Daily WHUFC News - 17th October 2014

Big Sam on: Burnley
WHUFC.com
The manager speaks to the media ahead of Saturday's game at Burnley
16.10.2014

Sam Allardyce faced the media on Thursday ahead of Saturday's Barclays
Premier League game at Burnley. The manager spoke of his desire to land
back-to-back wins for the first time this season and has challenged his side
to show a level of consistency

Is everyone back on time and in shape from the international break?

SA: "Yeah, the last one in was Enner, he came in last night. He's in for a
recovery session today we'll see how he gets on. It was good to see him
hitting the goal trail while he was away, hopefully he'll do the same
against Burnley. Obviously with the length of the travel and potential
fatigue we need to take extra caution, but he should be fine to play against
Burnley."

Have the owners indicated their happiness at the way the club is playing as
well as the results?

SA: "The owners have never questioned the style of play ever. They've never
said to me I have to change my style, it's a myth that they have. "They
want better results than last season, we all do. And we've started to do
that and we're playing well at the same time. We've recruited well over the
summer. But it's still early into the season, a truer reflection of a
squad's strength starts around 10 or 12 games. We're in a good moment so
far, I'm still disappointed our points total isn't higher than it is. We
should have more than ten, at least 13 or 14 for me. But all in all things
are looking good.

"The main thing for me on Saturday is to see whether the players have the
mentality to remain as consistent as they have been and to see if we can get
back to back wins for the first time this time this season. It'll be a tough
game as Burnley are a well-organised, extremely fit side who make life
difficult, even though they haven't won yet. It'll be a big mental test and
a good indicator of where we are."

Given the limited resources at Burnley, how difficult do you think Sean
Dyche's job is?

SA: "It's a very difficult job. These days the expectations are high and
pressure builds on managers very quickly. He's still looking for that first
win which is always difficult. But once that happens, the confidence builds
and a feelgood factor within the squad grows.
"Their last game they drew 2-2 away to Leicester with a late goal, which
probably felt like a win. They've struggled for goals but apart from that
they've done well to adapt to life in the Premier League."

Will Mark Noble be back, and if he is how big a boost will that be?

SA: "He's back in training this week so hopefully he'll be ready for the
weekend. Having him back will be huge for us as he's been fantastic for us
since my time here."

With new players such as Alex Song and Morgan Amalfitano, is it a given
players like Noble will come straight back in?

SA: "I don't know if it's a given, but these are the decisions you have to
make as a manager. Sometimes you have to disappoint players for benefit of
the team, you can't play everyone. My duty as manager is to make sure the
strongest team possible plays against Burnley against on Saturday."

What did you make of the whole situation surrounding Raheem Sterling asking
to sit the game out?

SA: "I think people haven't got enough to write about over the international
break so they make a big fuss about the Raheem Sterling thing. I think he's
done exactly the right thing if he's feeling fatigued.
"He's a very talented young man that you can't overuse. You have to consider
his situation. He's 19, he went to the World Cup in Brazil, then went on
Liverpool's pre-season tour of America and then comes back and starts the
season. So he's had very little time to rest and recover, most players have
a full six week break and he hasn't had that. It's not surprising that
fatigue has settled in physically and perhaps mentally as well.

How would you respond if a player came up to you and asked to sit a game out
through fatigue?

SA: "It completely depends on the player's situation. How old they are, are
they coming back from injury, have they had a busy schedule? There are so
many different things to take into account with each player.
"In Sterling's case he's been doing a marathon. Not only in the summer but
last season he was fantastic and Liverpool almost won the league. Without
the necessary time to recover it's not surprising. More players will
experience fatigue as the season goes on. Especially in December as there's
no winter break."

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Sakho targeting more success
WHUFC.com
Diafra Sakho will not rest on his laurels after making a fine start to life
in claret and blue
15.10.2014

Diafra Sakho is determined to keep on improving after making a dream start
to his West Ham United career. The 24-year-old was playing in the French
third tier just two years ago with FC Metz, but following back-to-back
promotions and a move to the Hammers, he has hit the ground running in the
Barclays Premier League with four goals in as many starts. Sakho always
backed himself to shine at his new Club, but even he has been taken slightly
aback at the pace at which he has adapted. He explained: "From the moment I
arrived I set myself targets. Personally, that was to get in the team. I
knew that I was going to score goals, but I didn't think it would happen so
quickly. "I came from Ligue 2 and I was voted Player of the Year and on
coming here people [there] told me that I wasn't up to playing in the
Premier League. That motivated me to want to come here and to prove to
everyone, that even having come from Ligue 2, I can still compete in the
Premier League. "Honestly, it's not been difficult [to settle in] and, when
I arrived, I already felt good - even before having played. It already felt
good in London. Now, that's also partly because of how well I've begun on
the pitch."

Part of Sakho's bright start has been the swift partnership he has struck up
with Enner Valencia, and he believes each other's game is well suited. He
continued: "I train with Enner just as I train with everyone else. We're
trying to be in sync with one another. "Enner is a much more technical
player than I am, Me, I'm better suited to individual battles, to breaking
the lines and getting defenders running back toward their own goal. Enner is
more someone who likes to be in possession of the football. And so we
complement one another. "It's far too early to say what heights we can reach
as a team. We know that the club targets are already set, but in relation to
us as players in the here and now, it's to be among the top ten. If we can
do better, then better still for us and for everyone. We've got a lot of
quality, individual and collectively and so we've got to put it in to
progress and to aim high."

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Six of the Best - Burnley
WHUFC.com
whufc.com begins the countdown to Saturday's game at Burnley by recalling
six classic victories
16.10.2014

West Ham United travel to Burnley on Saturday for their first Barclays
Premier League game at Turf Moor since February 2010.
In our regular Six of the Best feature, we look back at the last six West
Ham wins at Burnley's home..

Burnley 0-2 West Ham United
Capital One Cup Round Four
29 October 2013
The Hammers may not have played at Burnley since 2010 in the league, but
last season did bring a trip to the Clarets in the form of a Capital One Cup
fourth round tie. Having played at Swansea less than 72 hours previously,
Sam Allardyce made nine changes to his team for this game, and it was
Burnley who made the better start. But West Ham held firm and improved as
the game went on, winning the tie with two penalties in the final 14
minutes. Matt Taylor netted the first, following a foul on Kevin Nolan by
Jason Shackell, then Jack Collison wrapped up the victory after picking
himself up from a foul by Keith Treacy.

Burnley 0-1 West Ham United
Championship
5 April 2005
Teddy Sheringham scored the only goal of the game when the Hammers last
triumphed at Turf Moor in the league. Both clubs were in the Championship at
this juncture and a crowd of 12,209 gathered at Burnley for the game, which
wasn't settled until the final seven minutes when Sheringham was set up by
Marlon Harewood to drill home. This victory, the Hammers' second 1-0 win
over Burnley of the season, kept West Ham seventh in the table. They would
eventually finish sixth and gain promotion to the Premier League by
defeating Preston North End in the Play-Off final.

Burnley 0-2 West Ham United
League Cup Second Round First Leg
26 August 1980
West Ham were in the Second Division when they took on Burnley. of Division
Three, in the second round of the League Cup in the 1980/81 season. The
Londoners would progress with no drama, helped by this comfortable first leg
victory. Paul Goddard and Trevor Brooking were the men on target as the
Hammers sealed a 2-0 success, before going on to win 4-0 at the Boleyn
Ground a week later. West Ham would go on to reach the final of the League
Cup that season, beating Charlton Athletic, Barnsley, Tottenham Hotspur and
Coventry City, before losing to Liverpool after a replay - meaning the wait
for their first triumph in this competiton would go on.

Burnley 0-1 West Ham United
Division Two
19 February 1980
Turf Moor proved to be a happy hunting ground for the Hammers in 1980, as a
league visit in February brought them maximum points.
The Clarets were on their way to relegation, while West Ham were challenging
at the other end of the table, and Alan Devonshire's goal kept up the status
quo. Burnley ended the camapign in 21st and suffered the pain of demotion to
the third tier, while West Ham would finish in seventh, six points shy of
promotion.

Burnley 3-5 West Ham United
Division One
28 September 1974
The Hammers' highest-scoring victory over Burnley came back in September
1974, after the Londoners had the better of an eight-goal thriller. The
Clarets were on target three times, but it would count for nothing as West
Ham showed the greater firepower on the day.
Four different scorers were on target, as Keith Robson's double was added to
by Trevor Brooking, Billy Jennings and Billy Bonds. This was a mid-table
campaign for the Hammers, who ended in 13th, while Burnley were three places
and six points better off.

Burnley 1-3 West Ham United
FA Cup Third Round
27 January 1968
Martin Peters enjoyed a goal-laden 1967/68 season, with 18 goals to his
credit by the season's end - and two of those helped see off Burnley in the
FA Cup third round. This was an all-top flight clash, and although Burnley
held West Ham to a 3-3 draw in the league clash at Turf Moor, they were less
proflic on this occasion. West Ham repeated the feat of scoring three goals,
with Peters' brace being added to by Brian Dear, as Burnley's one in reply
counted for little. The Hammers would go on to beat Stoke City in the fourth
round, before their FA Cup run was ended by Sheffield United.

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'U21s must learn from Euro loss'
WHUFC.com
Nick Haycock said his Development Squad must learn from the 5-3 defeat by
Bilbao
15.10.2014

Development Squad manager Nick Haycock said his team must learn quickly from
their mistakes after they slipped to a 5-3 home defeat to Spanish side
Athletic Club Bilbao. Defensive errors cost the Dev Squad dearly,
particularly in the first half as they fell 3-1 behind at half-time. The
Hammers rallied in the second half with goals from Elliot Lee and Kieran
Bywater keeping them in it yet the Spaniards ran out deserved winners.

Speaking after the game, Haycock said: "I'm disappointed, I've just said to
the boys in the dressing room if you score three goals that usually wins you
a football match. But tonight we needed to score six and it doesn't happen
at this level.
"We don't want to take anything away from Bilbao Athletic because they are a
good side - a B team playing in the Spanish league. They're more experienced
than we were but that's what the development process is about. It's about
challenging young players at higher levels and seeing if they can cope."

With regular U21 players such as Reece Burke and Reece Oxford unavailable,
Haycock fielded a youthful side with five U18s in the squad.
"Obviously we've made five changes and given some their debut at this level.
Some of the boys have been doing well for Steve in the U18s. I'm not sure
some of the experienced players did enough tonight. If you look at the
manner of the goals we conceded it was football suicide. "It was a learning
curve for them. I thought four of the five goals were easily avoidable and I
think we have to defend better as a team. The young lads coming in will
learn that you get punished when you lose the ball high up the field.
"They'll also learn that if they make sloppy errors or don't concentrate for
95 minutes, the players at this level will punish you. The next step for
every player out there tonight is pushing into the first team of the club
they're at. Consistency and reliability is what's needed as a professional
footballer first and foremost. If they've got flashes of brilliance you take
that as an added."

First team manager Sam Allardyce was watching on, as well as assistant
manager Neil McDonald and Academy manager Terry Westley. Haycock continued
to highlight the positives of his team's display: "I think the team showed
fight, we got back in it at 3-2 down and had some control of the game. "We
need to be able to do that from the start of games, not just after we've
scored. Any manager will tell you that football's about good players. And
good players have to take what the coaches have said onto the pitch with
them. "Equally, if things aren't quite working, the bright players need to
tuck each other into position. When Kevin Nolan played against Sunderland,
one thing he did was tell the players around him where they should be. And I
think we need a bit more of that in the team. As they're young, it makes it
slightly more difficult, but that's the demands we're placing on them."

The Development Squad's next game is another tough match against Manchester
United on Friday 24 October at Rush Green. "It'll be a tough game. Under
Louis van Gaal they've played some strong U21 sides. He's also given some
young players a chance in the first team. "They'll be experienced and
strong. We've qualified to be in this league, we've qualified to be in this
European tournament. These are the games that we want to play in. At the end
of the day, yes we're disappointed with the defeat, but we have to look at
it as a learning curve.
"There was good things and bad things tonight. We'll take the good things
and learn from the bad, to make sure we get rid of them as soon as
possible."

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Knoyle enjoys Euro experience
WHUFC.com
Development Squad's Kyle Knolye is relishing more European nights at the
Boleyn Ground
16.10.2014

Development Squad defender Kyle Knolye has been in good form for the Dev
Squad this season and the youngster put in another good performance despite
losing 5-3 to Bilbao Athletic. The Dev Squad made life difficult for
themselves as they conceded in the second minute following some sloppy
defending. The Hammers equalised through Matthias Fanimo's deflcted shot,
however the visitors stormed to a 3-1 lead at half-time. Nick Haycock's men
rallied in the second half as Elliot Lee's 77 minute goal brought them back
into the game. The exciting match had a thrilling finale as three goals were
scored in as many minutes, including a wonderful strike by Kieran Bywater to
leave the score 5-3.

Speaking after the game, Knoyle said: "It was a good experience playing
against European opposition, but I don't think we started the game well
enough. That then set the tone for the rest of the game, we suffered from
individual errors too. We got back into the game but it wasn't enough."

The Hammers faced Athletic Bilbao in their first game of the Barclays
Premier League International Cup and Knoyle compared the difference between
the Spanish giants and the Hammers' regular Premier League opponents. "They
were good, a typical Spanish side they were good in possession, more
technical than other teams we've played against. Other sides are more
physical, Sunderland last week were much more physical. The England U18
international has enjoyed a run of three consecutive games in the U21s,
putting in impressive displays in each.
"I think I did my job quite well, defensively I was pretty solid but I know
I can improve. I let a cross come in which I'm disappointed with. Attacking
wise, I could have done better, my final ball needs to be better but I'll
work on that in training. "Last season as first year scholar I made nine U21
appearances so as a second year it's been a bit easier. Over the summer I
worked on my physicality, I'm feeling stronger and quicker. As a result the
games are easier for me."

The Dev Squad's next match is a tough encounter with Manchester United on
Friday 24 November at Rush Green: "Manchester United are great opposition,
they have a lot of great players. Luke Shaw and Adnan Januzaj have played
for the U21s this season. Whoever plays for them next week, we know they'll
be good players and it'll be a tough game."

The Dev Squad's next European fixture is against PSV Eindhoven at the Boleyn
Ground on Wednesday 19 November, followed by Fulham on Monday 8 December at
Rush Green.

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PDC on TV
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 16th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Hammers favourite Paolo DI Canio returns to our TV screens this weekend as
star guest for Sky's Goal on Sunday programme. Di Canio, who has been out of
football since leaving Sunderland a year ago last month will join Chris
Kamara and Ben Shepherd - a West Ham supporter and former guest of the KUMB
Podcast - on the studio sofa this Sunday morning to discuss the weekend's
Premier League action. The 46-year-old, who spent four years at West Ham -
during which he produced arguably the finest football of a long and eventful
career - has been unable to find work in management since being fired by the
Black Cats just five games into the 2013/14 season. Most recently Di Canio
applied unsuccessfully for the vacant position at Championship strugglers
Bolton Wanderers - a role that eventually went to former Celtic manager Neil
Lennon. He has also been linked with vacancies at Scunthorpe and Celtic
recently, having declared in May that he was ready to return to management.
"I'm available, I'm ready," he said. "I've had time to think abou) what's
happened in the past and I have a more positive opinion about my
philosophy."

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Taylor to miss reunion
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 16th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Matt Taylor will not feature against West Ham for Burnley on Saturday after
it was confirmed the veteran midfielder requires surgery on a troublesome
Achilles. Oxford-born Taylor, who left the Hammers at the end of last season
on a free transfer joined the newly-promoted Clarets at the beginning of
July. However he made just four appearances for his latest club before
complaining of a mystery ankle injury, which will require medical attention;
Burnley confirmed today he will be "out for the foreseeable future". However
there is better news for Sean Dyche and his team as they prepare to host
West Ham at Turf Moor tomorrow afternoon with last season's leading
goalscorer Danny Ings and David Jones both deemed fit to play this weekend.
Meanwhile the trio of Kieran Trippier, Michael Keane and the
on-loan-from-Chelsea Nathaniel Chalobah all face late fitness tests, whilst
Dean Marney is "touch and go".

Taylor was signed by Sam Allardyce from former club Bolton for £2.2million
in July 2011 following West Ham's relegation from the Premier League. He
spent three season at the Boleyn Ground making 90 appearances for the club.

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Sam slams attacking myth
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 16th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce has refuted the notion that he was ordered him to play a more
attacking brand of football by the club's board during the summer. Since
Allardyce's immediate future at the club was guaranteed following a board
meeting in May, it has been heavily-speculated that one of the conditions of
his continued employment was to deliver a more entertaining style of play.
Although this was never directly confirmed by the board, it was almost
universally accepted by fans as the football on offer this seaosn has
improved dramatically, with West Ham going into this weekend's trip to
Burnley in seventh place in the Premier League. However Allardyce, speaking
to the press this morning ahead of Saturday's visit to Turf Moor, denied
that this was ever the case - insisting that a successful recruitment
programme was the main factor in the squad's improved form. "The owners have
never questioned the style of play, ever," he said. "They've never said to
me I have to change my style, it's a myth. "They want better results than
last season, we all do. We've started to do that and we're playing well at
the same time. We've recruited well over the summer but it's still early in
the season. A truer reflection of a squad's strength starts around ten or 12
games."

Although he has received plaudits from some quarters (and grudging
acceptance from others) already this season - and is generally happy with
the way his team is playing - Allardyce believes that club's return of 10
points from seven games isn't quite as high as it should be. "I'm still
disappointed our points total isn't higher," he added. "We should have more
than ten, at least 13 or 14 for me. But all in all things are looking good.
"The main thing for me on Saturday is to see whether the players have the
mentality to remain as consistent as they have been and to see if we can get
back to back wins for the first time this time this season. "It'll be a
tough game as Burnley are a well-organised, extremely fit side who make life
difficult, even though they haven't won yet. It'll be a big mental test and
a good indicator of where we are."

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Sam Allardyce ready for selection headache when injured West Ham players
return
Last Updated: 16/10/14 2:47pm
0


West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has defended Raheem Sterling The Liverpool
youngster told Roy Hodgson he was too tired to start England's match against
Esto

Sam Allardyce: Looking forward to getting some influential players back from
injury
Sam Allardyce has warned his West Ham side their recent impressive form will
not protect them from being dropped when key players return from injury.
SSN

Mark Noble is close to a return for the Hammers and could be available for
the weekend trip to Burnley after recovering from a calf injury, while
skipper Kevin Nolan (dislocated shoulder) and Andy Carroll (ankle) are both
working their way back to full fitness after extended periods out.Matt
Jarvis and James Collins have also been sidelined with niggling problems,
but Allardyce's side have made an encouraging start to the season - sitting
seventh in the Premier League - and he is looking forward to any potential
selection headaches.

Decisions

"I don't know whether it's a given or not," Allardyce said, when asked if
his injured players would come straight back in. "The sooner you get all
your players fit the bigger decisions you have to make as a manager. That
puts you in a better position, even though those decisions are big ones,
because you are going to start disappointing players on a more regular
basis. "The challenge for me is to make sure I pick the right team and
formation in the game and how you are going to play against the opposition.
"When you have a full squad to choose from then you have to make big
decisions and you have to disappoint people if they are all fit. That's what
they have to accept.
"If we all want to do better - even though you are disappointed if you
aren't selected - then you have to accept it and wait for your time to go in
and make sure you play at your best so it's very difficult for me to leave
you out."

West Ham are yet to record successive Premier League wins this season and it
is consistency that Allardyce is hoping will come in time.

Consistency

"I just want to see on Saturday if the players have the mentality to show
the same consistency as they have and whether they have got the right desire
and determination to win back-to-back football matches for the first time
this season," he added. "That is their first test against a Burnley side
that are undoubtedly well-organised and make things very difficult, even if
they have not won a game yet. "Somewhere along the line they are going to
win a game very shortly and we have got to make sure it is not against us."

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Goals on Sunday preview: Former Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio is on
Last Updated: 16/10/14 3:44pm
SSN
Goals on Sunday: 10.30am, Sunday, Sky Sports 1

Paolo di Canio joins Ben Shephard and Chris Kamara on this week's Goals on
Sunday. The Italian had an action-packed six months in charge of Sunderland
in 2013 - Di Canio saved the club from Premier League relegation after
replacing Martin O'Neill in March that year but, after signing 14 players in
the summer, was sacked five games into the next campaign amid talk of
dressing-room unrest. We'll quiz Di Canio about his time with the Black
Cats, ask him what went wrong and see what his managerial plans for the
future are. The former forward will also look back on his successful – but
sometimes controversial – spells in the Premier League as a player with
Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham and Charlton and discuss the top flight's
current crop of talent. Di Canio will be on hand to offer some expert
analysis on the best of Saturday's action, too. We'll bring you highlights
and views on the Premier League clashes, including Crystal Palace v Chelsea
and Everton v Aston Villa, plus the best bits from the Championship and
Scottish Premiership.

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OH CARROLL!
By Bianca Westwood 16 Oct 2014 at 08:00
West Ham till I Die

Finally! A return to normality. Something has been missing from my life for
too long. There's been a big football-shaped void chez Westwood. My
existence without a full fixture list just isn't the same. I don't like
weekends with no Saturday Night Football, Match of the Day, Football First,
Super Sunday or Monday Night Football! Yes I love England. I'm as patriotic
as the next (wo)man. I do support our national team. Despite the constant
let-downs and inherent feelings of dismay and crushing doom during major
tournaments, there is always the distant but distinct hope I manage to cling
to that one day we'll over achieve and reach a semi final once again. What
can I say I'm an eternal optimist! Fair play to the hordes who made up the
numbers at Wembley too. It was a record lowest-ever attendance since the new
stadium was built but I think 55,990 fans showing up to watch a
less-than-convincing rout of San Marino is pretty good going. St.George
would have been so proud.

I enjoy lower league football too. I watched a bit of Dagenham v Leyton
Orient in the JPT last week and I covered Colchester v Fleetwood on
Saturday's show. Both decent enough games and I saw some great goals from
Jay Simpson and Gavin Massey, worthy of any top flight team. So I got my
necessary football fix. But I'm super HAPPY when the international break is
over!! It's the weirdest week when the qualifiers or the friendlies are in
town. It kind of feels like the last day of term when you took your Connect
Four into school before you broke up for the holidays. It's surreal. It just
doesn't feel right!

So we now have the mouth-watering prospect of the claret and blue versus the
claret and blue to look forward to this weekend and, as we're all still
riding on the "West Ham are surprisingly good" express, I'm predicting a
triumphant performance from our boys at Turf Moor. I know Burnley are
steadily improving and will be emboldened by the point they won at the King
Power but they're still without a league win and I feel we'll be too strong
for them.

It must have been a quiet week because the Andy Carroll headlines cropped up
yet again. Reports of his imminent return to the North East were splashed
all over the back pages and I often wonder who starts these rumours. Does
Johnny Journo pluck these stories out of thin air or is there a genuine
interest from either side for Carroll to re-enlist with the Toon Army? I
know Newcastle are struggling but are they desperate enough to take a giant
risk on an injury-prone player on a rumoured 100k per week? Even if he is a
talismanic Geordie anti-hero. I guess the January transfer window will
provide the answer to that question but I can't see it myself. Plus I don't
think Carroll wants to go anywhere. I've not spoken to the lad and,
annoyingly, Soccer Saturday has never been given interview access to him
either so I can't say I'm writing this from a well-informed standpoint. I
just don't think he'll leave. Do you?

He's said this week in the London Evening Standard that he's keen to stay to
fight for his place in the team. I hope he's got his gloves ready because
he's going to need to go a few rounds. He's got some serious competition
what with Sakho breaking Hammers records in his debut season & Enner
Valencia knocking them in for club and country. It's going to take one hell
of an effort for the big man to regain a regular slot in the first eleven.

I was happy when we signed him on a permanent deal but I wasn't impressed
with the naivety shown by not signing him a strike partner. Carroll was
staggeringly unfortunate in more ways than one. I interviewed Peter Crouch
this week and he voiced his frustrations at often being isolated in his role
as the lone target man for Stoke last season. Service and delivery is key
and with the signings of Mame Diouf and Victor Moses there has been pace
added to the Potters, they break quickly and are dangerous on the counter.
Crouch is now reaping the rewards and will probably reach the 100 Premier
League Goals club well before May.

I can't imagine Carroll will become a member anytime soon but it was a
strikingly similar situation for him last season. When he was fit to play he
scored 2 goals in 16 appearances. Lump it to the big lump and hope for the
best. We were a one-trick pony team with a one trick pony-tailed striker and
we got rumbled rapidly. The situation now couldn't be more different. The
hooves are off!

Carroll's time at Upton Park has largely been a disaster but I still think
he can be a real asset to us and it gives Allardyce further attacking
options. We all know what he's capable of when fit. He's an absolute
powerhouse who, on his day, can terrorise defences. Ok he has cost West Ham
a substantial amount of cash for very little reward so far but for my money
(as insignificant an amount that may be) I believe he would relish the
chance to repay the club that looked after him during his injury woes in the
best way possible. By scoring goals. With the players he'll now have around
him, the potency and diversity of our attack would penetrate any Premier
League defence.

I'd love to see him finally fulfill his potential with us. He's still only
25 and he now has a huge point to prove. He's an expensive impact player but
if he has a successful remainder of the season that will benefit the team on
the pitch and hopefully boost his price tag off it.

Whether he will spearhead a three man frontline or start from the bench, the
role he'll play going forward (literally) is a subject for much debate. I'm
interested to hear how you all feel about our unlucky marksman. He still
harbours hopes of a return to the England set up but, if he does ever get
that chance again, it's a long, long, long way off. There'll be few more
boring international breaks for us to endure yet!

Come on you Irons!

B x

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Sam's "it's a myth" claims knocked down!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Sam Allardyce's claims that West Ham's owners never told him to change the
way West Ham played were tonight dubbed "rewriting the script." Allardyce
declared in his morning press conference ahead of the clash with Burnley:
"The owners have never questioned the style of play ever. They've never said
to me I have to change my style, it's a myth that they have. "They want
better results than last season, we all do. And we've started to do that and
we're playing well at the same time." But tonight a very well placed insider
told ClaretandHugh said the the remarks were a little bizarre given that is
is "well known everywhere that was a big point at the end of season review
meeting. He said: "Sam accepted the board's decision to introduce an
attacking coach in their pursuit of a a more attacking brand of football.
Sam accepted that decision and recruited Teddy Sheringham. "It seem perhaps
like a little re-writing of the script was going on but nobody would attempt
to take any credit away from Sam for the change of system. "However, to
claim that there was no input from the board on the matter of the way we
played seems perhaps a bit rich."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers fans react to City boycott threat
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham fans have given a mixed response to news that Man City supporters
are planning a boycott of next week's clash between the two sides at the
Boleyn. ClaretandHugh reported exclusively today that many are angry at the
£55 cost of tickets and are planning a 'stay at home' Saturday. So far, less
than 2,000 of City's 3,000 allocation have been sold and this followed last
year's boycott of the Boleyn leg of the League Cup clash. Whilst some Irons
supported the City's fans stance others weren't so enthusiastic towards
their attitude.

Here's a selection from our twitter responses:

‏@Turner131D don't blame them tbh. £55 for away is a lot of money.

@davidhattton96 I'm with them on this. £55 is an absolute joke

@wildman_paul The point being missed is that everyone pays far too much. If
supporters adopted this approach things might get better.

@damo_84 Crying over one game. We get ripped off every week.

@steven52Lebeau If I can recall, our away match at the Etihad last season
was £56 and £34 and club subsidised by £10

@OakleySean I paid nearly £200 for two tickets and travel to Old Trafford so
get over it! Pay what you have to to see ya team play

@adielehay &Citah fans get their travel subsidised by their club and Away
Fans fund. WHU only use AFF if tickets are not selling.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pottsie wears heart on sleeve for Joanna
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Danny Potts' professional life may be unable to complete his professional
life with a first team appearance. But it seems his love life could hardly
be going better given his latest post on Twitter where he's wearing his
heart very much on his sleeve. He has posted a birthday message to his
girlfriend which may just bring him a fair bit of ribbing on the training
ground. He tweeted: "Happy Birthday to my beautiful girlfriend
@joannaChim_xx Hope your day is as special as what you are to me! I love
you."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Watch out…the old Sam may be about
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 16, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Sam Allardyce's spell of West Ham success seems to have generated a return
to the super-confidence in his abilities we have witnessed perhaps a little
too regularly in past years. His press conference statement claiming he was
never told to change his style by the owners suggests everything that's
happened this season is down to him. Indeed he described the story as a
'myth' but we know that's not really the case but we'll let it go for now as
he enjoys the moment with the rest of us! The appointment of Teddy
Sheringham as attacking coach came as a result of regular reports that this
was a board idea as they looked for a change of style. And beyond that
there's been the appointment of recruitment director Tony Henry whom we
noted carefully is reporting solely to David Sullivan who is responsible to
the board on these issues. If that wasn't enough for one day, the manager
has also been speaking to the Newcastle Chronicle on his time at United - a
club from which he was sacked after 24 games. He seems to believe that the
change of ownership at St James' Park at a critical moment thwarted his
ambitions of managing some of the biggest clubs around. He's reported as
saying: "It ended up where I couldn't get that bigger or better club, so I
think there must have been something in my career that stopped me. "I think
it was Newcastle. Had that been successful with Freddy Shepherd, the man who
appointed me, staying on, I might have got an even bigger club than
Newcastle. "I don't blame Mike Ashley, because when you pay that amount for
a football club and you know what you want to do with it, sometimes you like
to get rid of the furniture you have inherited.""It ended up where I
couldn't get that bigger or better club, so I think there must have been
something in my career that stopped me," Allardyce told the Evening
Chronicle. "I think it was Newcastle. Had that been successful with Freddy
Shepherd, the man who appointed me, staying on, I might have got an even
bigger club than Newcastle.
"I don't blame Mike Ashley, because when you pay that amount for a football
club and you know what you want to do with it, sometimes you like to get rid
of the furniture you have inherited." Interesting comments from a man who
dubbed himself 'Allerdici' at one time and most of us may well hang on to
old furniture if it does a job and remains solid and reliable.


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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Daily WHUFC News - 16th October 2014

Dev Squad 3-5 Bilbao Athletic
WHUFC.com
Minute by minute coverage as the Dev Squad lost 3-5 to Bilbao Athletic at
the Boleyn Ground
15.10.2014

DEVELOPMENT SQUAD v BILBAO ATHLETIC
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL CUP
BOLEYN GROUND
WEDNESDAY 15 OCTOBER 2014
KICK-OFF: 7PM
REFEREE: ASHVIN DEGNARAIN

FT: Dev Squad 3-5 Bilbao Athletic

We'll have reaction in just a few moments.

FT: A hugely entertaining game ends as the visitors come away victorious,
5-3 winners. Defensive errors cost the Hammers in the first half but they
rallied well in the second.

92: GOAL! Athletic immediately go down the other end as Barco heads home for
his second of the evening. 3-5.

91: GOAL! Only for Bywater to net a beauty down the other end with a curling
shot from the edge of the box. 3-4.

91: Goal! A crazy few minutes here at the BG! Garcia scores from the
free-kick. 2-4...

88: Athletic have an indirect free-kick after Spiegel handles a backpass.

86: The Athletic 'keeper is doing all he can to wind down the clock. There's
some tired bodies out there now, anywhere will do for the Spanish defence.

84: Another stoppage in play as a Bilbao player receives treatment for
cramp.

82: From another corner Pask rises highest, but his header is cleared off
the line. The Hammers are getting closer!

81: Bywater has been superb since coming on. He's forced a corner which
Onariase gets a header to.

79: The Hammers have got their tails up now. Parfitt-Williams rifles a
volley just over the bar from the edge of the box. Into the final ten
minutes, this is going to be close.

77: GOAL! Elliot Lee has worked tirelessly all night and is finally rewarded
as he pounces on Pask's knock down from Bywater's free-kick. 2-3.

73: The visitors are doing a good job of keeping possesion. They're
utilising the length of the pitch of well and making it hard for the Hammers
to close the ball down effectively.

71: A moment of magic from Knoyle has he spins majestically on the ball,
beating two men at once. He fires in a cross which the 'keeper gathers at
the second attempt. The crowd enjoyed that one.

68: Matthias Fanimo and Jordon Brown are replaced by Moses Makasi and Kieran
Bywater.

66: Prolonged stoppage in play after a nasty clash of heads between Pask and
Urcelay. Play has now resumed.

63: Final substitution for Athletic as Urtzi Urcelay replaces Inigo Baque.

60: Bilbao are enjoying more of the ball in more dangerous areas so far in
this second half. The Hammers are trying their best to force a comeback.

57: Again Athletic break. Spiegel is forced into another save, Pask is on
hand to block the resulting rebound.

55: Substitution for Athletic. Gorka Iturraspe is replaced by No14 Martin
Bengoa.

53: Manny Onariase fends off two Athletic players who are both left on the
deck. Both players are fine but we could be in for a lot of injury time if
this keeps up.

51: Good save from Spiegel. The ball is cut back across the six yard box to
the ever threatening Barco. He connects well but Spiegel is equal to it.

49: The weather has cleared up considerably during the interval. This half
will be determined by who can keep hold of posession better.

48: Knoyle is penalised for what looked to be a perfectly good challenge.
The resulting cross is cleared.

46: We're back under way here at the Boleyn. A big second needed from the
Hammers!

HT: Bilbao have been clinical in their finishing so far, however the
scoreline does not reflect the chances the Hammers have had. A few defensive
errors have cost the hosts dearly.

46: Fanimo drives a forceful cross into the box for Brown who smashes it
against Perez for a corner.

44: Iriondo goes into the book for a cynical challenge on Knoyle. The
right-back was flying down the wing until the Spaniard cut him down.

43: Jordan Brown wins a free-kick after superb hold up play. Fanimo's
delievery is overhit slightly and out of play.

41: Athletic should be 4-1 up. Garcia has the freedom of the Boleyn Ground,
but he takes too long on the shot which is scrambled clear. How did he miss?

37: Tackles are flying in now. Elliot Lee ends up in the referee's book
after going for a 50/50 challenge, his momentum on a wet pitch made the
challenge look a lot worse than it was.

33: Goal! Iriondo's shot takes a big deflection off Onariase and passed
Spiegel into the net. 1-3.

32: Danny Whitehead breaks the offside trap and is through on goal however
the ball skids off the turf and races away from the midfielder.

30: Two penalty appeals turned down as Lee and then Fanimo are bodychecked
inside the area. You've seen them been given before!

27: West Ham have been the better side on the ball, however Bilbao are
looking very threatening on the counter-attack.

25: The Hammers should be level! Lletget finds Brown with a wonderful
through ball. Brown then plays in Lee who finds Fanimo six yards out. He
shoots but the 'keeper smothers it somehow.

21: Goal! 1-2 Bilbao. The Spanish side reply almost immediately through
Seguin's free-kick. His delievery evades everyone and nestles into the far
corner. 1-2.

19: GOAL! Good work from Lewis Page as he gets to the by-line. His deep
cross finds Fanimo who beats his man and fires a vicious shot across goal.
His shot is deflected and in. 1-1.

17: Superb sliding tackle from Josh Pask to deny Barco. He came out of
nowhere to put in a fantastic last ditch tackle. He then rises highest to
clear the resulting header. Excellent work from the youngster.

15: Djair Parfitt-Williams hits the post from a tight angle after a
wonderful through ball from Danny Whitehead.

12: Bilbao seemed to have settled well. They carve a chance for No9 Barco
who heads over after good pressure from Lewis Page.

10: Despite being a goal down, the Hammers have been the better team in the
first ten minutes. However they don't have anything to show for efforts.

7: The Hammers work a good opening. Elliot Lee and Jordon Brown combine well
to release Matthias Fanimo on the right-hand side. His placed shot goes
narrowly wide.

6: The torrential rain is certainly not helping either team. The ball is
skidding of the surface, making passing extremely difficult.

4: The Hammers have responded well to the early set back putting the Bilbao
defence under pressure. Good work from Djair Parfitt-Williams forces a good
clearance from Iriondo.

2: Goal! Not the start the Hammers had in mind. A defensive mix up allows
Jorge Luis Garcia to roll the ball home into an empty net.

0: Frantic start to he game as West Ham kick-off proceedings.

We're all set to kick-off, pre-match photos and handshakes are being
completed. A little bit of history is about to kick-off.

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce is in attendance this evening. A great
opportunity for all the young players to show him what they can do.

We're just 15 minutes away from kick-off here at the BG. COYI!

What makes Athletic unique is the fact they only sign players from the
Basque region of Spain and France, this policy is known as Cantera. With a
population of just over two million, it is remarkable how successful they
are. In other words, it is the equivalent of Manchester City relying solely
on Lancashire-born players.

The Hammers will need to be wary of the outstanding talent Mikel Vesga
Arruti. The 20-year-old midfielder has impressed since signing from Alaves,
featuring in seven of the first eight league games this season.
Santander-born Jorge Luis Garcia Salmon also poses a threat, the tough
tackling midfielder has been booked in every game he's played this season.

Finally, Aitor Seguin Cid is another player to look out for. At 19 years
old, the highly rated midfielder is already knocking on the door of the
first team.

Last season Bilbao finished fifth, narrowly missing out on the Play-off
qualification places by a single point. After eight league games so far this
season, Bilbao find themselves eighth with 12 points, having won and lost
four games.

While their form has been erratic, they have the best goal difference in the
league as well as securing a 1-0 win over Real Madrid II which suggests they
are better than their league position suggests.

There's been a last minute change to the West Ham bench as Danny Boness
replaces Tim Brown.

Kick-off is just 30 minutes with both teams out warming up.

Bilbao Athletic: Remiro, Exteberria, Iriondo, Perez, Arteta, Vesga, Baque,
Iturraspe, Barco, Garcia, Seguin
Subs: Urcelay, Oleaga, Bengoa. Corral, Guruzeta, Aguirrezabala

West Ham United: Spiegel, Knoyle, Page, Whitehead, Onariase, Pask, Fanimo,
Lletget, J. Brown, Lee, Parfitt-Williams
Subs: Makasi, Boness, Nasha, Bywater, Akinola, Diangana

We'll have team news in just a moment...

An hour to go til kick-off here at the Boleyn Ground. Despite the rain, the
Bilbao players have just been out on the pitch taking in their historic
surroundings. Plenty of selfies being taken too.

The other groups are as follows…
Group A: Chelsea, Norwich, Porto & Borussia Monchengladbach
Group C: Leicester City, Manchester City, Benfica & Schalke

Group D: Everton, Sunderland, Celtic & Villarreal

West Ham United are in Group B alongside Athletic Bilbao, Dutch giants PSV
Eindhoven (Wednesday 19 November, Boleyn Ground) and fellow Londoners,
Fulham (Friday 12 December, Rush Green).

Where BPLIC differs is the fact that half the teams are from England, as
well as that all matches have to be played in England. Another difference is
that all games are single-leg ties.

The BPLIC has a similar structure to the Champions League in the fact that
there are groups of four teams from across Europe. The top two teams from
each group will then progress to the knockout stages, starting at the
quarter-final stages.

What is the Barclays Premier League International Cup match? I hear you cry,
well, let us explain…

We have a small bit of football history for you tonight as it is the first
Barclays Premier League International Cup match to be played ever.

Hello and welcome to tonight's coverage of the Development Squad v Bilbao
Athletic. We'll have team news very shortly, as we build up to kick-off at
7pm.

West Ham United: Spiegel, Knoyle, Page, Whitehead, Onariase, Pask, Fanimo
(Makasi 68), Lletget, J. Brown (Bywater 68), Lee, Parfitt-Williams
Subs: Makasi, Boness, Nasha, Bywater, Akinola, Diangana

Bilbao Athletic: Remiro, Exteberria, Iriondo, Perez, Arteta, Vesga, Baque,
Iturraspe, Barco, Garcia, Seguin
Subs: Urcelay, Oleaga, Bengoa. Corral, Guruzeta, Aguirrezabala

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
International round-up
WHUFC.com
Player of the Month Enner Valencia has been in outstanding goalscoring form
for Ecuador
11.10.2014

Enner Valencia continued his outstanding form for Ecuador with three goals
in two matches during the international break. The West Ham United forward
struck a sensational goal as the South Americans drew 1-1 with the United
States in Connecticut on Friday 10 October. Valencia smashed a swerving shot
from 25 yards which left goalkeeper Brad Guzan totally wrong-footed and
levelled matters just two minutes from time. USA looked set to give Landon
Donovan the perfect send-off when they took a first half lead through Mix
Diskerud. But Valencia had other ideas and his goal - his ninth in just 16
internationals - gave Ecuador a share of the spoils.

Valencia was at it again when Ecuador thrashed El Salvador 5-1 at Red Bull
Arena in Harrison, New Jersey on Tuesday 14 October - marking the retirement
of veteran defender Ivan 'Bam Bam' Hurtado in style. First, the striker
collected a pass just inside the penalty area and calmly slotted home to put
his country 2-0 up after 18 minutes. Into the second half and Valencia
calmly side-stepped one defender before holding off another and sliding a
shot into the bottom right-hand corner in the 73rd minute.

Elsewhere, Kieran Sadlier played 45 minutes as Republic of Ireland U21 were
defeated 4-1 by Norway on Thursday 9 October.

Meanwhile, Jamie Harney captained Northern Ireland U19 three times but they
failed to qualify for the UEFA U19 European Championship Elite Round. The
Northern Irish youngsters fell to a 2-0 defeat to Czech Republic in their
opening Qualifying Round tie. Harney had the armband on again on Saturday,
but the Northern Irish were defeated 5-2 by Russia. Northern Ireland
completed their Group 5 fixtures by beating Faroe Islands 3-0 in Belfast on
Tuesday 14 October.

On Sunday 12 October, Reece Burke played the full 90 minutes as England U19
scored an 8-0 win over Luxembourg in Beggen in Group 1of the same qualifying
competition. England started their campaign with a 3-0 win over Belarus and
take on Belgium in their final group match in Beggen on Wednesday 15
October.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mediawatch - 15 October
WHUFC.com
Our daily look at West Ham United in the news
15.10.2014

In the Evening Standard, Andy Carroll talks positively about the Hammers and
the move to the New Stadium, saying that he believes Champions League
football is a possibility in the future.

London 24 takes the news from whufc.com that Sam Allardyce will receive an
injury boost this week with the return from injury of Mark Noble, James
Collins, Guy Demel and Ricardo Vaz Te.

The Daily Mail suggests that the Hammers could tie Winston Reid down to a
new contract as early as next week.

Meanwhile, the Daily Star covers the BBC Price of Football survey, with a
comparison of the cost of a day out at a Premier League match.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Utd 3-5 Athletic Bilbao (PLIC)
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 15th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Nick Haycock's Development Squad opened their Premier League International
Cup campaign with a narrow defeat at home to Spanish side Bilbao at the
Boleyn Ground tonight. An eight-goal thriller saw four goals scored in the
final 15 minutes of an end-to-end game that opened the competition's Group B
in style - albeit in disappointing fashion for West Ham. Los Leones got off
to a dream start when Jorge Luis Garcia took advantage of a defensive
blunder to score from close range, with just two minutes on the clock.
However the Hammers hit back to level the score on 19 minutes when Matias
Fanimo's deflected effort beat Bilbao 'keeper Remiro. West Ham had been
level for just two minutes when Seguin restored the visitors' lead via a a
deep free kick that somehow evaded everyone in a packed penalty area to find
the back of the net. They found themselves further behind just after the
half hour mark as Bilbao had their own fair slice of luck when Iriondo's
deflected shot beat a wrong-footed Raphael Spiegal.

West Ham should have been further behind before the half time whistle but
Garcia, who had opened the scoring fluffed his lines when it appeared more
difficult to miss. That kept the Irons' slim chance of a comeback alive; a
hope renewed when Elliot Lee reacted first to Bywater's free kick 13 minutes
from time to reduce the deficit to just one. Pask, who had been involved in
Lee's goal thought he had produced the equaliser when he rose to meet a
corner, only to see his goal-bound header cleared off the line. Garcia
finally doubled his tally for the evening in the 89th minute, which looked
to kill off the tie.

However West Ham had other ideas and within 60 seconds Bywater, whose free
kick had led to Lee's earlier goal, found the corner of the net from the
edge of the area to make it 3-4 - only for Barco to make it 5-3 to Bilbao
virtually straight from the kick off. There was still time for Elliot Lee to
almost grab a second when, like Pask before him, he saw an effort cleared
off the line. That was to be West Ham's final chance of an exhilarating
match; the next chance to avenge tonight's reversal being in the second
round of group matches when PSV Eindhoven visit Upton Park (19 November).

West Ham Utd: Spiegel, Knoyle, Page, Whitehead, Onariase, Pask, Fanimo
(Makasi 68), Lletget, J. Brown (Bywater 68), Lee, Parfitt-Williams.
Subs: Makasi, Boness, Nasha, Bywater, Akinola, Diangana.

Bilbao Athletic: Remiro, Exteberria, Iriondo, Perez, Arteta, Vesga, Baque,
Iturraspe, Barco, Garcia, Seguin.
Subs: Urcelay, Oleaga, Bengoa. Corral, Guruzeta, Aguirrezabala.

Premier League International Cup: Remaning Group B Fixtures

vs PSV Eindhoven
Wednesday, 19th November 2014
7.00pm, Boleyn Ground

vs Fulham
Monday, 8th December 2014
7.00pm, Rush Green Sports Ground

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Enner Valencia scores twice as Ecuador hammer El Salvador
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 15th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Enner Valencia continued his prolific run of international form in New
Jersey in the early hours of this morning, bagging a brace in Ecuador's 5-1
friendly hammering of El Salvador. The West Ham United striker grabbed a
goal either side of the break - and once again they were both superb
individual efforts. His first - which arrived shortly after Joao Plata had
given Ecuador a 15th minute lead with a deflected shot that looped over
Salvador's Henry Hernandez - saw him receive the ball 20 yards from goal
before rounding the goalkeeper.
However the second 17 minutes from time, which began in a similar position,
was even more impressive; having received possession in a congested area on
the perimeter of the penalty area, Valencia side-stepped one defender before
placing his shot in the bottom right corner.

That was Ecuador's fourth of the night - Plata having added a second for
himself midway through the first half - and a fifth was added by Penilla
seven minutes from time. El Salvador's sole effort came from the penalty
spot with virtually the final kick of the first half, albeit after Alexander
Dominguez had saved Burgos' spot kick only to see the ball squirm over the
line after it rebounded off his midriff.
The highlight of the game was the appearance of Ivan Hurtado in a yellow
shirt for the first time in four years. Now 40, Hurtado played for the first
half before leaving the field to a standing ovation and applause from both
sets of players. Hurtado recently announced his retirement from
professional football and returned for one final time to make his 168th
international appearance - the fifth highest in history.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Obinna binned
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 15th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Former Hammer Victor Obinna is facing a long, lonely winter after being
frozen out in Russia. The 27-year-old left-sided forward currently plies his
trade with Lokomotiv Moscow in the Russian Premier League but is facing a
season on the sidelines after Parovozy failed to register him in their
2014/15 squad. Obinna, who spent the 2010/11 relegation season on loan at
the Boleyn Ground returned to Inter at the end of that season a matter of
weeks before he departed for Moscow on a free transfer. His first season in
Russia (2011/12) resulted in just ten appearances, eight of which were in
the Europa League (the other two being in the Russian Cup). However he was
a regular member of the first team the following season, when he made 27
appearances (26 in the league), scoring twice.

Last season Obinna appeared four times for Moscow before being sent back to
Italy, this time on loan with Chievo Verona for whom he featured on ten
occasions. But having returned to Russia during the summer, he has found
himself unable to secure a place in the club's registered first team squad.
The Nigerian striker - who is perhaps best remembered at West Ham for
getting himself sent off in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi Final
against Birmingham City - made a total of 32 appearances for United, scoring
eight goals.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
£24 per goal: the cost of watching West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 15th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United season ticket holders paid around £24 PER GOAL in the
Premier League last season.

Based on the club's cheapest season ticket (£620), it cost regular
supporters £24 every time West Ham scored a goal at the Boleyn Ground - the
third highest in the Premier League last term, according to a BBC study.

The Hammers, who still boast the fifth-highest average season ticket cost in
the Premier League - despite not having finished in the top five since the
1998/99 season - were beaten only by Spurs (£25.50) and Arsenal (£27.36),
both of whom have spent far more improving their respective squads in recent
seasons.

Manchester City fans are adjudged to have received the best value for money,
with each goal costing season ticket holders just £4.75. However City did
score 63 times at home last year, in comparison to West Ham's meagre tally
of 25.

Of the other London clubs, newly-promoted QPR - who featured in the
Championship last season - paid £10.24 per goal, Chelsea £13.84 and Crystal
Palace £20.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Noble must fight for a place, says McDonald
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 15th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Mark Noble could have a fight on his hands to retain a first team spot once
everybody is fit, according to Assistant Manager Neil McDonald. Despite
having been virtually guaranteed a starting place in recent seasons, the
acquisition of Alex Song and Cheikhou Kouyate - two players who are best
utilised in Noble's (post-Avram Grant) defensive midfield role - means the
club's longest-serving player finally has genuine competition for his place.

And whilst that can only be good news for the team, the mouthwatering
prospect of an extended Kouyate/Song partnership - when both are fully fit -
could leave Noble kicking his heels on the sidelines. "Mark Noble has been
a staple of the team for a number of years, but Alex Song has come in. So
we've had to make a decision about having one or two sitting midfielders,"
McDonald told whufc.com. "Cheikhou Kouyate has come in and also done very
well. We've got Kevin [Nolan] coming back and Stewart [Downing] playing in a
new role. So we've got lots and lots of options."

McDonald also admitted that the introduction of better quality players -
such as the Senegal and Cameroon internationals - means a more adventurous
approach can be adopted this season, despite his immediate superior Sam
Allardyce having been extremely reluctant to concede that West Ham have
changed much tactically, if anything at all. "We've changed the formation
round a little bit and the style," confirmed McDonald. "Last season we
scored a lot of goals from open play and then injuries slowed us down. In
the end we didn't get as many points as we should have done. "I think the
new signings have helped bring a freshness in. They can play the ball well,
perhaps better than we've had before. We're creating more chances than we've
done before, we're getting more of the ball and sticking the chances away
more regularly."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM REMAIN OPTIMISTIC ON REID, IN THE FACE OF RIVAL PL INTEREST!
By S J Chandos 15 Oct 2014 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die

It has been reported that West Ham remain optimistic that they can reach
agreement with Winston Reid on a new contract. The speculation is that the
club are looking to agree a (significantly improved) new £60k a week, five
year deal with the New Zealand international captain. Hitherto, both sides
seem to have played it somewhat 'cagey,' with West Ham leaving their
contract offer on the table and Reid's representatives stalling to see what
other possible options are available. No doubt there will be some movement
in the run up to the opening of the January transfer window, whether that is
Reid agreeing a new deal at West Ham or holding out for a Bosman move in the
summer.

What is fairly predictible is that a number of PL clubs are said to be
actively monitoring the situation. The rumour is that Arsenal, Spurs, Man
Utd, Liverpool and Everton are amongst the interested parties. Although to
date it is thought that there had not been a concrete approach. If those
type of clubs are genuinely interested in acquiring Reid's services, the
question is whether any of them will break cover in January, and attempt to
steal a march, by offering West Ham a 'knock down' fee? Or will they wait
until the summer to clinch a Bosman deal?

At this stage (and in the absence of a deal with West Ham) the odds are on
Reid digging his heels in and running down his existing contract. The
rewards are just so much more plentiful by taking the Bosman route. Of
course, West Ham must be hoping that the alternative interest fails to
materialise and this encourages Reid to sign the £60k a week deal on offer.
But the probability is that at least one of the aforementioned PL clubs will
want to secure Reid's signature on such favourable terms. As always in these
matters, time will tell.

It will be a great shame if Winston Reid exits, but the objective must be to
secure a replacement who is an upgrade. Easier said than done, I know, but
It is possible. Just look at the way that Southampton responded so
positively to the loss of some of their key players in the summer. Arguably,
the club need to operate a policy of 'continuous improvement' where the
quality of the squad is concerned. That means a dual strategy of
scouting/developing some potential gems like Sakho (whether externally or
via the Academy), whilst also having the ambition to sign proven, top
quality players, a la Alex Song. That is the way to progress as a club,
something that should eventually become easier with the move to the Olympic
Stadium.

We made an excellent start in establishing the baseline for a 'continuous
improvement' policy, in the summer, with the capture of Valenicia, Kouyate,
Song, et al. The club now need to set themselves the target of maintaining
that positive momentum in the run up to the stadium move. Ideally, in the
more immediate term, by signing a minimum of one quality player in the
January window.

SJ. Chandos.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's season so far: Sam Allardyce sitting pretty after impressive
Premier League start
Oct 15, 2014 11:56
OPINION BY STEVESTAMMERS
Steve Stammers runs the rule of the Hammers' start to the campaign and looks
at where they still need to improve
The Mirror

Heading into this season Sam Allardyce was under more pressure than any
other boss in the land. Fast forward two months and the Hammers are sitting
pretty - and their manager couldn't be happier about it. West Ham are
scoring goals, are playing entertaining football and are winning games. As
we embark on the second quarter of the season they are seventh in the
Premier League. Not too shabby.

Here we take a look at the Hammers' first two months:

New signings
Diafra Sakho - an outstanding striker who has settled in quickly and to
impressive effect. Strong, a turn of pace and not easily intimidated.

Aaron Cresswell - a compact, organised defender. Does not shirk a tackle and
knows how to use the ball. Excellent addition to the squad.

Cheikhou Kouyate - what a player. The Senegalese has clearly been helped to
adjust by the presence of his compatriot Sakho. The modern midfield player
... box to box, tackles for fun and an imposing figure.

Alex Song - great presence, great experience. West Ham have benefitted
immensely from his arrival in the midfield holding role.

Mauro Zarate - needs to add consistency to his undoubted ability. He was
outstanding in the 3-1 win at Crystal Palace, anonymous seven days later in
the defeat to Southampton.

Morgan Amalfitano - a good squad addition. An international with France.
Proven quality.

Diego Poyet - definitely one for the future. Inventive, bright and will be a
part of the West Ham midfield for years to come.

Enner Valencia - took time to settle. Looked baffled by the pace and tempo
of English football when he first arrived but his stunning strike against
Hull will have helped significantly. Has looked a new player since then.

Carl Jenkinson - a great athlete but needs to work on the defensive side of
the game.

Gaffer rating
8/10 - Sam Allardyce has shown a flexibility that many suspected he lacked.
The decision to give Stewart Downing a free role was inspired. Allardyce is
not as one-dimensional as his reputation suggests.

Expectation level
You would have to say they have exceeded what was anticipated. West Ham now
have strength in depth - a luxury which has not been so apparent in recent
years to respective managers at Upton Park.

What needs sorting out?
Taking chances from open play. West Ham will always be a threat from set
pieces as they have proved this season. Now they need to take chances their
more expansive play creates. Sakho could be the man to do that as the season
evolves.

Any other business?
Ensure that Nathan's pie and mash shop (great comfort food on a bad day,
great lining for a post-match beer) have a franchise at the Olympic Stadium.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham and QPR in Abdoulay Konko battle as Lazio defender looks for
January move
Oct 13, 2014 22:30 By Mirror Football, Darren Witcoop
The Hammers are also keeping tabs on Stuttgart centre-half Antonio Rudiger
but face even more competition for him
The Mirror

West Ham and QPR are battling to sign Lazio defender Abdoulay Konko. Both
clubs are looking to buy another full-back when the transfer window reopens
and have been linked with a move for the 30-year-old. Konko has fallen out
of favour with Lazio's new head coach Stefano Pioli and reports in Italy
suggest he could be heading for the Premier League. Hammers manager Sam
Allardyce is searching for another defender as loan signing Carl Jenkinson
has been injured. Hoops boss Harry Redknapp is in the market for a
right-back as Mauricio Isla has failed to make any impact.
West Ham have also had their eye on Stuttgart centre-half Antonio Rudiger,
21. The defender, recently fast-tracked into Germany's international squad,
has been watched by Hammers scout George Dixon this season. But they are one
of several sides chasing the fast-rising Bundesliga star's signature. West
Ham are identifying targets amid fears they will lose Winston Reid for
nothing next summer. Reid is demanding a pay rise to bring him in line with
the club's top-earners – but contract talks have reached a stalemate. The
New Zealand defender will not be short of interest as he could be snapped up
on a Bosman free transfer.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
EXCLUSIVE: Sam Allardyce lifts the lid on England dreams and takes a dig at
Mike Ashley
Daily Express
By: Matthew Dunn
Published: Wed, October 15, 2014

HE may have been sitting in Vespucci's, his favourite Italian restaurant,
eating scampi provenciale and sipping a perfectly chilled Pinot Grigio, but
all traces of the infamous Sam Allardici have finally disappeared. Sam
Allardyce relaxes, still determined to make a real mark in the game [STUART
ROBINSON] Once, he may have joked that with a more exotic name he would have
landed one of the top jobs on the continent - a Real Madrid or an AC Milan.
But as plain old Sam Allardyce approaches his 60th birthday on Sunday, he
finally accepts he will never get a chance to manage a really big club.
Unless, he says with the fire of ambition still burning in his eyes, he can
turn West Ham into one. If he does that, who knows? Perhaps his ultimate
dream of becoming the England manager can finally become a reality.

Looking back over a career in football that stretches back nearly half a
century to when he first walked through the doors at Bolton as an eager
apprentice, Allardyce feels the turning point came the day Mike Ashley
bought Newcastle in 2007. "It ended up where I couldn't get that bigger or
better club, so I think there must have been something in my career that
stopped me," he said. I think it was Newcastle. Had that been successful
with Freddy Shepherd, the man who appointed me, staying on, I might have got
an even bigger club than Newcastle.
"I don't blame Mike Ashley, because when you pay that amount for a football
club and you know what you want to do with it, sometimes you like to get rid
of the furniture you have inherited. "But from a career point-of-view it was
a massive blow. It was the spending the power of Newcastle that attracted
me. I'd had limited funds at Bolton and it was the opportunity for the
bigger pot - and Freddy wanted to emulate the success they had in the Kevin
Keegan era. "With Mike taking over those funds never materialised. I had
lined up moves for Phil Jaglielka, Luka Modric and Branislav Ivanovic -
people on my Bolton recruitment database. "Not big stars but quality players
and with the finances I was being promised at Newcastle, we could have done
something."

Now, the purse strings may not be quite so big, but Allardyce is looking to
do that "something" in London, where he has set up home just a stone's throw
away from Canary Wharf for the last three years. The club's ambitions will
really kick into gear when they make their own move to the Olympic Stadium -
but for now Allardyce is keeping his feet firmly on the floor. "I'll be
honest, I have never pictured myself leading a side out at the Olympic
Stadium. Once my contract relates to 2016/17, then I might start dreaming. I
love the idea that the owners have made an outstanding decision for the club
- but it is still two years away. "Personally, I am in the same situation as
I was two years ago with a year to go on my contract. The quicker we are
successful the happier everybody is to sit down and talk about a new deal.
"We are playing well and all fans want to see that, so they are very
supportive at the minute." Ever since he turned Bolton into surprise
Champions League contenders in the middle of the last decade, Allardyce has
made no secret of his ultimate desire to lead his country. With Hodgson
seven years his senior, even a contract that lasts until 2016 has not put
Allardyce off hoping once more for the call. "As time goes on, you wonder
how long Roy will be there," Allardyce admitted. "When the job does become
vacant, you are talking about one of the most iconic jobs in international
football, so you have to be on top of your game at that particular time. "I
would hope to be when Roy does finish, but you can't see the future. Even
two years in the future is a long time. "I do know I was ready for it in
2006. In the end, they went for Steve McClaren, which was a massive
disappointment." As ever, it was wife Lynn who helped him get over it - as
she has with all the bumps and bruises that have been suffered in
Allardyce's career. But the man who admits to being a "verbal bully" in his
"quick-tempered" early years admits he is not the one who owns the hairdryer
in his own household. "Lynn knows how to keep my ego in check," Allardyce
admitted. "It was way back in my younger days when I was getting carried
away at Bolton. When I was thinking, 'Look at me, I've built this team,
we've got a cup final, we've got into Europe'. "She gave me a bit of a slap
down then. You only need to tell me once - well, she does!" Of course, as a
60-year-old, Allardyce will be far too wise to fall into that trap again.

Sam on dust-ups

THE biggest punch-up that ever happened in one of my dressing rooms was at
Bolton when Bulent Akim and Bernard Mendy had a fight in 2002.
That was the biggest, most volatile punch-up I have ever seen at a football
club. It became a very difficult situation to handle because every time be
broke it up that day, it started up again. Three different times in three
different areas. These two guys completely lost it – all over a bad tackle
in training. It resulted in me hanging on to one of them with one of our
therapists, who used to earn a few extra bob as a bouncer, and a couple of
others grabbing the other. It never came out at the time but now it would be
out in a flash. One of the players would tweet it, probably.

…on Raheem's rest

ROY HODGSON did the right thing with Raheem Sterling. If a player came to me
before a critical game and said he felt tired, I'd say, OK, you're not
playing.'There is a danger of over-using young players these days. People
can't understand the mental fatigue for Raheem. There is a huge amount of
pressure on him because he is deemed the lifesaver for both club and country
at 19. What nobody can afford to do is allow Raheem to start picking up
injuries at his young age. The abuse in our era was horrific. Sticking
needles in players, giving them tablets they didn't know what they were for.
Steroids and anti-inflammatories. "Strap it up, son, you'll be all right".

I was lucky but I saw team-mates finished by the age of 24 or 25. Raheem
Sterling could be shot in a couple of years if they don't look after him. We
have seen too many bright young talents fade away - Shaun Wright-Phillips,
David Bentley and Aaron Lennon were going to replace David Beckham and the
golden generation.

...Wenger's change

ARSENE WENGER'S change of culture at Arsenal was a major success. Getting
players like Ian Wright and Tony Adams to change their way of thinking,
coupled with his buying policy, was amazing. His first five years were
amazing. But I don't know what happened to him after that. He seemed to
change his whole ethos - I don't know if it was because he had the new
stadium to pay for, you will have to ask him.
It became all about smaller, pretty footballer than it did about the big
hard talented footballers who won the ball and won him the key games. Never
mind being able to play, they could mix it, too. He was challenging
Manchester United on a regular basis and went a whole season without being
beaten. They were fantastic. Then all of a sudden this change of culture
happened where every midfielder seemed to be 5ft 8in and they lost that
steel.

and big regret

FOR the first time ever, when he was manager at Chelsea, Rafa Benitez
invited me in for a beer after the game. So as far as I am concerned, the
row which lasted the best part of 10 years is now water under the bridge.
The criticism wasn't from the journalists to begin with - it was other
managers. Benitez started it, then it was Graeme Souness at Newcastle, David
O'Leary at Aston Villa and Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. Of course it affected
my career, because everybody still talks about it. But in the end, my team
never played like that. It was their way of protecting themselves from us
having beaten them rather than accepting they had been tactically undone.
One of my biggest regrets of my career is not dealing with the whole
"long-ball" tag and killing it off as soon as it started.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham fear Winston Reid will leave for free with agent in 'no hurry' to
open contract talks
Evening Standard
KEN DYER
Published: 15 October 2014 Updated: 14:03, 15 October 2014

West Ham fear Winston Reid could leave the club on a free transfer at the
end of the season. The defender is in the final year of his contract and
West Ham are eager to negotiate an improved deal. Reid's representatives,
though, are waiting to see if there are offers from other clubs before
agreeing to talks. Reid, who was West Ham's player of the year last season,
is believed to want £60,000 per week to stay at Upton Park. A club spokesman
said today: "We are trying to meet his agent but he seems in no hurry to
meet us." If neither side agree to a new deal, Reid can talk to foreign
clubs in January and walk away for nothing at the end of the season. Sam
Allardyce's contract will also due to expire at the end of the season and
co-owner David Sullivan, in an exclusive interview with Standard Sport, said
that all parties will sit down at the end of the season. "We have a policy -
and it's as much for Sam as us - that we sit down at the end of the season,
maybe a bit earlier if we're safe, and judge things over an entire season,"
he said. "We've always done it that way. Last year I was being asked at
various times if Sam would be going but my answer was always that we'd look
at it at the end of the campaign. We're very loyal to our managers."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers could go third this weekend
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 15, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

If results go our way this weekend it is possible in theory for West Ham to
leap frog in third place in the Premier League table. An away win against
Burnley coupled with draws or losses for Man United, Swansea and Spurs would
put us in 4th place but a heavy loss for Southampton and a significant win
for the Hammers could put us third in the table on goal difference over the
saints.

Spurs face Man City away in the early Saturday kick off, while Swansea face
Stoke away on Sunday and Manchester United face West Brom away on Monday.
Southampton face Sunderland at home on Saturday.

Maybe we shouldn't get too carried away but it would be great to occupy a
champions league place however briefly. We can always dream. Andy Carroll
recently told the Evening Standard "'We could definitely play in the
Champions League in the new stadium. The quality is there, and with the new
stadium coming we have everything else going for us."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Steep hill to climb in cup quest
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 15, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

The Hammers development squad lost 5-3 to Bilbao Athletic tonight at the
Boleyn ground in the first group game of the Premier League International
Cup. West Ham got off to a poor start after a defensive mix up which allowed
Jorge Luis Garcia to score for Bilbao after two minutes. On 19 minutes a
cross from Lewis Page found Fanimo who beats his man and fires a vicious
shot across goal, his shot is deflected to make it 1-1. Bilbao scored two
more goals to make it 3-1 at half time. On 77 minutes Elliot Lee pounced on
a Pask's knock down from a Bywater's free-kick to make it 2-3 and it it was
game back on. On 91 minutes Garcia scores from a free-kick to make it 2-4
to Bilbao Athletic. In the remaining crazy 90 seconds both sides scored late
on to make it 5-3, the West Ham goal from Bywater with a curling shot from
the edge of the box.

West Ham United Team : Spiegel, Knoyle, Page, Whitehead, Onariase, Pask,
Fanimo, Lletget, J. Brown, Lee, Parfitt-Williams
Subs: Makasi, Boness, Nasha, Bywater, Akinola, Diangana

The other groups are as follows…

Group A: Chelsea, Norwich, Porto & Borussia Monchengladbach

Group C: Leicester City, Manchester City, Benfica & Schalke

Group D: Everton, Sunderland, Celtic & Villarreal

The Hammers are in Group B alongside Athletic Bilbao, Dutch giants PSV
Eindhoven (Wednesday 19th November, Boleyn Ground) and Fulham (Friday 12th
December, Rush Green).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Why I support playing PL games abroad
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 15, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Last Saturday Hammer Vice Chairman Karren Brady backed proposals to take
Premier League games abroad. In her Sun diary Brady revealed that
discussions have taken place about what she said was a "six-season period"
in which "each club would play a maximum of three 'home games' abroad". She
said: "I have to say I do like the idea of the recent proposal to play a
full round of Premier League games at international venues across the world.
However, she added quickly: "But there is clearly some work to be done,
particularly around the emotiveness of our own supporters and how this would
affect them.Plus the impact of ticket prices – season-ticket holders would
get one less game. The proposal is that across any six-season period each
club would play a maximum of three 'home games' abroad."

Whether we like it not the Premier League is one of the biggest global
brands and our owners have ambition to take our West Ham United brand
further globally. I personally support this idea on the condition the extra
revenue we made from playing matches abroad would be made available to make
football more affordable at home. The scheme has worked very well for the
American Football NFL with regular sold out games played at Wembley stadium.
We are moving into an era where clubs earn most of their revenue from
domestic and overseas TV rights, the next deal which will auctioned in six
months time could see the bottom Premier League receive £100m compared to
£60m now and was just £40m two years ago. Hopefully with global expansion of
the West Ham brand comes some responsibility to reduce some season tickets
to a more affordable level. A limited number of £100 season tickets in the
Olympic Stadium have even been rumoured matching a German model.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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Daily WHUFC News - 15TH October 2014

The Big Interview - Neil McDonald
WHUFC.com
Assistant manager Neil McDonald is delighted with the Hammers' start to the
season
14.10.2014

West Ham United assistant manager Neil McDonald is delighted with the
Hammers' start to the season. Here he talks about the impressive impact the
new signings have had, Teddy Sheringham's new role and targeting a top half
finish.

Neil, it's been an impressive start to the season, have you been surprised
how well we've done so far?

NMc: "Not really, it's disappointing that we haven't got a couple more
points on the board. I'm pleased with the points we do have. We've picked up
our first away win of the season and now we've won two on the bounce at home
which is great. That gives confidence to everybody for the rest of the
season."

Fans and media alike have picked up on the positive performances as well as
the results, is that something you've been working on?

NMc: "I think personnel recruitment has been very good over the summer. I've
been at the club for almost four years now, in that time even the way people
come in has changed. We've also changed the formation round a little bit and
the style. I think last season we scored a lot of goals from open play and
then injuries slowed us down. In the end we didn't get as many points as we
should have done.
"I think the new signings have helped bring a freshness in. They can play
the ball well, perhaps better than we've had before. We're creating more
chances than we've done before, we're getting more of the ball and sticking
the chances away more regularly."

We brought in nine new signings in the summer, are you pleased with how
quickly they have settled in?

NMc: "I am because through experience with other signings it usually takes a
couple of months for the new signings to settle in. Certainly if they're
coming from another country that brings more things to deal with such as
getting used to a new culture, buying a house and sorting out schools for
the kids. That's something we do very, very well. We pamper the players if
anything, making sure they're settled, making sure their families are
settled.
"We try and sort it out so they live close together, that helps with the
social side of things and helps them bond as a team. That then helps them to
perform on the training pitch and in the matches.
"All the new signings have taken to the role they've been assigned very,
very well. I've been impressed with how they've dealt with the pace and
physicality of the Premier League. They've taken to it like a duck to water
and long may that continue."

Have you done anything differently on the training pitch?

NMc: "We always work very, very hard in training. We concentrate on the
upcoming games from the Monday and in every single session. The aim is that
come matchday the players are thinking, 'I know what to do.'
"I think our pace in the team has vastly improved because it offers us the
chance to switch things if we can't get through, then we can try and go in
behind the defence. We've got lots of people who can know handle the ball
well. That's no disrespect to the players we've had previously but that's
certainly a big improvement."

Teddy Sheringham has come into the coaching staff as attacking coach. He's
talked about how much he's enjoying it here. What has he added since his
arrival?

NMc: "He's added a great amount of experience. The boys have really taken to
his finishing exercises. He's played at the highest level and he's got a
good eye for coaching. He plays a valuable role and his advice is important.
He comes in twice a week to work on finishing, the boys are enjoying it so
it's going well."

We've got more players to come back from injury, in theory things can only
get better?

NMc: "Well you'd like to think so. We were a bit thin against QPR but now
we've got players coming back from injury. Competition for places is always
good as they put pressure on the starting players.
"Mark Noble has been a staple of the team for a number of years, but Alex
Song has come in. So we've had to make a decision about having one or two
sitting midfielders. Cheikhou Kouyate has come in and also done very well.
We've got Kevin coming back and Stewart playing in a new role. So we've got
lots and lots of options."

The manager has spoken about breaking the season into blocks. When you
review the first section of the season, would you say West Ham have achieved
their targets?

NMc: "Yeah we're there with one game spare. Hopefully we're going to be
ahead of schedule. We'll refocus for the next eight games after Burnley. We
have a whole range of targets, not just a points tally but number of goals
scored from open play, number of goals scored from set pieces etc. It
depends slightly on the opposition we've got in the next eight games. We'll
reassess where we're at after Burnley and go from there.
"So it's a process of concentrating on little targets to reach the overall
target of finishing tenth or even higher."

What is a realistic target for this season, a top half finish?

NMc: "With the personnel we have and the start we've had I think it is
realistic, yes. It's about getting the balance of scoring goals and keeping
clean sheets. We're scoring enough so far but not keeping the clean sheets
yet. If we can get the dynamics right, and use the right formation then
we'll bet set for a very interesting season."

Can you go into a bit of detail about what happened with Carlisle. You're
still our assistant manager, can you shed any light?

NMc: "I got a call from the club asking for permission to speak to me. I
spoke to them and went to one of their games which caused a bit of mayhem.
I'm in a great position here at West Ham, I've got a great job here at West
Ham. I love what I do. My family still live up north but I'm totally
committed down here. I want to get back into management of course, but I'll
bide my time. As I said, I've got a great job that I love. We've had a
successful three or four years so long may that continue."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Brand of football excites Russell
WHUFC.com
West Ham United fan Russell Brand is excited by the impressive start to the
season
14.10.2014

West Ham United fan Russell Brand has been an avid fan since his early
childhood. Despite a busy schedule which includes considerable amount of
travelling, Brand visits the Boleyn Ground as and when he can. Having taken
ten points from the opening seven games, the outspoken comedian and activist
is excited about the Hammers' good start to the season. Speaking at
half-time in the 2-0 win over Queens Park Rangers, Brand enthused: "I think
there's a real change in atmosphere at West Ham, I don't know if it's the
addition of Teddy Sheringham or the new signings. Big Sam has radically
altered the way West Ham are playing. "It's definitely for the better.
We're playing out wide on the wings, and little triangles, it's one of the
most exciting times I've had at West Ham for a while."

The Hammers had a busy transfer market signing nine players, all of whom
have contributed well in their short time at the club. "I like Diafra Sakho
a lot. I like Enner Valencia and Mauro Zarate. But I really love Cheikhou
Kouyate. I love him and it's a shame he's out for a bit. Song looks pretty
strong today."

Brand continued to voice his concern about the injury fans favourite Mark
Noble suffered just before the Manchester United game: "I miss Nobes, and no
one will ever replace him in my heart, when will he be back?"

The international break has given Noble the opportunity to regain fitness
following his calf injury. The midfielder has now returned to full training
and he could make a return against Burnley this Saturday at Turf Moor.
Summarising the season so far, Brand's passion and enthusiasm is clear:
"It's a brilliant time for us. I thought the Liverpool game was wicked. In
the first game of the season against Tottenham we were deadly unlucky. I
think it's a brilliant time to be a West Ham fan. "All the fans are enjoying
it. I wouldn't be surprised to hear 'Big Sam's Claret and Blue army' ring
out anytime soon!"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam handed injury boost
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble moves closer to fitness ahead of Burnley clash
13.10.2014

Sam Allardyce has been handed a welcome injury boost ahead of Saturday's
Barclays Premier League trip to Burnley. The West Ham United manager is
likely to have Hammer of the Year Mark Noble available for selection at Turf
Moor after the midfielder returned to full training at Chadwell Heath on
Monday. Noble suffered a calf injury in training in the week leading up to
the 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday 27 September, missing that
game and the 2-0 home win over Queens Park Rangers, but could be set for a
return at Burnley this weekend. Guy Demel (thigh), James Collins (groin) and
Ricardo Vaz Te (thigh) will be re-evaluated later this week and could also
all be back in Big Sam's squad this weekend, while Carl Jenkinson
(hamstring) is hoping to be fit after being withdrawn from England U21 duty
as a precaution. Midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate's rehabilitation is progressing
well as he continues his comeback from a Grade 2 groin muscle injury, which
he suffered in the 3-1 home win over Liverpool on 20 September. The usual
recovery time for such an injury is six weeks, but the Senegal international
hopes to be fit to return ahead of schedule.

Finally, Andy Carroll is working hard, progressing well and ahead of
schedule as he continues his own recovery from ankle surgery in late July.
The England centre forward is hoping to see some game time in November.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mum knows best for Song
WHUFC.com
Alex Song said he followed his mother's advice by joining West Ham United
13.10.2014

The old saying that 'Mum knows best' certainly rings true for West Ham
United midfielder Alex Song. Eyebrows were raised in some quarters when Song
swapped Spanish giants Barcelona for the Hammers in August, signing a
season-long loan deal. However, the move has proved hugely successful so
far, with the Cameroon international producing a string of classy
performances and captaining the side on two occasions.
Six weeks into his spell at the Boleyn Ground, the No30 revealed that he was
reaping the rewards of following his mother's advice.
"My Mum always says 'You have to be happy with what you've got, and I am
very happy here'," Song revealed. "I am very happy here. I am enjoying
training every day, there is a good group of players here. "It's important
to fit in to the group you are working in, and I am doing that here.
Everybody has shown me a lot of love, I feel very welcomed here. At the
moment the team is playing very well, we need to continue to do that and
improve at the same time."

Song's outstanding form has helped the Hammers deal with the absences of
Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate, all of whom have suffered
injuries during the opening weeks of the campaign. Nolan is back in action
after a fractured shoulder, while Noble (calf) and Kouyate (groin) both hope
to be involved when West Ham return to action at Burnley on Saturday 18
October. "In a month's time we'll be even better because we have a few
injured players," Song confirmed. "Hopefully the injured players will be
back after the international break. Kevin is coming back which is good. We
have a very good squad."

That strong squad has so far paid dividends, with West Ham climbing to
seventh in the table courtesy of a string of excellent performances. Indeed,
were it not for unfortunate defeats by Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester
United, the Hammers could be even higher in the standings. While Song is not
allowing himself to get carried away with their promising start, the former
Arsenal player does believe his new club can challenge for a European place
if they maintain their present level. "We have to try our best, if we do
that we can finish in the top ten," he said. "We might be able to get Europe
if we play very well, it is possible for sure. "For me it is very important
that we aim high. It is also very important for the fans. I'm not saying
we'll get into the top four, but we will try to finish as high as possible
in the league. "Everyone is focused on that. It won't be easy with clubs
like Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal who are very strong, but we have
to stay positive."

Song has used the current international break to return to his home country
to visit family and friends. They, no doubt, will be as impressed as his new
team-mates and supporters have been with his flamboyant fashion sense. Most
mornings, the 27-year-old posts photographs of his outfit for the day on his
official Instagram page, impressing the vast majority of his followers, but
not team-mate Noble! "It's difficult to follow me because I don't have one
style!" he smiled. "Today I can be cool in a suit, or sometimes I can dress
like a crazy guy. "Mark Noble said to the others I had the worst clothes
he'd ever seen in his life but that's me, I like to be fashionable. "I don't
like to have just one style, I have to be different. I want to surprise
people, so they don't know what to expect. I like to play with the fashion.
Some people like it, some people don't. It's my personality and I'll never
change it."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mediawatch - 14 October
WHUFC.com
whufc.com's daily round-up of the Hammers stories making the news
14.10.2014

In the Newcastle Journal, 'close pals' of Andy Carroll have laughed off
suggestions that he could return to his hometown club. The story reiterates
Carroll's desire to repay the Hammers for their faith in him by returning
from injury as soon as possible.

The Ilford Recorder's interview with Hammers assistant boss Neil McDonald
features his view that the current squad is the best he has worked with
during his time in E13.

The Mirror report that West Ham and QPR will battle it out for the signature
of Lazio's Abdoulay Konko.

The Mail Online carry a video feature on Enner Valencia's stunning goal for
Ecuador against the USA.
Finally, Givemesport run this light-hearted feature, in which they suggest a
young Sam Allardyce resembled One Direction's Harry Styles.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Etherington on trial at Millwall
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 14th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Veteran winger Matthew Etherington is hoping to secure a move to
Championship side Millwall. The 33-year-old wide-man trained with West Ham
earlier in the year in order to maintain his fitness during pre-season, but
having failed to secure a contract with a Premier League club Etherington
has now set his sights further down the pyramid. Etherington - who was
signed by Alan Pardew in August 2004 stayed with West Ham for six seasons
during which time he represented the club at Cardiff in two play off Finals
and an FA Cup Final. He was also part of the squad that took part in the
club's most recent European campaign - a short-lived run in the 2007 UEFA
Cup which began - and ended - in Palermo. He is now set to spend a fortnight
with the Lions as he hopes to earn a permanent contract.

* In other news, MK Dons' Jordan Spence - who left West Ham last summer
after nine years with West Ham - says he is enjoying featuring regularly at
first team level for the first time in his career. Spence played just a
handful of games for West Ham's first team and admits he is happy just to be
playing. "Wherever I'm asked to play I'll play," he told MK Web. "I like
playing at full back and before I came here last season I probably hadn't
played at centre half for two years consistently but I enjoyed that last
season. "I've been affiliated with West Ham for a very long time and never
done a pre-season away from there. "It was hard but mentally it was a good
thing - it allows you to re-evaluate and come back even more hungry. I'm
just glad to be back here and playing now."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A Song for Europe?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 14th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

West Ham's on-loan midfielder Alex Song believes European qualification is
within reach this season. Song, who is at West Ham for the rest of the
campaign on loan from parent club Barcelona has expressed his pleasure at
the ease in which he and his family have settled back into London life, two
years after the Cameroon international left for Spain. Encouraged by his new
club's decent start to the 2014/15 season, the 27-year-old insists that a
serious push for a top six spot should be the target this year - an aim
echoed by co-owner David Sullivan in an interview for whufc.tv at the
weekend. "We have to try our best, if we do that we can finish in the top
ten," he told whufc.com. "We might be able to get into Europe if we play
very well; it is possible for sure."It is very important that we aim high.
It is also very important for the fans. I'm not saying we'll get into the
top four, but we will try to finish as high as possible in the league."

West Ham entered the international break seventh in the Premier League
following the comfortable 2-0 win against Queens Park Rangers at the Boleyn
Ground nine days ago. Song - who admits that he is yet to reach peak fitness
- was a key factor in the win and was subsequently awarded the sponsors'
Player of the Match award. (If not KUMB's writers, who selected Stewart
Downing and James Tomkins!) He also enjoyed praise for his performance in
the 3-1 win against Liverpool last month, in which he "showed regular
flashes of his undoubted class".

Although used sparingly by Barcelona last season - he made just 25
appearances, many of which were from the bench - Song did feature in
European competition, making four appearances in the Champions League.
However he only started one of those - a surprise 2-1 defeat at Ajax in
November 2013.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kelly joins backroom team
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 14th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Ex-Hammer David Kelly has been named assistant manager of Scunthorpe United.
Kelly, popularly known as 'Ned' spent two seasons at the Boleyn Ground
between 1988 and 1980, during which he scores seven goals in 41 appearances
for West Ham. Purchased from Walsall, for whom he scored 63 goals in 147
appearances Kelly was signed by John Lyall in the wake of Frank McAvennie's
departure to Celtic but failed to shine during his short stay in east London
and was sold to Leicester at the start of the 1990/91 campaign. The 26-times
capped Irish international went on to play for a further eight clubs,
including Sunderland and Newcastle before hanging up his boots in 2002
having made 606 first team appearances (scoring 194 goals). Scunthorpe boss
Mark Robins, speaking in the wake of Kelly's arrival told the local
Telegraph: "The key for me is to get the right staff in place and make sure
we embrace the staff that are already here and help them develop. "We have
to help the players as much as we possibly can to deliver the performances
we are going to need."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Relegation Roger out in the cold
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 14th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Roger Johnson, who spent the latter half of last season on loan at West Ham
is still searching for a new club - with no prospect of playing for his
current one. The central defender, who made six appearances for West Ham
fell out spectacularly with his current club Wolves some time ago and has
been condemned to train alone since returning from his temporary stint at
the Boleyn Ground. Part of the much-maligned 'Group Three' - ie players at
Wolves on lucrative, long-term, Premier League contracts who have been
frozen out of the first team - Johnson is a free agent next summer but
unable to find a club willing to take him on at present. That has come as
something as a surprise to current Wolves boss Kenny Jackett, who told the
Express & Star: "It's been very quiet with Roger - there are no
developments. But I feel someone, somewhere along the line will need an
experienced defender and give him a break. "I'm surprised he hasn't got
anything fixed up, because he did well at Sheffield Wednesday last season
and well enough to get West Ham to come in. He didn't get many chances at
West Ham, where it always looked like he was going in as a squad player.
"But, at Sheffield, he led the team and played well and I don't know why it
hasn't happened for him."

In the meantime, the 31-year-old - who proved to be a popular figure amongst
the staff and players at West Ham - remains in the football wilderness,
training with fellow outcast Kevin Foley. "They are just generally doing
fitness work and a limited amount of ball work," added Jackett. "It's
frustrating for everyone."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll: let battle commence
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 14th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Andy Carroll says that he is looking forward to winning back a first team
spot when he returns from his latest injury. The England international is
expected to be available for selection again within the next few weeks.
However in order to win back a first team spot he will have to dislodge at
least one of Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia, who have formed a formidable
partnership at the head of West Ham's attack so far this season. That fight
is a prospect Carroll says he relishes. "I don't mind a battle, and every
team needs competition for places," he told the Standard's Marc Isaacs.
"That is one of the things we have here - everyone is fighting for their
place. "I've had mixed emotions watching the team this season. I am
desperate to be out there on the pitch but I remember the Liverpool game
when I was jumping up and down watching from the box. I think I did enough
work for that day on my ankle! "I know I've had problems with injuries and
I'm not hiding away from that. Hopefully this is the last one and I can get
it out of the way."

At the weekend, both David Sullivan and Alex Song insisted that finishing in
the top six this season was not an impossibility; it's a mantra that Carroll
repeats. "When I first signed for the club the manager said this team could
get into the top six and into Europe," he said. "I can see the plan coming
together now - it is not out of the question. With the players we have I
can't see any reason why we can't do that. The quality is there, and with
the new stadium coming we have everything else going for us."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham linked with 'the new Suker'
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 14th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are one of a series of clubs to be linked with a move for Croatian
Andrej Kramaric. The 23-year-old striker is yet to play outside of his come
country but could be set for a money-spinning move to one of Europe's top
leagues this winter after impressing for his current club Rijeka, with West
Ham just one of a number of clubs monitoring his situation. Kramaric, who
spent 15 years with Dinamo Zagreb before moving to the Riječki bijeli last
year scored more than 450 goals as a youth player for the club he initially
joined as a six-year-old. Having made his Croatian league debut in 2009,
Kramaric spent the 2012/13 season on loan at Lokomotiva for whom he scored
20 goals in 44 appearances. It is form that he had retained at his new club
for whom he scored 30 times last season in 41 games. This season, the
£4million-rated forward - who has been likened to former Croat striker Davor
Suker by current national coach Niko Kovac - has scored an incredible 16
goals in 18 starts including three in the Europa League, a competition in
which West Ham hope to be participating next season. AC Milan, Genoa,
Championship side Fulham plus a number of Russian Premier League clubs are
all said to be keeping tabs on Kramaric, whose existing contract is
scheduled to expire at the end of the current season.


Andrej Kramaric: Career Stats

2014/15 (Rijeka): Pld 18 Gls 6 Assts 2
2013/14 (Rijeka): Pld 41 Gls 30 Assts 4 Bkd 5
2012/13 (Lokomotiva): Pld 32 Gls 15 Assts 9 Bkd 4
2011/12 (Zagreb): Pld 14 Gls 5 Assts 1
2010/11 (Zagreb): Pld 14 Gls 1 Assts 1
2009/10 (Zagreb): Pld 29 Gls 7 Assts 4
2008/09 (Zagreb): Pld 1

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble back in contention
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 14th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Mark Noble is back in contention for a first team spot after being declared
fit to face Burnley at Turf Moor this weekend. The club's vice captain has
been out of action since damaging a calf in the 3-1 win over Liverpool last
month, but has returned to training this week according to whufc.com - all
of which gives Sam Allardyce something of a selection problem. With club
captain Kevin Nolan also fit for purpose once again, Big Sam will have to
decided whether to change a winning team to incorporate either Noble or
Nolan. Whilst Nolan - who made his first team comeback as a late substitute
for Mauro Zarate against QPR - has been feeling his way into the team, Noble
will almost certainly replace Morgan Amalfitano should a reshuffle be deemed
appropriate. Meanwhile there's similarly good news on the injury front where
England Under 21 Carl Jenkinson is concerned; the on-loan full back pulled
out of international duty last week after feeling a hamstring but should be
fit to face the Clarets on Saturday afternoon. Fellow right back Guy Demel
is also hoping to be fit enough to play following his recent thigh injury,
as is centre half James Collins - who also pulled out of international duty
with a groin strain. Elsewhere Cheikhou Kouyate, who limped off the field
following West Ham's 3-1 win over Liverpool three weeks ago is reported to
be ahead of schedule in his fight for fitness and could be involved again
prior to the six-week schedule initially mooted as his recovery period.
November is also when Andy Carroll hopes to be fit enough to be considered
for selection once again; the 25-year-old striker, who is yet to feature
this season and was linked with a return to Newcastle at the weekend is said
to be desperate to play once again. In the opposition camp, Burnley manager
Sean Dyche has a number of injury concerns of his own with top striker Danny
Ings (hamstring) plus midfielders David Jones and Dean Marney all hoping to
recover from recent spells on the sidelines in time to face West Ham. "It's
been good, we will wait and see how things go along this week but they are
going nicely at the minute," said Dyche. "We will see how the training goes
this week."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll vows to fight for place in West Ham first team
Last Updated: 14/10/14 7:13pm
West Ham striker Andy Carroll has insisted he is ready to fight for a
first-team spot when he makes his long-awaited return from injury.
SSN

The former Liverpool hitman has had to endure a difficult start to life at
Upton Park since making the move to London last summer, with numerous
fitness problems leading to long spells on the treatment table. After
undergoing surgery in America in the summer, the 25-year-old looked set to
be out of action until December, but Carroll has made a speedy recovery, and
could be available for selection in early November. Hammers boss Sam
Allardyce has considerably bolstered his strikeforce in the summer, with
Mauro Zarate, Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia already notching six league
goals this campaign. But despite being behind such an in-form attacking
triumvirate in the pecking order, Carroll is adamant he is ready to fight
for a starting berth. "I don't mind a battle, and every team needs
competition for places," Carroll told the London Evening Standard. "That is
one of the things we have here. Everyone is fighting for their place.
"I am desperate to be out there on the pitch." "It has been mixed emotions
for me watching the team this season. "I am desperate to be out there on the
pitch but I remember the Liverpool game when I was jumping up and down
watching from the box. I think I did enough work for that day on my ankle!
"I know I've had problems with injuries and I'm not hiding away from that.
"Hopefully this is the last one and I can get it out of the way. The club
have put a lot of faith in me, paying so much money, but I don't feel like
I've let them down. It's an injury that I couldn't help." Carroll also moved
to play down speculation linking him with a sensational move back to former
club Newcastle, insisting he is excited by the prospect of playing at the
Olympic Stadium with the Hammers. "It looks fantastic and everyone is
looking forward to being there," Carroll added. "We cannot wait to be a part
of it. It's going to be one of the best grounds around - both the inside and
outside look fantastic."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
TWO SONGS - WE'VE ONLY GOT TWO SONGS
By Brian Williams 14 Oct 2014 at 08:00
West Ham till I Die

Sorry to keep you waiting – I'll be right with you. Just give me a minute
while I strap on my tin helmet and zip up the flak jacket before I finish
this sentence, but I am yet to be convinced by Alex Song.

It's early days, of course, and I could be wrong (judging by the howls of
protest, many of you clearly think I am). However, there does appear to be a
distinct touch of the headless chicken about the lad. I'm all for a bit of
enthusiasm, but against QPR he lacked the composure expected of a captain.
And some of his frenetic tackling in the first half at Old Trafford made
John Moncur look like Franz Beckenbauer on largactil. Song was fortunate to
stay on the pitch longer than England captain and cult hero Wayne Rooney.
(Rooney, Rooney, You're A Cult.)

In his defence, though, I am prepared to concede on the evidence of what
I've seen so far that he is a far better player than his cousin Rigobert,
who is a central plank of my personal Worst Ham United.

I'm not pretending for one moment that there is anything original about
picking a fantasy team of your favourite failures – but it is certainly much
more of a challenge than selecting the all-time greats which, let's face it,
is relatively simple if you're born to the claret and blue.

My thoughts returned to the subject over the weekend and its dreary
international break. When West Ham aren't playing I get bored, so revising
some of my invitation XIs seemed a good a way as any to fill in the time.
Mrs W thought tidying up the garden might be more productive, but I didn't
think the weather was trustworthy enough for that.

I just wish the concept of a low boredom threshold had been recognised
earlier. That way, when I was a kid at school, I might have got some
sympathy for having a syndrome, rather than being considered a disruptive
influence. Take the unfortunate incident of the teacher and the chair.

He was one of those "call me Chris" teachers – how can you have any respect
for people like that? He was also very fond of leaning back in his chair to
show the class he truly was one cool dude. So I came up with the idea of
bringing in my Dad's Phillips screwdriver and putting some of my limited
woodwork skills to good use. (Not that I got on particularly well with the
woodwork teacher either – I had once used a chisel to shave some of the
bum-fluff from a friend's neck as he bent over his bench and Mr
Whatever-his-name-was had misconstrued the incident as an attempted
stabbing.)

Anyway, before my next lesson with Call Me Chris I got there early and
whipped out all the screws in his chair, replacing them with matchsticks.
The whole thing held together just long enough for him to sit down and lean
back, when it and him collapsed in a heap. From where I was sitting it was
genuinely funny – and would have been funnier still if the idiot hadn't hit
his head on the blackboard behind and rendered himself temporarily
unconscious.

As I explained afterwards, I wasn't being malicious – it's just that I get
bored easily. However, the "butterfly mind" defence was inadmissible in 1971
and I got a serious stretch of detention as a result. But I digress.

This week's column is really about trying to elicit your team of all-time
losers. But before we do, here's mine in my favoured 4-4-2: It's Allen
McKnight, Rigobert Song, Steve Walford, Gary Breen, Mitchell Thomas, Freddie
Ljungberg, Nigel Quashie, Ilie Dumitrescu, Peter Eustace, David Kelly and
Ted MacDougall.

You may well disagree with a number of those selections, and I can
understand why. I don't think anyone can put up a serious argument against
McKnightmare – he truly was in a class of his own. But at the back there are
any number of players making a strong claim for inclusion: Gary Charles,
Ragnvald Soma, Paul Hilton, Calum Davenport and John Cushley all made the
shortlist. Some might even suggest George Parris, but I'm not having that.
Not George!

And what about midfield? No Franz Carr, Andy Impey, Dudley Tyler or Dale
Gordon! I hear you cry. Nor Nigel Reo-Coker? Then there's Matthew Rush [NOTE
FROM IAIN: You have to be joking!!!], Luis Boa Morte and Florin "two bob"
Raducioiu. This isn't easy, although Joey Beauchamp did make the task a
little less tricky by ensuring he never actually turned out for West Ham
during his 58 days at the club, thus ruling himself out of contention today.

Dutchman Marco Boogers, on the other hand, did play for us – making four
appearances as a substitute, which included a sending off for a chest-high
tackle on Gary Neville at Old Trafford that did not go down well with a
red-faced man whose name escapes me at present. Before the hapless Boogers
was finally sent back to the land of his birth permanently there was an
oft-repeated story in the Sun that he had returned to Holland feeling sorry
for himself and was holed up in a caravan. However, it turns out this was
not entirely true and, in fact, the reporter had actually been told he'd
gone on holiday by car again. An easy mistake to make – it could have
happened to any of us.

That aside, what little anyone saw of him convinced us all he was utterly
useless, which is why he made the shortlist for one of the two places up
front in my Worst Ham side. But, like Mike Small, John Radford, Jimmy
Greaves, Sandy Clark and Lee Chapman he doesn't quite get the nod for the
first team. Sometimes, as a manager, you just have to go with your gut
feeling.

On the subject of guts, I've also put together a team that's not so much an
XI but more of an XL. As a man who carries some excess timber myself, I'd be
perfectly happy to manage a squad that puts up a bit of overweight. (There's
nothing wrong with having a stout manager – just remember to call him "Big"
not "Fat" or, as I have discovered, you can upset a lot of loyal fans.)

The captain's armband for my team of tubbies would, of course, have to go to
Frank "one man and his forklift truck" Lampard Jnr. Waddling out behind him
would be Neil Ruddock, John Hartson, Julian Faubert, Luis Boa Morte, Julian
Dicks (gulp – did I really just say that?), Mido, Titi Camara, Brian Dear,
Jimmy Greaves and – bringing up the rear by quite some way – Benni McCarthy.
You'll notice I haven't bothered with a keeper. Quite honestly, you wouldn't
need one. Just grease 'em up and lever any of those salad-dodgers between
the sticks and no opposition striker is going to be disturbing the onion bag
in a hurry.

If you don't fancy the porkers, how about a team of Alans? Sealey,
Devonshire, Dickens, Curbishley etc. Of course, you'd have to play a few out
of position – the only defender I can think of is Alan Stephenson. And I'd
cheat by including Paul, Martin and Clive Allen (crafty, eh?) But the good
news is you don't have to go with McKnight in goal: there's a guy called
Alan Dickie who turned out in the green jersey a dozen times for us in the
early Sixties and although I never saw him play I just know he's better than
McNit.

As I mentioned earlier, it's now your turn to do some of the work (this
internet malarkey doesn't write itself, you know.) What we want is some or
all of the following:

1. Your Worst Ham XI;
2. A select XI of your own choosing (midgets, maybe – or Tommys
perhaps?) and;
3. The correct names of this nickname fantasy team: Eric, Muffin,
Stretch, Reggie, Pancho, Ticker, Hadleigh (aka Boog), Harpo, Sparrow, Psycho
and Sarge.

There must be no conferring and please write on one side of the web only.
Also, before you attempt Question 3 let me remind you that the punishment
for cheating is severe. Miscreants who this week find themselves in the
Headmaster's office because they peaked at Google will truly learn the
meaning of penitence. Mr Dale has video footage of every penalty shoot-out
in which West Ham have participated, and he is not afraid to use it. You
have been warned.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
It's official – Carroll staying at West Ham
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 14, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Well now it really is official – all the 'Andy Carroll back to Newcastle'
stuff has proved to be entirely false – as reported by the newspaper that
started the bandwagon rolling.

The Newcastle Chronicle – which claimed the move was very much on and that
the Hammers were ready to "offer" the striker back to the club for £6
million has now reported 'the deal that never was' won't happen.

And they back it up with a quote from his agent Mark Curtis who when asked
whether it was on said: "Not a chance."

A report on www.chroniclelive .co.uk says that he has told close friends he
has no intention of leaving the east end even if he was made available.

ClaretandHugh has regularly reported – and been the only media source to do
so over the last 48 hours – that Carroll will definitely be staying having
been told by a top club insider: "We don't offer our players to any clubs.

And co chairman David Gold said: "He will come back a new player and is
desperate to do well for his club and is focused too on an England return."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Macca's media moment has been good news
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 14, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

MaccaIt's been very refreshing indeed to read the thoughts of Neil McDonald
over the past couple of days! We've been treated to his thoughts on a range
of issues including the birth of the diamond formation, Stewart Downing's
role within it, how Andy Carroll may or may not fit into things on his
return, the outstanding form of Diafra Sakho, how they found him and took a
chance on him…plus much more.

Alongside that was an entirely honest and lengthy explanation of why he is
still assistant manager of the club after being heavily courted to become he
become boss of Carlisle United – a role now filled by Keith Curle.

And maybe that's the clue as to why he is being given the opportunity to
'meet the media ' in such a big way.

For he made it clear that he is very keen to become a manager at some stage
– in fact the word 'desperate' crept into one interview.

Perhaps Macca is now being given his head to explain how he feels about
everything that's happening at the club and handed a more high profile role
by the manager.

If that is the thinking it's all to the good for as the training ground guru
he has shown just what a good coach he is and not somebody we want to lose
when the first suitable job comes along.

Such has been the quality of his interviews this week I hope we are treated
to a lot more – he puts things simply and doesn't waste words.

And that really is very refreshing indeed at West Ham United management
level!

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Irons to make crucial Reid decision in days
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 14, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham are close to making a decision on Winston Reid's future! The
board's hand is being forced to make a decision on 'listening to offers'
given the lack of response on the new contract that's been put in front of
the central defender. ClaretandHugh was told exclusively today that unless
talks re-start within days a decision may have to be made to listen to
offers for the player. This will involve telling Reid's advisers that they
are now free to find a club for the Kiwi should he have decided not to sign
a new deal and alerting their own agents to the player's availability. But
significantly this shows that for all the talk of interest from Liverpool
and Arsenal, the Irons has yet to receive a single inquiry for the player.
We were told: "The truth is there has been no offer or inquiry from
anywhere and quite frankly the club would have expected something to by now
particularly if any of the big clubs were interested."
Our source added that it made no economic to continue paying wages which run
into hundreds of thousands over the February, March, April and May if there
is going to be no return in the summer in terms of a transfer fee. He said:
" There needs to be some talking done over the next few days o decide where
we are going. We are now close to the end game."

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Reid contract update
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 14, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham want Winston Reid to sign a five year deal which would keep him at
the club until he is 31 years old. And their enthusiasm to keep the player
is demonstrated by the £10k a week rise he has received so far and the one
they have now put on offer. Since ClarertandHugh's story earlier today new
details have emerged with our source admitting: "We have still heard
nothing. This is brinkmanship of the most extreme kind. "The club remain
confident of him signing a new deal because there has been no approach from
any of the top six and what we have on the table would more than see off any
club but those. They want him for another five years."
Reid arrived as an unknown 22 year old signing a three year deal – since
extended – on £15k a week before that was raised by £10k a week on the
club's promotion to the Premier League. Now the board has put a bumper new
near £60k a week deal on the table which gives him a 100 per cent rise plus.

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