessly to make sure
we're well-prepared and well-organised for every game."
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Liverpool v West Ham United U23s: All you need to know
WHUFC.com
Liverpool v West Ham United U23: All you need to know
Terry Westley and his West Ham United side take on Liverpool in Premier
League 2 on Saturday at the Kirkby Training Ground.
Read on for more team news and how to follow this weekend's tie.
Where and When?
Saturday's game will be contested at the Kirkby Training Ground, kick-off at
15:00.
How to follow:
We'll have all the action live, minute-by-minute, on our matchday blog on
whufc.com. Make sure you tune in at 14:00, while you can also follow our
Twitter feed for updates. After the fixture, we'll have plenty of post-match
reaction, along with match highlights the following morning.
Team news:
Exciting new signing Oladapo Afolayan is in contention to start against
Liverpool after two impressive starts since his deadline day arrival.
Long-term injuries sustained to Dan Kemp, Nathan Holland and Noah Sylvester
mean they are still unavailable for team selection.
Meet the opposition:
Although they are top of the League, Liverpool are on a bad run of form,
only winning two of their previous five games and were beaten 1-0 by
Tottenham last time out. West Ham and Liverpool played each other in the
early stages of the season with the Hammers losing 2-0.
Player to watch:
Exciting attacking midfielder Marcus Browne is our player to watch for
Saturday. The 21-year-old had a fine game against Tottenham and opening his
account for the season with a cool penalty finish.
Last time out:
The points were shared in an entertaining London derby. Goals from Domingos
Quina and Marcus Browne ensured the Hammers fought back twice from behind to
draw 2-2 against Tottenham.
Interestingly both teams' previous games were against Tottenham with the
Hammers fighting back to a 2-2 draw while Liverpool were 1-0 losers.
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KIERON DYER: CRAIG BELLAMY, LEE BOWYER & MY INJURY HELL
By Dan Coker 16 Feb 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Kieron Dyer's autobiography, Old Too Soon, Smart Too Late, is currently
being serialised in the Daily Mail. Passages relating to former Hammers
Craig Bellamy and Lee Bowyer, and Dyer's own time in east London have been
collated here.
Craig Bellamy
"There was one game where Sir Bobby Robson brought Craig Bellamy off early
because he thought the game was won and he wanted to save Craig's legs. When
we got back to the changing room, Craig was cursing about how he was always
the first one to be hooked. Sir Bobby grew exasperated and said: 'Will you
shut up.' Craig kept jabbering away about the injustice and finally Sir
Bobby snapped. 'I'll squash you, son, like an ant.' Craig looked a bit taken
aback but after a brief pause, started complaining again. 'Who are you?' Sir
Bobby said. 'Ronaldo, Romario, Stoichkov, Hagi, Guardiola, Luis Enrique,
Gascoigne: these are the people I deal with. And who are you?' The changing
room went quiet. Even Craig went quiet. And then Craig looked over at me and
said: 'He's got a point, hasn't he?'"
"We had played Charlton and Graeme Souness had substituted Craig Bellamy.
The TV cameras caught Craig muttering 'f****** p****' in his direction as he
walked off. Souness didn't see or hear it, but when he was shown footage, he
was livid. Craig had been warned by Dean Saunders, Souey's assistant, not to
answer back, but it wasn't in Craig's make-up to keep quiet. He started
protesting that there hadn't been any argument. 'See, this is the problem,'
Souness said. I could see he was about to go. He mentioned a few of the
trophies he had won and some of the clubs he had played for. 'And then
someone like you calls me a f****** p****,' he said to Craig. 'I'll f******
knock you out.' He tried to grab Craig by the throat. 'In the gym now,' he
said. 'Let's sort this out like men.' Alan Shearer had to pull Souness off
him. That was the first time in my life I've seen Bellers completely
speechless. They never made it to the gym, but it knocked the stuffing out
of Craig. Souness had put down a marker."
With Souness and Bellamy's relationship reaching breaking point (and after
David Gold talked up a potential move for Bellamy to Birmingham in January
2005, saying personal terms and a medical were a mere formality), the
Welshman joined Celtic on loan. After spells at Blackburn and Liverpool,
Bellamy joined the Hammers in the summer of 2007; his nine goals for the
club can be viewed in my video below:
Lee Bowyer
Dyer famously had an on-pitch brawl with Bowyer in April 2005, during a
Newcastle match against Aston Villa at St James' Park. Bowyer had played for
the Hammers in the second half of the 2002/03 campaign and returned to Upton
Park in the summer of 2006, departing for Birmingham in 2009.
"I could see him marching towards me, eyes bulging. Graeme Souness was
shouting 'don't do it' from the touchline but Lee Bowyer kept on coming. I
grabbed him by the shoulders and the neck to keep him off me and then he
started raining in punches. It was like slow motion. When the punches were
hitting me in the head, I was thinking: 'I cannot believe he is hitting me
in front of 52,000 people. What the f*** is he thinking?' I was trying to
let him punch himself out. I thought it was just going to be handbags. It's
the kind of thing that might happen in training but not in a match. No one
in their right mind would do that — but Bow had lost his mind. I think he
hit me four times. The punches didn't hurt but by the time the fourth punch
came in, I thought 'f*** this' and launched one back at him. Gareth Barry
rushed in to restrain Bow and drag him away. Bow's shirt was ripped down to
his chest and he was still snarling and snapping and trying to get himself
free. I was relatively calm, but I looked over at Bow again and he was
frothing and raging. I didn't realise that you could get sent off for
fighting your team-mate. The referee came over and showed me the red card.
Then he sent Bow off, too. The crowd had been on our case because we were
3-0 down at home to Aston Villa. On the pitch, tempers were fraying. Bowyer
had come to show for the ball. He was available, but I thought there were
better options and passed to another team-mate. Bowyer went crazy. 'F******
pass me the ball,' he screamed. 'What are you talking about?' I said. 'You
never pass me the ball,' he said. I told him to do one but he chuntered a
bit more. A few minutes later, he wanted me to lay it square to him. I
thought there were better options. It wasn't personal. Bow went absolutely
nuts. 'F****** hell,' he yelled, 'you never pass me the ball.' 'The reason I
don't pass you the ball,' I said, 'is because you're f****** s***.' His
whole demeanour changed. He had gone and I knew he had gone. I'd always got
on well with him. I still do. The media have portrayed him in a certain way,
and sure, he had his moments."
Injury Hell
The 28-year-old Dyer signed for West Ham United on 16th August 2007 in a
deal believed to be worth in the region of £6m. He played the full 90
minutes in his first two games in claret and blue, a 1-0 win at Birmingham
and 1-1 home draw with Wigan, but disaster struck at Bristol Rovers in a
League Cup second round match when Dyer broke both the tibia and fibula of
his right leg following a tackle by Joe Jacobsen.
"Breaking my leg in 2007 was the beginning of a long, debilitating,
dispiriting process that killed my career. It led to the West Ham hierarchy
trying to shame me, because I played so few games for the club. I'd tell any
young injured player to get the best person available to look after you.
West Ham didn't feel it was necessary to do that. I wish I'd taken control
and stuck up for myself. You start to hate yourself because you can't get
back to doing the thing you love – and you get slammed by the press, owners
and fans."
Dyer made his return just over 16 months later as a substitute in a 3-0 FA
Cup third round home win against Barnsley. He didn't start a match until
April 2009. He didn't score in 35 appearances for the club and donned the
claret and blue for the final time as a substitute in a 3-1 League Cup
semi-final second leg defeat at Birmingham in January 2011.
"After I left West Ham, joint chairman David Gold said I had cost the club
£16million in fees and wages. That was a classy touch. When Gold and David
Sullivan bought the club they talked about the extraordinary wages West Ham
were paying and how one player who had barely played ought to have the
decency to retire. The arrow was pointing right at me. West Ham fans would
say what a waste of money I was. I didn't score a goal for them in four
years and didn't play four or five games on the trot, ever. But you know
what? Every time I went out there, they were brilliant with me and I will
always remember that. It kills me that they didn't even see a fraction of
what I once was."
Dyer goes on to discuss how he became embarrassed to say he had an injury,
saying that he had played on after suffering an injury on more than one
occasion to avoid the "shame" of walking off the pitch.
"Later at West Ham I felt my thigh pop with my last kick of training. My
heart sank. I was in pain but it was nothing compared to the dread,
disappointment and embarrassment flooding over me. I couldn't tell the
physio so I said my thigh was tight, even though I knew I'd pulled it. I was
trying to convince myself too. On the morning of our first game of the
2009/10 season [at Wolves] we did a fitness test in the hotel corridor.
Stabbing pains were shooting through my thigh with every stride I took but
somehow I passed and played with a grade one tear in my thigh."
Dyer had a loan spell at Ipswich in 2011 as the Hammers struggled vainly
against relegation and moved permanently to QPR on a free transfer in the
summer of that year.
"After QPR, I knew it was over. I wasn't sad when I stopped. People ask if I
miss playing and the answer is that I don't. Not because I didn't love the
game, but because in the last five years of my career, I was never fit and
always doing rehab. It was miserable. I got used to missing football. It's
not like it all came to a sudden stop. I was delighted that I didn't have to
feel embarrassed in front of my family any more. I was relieved I didn't
have to feel embarrassed about myself in front of the fans any more. I was
delighted I wouldn't be embarrassed in front of the physios any more. I'd
had enough of letting people down. When people pour scorn on players like
Darren Anderton, Michael Owen and Daniel Sturridge because of their injury
record, I don't think they realise how much embarrassment there is when you
injure yourself."
Dyer, now 39, retired after a short spell at Middlesbrough in 2013.
Adapted from Old Too Soon, Smart Too Late by Kieron Dyer with Oliver Holt,
published on February 22 by Headline at £20. As serialised in the Daily
Mail.
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Manuel Lanzini ready to return to West Ham training next week ahead of
Liverpool trip
JAMES BENGE
ES Sport
Manuel Lanzini says he will return to first-team training next week as he
steps up his recovery from a hamstring injury. The Argentina playmaker has
not featured since the 1-1 draw at home to Bournemouth on January 20,
missing a run of four games in which West Ham have won only once. Hammers
boss David Moyes has also had to cope without Andy Caroll and, until
Saturday's 2-0 win over Watford, record signing Marko Arnautovic. However
Lanzini's optimistic assessment of his recovery will raise hopes that the
West Ham No.10 will be available for Saturday's trip to Liverpool, against
whom the 25-year-old has scored twice, including in a famous 3-0 win at
Anfield in August 2015. "I'm feeling good," Lanzini told the club website.
"My injury is getting better every day and I'm expect to be back very soon.
"I'm training hard and I expect to go back with the team next week. "It's
great that Marko is back now. He is a very good player and we need him. "I'm
also looking forward to playing with Joao Mario. He is an important player
and together we have good qualities." Moyes is also set to welcome Winston
Reid back to the squad after he missed the win over Watford with a throat
infection but Carroll, Pedro Obiang and Edimilson Fernandes remain long-term
absentees.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, February 17
Thursday, February 15
Daily WHUFC News - 16th February 2018
West Ham United Statement: Dialogue with Supporter Groups
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can today confirm the Club has reached out to the supporter
groups represented within the West Ham Groups United to meet to begin
constructive dialogue with the Club. Vice Chairman Karren Brady has today
written to the West Ham Groups United confirming: "My Chairmen David
Sullivan and David Gold have always been clear that, as a Board, we are only
the Custodians of the Club on behalf of our supporters. "We fully understand
that our supporters are the lifeblood of the Club. "We believe the groups
that have come together have nothing but the best interests of the Club and
its long-term future in mind. We understand they are seeking only
constructive dialogue with the Club to engender unity. Their intention is
only to bring positive suggestions to us as a Board that will help over time
to improve the Club and the supporters' matchday experience. "David
Sullivan, David Gold and I want to work with the supporters to make West Ham
United one of the most successful clubs in the country and we know and
understand that this only happens with collaboration and listening to our
supporters.
"To this end, I can confirm we have requested a meeting to take place with
representatives of the groups at the earliest opportunity. "We hope that
this will demonstrate how serious we are about listening and answering their
issues. Uniting the Club is our primary focus as a Board. "I hope the
meeting will help us to more fully understand the agenda that we all need to
work to together and that following the meeting we can aim for ongoing
constructive dialogue to deliver a better experience for our supporters."
Spokesman Danny Swallow from West Ham Groups United said: "The supporters of
the march have been concerned that the Board were not prepared to listen to
the fans' point of view. By agreeing to meet us those fears have rescinded.
We are looking forward to open and constructive talks to the benefit of all
West Ham United supporters."
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Lanzini: I'll be coming back from injury soon
WHUFC.com
Manuel Lanzini has revealed he is close to returning to the first team fold
following a hamstring injury. The Argentina international, who today
celebrates his 25th birthday, has missed West Ham's last four matches with
the problem but has stepped up his training as he moves ever nearer to
fitness and he cannot wait to be back. With five assists to his name this
season he leads the way for the Hammers alongside Aaron Cresswell when it
comes to creativity and he is looking forward to linking up with Marko
Arnautovic, Chicharito and new boy Joao Mario in attack. "I'm feeling good,"
the No10 confirmed. "My injury is getting better every day and I'm expect to
be back very soon. "I'm training hard and I expect to go back with the team
next week. "It's great that Marko is back now. He is a very good player and
we need him. "I'm also looking forward to playing with Joao Mario. He is an
important player and together we have good qualities.
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Hammers great Gale: I turned down Chelsea to join West Ham
WHUFC.com
West Ham United hero and Boys of '86 star Tony Gale shares five oustanding
moments from his 368 appearances in Claret and Blue...
JOINING THE HAMMERS WAS A NO-BRAINER
I signed for West Ham from Fulham in 1984 and made my debut at home to
Ipswich Town on 25 August. It was a baking hot day and not a very good game
which ended nil-nil. Mitch D'Avray and Alan Sunderland were up front for
Ipswich and Alvin Martin and myself were the centre-backs for West Ham.
There was nothing memorable about the game at all, but I can remember how
good the fans were and, because it was my debut, everything I did got
applauded, even passing it back to the goalkeeper! I thought to myself, 'I'd
have needed to score a hat-trick at Fulham to get this applause!'. They
really welcomed new players and were great with me.
Chelsea and West Ham wanted to sign me on the same day as my contract at
Fulham had run out. The Chelsea manager John Neal came to my house and then,
shortly afterwards, John Lyall and Eddie Bailey came around and it was a
no-brainer. I was from west London and was a Chelsea supporter as a kid, but
I lost that when I signed for Fulham because there was a big rivalry.
Stamford Bridge was only around the corner from my house, but John Lyall
came in and convinced me and my wife to go to West Ham. I didn't even talk
money with him. He spoke about my game at length, so he had studied me and
knew what he wanted me to do.
I'd also always had this thing about Bobby Moore. He had been at Fulham
after being at West Ham and John talked to me about wearing the No6 shirt
and that was brilliant, I loved that. I only had it for one season, though,
as Alan Devonshire came back from injury and, as my best friend, he asked if
he could have his shirt back and I said 'Of course you can' and went to No4.
THE BEAUTIFUL GAME ON A TERRIBLE PITCH
We played Chelsea on a terrible pitch at Stamford Bridge in late March 1986.
Alvin was suspended and he missed our two games over the Easter period,
Chelsea away and Tottenham at home, and we won both of them! We beat Chelsea
4-0 and Spurs 2-1 with Paul Hilton playing at centre-back and he did really,
really well alongside me. It was a tough task to come in for someone like
Alvin, but he did brilliantly. Focusing on the 4-0, we were both chasing the
title and we were playing against a team I'd chosen not to join in 1984,
despite being from west London and it being the club my family supported. I
had loads of people telling me they'd do us, but we just blew them away with
some wonderful counter-attacking football. Some of the movement was amazing,
Alan Devonshire glided across the mud and didn't get a speck of dirt on him,
and I even got an assist for Dev in that game! When you see how we played,
at such a pace, on a pitch like that, it was a dream.
TITLE-CHASERS
The 1985/86 season was amazing for everyone associated with the Club. We
were going for the title. It was us, Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea, then
Chelsea dropped out of the race, but we maintained a run of results when we
had loads of games in a short period of time. The winter had been terrible,
so we had games Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday! The games were coming
thick and fast but instead of hindering us, they helped us because the
momentum was with us and we were on the crest of a wave. It was 30 April and
we went a goal down to Ipswich at home – Alvin made a slight mistake and was
beside himself because he thought it might have cost us the title, so we
were trying to pick him up – but then Alan Dickens scored a great equaliser,
then Terry Butcher fouled Mark Ward in the penalty area and Ray Stewart
stepped up and bang. It came back out of the net harder than it went in! I
swear Upton Park was moving that night. I can remember coming back into the
dressing room after the game and thinking we were still in it. After driving
out of the car park, I remember going past The Boleyn on the corner of
Barking Road in my Dad's cab and it looked like that was moving as well! You
could see they were watching the highlights on TV inside and a goal went in
and the place erupted. It really was a special time to be a West Ham player.
AN UNEXPECTED WEEK TO REMEMBER
We had struggled through the early part of the 1988/89 season and were in
the relegation zone going into late November. Liverpool were a great side
and we had them at home in the League Cup fourth round under the lights at
Upton Park on the Tuesday night, then we had the local derby with Millwall
in the league on the following Saturday – and we won both of them! We ended
up beating Liverpool 4-1, then Millwall 1-0 at The Den, which was great.
Paul Ince scored two against Liverpool and got the winner at Millwall, too.
I remember us taking a huge following down there and the game had a right
edge. The only friends in the stadium were the two sets of players, as they
had a good set of lads! The Liverpool game was memorable because I scored a
free-kick, which was some going as the balls were a lot heavier in those
days. When Julian Dicks came in, he took over taking the set pieces, but I
got to take a few that season. I had taken the free-kicks at Fulham, but
when I came to West Ham I sat back and watched Mark Ward take them. He used
to blast them and hit the wall nine times out of ten! I took over the next
season, 1986/87, and scored one against Coventry in the first game and that
was it, John said I could take them. I tried to practice after training, but
the goalkeepers weren't keen on staying out and scoring against Wardy in
goal wasn't exactly hard!
SEEING RED WAS A MASSIVE SHOCK
I know it's boring, as everyone has asked me about it and I've spoken about
it a million times, but I'm going to mention the 1991 FA Cup semi-final,
when I was sent-off against Nottingham Forest. When I look back, if you're
talking about a fans' impact on a game, there could not have been one in the
history of football when the supporters made more noise when their team was
losing. To be losing 4-0 and still be singing and all you could hear was
'Billy Bonds' Claret and Blue Army' was incredible. As for my red card, it
was not a sending-off. It was the only time I was sent-off in my whole
career and if it had happened today, it would have been overturned by the
VAR straight away. The rules have changed since then, but that 'professional
foul' rule had only been implemented earlier that week to change how it was
to be interpreted by referees, who were to send-off players deemed to be
denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. The game was live on TV and it was
ruined when I fouled Gary Crosby and Keith Hackett sent me off. Keith has
admitted since that, if the incident had happened the weekend before, he
probably wouldn't even have booked me! It does rankle me as people remember
this incident, rather than me having played 368 games, been part of our
record-high league finish and the goals I scored…
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Kouyate: My teammates helped me get my confidence back
WHUFC.com
Cheikhou Kouyate has thanked his West Ham United teammates for supporting
him through a difficult period and helping him regain his best form. The
popular midfielder underwent wrist surgery last summer and played through an
ankle problem in the early part of the season, before being ruled out for
three games before Christmas with a hamstring injury. Kouyate admitted the
fitness issues played on his mind and affected his performances, but says
his fellow Hammers rallied around him, helped to rebuilt his confidence,
with the result being a series of outstanding performances since his return
to the side at Christmas "I love my teammates," he told whufc.com. "Marko
[Arnautovic], Arthur Masuaku and Manu [Lanzini] have helped me to get back
to my top level. They spoke to me a lot and told me 'take your confidence,
you are the best'. It's the same message from Adrian and from Jose Fonte. I
know that today I am getting back to my best and I have to thank my guys.
"Marko is unbelievable, but not only on the pitch but outside the pitch,
because we need people like him, like Arthur, Adrian, Manu, Jose, [Pedro]
Obiang and the captain. "I love Mark Noble, not only because he is a West
Ham boy and he is the captain, but I love him because he speaks with me and
he knows I had some problems, he knows everything about me and always says
'If you need something, I'm there for you'."
Kouyate's drop in form led to some supporters questioning his commitment on
social media and the Senegalese star conceded the criticism did play on his
mind before his friends, family and faith reminded him of his value. The
result has been a succession of typically all-action midfield performances
that have played their part in helping the Hammers climb out of the
relegation zone and move towards Premier League safety. With eleven matches
left to play, the No8 is determined to maintain his recent form and finish
the season strongly. "I had a hard moment, but this is life. It's very, very
difficult sometimes, but when you have difficult times, you never stop
working hard or let your confidence drop. "I have too many friends who are
helping me, including my wife and some very good friends who have sent me
messages and they have given me confidence. "I know I had some fans who were
angry with me and asking 'Why are you not playing good?', but I know this is
life and sometimes you play good and sometimes you play bad. Sometimes you
can't give your best because nobody knows what problems you have, and I am
over these problems and God is good and now I am starting to get back to my
best. "I have good people in my entourage, they're helping me and I like
that. Now, I want to continue to work hard until the summer and make
everybody proud of me."
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Lanzini set for first team return
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 15th February 2018
By: Staff Writer
Manuel Lanzini has confirmed that he will be back in contention for a first
team berth soon. The Argentina international has been sidelined for a number
of weeks but is expecting to return to regular training bext week - meaning
that he could be in contention for a place in the starting XI against
Liverpool the following weekend. "I'm feeling good," Lanzini told West Ham's
website. "My injury is getting better every day and I'm expect to be back
very soon. I'm training every day, hard, and I expect to be back with the
team next week." Lanzini sustained his latest injury an hour into the 1-1
draw with Bournemouth at the Olympic Stadium last month. He has made 20
appearances for West Ham this season, scoring three goals.
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WHY ARE WEST HAM THE MOST FOULED AGAINST TEAM?
By Blind Hammer 15 Feb 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Blind Hammer investigates why West Ham players suffer most, by a staggering
margin, from fouls.
There has been a lot of noise from Manchester city about the rough treatment
their hugely expensively assembled Galacticos attract. Guardiola appealed to
Referees to protect his stars whilst both Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva
complained of butchery and targeted violence.
Whilst city has endured their share of injuries it is a pale shadow of the
squad shattering injuries West ham have endured. The FA Cup squads West Ham
prepared only had a passing resemblance to a Premier league outfit. These
injuries, including Carroll's fractured ankle, suggested that they may be
attracting as much, if not more, rough play.
Fascinatingly this theory was born out by the BBC's investigation into
City's claims of fouling martyrdom. Using Opta statistics the BBC compiled a
League Table of the teams suffering most. City's claim for targetted
treatment was not born out. The Table is reproduced below.
Pos Team Fouled against
1. West Ham 324
2. Bournemouth 291
3. Man UT 287
4. Chelsea 280
4. Burnley 280
6. Crystal Palace 276
7. Tottenham 275
7. Swansea 275
9. Watford 269
10. Stoke 267
11. Southampton 261
12. Man City 258
13. Arsenal 257
14. Newcastle 255
15. Huddersfield 253
16. West Brom 247
17. Everton 242
18. Leicester 236
19. Liverpool 207
20. Brighton 195
Whilst statistics can invite as many questions as they answer, these figures
are dramatic. Teams are not all of a muchness and there is extensive
variation in records. West Ham is not only the most fouled against team,
they attract more fouls by a comparatively massive margin. West Ham in first
place suffers 33 more fouls than Bournemouth in second. This is easily the
biggest gap between teams. In contrast Bournemouth leads a pack of clubs
with very similar records. They have attracted only 4 more fouls than
Manchester United, whilst Chelsea is only 7 further behind. In fact the gap
between West Ham and the rest is startling. To reproduce the gap between
West ham and Bournemouth you would have to cover the records of a further 10
PL Clubs, ironically then you would arrive at Manchester city who suffer a
paltry 258 fouls, a huge 66 fouls less than West Ham. city are in fact very
average in this table of suffering, alongside Arsenal, another complainant
despite these statistics. Liverpool who also make similar complaints suffer
a staggering 117 less fouls than West ham.
This table gives insight into why West Ham are also consistently high in the
injuries table. There is a widespread myth that match impact injuries are
cleanly separated from muscle strains. This leads to the inaccurate belief
that West ham's strain injuries must solely realate to poor training
conditions. In fact muscle strains can be just as related to match trauma,
uncontrolled forced falling, the wear and tear of consistent rough treatment
and the direct impact of muscle weakening impact. I have personal experience
of this. For the last 2 years I have a history of hamstring problems. This
arose initially after a silent electric car, undetectable to a Blind person,
pulled out to strike me whilst I was crossing the road. THE UNPREPARED FALL
CAUSED ME TO PULL MY HAMSTRING. West Ham players endure these forced,
uncontrolled falls more than any other in the League.
These bald facts cannot be ignored. They can of course always be qualified
and refined. Fouls could be graded in terms of seriousness; they could be
graded in terms of where they occur on the pitch. However these margins
alone insist opponents deploy a premeditated fouling tactic. The sheer
torrential volume of fouls West Ham suffer require some explanation.
Theory 1. – The High Press
I believe it has been a conventional wisdom that it is possible to dominate
West Ham with a high press and encamp them in their own half. Watford
attempted this last weekend. Such an approach has the advantage of forcing
defensive mistakes in vulnerable areas, certainly a feature of our earlier
season form. Of course the risk of the high press is that teams are
vulnerable if they lose possession. The recourse then is to foul as soon as
possession is lost, if possible in a niggardly way which does not attract
referees attention, if necessary, in a cynical way whilst high up the pitch
to minimise any threat from the resulting free kick. The crucial aim is to
break up play and allow midfield and defenders to recover, retreat, and
prevent any break on their goal.
Theory 2. West Ham's Main offensive Threat Comes from runners.
Theory 2 is connected to Theory 1. In the face of the high press West Ham
rarely deploy intricate passing, instead relying on forceful runners to
releive pressure. The main weapons in this regard have been Arthur Masuaku,
Antonio when fit, and of course Marco Arnautovic. Lanzini is also likely to
have attracted more brutal attention. it is a high probability that these
players would figure most highly on any breakdown of most fouled against.
Theory 3- West Ham Midfield is Pedestrian
A more unflattering explanation is that it is relatively easy to foul West
ham midfielders. This focusses on the sometimes slow play involving players
such as Noble and possibly Obiang. These players are fouled more simply
because they are easier to track. The run of injuries to other faster
players would exacerbate this problem. There is no doubt that Noble becomes
much more effective when able to release a pass to a player like Marco
Arnautovic, Lanzini and more recently Mario.
So over to you. The facts are clear. Why do teams foul West Ham more than
any other team?
COYI
David Griffith
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Tottenham and West Ham on alert as Barcelona plan to sell Andre Gomes in the
summer
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Tottenham and West Ham have been placed on red alert by the news Barcelona
want to sell Andre Gomes this summer. The midfielder moved to the Nou Camp
in 2016 from Valencia and big things were expected of him. However the
Portugal international has failed to sparkle for Barca and has been linked
with a move away for the best part of a year. Tottenham tried to strike a
loan deal for Gomes last summer, while West Ham made an enquiry in January.
And now both clubs will be on red alert as, according to AS, Barcelona are
finally ready to sell the 34-year-old this summer. The Spanish giants are
reportedly ready to cash in on Gomes so they can use the funds to bolster
other areas of the squad.
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Robert Snodgrass ready to give his all should West Ham come calling once
more
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport
Robert Snodgrass is ready to give his all for West Ham once more, should
David Moyes hand him a chance to prove himself next season. The Scotland
international, who moved to east London from Hull City in January 2017, is
excelling on loan with Championship side Aston Villa, having scored or
assisted seven goals in his last seven league games. Reports have suggested
that both parties are keen to agree a permanent deal following the
season-long loan at Villa Park. However, while the 30-year-old enjoys a
healthy working relationship with Villa manager Steve Bruce, Standard Sport
understands there is no such discussion on-going and that Snodgrass is ready
to throw everything into a second chance at London Stadium. The attacking
midfielder, who still has two-and-a-half years remaining on his West Ham
deal, was given just over 800 minutes of football to prove himself under
Slaven Bilic, before being deemed surplus to requirements by the Croatian.
Since Bilic's departure, though, there seems to have been a change in stance
on Snodgrass' future in Stratford. Despite ill-advised comments from David
Sullivan and Karren Brady on the Scot, Moyes seems keen and had looked into
the possibility of a recall in January, to no avail. The Hammers boss has,
time and again, pointed to an imbalance in his squad, with a number of
forwards keen on a left-hand-side berth, leaving him short on the right
wing, Snodgrass' favoured role. The ball is firmly in West Ham's court, but
should they decide to call on Snodgrass this summer, he's more than ready to
prove his worth.
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Four West Ham youngsters who could save David Moyes millions in the transfer
market
The manager - if he is still at the club next season - is expected to be
busy in the summer
Football London
BySam InkersoleWest Ham Correspondent
15:36, 15 FEB 2018
If David Moyes keeps West Ham in the Premier League and accepts a long-term
contract extension, he is likely to be very active in the transfer market
over the summer to put his own stamp on the squad. How much money he will
get to spend remains to be seen as co-chairman David Sullivan has revealed
he will be taking a step back from making transfer decisions (we'll see) so
Moyes will be in some sort of control over the incomings and outgoings from
Statford if he is still there. But, does the Scotsman have to spend a
fortune in the transfer market between May and August to strengthen the
squad? What about the players already there that could save him and Sullivan
from spending millions in the transfer market? We take a look at the
youngsters who should be first team regulars next season, be it in the
matchday squads or even in the starting eleven come the 2018/19 season.
Declan Rice
An easy one to start with as this season, he has been involved with the
first team pretty much all season long. He's not been a regular player but
the experience he will have gained from the matches he has played will be
invaluable. Rice is extremely highly-rated behind closed doors at Rush Green
and he has shown he has what it takes to make it when the Irishman has
played in the Premier League. With this season under his belt, Rice should
go from strength-to-strength and is in with a shout of being a first team
regular for the Hammers next season. If Moyes wants to strengthen his
defence, he doesn't need to look any further than putting the teenager in
the team. The fans will love it too.
Nathan Holland
Had the youngster not picked up a serious hamstring injury in November when
Moyes arrived at the club, it's not far off to say he would have been
involved with the first team by now. Holland is yet to return to action
having undergone surgery on a hamstring tear which has kept him out for
three months, though he is starting to make his way back to fitness. Moyes
was impressed with the winger when he did see him play in training as
Holland starred for the U23s before his injury, scoring three times in eight
PL2 games as the U23s found themselves in the top four in PL2. Holland went
on pre-season tour with Slaven Bilic last summer and did very well indeed
and it's almost certain he will be going on the 208/19 tour as well to get
another chance to impress.
Marcus Browne
The attacking midfielder has struggled with injuries recently and also an
unsuccessful loan stint at Wigan but along with Holland, is one of the
higher-rated youngsters at the club. He made just his sixth U23 appearance
of the campaign earlier this week and managed to score his first goal of the
season as well in the 2-2 draw with Spurs, which led to U23 coach Liam
Manning saying: "The goal will hopefully give Marcus a boost going forward
after he'd been out for a while, and his performances since he returned has
been superb. "He will hopefully continue to look a threat and you give him a
few more chances, he'll score those." If Browne can stay injury free for the
rest of the season, there is a big chance he could head on tour this summer
and get his first team break having spent two or three seasons on the
outside almost looking in.
Domingos Quina
The midfielder could have a big role to play next season - or he could be
sent out on loan, such is the decision to be made over him. When David Moyes
turned to the youngsters this campaign for cup games, Quina was the one who
got involved as the first name on the teamsheet ahead of the others but,
once again, has struggled with injuries. West Ham have an extremely good
talent on their hands and big clubs are sniffing around him again, just like
they were before the east Londoners snatched him up. Centre midfield is
where Quina is best and that is an area where West Ham have struggled this
season. Expect the teeanger to head on pre-season tour this summer and if he
impresses, then you never know.
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West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart wants move abroad
HITC
Will Butcher
@willbutcher8
Joe Hart has struggled at West Ham after joining on loan from Manchester
City. West Ham United loanee Joe Hart is considering a move abroad to
reignite his declining career, according to the Sun, as he remains stuck on
the substitutes bench at the London Stadium. Now in his thirties, Hart is
losing a grip on his career in the Premier League after joining the Hammers
on loan from Manchester City for the entire 2017-18 season back in the
summer. It has also scuppered his chances of being England's number one
goalkeeper at the World Cup in Russia this summer, with Jordan Pickford or
Jack Butland expected to replace the former Shrewsbury Town stopper as
number one. The £120,000-a-week ace is expected to look abroad for his next
career move, now, after impressing on loan with Serie A side Torino during
the 2016-17 season. He is expected to run down the final year of his
Manchester City contract with another loan move to a European side.
Should West Ham make a permanent offer?
Quite simply, no. For what Hart is earning and what he would cost, he is too
expensive to be warming the bench with the east Londoners as Adrian
continues to show him how it is done as the Hammers number one. Adrian of
West Ham United instructs his team during the Premier League match between
West Ham United and Watford at London Stadium on February 10, 2018 in
London, England. The only way in which Hart can show David Moyes what he is
capable of, and indeed England boss Gareth Southgate, is if Adrian suffers
an immediate dip in form or suffers an injury. But if he is to earn a
permanent deal and England's number one jersey, he must significantly
improve from his performances earlier in the season which saw him dropped by
the former Manchester United manager.
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Pablo Zabaleta can't afford to 'take breather' at West Ham like he did at
Manchester City
KEN DYER
ES Sport
It'S when the number of candles on their birthday cake begin to pose a fire
hazard, that most players begin to think more seriously about life after
football. If Pablo Zabaleta though, harboured any thoughts about winding
down and a quieter life when he left Manchester City last summer, to join
West Ham on a free transfer, he was under a misapprehension. For much of
almost a decade he was at Manchester City, the popular Argentine, or 'Zaba'
to his team-mates, was a member of a high quality squad which dominated
possession statistics. That meant that, when most needed, City's regular
right-back could sneak a 'breather.' No such luck for the 33-year-old
Zabaleta now though, not down in East London where this season, West Ham
have been trying desperately to finger-tip their way up the near vertical
rock face that is the Premier League table this season. Last weekend's 2-0
win over Watford lifted Zabaleta's West Ham to 12th place in the table, six
points behind Burnley in seventh spot but – far more importantly – still
only four in front of third-from-bottom Southampton. Zabaleta has missed
just one Premier League game so far this season – through suspension.
Minutes on the pitch so far total 2,376, a time only bettered by central
defender Angelo Ogbonna with 2,550. In all, the Argentine has played in 28
matches this season, a total equalled by Ogbonna and Cresswell. "Yes, it is
a bit different from Manchester City," he said. "There, of course, you have
strong players who can keep the ball so well and sometimes you can rest a
bit during the game. "This is different but it is what I expected from the
first day. We are not Manchester City, we don't have the same quality as
them but it is nice for me to have the experience of a new challenge and
prove to myself that I have enough in the tank to play at Premier League
level. "I am trying to work hard to keep myself fit and give the best for
the team. "I was playing as a right wing back against Watford after playing
two games in the midfield. I am ready to perform where the manager decides
he wants me. "We lost Pedro Obiang with injury and he is probably the only
defensive midfielder we had in the squad I have to use my experience
sometimes to play in different positions. It is not the first time I have
done it. "I can do the job, I continue to play every single minute, I am
keeping myself fit which is good and I am really happy with how things are
going. "I am 33 now, I am not getting any younger but I have only missed
one game this season, for five yellow cards. I am working hard to keep
myself fit and give my best for the team."
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Cheikhou Kouyate 'loves' West Ham skipper Mark Noble
HITC
Will Butcher
@willbutcher8
Mark Noble is renowned for his work as West Ham captain, and it has been
noticed by Cheikhou Kouyate. West Ham United midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has
told the club's official website that he "loves" captain Mark Noble
following talks with the Hammers skipper. Kouyate, 28, was one of a handful
of West Ham players that were criticised for their drop in form last season,
and to some degree at the start of the 2017-18 campaign. But the former
Anderlecht midfielder relied upon the guidance and wisdom of captain Noble,
stating that his central midfield partner spoke to him privately in order to
help the Senegal international regain his confidence and his form. Now,
Kouyate is one of the first names on David Moyes' team sheet alongside
Noble, with Pedro Obiang ruled out for the rest of the season and Josh
Cullen still considered inexperienced in the middle of the park. "I love
Mark Noble," Kouyate said. "Not only because he is a West Ham boy and he is
the captain, but I love him because he speaks with me and he knows I had
some problems. "He knows everything about me and always says 'If you need
something, I'm there for you'."
Kouyate is one of a number of players to improve their form under the
guidance of Moyes, with club-record signing Marko Arnautovic, Javier
Hernandez, Noble and Pablo Zabaleta all significantly improving under the
Scot. West Ham are next in action in nine days' time, as they do not play
this weekend following their 2-0 loss to Wigan in the FA Cup. Instead, they
have a week off, and will face Liverpool at Anfield on February 24. Kouyate
has three and a half years remaining on his current London Stadium contract,
which the Daily Star claim is worth £30,000 a week.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can today confirm the Club has reached out to the supporter
groups represented within the West Ham Groups United to meet to begin
constructive dialogue with the Club. Vice Chairman Karren Brady has today
written to the West Ham Groups United confirming: "My Chairmen David
Sullivan and David Gold have always been clear that, as a Board, we are only
the Custodians of the Club on behalf of our supporters. "We fully understand
that our supporters are the lifeblood of the Club. "We believe the groups
that have come together have nothing but the best interests of the Club and
its long-term future in mind. We understand they are seeking only
constructive dialogue with the Club to engender unity. Their intention is
only to bring positive suggestions to us as a Board that will help over time
to improve the Club and the supporters' matchday experience. "David
Sullivan, David Gold and I want to work with the supporters to make West Ham
United one of the most successful clubs in the country and we know and
understand that this only happens with collaboration and listening to our
supporters.
"To this end, I can confirm we have requested a meeting to take place with
representatives of the groups at the earliest opportunity. "We hope that
this will demonstrate how serious we are about listening and answering their
issues. Uniting the Club is our primary focus as a Board. "I hope the
meeting will help us to more fully understand the agenda that we all need to
work to together and that following the meeting we can aim for ongoing
constructive dialogue to deliver a better experience for our supporters."
Spokesman Danny Swallow from West Ham Groups United said: "The supporters of
the march have been concerned that the Board were not prepared to listen to
the fans' point of view. By agreeing to meet us those fears have rescinded.
We are looking forward to open and constructive talks to the benefit of all
West Ham United supporters."
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Lanzini: I'll be coming back from injury soon
WHUFC.com
Manuel Lanzini has revealed he is close to returning to the first team fold
following a hamstring injury. The Argentina international, who today
celebrates his 25th birthday, has missed West Ham's last four matches with
the problem but has stepped up his training as he moves ever nearer to
fitness and he cannot wait to be back. With five assists to his name this
season he leads the way for the Hammers alongside Aaron Cresswell when it
comes to creativity and he is looking forward to linking up with Marko
Arnautovic, Chicharito and new boy Joao Mario in attack. "I'm feeling good,"
the No10 confirmed. "My injury is getting better every day and I'm expect to
be back very soon. "I'm training hard and I expect to go back with the team
next week. "It's great that Marko is back now. He is a very good player and
we need him. "I'm also looking forward to playing with Joao Mario. He is an
important player and together we have good qualities.
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Hammers great Gale: I turned down Chelsea to join West Ham
WHUFC.com
West Ham United hero and Boys of '86 star Tony Gale shares five oustanding
moments from his 368 appearances in Claret and Blue...
JOINING THE HAMMERS WAS A NO-BRAINER
I signed for West Ham from Fulham in 1984 and made my debut at home to
Ipswich Town on 25 August. It was a baking hot day and not a very good game
which ended nil-nil. Mitch D'Avray and Alan Sunderland were up front for
Ipswich and Alvin Martin and myself were the centre-backs for West Ham.
There was nothing memorable about the game at all, but I can remember how
good the fans were and, because it was my debut, everything I did got
applauded, even passing it back to the goalkeeper! I thought to myself, 'I'd
have needed to score a hat-trick at Fulham to get this applause!'. They
really welcomed new players and were great with me.
Chelsea and West Ham wanted to sign me on the same day as my contract at
Fulham had run out. The Chelsea manager John Neal came to my house and then,
shortly afterwards, John Lyall and Eddie Bailey came around and it was a
no-brainer. I was from west London and was a Chelsea supporter as a kid, but
I lost that when I signed for Fulham because there was a big rivalry.
Stamford Bridge was only around the corner from my house, but John Lyall
came in and convinced me and my wife to go to West Ham. I didn't even talk
money with him. He spoke about my game at length, so he had studied me and
knew what he wanted me to do.
I'd also always had this thing about Bobby Moore. He had been at Fulham
after being at West Ham and John talked to me about wearing the No6 shirt
and that was brilliant, I loved that. I only had it for one season, though,
as Alan Devonshire came back from injury and, as my best friend, he asked if
he could have his shirt back and I said 'Of course you can' and went to No4.
THE BEAUTIFUL GAME ON A TERRIBLE PITCH
We played Chelsea on a terrible pitch at Stamford Bridge in late March 1986.
Alvin was suspended and he missed our two games over the Easter period,
Chelsea away and Tottenham at home, and we won both of them! We beat Chelsea
4-0 and Spurs 2-1 with Paul Hilton playing at centre-back and he did really,
really well alongside me. It was a tough task to come in for someone like
Alvin, but he did brilliantly. Focusing on the 4-0, we were both chasing the
title and we were playing against a team I'd chosen not to join in 1984,
despite being from west London and it being the club my family supported. I
had loads of people telling me they'd do us, but we just blew them away with
some wonderful counter-attacking football. Some of the movement was amazing,
Alan Devonshire glided across the mud and didn't get a speck of dirt on him,
and I even got an assist for Dev in that game! When you see how we played,
at such a pace, on a pitch like that, it was a dream.
TITLE-CHASERS
The 1985/86 season was amazing for everyone associated with the Club. We
were going for the title. It was us, Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea, then
Chelsea dropped out of the race, but we maintained a run of results when we
had loads of games in a short period of time. The winter had been terrible,
so we had games Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday! The games were coming
thick and fast but instead of hindering us, they helped us because the
momentum was with us and we were on the crest of a wave. It was 30 April and
we went a goal down to Ipswich at home – Alvin made a slight mistake and was
beside himself because he thought it might have cost us the title, so we
were trying to pick him up – but then Alan Dickens scored a great equaliser,
then Terry Butcher fouled Mark Ward in the penalty area and Ray Stewart
stepped up and bang. It came back out of the net harder than it went in! I
swear Upton Park was moving that night. I can remember coming back into the
dressing room after the game and thinking we were still in it. After driving
out of the car park, I remember going past The Boleyn on the corner of
Barking Road in my Dad's cab and it looked like that was moving as well! You
could see they were watching the highlights on TV inside and a goal went in
and the place erupted. It really was a special time to be a West Ham player.
AN UNEXPECTED WEEK TO REMEMBER
We had struggled through the early part of the 1988/89 season and were in
the relegation zone going into late November. Liverpool were a great side
and we had them at home in the League Cup fourth round under the lights at
Upton Park on the Tuesday night, then we had the local derby with Millwall
in the league on the following Saturday – and we won both of them! We ended
up beating Liverpool 4-1, then Millwall 1-0 at The Den, which was great.
Paul Ince scored two against Liverpool and got the winner at Millwall, too.
I remember us taking a huge following down there and the game had a right
edge. The only friends in the stadium were the two sets of players, as they
had a good set of lads! The Liverpool game was memorable because I scored a
free-kick, which was some going as the balls were a lot heavier in those
days. When Julian Dicks came in, he took over taking the set pieces, but I
got to take a few that season. I had taken the free-kicks at Fulham, but
when I came to West Ham I sat back and watched Mark Ward take them. He used
to blast them and hit the wall nine times out of ten! I took over the next
season, 1986/87, and scored one against Coventry in the first game and that
was it, John said I could take them. I tried to practice after training, but
the goalkeepers weren't keen on staying out and scoring against Wardy in
goal wasn't exactly hard!
SEEING RED WAS A MASSIVE SHOCK
I know it's boring, as everyone has asked me about it and I've spoken about
it a million times, but I'm going to mention the 1991 FA Cup semi-final,
when I was sent-off against Nottingham Forest. When I look back, if you're
talking about a fans' impact on a game, there could not have been one in the
history of football when the supporters made more noise when their team was
losing. To be losing 4-0 and still be singing and all you could hear was
'Billy Bonds' Claret and Blue Army' was incredible. As for my red card, it
was not a sending-off. It was the only time I was sent-off in my whole
career and if it had happened today, it would have been overturned by the
VAR straight away. The rules have changed since then, but that 'professional
foul' rule had only been implemented earlier that week to change how it was
to be interpreted by referees, who were to send-off players deemed to be
denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. The game was live on TV and it was
ruined when I fouled Gary Crosby and Keith Hackett sent me off. Keith has
admitted since that, if the incident had happened the weekend before, he
probably wouldn't even have booked me! It does rankle me as people remember
this incident, rather than me having played 368 games, been part of our
record-high league finish and the goals I scored…
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Kouyate: My teammates helped me get my confidence back
WHUFC.com
Cheikhou Kouyate has thanked his West Ham United teammates for supporting
him through a difficult period and helping him regain his best form. The
popular midfielder underwent wrist surgery last summer and played through an
ankle problem in the early part of the season, before being ruled out for
three games before Christmas with a hamstring injury. Kouyate admitted the
fitness issues played on his mind and affected his performances, but says
his fellow Hammers rallied around him, helped to rebuilt his confidence,
with the result being a series of outstanding performances since his return
to the side at Christmas "I love my teammates," he told whufc.com. "Marko
[Arnautovic], Arthur Masuaku and Manu [Lanzini] have helped me to get back
to my top level. They spoke to me a lot and told me 'take your confidence,
you are the best'. It's the same message from Adrian and from Jose Fonte. I
know that today I am getting back to my best and I have to thank my guys.
"Marko is unbelievable, but not only on the pitch but outside the pitch,
because we need people like him, like Arthur, Adrian, Manu, Jose, [Pedro]
Obiang and the captain. "I love Mark Noble, not only because he is a West
Ham boy and he is the captain, but I love him because he speaks with me and
he knows I had some problems, he knows everything about me and always says
'If you need something, I'm there for you'."
Kouyate's drop in form led to some supporters questioning his commitment on
social media and the Senegalese star conceded the criticism did play on his
mind before his friends, family and faith reminded him of his value. The
result has been a succession of typically all-action midfield performances
that have played their part in helping the Hammers climb out of the
relegation zone and move towards Premier League safety. With eleven matches
left to play, the No8 is determined to maintain his recent form and finish
the season strongly. "I had a hard moment, but this is life. It's very, very
difficult sometimes, but when you have difficult times, you never stop
working hard or let your confidence drop. "I have too many friends who are
helping me, including my wife and some very good friends who have sent me
messages and they have given me confidence. "I know I had some fans who were
angry with me and asking 'Why are you not playing good?', but I know this is
life and sometimes you play good and sometimes you play bad. Sometimes you
can't give your best because nobody knows what problems you have, and I am
over these problems and God is good and now I am starting to get back to my
best. "I have good people in my entourage, they're helping me and I like
that. Now, I want to continue to work hard until the summer and make
everybody proud of me."
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Lanzini set for first team return
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 15th February 2018
By: Staff Writer
Manuel Lanzini has confirmed that he will be back in contention for a first
team berth soon. The Argentina international has been sidelined for a number
of weeks but is expecting to return to regular training bext week - meaning
that he could be in contention for a place in the starting XI against
Liverpool the following weekend. "I'm feeling good," Lanzini told West Ham's
website. "My injury is getting better every day and I'm expect to be back
very soon. I'm training every day, hard, and I expect to be back with the
team next week." Lanzini sustained his latest injury an hour into the 1-1
draw with Bournemouth at the Olympic Stadium last month. He has made 20
appearances for West Ham this season, scoring three goals.
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WHY ARE WEST HAM THE MOST FOULED AGAINST TEAM?
By Blind Hammer 15 Feb 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Blind Hammer investigates why West Ham players suffer most, by a staggering
margin, from fouls.
There has been a lot of noise from Manchester city about the rough treatment
their hugely expensively assembled Galacticos attract. Guardiola appealed to
Referees to protect his stars whilst both Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva
complained of butchery and targeted violence.
Whilst city has endured their share of injuries it is a pale shadow of the
squad shattering injuries West ham have endured. The FA Cup squads West Ham
prepared only had a passing resemblance to a Premier league outfit. These
injuries, including Carroll's fractured ankle, suggested that they may be
attracting as much, if not more, rough play.
Fascinatingly this theory was born out by the BBC's investigation into
City's claims of fouling martyrdom. Using Opta statistics the BBC compiled a
League Table of the teams suffering most. City's claim for targetted
treatment was not born out. The Table is reproduced below.
Pos Team Fouled against
1. West Ham 324
2. Bournemouth 291
3. Man UT 287
4. Chelsea 280
4. Burnley 280
6. Crystal Palace 276
7. Tottenham 275
7. Swansea 275
9. Watford 269
10. Stoke 267
11. Southampton 261
12. Man City 258
13. Arsenal 257
14. Newcastle 255
15. Huddersfield 253
16. West Brom 247
17. Everton 242
18. Leicester 236
19. Liverpool 207
20. Brighton 195
Whilst statistics can invite as many questions as they answer, these figures
are dramatic. Teams are not all of a muchness and there is extensive
variation in records. West Ham is not only the most fouled against team,
they attract more fouls by a comparatively massive margin. West Ham in first
place suffers 33 more fouls than Bournemouth in second. This is easily the
biggest gap between teams. In contrast Bournemouth leads a pack of clubs
with very similar records. They have attracted only 4 more fouls than
Manchester United, whilst Chelsea is only 7 further behind. In fact the gap
between West Ham and the rest is startling. To reproduce the gap between
West ham and Bournemouth you would have to cover the records of a further 10
PL Clubs, ironically then you would arrive at Manchester city who suffer a
paltry 258 fouls, a huge 66 fouls less than West Ham. city are in fact very
average in this table of suffering, alongside Arsenal, another complainant
despite these statistics. Liverpool who also make similar complaints suffer
a staggering 117 less fouls than West ham.
This table gives insight into why West Ham are also consistently high in the
injuries table. There is a widespread myth that match impact injuries are
cleanly separated from muscle strains. This leads to the inaccurate belief
that West ham's strain injuries must solely realate to poor training
conditions. In fact muscle strains can be just as related to match trauma,
uncontrolled forced falling, the wear and tear of consistent rough treatment
and the direct impact of muscle weakening impact. I have personal experience
of this. For the last 2 years I have a history of hamstring problems. This
arose initially after a silent electric car, undetectable to a Blind person,
pulled out to strike me whilst I was crossing the road. THE UNPREPARED FALL
CAUSED ME TO PULL MY HAMSTRING. West Ham players endure these forced,
uncontrolled falls more than any other in the League.
These bald facts cannot be ignored. They can of course always be qualified
and refined. Fouls could be graded in terms of seriousness; they could be
graded in terms of where they occur on the pitch. However these margins
alone insist opponents deploy a premeditated fouling tactic. The sheer
torrential volume of fouls West Ham suffer require some explanation.
Theory 1. – The High Press
I believe it has been a conventional wisdom that it is possible to dominate
West Ham with a high press and encamp them in their own half. Watford
attempted this last weekend. Such an approach has the advantage of forcing
defensive mistakes in vulnerable areas, certainly a feature of our earlier
season form. Of course the risk of the high press is that teams are
vulnerable if they lose possession. The recourse then is to foul as soon as
possession is lost, if possible in a niggardly way which does not attract
referees attention, if necessary, in a cynical way whilst high up the pitch
to minimise any threat from the resulting free kick. The crucial aim is to
break up play and allow midfield and defenders to recover, retreat, and
prevent any break on their goal.
Theory 2. West Ham's Main offensive Threat Comes from runners.
Theory 2 is connected to Theory 1. In the face of the high press West Ham
rarely deploy intricate passing, instead relying on forceful runners to
releive pressure. The main weapons in this regard have been Arthur Masuaku,
Antonio when fit, and of course Marco Arnautovic. Lanzini is also likely to
have attracted more brutal attention. it is a high probability that these
players would figure most highly on any breakdown of most fouled against.
Theory 3- West Ham Midfield is Pedestrian
A more unflattering explanation is that it is relatively easy to foul West
ham midfielders. This focusses on the sometimes slow play involving players
such as Noble and possibly Obiang. These players are fouled more simply
because they are easier to track. The run of injuries to other faster
players would exacerbate this problem. There is no doubt that Noble becomes
much more effective when able to release a pass to a player like Marco
Arnautovic, Lanzini and more recently Mario.
So over to you. The facts are clear. Why do teams foul West Ham more than
any other team?
COYI
David Griffith
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Tottenham and West Ham on alert as Barcelona plan to sell Andre Gomes in the
summer
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Tottenham and West Ham have been placed on red alert by the news Barcelona
want to sell Andre Gomes this summer. The midfielder moved to the Nou Camp
in 2016 from Valencia and big things were expected of him. However the
Portugal international has failed to sparkle for Barca and has been linked
with a move away for the best part of a year. Tottenham tried to strike a
loan deal for Gomes last summer, while West Ham made an enquiry in January.
And now both clubs will be on red alert as, according to AS, Barcelona are
finally ready to sell the 34-year-old this summer. The Spanish giants are
reportedly ready to cash in on Gomes so they can use the funds to bolster
other areas of the squad.
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Robert Snodgrass ready to give his all should West Ham come calling once
more
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport
Robert Snodgrass is ready to give his all for West Ham once more, should
David Moyes hand him a chance to prove himself next season. The Scotland
international, who moved to east London from Hull City in January 2017, is
excelling on loan with Championship side Aston Villa, having scored or
assisted seven goals in his last seven league games. Reports have suggested
that both parties are keen to agree a permanent deal following the
season-long loan at Villa Park. However, while the 30-year-old enjoys a
healthy working relationship with Villa manager Steve Bruce, Standard Sport
understands there is no such discussion on-going and that Snodgrass is ready
to throw everything into a second chance at London Stadium. The attacking
midfielder, who still has two-and-a-half years remaining on his West Ham
deal, was given just over 800 minutes of football to prove himself under
Slaven Bilic, before being deemed surplus to requirements by the Croatian.
Since Bilic's departure, though, there seems to have been a change in stance
on Snodgrass' future in Stratford. Despite ill-advised comments from David
Sullivan and Karren Brady on the Scot, Moyes seems keen and had looked into
the possibility of a recall in January, to no avail. The Hammers boss has,
time and again, pointed to an imbalance in his squad, with a number of
forwards keen on a left-hand-side berth, leaving him short on the right
wing, Snodgrass' favoured role. The ball is firmly in West Ham's court, but
should they decide to call on Snodgrass this summer, he's more than ready to
prove his worth.
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Four West Ham youngsters who could save David Moyes millions in the transfer
market
The manager - if he is still at the club next season - is expected to be
busy in the summer
Football London
BySam InkersoleWest Ham Correspondent
15:36, 15 FEB 2018
If David Moyes keeps West Ham in the Premier League and accepts a long-term
contract extension, he is likely to be very active in the transfer market
over the summer to put his own stamp on the squad. How much money he will
get to spend remains to be seen as co-chairman David Sullivan has revealed
he will be taking a step back from making transfer decisions (we'll see) so
Moyes will be in some sort of control over the incomings and outgoings from
Statford if he is still there. But, does the Scotsman have to spend a
fortune in the transfer market between May and August to strengthen the
squad? What about the players already there that could save him and Sullivan
from spending millions in the transfer market? We take a look at the
youngsters who should be first team regulars next season, be it in the
matchday squads or even in the starting eleven come the 2018/19 season.
Declan Rice
An easy one to start with as this season, he has been involved with the
first team pretty much all season long. He's not been a regular player but
the experience he will have gained from the matches he has played will be
invaluable. Rice is extremely highly-rated behind closed doors at Rush Green
and he has shown he has what it takes to make it when the Irishman has
played in the Premier League. With this season under his belt, Rice should
go from strength-to-strength and is in with a shout of being a first team
regular for the Hammers next season. If Moyes wants to strengthen his
defence, he doesn't need to look any further than putting the teenager in
the team. The fans will love it too.
Nathan Holland
Had the youngster not picked up a serious hamstring injury in November when
Moyes arrived at the club, it's not far off to say he would have been
involved with the first team by now. Holland is yet to return to action
having undergone surgery on a hamstring tear which has kept him out for
three months, though he is starting to make his way back to fitness. Moyes
was impressed with the winger when he did see him play in training as
Holland starred for the U23s before his injury, scoring three times in eight
PL2 games as the U23s found themselves in the top four in PL2. Holland went
on pre-season tour with Slaven Bilic last summer and did very well indeed
and it's almost certain he will be going on the 208/19 tour as well to get
another chance to impress.
Marcus Browne
The attacking midfielder has struggled with injuries recently and also an
unsuccessful loan stint at Wigan but along with Holland, is one of the
higher-rated youngsters at the club. He made just his sixth U23 appearance
of the campaign earlier this week and managed to score his first goal of the
season as well in the 2-2 draw with Spurs, which led to U23 coach Liam
Manning saying: "The goal will hopefully give Marcus a boost going forward
after he'd been out for a while, and his performances since he returned has
been superb. "He will hopefully continue to look a threat and you give him a
few more chances, he'll score those." If Browne can stay injury free for the
rest of the season, there is a big chance he could head on tour this summer
and get his first team break having spent two or three seasons on the
outside almost looking in.
Domingos Quina
The midfielder could have a big role to play next season - or he could be
sent out on loan, such is the decision to be made over him. When David Moyes
turned to the youngsters this campaign for cup games, Quina was the one who
got involved as the first name on the teamsheet ahead of the others but,
once again, has struggled with injuries. West Ham have an extremely good
talent on their hands and big clubs are sniffing around him again, just like
they were before the east Londoners snatched him up. Centre midfield is
where Quina is best and that is an area where West Ham have struggled this
season. Expect the teeanger to head on pre-season tour this summer and if he
impresses, then you never know.
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West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart wants move abroad
HITC
Will Butcher
@willbutcher8
Joe Hart has struggled at West Ham after joining on loan from Manchester
City. West Ham United loanee Joe Hart is considering a move abroad to
reignite his declining career, according to the Sun, as he remains stuck on
the substitutes bench at the London Stadium. Now in his thirties, Hart is
losing a grip on his career in the Premier League after joining the Hammers
on loan from Manchester City for the entire 2017-18 season back in the
summer. It has also scuppered his chances of being England's number one
goalkeeper at the World Cup in Russia this summer, with Jordan Pickford or
Jack Butland expected to replace the former Shrewsbury Town stopper as
number one. The £120,000-a-week ace is expected to look abroad for his next
career move, now, after impressing on loan with Serie A side Torino during
the 2016-17 season. He is expected to run down the final year of his
Manchester City contract with another loan move to a European side.
Should West Ham make a permanent offer?
Quite simply, no. For what Hart is earning and what he would cost, he is too
expensive to be warming the bench with the east Londoners as Adrian
continues to show him how it is done as the Hammers number one. Adrian of
West Ham United instructs his team during the Premier League match between
West Ham United and Watford at London Stadium on February 10, 2018 in
London, England. The only way in which Hart can show David Moyes what he is
capable of, and indeed England boss Gareth Southgate, is if Adrian suffers
an immediate dip in form or suffers an injury. But if he is to earn a
permanent deal and England's number one jersey, he must significantly
improve from his performances earlier in the season which saw him dropped by
the former Manchester United manager.
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Pablo Zabaleta can't afford to 'take breather' at West Ham like he did at
Manchester City
KEN DYER
ES Sport
It'S when the number of candles on their birthday cake begin to pose a fire
hazard, that most players begin to think more seriously about life after
football. If Pablo Zabaleta though, harboured any thoughts about winding
down and a quieter life when he left Manchester City last summer, to join
West Ham on a free transfer, he was under a misapprehension. For much of
almost a decade he was at Manchester City, the popular Argentine, or 'Zaba'
to his team-mates, was a member of a high quality squad which dominated
possession statistics. That meant that, when most needed, City's regular
right-back could sneak a 'breather.' No such luck for the 33-year-old
Zabaleta now though, not down in East London where this season, West Ham
have been trying desperately to finger-tip their way up the near vertical
rock face that is the Premier League table this season. Last weekend's 2-0
win over Watford lifted Zabaleta's West Ham to 12th place in the table, six
points behind Burnley in seventh spot but – far more importantly – still
only four in front of third-from-bottom Southampton. Zabaleta has missed
just one Premier League game so far this season – through suspension.
Minutes on the pitch so far total 2,376, a time only bettered by central
defender Angelo Ogbonna with 2,550. In all, the Argentine has played in 28
matches this season, a total equalled by Ogbonna and Cresswell. "Yes, it is
a bit different from Manchester City," he said. "There, of course, you have
strong players who can keep the ball so well and sometimes you can rest a
bit during the game. "This is different but it is what I expected from the
first day. We are not Manchester City, we don't have the same quality as
them but it is nice for me to have the experience of a new challenge and
prove to myself that I have enough in the tank to play at Premier League
level. "I am trying to work hard to keep myself fit and give the best for
the team. "I was playing as a right wing back against Watford after playing
two games in the midfield. I am ready to perform where the manager decides
he wants me. "We lost Pedro Obiang with injury and he is probably the only
defensive midfielder we had in the squad I have to use my experience
sometimes to play in different positions. It is not the first time I have
done it. "I can do the job, I continue to play every single minute, I am
keeping myself fit which is good and I am really happy with how things are
going. "I am 33 now, I am not getting any younger but I have only missed
one game this season, for five yellow cards. I am working hard to keep
myself fit and give my best for the team."
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Cheikhou Kouyate 'loves' West Ham skipper Mark Noble
HITC
Will Butcher
@willbutcher8
Mark Noble is renowned for his work as West Ham captain, and it has been
noticed by Cheikhou Kouyate. West Ham United midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has
told the club's official website that he "loves" captain Mark Noble
following talks with the Hammers skipper. Kouyate, 28, was one of a handful
of West Ham players that were criticised for their drop in form last season,
and to some degree at the start of the 2017-18 campaign. But the former
Anderlecht midfielder relied upon the guidance and wisdom of captain Noble,
stating that his central midfield partner spoke to him privately in order to
help the Senegal international regain his confidence and his form. Now,
Kouyate is one of the first names on David Moyes' team sheet alongside
Noble, with Pedro Obiang ruled out for the rest of the season and Josh
Cullen still considered inexperienced in the middle of the park. "I love
Mark Noble," Kouyate said. "Not only because he is a West Ham boy and he is
the captain, but I love him because he speaks with me and he knows I had
some problems. "He knows everything about me and always says 'If you need
something, I'm there for you'."
Kouyate is one of a number of players to improve their form under the
guidance of Moyes, with club-record signing Marko Arnautovic, Javier
Hernandez, Noble and Pablo Zabaleta all significantly improving under the
Scot. West Ham are next in action in nine days' time, as they do not play
this weekend following their 2-0 loss to Wigan in the FA Cup. Instead, they
have a week off, and will face Liverpool at Anfield on February 24. Kouyate
has three and a half years remaining on his current London Stadium contract,
which the Daily Star claim is worth £30,000 a week.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Tuesday, February 13
Daily WHUFC News - 14th February
Billy McKinlay - A coach for all seasons
WHUFC.com
Few British coaches have amassed as many different experiences as West Ham United assistant Billy McKinlay. Still just 48, relatively young in the world of management, the Scot has coached an international team, Premier League players, scholars and young professionals, assisted and scouted in England and Spain and managed clubs in the Premier League and Norwegian top-flight. McKinlay has put together this impressive resume in the space of 13 years, having been appointed to his first role in coaching at Fulham by then-manager Chris Coleman in 2005. The former Dundee United, Blackburn Rovers and Scotland midfielder started out as a reserve-team player-coach at Craven Cottage before working his way up to the role of first-team coach under Dutchman Martin Jol.
In 2012, he also took on a part-time role assisting Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill, a man he had previously played alongside for four seasons at Tannadice. When Jol was sacked after a 3-0 defeat at West Ham United in December 2013, McKinlay departed with him, ending a ten-year association with the west London club. Undeterred, the Glaswegian moved to Watford in September 2014, serving as first-team coach under Oscar Garcia before replacing him a few days later due to the Spaniard's ill-health.
McKinlay was promoted to manager, leading the Hornets to a win, a draw and third in the Championship before being removed by Watford owner Gino Pozzo after just eight days in charge! Having given up his role with Northern Ireland, McKinlay found himself unemployed, before taking up his first coaching role under compatriot David Moyes at Real Sociedad in November 2014.
After a year in Spain, he took up his second managerial role, this time taking charge of Norwegian Tippeligaen club Stabaek, where he remained for seven months before being reunited with Moyes at Sunderland, where he worked as both a scout and coach until being following his boss to West Ham United last November.
Since then, the pair, alongside Alan Irvine, Stuart Pearce and Chris Woods, have worked morning, noon and night to improve the Hammers' fortunes – a role McKinlay told the Official Programme he has relished. "Personally, I've really enjoyed it, working with the staff, the boss and the players," he confirmed. "Everybody has been first-class with the way they have welcomed us in. "We've been working from Day One, having realised how big a club this is, and that's been reiterated to me on many occasions. "We've had some good results and some tough ones, but everyone is working hard and pushing in the right direction, so I can't thank everybody – the groundsmen, the chefs, the media team – enough for making me feel really welcome since we came in."
While training grounds are places full of banter and fun, they are also places of work, and McKinlay and his fellow coaches have been putting in long hours in an attempt to steer their new employers up the table. "There's plenty of work to be done. We need another shed-load of points to make sure we're safe, so we're under no illusions and everybody shares the same opinion about that. "The manager sets a great example with his work ethic. I've worked with him before, as have Alan and Chris, and we knew we would be putting in the hours and working with great intensity, so it's something we're used to and will continue to do that."
In a recent interview, Moyes praised McKinlay for his 'really good eye for a player', his meticulous approach and the 'light-hearted' personality he brings to the coaching staff. McKinlay himself is flattered by his manager's words. "As always, as coaches we are here to support the manager in any way he deems necessary and we've all got strengths. "One thing I don't like to do is talk about myself, but the manager has used some kind words there. "I'm keen to learn, keen to get involved in everything and have always tried to be logical with my work and methodical in how I analyse and approach things, even if it might not look like it at times because I'm a bit more light-hearted than some people. "I try to find solutions to what we're going to come up against, whether that be players or teams and what they do, and I like to be detailed in what I am looking for, working out the whys and what is required. "Within all that, there's character in there and, after all, footballers are human beings and there is always a time for everything, including smiles."
As one of a trio of assistants, McKinlay's role is slightly fluid, with Moyes using all three as a brains trust to ensure all his coaching, management, analytic and other bases are covered. The management team meet twice every day to discuss training, coaching, treatment, scouting and anything else that needs to be done, with Moyes deciding which of McKinlay, Irvine or Pearce are best suited to each individual role.
While the manager is most definitely in charge, there is also democracy in the coaches' room, with each encouraged to share their expertise and opinions when they see fit. "We're pretty intense and detailed at the training ground during the week, then on matchdays Alan sits up in the stand and communicates with me on the bench. "I see my role as, among other things, to say the right thing at the right time, when I need to say it, and get my message across appropriately. "I don't feel a necessity to have an opinion on everything, but I try to contribute to what we're trying to achieve in the best way possible. "We've got a lot of experience here and we all have contributions to make."
McKinlay's experiences have shaped his own coaching and management career, with the ups he has enjoyed and downs he has endured giving him a wide-ranging view of football and how the game works. While he might like to take back some of the decisions he has made, the straight-talking Scotsman is naturally optimistic and positive about the future. "Back at Fulham, I was fortunate that Chris Coleman, who I'd played with at Blackburn, gave me the opportunity to work there, which was a good start for me, then Ray Lewington came in as head of coaching and helped me so much. "What I always wanted was to be self-sufficient in my coaching and be able to coach to the best of my ability, and I was fortunate that Ray gave me his time and his knowledge in the early part of my career. Martin then gave me the opportunity to step up to the first team for two-and-a-half years. "I then managed Watford for a short period of time before having a brilliant year in Spain working under the boss, coaching and living abroad, which was terrific for me and a great learning period. "I worked under Michael with Northern Ireland and my biggest disappointment about going to Watford was that I gave up that job. "I had a spell in Norway which didn't go as well as I'd hoped, then came back to work here, back with the manager again. "I've been well-travelled and worked with some great people at some great clubs, and long may that trend continue."
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Joao Mario - From Lion to Iron
WHUFC.com
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Paolo Futre, Simao, Nani, Nuno Valente, Luis Boa Morte, Ricardo Queresma, Joao Moutinho, Miguel Veloso, Adrien Silva, William Carvalho, Cedric Soares, Eric Dier…
If West Ham United is England's Academy of Football, then Sporting Lisbon is Portugual's equivalent, producing some of the finest and most-decorated players in the country's history. One name missing from that list is that of Joao Mario, who spent 12 years with the Lions, man and boy, developing into the playmaker who was part of Portugal's greatest-ever success, winning UEFA Euro 2016.
As West Ham's youngsters take inspiration from seeing photographs of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole at the Club's historic Chadwell Heath training ground, the young Joao Mario was motivated by similar images of Ronaldo and Figo at the Academia Sporting, situated across the River Tagus from Lisbon in the town of Alcochete.
"I was playing for FC Porto until I was ten, then my Mum moved to Lisbon to work and live, so I moved there too and changed club to Sporting, where I stayed for 12 years," explained the 25-year-old, whose parents moved to Portugal from Angola before he was born. "Sporting is a great club in a city of two huge clubs, Sporting and Benfica. I was glad to play for the Green and Whites for so long. It was an honour and I learnt everything there, so I am thankful and grateful to Sporting for that. "Like West Ham, Sporting is a club which forms a lot of future stars for our national team, both today and in the past. It's really hard to reach the first team there, but I worked hard and I made it. "They give you every chance to prove your talent, so it's a really good club for young boys. Sporting have the eye to find the right players, then they have good coaches there who have the right mentality and vision for the young players, which is the most important thing. "When I was a kid, I guess Cristiano was my hero, as the year I joined Sporting was the year he moved to Manchester United, so his pictures were all around our Academy. He is my number one reference and now playing alongside him in the national team is amazing."
While Ronaldo's game is based on his athleticism and pace, as much as his technical ability, Joao Mario is a more traditional creative midfielder, slighter in build and more reliant on his touch than his strength or speed. When the pair combine, as they did at Euro 2016 in a team that also included Sporting Academy graduates Nani, Adrien Silva and William Carvalho, they can make for an unstoppable force. "In Portugal, we have an attacking mentality, so that's why we have so many technical ball players, so I guess that's the reason we have so many options up front for the national team."
While Ronaldo was an unbridled success during his six years in England, many of those names listed above did not make the same success of their time in the Premier League. Futre's knee problems restricted him to just a handful of appearances in Claret and Blue and, while Boa Morte won the title with Arsenal, injuries also affected his West Ham career. Joao Mario is determined that he will be remembered fondly for his appearances in Claret and Blue, regardless of whether or not his loan deal is made permanent in the summer. "I will try to do my best. It's important for me to show my quality in a West Ham shirt. I am glad to be here and I will give everything. "I have played in two Premier League games now, with different results, and I can see right away that the game is really fast and physical. "The intensity of the English game is high and that's good for me because it will add things to my game that I don't have yet. I'm happy to be playing at this level and will try to improve myself every time I go onto the pitch."
*A longer version of this interview appeared in Saturday's Official Programme for the visit of Watford, which you can order here!
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Ray: Hammers 'dominated' against Keynsham Town
WHUFC.com
Karen Ray is thrilled with how her West Ham United Ladies 'dominated' the play in the 7-0 victory over Keynsham Town on Sunday.
The Ladies booked their place in the FA WPL Plate semi-final thanks to a hat-trick from Amber Stobbs, two goals from Leanne Mabey, an early finish by Kelly Wealthall and a late own-goal by the away side.
It wasn't just the phenomenal attacking display that Ray took pride in, however. The clean-sheet was also worthy of a mention for the interim head coach, with the Hammers undefeated in their six matches in 2018.
"We controlled the game," Ray insisted. "It is key that we set the tempo and create chances. Today we showed we have depth in the squad as we made two changes to the starting line-up. The players still go the win and dominated the game throughout on our home turf, in front of our own fans.
"Of course, the score line is exciting and I am delighted that we managed to put seven goals away, some of which were extremely brilliantly crafted goals with poised finishes. We showed today that we have the ability to score a wide variety of goals and how clinical we can be at times.
"I think it's important to recognise that we are also keeping clean sheets at the moment. Dominating in attack is important but not conceding is vital. In the last six games, we have only conceded twice, and scored 23 times."
Stobbs's hat-trick, including a sensational second finish, takes the No10 up to 11 goals in all competitions this season, and Ray has hailed the effort and professionalism of the vice-captain both on and off the field.
She continued: "Amber is a very good player, and also a true leader. As our vice-captain, she lives like a professional and it is showing in her performances. The goals and assists she is bringing to games is down to her dedication, not only in training but off the pitch.
"She analyses training sessions and games, she does extra sessions, she gets adequate rest and recovery and she works very hard in training along with everyone else."
Ray does admit that, despite the vast scoreline, she still wants to see improvements in her side's performances, although is satisfied with how the team have been playing in recent contests.
"We weren't at our best today and, after last week's performance against Crystal Palace, we need to find our grit again. I want the girls to not only get a great score-line but to match that with a magical performance. "I am admittedly tough on the players, because my expectations are high. I know more than anyone what they are capable of because I see their commitment and hunger in training. They deserve full credit for the turnaround in results and deep down I am in awe of them."
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Browne delighted to get off the mark with Spurs goal
WHUFC.com
Marcus Browne enjoyed a 'great feeling' as his first goal of the season earned West Ham United's U23s an important point in Monday's London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. The Hammers twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Spurs in Premier League 2 at Dagenham's Chigwell Construction Stadium, though Terry Westley's men were on top for much of the contest. And Browne – skipper for the second consecutive U23 fixture – was at the heart of much of the hosts' dangerous attacking play, testing the keeper on a number of occasions himself before keeping his cool from the penalty spot with 20 minutes remaining to level the scores. Having bagged from 12 yards after Jahmal Hector-Ingram was fouled inside the penalty area, the forward recalled a memorable moment for himself. "Yeah it was a really good feeling," he said. "It always is to score, and even more so because it was my first of the season and I've been out injured for a while. "I couldn't dwell on it too much, though, because my goal made it 2-2 I was more focused on getting the game started again to try and push on to grab the winner.
"We played well, created lots of chances and probably could have won the game. But looking back on the goal, I'm really happy to have grabbed it and an assist as well. "I think we had more than enough chances to put the game to bed, but we didn't and it allowed them to stay in the game."
Browne has suffered with a number of injury problems this campaign – notably a back issue that kept him out until recently – but now feels as though he is beginning to approach his best. "I'm pleased with how far I've come physically in the last few weeks, for sure, and I'm starting to have a positive influence on games and make a mark," he explained. "I still don't feel like I'm at 100 per cent yet which, for me, means I have more to give which I see as a positive. But I'll continue working hard trying to get back to 100 per cent. "There's always a bit more responsibility being captain as well, which I have been in the last two, but I feel like I'm a natural leader in the team so it's a job I was willing to take on and confident in doing."
Browne impressed in last week's defeat to Sunderland, earning praise from manager Westley, and was a constant thorn in Spurs' side on Monday, showing up in pockets of space between the midfield and defence and causing Wayne Burnett's side problems. And the 20-year-old believes he is best suited to the No10 role, where he gets the chance to pick up the ball and drive at defenders from deep. "That's my favoured position, definitely," he concluded. "I try and make it as hard as possible for the opponents to deal with me and I try to get things going and get attacks started. "I feel like I did that in parts of the game. For me making being different and impacting the game and being an obvious influence is key for me. "But overall we felt hard done by coming away with a point considering the chances we had but we dust ourselves down and go again."
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Manning: It could have been even better against Spurs
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U23 coach Liam Manning believes it could have been an even better night for his side after they twice fought back after falling behind to draw 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur. It was the hosts who dominated the London derby clash in Dagenham, missing a number of opportunities in an end-to-end first half before nearly stealing all three points in a cagier second.
Nevertheless, it was still a point gained for the Hammers who went into the fixture looking to pick themselves up on the back of two defeats. Maiden strikes of the season from Domingos Quina and Marcus Browne earned the draw and with the team's performance, Manning thought they could have even gone on to nick it. He said: "We got off to a bad start after three minutes but after we completely got on top and controlled the game. We missed a lot of chances before then getting back into the game and they obviously got another one on the counter. "We're pleased with the point but with the chances we had, we would have liked to have won the game. "Spurs looked dangerous on the counter attack but we spoke about it at half time and I think you could tell; we were more solid and I don't really remember Nathan [Trott] making many saves. We looked the more likely. "I think we adapted to the difficult conditions better than they did and we'll take the point and we'd have liked the three but it is what it is."
Browne's equaliser – the Hammers' second – came from the penalty spot after sub Jahmal Hector-Ingram had been fouled, and the Premier League 2 side's assistant boss was delighted to see the captain – as well as Quina – get off the mark for the campaign. "The goal will hopefully give Marcus a boost going forward after he'd been out for a while, and his performances since he returned has been superb," Manning continued. "He will hopefully continue to look a threat and you give him a few more chances, he'll score those. "With Domingos, he's got to score or create goals and the fact he got in the box tonight is testament that he's taking it on board and learning from that. "We made the point to the players before the game about what a big game it was, that rivalry and ultimately we want to aspire to be better than them."It was a really good competitive game and our lads stood up to it and we really deserved at least a point."
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Hugill: Home debut was a big moment for me
WHUFC.com
Jordan Hugill will never forget the final moments of West Ham United's 2-0 victory over Watford on Saturday. The January signing was called from the bench to replace Chicharito and make his London Stadium bow as David Moyes' men secured a vital three points against the Hornets. Hugill loved the experience and says it has left him hungry for more as the east Londoners look for a strong finish to the campaign. "To get on for my home debut was a big moment for me, and getting the three points makes it even sweeter so it's a great day overall," he explained. "I was ready to come on at any time – as soon as it got into the second half I was thinking that I had a chance. To get the call was brilliant, it went like that but it was a brilliant experience to play in front of the fans. "I'm excited for the rest of the season. The boys were excellent all over the pitch, it was great to get the two goals and I'm sure the defenders will be happy with the clean sheet too. "It's always important to get points against the teams close to you in the table – you don't want them getting away from you so it was a good day to get the points."
Hugill says settling in with the Hammers hasn't been a problem at all due to the welcoming nature of the squad. He added: "Everyone's been really good to me, the players, staff, everybody. The lads have made it much easier for me to settle in because they're a good group. "I'm doing bits after training just to get myself prepared and ready for when I'm needed. When I get the call I'll be ready for it."
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MAKE NO MISTAKE DAVID MOYES WILL BE NEGOTIATING FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH WHEN CONTRACT TALKS START
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 12 FEBRUARY 2018 AT 9:30PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @farehamhammer
It is not all doom and gloom is it? A good performance in beating Watford 2-0. The transformation of Bambi on ice Angelo Ogbonna, too a top defender, is a miracle on par of when Jesus turned water into wine. I don't know what Moyes has done with Angelo on the training ground, but it certainly works. The Italian international has been turning in top class performances for some time now. It is nice seeing Hernandez's confidence ebb back into him, thanks to a couple of goals. Mario, although he faded, was skilful and showed great awareness of what was going on around him, certainly knows how to use space. Kouyate is also back to his best. In goal Adrian made a few sharp reflex saves, and his distribution was excellent. West Ham have always been at their best when they've got a talisman in the team. A player who is a bit special, one who can produce that bit of magic, to almost single handily win a game on their own. It's painful but I will say it: Payet, before that Benayoun, Tevez and Di Canio spring to mind.
Marko Arnautovic is certainly that type of player. Most that is good about West Ham's play, flows through Arnautovic. Pace, power, skilful and goals is what Arnie brings to the party. At 6.4 he is obviously difficult to knock off the ball, but what impresses me most is his quick feet, enabling him to beat people so easily. True, it was not a perfect performance, but the team is developing nicely under David Moyes. There is a unity between the manager and team, a far cry from the last few weeks of Bilic's reign. David Moyes has been up against it from the start, a poor unbalanced and paper-thin squad, lacking fitness in general. Not backed at all during the transfer window. But, make no mistake about it, Moyes is a tough tough cookie. Tougher than any managerial appointment Gold and Sullivan have ever made… and he has boxed The Chairman into a corner.
Moyes, is as skilful at manipulating the media as The Chairman are. At the beginning of the transfer window Moyes had this to say. "The squad is not big enough, we need midfielders". Sullivan said, "We are going to sign young players of 23, 25, 26 from places like South America "About a week later Moyes said: "We are looking to add quality, NO lucky dips". In other words, he told Sullivan: "If you can't get me a decent player, I will rather make do with what I have than have a bum of the month dumped on me" At a later press conference he said: "We have put bids in but none of them are near" Then a hint of phantom 'bids', "I have quickly discovered how things work at West Ham, we are linked to about thirty players" All the time subtly pointing fingers at The Board. Drip drip as a result the fans really turned on The Board. Moyes has beaten Gold and Sullivan, the ultimate media whores at their own game. Game set and match to the canny Scot.
You only have to see Sullivan's latest interview and statements to the written media, to realise that they would like Moyes to manage The Club for years to come. They are going to go all out to secure the Scot on a permanent deal. Once they do get around the table to discuss a new contract, Moyes will want full say over transfers and what his budget is, he will make sure everything is cast in stone. He will be calling the shots, it will either be his way or be gone as simple as that. The days of leaks, cheapies, freebies will be a thing of the past. How Gold and Sullivan react? Well they must know the game is up, the days of giving a manager 25m in the transfer window are gone. Sullivan subtly admits that in the interview: "We have not been 'ambitious' enough "I can see them giving Moyes between £50m-£70 million in the transfer window. Yes, it may not be 100m that some are demanding, but if you know what you are doing it will allow you to bring some quality in.
Whether one likes Gold and Sullivan or not, when they really want a player they get them. Payet, Hernandez and Arnautovic spring to mind. It will be up to them to deliver Moyes top targets, not third fourth or fifth targets. Granted you don't always succeed in doing so, but working in tandem with Moyes, I foresee a far better window than the last couple of years. When I listen to other fans moaning about their Clubs, I realise the big problems with ALL Club is expectations. Whether a Club can afford it or not fans want to see their Club competing with the top six Clubs. If someone says to me: "Where has the dough gone?" I can at least say: "Perhaps some is being put away in preparation to buying The London Stadium "Not feasible Fareham?" The pressure must be growing on Sadiq Khan to cut his losses and strike a deal. The tax payer is not going to fund The London Stadium forever. Try being a Southampton or a Liverpool supporter. The Saints are in the bottom three having sold Virgil van Dijk for £75m and only brought in on player for £16m. This has been the pattern at Saints for the last three years.
Big fears and questions on the South Coast, where the money has disappeared to. Same story at Liverpool, they sold Coutinho for £142m bought Van Dijk for 75m. Fans begged them to bring in a replacement for Coutinho, not a bloody chance, £100 million profit stayed in the bank. West Ham's support has always been a broad 'Church', different viewpoints and opinions, but at the same time extremely loyal with an intense passion for The Club. We have a real hunger for success and deserve success, I believe that is what we will achieve. At Everton, Moyes controlled every aspect at The Club-the virtual Godfather. That stood Everton in good stead. I can see him doing EXACTLY the same at West Ham! G&S the self-styled 'Messiahs'? The Godfather will sort them out! The rest of the season? Licking my lips at the prospect of seeing; Lanzini! Super Mario! Hernandez and Arnie on the same pitch. Flowing, inventive football on the deck? The West Ham way? Got it in one!
We are more than a football Club, we're a way of life!
COYI!!
Farehamhammer!!!
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Gold invited to anti-Board demo
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 13th February 2018
By: Staff Writer
David Gold has been offered the opportunity to speak to thousands of West Ham United supporters who intend to march against the Board next month.
The co-chairman, who has clearly been rocked by the level of support for next month's march responded to a message from organisers, the Real West Ham Fans Action Group in which it was suggested that the club had gone backwards under the ownership of Gold and partner David Sullivan. "10 years ago we owned our own stadium and everyone loved it," read a missive from the Group, posted on Monday morning. "10 years on our home has been knocked down and we now play in an athletics stadium that a lot of fans hate... progress at its finest."
Shortly before midnight last night (Monday), Gold responded to the tweet by claiming that West Ham United was on the verge of entering administration prior to his and Sullivan's intervention in 2010, when there were several parties interested in purchasing the club.
"Ten years ago the stadium was (for all intents and purposes) owned by the banks," he replied. "Just before we arrived the banks were demanding the club sell [Scott] Parker, [Robert] Green and [Carlton] Cole to pay down some of the debt, as the club had broke its covenant and was on the brink of administration."
And that response led to an open invitation from the organisers to Gold, who was asked to explain himself directly to the fans. "The fans want truthful honest answers," replied the Action Group. "This is our open invite for you to come and speak to the fans. Come and be a speaker at our march and tell the fans the truth."
Gold - who previously agreed to be interviewed by KUMB.com in 2010, but has rejected all attempts since to arrange it - is yet to confirm whether he will accept the Group's invite. West Ham fans will march in Stratford on 10 March.
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Moyes winning the 100 days war
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 13th February 2018
By: Paul Walker
There's revolution in the air and David Sullivan and his board are finding that it is coming at them from more than one direction.
There's the noisy revolution, the one planned for March 10 by the rank and file boys, the Real West Ham Fans Action Group, who won't be sidetracked by any amount of PR from Sullivan via his TalkSport puppet Jim White or the tame interview on the in-house West Ham TV, the one that didn't ask any tough questions.
But it's the other revolution, the quiet one that David Moyes has waged in his short time at the club, that may well have taken Sullivan by surprise.
It was 100 days in charge for the Scot this week, and it is this spell and the changes that have occurred in such a short space of time on the playing side that interests me most, rather than the excellent efforts of Andy Swallow and the boys (I think they can look after themselves nicely now).
They are getting the publicity, and as long as there is no trouble en route from Stratford Park to the LS, they'll get their message across just fine.
Sullivan and the club have been rattled by all this, more than a few minds have been concentrating on appeasing the fans (Saturday's programme content in particular) and answering some of their complaints. Sullivan has twice now appealed for unity, which I find faintly annoying.
There is a clear difference between the manager and the team, and the owners. I have never known our fans not to be united in support of the team, and the players generally. You only had to listen to the support on Saturday for the excellent win over Watford.
Frankly, if I never heard another word from Sullivan, David Gold and Karren Brady, that would be just fine, so stop trying to suggest that the fan base lacks unity when it comes to supporting our team.
It is what we are seeing from Moyes at the moment that certainly fills me with growing enthusiasm. Anyone who thinks he will not be manager next season has not been paying attention, which makes his interview with the frequently lubricated Alan Brazil on TalkSport a little irritating.
Brazil was on about Moyes leaving at the end of the season. Clearly he had not seen that suggestion shot down last week by the club and manager. Frankly even if we are relegated(three more wins please) I believe Moyes will ,and should, be given a long term contract.
So much has changed, or will be changed, already. And for me it was the words from both manager and chairman that Sully will be "standing aside" from transfer dealings in the future that really caught the attention. Blimey, the world and his wife have been telling control-freak Sullivan that for years but Moyes has sorted it in three months.
Of course everyone is saying nice things about each other, to save face. But it is clear that a lot of discussions have been going on behind the scenes, and now everyone is talking about changes in the football structure at the club for next season. So Moyes won't be here? Nonsense.
I sense that there has been a point recently, probably as the transfer window descended into chaos, that Moyes made it clear that if he stayed on, he would not tolerate any interference in transfers and selection of players from the board. Not negotiable. Just like it was when Moyes had Bill Kenwright as his chairman at Everton.
And the shock is that Sullivan has agreed. No doubt he has seen how Moyes has hauled a dysfunctional, disinterested squad up from the relegation zone to mid-table, the job is not done yet but Moyes' stamp is now on everything that Sullivan can see.
And the predicted Armageddon of relegation is drifting away, not quite gone but certainly allowing the board to breath easier. And maybe they can see that the sort of policies that saw Birmingham relegated twice from the Premier League under their tenure, and more than a few relegation battles at West Ham in their time, need to be addressed.
Handed over the to football professionals rather than part time 'director of football.' A proper, modern analysis system, massive video information, increased scouting, a new head of recruitment.
Honestly, why would any sane owner put himself into the firing line every transfer window when he can delegate to someone he trusts? That has always defeated me, Sully surely doesn't need the aggro, pressure and abuse on a twice yearly basis.
Moyes has more than steadied the ship. It was never going to be pretty, he was never going to be flamboyant and all over the back pages. He doesn't do anything else but functional, organised, methodical and calm problem saving.
We have gone unbeaten in five games at the LS for the first time. We have lost only one of nine matches there since he took over in November, conceding just seven. Gone are the days when we have to score three to get anything from a game, like it was under Slav's Kamikaze cavaliers.
Yes, I loved Slav and his style, but frequently the pack of cards on the pitch collapsed into disarray at the first sign of adversity.
We were being told we were the worst-coached side in the top flight, now Moyes has produced a team and plan that gives a passable impression of a Premier League team. We have lost just five of the 16 league games under Moyes' control, the players and fan can see a plan, and that was sadly lacking under Slav.
Sullivan can see a good thing when it smacks him in the face. There's too much cash at stake now for gambles.
So Sullivan is talking of "only the manager can sign players". Sully will "delegate the whole thing, players will be scouted five or six times". And the key point for me: "WE WON'T SIGN A PLAYER THE MANAGER HAS NEVER SEEN PLAY".
Just stop and take that in for a second. It presumably means we have been signing players the managers have not seen play. Heaven forbid. You can tell Moyes put his foot down during January when he remarked that ' we would not be doing things a certain way.'
There was friction, the 'dithering Dave' label was floated again, scandalous that really. That emerged at Manchester United when Moyes took time to make decisions as soon as he arrived and was hounded for it.
At Everton there was occasionally disquiet on the same lines… but the answer to that was (in no particular order Tim Cahill, Leighton Baines, Steven Pienaar, Phil Jagielka, Tim Howard, Phil Neville, Seamus Coleman, Kevin Kilbane, Stephen Naysmith, Andrew Johnson, Joseph Yobo, Kevin Mirallas… I could go on.
We would have accepted the majority of those signings, cheap but all a success. Moyes may dither, but he won't waste the club's money. And Sullivan knows a lot about that.
Moyes has re-aligned his ambitions. He admits to going to Old Trafford to give himself an easier chance to win trophies. Now he can see a project with us, and he insists he is happy to try to recreate the Everton policy, long term. What we need is careful planning, a structure and no more vanity signings. (Yes, I mean Joe Hart.)
Someone said to me last weekend that they would not be over-bothered if Moyes did go, but they really liked his backroom set-up. I think you don't get one without the other.
But there is so much more than has been happening quietly around this squad. About the first thing Moyes did was to stop the leaks or team news and injuries, something that played into opponents' hands and flooded every week leading up to a match.
Then there's the discipline. The axing of Michail Antonio for poor timekeeping could have backfired, but fortune favoured the brave and we beat West Brom and Antonio was in the office the following morning to apologise. Soon after he was saying how he wanted to play on the left, and on Saturday we saw him in that wing-back role creating the first goal. He needs to be fitter and stronger, but he's a beast to play against when he really fancies it.
We also have a plan. Three centre backs, Aaron Cresswell playing well as the left side of that trio, and Arthur Masuaku and now Antonio on the left. I don't believe Patrice Evra will be anything else but cover.
Adrian has been reinstated in goal, James Collins and Mark Noble are also back in favour. Marko Arnautovic is hungry again and moved to play through the middle to great effect. Moyes has found an effective role for Chicharito while Angelo Ogbonna and Cheikhou Kouyate are in their best form of the season.
Moyes has been moved to say this week that "maybe the players were looking for a change of attitude". Careful not to criticise the previous regime but he said what everyone is thinking. Players need direction, a plan they can see working and their roles defined. They are getting that now. And they are being worked hard on the training ground.
There have been some blips. Newcastle was a game we should have won, Brighton was a shambles again, and the cup ties seemed to be an inconvenience for Moyes, having been charged initially to just save our skins in the Premier League.
Moyes has also diligently shifted through the youth players, the ones everyone was crying out to be given a chance, and done just that. Declan Rice and Josh Cullen are the best of the bunch, and they are part of the squad.
I am not trying to paint too rosy a picture here, we have some tough games coming up that could seriously expose us again. But I am just trying to highlight the string of positive decisions that Moyes and his coaches have made, problems that have been around for a while, but ones that the Scot has tried to solve, one by one. There was an awful lot to do.
So while Moyes and the team have been living and playing in their own bubble, the chairman has been trying to placate the angry brigade. He's got enough on his hands with that, so why on earth would he want to touch a transfer again or interfere in the playing side?
Maybe, just maybe, he has started to learn how to delegate. And Moyes, needing to firmly re-establish himself in the top flight, has grasped the opportunity with open arms.
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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Keep the statue in Upton Park, say fans
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 13th February 2018
By: Staff Writer
A snap KUMB poll has resulted in around three-quarters or respondents voting in favour of keeping the Champions statue in Upton Park.
The statue, which features all three Hammers to represent England in the 1966 World Cup Final - Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and Everton's Ray Wilson - has been the subject of much discussion since West Ham United moves to Stratford in the summer of 2016.
And a snap poll taken on the KUMB Forum has seen 75 per cent of respondents voting to leave the statue on the junction of Green Street and Barking Road - with less than a quarter of fans believing the statue should be moved.
"Leave it, it belongs there," wrote KUMB member matthewbd. "Build a new one for the London Stadium. Moore, Hurst and Peters played in East Ham. Any sign that we used to play there has all but gone, so let's leave something."
However sutts07 believes that the statue should be close to where the team are playing. "Assuming our owners would never spend money on a new version, I'd actually prefer to see it over at Stratford now personally," he penned.
"I totally understand people wanting it to remain in the Upton Park area but for me, we have moved now and we are not going back. It'd give me that little feeling of pride in my stomach each time I walk past it on the way to the ground."
Meanwhile a number of businesses in Upton Park have clubbed together to produce a poster calling for the Champions statue to remain where it was initially installed.
Entitled 'Save our Statue', the poster - which you may see below - urges members of the public to write to Newham's Mayor, Sir Robin Wales in order to express their objection to any plans to move the statue. An online petition is also available.
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ANDY CARROLL: THE FORGOTTEN MAN?
By Tony Hanna 13 Feb 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Well, that three points takes a bit of the pressure off although wins for Huddersfield and Newcastle only helped to create more congestion again in the relegation battle. The 2-0 win against Watford was again a match of two halves. The performance in the first half should have seen us go clear as with a little luck the disallowed goal was so close to call it could have easily been given; there was a good penalty shout turned down and an Arnie miss which should have been buried. Add those to the goal we did score and the fact Watford created nothing it should have been game over, sit back and relax and watch us knock the ball around for the final 45 minutes. But we rarely do easy do we? Watford dominated the game in the second half albeit without really threatening but relief came when Arnie put the game to bed with minutes to spare. The other good news is that there were no new injuries and we saw starts for both Antonio and Arnautovic who have been sidelined recently.
Which brings me to an interview David Moyes did last week. When questioned about who was fit and not for the game against Watford he advised that Arnautovic had been training last week but Lanzini was still a week or two away. Fonte was training but lacked some match practice, Reid had a throat infection (which I took no notice of when I did my predictor – damn), and Obiang and Fernandes were both long term injuries. Notice anything? Obiang and Fernandes look certain to miss the rest of the season but Moyes still mentioned them. It might have been an over sight but there was no mention of Andy Carroll. It was a similar story two weeks ago when a match commentator reeled our list of injuries off – but forgot to mention Carroll. Physio room have Carroll down for a return in mid-April whilst some quarters suggest he may be out for the season but one thing is for sure – he certainly seems to be the forgotten player. In past seasons an injury to the big fella would have had us in crisis mode. Arnautovic is the man now and at last Chico is starting to work his socks off and score -the Moyes warning of you don't play unless you run seems to be hitting home at last.
But what of Andy? In the January window rumours abounded that Chelsea wanted to sign him until the news of his latest injury scuppered that quick smart. From what I can ascertain he has been on around 75 grand a week for some time, which in fact is about the same as what Patrice Evra is on! What seemed a lot of money a few seasons ago is pretty much average nowadays. Basically, his injury record has not put him in a position to demand a better deal. Andy Carroll joined on loan in August 2012 and I was there for the final game of the season against Reading when many fans sang "Andy Carroll, we want you to stay". I must admit it was not a song I sang but I sort of hoped he would sign a permanent deal. Well Andy did of course sign and five and a half years later we can look back on his career with a mixture of feelings, with frustration probably being at the top of most fans lists. He has averaged eighteen appearances and 5.3 goals per season and has not hit double figures in the premier League in six seasons. Aged 29 now and with just over one year of his contract left I have little doubt if Andy had been fit a few weeks ago our owners would have sold him to Chelsea or anyone else who may have been interested. Why not? There is no way he will get a contract extension and at the end of next season he is a free agent.
Sir Alf Ramsey once said of our own Martin Peters that he was a player ten years ahead of his time. He was referring to the Martin's vision on the field and his versatility. For me Andy is a player best suited to the game played 30-40 years ago. That is not to discredit the player, far from it, he would have loved playing in the seventies. The likes of Andy Gray and Joe Royle enjoyed great careers playing with a similar style and even in the nineties Duncan Ferguson did the same. Andy does have good feet and control, his hold up play is excellent and in the air there is no centre forward in the country better. But of course there are two big problems. One is his injury record and the other is that teams with Carroll in the side are almost forced to change their intended route to goal to accommodate him. When Brendan Rodgers took over at Liverpool in June 2012 he immediately saw that Andy did not fit the style of football he wanted to play and Sam Allardyce's West Ham was a perfect fit for the big man and a loan deal was quickly sorted.
It is not like it is a reoccurring injury that has blighted the player. There have been a plethora of different ones. If he misses the rest of this season his only Premier League goals of this campaign both came in the same match v West Brom. These two goals highlighted what a talent he could of, should have been. A towering leap with a bullet header followed by a side footed shot from an acute angle showing all the guile that belittles any thoughts that he is totally one dimensional. For further proof take a look at his goal against Crystal Palace last season in the video clip below. I am sure if another good offer came in for Andy Carroll in the summer window we would take it with relish. However, on what is now just an average wage at the club, if an offer was not forthcoming I would be happy to keep him if only as an impact player off the bench. What's your views and if Andy was to be sold off before playing for the Hammers again, how would you look back on his career?
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Few British coaches have amassed as many different experiences as West Ham United assistant Billy McKinlay. Still just 48, relatively young in the world of management, the Scot has coached an international team, Premier League players, scholars and young professionals, assisted and scouted in England and Spain and managed clubs in the Premier League and Norwegian top-flight. McKinlay has put together this impressive resume in the space of 13 years, having been appointed to his first role in coaching at Fulham by then-manager Chris Coleman in 2005. The former Dundee United, Blackburn Rovers and Scotland midfielder started out as a reserve-team player-coach at Craven Cottage before working his way up to the role of first-team coach under Dutchman Martin Jol.
In 2012, he also took on a part-time role assisting Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill, a man he had previously played alongside for four seasons at Tannadice. When Jol was sacked after a 3-0 defeat at West Ham United in December 2013, McKinlay departed with him, ending a ten-year association with the west London club. Undeterred, the Glaswegian moved to Watford in September 2014, serving as first-team coach under Oscar Garcia before replacing him a few days later due to the Spaniard's ill-health.
McKinlay was promoted to manager, leading the Hornets to a win, a draw and third in the Championship before being removed by Watford owner Gino Pozzo after just eight days in charge! Having given up his role with Northern Ireland, McKinlay found himself unemployed, before taking up his first coaching role under compatriot David Moyes at Real Sociedad in November 2014.
After a year in Spain, he took up his second managerial role, this time taking charge of Norwegian Tippeligaen club Stabaek, where he remained for seven months before being reunited with Moyes at Sunderland, where he worked as both a scout and coach until being following his boss to West Ham United last November.
Since then, the pair, alongside Alan Irvine, Stuart Pearce and Chris Woods, have worked morning, noon and night to improve the Hammers' fortunes – a role McKinlay told the Official Programme he has relished. "Personally, I've really enjoyed it, working with the staff, the boss and the players," he confirmed. "Everybody has been first-class with the way they have welcomed us in. "We've been working from Day One, having realised how big a club this is, and that's been reiterated to me on many occasions. "We've had some good results and some tough ones, but everyone is working hard and pushing in the right direction, so I can't thank everybody – the groundsmen, the chefs, the media team – enough for making me feel really welcome since we came in."
While training grounds are places full of banter and fun, they are also places of work, and McKinlay and his fellow coaches have been putting in long hours in an attempt to steer their new employers up the table. "There's plenty of work to be done. We need another shed-load of points to make sure we're safe, so we're under no illusions and everybody shares the same opinion about that. "The manager sets a great example with his work ethic. I've worked with him before, as have Alan and Chris, and we knew we would be putting in the hours and working with great intensity, so it's something we're used to and will continue to do that."
In a recent interview, Moyes praised McKinlay for his 'really good eye for a player', his meticulous approach and the 'light-hearted' personality he brings to the coaching staff. McKinlay himself is flattered by his manager's words. "As always, as coaches we are here to support the manager in any way he deems necessary and we've all got strengths. "One thing I don't like to do is talk about myself, but the manager has used some kind words there. "I'm keen to learn, keen to get involved in everything and have always tried to be logical with my work and methodical in how I analyse and approach things, even if it might not look like it at times because I'm a bit more light-hearted than some people. "I try to find solutions to what we're going to come up against, whether that be players or teams and what they do, and I like to be detailed in what I am looking for, working out the whys and what is required. "Within all that, there's character in there and, after all, footballers are human beings and there is always a time for everything, including smiles."
As one of a trio of assistants, McKinlay's role is slightly fluid, with Moyes using all three as a brains trust to ensure all his coaching, management, analytic and other bases are covered. The management team meet twice every day to discuss training, coaching, treatment, scouting and anything else that needs to be done, with Moyes deciding which of McKinlay, Irvine or Pearce are best suited to each individual role.
While the manager is most definitely in charge, there is also democracy in the coaches' room, with each encouraged to share their expertise and opinions when they see fit. "We're pretty intense and detailed at the training ground during the week, then on matchdays Alan sits up in the stand and communicates with me on the bench. "I see my role as, among other things, to say the right thing at the right time, when I need to say it, and get my message across appropriately. "I don't feel a necessity to have an opinion on everything, but I try to contribute to what we're trying to achieve in the best way possible. "We've got a lot of experience here and we all have contributions to make."
McKinlay's experiences have shaped his own coaching and management career, with the ups he has enjoyed and downs he has endured giving him a wide-ranging view of football and how the game works. While he might like to take back some of the decisions he has made, the straight-talking Scotsman is naturally optimistic and positive about the future. "Back at Fulham, I was fortunate that Chris Coleman, who I'd played with at Blackburn, gave me the opportunity to work there, which was a good start for me, then Ray Lewington came in as head of coaching and helped me so much. "What I always wanted was to be self-sufficient in my coaching and be able to coach to the best of my ability, and I was fortunate that Ray gave me his time and his knowledge in the early part of my career. Martin then gave me the opportunity to step up to the first team for two-and-a-half years. "I then managed Watford for a short period of time before having a brilliant year in Spain working under the boss, coaching and living abroad, which was terrific for me and a great learning period. "I worked under Michael with Northern Ireland and my biggest disappointment about going to Watford was that I gave up that job. "I had a spell in Norway which didn't go as well as I'd hoped, then came back to work here, back with the manager again. "I've been well-travelled and worked with some great people at some great clubs, and long may that trend continue."
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Joao Mario - From Lion to Iron
WHUFC.com
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Paolo Futre, Simao, Nani, Nuno Valente, Luis Boa Morte, Ricardo Queresma, Joao Moutinho, Miguel Veloso, Adrien Silva, William Carvalho, Cedric Soares, Eric Dier…
If West Ham United is England's Academy of Football, then Sporting Lisbon is Portugual's equivalent, producing some of the finest and most-decorated players in the country's history. One name missing from that list is that of Joao Mario, who spent 12 years with the Lions, man and boy, developing into the playmaker who was part of Portugal's greatest-ever success, winning UEFA Euro 2016.
As West Ham's youngsters take inspiration from seeing photographs of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole at the Club's historic Chadwell Heath training ground, the young Joao Mario was motivated by similar images of Ronaldo and Figo at the Academia Sporting, situated across the River Tagus from Lisbon in the town of Alcochete.
"I was playing for FC Porto until I was ten, then my Mum moved to Lisbon to work and live, so I moved there too and changed club to Sporting, where I stayed for 12 years," explained the 25-year-old, whose parents moved to Portugal from Angola before he was born. "Sporting is a great club in a city of two huge clubs, Sporting and Benfica. I was glad to play for the Green and Whites for so long. It was an honour and I learnt everything there, so I am thankful and grateful to Sporting for that. "Like West Ham, Sporting is a club which forms a lot of future stars for our national team, both today and in the past. It's really hard to reach the first team there, but I worked hard and I made it. "They give you every chance to prove your talent, so it's a really good club for young boys. Sporting have the eye to find the right players, then they have good coaches there who have the right mentality and vision for the young players, which is the most important thing. "When I was a kid, I guess Cristiano was my hero, as the year I joined Sporting was the year he moved to Manchester United, so his pictures were all around our Academy. He is my number one reference and now playing alongside him in the national team is amazing."
While Ronaldo's game is based on his athleticism and pace, as much as his technical ability, Joao Mario is a more traditional creative midfielder, slighter in build and more reliant on his touch than his strength or speed. When the pair combine, as they did at Euro 2016 in a team that also included Sporting Academy graduates Nani, Adrien Silva and William Carvalho, they can make for an unstoppable force. "In Portugal, we have an attacking mentality, so that's why we have so many technical ball players, so I guess that's the reason we have so many options up front for the national team."
While Ronaldo was an unbridled success during his six years in England, many of those names listed above did not make the same success of their time in the Premier League. Futre's knee problems restricted him to just a handful of appearances in Claret and Blue and, while Boa Morte won the title with Arsenal, injuries also affected his West Ham career. Joao Mario is determined that he will be remembered fondly for his appearances in Claret and Blue, regardless of whether or not his loan deal is made permanent in the summer. "I will try to do my best. It's important for me to show my quality in a West Ham shirt. I am glad to be here and I will give everything. "I have played in two Premier League games now, with different results, and I can see right away that the game is really fast and physical. "The intensity of the English game is high and that's good for me because it will add things to my game that I don't have yet. I'm happy to be playing at this level and will try to improve myself every time I go onto the pitch."
*A longer version of this interview appeared in Saturday's Official Programme for the visit of Watford, which you can order here!
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Ray: Hammers 'dominated' against Keynsham Town
WHUFC.com
Karen Ray is thrilled with how her West Ham United Ladies 'dominated' the play in the 7-0 victory over Keynsham Town on Sunday.
The Ladies booked their place in the FA WPL Plate semi-final thanks to a hat-trick from Amber Stobbs, two goals from Leanne Mabey, an early finish by Kelly Wealthall and a late own-goal by the away side.
It wasn't just the phenomenal attacking display that Ray took pride in, however. The clean-sheet was also worthy of a mention for the interim head coach, with the Hammers undefeated in their six matches in 2018.
"We controlled the game," Ray insisted. "It is key that we set the tempo and create chances. Today we showed we have depth in the squad as we made two changes to the starting line-up. The players still go the win and dominated the game throughout on our home turf, in front of our own fans.
"Of course, the score line is exciting and I am delighted that we managed to put seven goals away, some of which were extremely brilliantly crafted goals with poised finishes. We showed today that we have the ability to score a wide variety of goals and how clinical we can be at times.
"I think it's important to recognise that we are also keeping clean sheets at the moment. Dominating in attack is important but not conceding is vital. In the last six games, we have only conceded twice, and scored 23 times."
Stobbs's hat-trick, including a sensational second finish, takes the No10 up to 11 goals in all competitions this season, and Ray has hailed the effort and professionalism of the vice-captain both on and off the field.
She continued: "Amber is a very good player, and also a true leader. As our vice-captain, she lives like a professional and it is showing in her performances. The goals and assists she is bringing to games is down to her dedication, not only in training but off the pitch.
"She analyses training sessions and games, she does extra sessions, she gets adequate rest and recovery and she works very hard in training along with everyone else."
Ray does admit that, despite the vast scoreline, she still wants to see improvements in her side's performances, although is satisfied with how the team have been playing in recent contests.
"We weren't at our best today and, after last week's performance against Crystal Palace, we need to find our grit again. I want the girls to not only get a great score-line but to match that with a magical performance. "I am admittedly tough on the players, because my expectations are high. I know more than anyone what they are capable of because I see their commitment and hunger in training. They deserve full credit for the turnaround in results and deep down I am in awe of them."
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Browne delighted to get off the mark with Spurs goal
WHUFC.com
Marcus Browne enjoyed a 'great feeling' as his first goal of the season earned West Ham United's U23s an important point in Monday's London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. The Hammers twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Spurs in Premier League 2 at Dagenham's Chigwell Construction Stadium, though Terry Westley's men were on top for much of the contest. And Browne – skipper for the second consecutive U23 fixture – was at the heart of much of the hosts' dangerous attacking play, testing the keeper on a number of occasions himself before keeping his cool from the penalty spot with 20 minutes remaining to level the scores. Having bagged from 12 yards after Jahmal Hector-Ingram was fouled inside the penalty area, the forward recalled a memorable moment for himself. "Yeah it was a really good feeling," he said. "It always is to score, and even more so because it was my first of the season and I've been out injured for a while. "I couldn't dwell on it too much, though, because my goal made it 2-2 I was more focused on getting the game started again to try and push on to grab the winner.
"We played well, created lots of chances and probably could have won the game. But looking back on the goal, I'm really happy to have grabbed it and an assist as well. "I think we had more than enough chances to put the game to bed, but we didn't and it allowed them to stay in the game."
Browne has suffered with a number of injury problems this campaign – notably a back issue that kept him out until recently – but now feels as though he is beginning to approach his best. "I'm pleased with how far I've come physically in the last few weeks, for sure, and I'm starting to have a positive influence on games and make a mark," he explained. "I still don't feel like I'm at 100 per cent yet which, for me, means I have more to give which I see as a positive. But I'll continue working hard trying to get back to 100 per cent. "There's always a bit more responsibility being captain as well, which I have been in the last two, but I feel like I'm a natural leader in the team so it's a job I was willing to take on and confident in doing."
Browne impressed in last week's defeat to Sunderland, earning praise from manager Westley, and was a constant thorn in Spurs' side on Monday, showing up in pockets of space between the midfield and defence and causing Wayne Burnett's side problems. And the 20-year-old believes he is best suited to the No10 role, where he gets the chance to pick up the ball and drive at defenders from deep. "That's my favoured position, definitely," he concluded. "I try and make it as hard as possible for the opponents to deal with me and I try to get things going and get attacks started. "I feel like I did that in parts of the game. For me making being different and impacting the game and being an obvious influence is key for me. "But overall we felt hard done by coming away with a point considering the chances we had but we dust ourselves down and go again."
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Manning: It could have been even better against Spurs
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U23 coach Liam Manning believes it could have been an even better night for his side after they twice fought back after falling behind to draw 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur. It was the hosts who dominated the London derby clash in Dagenham, missing a number of opportunities in an end-to-end first half before nearly stealing all three points in a cagier second.
Nevertheless, it was still a point gained for the Hammers who went into the fixture looking to pick themselves up on the back of two defeats. Maiden strikes of the season from Domingos Quina and Marcus Browne earned the draw and with the team's performance, Manning thought they could have even gone on to nick it. He said: "We got off to a bad start after three minutes but after we completely got on top and controlled the game. We missed a lot of chances before then getting back into the game and they obviously got another one on the counter. "We're pleased with the point but with the chances we had, we would have liked to have won the game. "Spurs looked dangerous on the counter attack but we spoke about it at half time and I think you could tell; we were more solid and I don't really remember Nathan [Trott] making many saves. We looked the more likely. "I think we adapted to the difficult conditions better than they did and we'll take the point and we'd have liked the three but it is what it is."
Browne's equaliser – the Hammers' second – came from the penalty spot after sub Jahmal Hector-Ingram had been fouled, and the Premier League 2 side's assistant boss was delighted to see the captain – as well as Quina – get off the mark for the campaign. "The goal will hopefully give Marcus a boost going forward after he'd been out for a while, and his performances since he returned has been superb," Manning continued. "He will hopefully continue to look a threat and you give him a few more chances, he'll score those. "With Domingos, he's got to score or create goals and the fact he got in the box tonight is testament that he's taking it on board and learning from that. "We made the point to the players before the game about what a big game it was, that rivalry and ultimately we want to aspire to be better than them."It was a really good competitive game and our lads stood up to it and we really deserved at least a point."
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Hugill: Home debut was a big moment for me
WHUFC.com
Jordan Hugill will never forget the final moments of West Ham United's 2-0 victory over Watford on Saturday. The January signing was called from the bench to replace Chicharito and make his London Stadium bow as David Moyes' men secured a vital three points against the Hornets. Hugill loved the experience and says it has left him hungry for more as the east Londoners look for a strong finish to the campaign. "To get on for my home debut was a big moment for me, and getting the three points makes it even sweeter so it's a great day overall," he explained. "I was ready to come on at any time – as soon as it got into the second half I was thinking that I had a chance. To get the call was brilliant, it went like that but it was a brilliant experience to play in front of the fans. "I'm excited for the rest of the season. The boys were excellent all over the pitch, it was great to get the two goals and I'm sure the defenders will be happy with the clean sheet too. "It's always important to get points against the teams close to you in the table – you don't want them getting away from you so it was a good day to get the points."
Hugill says settling in with the Hammers hasn't been a problem at all due to the welcoming nature of the squad. He added: "Everyone's been really good to me, the players, staff, everybody. The lads have made it much easier for me to settle in because they're a good group. "I'm doing bits after training just to get myself prepared and ready for when I'm needed. When I get the call I'll be ready for it."
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MAKE NO MISTAKE DAVID MOYES WILL BE NEGOTIATING FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH WHEN CONTRACT TALKS START
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 12 FEBRUARY 2018 AT 9:30PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @farehamhammer
It is not all doom and gloom is it? A good performance in beating Watford 2-0. The transformation of Bambi on ice Angelo Ogbonna, too a top defender, is a miracle on par of when Jesus turned water into wine. I don't know what Moyes has done with Angelo on the training ground, but it certainly works. The Italian international has been turning in top class performances for some time now. It is nice seeing Hernandez's confidence ebb back into him, thanks to a couple of goals. Mario, although he faded, was skilful and showed great awareness of what was going on around him, certainly knows how to use space. Kouyate is also back to his best. In goal Adrian made a few sharp reflex saves, and his distribution was excellent. West Ham have always been at their best when they've got a talisman in the team. A player who is a bit special, one who can produce that bit of magic, to almost single handily win a game on their own. It's painful but I will say it: Payet, before that Benayoun, Tevez and Di Canio spring to mind.
Marko Arnautovic is certainly that type of player. Most that is good about West Ham's play, flows through Arnautovic. Pace, power, skilful and goals is what Arnie brings to the party. At 6.4 he is obviously difficult to knock off the ball, but what impresses me most is his quick feet, enabling him to beat people so easily. True, it was not a perfect performance, but the team is developing nicely under David Moyes. There is a unity between the manager and team, a far cry from the last few weeks of Bilic's reign. David Moyes has been up against it from the start, a poor unbalanced and paper-thin squad, lacking fitness in general. Not backed at all during the transfer window. But, make no mistake about it, Moyes is a tough tough cookie. Tougher than any managerial appointment Gold and Sullivan have ever made… and he has boxed The Chairman into a corner.
Moyes, is as skilful at manipulating the media as The Chairman are. At the beginning of the transfer window Moyes had this to say. "The squad is not big enough, we need midfielders". Sullivan said, "We are going to sign young players of 23, 25, 26 from places like South America "About a week later Moyes said: "We are looking to add quality, NO lucky dips". In other words, he told Sullivan: "If you can't get me a decent player, I will rather make do with what I have than have a bum of the month dumped on me" At a later press conference he said: "We have put bids in but none of them are near" Then a hint of phantom 'bids', "I have quickly discovered how things work at West Ham, we are linked to about thirty players" All the time subtly pointing fingers at The Board. Drip drip as a result the fans really turned on The Board. Moyes has beaten Gold and Sullivan, the ultimate media whores at their own game. Game set and match to the canny Scot.
You only have to see Sullivan's latest interview and statements to the written media, to realise that they would like Moyes to manage The Club for years to come. They are going to go all out to secure the Scot on a permanent deal. Once they do get around the table to discuss a new contract, Moyes will want full say over transfers and what his budget is, he will make sure everything is cast in stone. He will be calling the shots, it will either be his way or be gone as simple as that. The days of leaks, cheapies, freebies will be a thing of the past. How Gold and Sullivan react? Well they must know the game is up, the days of giving a manager 25m in the transfer window are gone. Sullivan subtly admits that in the interview: "We have not been 'ambitious' enough "I can see them giving Moyes between £50m-£70 million in the transfer window. Yes, it may not be 100m that some are demanding, but if you know what you are doing it will allow you to bring some quality in.
Whether one likes Gold and Sullivan or not, when they really want a player they get them. Payet, Hernandez and Arnautovic spring to mind. It will be up to them to deliver Moyes top targets, not third fourth or fifth targets. Granted you don't always succeed in doing so, but working in tandem with Moyes, I foresee a far better window than the last couple of years. When I listen to other fans moaning about their Clubs, I realise the big problems with ALL Club is expectations. Whether a Club can afford it or not fans want to see their Club competing with the top six Clubs. If someone says to me: "Where has the dough gone?" I can at least say: "Perhaps some is being put away in preparation to buying The London Stadium "Not feasible Fareham?" The pressure must be growing on Sadiq Khan to cut his losses and strike a deal. The tax payer is not going to fund The London Stadium forever. Try being a Southampton or a Liverpool supporter. The Saints are in the bottom three having sold Virgil van Dijk for £75m and only brought in on player for £16m. This has been the pattern at Saints for the last three years.
Big fears and questions on the South Coast, where the money has disappeared to. Same story at Liverpool, they sold Coutinho for £142m bought Van Dijk for 75m. Fans begged them to bring in a replacement for Coutinho, not a bloody chance, £100 million profit stayed in the bank. West Ham's support has always been a broad 'Church', different viewpoints and opinions, but at the same time extremely loyal with an intense passion for The Club. We have a real hunger for success and deserve success, I believe that is what we will achieve. At Everton, Moyes controlled every aspect at The Club-the virtual Godfather. That stood Everton in good stead. I can see him doing EXACTLY the same at West Ham! G&S the self-styled 'Messiahs'? The Godfather will sort them out! The rest of the season? Licking my lips at the prospect of seeing; Lanzini! Super Mario! Hernandez and Arnie on the same pitch. Flowing, inventive football on the deck? The West Ham way? Got it in one!
We are more than a football Club, we're a way of life!
COYI!!
Farehamhammer!!!
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Gold invited to anti-Board demo
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 13th February 2018
By: Staff Writer
David Gold has been offered the opportunity to speak to thousands of West Ham United supporters who intend to march against the Board next month.
The co-chairman, who has clearly been rocked by the level of support for next month's march responded to a message from organisers, the Real West Ham Fans Action Group in which it was suggested that the club had gone backwards under the ownership of Gold and partner David Sullivan. "10 years ago we owned our own stadium and everyone loved it," read a missive from the Group, posted on Monday morning. "10 years on our home has been knocked down and we now play in an athletics stadium that a lot of fans hate... progress at its finest."
Shortly before midnight last night (Monday), Gold responded to the tweet by claiming that West Ham United was on the verge of entering administration prior to his and Sullivan's intervention in 2010, when there were several parties interested in purchasing the club.
"Ten years ago the stadium was (for all intents and purposes) owned by the banks," he replied. "Just before we arrived the banks were demanding the club sell [Scott] Parker, [Robert] Green and [Carlton] Cole to pay down some of the debt, as the club had broke its covenant and was on the brink of administration."
And that response led to an open invitation from the organisers to Gold, who was asked to explain himself directly to the fans. "The fans want truthful honest answers," replied the Action Group. "This is our open invite for you to come and speak to the fans. Come and be a speaker at our march and tell the fans the truth."
Gold - who previously agreed to be interviewed by KUMB.com in 2010, but has rejected all attempts since to arrange it - is yet to confirm whether he will accept the Group's invite. West Ham fans will march in Stratford on 10 March.
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Moyes winning the 100 days war
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 13th February 2018
By: Paul Walker
There's revolution in the air and David Sullivan and his board are finding that it is coming at them from more than one direction.
There's the noisy revolution, the one planned for March 10 by the rank and file boys, the Real West Ham Fans Action Group, who won't be sidetracked by any amount of PR from Sullivan via his TalkSport puppet Jim White or the tame interview on the in-house West Ham TV, the one that didn't ask any tough questions.
But it's the other revolution, the quiet one that David Moyes has waged in his short time at the club, that may well have taken Sullivan by surprise.
It was 100 days in charge for the Scot this week, and it is this spell and the changes that have occurred in such a short space of time on the playing side that interests me most, rather than the excellent efforts of Andy Swallow and the boys (I think they can look after themselves nicely now).
They are getting the publicity, and as long as there is no trouble en route from Stratford Park to the LS, they'll get their message across just fine.
Sullivan and the club have been rattled by all this, more than a few minds have been concentrating on appeasing the fans (Saturday's programme content in particular) and answering some of their complaints. Sullivan has twice now appealed for unity, which I find faintly annoying.
There is a clear difference between the manager and the team, and the owners. I have never known our fans not to be united in support of the team, and the players generally. You only had to listen to the support on Saturday for the excellent win over Watford.
Frankly, if I never heard another word from Sullivan, David Gold and Karren Brady, that would be just fine, so stop trying to suggest that the fan base lacks unity when it comes to supporting our team.
It is what we are seeing from Moyes at the moment that certainly fills me with growing enthusiasm. Anyone who thinks he will not be manager next season has not been paying attention, which makes his interview with the frequently lubricated Alan Brazil on TalkSport a little irritating.
Brazil was on about Moyes leaving at the end of the season. Clearly he had not seen that suggestion shot down last week by the club and manager. Frankly even if we are relegated(three more wins please) I believe Moyes will ,and should, be given a long term contract.
So much has changed, or will be changed, already. And for me it was the words from both manager and chairman that Sully will be "standing aside" from transfer dealings in the future that really caught the attention. Blimey, the world and his wife have been telling control-freak Sullivan that for years but Moyes has sorted it in three months.
Of course everyone is saying nice things about each other, to save face. But it is clear that a lot of discussions have been going on behind the scenes, and now everyone is talking about changes in the football structure at the club for next season. So Moyes won't be here? Nonsense.
I sense that there has been a point recently, probably as the transfer window descended into chaos, that Moyes made it clear that if he stayed on, he would not tolerate any interference in transfers and selection of players from the board. Not negotiable. Just like it was when Moyes had Bill Kenwright as his chairman at Everton.
And the shock is that Sullivan has agreed. No doubt he has seen how Moyes has hauled a dysfunctional, disinterested squad up from the relegation zone to mid-table, the job is not done yet but Moyes' stamp is now on everything that Sullivan can see.
And the predicted Armageddon of relegation is drifting away, not quite gone but certainly allowing the board to breath easier. And maybe they can see that the sort of policies that saw Birmingham relegated twice from the Premier League under their tenure, and more than a few relegation battles at West Ham in their time, need to be addressed.
Handed over the to football professionals rather than part time 'director of football.' A proper, modern analysis system, massive video information, increased scouting, a new head of recruitment.
Honestly, why would any sane owner put himself into the firing line every transfer window when he can delegate to someone he trusts? That has always defeated me, Sully surely doesn't need the aggro, pressure and abuse on a twice yearly basis.
Moyes has more than steadied the ship. It was never going to be pretty, he was never going to be flamboyant and all over the back pages. He doesn't do anything else but functional, organised, methodical and calm problem saving.
We have gone unbeaten in five games at the LS for the first time. We have lost only one of nine matches there since he took over in November, conceding just seven. Gone are the days when we have to score three to get anything from a game, like it was under Slav's Kamikaze cavaliers.
Yes, I loved Slav and his style, but frequently the pack of cards on the pitch collapsed into disarray at the first sign of adversity.
We were being told we were the worst-coached side in the top flight, now Moyes has produced a team and plan that gives a passable impression of a Premier League team. We have lost just five of the 16 league games under Moyes' control, the players and fan can see a plan, and that was sadly lacking under Slav.
Sullivan can see a good thing when it smacks him in the face. There's too much cash at stake now for gambles.
So Sullivan is talking of "only the manager can sign players". Sully will "delegate the whole thing, players will be scouted five or six times". And the key point for me: "WE WON'T SIGN A PLAYER THE MANAGER HAS NEVER SEEN PLAY".
Just stop and take that in for a second. It presumably means we have been signing players the managers have not seen play. Heaven forbid. You can tell Moyes put his foot down during January when he remarked that ' we would not be doing things a certain way.'
There was friction, the 'dithering Dave' label was floated again, scandalous that really. That emerged at Manchester United when Moyes took time to make decisions as soon as he arrived and was hounded for it.
At Everton there was occasionally disquiet on the same lines… but the answer to that was (in no particular order Tim Cahill, Leighton Baines, Steven Pienaar, Phil Jagielka, Tim Howard, Phil Neville, Seamus Coleman, Kevin Kilbane, Stephen Naysmith, Andrew Johnson, Joseph Yobo, Kevin Mirallas… I could go on.
We would have accepted the majority of those signings, cheap but all a success. Moyes may dither, but he won't waste the club's money. And Sullivan knows a lot about that.
Moyes has re-aligned his ambitions. He admits to going to Old Trafford to give himself an easier chance to win trophies. Now he can see a project with us, and he insists he is happy to try to recreate the Everton policy, long term. What we need is careful planning, a structure and no more vanity signings. (Yes, I mean Joe Hart.)
Someone said to me last weekend that they would not be over-bothered if Moyes did go, but they really liked his backroom set-up. I think you don't get one without the other.
But there is so much more than has been happening quietly around this squad. About the first thing Moyes did was to stop the leaks or team news and injuries, something that played into opponents' hands and flooded every week leading up to a match.
Then there's the discipline. The axing of Michail Antonio for poor timekeeping could have backfired, but fortune favoured the brave and we beat West Brom and Antonio was in the office the following morning to apologise. Soon after he was saying how he wanted to play on the left, and on Saturday we saw him in that wing-back role creating the first goal. He needs to be fitter and stronger, but he's a beast to play against when he really fancies it.
We also have a plan. Three centre backs, Aaron Cresswell playing well as the left side of that trio, and Arthur Masuaku and now Antonio on the left. I don't believe Patrice Evra will be anything else but cover.
Adrian has been reinstated in goal, James Collins and Mark Noble are also back in favour. Marko Arnautovic is hungry again and moved to play through the middle to great effect. Moyes has found an effective role for Chicharito while Angelo Ogbonna and Cheikhou Kouyate are in their best form of the season.
Moyes has been moved to say this week that "maybe the players were looking for a change of attitude". Careful not to criticise the previous regime but he said what everyone is thinking. Players need direction, a plan they can see working and their roles defined. They are getting that now. And they are being worked hard on the training ground.
There have been some blips. Newcastle was a game we should have won, Brighton was a shambles again, and the cup ties seemed to be an inconvenience for Moyes, having been charged initially to just save our skins in the Premier League.
Moyes has also diligently shifted through the youth players, the ones everyone was crying out to be given a chance, and done just that. Declan Rice and Josh Cullen are the best of the bunch, and they are part of the squad.
I am not trying to paint too rosy a picture here, we have some tough games coming up that could seriously expose us again. But I am just trying to highlight the string of positive decisions that Moyes and his coaches have made, problems that have been around for a while, but ones that the Scot has tried to solve, one by one. There was an awful lot to do.
So while Moyes and the team have been living and playing in their own bubble, the chairman has been trying to placate the angry brigade. He's got enough on his hands with that, so why on earth would he want to touch a transfer again or interfere in the playing side?
Maybe, just maybe, he has started to learn how to delegate. And Moyes, needing to firmly re-establish himself in the top flight, has grasped the opportunity with open arms.
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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Keep the statue in Upton Park, say fans
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 13th February 2018
By: Staff Writer
A snap KUMB poll has resulted in around three-quarters or respondents voting in favour of keeping the Champions statue in Upton Park.
The statue, which features all three Hammers to represent England in the 1966 World Cup Final - Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and Everton's Ray Wilson - has been the subject of much discussion since West Ham United moves to Stratford in the summer of 2016.
And a snap poll taken on the KUMB Forum has seen 75 per cent of respondents voting to leave the statue on the junction of Green Street and Barking Road - with less than a quarter of fans believing the statue should be moved.
"Leave it, it belongs there," wrote KUMB member matthewbd. "Build a new one for the London Stadium. Moore, Hurst and Peters played in East Ham. Any sign that we used to play there has all but gone, so let's leave something."
However sutts07 believes that the statue should be close to where the team are playing. "Assuming our owners would never spend money on a new version, I'd actually prefer to see it over at Stratford now personally," he penned.
"I totally understand people wanting it to remain in the Upton Park area but for me, we have moved now and we are not going back. It'd give me that little feeling of pride in my stomach each time I walk past it on the way to the ground."
Meanwhile a number of businesses in Upton Park have clubbed together to produce a poster calling for the Champions statue to remain where it was initially installed.
Entitled 'Save our Statue', the poster - which you may see below - urges members of the public to write to Newham's Mayor, Sir Robin Wales in order to express their objection to any plans to move the statue. An online petition is also available.
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ANDY CARROLL: THE FORGOTTEN MAN?
By Tony Hanna 13 Feb 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Well, that three points takes a bit of the pressure off although wins for Huddersfield and Newcastle only helped to create more congestion again in the relegation battle. The 2-0 win against Watford was again a match of two halves. The performance in the first half should have seen us go clear as with a little luck the disallowed goal was so close to call it could have easily been given; there was a good penalty shout turned down and an Arnie miss which should have been buried. Add those to the goal we did score and the fact Watford created nothing it should have been game over, sit back and relax and watch us knock the ball around for the final 45 minutes. But we rarely do easy do we? Watford dominated the game in the second half albeit without really threatening but relief came when Arnie put the game to bed with minutes to spare. The other good news is that there were no new injuries and we saw starts for both Antonio and Arnautovic who have been sidelined recently.
Which brings me to an interview David Moyes did last week. When questioned about who was fit and not for the game against Watford he advised that Arnautovic had been training last week but Lanzini was still a week or two away. Fonte was training but lacked some match practice, Reid had a throat infection (which I took no notice of when I did my predictor – damn), and Obiang and Fernandes were both long term injuries. Notice anything? Obiang and Fernandes look certain to miss the rest of the season but Moyes still mentioned them. It might have been an over sight but there was no mention of Andy Carroll. It was a similar story two weeks ago when a match commentator reeled our list of injuries off – but forgot to mention Carroll. Physio room have Carroll down for a return in mid-April whilst some quarters suggest he may be out for the season but one thing is for sure – he certainly seems to be the forgotten player. In past seasons an injury to the big fella would have had us in crisis mode. Arnautovic is the man now and at last Chico is starting to work his socks off and score -the Moyes warning of you don't play unless you run seems to be hitting home at last.
But what of Andy? In the January window rumours abounded that Chelsea wanted to sign him until the news of his latest injury scuppered that quick smart. From what I can ascertain he has been on around 75 grand a week for some time, which in fact is about the same as what Patrice Evra is on! What seemed a lot of money a few seasons ago is pretty much average nowadays. Basically, his injury record has not put him in a position to demand a better deal. Andy Carroll joined on loan in August 2012 and I was there for the final game of the season against Reading when many fans sang "Andy Carroll, we want you to stay". I must admit it was not a song I sang but I sort of hoped he would sign a permanent deal. Well Andy did of course sign and five and a half years later we can look back on his career with a mixture of feelings, with frustration probably being at the top of most fans lists. He has averaged eighteen appearances and 5.3 goals per season and has not hit double figures in the premier League in six seasons. Aged 29 now and with just over one year of his contract left I have little doubt if Andy had been fit a few weeks ago our owners would have sold him to Chelsea or anyone else who may have been interested. Why not? There is no way he will get a contract extension and at the end of next season he is a free agent.
Sir Alf Ramsey once said of our own Martin Peters that he was a player ten years ahead of his time. He was referring to the Martin's vision on the field and his versatility. For me Andy is a player best suited to the game played 30-40 years ago. That is not to discredit the player, far from it, he would have loved playing in the seventies. The likes of Andy Gray and Joe Royle enjoyed great careers playing with a similar style and even in the nineties Duncan Ferguson did the same. Andy does have good feet and control, his hold up play is excellent and in the air there is no centre forward in the country better. But of course there are two big problems. One is his injury record and the other is that teams with Carroll in the side are almost forced to change their intended route to goal to accommodate him. When Brendan Rodgers took over at Liverpool in June 2012 he immediately saw that Andy did not fit the style of football he wanted to play and Sam Allardyce's West Ham was a perfect fit for the big man and a loan deal was quickly sorted.
It is not like it is a reoccurring injury that has blighted the player. There have been a plethora of different ones. If he misses the rest of this season his only Premier League goals of this campaign both came in the same match v West Brom. These two goals highlighted what a talent he could of, should have been. A towering leap with a bullet header followed by a side footed shot from an acute angle showing all the guile that belittles any thoughts that he is totally one dimensional. For further proof take a look at his goal against Crystal Palace last season in the video clip below. I am sure if another good offer came in for Andy Carroll in the summer window we would take it with relish. However, on what is now just an average wage at the club, if an offer was not forthcoming I would be happy to keep him if only as an impact player off the bench. What's your views and if Andy was to be sold off before playing for the Hammers again, how would you look back on his career?
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