Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce believes a bright future awaits West Ham United as the latest
crop of Academy graduates edge their way closer to the first team.
18-year-old Reece Burke looked assured on his first Premier League start as
he helped the Hammers to a clean sheet in Saturday's 0-0 draw at Queens Park
Rangers. Josh Cullen and Reece Oxford were also with the travelling party in
West London, with the latter joining 20-year-old Diego Poyet on the bench
for the game.
"It is really encouraging to see young players coming through," Big Sam
said. "When everyone says no one plays a young player any more the bottom
line is if you are safe and you say 'We are going to play a lot of the young
players now and we are going to play a lot of players who are on the fringe
and whose contracts are up'. "We want to put them into games at this level
and see if they can stand up and get experience. "Burke has come through
because of injuries to Winston Reid and James Tomkins and to be fair he
would have been more involved if he had not been injured earlier in the
season. "We also had Doneil Henry, who you would have seen before now. He
did a fantastic job on loan at Blackburn and showed he has the capabilities
before he ripped his hamstring. "Burke has a great opportunity but I'm sure
on Sunday he wouldn't have been able to walk because he would have been that
tired. But he will know the level of performances that he will need from
this great experience. Can they cope with the pressure? Against QPR he did
that."
With talented youngsters coming through to supplement the already
established internationals, Big Sam believes West Ham just need to add more
squad depth during the summer transfer period. Joint Chairmen David Sullivan
and David Gold have indicated further funds will be available for at least
four new faces, as the Hammers target at least another top-half finish in
their final campaign at the Boleyn Ground. "I think there is a certain push
forward in younger players and I think probably if I look back, as well as
injuries, perhaps a little bit of inexperience across this time has shown
why we have been in so many positions to win a game and ended up drawing it
or losing from a draw. "There are young lads with lots of energy and also
quality players with experience. Matching the two up and having a bit more
strength and depth in that area where bigger challenges are made on a daily
basis to play in the team."
The draw was the Hammers' first point on the road since the 2-2 draw at
Tottenham Hotspur on 22 February as the team heeded their manager's desire
to stop giving soft goals away. A home game with Burnley on Saturday is up
next and Big Sam will be expecting the same kind of resilience against
another team that will be fighting for their lives. "I was happy that they
did the first thing they needed to do – stop giving stupid goals away," Big
Sam said of his team. "I looked at the two stupid goals we gave away at
Manchester City last weekend. Man City hit the target three times only. "You
look at the performance – we got criticised for the performance. But we had
more possession at Man City than we had we had when we beat then at West Ham
and yet we were 'brilliant' because we won. It is all about winning but
really it is about how you do."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Controversial equaliser denies Hammers
WHUFC.com
A controversial equaliser from Brighton's Amy Taylor denied West Ham Ladies
all three points at Rush Green on Sunday 26 April.
The Hammers went ahead in the first half through Vicky Kinsman's audacious
volley from 20 yards, before Kirsty Barton levelled for the Seagulls.
Shortly after the half time break, Brighton gave away possession outside
their box and Emma Sherwood punished them, before Taylor's controversial
goal secured a point for the travelling side.
Ladies boss Julian Dicks was forced into two changes ahead of kick-off as
Ruby Baxter replaced injured full-back Kerry Stimson who is expected to be
out for the rest of the season.
Kat Clifton made the bench, while April Bowers returned from illness to
partner captain Stacey Little in the middle of the pitch.
The Hammers struggled in the early stages to forget their disappointing
defeat to Lewes a week earlier while Brighton started strongly, aiming to
take a step closer to the FA Women's Premier League South title.
After Nikki Duncan had kept the Hammers level with a fantastic save from
Fliss Gibbons, the Hammers almost took the lead when Little rose highest
from a corner to head off the left hand upright.
With 22 minutes on the clock, the hosts shocked their South coast visitors
by taking the lead when Kinsman's volley caught Brighton keeper Faye Baker
off her line and the ball ended up in the back of the net.
Brighton responded well by quickly looking for an equaliser. They got it
when Gibbons' low cross fell perfectly for Barton inside the penalty area
who stroked home past Duncan.
In the second half, the visitors handed the lead back to the Hammers when
Sherwood intercepted a loose pass outside the penalty area and curled an
effort over Baker into the top corner.
The controversial moment came around eight minutes later when Taylor prodded
home from close range after Duncan had been clattered to the floor.
The assistant referee flagged for a foul and told the Hammers' players he
wanted to speak to the referee, however referee Chris Clarke totally ignored
his assistant and awarded the goal.
After that, Brighton desperately looked for that vital winner that they
needed to keep their title dreams alive, but Dicks' side stood strong and
secured themselves a point.
Up next for the Hammers is the London FA Capital Women's Cup Final against
Charlton Athletic at Harrow Borough FC on Wednesday 6 May. Kick-off is at
7:30pm with admission priced at £6 for adults and £3 for children.
West Ham United and Charlton Athletic will both be paying tribute to former
player Katie Sheppard at the final, who passed away at the age of 20 last
summer. Both captains will lay down respective shirts with 'Shepps' on the
back during a minute of silence prior to kick-off.
The Hammers close their season with a trip South to Portsmouth where they
could again make an impact on who wins the title. West Ham travel to Fareham
Town FC on Sunday 10 May, kick off 2pm.
Ladies: Duncan, King, Revell, Baxter, Bottom, Bowers, Little (c),
Blanchflower, Mellors (Smith), Kinsman, Sherwood.
Subs not used: Sale, Clifton, Xidhas.
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Stat's a Fact - Adrian's penalty saves
WHUFC.com
West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian possesses a burgeoning reputation as an
expert penalty saver in the Barclays Premier League – and that was given a
further boost on Saturday when he dived to his right to block Charlie
Austin's effort from twelve yards.
It was the third spot kick the Spaniard had stopped in succession, following
his saves from Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur in February and David Nugent
at Leicester City earlier this month.
In doing so, Adrian became just the ninth keeper in Premier League history
to save three penalties in a row – and his stop at Loftus Road capped a fine
performance between the sticks.
Seven saves, two crosses claimed and a punched clearance made the No13
WhoScored.com's statistically-calculated Player of the Week in the top
flight, with a match rating of 9.20.
Four of those saves came in the final 19 minutes at Loftus Road, as the R's
gave everything to secure what would have been a vital three points for his
side, including a wonderfully-athletic effort to deny Matt Phillips as the
clock ticked over 90.
Adrian told the press afterwards that he has a special method when it comes
to facing penalties, with the psychology of the twelve yard duel key in his
mind.
Having studied the penalty taker's preferred side and mannerisms in the
build-up to the fixture, Adrian tells the striker where he believes he is
going to put the penalty in a bid to knock him off his stride.
It appears to have had an impact, with Kane (although he did score the
rebound), Nugent and Austin all failing to find a way to defeat 'the master
of penalty saves' as he was described post match by his manager Sam
Allardyce.
The saves have come to both sides of the goal too, as Adrian flung himself
to his right to stop Kane's effort, before going the other way to get his
hands to Nugent's.
Austin's effort was more central, but Adrian hadn't dived too far over to
his right to not be able to block with his legs.
What is for certain, wherever they shoot in the goal, the next striker to
come head-to-head with Adrian over twelve yards will not be taking the goal
for granted.
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Spiegel delighted with victory over City
WHUFC.com
Development Squad goalkeeper Raphael Spiegel said he was delighted with the
Hammers' deserved 2-1 win over Manchester City at the Boleyn Ground on
Friday 24 April. The Hammers stormed to a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute after
Dan Potts headed home Djair Parfitt-Williams' cross from close range after
superb quick feet from the young striker. The hosts doubled their lead soon
after half time when Adam Drury stabbed Jordan Brown's driven cross into his
own net. Spiegel, the towering Swiss U21 international, made a string of
excellent saves to deny City a late equaliser after Olivier Ntcham's 76th
goal gave the visitors hope. Speaking after the match, a clearly delighted
Spiegel said: "It was a good game and a great victory. We're all very happy
in the dressing room and we thoroughly deserved the win. We worked very hard
for it. "Everyone did their jobs, in every position. I think we could have
scored even more goals at the end."
After Ntcham's powerful strike, his second against the Irons this season,
Patrick Veira's Elite Development Squad piled on the pressure as they sought
to salvage a point. However, the Dev Squad stood resolute and held out for
the three points through a combination of good defending and a number of
excellent saves from the 22-year-old. "The save towards the end was quite
important. He came from the side and hit it well, I had to wait to see what
side he put it and then make the save. It was an important save so I'm happy
with it. "I think the team needed a win, it's going to be a great boost for
the last three games and hopefully we can get some more good results.
"Manchester City are always a good team but to be fair I think we were the
better side, we're all happy with the performance and we deserved to win.
They may have come here thinking it was going to be an easy game, but it
never is. We gave our best and we got the victory. "For me it is always
special to play at Upton Park, I'm sure it is for all our players and I
think it did make a difference. Everyone wants to play in the stadium for
the first team so it's good."
Up next for the young Hammers is a difficult encounter against Everton at
Rush Green, their last home game of the season, on Friday 8 May.
Earlier in the season, the Toffees ran out 2-0 winners on a blustery night
in Southport. Four months on, Spiegel is confident his side can reverse the
defeat if they put in a similar level of performance that overcame
Manchester City. "Everton is going to be a good game, we can take a lot of
confidence from Friday. Of course we want another win and if we play like we
did against Manchester City I'm sure we get something."
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Loan round up
WHUFC.com
Tim Brown played the full game for Canvey Island in their 3-2 win over
Wingate & Finchley. The visitors Wingate took a 2-0 lead however Canvey
recovered with goals from Steven Smith, Jack Simmons and Harrison Chatting
completing the comeback.
Modibo Maiga played 82 minutes of FC Metz' 1-1 draw away at Bordeaux.
Fergani Sassi gave Metz the lead, finishing Florent Malouda's pass however
the hosts equalised a minute after Maiga was taken off. Wahbi Kharzi netting
the goal.
Jaanai Gordon played the full game for already relegated Nuneaton Town as
they lost 5-3 away at Chester. The visitors had been 2-0 up yet four second
half goals for Chester secured the win.
Paul McCallum came on in the 88th minute as Portsmouth beat Mansfield Town
2-1 away. Matt Tubbs' second minute penalty gave the visitors the lead
before Jed Wallace doubled their advantage.
Jack Thomas scored in the 68th minute to half the arrears yet Pompey held
out for the win. McCallum replaced goalscorer Matt Tubbs.
Elliot Lee played 65 minutes in Luton Town's 1-0 defeat away at Southend
United. Michael Timlin's 25-yard strike was fumbled by goalkeeper Elliot
Justham to give the Shrimpers the three points.
Lee was replaced by Luke Guttridge shortly after the hour mark.
Sean Maguire played 84 minutes of Accrington Stanley's 4-0 defeat away at
Dagenham & Redbridge. Matt Partridge opened the scoring before goals from
Jamie Cureton, Frankie Raymond and Jodi Jones completed the rout.
Maguire was replaced by Matt Crooks with six minutes to go.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Adrian - 'I have a positive mentality to save penalties'
WHUFC.com
West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian added to his reputation as the penalty
king on Saturday when he denied Charlie Austin the opportunity to give
Queens Park Rangers all three points from 12 yards. Adrian blocked the R's
striker's effort with his legs in the first half at Loftus Road as he kept a
first clean sheet for a month in helping the Hammers to a point from their
0-0 draw. The Spaniard's penalty stop was his third in succession following
on from saves from Tottenham's Harry Kane and Leicester's David Nugent in
2015 and he says the key to outwitting the striker lies in the preparation.
He said: "I study the penalties, because it is my job. I am a goalkeeper and
I try to save all the shots. The penalty is one shot you can study because
the best striker shoots on his strong side most often. This time Austin shot
to my right side and I saved it. "Every time I have the positive mentality
to save the penalty and this time it's good because I saved it. "I don't
know if I put Austin off by having a word beforehand, but I try to make the
striker nervous because if they are happy and relaxed to score the penalty,
it's easy for them. "In that scenario the goal is big, and I try to say some
words to make them nervous – on this occasion it worked for me."
Adrian played behind 18-year-old debutant Reece Burke, who partnered James
Collins at centre back. The former Real Betis keeper was impressed with the
Academy product's performance and says there is more to come from him. He
added: "Reece was not nervous – he was happy because all his teammates were
congratulating him after the game because he played well against a couple of
good strikers in Zamora and Austin. "I was saying that he needs to
concentrate for the 90 minutes and have confidence in himself. He's a good
central defender and he just needs to concentrate on his position. The more
experienced players tried to keep him calm. "It's a good experience for him
and he'll try to keep going from here."
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A FOREIGNER'S VIEW
By Iain Dale 27 Apr 2015 at 09:52
West Ham Till I Die
Guest Post by RoHammer
A Foreigner's View…
by RoHammer
I've been considering submitting an article on here for a while now but
somehow the usual "topics of the day" never seemed good enough. The Big Sam
discussion has been done to death, transfer speculation is…well, just that,
speculation… and while I love me a bit of tactical debate, that will always
be difficult to pull off what with all the internet managers around these
days (myself included). We all know we could do a better job than Sam though
am I right?! wink
On a more serious note though, there was a wonderful debate on here in the
last couple of days with some great contribution from our senior members
(who have seen it all). Now, I always enjoy reading Dan's articles with all
the historic info and such partly (but not solely) because I didn't get to
see it myself. Truth be told, most of what I know about WHU I have learned
on here which in itself is a credit to the site and its contributors. But it
all makes me wonder, what do West Ham fans really want going forward? Do we
cling to the trappings of our past which, despite the odd cup win, has been
decidedly mediocre…or do we strive for more? Are we content with being the
perennial "also-rans"?
People go on about how we use to be everyone's "second team" but personally
I struggle to take that as a compliment…more like a veiled insult at times.
I can see how our historic "style" could make us popular but I wonder if the
fact that we were very generous with giving away points wasn't part of it as
well. How important is "style" exactly and does it supersede getting the 3
points? In a hypothetical scenario, would we prefer winning most of our
games with 1-0 or losing them 3-4 (let's take relegation off the table for
this exercise and assume it wouldn't be a danger as we'd still get enough
points to survive)? Is entertainment the be all end all for West Ham fans…
and if so, when do we stop putting our individual desire for entertainment
ahead of what is best for our club? And isn't that rather selfish and short
sighted?
I have noticed people going so far as to say they would accept relegation if
only they would see the team play a certain "west ham way"… but how many
stop to think what that would mean for the club? The fans will be there
whatever division we play in of that I have no doubt…but do we not deserve
our day in the sun? Do we not want our team to be successful and fight it
out with the best (both domestically and in Europe as well)?
Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating "long ball" football here…far from
it in fact. I am advocating successful football whatever that may mean…if
"tiki-taka" works in a given game then great, but if we need to grind out a
result and defend a 1-0 lead then I can accept that too. I am advocating
adaptability and doing what you have to in order to succeed. As a side note,
since it's an ever so popular debate… who will be our next manager will have
a great bearing to where we are headed… with 4 games to go, we will find out
soon enough.
…I'll wrap it up here…this piece has become longer than expected which
shouldn't be a surprise to those who know me on WHTID but still…enough
questions for one day. Who knows, maybe I'll turn this into a series about
the identity of WHU and its fans past and present…im sure many of our older
members will have a lot to contribute. Being relatively new to this esteemed
group and supporting West Ham from abroad, there are certainly many things I
have yet to learn or understand. It might even benefit some of our younger
readers who knows?!
Thanks for reading folks…
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West Ham target Bournemouth hotshot Callum Wilson as new striker tops summer
priority list
15:46, 27 April 2015 By Darren Lewis
The Cherries striker has bagged 23 goals this term to take his side to the
brink of the Premier League but he is on West Ham's radar - along with
Javier Hernandez
The Mirror
West Ham are monitoring Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson. The Cherries
marksman has hit 23 goals to spearhead the south coast club's chase for
promotion to the Premier League. West Ham, meanwhile, have made a new
striker a priority this summer after seeing injuries and their lack of
firepower shatter their bid for European football. The east Londoners
already have Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac - available on a free
this summer - on their shortlist. They are also keen on £7million-rated
Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez , on loan at Real Madrid but keen
to leave in search of regular first-team football.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce rubbishes reports linking him with Sunderland
job
22:30, 26 April 2015 By Darren Lewis
The Hammer is being targeted to take over from Dick Advocaat in the summer
but Allardyce has no plans to leave Upton Park
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce has dismissed suggestions he is welcoming interest from
Sunderland. The West Ham boss is set to be axed at the end of the season
after the east Londoners' slump in form over the second half of the season.
Sunderland, themselves fighting the drop, are targeting Big Sam to succeed
interim boss Dick Advocaat at the end of the season. But Allardyce said:
"There is only one thing that needs to be sorted out here and that is me
sitting down with the owners when they are ready to talk about me being at
West Ham and nowhere else.
"Until that is resolved we won't know which way we are both going forward.
That is the only thing that is to be sorted, to sit down and sort it out."
Allardyce has also insisted he will not stress himself out worrying about
his fate at Upton Park. The Irons board will hold talks with him at the end
of the season but they have also sounded out a number of rival bosses in
case they are unable - or unwilling - to agree a new deal. Allardyce had an
angioplasty, a procedure which involves inserting a stent to widen a
narrowed coronary artery, in 2009. He maintains the heart surgery saved his
life - and put the trivia of football into perspective. He said: "I made the
decision to look after myself in general in 2009 after my stent. "I think
after my stent the first thing I said to the specialist is 'is it time for
me to pack this job in?' he said no, but it is time to make sure you do not
stress yourself out as much as you do. "I see you jumping up and down on the
touchline like a lunatic – stop that. Control yourself and you won't have a
problem."
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Irons chase Cherries ace
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 27, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are this afternoon be reported as tracking Bournemouth's 22-goal
striker striker Callum Wilson. The Cherries frontman has spearheaded The
Cherries s chase for promotion to the Premier League. David Sullivan
admitted recently the Irons have made a new striker a priority this summer
and the Mirror believe he is ready to raid the south coast club. We are also
claimed to have Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac – available on a free
this summer – on their shortlist along with Jabier Hernandez. The Cherries
can more or less cenent their place in the Premier League tonight with
victory over Bolton in a game which may give Hammers fans the chance of
checking out Wilson.
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Reece lets Sam have his cake and eat it!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 27, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce presumably kept a straight face as he discussed the emergence
of Reece Burke on the official website today. Last week he was telling us
how tough it was for him to play the youngsters but what a difference today
after the 18 year performed so well against Queens Park Rangers. Here's a
reminder of what Allardyce told London 24.com before the game: "If you put a
youngster in and lose, you get criticised, the youngster might get
criticised, so it is difficult. "Or play all your youngsters in the FA Cup
and get slaughtered for it. You say 'we don't give youngsters a chance' but
you give them a chance, lose, and get slaughtered for it. "You can't have
your cake and eat it."
Today, however, that is exactly what he appears to be trying to do as he
declares: "When everyone says no one plays a young player any more the
bottom line is if you are safe and you say 'We are going to play a lot of
the young players now and we are going to play a lot of players who are on
the fringe and whose contracts are up'. "We want to put them into games at
this level and see if they can stand up and get experience. "It is really
encouraging to see young players coming through. We want to put them into
games at this level and see if they can stand up and get experience." "Burke
has come through because of injuries to Winston Reid and James Tomkins and
to be fair he would have been more involved if he had not been injured
earlier in the season." REALLY – that doesn't quite compute Sam!
Back to last week and some more thoughts from the manager as he moaned: "It
is always difficult for me. If we were in a better position with our results
it would have been a good thing to look at the odd player. "But the pressure
with us at the moment to get results means it would be difficult for me to
do." Difficult? Maybe! WRONG? Most definitely! In the meantime giv e me some
more of that cake and let me eat it.
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Sam player support becomes embarrassing!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 27, 2015 in Whispers
Claret 7 Hugh
West Ham players appearing regularly in the media singing the praises of
their manager and "hoping he stays " is predictable and embarrassing" in
equal parts. Stewart Downing is the latest declaring: ""Hopefully he stays.
We want him here. The players love playing for him. He's a really good
manager to play for. "The manager has said it will be sorted at the end of
the season so we have to get on with it and win games. "The only way to put
the uncertainty to bed is to win games because that puts him in a better
position. owningNice words Stewart – shame about the actions! This followed
quotes from Andy Carroll declaring how much the manager was loved by the
squad in which he said: "Everyone loves him, everyone loves the training and
the routine we are in. I am sure all the lads want him to stay next season.
"The manager is strong enough to deal with that (run) and I think so are all
the players. It is just unlucky the way the games have been going."
Downing reckons the team needs to win to help him keep his job…Carroll
appears to believe we are merely unlucky after another four games without a
win. All the proclamations of love and undying loyalty to the manager thus
become almost entirely meaningless as the shocking run of results continues.
Sam no doubt needs someone to love him but the truth is we are showing
relegation form and relegated managers generally get the sack. Just felt a
little reality check was needed!
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Record maker Adrian psyches out Austin
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 27, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Adrian's third successive record setting Premier League penalty save against
Queens Park Rangers was a quite brilliant achievement at Loftus Road and
once the stopper may have psyched out the spot kick taker. The Spaniard –
speaking to the official site – said: "I don't know if I put Austin off by
having a word beforehand, but I try to make the striker nervous."
He of course did exactly the same to David Nugent before stopping his effort
at Leicester City in the defeat suffered at the hands of Leicester City.
Adrian said: "I study the penalties, because it is my job. I am a goalkeeper
and I try to save all the shots. "The penalty is one shot you can study
because the best striker shoots on his strong side most often. This time
Austin shot to my right side and I saved it. "Every time I have the positive
mentality to save the penalty and this time it's good because I saved it. "I
don't know if I put Austin off by having a word beforehand, but I try to
make the striker nervous because if they are happy and relaxed to score the
penalty, it's easy for them. "In that scenario the goal is big, and I try to
say some words to make them nervous – on this occasion it worked for me."
Adrian also commented on the impressive performance by Academy product
18-year-old debutant Reece Burke. He said: "Reece was not nervous – he was
happy because all his teammates were congratulating him after the game
because he played well against a couple of good strikers in Zamora and
Austin. "I was saying that he needs to concentrate for the 90 minutes and
have confidence in himself. He's a good central defender and he just needs
to concentrate on his position. The more experienced players tried to keep
him calm. "It's a good experience for him and he'll try to keep going from
here."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Three players West Ham need to move on in the summer, including Kevin Nolan
HITC
John Verrall
42 minutes ago
We take a look at the players West Ham United should let go this summer.
West Ham United's thoughts appear to have been on next season for some time,
with their current campaign petering out. The Hammers have won just two of
their last 17 Premier League matches, and it means that adding quality to
their squad next season will be key to ensure that they do not run out of
steam again. Expectations at West Ham are increasing and the standard of
players needed to be recruited is rising. It means that the London side
will need to be ruthless in the summer transfer window, and in this piece we
take a look at three players who should be let go as they don't make the
grade anymore.
Carlton Cole
The target-man has been a loyal servant of the club, but it is time for the
Hammers to let Cole leave. The experienced forward's contract is expiring,
and he should not be offered the chance to stay on as he isn't good enough
to play a part any more. West Ham have better options up front than Cole
nowadays, and he needs to be let go if the club are to progress.
Matt Jarvis
The winger has had some chances to impress of late, but he has never really
taken his opportunity and doesn't seem to be up to standard anymore.
Jarvis's West Ham career has never really taken off and the club should look
at moving him on in the summer. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man may
be a decent outlet, but he doesn't have enough end product to represent a
team who will be chasing a European place.
Kevin Nolan
Nolan's presence in the dressing room is important for West Ham, but his
showings on the pitch have suggested that he lacks the quality to play a
regular role for the side. Nolan doesn't have the technical ability to push
the club on to the next level, and he should be allowed to leave in the
summer. The experienced midfielder is reaching the twilight of his career,
and West Ham need to start thinking about the future without him.
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Tuesday, April 28
Monday, April 27
Daily WHUFC News - 27th April 2015
Stewie salutes 'brilliant' Burke
WHUFC.com
Stewart Downing heaped plaudits on young Reece Burke, after the 18-year-old
gave a mature display in his Barclays Premier League debut against Queens
Park Rangers on Saturday. The Newham-born defender was thrown into the mix
following injury to Winston Reid and Downing felt he had seen plenty to
suggest the youngster has a big future in the game. Up against Charlie
Austin and Bobby Zamora, Burke battled gamely alongside fellow centre-half
James Collins and looked right at home at the heart of the Hammers' rear
guard. "He's waited a long time for his chance," Downing explained. He's
done well for the youth team, he's travelled a lot of times and not been
involved.
"But Reidy [Winston Reid] goes down injured late on and he's thrown in,
sometimes that's the best way to be. He has proven himself with his
performance. I thought he was absolutely brilliant against Bobby Zamora,
who's had a really good season, and Charlie Austin's scored nearly every
other game, so I thought he played really, really, well."
That said, Downing reckons he may need to rethink his hairstyle if he wants
to become a seasoned centre-half a la Collins. "He'll have to go skinhead
with Ginge! He's done really well, a young boy up against really experienced
strikers, strong lads as well. I thought he handled them very, very well.
He's probably man of the match for me."
As for the future, West Ham's No11 believes that Burke has shown enough to
earn the confidence of manager Sam Allardyce and so can expect to be in the
reckoning for the coming weeks and beyond. "I'm not sure whether he'll be in
from the start next season, Reidy, Ginge and Tonks [James Tomkins] might
have something to say about that. But he's certainly in that mix, we know we
can depend on him now, the manager can put him in there any time, home or
away and he'll do the job. "That was a big performance from him and he'll be
a big player for the future. You need people like that coming through."
Reflecting on Saturday's goalless draw, Downing said the Hammers were
indebted to 'keeper Adrian for his latest spot-kick heroics. It may be that
the Spaniard's form has gone under the radar somewhat, but the
Middlesbrough-born midfielder said West Ham know exactly how important he
is. He continued: "Adrian certainly gets the credit he deserves from us.
You can see that the fans love him and the lads obviously appreciate him. He
has made some big saves this season. He got my vote for player of the year,
so that shows you. "It was a great save, Charlie Austin's had an
unbelievable season and nine time out of ten he'd bury that penalty. But
Adrian's really good at penalties, it was a good save and it kept us in the
game."
Overall, however, Downing deemed that the point was probably about fair.
Though the 30-year-old had no complaints about the spot-kick, he thought the
Hammers were good value for their clean sheet and was just sorry that the
visitors failed to carve out a late winner. "They've missed a good chance
with the penalty and we had a couple late on, so overall I think it was
probably a fair result. We get a point back on the board, a clean sheet, so
there's a positive there, but we'd like to have won on Saturday. "There
wasn't too much fuss with the referee so I'm guessing it was a penalty. It
was probably a bit unlucky but Adrian's got us out of trouble again with a
great save. "Overall, at the end, if we'd got a goal, it would have been
nice to nick a 1-0 away win, because I thought we defended very well."
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Downing wants under-fire Allardyce to stay at West Ham
Last Updated: 26/04/15 2:46pm
SSN
Stewart Downing says West Ham's players will be fighting for Sam Allardyce's
future in their last four games of the season. Allardyce is widely tipped to
leave the club in the summer as his contract expires at the end of the
season and he is yet to be offered a new deal.
A poor run of form, which has seen the Hammers win only two league games in
2015 and slip out of contention for the European places, has also added to
the uncertainty surrounding Allardyce's future. The Hammers were held to a
goalless draw at QPR on Saturday and sit 10th in the table, but Downing
insisted the players were all behind their manager and love playing under
Allardyce. "Even before I came here, Sam signed a new deal at the end of the
season," Downing said. "The manager has said it will be sorted at the end of
the season so we have to get on with it and win games. "The only way to put
the uncertainty to bed is to win games because that puts him in a better
position. "Hopefully he stays. We want him here. The players love playing
for him. He's a really good manager to play for. "He's been really good to
me, I like him, but I don't make the decisions, it's up to the chairmen and
how they see it going forward."
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QPR 0, WEST HAM 0. SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN WATCHING PAINT DRY.
By David Hautzig 25 Apr 2015 at 17:55
West Ham till I Die
You couldn't have scripted this better if you were able to manipulate the
space-time continuum. As we all know, Sam Allardyce made some pretty odd
comments about using (or not using) youth in the first team. I was pretty
dismayed by those comments, and went so far as to Tweet that it was one of
the most awe inspiringly dumb things I'd ever heard him say. So when the
rumours started creeping in that Reid had picked up a new hamstring injury
in training and Reece Burke might be handed a surprise start in his place, I
took to Twitter to predict Kouyate would start at CB, weakening our
midfield. I was sooooo ready to slam Sam for the decision.
And then he went and did what nobody thought he would do and completely
ruined my rant. Thanks Sam.
The opening minutes of the game were frenetic and exciting for both sides.
In the first minute Noble lost the ball to Matty Phillips near the top of
the QPR penalty area. Phillips played Sandro in on the left side but his low
shot was saved by Adrian. Minutes later it was the Hammers turn to attack
when Valencia did well to win a corner off a long ball that was headed
nowhere. Jarvis sent the corner into the box and onto the head of none other
than Reece Burke, who won the header and came inches from a dream start but
Onuoha cleared the ball off the line.
And just as quickly as the game began, it slowed down. For the next 18
minutes, very little happened. And then something big happened. QPR enjoyed
some possession and worked the ball into Zamora in the box. The former
Hammer hero tried to lob the ball over Collins and Adrian, but Collins
raised his right arm way over his head for a clear hand ball. When Charlie
Austin stepped up to take the penalty, I started to write about being down
1-0. Then I remembered Adrian doesn't give up goals from the spot, and for
the third time in a row our newest cult hero saved a penalty kick.
I am still very much in the pro Enner Valencia camp. I believe he has been
played out of position for much of the season, which has hampered both his
performances and his confidence. But there are times when I say to the TV,
"Enner, what the hell are you thinking"? The 32nd minute was one of those
times, when Valencia beat Hill on the byline and moved in on Rob Green. But
with Jarvis sprinting into the box, and Nolan trailing at the top of the
area, Valencia chose to take a bad shot from an impossible angle.
Minutes later West Ham had another chance….kind of….when Joey Barton gave
the ball away to Nolan at the top of the box. But with plenty of time and
plenty of space he attempted a quick shot that rolled harmlessly into the
waiting hands of Rob Green.
For the majority of the first half, one had to wonder if every player out
there had simply forgotten how to play the game. Passes were way off target,
the ball flew through the air sometimes for what looked liked minutes
without ever touching the ground. One could easily have mistaken it for a
game played in a field by a bunch of amateurs. It was that bad. The second
half was better, but not by much.
In the opening moments of the second forty five minutes, Clint Hill headed
the ball to Bobby Zamora in the West Ham penalty area. Zamora seemed to rush
his shot, likely unaware that he had a second to compose himself. Instead
his quick side footed effort went right into Adrian's arms.
In the 50th minute, West Ham had their best chance of the game to that
point. Nolan got on the end of a long ball from Collins and knocked it down
to Valencia, who was then fouled by Sandro to set up a free kick from a very
dangerous area. Cresswell curled his effort over the wall, and if not for a
superb save from Green he would have repeated his heroics against Stoke. If
I were king of Hammerland, I'd have Cresswell take the vast majority of free
kicks from here on.
QPR then enjoyed a period of possession that put West Ham on the back foot,
with both Sandro and Zamora taking shots that went either wide of high. West
Ham tried to change the tone of the game by removing Jarvis and inserting
Cole. And only because I love Cole for his loyalty and professionalism, I'm
going to credit his entry into the game for West Ham's next half chance.
Let's call it artistic license, shall we?
In the 57th minute, Cole won a header and Nolan got on the end of the
knockdown. Nolan threaded a long pass that both Downing and Green raced
after. In real time, it looked like Green got their first and cleared the
ball from danger. The replay showed that Downing might have gotten their
first and missed his attempt on the ball.
While Austin's missed penalty may still be the number one talking point of a
rather listless match, another one happened in the 72nd minute. After
Jenkinson put the ball out for a corner, Adrian and Caulker both went up for
the ball. They collided, the ball fell to Dunne, and he put it into the West
Ham net. But Mike Jones blew his whistle as Dunne was shooting, calling a
foul on Caulker for his collision with Adrian. If such a play was available
to be reviewed by video, that goal could have been allowed because it looked
like Caulker simply went for the ball and Adrian mishandled it. If I'm
wrong, I have no doubt I will be informed below.
QPR kept up the pressure, with Fer having a good look at goal only to
misfire, and then Dunne winning a header in the box but his attempt went
right to Adrian. Burke then fouled Austin, giving QPR a free kick which came
to Fer but his header went over the bar.
West Ham countered in the 80th minute when Valencia used his pace to beat
Dunne down the right hand side. With both Cole and Kouyate running into the
box, Valencia slid a low cross to the latter. If this can be a game of
inches, Valencia's pass was one of millimeters. The pass was just slightly
behind Kouyate, and his shot sailed high over the bar. Nine times out of
ten, Kouyate handles that and it's a goal. But like so many things in the
second half of the season, this was the tenth out of ten.
The Hammers created one more chance in the 89th when Jenkinson ran the
length of the field at full speed to get on the end of a pass from Downing
down the right. Jenkinson sent a low cross through the goalmouth but neither
Cole nor Valencia could reach it for an easy tap in.
The final chance of the game came in the final minute of the ninety when
Phillips ran onto the ball in the West Ham box and fired a volley that
looked headed for the roof of the net. But Adrian got his fingertips on the
ball and saved the point for West Ham.
Final Score: QPR 0, West Ham 0.
If either team could see this as two points dropped, it's Rangers. From the
missed penalty to the disallowed goal, with other chances mixed in, Chris
Ramsey's side played more like a team going for three points than West Ham.
Valencia had the kind of game that one could look at and say in a different
system, he could be lethal. And despite a few mistakes that made Burke look
like he's 18, the boy had a decent game. So I can hang on to those two
things as small positives. But overall it was yet another performance that
hammers home the point…pun intended…that West Ham need improvement in many
areas. Our midfield was dreadful today. They looked incapable of keeping
possession against a team that often handed them the ball. And with two
substitutions available, for Sam to ignore both Amalfitano and Nene was
absurd. I'm cynical enough wonder about his motives.
On the bright side, at least we didn't give up a late goal again. Thank
heavens for small favors.
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Howe's miracle journey nears climax
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 26, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Eddie Howe rarely gets prolonged mentions when it comes to considering a new
Hammers manager – perhaps he should! For tomorrow night he could all but
complete a miraculous journey in management which only those who have stayed
close to his reign at Bournemouth will be aware. The Cherries meet Bolton in
a match which if won will see them all but promoted but it's the history
which needs to be studied to see the magnitude of such an achievement. Six
years ago this weekend the then 31 year old manager was in charge of a side
which beat Grimsby Town to avoid relegation from the Football League in a
year when they had started with a League Two 17 point deduction! Now he sits
a heartbeat from a place in the Premier League and whilst most Hammers fans
are looking at big time bosses, one highly important Boleyn insider told us:
"This young man could become an absolutely fantastic manager …but can the
club take the chance at this stage?"
Former striker Frank McAvennie has no doubts about it telling ClaretandHugh:
"Everything he does is class and the football his team plays is pure West
Ham. He'd get it down and really play. "To deal with the pressures he has
had along the way, shows me he is a man of character who can deal with the
Premier League – I hope the club goes for him."
Howe heads into the match against Sam Allardyce's former club saying: " I
feel a lot older than 37 in terms on management. The 'Great Escape' aged me
about 10 years." And of the match against Bolton he declared: "Look at the
legacy the players could leave this club. We have never been in the top
division – never been in the Premier League. "They can become famous around
the town of Bournemouth and that should be their motivation."
Bournemouth v Bolton
Sky Sports
Kick Off 7.45 pm
Monday
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Richards deal and the Irons
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 26, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Reports that West Ham will "battle" for the signature of Manchester City
defender Micah Richards this summer are wide of the mark.
Currently on loan at Fiorentina, he is expected to return to England this
summer with allegedly Inter Milan and Fiorentina, ourselves, Southampton,
Stoke City, Everton and Aston Villa all chasing him. West Ham were claimed
to interested in Richards last summer but in the end the club became
disinterested at wages understood to be in the area of £70,000 and City
unwilling to share the burden. And ClaretandHugh was told today: "His injury
record isn't great and the wages are likely to be of an order that would see
us look elsewhere."
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Song on his Irons future
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 26, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
It may have come a little late to make much difference but Alex Song has
finally made his position clear: He wants to stay! In an interview with Sky
Sports he revealed: "Yeah, I definitely want to stay here. I don't know (if
I can sign a permanent deal at West Ham).
"I can't say anything now because I want to focus on the rest of the season
and then we will see." He added: "I think we have to target an eighth-placed
finish this season. The problem with West Ham is that we don't have a very
big squad. I was saying to people it was too early to say that we will
finish fourth or fifth. "I always said if we finish tenth it would be
perfect because we don't have a squad like an Arsenal or Chelsea. When we
have one or two players injured, we don't have a big player to come on."
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So disappointing but let's count the positives
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 26, 2015 in Whispers
BY Nick Hardinge
Claret & Hugh
Our latest blogger is a tender 21 years old – short on Hammers glory but BIG
on love for a club that's "been in his blood since Day One" Here in his
first article how – as just a young man – he's getting used to that feeling
of "fortune always hiding." Nick's views are his own and do not necessarily
reflect those of ClaretandHugh Adrian_3164087bWhen writing a report on our
beloved West Ham's current plight, it's difficult not to go over the same
old ground. How many times have we heard calls for "BFS Out!!"? How many
times have we despaired that the 'West Ham Way' is dying? How many times
have we hoped that our youth would be given greater opportunities? They're
more regular than an Adrian penalty save! I, like many others on here it
seems, cannot wait for this season to be over. It's petering out all too
familiarly. I'm only 21 and already I'm all too well acquainted with the
overwhelming sense of disappointment in a West Ham season. But in the past,
that disappointment was something that made me proud to be a West Ham fan. I
think that part of it defines who we are.
Perhaps surprisingly, I do remember the relegation of 2003. The abysmal 2011
is definitely still very fresh in the mind. However, despite these tragedies
I have always held my head up high as a Hammer, even in the face of taunts
from my glory supporting Man U friends and a fool of a Gooner (who needs
enemies when you have friends like that hey?).
I've always been confident that the good times would shortly be round the
corner. We had fighters in those squads who would give their all for the
shirt (2003: Di Canio, Repka, Sinclair; 2011: Parker, Green, Cole
[disagreement here is welcome, but in their own separate ways they were each
a hero in the claret and blue at some point]). It pains me to say, but today
I do not see those fighters.
There is always Mark Noble, and James Collins always puts everything on the
line for the club, but rarely do these two change a game. As much as I love
the fishing fanatic, Noble rarely makes that incisive pass that splits open
a defence and Collins too often delivers a (sometimes spectacular, i.e. City
away) gaffe which leads to trouble.
For a while, I thought Song, Downing and a few others might earn a heroic
status for us this season. But like Kevin Nolan in every game this season,
their fight has all but disappeared. I think we can hold our hands up and
admit that we were in dreamland in December when we were hoping for Europe.
In true West Ham fashion, the fortune has hidden once again.
Today, the disappointment feels different. I feel no pride in our current
displays. And I firmly believe that the buck stops at the man at the helm.
Players are prima donnas these days and they need inspiring. If Allardyce
can't inspire us (sometimes fickle) fans who pay good money to watch, then
how can he inspire players guaranteed to be earning up to £80,000 a week?
So where does this leave us? Well I'd like to finish on a few high notes. We
have a manager who, as many of us hope and believe, is seemingly on his way
out.
We have a proven PL goal scorer for next season in Sakho. We have a keeper
who is number one in all but his shirt number.
There is a relatively youthful core in the side (Sakho, Valencia, Kouyate,
Tomkins, Reid, Cresswell), plus we have promises of additions from the
owners.
A new stadium is on the horizon, along with cheaper tickets (eventually).
And finally, we are still a Premier League club – for what it's worth (a LOT
of money actually).
Oh, and apparently we have David Cameron's backing. Well that is us damned
then!!
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Burke's Mum and Dad make it "emotional"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 26, 2015 in Whispers
Claret 7 Hugh
Reece Burke was the major talking point before and after yesterday's 0-0
draw at Loftus Road and the lad himself declared: "After Winston Reid picked
up a little injury I thought he might chuck me in and I found out on Friday
I'd be playing, so I had to prepare well." The Newham born 18 year old
reckons he "did alright" and added "Hopefully there's many more games to
come." He told the official site: ""I'm just really happy we kept a clean
sheet. There's always room for improvement and that's for me to go away,
watch the game back and work on what I need to work on. "It was a case of
keeping it simple and not over-complicating things. That's what the lads
were telling me, make sure my first pass and first header were good and go
from there. That's the way it went so I'm pleased.
He continued: "My parents came to watch the game and I saw them at the end,
which was a bit emotional. I'm happy and they're happy as well. Saturday was
a very emotional day for me – I've been at the Club since the age of nine so
playing at QPR is looking back at a long journey. I just want to keep
going." Burke also paid tribute to James Collins, whose experienced head
helped him through his league debut. "Ginge helped me throughout the game,
talking to me and telling me not to get too tight to Bobby Zamora as he's a
strong lad.
"He spoke to me a lot during the game and helped me to do well."
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West Ham Talent Commits To Nigeria Ahead Of England
West Ham's New Kid On The Block Emmanuel Onariase Chooses To Play For
Nigeria
By SL10 - Apr 26, 2015 12:18 PM
West Ham's new kid on the block, Emmanuel Onariase, has elected to play for
Nigeria at senior level though he is eligible to don the jersey of England,
the country of his birth. The Anglo-Nigerian is regarded as one of the
brightest prospects at The Boleyn Ground so much so that manager Sam
Allardyce named the central defender in his 18 - man squad for the Premier
League clash against Arsenal last month.
''I've always wanted to play for my country ever since I was a kid,''
Emmanuel Onariase confided to SL10.ng. ''My future lies with God, he is my
sense of direction, he has plans for me, which ever country I end up playing
for I know it's God that chose it for me! He will give me a sign when the
time comes. ''Of course I would honour a call up from my home country! I
would love to play for my country with a passion!'' The 18 - year - old has
revealed that former Super Eagles skipper Joseph Yobo has always been his
role model, and did not spare praise for the ex Everton and Norwich City
stopper. ''I look up to Joesph Yobo who was a centre back for the Super
Eagles but retired last year. ''Yobo is a solid defender! Being the team
captain, he led the team by example, he also played in the Premier league
for Everton. ''He is composed on the ball and he reads the game well making
vital tackles! What a great player!'' Emmanuel Onariase added. West Ham
believe Onariase will be key for the club in future and they moved quickly
to offer him a professional deal earlier this month.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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WHUFC.com
Stewart Downing heaped plaudits on young Reece Burke, after the 18-year-old
gave a mature display in his Barclays Premier League debut against Queens
Park Rangers on Saturday. The Newham-born defender was thrown into the mix
following injury to Winston Reid and Downing felt he had seen plenty to
suggest the youngster has a big future in the game. Up against Charlie
Austin and Bobby Zamora, Burke battled gamely alongside fellow centre-half
James Collins and looked right at home at the heart of the Hammers' rear
guard. "He's waited a long time for his chance," Downing explained. He's
done well for the youth team, he's travelled a lot of times and not been
involved.
"But Reidy [Winston Reid] goes down injured late on and he's thrown in,
sometimes that's the best way to be. He has proven himself with his
performance. I thought he was absolutely brilliant against Bobby Zamora,
who's had a really good season, and Charlie Austin's scored nearly every
other game, so I thought he played really, really, well."
That said, Downing reckons he may need to rethink his hairstyle if he wants
to become a seasoned centre-half a la Collins. "He'll have to go skinhead
with Ginge! He's done really well, a young boy up against really experienced
strikers, strong lads as well. I thought he handled them very, very well.
He's probably man of the match for me."
As for the future, West Ham's No11 believes that Burke has shown enough to
earn the confidence of manager Sam Allardyce and so can expect to be in the
reckoning for the coming weeks and beyond. "I'm not sure whether he'll be in
from the start next season, Reidy, Ginge and Tonks [James Tomkins] might
have something to say about that. But he's certainly in that mix, we know we
can depend on him now, the manager can put him in there any time, home or
away and he'll do the job. "That was a big performance from him and he'll be
a big player for the future. You need people like that coming through."
Reflecting on Saturday's goalless draw, Downing said the Hammers were
indebted to 'keeper Adrian for his latest spot-kick heroics. It may be that
the Spaniard's form has gone under the radar somewhat, but the
Middlesbrough-born midfielder said West Ham know exactly how important he
is. He continued: "Adrian certainly gets the credit he deserves from us.
You can see that the fans love him and the lads obviously appreciate him. He
has made some big saves this season. He got my vote for player of the year,
so that shows you. "It was a great save, Charlie Austin's had an
unbelievable season and nine time out of ten he'd bury that penalty. But
Adrian's really good at penalties, it was a good save and it kept us in the
game."
Overall, however, Downing deemed that the point was probably about fair.
Though the 30-year-old had no complaints about the spot-kick, he thought the
Hammers were good value for their clean sheet and was just sorry that the
visitors failed to carve out a late winner. "They've missed a good chance
with the penalty and we had a couple late on, so overall I think it was
probably a fair result. We get a point back on the board, a clean sheet, so
there's a positive there, but we'd like to have won on Saturday. "There
wasn't too much fuss with the referee so I'm guessing it was a penalty. It
was probably a bit unlucky but Adrian's got us out of trouble again with a
great save. "Overall, at the end, if we'd got a goal, it would have been
nice to nick a 1-0 away win, because I thought we defended very well."
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Downing wants under-fire Allardyce to stay at West Ham
Last Updated: 26/04/15 2:46pm
SSN
Stewart Downing says West Ham's players will be fighting for Sam Allardyce's
future in their last four games of the season. Allardyce is widely tipped to
leave the club in the summer as his contract expires at the end of the
season and he is yet to be offered a new deal.
A poor run of form, which has seen the Hammers win only two league games in
2015 and slip out of contention for the European places, has also added to
the uncertainty surrounding Allardyce's future. The Hammers were held to a
goalless draw at QPR on Saturday and sit 10th in the table, but Downing
insisted the players were all behind their manager and love playing under
Allardyce. "Even before I came here, Sam signed a new deal at the end of the
season," Downing said. "The manager has said it will be sorted at the end of
the season so we have to get on with it and win games. "The only way to put
the uncertainty to bed is to win games because that puts him in a better
position. "Hopefully he stays. We want him here. The players love playing
for him. He's a really good manager to play for. "He's been really good to
me, I like him, but I don't make the decisions, it's up to the chairmen and
how they see it going forward."
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QPR 0, WEST HAM 0. SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN WATCHING PAINT DRY.
By David Hautzig 25 Apr 2015 at 17:55
West Ham till I Die
You couldn't have scripted this better if you were able to manipulate the
space-time continuum. As we all know, Sam Allardyce made some pretty odd
comments about using (or not using) youth in the first team. I was pretty
dismayed by those comments, and went so far as to Tweet that it was one of
the most awe inspiringly dumb things I'd ever heard him say. So when the
rumours started creeping in that Reid had picked up a new hamstring injury
in training and Reece Burke might be handed a surprise start in his place, I
took to Twitter to predict Kouyate would start at CB, weakening our
midfield. I was sooooo ready to slam Sam for the decision.
And then he went and did what nobody thought he would do and completely
ruined my rant. Thanks Sam.
The opening minutes of the game were frenetic and exciting for both sides.
In the first minute Noble lost the ball to Matty Phillips near the top of
the QPR penalty area. Phillips played Sandro in on the left side but his low
shot was saved by Adrian. Minutes later it was the Hammers turn to attack
when Valencia did well to win a corner off a long ball that was headed
nowhere. Jarvis sent the corner into the box and onto the head of none other
than Reece Burke, who won the header and came inches from a dream start but
Onuoha cleared the ball off the line.
And just as quickly as the game began, it slowed down. For the next 18
minutes, very little happened. And then something big happened. QPR enjoyed
some possession and worked the ball into Zamora in the box. The former
Hammer hero tried to lob the ball over Collins and Adrian, but Collins
raised his right arm way over his head for a clear hand ball. When Charlie
Austin stepped up to take the penalty, I started to write about being down
1-0. Then I remembered Adrian doesn't give up goals from the spot, and for
the third time in a row our newest cult hero saved a penalty kick.
I am still very much in the pro Enner Valencia camp. I believe he has been
played out of position for much of the season, which has hampered both his
performances and his confidence. But there are times when I say to the TV,
"Enner, what the hell are you thinking"? The 32nd minute was one of those
times, when Valencia beat Hill on the byline and moved in on Rob Green. But
with Jarvis sprinting into the box, and Nolan trailing at the top of the
area, Valencia chose to take a bad shot from an impossible angle.
Minutes later West Ham had another chance….kind of….when Joey Barton gave
the ball away to Nolan at the top of the box. But with plenty of time and
plenty of space he attempted a quick shot that rolled harmlessly into the
waiting hands of Rob Green.
For the majority of the first half, one had to wonder if every player out
there had simply forgotten how to play the game. Passes were way off target,
the ball flew through the air sometimes for what looked liked minutes
without ever touching the ground. One could easily have mistaken it for a
game played in a field by a bunch of amateurs. It was that bad. The second
half was better, but not by much.
In the opening moments of the second forty five minutes, Clint Hill headed
the ball to Bobby Zamora in the West Ham penalty area. Zamora seemed to rush
his shot, likely unaware that he had a second to compose himself. Instead
his quick side footed effort went right into Adrian's arms.
In the 50th minute, West Ham had their best chance of the game to that
point. Nolan got on the end of a long ball from Collins and knocked it down
to Valencia, who was then fouled by Sandro to set up a free kick from a very
dangerous area. Cresswell curled his effort over the wall, and if not for a
superb save from Green he would have repeated his heroics against Stoke. If
I were king of Hammerland, I'd have Cresswell take the vast majority of free
kicks from here on.
QPR then enjoyed a period of possession that put West Ham on the back foot,
with both Sandro and Zamora taking shots that went either wide of high. West
Ham tried to change the tone of the game by removing Jarvis and inserting
Cole. And only because I love Cole for his loyalty and professionalism, I'm
going to credit his entry into the game for West Ham's next half chance.
Let's call it artistic license, shall we?
In the 57th minute, Cole won a header and Nolan got on the end of the
knockdown. Nolan threaded a long pass that both Downing and Green raced
after. In real time, it looked like Green got their first and cleared the
ball from danger. The replay showed that Downing might have gotten their
first and missed his attempt on the ball.
While Austin's missed penalty may still be the number one talking point of a
rather listless match, another one happened in the 72nd minute. After
Jenkinson put the ball out for a corner, Adrian and Caulker both went up for
the ball. They collided, the ball fell to Dunne, and he put it into the West
Ham net. But Mike Jones blew his whistle as Dunne was shooting, calling a
foul on Caulker for his collision with Adrian. If such a play was available
to be reviewed by video, that goal could have been allowed because it looked
like Caulker simply went for the ball and Adrian mishandled it. If I'm
wrong, I have no doubt I will be informed below.
QPR kept up the pressure, with Fer having a good look at goal only to
misfire, and then Dunne winning a header in the box but his attempt went
right to Adrian. Burke then fouled Austin, giving QPR a free kick which came
to Fer but his header went over the bar.
West Ham countered in the 80th minute when Valencia used his pace to beat
Dunne down the right hand side. With both Cole and Kouyate running into the
box, Valencia slid a low cross to the latter. If this can be a game of
inches, Valencia's pass was one of millimeters. The pass was just slightly
behind Kouyate, and his shot sailed high over the bar. Nine times out of
ten, Kouyate handles that and it's a goal. But like so many things in the
second half of the season, this was the tenth out of ten.
The Hammers created one more chance in the 89th when Jenkinson ran the
length of the field at full speed to get on the end of a pass from Downing
down the right. Jenkinson sent a low cross through the goalmouth but neither
Cole nor Valencia could reach it for an easy tap in.
The final chance of the game came in the final minute of the ninety when
Phillips ran onto the ball in the West Ham box and fired a volley that
looked headed for the roof of the net. But Adrian got his fingertips on the
ball and saved the point for West Ham.
Final Score: QPR 0, West Ham 0.
If either team could see this as two points dropped, it's Rangers. From the
missed penalty to the disallowed goal, with other chances mixed in, Chris
Ramsey's side played more like a team going for three points than West Ham.
Valencia had the kind of game that one could look at and say in a different
system, he could be lethal. And despite a few mistakes that made Burke look
like he's 18, the boy had a decent game. So I can hang on to those two
things as small positives. But overall it was yet another performance that
hammers home the point…pun intended…that West Ham need improvement in many
areas. Our midfield was dreadful today. They looked incapable of keeping
possession against a team that often handed them the ball. And with two
substitutions available, for Sam to ignore both Amalfitano and Nene was
absurd. I'm cynical enough wonder about his motives.
On the bright side, at least we didn't give up a late goal again. Thank
heavens for small favors.
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Howe's miracle journey nears climax
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 26, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Eddie Howe rarely gets prolonged mentions when it comes to considering a new
Hammers manager – perhaps he should! For tomorrow night he could all but
complete a miraculous journey in management which only those who have stayed
close to his reign at Bournemouth will be aware. The Cherries meet Bolton in
a match which if won will see them all but promoted but it's the history
which needs to be studied to see the magnitude of such an achievement. Six
years ago this weekend the then 31 year old manager was in charge of a side
which beat Grimsby Town to avoid relegation from the Football League in a
year when they had started with a League Two 17 point deduction! Now he sits
a heartbeat from a place in the Premier League and whilst most Hammers fans
are looking at big time bosses, one highly important Boleyn insider told us:
"This young man could become an absolutely fantastic manager …but can the
club take the chance at this stage?"
Former striker Frank McAvennie has no doubts about it telling ClaretandHugh:
"Everything he does is class and the football his team plays is pure West
Ham. He'd get it down and really play. "To deal with the pressures he has
had along the way, shows me he is a man of character who can deal with the
Premier League – I hope the club goes for him."
Howe heads into the match against Sam Allardyce's former club saying: " I
feel a lot older than 37 in terms on management. The 'Great Escape' aged me
about 10 years." And of the match against Bolton he declared: "Look at the
legacy the players could leave this club. We have never been in the top
division – never been in the Premier League. "They can become famous around
the town of Bournemouth and that should be their motivation."
Bournemouth v Bolton
Sky Sports
Kick Off 7.45 pm
Monday
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Richards deal and the Irons
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 26, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Reports that West Ham will "battle" for the signature of Manchester City
defender Micah Richards this summer are wide of the mark.
Currently on loan at Fiorentina, he is expected to return to England this
summer with allegedly Inter Milan and Fiorentina, ourselves, Southampton,
Stoke City, Everton and Aston Villa all chasing him. West Ham were claimed
to interested in Richards last summer but in the end the club became
disinterested at wages understood to be in the area of £70,000 and City
unwilling to share the burden. And ClaretandHugh was told today: "His injury
record isn't great and the wages are likely to be of an order that would see
us look elsewhere."
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Song on his Irons future
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 26, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
It may have come a little late to make much difference but Alex Song has
finally made his position clear: He wants to stay! In an interview with Sky
Sports he revealed: "Yeah, I definitely want to stay here. I don't know (if
I can sign a permanent deal at West Ham).
"I can't say anything now because I want to focus on the rest of the season
and then we will see." He added: "I think we have to target an eighth-placed
finish this season. The problem with West Ham is that we don't have a very
big squad. I was saying to people it was too early to say that we will
finish fourth or fifth. "I always said if we finish tenth it would be
perfect because we don't have a squad like an Arsenal or Chelsea. When we
have one or two players injured, we don't have a big player to come on."
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So disappointing but let's count the positives
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 26, 2015 in Whispers
BY Nick Hardinge
Claret & Hugh
Our latest blogger is a tender 21 years old – short on Hammers glory but BIG
on love for a club that's "been in his blood since Day One" Here in his
first article how – as just a young man – he's getting used to that feeling
of "fortune always hiding." Nick's views are his own and do not necessarily
reflect those of ClaretandHugh Adrian_3164087bWhen writing a report on our
beloved West Ham's current plight, it's difficult not to go over the same
old ground. How many times have we heard calls for "BFS Out!!"? How many
times have we despaired that the 'West Ham Way' is dying? How many times
have we hoped that our youth would be given greater opportunities? They're
more regular than an Adrian penalty save! I, like many others on here it
seems, cannot wait for this season to be over. It's petering out all too
familiarly. I'm only 21 and already I'm all too well acquainted with the
overwhelming sense of disappointment in a West Ham season. But in the past,
that disappointment was something that made me proud to be a West Ham fan. I
think that part of it defines who we are.
Perhaps surprisingly, I do remember the relegation of 2003. The abysmal 2011
is definitely still very fresh in the mind. However, despite these tragedies
I have always held my head up high as a Hammer, even in the face of taunts
from my glory supporting Man U friends and a fool of a Gooner (who needs
enemies when you have friends like that hey?).
I've always been confident that the good times would shortly be round the
corner. We had fighters in those squads who would give their all for the
shirt (2003: Di Canio, Repka, Sinclair; 2011: Parker, Green, Cole
[disagreement here is welcome, but in their own separate ways they were each
a hero in the claret and blue at some point]). It pains me to say, but today
I do not see those fighters.
There is always Mark Noble, and James Collins always puts everything on the
line for the club, but rarely do these two change a game. As much as I love
the fishing fanatic, Noble rarely makes that incisive pass that splits open
a defence and Collins too often delivers a (sometimes spectacular, i.e. City
away) gaffe which leads to trouble.
For a while, I thought Song, Downing and a few others might earn a heroic
status for us this season. But like Kevin Nolan in every game this season,
their fight has all but disappeared. I think we can hold our hands up and
admit that we were in dreamland in December when we were hoping for Europe.
In true West Ham fashion, the fortune has hidden once again.
Today, the disappointment feels different. I feel no pride in our current
displays. And I firmly believe that the buck stops at the man at the helm.
Players are prima donnas these days and they need inspiring. If Allardyce
can't inspire us (sometimes fickle) fans who pay good money to watch, then
how can he inspire players guaranteed to be earning up to £80,000 a week?
So where does this leave us? Well I'd like to finish on a few high notes. We
have a manager who, as many of us hope and believe, is seemingly on his way
out.
We have a proven PL goal scorer for next season in Sakho. We have a keeper
who is number one in all but his shirt number.
There is a relatively youthful core in the side (Sakho, Valencia, Kouyate,
Tomkins, Reid, Cresswell), plus we have promises of additions from the
owners.
A new stadium is on the horizon, along with cheaper tickets (eventually).
And finally, we are still a Premier League club – for what it's worth (a LOT
of money actually).
Oh, and apparently we have David Cameron's backing. Well that is us damned
then!!
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Burke's Mum and Dad make it "emotional"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 26, 2015 in Whispers
Claret 7 Hugh
Reece Burke was the major talking point before and after yesterday's 0-0
draw at Loftus Road and the lad himself declared: "After Winston Reid picked
up a little injury I thought he might chuck me in and I found out on Friday
I'd be playing, so I had to prepare well." The Newham born 18 year old
reckons he "did alright" and added "Hopefully there's many more games to
come." He told the official site: ""I'm just really happy we kept a clean
sheet. There's always room for improvement and that's for me to go away,
watch the game back and work on what I need to work on. "It was a case of
keeping it simple and not over-complicating things. That's what the lads
were telling me, make sure my first pass and first header were good and go
from there. That's the way it went so I'm pleased.
He continued: "My parents came to watch the game and I saw them at the end,
which was a bit emotional. I'm happy and they're happy as well. Saturday was
a very emotional day for me – I've been at the Club since the age of nine so
playing at QPR is looking back at a long journey. I just want to keep
going." Burke also paid tribute to James Collins, whose experienced head
helped him through his league debut. "Ginge helped me throughout the game,
talking to me and telling me not to get too tight to Bobby Zamora as he's a
strong lad.
"He spoke to me a lot during the game and helped me to do well."
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West Ham Talent Commits To Nigeria Ahead Of England
West Ham's New Kid On The Block Emmanuel Onariase Chooses To Play For
Nigeria
By SL10 - Apr 26, 2015 12:18 PM
West Ham's new kid on the block, Emmanuel Onariase, has elected to play for
Nigeria at senior level though he is eligible to don the jersey of England,
the country of his birth. The Anglo-Nigerian is regarded as one of the
brightest prospects at The Boleyn Ground so much so that manager Sam
Allardyce named the central defender in his 18 - man squad for the Premier
League clash against Arsenal last month.
''I've always wanted to play for my country ever since I was a kid,''
Emmanuel Onariase confided to SL10.ng. ''My future lies with God, he is my
sense of direction, he has plans for me, which ever country I end up playing
for I know it's God that chose it for me! He will give me a sign when the
time comes. ''Of course I would honour a call up from my home country! I
would love to play for my country with a passion!'' The 18 - year - old has
revealed that former Super Eagles skipper Joseph Yobo has always been his
role model, and did not spare praise for the ex Everton and Norwich City
stopper. ''I look up to Joesph Yobo who was a centre back for the Super
Eagles but retired last year. ''Yobo is a solid defender! Being the team
captain, he led the team by example, he also played in the Premier league
for Everton. ''He is composed on the ball and he reads the game well making
vital tackles! What a great player!'' Emmanuel Onariase added. West Ham
believe Onariase will be key for the club in future and they moved quickly
to offer him a professional deal earlier this month.
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Sunday, April 26
Daily WHUFC News - 26th April 2015
Queens Park Rangers 0-0 West Ham United
WHUFC.com
Barclays Premier League
Queens Park Rangers 0-0 West Ham United
Adrian's first-half penalty save from Charlie Austin saw West Ham United battle their way to a goalless Barclays Premier League draw at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
After James Collins had been adjudged to have handled from Bobby Zamora, the Spaniard sprung to his right to repel Austin's spot-kick and preserve the Hammers' clean sheet.
Robert Green tipped a fabulous Aaron Cresswell free-kick onto the bar in the second half, while Richard Dunne had a scrappy effort chalked off for a Steven Caulker foul on Adrian. The Hoops finished the stronger, but could find no way past an inspired Adrian in the West Ham goal.
Sam Allardyce had earlier handed 18-year-old Academy graduate Reece Burke a first Premier League start, with Winston Reid sidelined with a hamstring problem. Elsewhere, Alex Song and Carlton Cole made way for Kevin Nolan and Matt Jarvis.
There had been plenty of talk this week about the importance of a fast start and yet there was a scare for the visitors within 60 seconds. Mark Noble was dispossessed on the edge of the Hoops box and, on the counter, Sandro forced Adrian into a sharp stop at his near post.
At the other end, West Ham were racking up the corner count. From the second of five first-half corners, debutant Burke saw a header cleared off the line.
From a frenetic start it all went rather quiet, in the two goalmouths at least. Midway through the half, however, Rangers and, more specifically Austin, fluffed their lines from the spot.
Nedum Onuoha had surged down the right and clipped into the feet of Bobby Zamora. The former Hammers man controlled and flicked it up, with a James Collins arm inadvertently getting in the way. Referee Mike Jones had no hesitation whatever.
Over to Adrian, who flung himself to his right to stop a third league penalty in succession and duly lapped up the adulation from the Hammers fans behind the goal.
There were half chances at either end as the half ticked down. Matt Phillips' drive ricocheted off Zamora and skipped wide, while Nolan found himself a yard or two on the edge of box, but rather scuffed an effort into the arms of Green.
With five minutes of the second half gone, Rangers had a combination of Green and the crossbar to thank for keeping it goalless. After Valencia had been unceremoniously upended by Sandro, Cresswell took charge of the set piece. He whipped it towards the top left-hand corner and there was the England stopper, at full stretch, to tip it one handed onto the woodwork and over.
But the Hoops continued to pose a threat of their own. Sandro slashed over the top from the edge of the D, while Zamora bullied Burke out of it, but, under pressure from Collins, cleared the crossbar as well.
Big Sam brought Cole on for Jarvis and the striker was immediately into the action. The No24 flicked into the path of Noble, who in turn set Downing away, but Green was quicker to it and swept up.
The hosts, meanwhile, had the ball in the net from a corner after 74 mintues, but not fairly thought referee Jones. Caulker was penalised for a foul on Adrian and so though Dunne gleefully bundled it home, it mattered not.
As the game entered its final minutes, West Ham created arguably their best opening of the 90. Valencia skipped past Dunne and squared for Kouyate, but the No8 was off balance and ballooned over the bar from eight yards.
Adrian came to the Hammers' rescue in the dying minutes too, palming Phillips' rasping drive wide of his left-hand upright as the visitors clung on for a hard-earned point away from home.
Queens Park Rangers: Green, Onuoha, Dunne, Caulker, Hill (Yun 63), Barton (c), Henry, Sandro, Phillips, Austin, Zamora (Fer 67)
Subs: McCarthy, Isla, Kranjcar, Taarabt, Wright-Phillips
Booked: Austin
West Ham United: Adrian, Jenkinson, Collins, Burke, Cresswell, Noble, Kouyate, Nolan (c), Downing, Jarvis (Cole 55), Valencia
Subs: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Oxford, Poyet, Amalfitano, Nene
Referee: Mike Jones
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Sam hails 'Master of penalty saves'
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce paid tribute to West Ham United's 'Master of penalty saves' after Adrian's third spot-kick stop in a row earned a goalless draw at Queens Park Rangers. The Spaniard followed up saves from Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane and Leicester City's David Nugent by denying Charlie Austin on 23 minutes and dent the Hoops' Barclays Premier League survival hopes. With a host of players out injured, including Winston Reid, James Tomkins, Alex Song, top scorer Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll, teenager Reece Burke was handed a top-flight debut at centre-back, but the depleted Hammers stood resolute to take a share of the spoils back across London. "I think we had to match the fact that when a team is at the bottom of the league and the games remaining are in single figures, the desire and anxiety of the opposition is so much greater than it is at the start of the season," the manager told West Ham TV. "When there are only three, four or five games left and a team is in the bottom three and three or four points adrift, the opposition get more and more desperate. "Of course we had many positions to have scored but failed to do so. The best in the first half came before the penalty when Enner Valencia should have rolled the ball to an unmarked Kevin Nolan in the middle of the goal. I understand his frustration because he wanted to score and we want him to score more, but not when there is someone else in a better position, because you must give them the ball. "It was obviously a penalty, but there was a clear foul just before on Cheikhou Kouyate, who was just cleaned out by Karl Henry as he headed the ball, which meant the ball went to a QPR player instead of one of ours. I don't think you could blame the referee because Ginge's hand was in the air above his head. "Then, though, we had the master of penalty saves there for us again – that's his third one on the trot and it was the major reason we got a point. It was not fortunate, but fantastic goalkeeping because he has proved it in the past. "There was also no doubt about the foul on Adrian for the goal they have had disallowed, so we got the defensive side right."
One major reason for that was the assured performance of 18-year-old Burke on his Barclays Premier League debut – and just his third first-team appearance. The Newham-born youngster was cheered on by his parents and 1,200 Hammers fans, responding with a confident and unflustered display alongside James Collins. "We had a young man in Reece Burke making his debut and he stood up to Austin and Bobby Zamora and came away with a clean sheet," said Big Sam. "It was a magnificent feeling for him and his family. I could imagine the nerves and excitement they felt about him playing, and he played so well and looked calm and commanding at times. "There is a future for him if he works harder than he has ever worked. If you never stop working and practising then you will forge yourself a career in the game.
"He has given us an insight into the fact he can cope with this level on a one-off basis, so now he has to prove he can play regularly at this level." Having kept QPR at bay before half-time, West Ham created a succession of chances after the break. Aaron Cresswell's free-kick was tipped over by Robert Green, Mark Noble's scooped free-kick eluded an unmarked Nolan, before Kouyate blazed Valencia's cut-back high over the crossbar. "Greeny showed why he is back in the England squad because that was one outstanding save from Aaron Cresswell," the gaffer observed. "Towards the end of the game, we had so many opportunities to score in the final few minutes, which have haunted us so often recently, so it was disappointing to have missed those chances. "One nearly paid off, and it was unusual because Mark Noble normally plays that ball perfectly for Kevin all the time, and QPR hadn't got a clue what was going on, but he played it wrong and it went out."
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Burke's pride at top flight debut
WHUFC.com
While Saturday's 0-0 draw at Queens Park Rangers was one that will not catch too many headlines in the morning papers, it will nevertheless be a game remembered forever by Reece Burke. The 18-year-old Academy graduate made his Barclays Premier League bow at Loftus Road, having previously featured in FA and Capital One Cup fixtures in the last two seasons. Burke slotted in seamlessly alongside James Collins as the Hammers kept their first clean sheet for a month and he was understandably beaming with pride after the landmark occasion.
He said: "I've played a few games for the first team before, but Saturday was at a different level in the Premier League. "I'm glad I've made my Premier League debut - I thought I did alright and hopefully there's many more games to come. "In training this week, I just thought I'd be travelling with the squad like I did at Man City last week, and maybe make the bench. After Winston Reid picked up a little injury I thought he might chuck me in and I found out on Friday I'd be playing, so I had to prepare well. "I'm just really happy we kept a clean sheet. There's always room for improvement and that's for me to go away, watch the game back and work on what I need to work on.
"It was a case of keeping it simple and not over-complicating things. That's what the lads were telling me, make sure my first pass and first header were good and go from there. That's the way it went so I'm pleased." Hailing from Newham and from a family of staunch West Ham fans, Burke's pride was shared by his parents. He continued: "My parents came to watch the game and I saw them at the end, which was a bit emotional. "I'm happy and they're happy as well. Saturday was a very emotional day for me - I've been at the Club since the age of nine so playing at QPR is looking back at a long journey. I just want to keep going." Burke also paid tribute to James Collins, whose experienced head helped him through his league debut. "Ginge helped me throughout the game, talking to me and telling me not to get too tight to Bobby Zamora as he's a strong lad. "He spoke to me a lot during the game and helped me to do well."
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Ex-Hammer in Dylan tribute
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 25th April 2015
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammer Kieran Sadlier has dedicated his first ever goal as a professional to former team mate Dylan Tombides. 20-year-old Sadlier, who left West Ham in February after a decade at the club scored the second goal in new club St Mirren's 4-1 win over Kilmarnock this afternoon. And immediately after the game, the Irish midfielder took to Twitter to dedicate the goal to his former friend and colleague Tombides, who died last year following a long battle with cancer.
Kieran Sadlier @KieranSadlier
Always said to myself i'd dedicate my first goal to @Dylantombides there you go mate! 🙌❤️
Sadlier, who has also featured for Ireland at Under 17, Under 19 and Under 21 level joined his current club on a short-term contract upon leaving West Ham. He will remain at St. Mirren Park until the end of the season.
* Visit dt38.co.uk to see how the Dylan Tombides foundation are raising awareness and providing support for those suffering from testicular cancer.
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'I'm just doing my job', says penalty hero Adrian
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 25th April 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian refused to take the credit for West Ham taking a point away from this afternoon's clash with relegation favourites Queens Park Rangers. Despite offering little in attack the Hammers escaped Loftus Road with a point - thanks in no small part to the goalkeeper's heroics, once again. Adrian - who was the star of the show in January's third round FA Cup penalty shootout win over Everton - saved Charlie Austin's 23rd minute penalty to preserve a point for Sam Allardyce's out-of-form side. And he revealed after the game that he felt he had 'psyched' out Austin as the two exchanged words seconds before the spot kick was taken. "Every time I face a penalty I try to put doubt in the other player's mind," he said. "Luckily for me, I saved the penalty! "But this is my job, to makes the save, to try every game to help my team mates. It was a hard game here today as they are fighting relegation which makes it more difficult. But we've kept the clean sheet away from home and gained one more point. "We started the season very well but now, in the second part of the season, we've not been playing so well. But we'll fight for the best position until the end."
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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce praises goalkeeper Adrian
Last Updated: 25/04/15 11:14pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce singled out goalkeeper Adrian for praise after West Ham held on to secure a 0-0 draw against relegation-battling QPR.
West Ham extended a poor run of form that has seen them win only twice in the league in 2015 but it could have been worse for Allardyce's side had Adrian not saved Charlie Austin's first-half penalty. Adrian has now saved his last three consecutive spot-kicks and Allardyce was full of praise for his goalkeeper. "He's proving to be one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League on a consistent basis," Allardyce said. "That's three penalty saves on the trot now. He's been an outstanding find from our point of view." "It will spread fear across the league because everyone will know he's saved three on the trot so people will be even more nervous. "Your goalkeeper is the second most important member of your team after your goalscorer and he's shown that today by winning us a point." West Ham's disappointing second half of the season has seen them slip to 10th in the table and increased the uncertainty surrounding Allardyce, whose contract expires at the end of the season. "A man of my age and my experience doesn't lose sleep over things like this anymore," Allardyce said.
"It's not worth it. My health is worth more than worrying about things like that. "You stay awake at night worrying about your team, that's the priority. That's what you concentrate on."
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Allardyce praise for "commanding" Burke
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 25, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce explained after today's game that QPR's desire and anxiety was a key issue in today's clash. He told West Ham TV "I think we had to match the fact that when a team is at the bottom of the league and the games remaining are in single figures, the desire and anxiety of the opposition is so much greater than it is at the start of the season," the manager told West Ham TV. "When there are only three, four or five games left and a team is in the bottom three and three or four points adrift, the opposition get more and more desperate. "Of course we had many positions to have scored but failed to do so. The best in the first half came before the penalty when Enner Valencia should have rolled the ball to an unmarked Kevin Nolan in the middle of the goal. "I understand his frustration because he wanted to score and we want him to score more, but not when there is someone else in a better position, because you must give them the ball."Of the missed CharlAustin spot kick he said: "It was obviously a penalty, but there was a clear foul just before on Cheikhou Kouyate, who was just cleaned out by Karl Henry as he headed the ball, which meant the ball went to a QPR player instead of one of ours. I don't think you could blame the referee because Ginge's hand was in the air above his head. "Then, though, we had the master of penalty saves there for us again – that's his third one on the trot and it was the major reason we got a point. It was not fortunate, but fantastic goalkeeping because he has proved it in the past. "There was also no doubt about the foul on Adrian for the goal they have had disallowed, so we got the defensive side right."
He was pleased with the assured performance of 18-year-old Reece Burke on his Barclays Premier League debut – and just his third first-team appearance. He said: "We had a young man in Reece Burke making his debut and he stood up to Austin and Bobby Zamora and came away with a clean sheet "It was a magnificent feeling for him and his family. I could imagine the nerves and excitement they felt about him playing, and he played so well and looked calm and commanding at times."There is a future for him if he works harder than he has ever worked. If you never stop working and practising then you will forge yourself a career in the game. "He has given us an insight into the fact he can cope with this level on a one-off basis, so now he has to prove he can play regularly at this level."
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Irons return to "hoof and hope" rubbish
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 25, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Match verdict
QPR 0 Irons 0
Let's start with the positives – their names are Adrian and Reece Burke! The Spanish stopper ensured we didn't suffer a defeat when saving Charlie Austin's first half spot kick after James Collins had handled. And young Burke proved the old saying as true as ever – if you're good enough you're old enough…and he was! What a joy to see an Academy product in the team and looking as composed and steady as those around him…if not more so at times.
Beyond that I can barely be bothered to report a game where a Hammers team which early season showed great attacking enterprise has returned to a "hit 'em high and hope like hell they fall to someone" outfit under this manager. If ever a team needed a fresh approach…different tactics and to be rid of some real dead wood it's this one. The definition of insanity is doing the same old thing over and over again while expecting a different result and that's what the Hammers are doing. It's as hard to watch as it gets even for us absolute stalwarts This was a nothing game against a nothing team and proved only we are no better, and perhaps a little worse, than the khazi relegation-threatened Loftus Road lumps.
It's all so predictable…so thoroughly boring with Carlton Cole coming on week in week out and making absolutely no difference to anything. Highly skilled Nene meanwhile doesn't get a shout whilst Amalfitano must be wondering why the hell he signed a new deal…hopefully a new manager will show him. Frankly, we have become a joke team under a joke manager who at 80 minutes sent out a shocking message when laughing and smiling at his opposite manager Chris Ramsey on the touchline.
Kevin Nolan produced his now well known piece of finger pointing vaudeville and panto dame arguing with ref routine as the rest of us either disappeared to the bar or fell asleep. Writing about the game is as boring as it was watching and I'm gonna wrap this up with the 'highlights or should it be lowlights.
22 mins: Collins handles in the box but Adrian clings on to Austin's spot kick which is directed straight at him. It's Adrian's third penalty save of the season.
37: Matt Phillips from 20 yards – a decent shot which is deflected wide by a colleague.
39: Rob Green saves from Noble.
47: Downing drags shot wide
50: Magnificent Cresswell shot brilliantly turned over by a former keeper
57: Downing in on goal but Green out to thwart him.
82: Kouyate fires high over the top after great run and ball in from Valencia.
91: Adrian has to fly to his left to push a rasping effort from Phillips behind.
Team Ratings (out of 10)
QPR 5
Irons 4
Entertainment Value: 4
Irons man of Match: Adrian
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Potts delighted with the kids
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 25, 2015 in Whispers
Clart & Hugh
Under 21 boss Steve Potts couldn't have been more pleased with his team's 2-1 over Manchester City last night. His son Dan opened the scoring heading in Djair Parfitt-Williams' cross..The Hammers doubled their lead early in the second half when Adam Drury stabbed Jordan Brown's cross into his own net. Olivier Ntcham scored late on to halvethe Irons' advantage but it proved too little too late.
Speaking to the official site after the game, Potts said: "I'm delighted. I thought the lads did very well. The effort they put in was fantastic, they got what we deserved really after a couple of games where I thought we did some good stuff but lost by the odd goal.
"Last week against Norwich City we were 1-0 up with a few minutes to go but then we threw it away. But tonight we did the job.
"I've been happy with the last two games and tonight, in most aspects, we saw the game through. I think that's the stage that the players are at, at the moment.
They're young boys but they need to manage games and get over the line as much as they can. We need to build on this toughness about them."
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WHUFC.com
Barclays Premier League
Queens Park Rangers 0-0 West Ham United
Adrian's first-half penalty save from Charlie Austin saw West Ham United battle their way to a goalless Barclays Premier League draw at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
After James Collins had been adjudged to have handled from Bobby Zamora, the Spaniard sprung to his right to repel Austin's spot-kick and preserve the Hammers' clean sheet.
Robert Green tipped a fabulous Aaron Cresswell free-kick onto the bar in the second half, while Richard Dunne had a scrappy effort chalked off for a Steven Caulker foul on Adrian. The Hoops finished the stronger, but could find no way past an inspired Adrian in the West Ham goal.
Sam Allardyce had earlier handed 18-year-old Academy graduate Reece Burke a first Premier League start, with Winston Reid sidelined with a hamstring problem. Elsewhere, Alex Song and Carlton Cole made way for Kevin Nolan and Matt Jarvis.
There had been plenty of talk this week about the importance of a fast start and yet there was a scare for the visitors within 60 seconds. Mark Noble was dispossessed on the edge of the Hoops box and, on the counter, Sandro forced Adrian into a sharp stop at his near post.
At the other end, West Ham were racking up the corner count. From the second of five first-half corners, debutant Burke saw a header cleared off the line.
From a frenetic start it all went rather quiet, in the two goalmouths at least. Midway through the half, however, Rangers and, more specifically Austin, fluffed their lines from the spot.
Nedum Onuoha had surged down the right and clipped into the feet of Bobby Zamora. The former Hammers man controlled and flicked it up, with a James Collins arm inadvertently getting in the way. Referee Mike Jones had no hesitation whatever.
Over to Adrian, who flung himself to his right to stop a third league penalty in succession and duly lapped up the adulation from the Hammers fans behind the goal.
There were half chances at either end as the half ticked down. Matt Phillips' drive ricocheted off Zamora and skipped wide, while Nolan found himself a yard or two on the edge of box, but rather scuffed an effort into the arms of Green.
With five minutes of the second half gone, Rangers had a combination of Green and the crossbar to thank for keeping it goalless. After Valencia had been unceremoniously upended by Sandro, Cresswell took charge of the set piece. He whipped it towards the top left-hand corner and there was the England stopper, at full stretch, to tip it one handed onto the woodwork and over.
But the Hoops continued to pose a threat of their own. Sandro slashed over the top from the edge of the D, while Zamora bullied Burke out of it, but, under pressure from Collins, cleared the crossbar as well.
Big Sam brought Cole on for Jarvis and the striker was immediately into the action. The No24 flicked into the path of Noble, who in turn set Downing away, but Green was quicker to it and swept up.
The hosts, meanwhile, had the ball in the net from a corner after 74 mintues, but not fairly thought referee Jones. Caulker was penalised for a foul on Adrian and so though Dunne gleefully bundled it home, it mattered not.
As the game entered its final minutes, West Ham created arguably their best opening of the 90. Valencia skipped past Dunne and squared for Kouyate, but the No8 was off balance and ballooned over the bar from eight yards.
Adrian came to the Hammers' rescue in the dying minutes too, palming Phillips' rasping drive wide of his left-hand upright as the visitors clung on for a hard-earned point away from home.
Queens Park Rangers: Green, Onuoha, Dunne, Caulker, Hill (Yun 63), Barton (c), Henry, Sandro, Phillips, Austin, Zamora (Fer 67)
Subs: McCarthy, Isla, Kranjcar, Taarabt, Wright-Phillips
Booked: Austin
West Ham United: Adrian, Jenkinson, Collins, Burke, Cresswell, Noble, Kouyate, Nolan (c), Downing, Jarvis (Cole 55), Valencia
Subs: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Oxford, Poyet, Amalfitano, Nene
Referee: Mike Jones
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Sam hails 'Master of penalty saves'
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce paid tribute to West Ham United's 'Master of penalty saves' after Adrian's third spot-kick stop in a row earned a goalless draw at Queens Park Rangers. The Spaniard followed up saves from Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane and Leicester City's David Nugent by denying Charlie Austin on 23 minutes and dent the Hoops' Barclays Premier League survival hopes. With a host of players out injured, including Winston Reid, James Tomkins, Alex Song, top scorer Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll, teenager Reece Burke was handed a top-flight debut at centre-back, but the depleted Hammers stood resolute to take a share of the spoils back across London. "I think we had to match the fact that when a team is at the bottom of the league and the games remaining are in single figures, the desire and anxiety of the opposition is so much greater than it is at the start of the season," the manager told West Ham TV. "When there are only three, four or five games left and a team is in the bottom three and three or four points adrift, the opposition get more and more desperate. "Of course we had many positions to have scored but failed to do so. The best in the first half came before the penalty when Enner Valencia should have rolled the ball to an unmarked Kevin Nolan in the middle of the goal. I understand his frustration because he wanted to score and we want him to score more, but not when there is someone else in a better position, because you must give them the ball. "It was obviously a penalty, but there was a clear foul just before on Cheikhou Kouyate, who was just cleaned out by Karl Henry as he headed the ball, which meant the ball went to a QPR player instead of one of ours. I don't think you could blame the referee because Ginge's hand was in the air above his head. "Then, though, we had the master of penalty saves there for us again – that's his third one on the trot and it was the major reason we got a point. It was not fortunate, but fantastic goalkeeping because he has proved it in the past. "There was also no doubt about the foul on Adrian for the goal they have had disallowed, so we got the defensive side right."
One major reason for that was the assured performance of 18-year-old Burke on his Barclays Premier League debut – and just his third first-team appearance. The Newham-born youngster was cheered on by his parents and 1,200 Hammers fans, responding with a confident and unflustered display alongside James Collins. "We had a young man in Reece Burke making his debut and he stood up to Austin and Bobby Zamora and came away with a clean sheet," said Big Sam. "It was a magnificent feeling for him and his family. I could imagine the nerves and excitement they felt about him playing, and he played so well and looked calm and commanding at times. "There is a future for him if he works harder than he has ever worked. If you never stop working and practising then you will forge yourself a career in the game.
"He has given us an insight into the fact he can cope with this level on a one-off basis, so now he has to prove he can play regularly at this level." Having kept QPR at bay before half-time, West Ham created a succession of chances after the break. Aaron Cresswell's free-kick was tipped over by Robert Green, Mark Noble's scooped free-kick eluded an unmarked Nolan, before Kouyate blazed Valencia's cut-back high over the crossbar. "Greeny showed why he is back in the England squad because that was one outstanding save from Aaron Cresswell," the gaffer observed. "Towards the end of the game, we had so many opportunities to score in the final few minutes, which have haunted us so often recently, so it was disappointing to have missed those chances. "One nearly paid off, and it was unusual because Mark Noble normally plays that ball perfectly for Kevin all the time, and QPR hadn't got a clue what was going on, but he played it wrong and it went out."
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Burke's pride at top flight debut
WHUFC.com
While Saturday's 0-0 draw at Queens Park Rangers was one that will not catch too many headlines in the morning papers, it will nevertheless be a game remembered forever by Reece Burke. The 18-year-old Academy graduate made his Barclays Premier League bow at Loftus Road, having previously featured in FA and Capital One Cup fixtures in the last two seasons. Burke slotted in seamlessly alongside James Collins as the Hammers kept their first clean sheet for a month and he was understandably beaming with pride after the landmark occasion.
He said: "I've played a few games for the first team before, but Saturday was at a different level in the Premier League. "I'm glad I've made my Premier League debut - I thought I did alright and hopefully there's many more games to come. "In training this week, I just thought I'd be travelling with the squad like I did at Man City last week, and maybe make the bench. After Winston Reid picked up a little injury I thought he might chuck me in and I found out on Friday I'd be playing, so I had to prepare well. "I'm just really happy we kept a clean sheet. There's always room for improvement and that's for me to go away, watch the game back and work on what I need to work on.
"It was a case of keeping it simple and not over-complicating things. That's what the lads were telling me, make sure my first pass and first header were good and go from there. That's the way it went so I'm pleased." Hailing from Newham and from a family of staunch West Ham fans, Burke's pride was shared by his parents. He continued: "My parents came to watch the game and I saw them at the end, which was a bit emotional. "I'm happy and they're happy as well. Saturday was a very emotional day for me - I've been at the Club since the age of nine so playing at QPR is looking back at a long journey. I just want to keep going." Burke also paid tribute to James Collins, whose experienced head helped him through his league debut. "Ginge helped me throughout the game, talking to me and telling me not to get too tight to Bobby Zamora as he's a strong lad. "He spoke to me a lot during the game and helped me to do well."
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Ex-Hammer in Dylan tribute
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 25th April 2015
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammer Kieran Sadlier has dedicated his first ever goal as a professional to former team mate Dylan Tombides. 20-year-old Sadlier, who left West Ham in February after a decade at the club scored the second goal in new club St Mirren's 4-1 win over Kilmarnock this afternoon. And immediately after the game, the Irish midfielder took to Twitter to dedicate the goal to his former friend and colleague Tombides, who died last year following a long battle with cancer.
Kieran Sadlier @KieranSadlier
Always said to myself i'd dedicate my first goal to @Dylantombides there you go mate! 🙌❤️
Sadlier, who has also featured for Ireland at Under 17, Under 19 and Under 21 level joined his current club on a short-term contract upon leaving West Ham. He will remain at St. Mirren Park until the end of the season.
* Visit dt38.co.uk to see how the Dylan Tombides foundation are raising awareness and providing support for those suffering from testicular cancer.
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'I'm just doing my job', says penalty hero Adrian
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 25th April 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian refused to take the credit for West Ham taking a point away from this afternoon's clash with relegation favourites Queens Park Rangers. Despite offering little in attack the Hammers escaped Loftus Road with a point - thanks in no small part to the goalkeeper's heroics, once again. Adrian - who was the star of the show in January's third round FA Cup penalty shootout win over Everton - saved Charlie Austin's 23rd minute penalty to preserve a point for Sam Allardyce's out-of-form side. And he revealed after the game that he felt he had 'psyched' out Austin as the two exchanged words seconds before the spot kick was taken. "Every time I face a penalty I try to put doubt in the other player's mind," he said. "Luckily for me, I saved the penalty! "But this is my job, to makes the save, to try every game to help my team mates. It was a hard game here today as they are fighting relegation which makes it more difficult. But we've kept the clean sheet away from home and gained one more point. "We started the season very well but now, in the second part of the season, we've not been playing so well. But we'll fight for the best position until the end."
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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce praises goalkeeper Adrian
Last Updated: 25/04/15 11:14pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce singled out goalkeeper Adrian for praise after West Ham held on to secure a 0-0 draw against relegation-battling QPR.
West Ham extended a poor run of form that has seen them win only twice in the league in 2015 but it could have been worse for Allardyce's side had Adrian not saved Charlie Austin's first-half penalty. Adrian has now saved his last three consecutive spot-kicks and Allardyce was full of praise for his goalkeeper. "He's proving to be one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League on a consistent basis," Allardyce said. "That's three penalty saves on the trot now. He's been an outstanding find from our point of view." "It will spread fear across the league because everyone will know he's saved three on the trot so people will be even more nervous. "Your goalkeeper is the second most important member of your team after your goalscorer and he's shown that today by winning us a point." West Ham's disappointing second half of the season has seen them slip to 10th in the table and increased the uncertainty surrounding Allardyce, whose contract expires at the end of the season. "A man of my age and my experience doesn't lose sleep over things like this anymore," Allardyce said.
"It's not worth it. My health is worth more than worrying about things like that. "You stay awake at night worrying about your team, that's the priority. That's what you concentrate on."
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Allardyce praise for "commanding" Burke
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 25, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce explained after today's game that QPR's desire and anxiety was a key issue in today's clash. He told West Ham TV "I think we had to match the fact that when a team is at the bottom of the league and the games remaining are in single figures, the desire and anxiety of the opposition is so much greater than it is at the start of the season," the manager told West Ham TV. "When there are only three, four or five games left and a team is in the bottom three and three or four points adrift, the opposition get more and more desperate. "Of course we had many positions to have scored but failed to do so. The best in the first half came before the penalty when Enner Valencia should have rolled the ball to an unmarked Kevin Nolan in the middle of the goal. "I understand his frustration because he wanted to score and we want him to score more, but not when there is someone else in a better position, because you must give them the ball."Of the missed CharlAustin spot kick he said: "It was obviously a penalty, but there was a clear foul just before on Cheikhou Kouyate, who was just cleaned out by Karl Henry as he headed the ball, which meant the ball went to a QPR player instead of one of ours. I don't think you could blame the referee because Ginge's hand was in the air above his head. "Then, though, we had the master of penalty saves there for us again – that's his third one on the trot and it was the major reason we got a point. It was not fortunate, but fantastic goalkeeping because he has proved it in the past. "There was also no doubt about the foul on Adrian for the goal they have had disallowed, so we got the defensive side right."
He was pleased with the assured performance of 18-year-old Reece Burke on his Barclays Premier League debut – and just his third first-team appearance. He said: "We had a young man in Reece Burke making his debut and he stood up to Austin and Bobby Zamora and came away with a clean sheet "It was a magnificent feeling for him and his family. I could imagine the nerves and excitement they felt about him playing, and he played so well and looked calm and commanding at times."There is a future for him if he works harder than he has ever worked. If you never stop working and practising then you will forge yourself a career in the game. "He has given us an insight into the fact he can cope with this level on a one-off basis, so now he has to prove he can play regularly at this level."
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Irons return to "hoof and hope" rubbish
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 25, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Match verdict
QPR 0 Irons 0
Let's start with the positives – their names are Adrian and Reece Burke! The Spanish stopper ensured we didn't suffer a defeat when saving Charlie Austin's first half spot kick after James Collins had handled. And young Burke proved the old saying as true as ever – if you're good enough you're old enough…and he was! What a joy to see an Academy product in the team and looking as composed and steady as those around him…if not more so at times.
Beyond that I can barely be bothered to report a game where a Hammers team which early season showed great attacking enterprise has returned to a "hit 'em high and hope like hell they fall to someone" outfit under this manager. If ever a team needed a fresh approach…different tactics and to be rid of some real dead wood it's this one. The definition of insanity is doing the same old thing over and over again while expecting a different result and that's what the Hammers are doing. It's as hard to watch as it gets even for us absolute stalwarts This was a nothing game against a nothing team and proved only we are no better, and perhaps a little worse, than the khazi relegation-threatened Loftus Road lumps.
It's all so predictable…so thoroughly boring with Carlton Cole coming on week in week out and making absolutely no difference to anything. Highly skilled Nene meanwhile doesn't get a shout whilst Amalfitano must be wondering why the hell he signed a new deal…hopefully a new manager will show him. Frankly, we have become a joke team under a joke manager who at 80 minutes sent out a shocking message when laughing and smiling at his opposite manager Chris Ramsey on the touchline.
Kevin Nolan produced his now well known piece of finger pointing vaudeville and panto dame arguing with ref routine as the rest of us either disappeared to the bar or fell asleep. Writing about the game is as boring as it was watching and I'm gonna wrap this up with the 'highlights or should it be lowlights.
22 mins: Collins handles in the box but Adrian clings on to Austin's spot kick which is directed straight at him. It's Adrian's third penalty save of the season.
37: Matt Phillips from 20 yards – a decent shot which is deflected wide by a colleague.
39: Rob Green saves from Noble.
47: Downing drags shot wide
50: Magnificent Cresswell shot brilliantly turned over by a former keeper
57: Downing in on goal but Green out to thwart him.
82: Kouyate fires high over the top after great run and ball in from Valencia.
91: Adrian has to fly to his left to push a rasping effort from Phillips behind.
Team Ratings (out of 10)
QPR 5
Irons 4
Entertainment Value: 4
Irons man of Match: Adrian
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Potts delighted with the kids
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 25, 2015 in Whispers
Clart & Hugh
Under 21 boss Steve Potts couldn't have been more pleased with his team's 2-1 over Manchester City last night. His son Dan opened the scoring heading in Djair Parfitt-Williams' cross..The Hammers doubled their lead early in the second half when Adam Drury stabbed Jordan Brown's cross into his own net. Olivier Ntcham scored late on to halvethe Irons' advantage but it proved too little too late.
Speaking to the official site after the game, Potts said: "I'm delighted. I thought the lads did very well. The effort they put in was fantastic, they got what we deserved really after a couple of games where I thought we did some good stuff but lost by the odd goal.
"Last week against Norwich City we were 1-0 up with a few minutes to go but then we threw it away. But tonight we did the job.
"I've been happy with the last two games and tonight, in most aspects, we saw the game through. I think that's the stage that the players are at, at the moment.
They're young boys but they need to manage games and get over the line as much as they can. We need to build on this toughness about them."
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Saturday, April 25
Daily WHUFC News - 25th April 2015
Preview - Queens Park Rangers
WHUFC.com
In brief
West Ham United travel across London to take on relegation embattled Queens Park Rangers in their final London derby of the season. The Hammers will want to register their double of the season, having beaten the R's 2-0 in October at the Boleyn Ground. The Irons are currently tenth, with 43 points from their 33 games. Saturday's visitors QPR fighting for their Premier League status. Currently 19th with 26 points, Chris Ramsey's men have improved of late with a 4-1 away at West Bromwich Albion and a 3-3 draw at Aston Villa.
Who are they?
Formed in 1882, Queens Park Rangers' early football was joined the Football League in 1920, three years after settling at Loftus Road.
Their honours include winning the League Cup in 1967, being runners-up in the top flight in 1975/76 and reaching the FA Cup final in 1982, when they lost to Tottenham Hotspur after a replay. They won promotion back to the top flight via the play-offs last season, with former Hammer Bobby Zamora netting a dramatic late winner against Derby County.
Team news
QPR
Chris Ramsey has an extensive injury list. His absentees include Rio Ferdinand (muscular injury), Eduardo Vargas (Knee) and Leroy Fer (Knee) all out. However, Rangers could be boosted by the return of A Troare and Adel Taarabt.
West Ham United
Sam Allardyce will have to do make do without Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll, James Tomkins and Doneil henry who are all still injured.
Guy Demel may also miss out due to a calf problem.
Referee
Saturday's referee is Mike Jones. The Cheshire based referee took charge of his first Premier League game back in 2008 and has since officiated 143 matches. In total, he has given 455 yellow and 20 red cards out. Jones has refereed one West ham game this season, their last away in back in December – a 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion. Taylor will be assisted by Mark Scholes and Ian Hussin, while the fourth official will be Lee Mason.
One to watch
West Ham United
Aaron Cresswell has enjoyed a fine start to life in a Hammers shirt, taking the step up from Championship football in his stride.
The 25-year-old left back has played every minute of the Hammers' Barclays Premier League campaign to date, capping recent good performances with a superb free kick against Stoke City.
Queens Park Rangers
Rangers striker Charlie Austin will need to be shackled on Saturday if the Hammers are to be successful. The former Swindon and Burnley man joined QPR in summer 2013 and notched 17 league goals to help his new club to promotion. This season, he has continued his prolific goalscoring form, netting 17 times so far, leading to some pundits calling for an international call up. The Hammers will have to be aware of the threat he possesses if they are to come with away from Loftus Road with the three points.
Tickets
Standard tickets for this fixture have now SOLD OUT. However, a limited number of re-listed Season Ticket Holder seats may be available online through the Ticket Trader.
Travel
There are planned closures on Central and Bakerloo lines on Saturday. Click here for the latest transport news from Transport for London.
Click here for the latest travel news from National Rail.
Weather
A dry day with sunny spells is expected on Saturday, with a temperature of 17C (63F) at kick-off.
Last meeting
The Hammers secured a 2-1 away win the last time they visited Loftus Road.
Matt Jarvis put the Irons ahead after just three minutes before Vaz Te's goal doubled their advantage before half time.
The hosts rallied in the second half as Adel Taarabt scored a minute after coming on as a substitute.
However their efforts of a comeback were thwarted when Samba Diakite was sent off and the hammers held out for an important win.
Queens Park Rangers 1-2 West Ham United
Premier League
Monday 1 October 2012
QPR: Julio Cesar, Hill, Onuoha (hoilett 84), Nelsen, Park Ji-Sung (Diakite 56), Wright-Phillips (Taarabt 56), Granero, Faurlin, Mbia, Cisse, Zamora
Subs: Green, Ehmer, Ephraim, Mackie
Goal: Taarabt 57
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Reid (Tomkins 23), O'Brien (McCartney 35), Collins, Demel, Nolan, Jarvis, Noble, Diame, C Cole (Carroll 72), Vaz Te.
Subs: Henderson, Benayoun, O'Neil, Maiga
Goal: Jarvis 3, Vaz Te 35
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Noble - 'We've got to make our own luck'
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble feels West Ham United have been the victim of ill fortune in recent weeks but says it is up to the players to make their own luck at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday. The midfielder reckons the rub of the green has deserted the Hammers in 2015, with late goals and injuries the scourge of a troubled second half of the campaign. But Noble is not after pity, just results, and insists that only the players' sheer hard work can ensure that Lady Luck smiles upon the Hammers at Loftus Road this weekend. "From what I see in training every day and from what I see in the games, we've had a little bit of bad luck," Noble confirmed. "The luck that was going for us at the beginning of the season, with Manchester City at home – I think they hit the crossbar twice and Adrian made some great saves – it's not going for us at the minute. "You need to work harder to get that luck back. As they say, you make your own luck and we've got five games to go and we want to get some points on the board."
While it certainly has not gone the Hammers' way since the turn of the year, the 27-year-old says supporters can rest assured that the players are doing everything in their power to turn it around. With five games still to play, the Club's longest servant has called on the fans to keep the faith as they bid to record their highest points tally since returning to the top flight in 2012. He continued: "Stick by us, we've had a good season, it could have been a really good season, but it wasn't meant to be. "The league has levelled itself out now, the top six or seven are always there, that's the way it is. We've had a good go this season and we need to finish the season on a high. "I obviously know who I train with every day and the boys that I play with and they are giving 100 per cent, coming off a bad run, admittedly. I say a bad run, well not the results that we wanted. "Going away to Man City when they need a result is a tough place to play and we need to go to QPR away on Saturday and get a result."
Speaking of supporters, there was good news for the fans this week in the shape of 2016/17 Season Ticket prices. Noble himself popped into the New Stadium Reservation Centre and applauded the Club's decision to slash prices, not least for the youngsters. "I think what the Club has done is fantastic. Season Tickets for Under-16s are £99, which is great, affordable for everyone. To get over there now, it's one more season at Upton Park, which has been a fantastic home for us and then to a new chapter for the Club. "A lot of the newer players haven't even been into the Stadium yet, so once they stand in there and realise how big it is, what a place it's going to be to play at, I think it'll be even more exciting. And when we do obviously finally make the move, it's going to be some football arena to play in."
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Allardyce and Carroll in community Q&A
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce and striker Andy Carroll met young people looking to make the most of life at a Barclays Premier League event. Keeping Kids Company and the Bromley By Bow Centre are two local organisations that focus on giving youngsters opportunities to achieve their goals and transform their lives through education, sport and general support, the groups are just two of the community groups supported nationally by Barclays. Through their sponsor of the Premier League, Barclays host a number of events and initiatives in conjunction with all 20 PL clubs every season, where charities and communities can come together with football and meet their heroes.
The Hammers boss along with No9 Carroll took part in a Q&A, before chatting with the groups about their experiences and how schemes such as these supported by Barclays, have given them a chance that they might not have had otherwise. A lively question and answer session had Big Sam and Carroll answering questions on what motivates them to do what they do, on the current season and general questions on the world of football. The pair then posed for photographs and signed autographs. The West Ham manager said he was very impressed with the groups and the event as a whole. "It is very good for Barclays and the Premier League to bring these events to our clubs, so that football can mix with the community in such a way with these partnerships," he said. "It was clear to see that these young people have been given a chance with these groups and the dedicated people who run them and as a result, have positive targets to aim for in life now."
Carroll who is currently working his way back to fitness following knee surgery in February added: "They were a good group and it was great to meet them. They had some good questions. Our club does a lot in the local community and this is another way of bringing football and everyone together for a good cause."
Following the Q&A with Big Sam and Carroll, the youngsters then took part in a football skills session outside at the club's Chadwell heath training coached by the West Ham United Foundation, with players Guy Demel, Morgan Amalfitano and Nene joining them.
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Potts: 'We deserved the win'
WHUFC.com
U21s coach Steve Potts said his side deserved the victory 2-1 over Manchester City on Friday 24 April after recent good performances had gone unrewarded. Potts' son Dan opened the scoring in the eleventh minute heading in Djair Parfitt-Williams' cross after an exquisite bit of skill from the young forward. The Hammers doubled their lead early in the second half when Adam Drury stabbed Jordan Brown's drilled cross into his own net. City rallied and looked increasingly dangerous before Olivier Ntcham scored late on to half the Irons' advantage but it proved too little too late. Speaking after the game, Potts said: "I'm delighted. I thought the lads did very well. The effort they put in was fantastic, they got what we deserved really after a couple of games where I thought we did some good stuff but lost by the odd goal. "Last week against Norwich City we were 1-0 up with a few minutes to go but then we threw it away. But tonight we did the job. "I've been happy with the last two games and tonight, in most aspects, we saw the game through. I think that's the stage that the players are at, at the moment. They're young boys but they need to manage games and get over the line as much as they can. We need to build on this toughness about them."
In a fantastic performance, the Development Squad had chances either side of half time to extent their lead. Dan Potts hit the top of the cross bar from a corner while Jordan Brown and Joe Ward forced good saves out of Manchester City goalkeeper Angus Gunn. "We could have had a few more, we had some good chances," continued Potts. "They had a lot of possession and I think you have to respect when you're playing good teams. We had some opportunities to finish the game off, but didn't. At 2-1 you do wonder whether it'll be your night and thankfully it was. The boys stuck to their jobs and they were in the right place at the right time."
Recently, the young Hammers have found points hard to come by, making Friday's win over prospective title challengers City even more impressive. The Dev Squad's last win came over Fulham in February when they won 2-1 and Potts continued to stress how pleased he was how his side rose to the occasion. "We knew they were a good side. When they were playing the ball about it was a case of not getting drawn out of position. They had good movement and they passes the ball around well, in a second they can cut you apart. Luckily it was just the once they did that. "Djair did very well for the first goal. He got one-on-one with his man and beat him, put a good ball in the box and Dan was there to finish it. He's been unlucky this season, he broke a bone in his foot and then had an operation on his knee which kept him out for a while. "That's how football is sometimes, you have to get on with it and bounce back when injuries happen. He's been training for a few weeks now and played two games."
Up next for the Dev Squad, they host Everton at Rush Green on Friday 8 May, where they will be looking to avenge a 2-0 defeat by the Toffees earlier in the season. "The win is great for our confidence because we haven't won in a while. Everton will be a tough game. We'll need to rise to it, but we know that we're capable of winning and we're looking forward to it."
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Chadwell Chatter - James Collins
WHUFC.com
Hello everyone.
Saturday's game against Queens Park Rangers is must-win for us after the disappointment of last week. They're fighting against relegation and we need to be beating them, we know that. We need a clean sheet to give us the base to go on and win and that's the same in any game. Last week we were disappointed with the goals, and me personally too. Clean sheets are vital in any game and we haven't had one for a while, so to get back on track with five games to go would be nice on Saturday. The next three we play are against teams in the relegation scrap - QPR, Burnley and Aston Villa. I've been in that position and it's tough. They're fighting for their lives and have everything to play for. We're not expecting an easy game, that's for sure. The crowd will get behind them and they've got some good players there so we'll have to be on our toes. If a team scores against you early doors when you're in that situation, you wonder how you're going to get back in the game. We'll be looking to get off to a good start, score an early goal and go on to win the game.
They've got a couple of dangerous frontmen in Austin and Zamora and you've just got to defend well against them. Bobby is a big, strong lad who holds the ball up well and can obviously score a goal. Charlie Austin has scored God knows how many goals this year, so we're going to have to be on our toes and defend as well as we can. It's strange for someone to score that number of goals and for a team to still be in a relegation battle, you don't see that too often. Credit to himself, he's scored a different variety of goals too.
It's a massive focus for us to make this the best season since we've been back in the Premier League. The last 12 or 13 games have been bitterly disappointing and we haven't got as many points as we wanted, especially after the start we had. To finish the last five games with as many wins as possible to move into next season would be great. We know we've got to up our performances to do that - that's what we've been working on in training looking ahead to the weekend.
See you on Saturday!
Ginge
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QPR v West Ham
KO 15:00
24 April 2015
Last updated at 11:33
By Steve Wilson
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Loftus Road Date: Saturday, 25 April
TEAM NEWS
QPR will assess midfielder Leroy Fer, who is close to a comeback from a knee injury that has sidelined him since February. Full-back Yun Suk-Young is in contention after recovering from concussion.
West Ham are without defender Guy Demel, who is ruled out with a calf problem. He joins an injury list which also includes James Tomkins, Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho.
MATCH PREVIEW
Mathematicians will say otherwise, but if QPR don't win this game it seems almost inconceivable that they could avoid relegation - especially as their next two games are at Liverpool and Manchester City. Despite only two league wins in 16 games, Rangers can point to small margins. Six of their last seven defeats have been by a single goal, they've scored more goals than any side in the bottom six and have scored only two fewer away goals than Manchester United. Rangers aren't bad at all - but maybe they're just not quite good enough?
Chris Ramsey was certainly dealt a tough hand when he took over and has coped with the stresses of the dogfight admirably well. It'll be interesting to see how two weeks without a game has impacted on his squad - a break from the claustrophobic pressure may have done them the world of good.
Luckily for Rangers, this weekend's opponents are arguably in worse form than they are. Like the Christmas decorations in Mr Scrooge's house, West Ham started coming down on Boxing Day. Sam Allardyce's team have slipped from fourth to 10th, taking only 12 points in their last 16 games.
Lawro's prediction : "Like Newcastle, West Ham are another team who everyone wants to play right now. I watched their defeat by Manchester City on Sunday and it was not the kind of performance you expect from a Sam Allardyce side." I've heard many a manager bemoan the perils of over-achieving and it seems that Sam Allardyce's season is likely to be judged on his team's second-half slump rather than their first-half heroics. The fact is that West Ham are still six points better off than at this stage of last season, and if Messrs Gold and Sullivan have decided to replace Allardyce, they may yet be casting him aside just as the club achieves its highest league finish since 2002. If he wants work elsewhere, you can be sure that Big Sam will find it.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham have lost just one of their last six Premier League games against QPR (W3, D2).
The Hammers won on their last visit to Loftus Road, on 1 October 2012, but that is their only victory in their last nine games away to the Hoops in all competitions.
Queens Park Rangers
Rangers have allowed their opponents 181 shots on target this season - more than any other Premier League team.
Charlie Austin has either scored or assisted 55% of his side's goals this season - the highest proportion of any Premier League player.
The Hoops are winless in their last 13 Premier League London derbies (D3, L10), with their last victory coming away to Chelsea on 2 January 2013.
West Ham United
The Hammers are winless in their last six games against London sides, losing five of those matches. Their last victory against a side from the capital was against QPR in October.
Sam Allardyce's side are without a win in their last nine away league games (D4, L5), with their last victory coming at West Brom on 2 December.
They have lost a league-high seven points following goals scored in or after the 90th minute this season.
West Ham are the only Premier League side yet to score a penalty - with Mark Noble missing their only spot-kick against Tottenham on the opening day.
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Brady still calling the tune
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 24th April 2015
By: Paul Walker
At last, someone from our beloved leadership has said something, anything, to ease some of the troubled waters.
And it was Lady B, a woman whose politics I dislike but who always impresses me, grudgingly I must say, when we are talking business. Now I know I should not find myself praising the Lady--you wouldn't want a fans' website to be in the back-pocket of someone on the board, for heavens sake, would you?--but she seems to be the only person on that board with any balls!
The painful, long, silence from the Davids over big Sam's future, and the constant attacks on him, daily if not hourly from across the net, has led us to a position where we are becoming a laughing stock. Our shocking run of two wins in 16 league games, I feel, has been partly caused by the way the board have handled this situation.
All we have had is a long line of unattributed quotes from sources that seem intent on rubbishing Sam and undermining the team on a daily basis. It has worked. They may be right, but I do wonder where and from whom they are coming!
Now Karren did not actually say anything new about Sam's future when she was holding court for the media this week when the new season ticket price cuts were being launched--seemingly for the benefit of the BBC and Sky first--but what she said showed authority.
And Sam at his press conference this week has said that nothing she says makes any difference because he is in constant contact with her and Sullivan anyway, despite the image being touted to the contrary.
But as I have said many times before, when Karren Brady speaks, nobody should take her words lightly, regardless if it is not what you want to hear.
She said the board had held talks about talks at the end of the season, she gave no hint whether there would be a new contract, but she at least said something on the record.
She has been the only person for months now from within Boleyn towers to say Sam has done everything the club has asked of him, that the relationship between board and manager is ok, and that they would want to sit down and hear about his plans for the future--and their cost--when the time comes. And that he may well have future plans of his own. As I said, nothing new there.
But she did say that talk about needing a top manager to lead us into her new stadium (because that is what it is) was disrespectful.
Now you don't have to believe any of that, and most of you won't, but the underlying feeling from the good lady was that she will have a very significant say in what happens next. And I doubt it will have much to do with the past few months of nonsense on the field.
This is a woman, as I keep saying, who knows the price of everything and is only concerned with the financial implications.
You can tell that the behaviour of our manager at Manchester City last weekend, does not come into it. She is not too bothered about the lousy tactics of just sitting back and letting City's world class stars attack us, she was not too concerned about the gum chewing, coffee swilling, slumping manager who gave every indication that he couldn't care less.
I didn't get much of a view of that with my lad in the away section at the Etihad, more of that later, but the image Allardyce sent out across the world on TV was a disgrace. I have seen comments from as far away as Mexico and the US from people who were underwhelmed by the image Sam portrayed of our club. And that cannot be right.
We had pundits like Kevin Kilbane (who we have had previous with this season) laughing at us on a foreign TV feed, plus Alan Smith on BBC also taking the piss. Well I thought that was what it was, because you can't tell whether he is laughing or crying from that bland, unsmiling exterior and the deadpan Brummie accent.
Sam never helps himself, does he? The tactics were a mess, the effort and involvement from him and the players severely wanting. My lad has never been pro or anti-Sam, he only wants to see his club progress and have stability, something he has rarely seen in his 30 plus years . But it was an embarrassment for all.
As he said, the teams who had been beating City of late--Crystal Palace and Burnley for a start--have done so by high-tempo pressing from the first seconds. That's how it's done, when you have inferior players, so what on earth was going on in the preparation. Had anyone actually been to see a disheartened City side play recently? Obviously not.
But Lady Brady has only the long-term project of the Olympic stadium on her mind. And if that means Sam gets a new deal, you can bet on who will win the boardroom debate. There has been media talk that unlike last summer when Brady and David Gold differed with David Sullivan over the manager' future, everybody was on a like mind now. Well Brady certainly didn't give that impression, or maybe she is a good liar.
You can bet she is saying that unless we can get someone better, by that I mean with European experience and flair, why should we change. Now I know that is going to release the hounds of Hell on me, but I can assure you all that I feel the time may have come for a change if only to unite the fan base, something sadly so badly fractured at the moment.
I am not trying to put points for or against the sour-faced old fella, I am trying to judge what is going on at Boleyn towers. And there is a growing fear that for all the genuine and creditably concern about the bad ways of Sam, plus the campaigning, abuse and hatred being shown by a sizeable percentage of our support, Brady may well still want stability.
You can almost say that if the Davids and Karren could be offered the season to end now and then a total freeze on everything until next summer, with Premier League safety being assured, they would grab that now. Nothing too messy like having to play matches and entertain the punters, I sense that doesn't come into the hard-nosed thinking at the moment.
As for Sam's future, there has been a long list of people from inside the game, and our own playing staff, saying the manager should stay. Graeme Souness, Phil Brown (well he would, wouldn't he?), Chris Ramsey plus Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Cheikhou Kouyate (and they would also toe the party line) have all leapt into print to defend Sam.
From inside the game, nobody is bothered about his arrogance, and dour persona. They only look at the bottom line, the same line that Karren works from.
However, Martin Samuel in the Mail made a telling point this week. He said that Sam has always said he can handle big clubs and successful players, but that his general tactics and attitude have shown he is not the man to lead a club to a different level. Sam, reckons Martin, is too tentative, too set in his defensive ways, to change and be positive by instinct.
Those instincts were on show at the Etihad, where we were dreadful. And our away lot had to contend with the general behaviour of the Manchester police and the club's security people which left a lot to be desired. I am never one to want to see loud mouthed, foul mouthed yobs allowed to flourish.
But the police's heavy-handed behaviour was out of order. And it's always the same at City, where the demilitarised zone between home and away fans is minimal, with just a line of dumb and deaf security staff separate the fans.
They stand backing the home support, who hurl all measure of abuse at the away lot, and when a visitor responds, the private security firm spotters descend, guided by the police in the CCTV booth, and the lad is hooked out. It's such sport for the home fans.
One quiet middle-aged lady in front of me--unfortunately our seats were on the edge of our support--decided to take a photo of a copper who dragged out one lad by his neck over two rows of seats, very over-the-top.
The copper then launched himself at the poor woman, verbally and physically intimidating to demand in her face why she had taken the picture. Someone should tell the police that it is perfectly legal to photograph anyone in a public place.
He was shouting that he was protecting women and children and that the lad had been making 'come and fight me' hand gestures. Is he serious? The kid was clearly not a threat to public safety throughout east Manchester.
This sort of over-reaction from the police continued throughout, but absolutely nothing was being done about the City louts--one of which ran in front of two sections of seating to throw himself into the baying mob. As I said, it is always like that at City from lengthy past experience, and it does the image of their club no good whatsoever.
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Sam Allardyce wants West Ham to finish season on a high
Last Updated: 24/04/15 2:50pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce has warned his players they are not on holiday yet and has challenged them to match the fight shown by the clubs threatened with relegation. West Ham were flying high early in the season but a dismal run of results has seen them win just one of their last 12 matches. It's a run of form which leaves them needing to win their five remaining matches if they are to eclipse their highest ever Premier league points tally, set in the 1998/99 season. "The players have to realise they are not on the beach yet - far from it," said the West Ham manager. "The focus should be that we want to finish on a high. People think we're having a bad season because our bad run is coming at the end of the season. Finishing the season well gives everyone a high going into the summer. "We wanted to finish with more points than we've ever managed and we should have achieved that a long time ago. "After Christmas we were in a good position and we thought we might be able achieve a bit more than that. But we've made life difficult for ourselves."
With a visit to QPR on Saurday and Burnley coming up for West Ham next weekend, Allardyce's side could yet have a big say on which teams fall into the Sky Bet Championship at the end of the season. And Allardyce pointed the recent defeat to a battle-hardened Leicester side as an example of what can happen if his players do not stand up and fight against the Premier league's lower-ranked sides. "They are fighting for their lives and we experienced that at Leicester," Allardyce said. "We played extremely well at Leicester and shouldn't have lost the game but Leicester are fighting for their lives so we have to match the fight that QPR have and Burnley will have here."
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QPR v West Ham preview: Chris Ramsey's side's fight for survival continues
Last Updated: 24/04/15 4:55pm
SSN
Queens Park Rangers' fight against Premier League relegation continues when they host West Ham at Loftus Road. Chris Ramsey's side are two points adrift of safety but have the opportunity to close that gap against a West Ham side without a win in nine away league games. It was QPR's home form which kept them in touch at the start of the season but since the turn of the year they have failed to pick up a win in front of their home fans. They will hope to change that against an out-of-form West Ham, however, they have struggled against all their London rivals this season, winning just one point in nine Premier League London derbies. Ed Chamberlin looks ahead to the Premier League game between QPR and West Ham.
Team news
Ramsey will make a late decision on whether to risk Leroy Fer for the visit of West Ham. Fer is close to overcoming a knee injury that has kept him out since February, while Yun Suk-young is also available having recovered from concussion. Richard Dunne is fit again after returning from a knee injury but Rio Ferdinand (knock), Eduardo Vargas and Alejandro Faurlin (both knee) remain sidelined.
West Ham will be unable to welcome back any of their injured players for the trip across London to relegation-threatened QPR. Sam Allardyce's Hammers have won just once in their last 12 games and are still without James Tomkins (shoulder), Andy Carroll (knee) and Diafra Sakho (thigh). Meanwhile, a calf injury picked up by full-back Guy Demel has also left Allardyce short of options in defence.
Opta facts
Queens Park Rangers have allowed more shots on target against them than any other team in the Premier League (181). West Ham have lost a league-high seven points with goals conceded in the 90th minute or later. QPR have conceded the first goal on 24 occasions in the Premier League this season; more often than any other side. 27 Players have started a Premier League game for QPR this season; more than at any other club. Charlie Austin has had a hand in the highest proportion of his sides' goals in the Premier League this season (55%). The Hammers have scored just nine goals in nine Premier League London derbies in 2014-15. Matt Phillips has been involved in nine goals (two goals & seven assists) in his last nine PL appearances.
Merson's prediction
I think it's a must-win game for QPR. You can turn the floodlights off if they don't win this game. It's their cup final. You can't keep on going 'oh, next week, next week' – it has to be this week. You look at West Ham and think 'when are they ever going to win another football match?' QPR were unlucky against Chelsea in their last game, so I'm going for a narrow home victory here.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (Sky Bet odds 8/1)
Betting
Sky Bet make QPR 13/10 to boost their waning survival hopes with a victory on Saturday, as Aston Villa are priced up as 2/1 outsiders with the draw 12/5. The Hoops head into the clash as 1/7 favourites for relegation, with Saturday's clash rated one of their most winnable remaining fixtures. Charlie Austin is deemed their most likely hope of salvation as 11/2 favourite in the first goalscorer betting and 21/10 to net in a home win, while Diafra Sakho is considered the visitors' biggest threat at 6/1 to break the deadlock.
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West Ham defender Alex Song hopes for Premier League stay
Last Updated: 24/04/15 8:48pm
SSN
On-loan West Ham midfielder Alex Song says he is keen to stay in England, despite failing to make an impact at Upton Park. The defender, who is owned by Barcelona, enjoyed a good start to life at Upton Park but his performances have dipped since the turn of the year. Song told The Fantasy Football Club that he is ready to wait until the end of the season to make a decision on his future, but is keen to remain in England. Alex Song talks of how important the belief of Arsene Wenger was when he first joined Arsenal. "Yeah, I definitely want to stay here," said the 27-year-old Cameroon international. "I don't know (if I can sign a permanent deal at West Ham). "I can't say anything now because I want to focus on the rest of the season and then we will see." The Hammers have slipped from a top-four position to mid-table since Christmas and Song admits the squad is not strong enough to compete with the bigger clubs. West Ham's Alex Song thinks former club Arsenal only need a few more players to make a serious challenge for the Premier League title. "I think we have to target an eighth-placed finish this season," he said. "The problem with West Ham is that we don't have a very big squad. I was saying to people it was too early to say that we will finish fourth or fifth. "I always said if we finish tenth it would be perfect because we don't have a squad like an Arsenal or Chelsea. When we have one or two players injured, we don't have a big player to come on."
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West Ham 'approach David Moyes' as potential replacement for Sam Allardyce
13:49, 24 April 2015 By Liam Corless
The former Manchester United boss has reportedly emerged as the number one target for Hammers co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold
The Mirror
West Ham have reportedly approached David Moyes over the possibility of replacing Sam Allardyce as the club's manager. The Hammers made Moyes their number one target earlier in the year and have now made a more concrete approach to the former Manchester United chief.
The Telegraph claim West Ham have assured Moyes they want him to be their manager when they move into the Olympic Stadium. Rafael Benitez and Slaven Bilic are also being considered but trail Moyes in the running for the role. Moyes ended a spell of seven months out of the game following his Old Trafford dismissal by taking charge of Real Sociedad in November. Current Upton Park boss Allardyce has come under increasing pressure in recent months due to his side's poor form. West Ham have won just one of their last 10 Premier League games and now sit in 10th in the table having occupied a top four spot for much of the first half of the season. Despite the club's interest in Moyes, club co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold could still hand Allardyce a new contract.
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Robert Green can keep QPR in Premier League AND return to England team says Sam Allardyce
22:30, 24 April 2015 By Neil McLeman
Green moved across London from West Ham to QPR after in 2012 and his former boss at Upton Park has no hard feelings and is glad to see he has recovered his form
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce reckons his former keeper Robert Green has refound the form to keep QPR up – and challenge Joe Hart as England No 1.
Green moved across London from West Ham to QPR after in 2012 on a lucrative Bosman, before Rangers bought Brazilian Julio Cesar and then suffered relegation. Now Green, 35, is a vital member of a QPR team again fighting the drop and back in the England squad. Despite some recent wobbles behind the creaky Hoops defence, Allardyce said: "I think he could rival Joe Hart. "Robert has had an unfortunate England career by the fact that, when called upon, he made a mistake that has probably haunted him for a while. ReutersSam Allardyce before the matchPriced out: Sam Allardyce says he didn't want West Ham to lose Rob Green but couldn't match QPR's offer "If he has has overcome that then the experience he has gained since then should make him a better goalkeeper now."
Green, who will always be known for his error for England against the USA at the 2010 World Cup, helped the Hammers to promotion via the play-offs three years ago. Yet his subsequent signing by QPR was symbolic of the West London club's financial folly. Allardyce recalled: "Financially we couldn't get there – that was the key element. "It wasn't that Robert didn't want to stay – he did. But we couldn't match, at that time, coming back into the Premier League, his financial demands and obviously QPR did. "And after a difficult time at QPR, he has shone through again because of his dedication. "Robert works tirelessly on his game and has got a huge amount of experience now which hopefully – not on Saturday – help QPR stay up ."
West Ham travel to Loftus Road on a run of only two wins in 16 Premier League games since Boxing Day. Top scorer Diafra Sakho is set to miss the rest of an injury-hit season with a thigh problem. And back home in Senegal, he has claimed he could have played in the African Nations Cup if he had been supported by the Senegal FA. The striker's withdrawal because of a back injury caused a complaint to FIFA from his country. Sakho said: "I didn't put any pressure on after the decision made by the club. But I could have if I had been supported the (Senegal) directors. I cannot start a row with my club in these conditions."
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Report: Hammers ready to go all in on Moyes
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham United have made a fresh move to try to secure an agreement from David Moyes to succeed Sam Allardyce as their next manager according to the Telegraph tonight (Thurs). The paper says it understands West Ham have now made a more direct approach to Moyes after an opening gambit and that he is first choice to lead the club into the Olympic Stadium
West Ham hope their determination will see the Scot trigger an agreement with Real Sociedad that he can speak to Premier League clubs about a return to England – as revealed by ClaretandHugh. The club has drawn up an ambitious list of summer transfer targets under the direction of recruitment director to the board Tony Henry, his former Everton scout and now the real power behind the Upton Park throne
As we explained in previous stories Henry, worked closely with Moyes at Goodison Park. And he has already registered an £8 million bid for Sampdoria midfielder Pedro Obiang. The Hammers are also interested in Real Madrid's on-loan Champions League goalscoring hero Javier Hernández, Sion's Moussa Konaté and Basel defender Fabian Schär. Henry reports directly to Sullivan and Gold. and although sources insist that Allardyce's future will not be decided until Sullivan and Gold have carried out their annual end-of-season review. Allardyce remains in the frame only as a back stop appointment should the Irons fail elsewhere. But Allardyce's chances of keeping his job have become slimmer with each week as West Ham have slipped from fourth to 10th in the table.
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Moyes bookies' favourite but race wide open
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
David Moyes remains the bookie's favourite to succeed Sam Allardyce as the next West Ham manager with odds as short as 2/1.
Rafa Beneitez and Slaven Bilic are currently joint second favourites at 4/1 with Gus Poyet at 5/1. An unlikely return for Harry Redknapp still attracts short odds of 6/1 while Marcelo Bielsa is 8/1, Michael Laudrup odds have been reduced at 16/1 with outside chance Eddie Howe at 20/1.
Moyes has a 44.27% win average of the 829 games he has professionally managed, Beneitez manages the 50.88% over 912 games, Bilic weighs in with a 55.56% win ratio over 216 games, Poyet has a 40.52% win ratio over his 269 at Brighton and Sunderland. Redknapp manages just 40.29% win ratio during his 1380 games in charge.
Bielsa can claim a 49.08% win rate over 273 games as manager while Michael Laudrup has a 45.66% record over 357 games and Howe claims a 48.33% win rate at Bournemouth and Burnley. Sam Allardyce's win rate is 39.41% over 916 as a manager and 38.07% for his 176 games in charge of the Hammers.
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Henry starts to call transfer target shots
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham's player target list has been finalised and director of recruitment to the board Tony Henry is the man calling the shots.
Henry's presence is being felt more and more inside the club and it's him who is believed to already be working on the deal to bring Sampdoria's Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang to the club.
And stories published in the national press a couple of weeks back that Sam Allardyce's uncertain position may scupper a deal for 23 year old Basle central defender Fabian Scher are also wide of the mark given that again as Henry is the man behind it.
The former Everton chief scout has also identified Javier Hernandez as a top target at around £7 million and he is – as reported elsewhere – very much on the radar.
It won't escape the attention of many that the 26 year old Mexican is not perhaps the usual Sam Allardyce target which may give an insight into current thinking in the club
The suggestion that we are also pursuing Senegal striker Moussa Konate was however knocked back by a Hammers source this morning.
He said: "That one is not a priority but the others are possibilities."
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Allardyce: "Difficult for me to play kids!"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce claimss the pressure of the current Upton Park situation will not allow him introduce young players. With just two wins since Christmas and looking for an away win (at QPR) as their first since beating West Brom at the Hawthorns in December, team and manager are under fierce pressure. It's been suggested here and elsewhere that with no relegation on the team, Allardyce may have had the opportunity to blood some kids or squad players a chance.
However we can forget that such as Diego Poyet, Reece Oxford or Reece Burke may get even a sniff.
Explaining his position @ London24.com the 60 year old manager said: "It is always difficult for me. If we were in a better position with our results it would have been a good thing to look at the odd player.
"But the pressure with us at the moment to get results means it would be difficult for me to do.
"If you put a youngster in and lose you get criticised, the youngster might get criticised, so it is difficult.
"Or play all your youngsters in the FA Cup and get slaughtered for it. You say 'we don't give youngsters a chance' but you give them a chance, lose, and get slaughtered for it.
"You can't have your cake and eat it."
West Ham are still without Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll and James Tomkins for their trip to QPR and Guy Demel is also a doubt.
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Surprise candidate as Irons step up boss hunt
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham have aggressively stepped up the hunt for their new boss and have a range of candidates in their sights. ClaretandHugh has discovered today that whilst David Moyes is a serious target he is only one of the club's top several and we were assured that Jurgen Klopp remains a serious target.
The former Everton and Manchester United manager was last night named by The Telegraph as being set for a straight approach from the club but we were told this afternoon that he was simply one of various candidates.
Among them – we were told- are Slaven Bilic and a surprise name Michael Laudrup who has suddenly catapaulted back into the frame.
Rafa Benitez is also in the Irons collective mind but so far has given little encouragement he's ready for an interview as he prepares for talks at Napoli.
Eddie Howe is liked and admired but as revealed in the past is considered high risk given his lack of top level experience.
However, he would be at – or close to the top – of the back-up list of candidates should the club fail in all its efforts to attract one of those they fancy.
It begins to look bleaker and bleaker for Sam Allardyce with the only likelihood of a new deal being offered were every candidate fancied by the club were to not materialise.
And he scored a massive own goal earlier today in an interview with London24.com when explaining why he woas reluctant to play the younger players at the club .
Insiders were shocked at what the manager had to say with one saying: "To be honest it made little or no sense given the league position. Nobody could make head or tail of it."
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Hammers choose OS seats
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
The process to choose your seats in the Olympic Stadium has began with the 808 West Ham Bond Holders choosing their seats first. West Ham Band 1 season ticket holders will follow in May, followed by Band 2 in July, Band 3 in October and finally band 4 in December.
Season ticket holders choose their seats based on virtual technology software at the Stratford Reservation centre. West Ham have promised a comparable seat which they say will be one in an equivalent price band and similar location to the seat occupied for the final season at the Boleyn Ground.
However they add that given the obvious differences in the shape, seating layout and capacity of the two grounds, no two seats will be exactly comparable and the quality of each seat and sight line is subjective.
This virtual reality image is for a Band 1 season ticket holder in row 19 of the new East 'Kop style' Stand.
This season ticket holder reserved One Band 1 Adult ticket at £899 plus two Under 16's tickets at £99 each totaling £1,097 for the three season tickets. They would have paid the 25% deposit of around £275 at the time of reservation.
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Allardyce's kids claims defy explanation!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Quite why Sam Allardyce would decide to discuss his policy – or non policy – towards using younger players at this stage of the season defies any serious explanation.
At a time when his chances of keeping his job appear to be zero he may just have hammered in the final nail to his coffin when decising to explain this to London24.com.
He claims that were we in a better position with our results it would have been a good thing to look at the odd player and adds: "Were we to put a youngster in and the team lost you get criticised, the youngster might get criticised, so it is difficult.
But that he should raise the horrendous events at Nottingham Forest in last season's FA Cup and use it against his critics is utterly mind-blowing.
He said: Play all your youngsters in the FA Cup and get slaughtered for it. You say 'we don't give youngsters a chance' but you give them a chance, lose, and get slaughtered for it. You can't have your cake and eat it."
A furious insider said to ClaretandHugh earlier this afternoon: "There is a difference between sending out a team of youngsters (Forest last season) and blooding one or two here and there.
"That is just taking the wee wee in the biggest possible way. It was his horribly mistaken decision that left the club so embarrassed.
"As for results and 'being in a better position' things can hardly be worse than they have been and fresh blood could easily improve it – the regulars are hardly playing out of their skin are they? "
We have heard some stuff from our manager down the years but this outburst just astonishes. I keep checking to ensure he really said it – he did!
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Charlton Trust seeks OS rental review
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust (CAST) want a review of the terms of West Ham's rental agreement at the Olympic Stadium in response to the West Ham's decision to drastically cut season ticket prices when they move in 2016.
CAST say that lower league clubs in London, such as Charlton, Millwall and Leyton Orient will be affected by the price cuts which they claim are only made possible by the 'prejudicially favourable' terms the club has in its £2m rental of the stadium.
"We believe the current agreement is prejudicially favourable to West Ham," A CAST statement said
"This should be a matter of concern for all taxpayers; we are involved because of the specific commercial impact it will have on Charlton Athletic FC. CAST is not opposed to West Ham playing at the Olympic Stadium, and acknowledges the need for a viable legacy for the stadium."
"We believe that the terms of the agreement put far too much financial burden on the taxpayer; and that as a result West Ham will feel able to offer heavily discounted tickets south of the river in Charlton's catchment area, which is now well connected to the Olympic stadium thanks to the transport links built for the games."
"This presents a severe commercial threat to our club, whose long term future it is our mission to care for and seek to preserve. A re-negotiation of the contract which requires West Ham to pay more will oblige West Ham to focus more on filling the stadium with core West Ham support paying prices similar to those at other FAPL clubs in London."
"Regrettably the London Legacy Development Corporation have resisted all attempts by CAST to inspect the rental contract, even under Freedom of Information law. CAST has a complaint lodged with the Information Commissioner (since last October). The length of time this is taking indicates that the LLDC are determined to conceal from the public the extent of the support from public funds West Ham are getting. CAST feels that through the terms that West Ham have they will be able to 'flood' parts of London with cheap tickets which will ultimately effect clubs close by."
"The most important advantage though is that West Ham are allowed to keep 100% of "corporate" match-day revenue. The Olympic Stadium has a huge capacity for this type of customer. We believe that if West Ham sell this capacity, and achieve attendances of around 35,000, their revenue will be such that they can treat the 19,000 spare capacity as "promotional".
"They can afford to offer these seats at a discount in order to build their support in new areas, particularly in South-East London. This is the scenario that concerns CAST. Put simply, the taxpayer should pay far less of the capital costs than is currently planned, and West Ham should pay back far more in rent to the taxpayer. If this re-balancing were to take place, West Ham will still have excellent commercial prospects, but they will not be able to threaten the commercial health of other clubs (particularly Charlton) using taxpayers' money."
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WHUFC.com
In brief
West Ham United travel across London to take on relegation embattled Queens Park Rangers in their final London derby of the season. The Hammers will want to register their double of the season, having beaten the R's 2-0 in October at the Boleyn Ground. The Irons are currently tenth, with 43 points from their 33 games. Saturday's visitors QPR fighting for their Premier League status. Currently 19th with 26 points, Chris Ramsey's men have improved of late with a 4-1 away at West Bromwich Albion and a 3-3 draw at Aston Villa.
Who are they?
Formed in 1882, Queens Park Rangers' early football was joined the Football League in 1920, three years after settling at Loftus Road.
Their honours include winning the League Cup in 1967, being runners-up in the top flight in 1975/76 and reaching the FA Cup final in 1982, when they lost to Tottenham Hotspur after a replay. They won promotion back to the top flight via the play-offs last season, with former Hammer Bobby Zamora netting a dramatic late winner against Derby County.
Team news
QPR
Chris Ramsey has an extensive injury list. His absentees include Rio Ferdinand (muscular injury), Eduardo Vargas (Knee) and Leroy Fer (Knee) all out. However, Rangers could be boosted by the return of A Troare and Adel Taarabt.
West Ham United
Sam Allardyce will have to do make do without Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll, James Tomkins and Doneil henry who are all still injured.
Guy Demel may also miss out due to a calf problem.
Referee
Saturday's referee is Mike Jones. The Cheshire based referee took charge of his first Premier League game back in 2008 and has since officiated 143 matches. In total, he has given 455 yellow and 20 red cards out. Jones has refereed one West ham game this season, their last away in back in December – a 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion. Taylor will be assisted by Mark Scholes and Ian Hussin, while the fourth official will be Lee Mason.
One to watch
West Ham United
Aaron Cresswell has enjoyed a fine start to life in a Hammers shirt, taking the step up from Championship football in his stride.
The 25-year-old left back has played every minute of the Hammers' Barclays Premier League campaign to date, capping recent good performances with a superb free kick against Stoke City.
Queens Park Rangers
Rangers striker Charlie Austin will need to be shackled on Saturday if the Hammers are to be successful. The former Swindon and Burnley man joined QPR in summer 2013 and notched 17 league goals to help his new club to promotion. This season, he has continued his prolific goalscoring form, netting 17 times so far, leading to some pundits calling for an international call up. The Hammers will have to be aware of the threat he possesses if they are to come with away from Loftus Road with the three points.
Tickets
Standard tickets for this fixture have now SOLD OUT. However, a limited number of re-listed Season Ticket Holder seats may be available online through the Ticket Trader.
Travel
There are planned closures on Central and Bakerloo lines on Saturday. Click here for the latest transport news from Transport for London.
Click here for the latest travel news from National Rail.
Weather
A dry day with sunny spells is expected on Saturday, with a temperature of 17C (63F) at kick-off.
Last meeting
The Hammers secured a 2-1 away win the last time they visited Loftus Road.
Matt Jarvis put the Irons ahead after just three minutes before Vaz Te's goal doubled their advantage before half time.
The hosts rallied in the second half as Adel Taarabt scored a minute after coming on as a substitute.
However their efforts of a comeback were thwarted when Samba Diakite was sent off and the hammers held out for an important win.
Queens Park Rangers 1-2 West Ham United
Premier League
Monday 1 October 2012
QPR: Julio Cesar, Hill, Onuoha (hoilett 84), Nelsen, Park Ji-Sung (Diakite 56), Wright-Phillips (Taarabt 56), Granero, Faurlin, Mbia, Cisse, Zamora
Subs: Green, Ehmer, Ephraim, Mackie
Goal: Taarabt 57
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Reid (Tomkins 23), O'Brien (McCartney 35), Collins, Demel, Nolan, Jarvis, Noble, Diame, C Cole (Carroll 72), Vaz Te.
Subs: Henderson, Benayoun, O'Neil, Maiga
Goal: Jarvis 3, Vaz Te 35
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Noble - 'We've got to make our own luck'
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble feels West Ham United have been the victim of ill fortune in recent weeks but says it is up to the players to make their own luck at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday. The midfielder reckons the rub of the green has deserted the Hammers in 2015, with late goals and injuries the scourge of a troubled second half of the campaign. But Noble is not after pity, just results, and insists that only the players' sheer hard work can ensure that Lady Luck smiles upon the Hammers at Loftus Road this weekend. "From what I see in training every day and from what I see in the games, we've had a little bit of bad luck," Noble confirmed. "The luck that was going for us at the beginning of the season, with Manchester City at home – I think they hit the crossbar twice and Adrian made some great saves – it's not going for us at the minute. "You need to work harder to get that luck back. As they say, you make your own luck and we've got five games to go and we want to get some points on the board."
While it certainly has not gone the Hammers' way since the turn of the year, the 27-year-old says supporters can rest assured that the players are doing everything in their power to turn it around. With five games still to play, the Club's longest servant has called on the fans to keep the faith as they bid to record their highest points tally since returning to the top flight in 2012. He continued: "Stick by us, we've had a good season, it could have been a really good season, but it wasn't meant to be. "The league has levelled itself out now, the top six or seven are always there, that's the way it is. We've had a good go this season and we need to finish the season on a high. "I obviously know who I train with every day and the boys that I play with and they are giving 100 per cent, coming off a bad run, admittedly. I say a bad run, well not the results that we wanted. "Going away to Man City when they need a result is a tough place to play and we need to go to QPR away on Saturday and get a result."
Speaking of supporters, there was good news for the fans this week in the shape of 2016/17 Season Ticket prices. Noble himself popped into the New Stadium Reservation Centre and applauded the Club's decision to slash prices, not least for the youngsters. "I think what the Club has done is fantastic. Season Tickets for Under-16s are £99, which is great, affordable for everyone. To get over there now, it's one more season at Upton Park, which has been a fantastic home for us and then to a new chapter for the Club. "A lot of the newer players haven't even been into the Stadium yet, so once they stand in there and realise how big it is, what a place it's going to be to play at, I think it'll be even more exciting. And when we do obviously finally make the move, it's going to be some football arena to play in."
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Allardyce and Carroll in community Q&A
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce and striker Andy Carroll met young people looking to make the most of life at a Barclays Premier League event. Keeping Kids Company and the Bromley By Bow Centre are two local organisations that focus on giving youngsters opportunities to achieve their goals and transform their lives through education, sport and general support, the groups are just two of the community groups supported nationally by Barclays. Through their sponsor of the Premier League, Barclays host a number of events and initiatives in conjunction with all 20 PL clubs every season, where charities and communities can come together with football and meet their heroes.
The Hammers boss along with No9 Carroll took part in a Q&A, before chatting with the groups about their experiences and how schemes such as these supported by Barclays, have given them a chance that they might not have had otherwise. A lively question and answer session had Big Sam and Carroll answering questions on what motivates them to do what they do, on the current season and general questions on the world of football. The pair then posed for photographs and signed autographs. The West Ham manager said he was very impressed with the groups and the event as a whole. "It is very good for Barclays and the Premier League to bring these events to our clubs, so that football can mix with the community in such a way with these partnerships," he said. "It was clear to see that these young people have been given a chance with these groups and the dedicated people who run them and as a result, have positive targets to aim for in life now."
Carroll who is currently working his way back to fitness following knee surgery in February added: "They were a good group and it was great to meet them. They had some good questions. Our club does a lot in the local community and this is another way of bringing football and everyone together for a good cause."
Following the Q&A with Big Sam and Carroll, the youngsters then took part in a football skills session outside at the club's Chadwell heath training coached by the West Ham United Foundation, with players Guy Demel, Morgan Amalfitano and Nene joining them.
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Potts: 'We deserved the win'
WHUFC.com
U21s coach Steve Potts said his side deserved the victory 2-1 over Manchester City on Friday 24 April after recent good performances had gone unrewarded. Potts' son Dan opened the scoring in the eleventh minute heading in Djair Parfitt-Williams' cross after an exquisite bit of skill from the young forward. The Hammers doubled their lead early in the second half when Adam Drury stabbed Jordan Brown's drilled cross into his own net. City rallied and looked increasingly dangerous before Olivier Ntcham scored late on to half the Irons' advantage but it proved too little too late. Speaking after the game, Potts said: "I'm delighted. I thought the lads did very well. The effort they put in was fantastic, they got what we deserved really after a couple of games where I thought we did some good stuff but lost by the odd goal. "Last week against Norwich City we were 1-0 up with a few minutes to go but then we threw it away. But tonight we did the job. "I've been happy with the last two games and tonight, in most aspects, we saw the game through. I think that's the stage that the players are at, at the moment. They're young boys but they need to manage games and get over the line as much as they can. We need to build on this toughness about them."
In a fantastic performance, the Development Squad had chances either side of half time to extent their lead. Dan Potts hit the top of the cross bar from a corner while Jordan Brown and Joe Ward forced good saves out of Manchester City goalkeeper Angus Gunn. "We could have had a few more, we had some good chances," continued Potts. "They had a lot of possession and I think you have to respect when you're playing good teams. We had some opportunities to finish the game off, but didn't. At 2-1 you do wonder whether it'll be your night and thankfully it was. The boys stuck to their jobs and they were in the right place at the right time."
Recently, the young Hammers have found points hard to come by, making Friday's win over prospective title challengers City even more impressive. The Dev Squad's last win came over Fulham in February when they won 2-1 and Potts continued to stress how pleased he was how his side rose to the occasion. "We knew they were a good side. When they were playing the ball about it was a case of not getting drawn out of position. They had good movement and they passes the ball around well, in a second they can cut you apart. Luckily it was just the once they did that. "Djair did very well for the first goal. He got one-on-one with his man and beat him, put a good ball in the box and Dan was there to finish it. He's been unlucky this season, he broke a bone in his foot and then had an operation on his knee which kept him out for a while. "That's how football is sometimes, you have to get on with it and bounce back when injuries happen. He's been training for a few weeks now and played two games."
Up next for the Dev Squad, they host Everton at Rush Green on Friday 8 May, where they will be looking to avenge a 2-0 defeat by the Toffees earlier in the season. "The win is great for our confidence because we haven't won in a while. Everton will be a tough game. We'll need to rise to it, but we know that we're capable of winning and we're looking forward to it."
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Chadwell Chatter - James Collins
WHUFC.com
Hello everyone.
Saturday's game against Queens Park Rangers is must-win for us after the disappointment of last week. They're fighting against relegation and we need to be beating them, we know that. We need a clean sheet to give us the base to go on and win and that's the same in any game. Last week we were disappointed with the goals, and me personally too. Clean sheets are vital in any game and we haven't had one for a while, so to get back on track with five games to go would be nice on Saturday. The next three we play are against teams in the relegation scrap - QPR, Burnley and Aston Villa. I've been in that position and it's tough. They're fighting for their lives and have everything to play for. We're not expecting an easy game, that's for sure. The crowd will get behind them and they've got some good players there so we'll have to be on our toes. If a team scores against you early doors when you're in that situation, you wonder how you're going to get back in the game. We'll be looking to get off to a good start, score an early goal and go on to win the game.
They've got a couple of dangerous frontmen in Austin and Zamora and you've just got to defend well against them. Bobby is a big, strong lad who holds the ball up well and can obviously score a goal. Charlie Austin has scored God knows how many goals this year, so we're going to have to be on our toes and defend as well as we can. It's strange for someone to score that number of goals and for a team to still be in a relegation battle, you don't see that too often. Credit to himself, he's scored a different variety of goals too.
It's a massive focus for us to make this the best season since we've been back in the Premier League. The last 12 or 13 games have been bitterly disappointing and we haven't got as many points as we wanted, especially after the start we had. To finish the last five games with as many wins as possible to move into next season would be great. We know we've got to up our performances to do that - that's what we've been working on in training looking ahead to the weekend.
See you on Saturday!
Ginge
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QPR v West Ham
KO 15:00
24 April 2015
Last updated at 11:33
By Steve Wilson
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Loftus Road Date: Saturday, 25 April
TEAM NEWS
QPR will assess midfielder Leroy Fer, who is close to a comeback from a knee injury that has sidelined him since February. Full-back Yun Suk-Young is in contention after recovering from concussion.
West Ham are without defender Guy Demel, who is ruled out with a calf problem. He joins an injury list which also includes James Tomkins, Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho.
MATCH PREVIEW
Mathematicians will say otherwise, but if QPR don't win this game it seems almost inconceivable that they could avoid relegation - especially as their next two games are at Liverpool and Manchester City. Despite only two league wins in 16 games, Rangers can point to small margins. Six of their last seven defeats have been by a single goal, they've scored more goals than any side in the bottom six and have scored only two fewer away goals than Manchester United. Rangers aren't bad at all - but maybe they're just not quite good enough?
Chris Ramsey was certainly dealt a tough hand when he took over and has coped with the stresses of the dogfight admirably well. It'll be interesting to see how two weeks without a game has impacted on his squad - a break from the claustrophobic pressure may have done them the world of good.
Luckily for Rangers, this weekend's opponents are arguably in worse form than they are. Like the Christmas decorations in Mr Scrooge's house, West Ham started coming down on Boxing Day. Sam Allardyce's team have slipped from fourth to 10th, taking only 12 points in their last 16 games.
Lawro's prediction : "Like Newcastle, West Ham are another team who everyone wants to play right now. I watched their defeat by Manchester City on Sunday and it was not the kind of performance you expect from a Sam Allardyce side." I've heard many a manager bemoan the perils of over-achieving and it seems that Sam Allardyce's season is likely to be judged on his team's second-half slump rather than their first-half heroics. The fact is that West Ham are still six points better off than at this stage of last season, and if Messrs Gold and Sullivan have decided to replace Allardyce, they may yet be casting him aside just as the club achieves its highest league finish since 2002. If he wants work elsewhere, you can be sure that Big Sam will find it.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham have lost just one of their last six Premier League games against QPR (W3, D2).
The Hammers won on their last visit to Loftus Road, on 1 October 2012, but that is their only victory in their last nine games away to the Hoops in all competitions.
Queens Park Rangers
Rangers have allowed their opponents 181 shots on target this season - more than any other Premier League team.
Charlie Austin has either scored or assisted 55% of his side's goals this season - the highest proportion of any Premier League player.
The Hoops are winless in their last 13 Premier League London derbies (D3, L10), with their last victory coming away to Chelsea on 2 January 2013.
West Ham United
The Hammers are winless in their last six games against London sides, losing five of those matches. Their last victory against a side from the capital was against QPR in October.
Sam Allardyce's side are without a win in their last nine away league games (D4, L5), with their last victory coming at West Brom on 2 December.
They have lost a league-high seven points following goals scored in or after the 90th minute this season.
West Ham are the only Premier League side yet to score a penalty - with Mark Noble missing their only spot-kick against Tottenham on the opening day.
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Brady still calling the tune
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 24th April 2015
By: Paul Walker
At last, someone from our beloved leadership has said something, anything, to ease some of the troubled waters.
And it was Lady B, a woman whose politics I dislike but who always impresses me, grudgingly I must say, when we are talking business. Now I know I should not find myself praising the Lady--you wouldn't want a fans' website to be in the back-pocket of someone on the board, for heavens sake, would you?--but she seems to be the only person on that board with any balls!
The painful, long, silence from the Davids over big Sam's future, and the constant attacks on him, daily if not hourly from across the net, has led us to a position where we are becoming a laughing stock. Our shocking run of two wins in 16 league games, I feel, has been partly caused by the way the board have handled this situation.
All we have had is a long line of unattributed quotes from sources that seem intent on rubbishing Sam and undermining the team on a daily basis. It has worked. They may be right, but I do wonder where and from whom they are coming!
Now Karren did not actually say anything new about Sam's future when she was holding court for the media this week when the new season ticket price cuts were being launched--seemingly for the benefit of the BBC and Sky first--but what she said showed authority.
And Sam at his press conference this week has said that nothing she says makes any difference because he is in constant contact with her and Sullivan anyway, despite the image being touted to the contrary.
But as I have said many times before, when Karren Brady speaks, nobody should take her words lightly, regardless if it is not what you want to hear.
She said the board had held talks about talks at the end of the season, she gave no hint whether there would be a new contract, but she at least said something on the record.
She has been the only person for months now from within Boleyn towers to say Sam has done everything the club has asked of him, that the relationship between board and manager is ok, and that they would want to sit down and hear about his plans for the future--and their cost--when the time comes. And that he may well have future plans of his own. As I said, nothing new there.
But she did say that talk about needing a top manager to lead us into her new stadium (because that is what it is) was disrespectful.
Now you don't have to believe any of that, and most of you won't, but the underlying feeling from the good lady was that she will have a very significant say in what happens next. And I doubt it will have much to do with the past few months of nonsense on the field.
This is a woman, as I keep saying, who knows the price of everything and is only concerned with the financial implications.
You can tell that the behaviour of our manager at Manchester City last weekend, does not come into it. She is not too bothered about the lousy tactics of just sitting back and letting City's world class stars attack us, she was not too concerned about the gum chewing, coffee swilling, slumping manager who gave every indication that he couldn't care less.
I didn't get much of a view of that with my lad in the away section at the Etihad, more of that later, but the image Allardyce sent out across the world on TV was a disgrace. I have seen comments from as far away as Mexico and the US from people who were underwhelmed by the image Sam portrayed of our club. And that cannot be right.
We had pundits like Kevin Kilbane (who we have had previous with this season) laughing at us on a foreign TV feed, plus Alan Smith on BBC also taking the piss. Well I thought that was what it was, because you can't tell whether he is laughing or crying from that bland, unsmiling exterior and the deadpan Brummie accent.
Sam never helps himself, does he? The tactics were a mess, the effort and involvement from him and the players severely wanting. My lad has never been pro or anti-Sam, he only wants to see his club progress and have stability, something he has rarely seen in his 30 plus years . But it was an embarrassment for all.
As he said, the teams who had been beating City of late--Crystal Palace and Burnley for a start--have done so by high-tempo pressing from the first seconds. That's how it's done, when you have inferior players, so what on earth was going on in the preparation. Had anyone actually been to see a disheartened City side play recently? Obviously not.
But Lady Brady has only the long-term project of the Olympic stadium on her mind. And if that means Sam gets a new deal, you can bet on who will win the boardroom debate. There has been media talk that unlike last summer when Brady and David Gold differed with David Sullivan over the manager' future, everybody was on a like mind now. Well Brady certainly didn't give that impression, or maybe she is a good liar.
You can bet she is saying that unless we can get someone better, by that I mean with European experience and flair, why should we change. Now I know that is going to release the hounds of Hell on me, but I can assure you all that I feel the time may have come for a change if only to unite the fan base, something sadly so badly fractured at the moment.
I am not trying to put points for or against the sour-faced old fella, I am trying to judge what is going on at Boleyn towers. And there is a growing fear that for all the genuine and creditably concern about the bad ways of Sam, plus the campaigning, abuse and hatred being shown by a sizeable percentage of our support, Brady may well still want stability.
You can almost say that if the Davids and Karren could be offered the season to end now and then a total freeze on everything until next summer, with Premier League safety being assured, they would grab that now. Nothing too messy like having to play matches and entertain the punters, I sense that doesn't come into the hard-nosed thinking at the moment.
As for Sam's future, there has been a long list of people from inside the game, and our own playing staff, saying the manager should stay. Graeme Souness, Phil Brown (well he would, wouldn't he?), Chris Ramsey plus Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Cheikhou Kouyate (and they would also toe the party line) have all leapt into print to defend Sam.
From inside the game, nobody is bothered about his arrogance, and dour persona. They only look at the bottom line, the same line that Karren works from.
However, Martin Samuel in the Mail made a telling point this week. He said that Sam has always said he can handle big clubs and successful players, but that his general tactics and attitude have shown he is not the man to lead a club to a different level. Sam, reckons Martin, is too tentative, too set in his defensive ways, to change and be positive by instinct.
Those instincts were on show at the Etihad, where we were dreadful. And our away lot had to contend with the general behaviour of the Manchester police and the club's security people which left a lot to be desired. I am never one to want to see loud mouthed, foul mouthed yobs allowed to flourish.
But the police's heavy-handed behaviour was out of order. And it's always the same at City, where the demilitarised zone between home and away fans is minimal, with just a line of dumb and deaf security staff separate the fans.
They stand backing the home support, who hurl all measure of abuse at the away lot, and when a visitor responds, the private security firm spotters descend, guided by the police in the CCTV booth, and the lad is hooked out. It's such sport for the home fans.
One quiet middle-aged lady in front of me--unfortunately our seats were on the edge of our support--decided to take a photo of a copper who dragged out one lad by his neck over two rows of seats, very over-the-top.
The copper then launched himself at the poor woman, verbally and physically intimidating to demand in her face why she had taken the picture. Someone should tell the police that it is perfectly legal to photograph anyone in a public place.
He was shouting that he was protecting women and children and that the lad had been making 'come and fight me' hand gestures. Is he serious? The kid was clearly not a threat to public safety throughout east Manchester.
This sort of over-reaction from the police continued throughout, but absolutely nothing was being done about the City louts--one of which ran in front of two sections of seating to throw himself into the baying mob. As I said, it is always like that at City from lengthy past experience, and it does the image of their club no good whatsoever.
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Sam Allardyce wants West Ham to finish season on a high
Last Updated: 24/04/15 2:50pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce has warned his players they are not on holiday yet and has challenged them to match the fight shown by the clubs threatened with relegation. West Ham were flying high early in the season but a dismal run of results has seen them win just one of their last 12 matches. It's a run of form which leaves them needing to win their five remaining matches if they are to eclipse their highest ever Premier league points tally, set in the 1998/99 season. "The players have to realise they are not on the beach yet - far from it," said the West Ham manager. "The focus should be that we want to finish on a high. People think we're having a bad season because our bad run is coming at the end of the season. Finishing the season well gives everyone a high going into the summer. "We wanted to finish with more points than we've ever managed and we should have achieved that a long time ago. "After Christmas we were in a good position and we thought we might be able achieve a bit more than that. But we've made life difficult for ourselves."
With a visit to QPR on Saurday and Burnley coming up for West Ham next weekend, Allardyce's side could yet have a big say on which teams fall into the Sky Bet Championship at the end of the season. And Allardyce pointed the recent defeat to a battle-hardened Leicester side as an example of what can happen if his players do not stand up and fight against the Premier league's lower-ranked sides. "They are fighting for their lives and we experienced that at Leicester," Allardyce said. "We played extremely well at Leicester and shouldn't have lost the game but Leicester are fighting for their lives so we have to match the fight that QPR have and Burnley will have here."
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QPR v West Ham preview: Chris Ramsey's side's fight for survival continues
Last Updated: 24/04/15 4:55pm
SSN
Queens Park Rangers' fight against Premier League relegation continues when they host West Ham at Loftus Road. Chris Ramsey's side are two points adrift of safety but have the opportunity to close that gap against a West Ham side without a win in nine away league games. It was QPR's home form which kept them in touch at the start of the season but since the turn of the year they have failed to pick up a win in front of their home fans. They will hope to change that against an out-of-form West Ham, however, they have struggled against all their London rivals this season, winning just one point in nine Premier League London derbies. Ed Chamberlin looks ahead to the Premier League game between QPR and West Ham.
Team news
Ramsey will make a late decision on whether to risk Leroy Fer for the visit of West Ham. Fer is close to overcoming a knee injury that has kept him out since February, while Yun Suk-young is also available having recovered from concussion. Richard Dunne is fit again after returning from a knee injury but Rio Ferdinand (knock), Eduardo Vargas and Alejandro Faurlin (both knee) remain sidelined.
West Ham will be unable to welcome back any of their injured players for the trip across London to relegation-threatened QPR. Sam Allardyce's Hammers have won just once in their last 12 games and are still without James Tomkins (shoulder), Andy Carroll (knee) and Diafra Sakho (thigh). Meanwhile, a calf injury picked up by full-back Guy Demel has also left Allardyce short of options in defence.
Opta facts
Queens Park Rangers have allowed more shots on target against them than any other team in the Premier League (181). West Ham have lost a league-high seven points with goals conceded in the 90th minute or later. QPR have conceded the first goal on 24 occasions in the Premier League this season; more often than any other side. 27 Players have started a Premier League game for QPR this season; more than at any other club. Charlie Austin has had a hand in the highest proportion of his sides' goals in the Premier League this season (55%). The Hammers have scored just nine goals in nine Premier League London derbies in 2014-15. Matt Phillips has been involved in nine goals (two goals & seven assists) in his last nine PL appearances.
Merson's prediction
I think it's a must-win game for QPR. You can turn the floodlights off if they don't win this game. It's their cup final. You can't keep on going 'oh, next week, next week' – it has to be this week. You look at West Ham and think 'when are they ever going to win another football match?' QPR were unlucky against Chelsea in their last game, so I'm going for a narrow home victory here.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (Sky Bet odds 8/1)
Betting
Sky Bet make QPR 13/10 to boost their waning survival hopes with a victory on Saturday, as Aston Villa are priced up as 2/1 outsiders with the draw 12/5. The Hoops head into the clash as 1/7 favourites for relegation, with Saturday's clash rated one of their most winnable remaining fixtures. Charlie Austin is deemed their most likely hope of salvation as 11/2 favourite in the first goalscorer betting and 21/10 to net in a home win, while Diafra Sakho is considered the visitors' biggest threat at 6/1 to break the deadlock.
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West Ham defender Alex Song hopes for Premier League stay
Last Updated: 24/04/15 8:48pm
SSN
On-loan West Ham midfielder Alex Song says he is keen to stay in England, despite failing to make an impact at Upton Park. The defender, who is owned by Barcelona, enjoyed a good start to life at Upton Park but his performances have dipped since the turn of the year. Song told The Fantasy Football Club that he is ready to wait until the end of the season to make a decision on his future, but is keen to remain in England. Alex Song talks of how important the belief of Arsene Wenger was when he first joined Arsenal. "Yeah, I definitely want to stay here," said the 27-year-old Cameroon international. "I don't know (if I can sign a permanent deal at West Ham). "I can't say anything now because I want to focus on the rest of the season and then we will see." The Hammers have slipped from a top-four position to mid-table since Christmas and Song admits the squad is not strong enough to compete with the bigger clubs. West Ham's Alex Song thinks former club Arsenal only need a few more players to make a serious challenge for the Premier League title. "I think we have to target an eighth-placed finish this season," he said. "The problem with West Ham is that we don't have a very big squad. I was saying to people it was too early to say that we will finish fourth or fifth. "I always said if we finish tenth it would be perfect because we don't have a squad like an Arsenal or Chelsea. When we have one or two players injured, we don't have a big player to come on."
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West Ham 'approach David Moyes' as potential replacement for Sam Allardyce
13:49, 24 April 2015 By Liam Corless
The former Manchester United boss has reportedly emerged as the number one target for Hammers co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold
The Mirror
West Ham have reportedly approached David Moyes over the possibility of replacing Sam Allardyce as the club's manager. The Hammers made Moyes their number one target earlier in the year and have now made a more concrete approach to the former Manchester United chief.
The Telegraph claim West Ham have assured Moyes they want him to be their manager when they move into the Olympic Stadium. Rafael Benitez and Slaven Bilic are also being considered but trail Moyes in the running for the role. Moyes ended a spell of seven months out of the game following his Old Trafford dismissal by taking charge of Real Sociedad in November. Current Upton Park boss Allardyce has come under increasing pressure in recent months due to his side's poor form. West Ham have won just one of their last 10 Premier League games and now sit in 10th in the table having occupied a top four spot for much of the first half of the season. Despite the club's interest in Moyes, club co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold could still hand Allardyce a new contract.
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Robert Green can keep QPR in Premier League AND return to England team says Sam Allardyce
22:30, 24 April 2015 By Neil McLeman
Green moved across London from West Ham to QPR after in 2012 and his former boss at Upton Park has no hard feelings and is glad to see he has recovered his form
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce reckons his former keeper Robert Green has refound the form to keep QPR up – and challenge Joe Hart as England No 1.
Green moved across London from West Ham to QPR after in 2012 on a lucrative Bosman, before Rangers bought Brazilian Julio Cesar and then suffered relegation. Now Green, 35, is a vital member of a QPR team again fighting the drop and back in the England squad. Despite some recent wobbles behind the creaky Hoops defence, Allardyce said: "I think he could rival Joe Hart. "Robert has had an unfortunate England career by the fact that, when called upon, he made a mistake that has probably haunted him for a while. ReutersSam Allardyce before the matchPriced out: Sam Allardyce says he didn't want West Ham to lose Rob Green but couldn't match QPR's offer "If he has has overcome that then the experience he has gained since then should make him a better goalkeeper now."
Green, who will always be known for his error for England against the USA at the 2010 World Cup, helped the Hammers to promotion via the play-offs three years ago. Yet his subsequent signing by QPR was symbolic of the West London club's financial folly. Allardyce recalled: "Financially we couldn't get there – that was the key element. "It wasn't that Robert didn't want to stay – he did. But we couldn't match, at that time, coming back into the Premier League, his financial demands and obviously QPR did. "And after a difficult time at QPR, he has shone through again because of his dedication. "Robert works tirelessly on his game and has got a huge amount of experience now which hopefully – not on Saturday – help QPR stay up ."
West Ham travel to Loftus Road on a run of only two wins in 16 Premier League games since Boxing Day. Top scorer Diafra Sakho is set to miss the rest of an injury-hit season with a thigh problem. And back home in Senegal, he has claimed he could have played in the African Nations Cup if he had been supported by the Senegal FA. The striker's withdrawal because of a back injury caused a complaint to FIFA from his country. Sakho said: "I didn't put any pressure on after the decision made by the club. But I could have if I had been supported the (Senegal) directors. I cannot start a row with my club in these conditions."
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Report: Hammers ready to go all in on Moyes
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham United have made a fresh move to try to secure an agreement from David Moyes to succeed Sam Allardyce as their next manager according to the Telegraph tonight (Thurs). The paper says it understands West Ham have now made a more direct approach to Moyes after an opening gambit and that he is first choice to lead the club into the Olympic Stadium
West Ham hope their determination will see the Scot trigger an agreement with Real Sociedad that he can speak to Premier League clubs about a return to England – as revealed by ClaretandHugh. The club has drawn up an ambitious list of summer transfer targets under the direction of recruitment director to the board Tony Henry, his former Everton scout and now the real power behind the Upton Park throne
As we explained in previous stories Henry, worked closely with Moyes at Goodison Park. And he has already registered an £8 million bid for Sampdoria midfielder Pedro Obiang. The Hammers are also interested in Real Madrid's on-loan Champions League goalscoring hero Javier Hernández, Sion's Moussa Konaté and Basel defender Fabian Schär. Henry reports directly to Sullivan and Gold. and although sources insist that Allardyce's future will not be decided until Sullivan and Gold have carried out their annual end-of-season review. Allardyce remains in the frame only as a back stop appointment should the Irons fail elsewhere. But Allardyce's chances of keeping his job have become slimmer with each week as West Ham have slipped from fourth to 10th in the table.
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Moyes bookies' favourite but race wide open
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
David Moyes remains the bookie's favourite to succeed Sam Allardyce as the next West Ham manager with odds as short as 2/1.
Rafa Beneitez and Slaven Bilic are currently joint second favourites at 4/1 with Gus Poyet at 5/1. An unlikely return for Harry Redknapp still attracts short odds of 6/1 while Marcelo Bielsa is 8/1, Michael Laudrup odds have been reduced at 16/1 with outside chance Eddie Howe at 20/1.
Moyes has a 44.27% win average of the 829 games he has professionally managed, Beneitez manages the 50.88% over 912 games, Bilic weighs in with a 55.56% win ratio over 216 games, Poyet has a 40.52% win ratio over his 269 at Brighton and Sunderland. Redknapp manages just 40.29% win ratio during his 1380 games in charge.
Bielsa can claim a 49.08% win rate over 273 games as manager while Michael Laudrup has a 45.66% record over 357 games and Howe claims a 48.33% win rate at Bournemouth and Burnley. Sam Allardyce's win rate is 39.41% over 916 as a manager and 38.07% for his 176 games in charge of the Hammers.
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Henry starts to call transfer target shots
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham's player target list has been finalised and director of recruitment to the board Tony Henry is the man calling the shots.
Henry's presence is being felt more and more inside the club and it's him who is believed to already be working on the deal to bring Sampdoria's Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang to the club.
And stories published in the national press a couple of weeks back that Sam Allardyce's uncertain position may scupper a deal for 23 year old Basle central defender Fabian Scher are also wide of the mark given that again as Henry is the man behind it.
The former Everton chief scout has also identified Javier Hernandez as a top target at around £7 million and he is – as reported elsewhere – very much on the radar.
It won't escape the attention of many that the 26 year old Mexican is not perhaps the usual Sam Allardyce target which may give an insight into current thinking in the club
The suggestion that we are also pursuing Senegal striker Moussa Konate was however knocked back by a Hammers source this morning.
He said: "That one is not a priority but the others are possibilities."
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Allardyce: "Difficult for me to play kids!"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce claimss the pressure of the current Upton Park situation will not allow him introduce young players. With just two wins since Christmas and looking for an away win (at QPR) as their first since beating West Brom at the Hawthorns in December, team and manager are under fierce pressure. It's been suggested here and elsewhere that with no relegation on the team, Allardyce may have had the opportunity to blood some kids or squad players a chance.
However we can forget that such as Diego Poyet, Reece Oxford or Reece Burke may get even a sniff.
Explaining his position @ London24.com the 60 year old manager said: "It is always difficult for me. If we were in a better position with our results it would have been a good thing to look at the odd player.
"But the pressure with us at the moment to get results means it would be difficult for me to do.
"If you put a youngster in and lose you get criticised, the youngster might get criticised, so it is difficult.
"Or play all your youngsters in the FA Cup and get slaughtered for it. You say 'we don't give youngsters a chance' but you give them a chance, lose, and get slaughtered for it.
"You can't have your cake and eat it."
West Ham are still without Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll and James Tomkins for their trip to QPR and Guy Demel is also a doubt.
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Surprise candidate as Irons step up boss hunt
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham have aggressively stepped up the hunt for their new boss and have a range of candidates in their sights. ClaretandHugh has discovered today that whilst David Moyes is a serious target he is only one of the club's top several and we were assured that Jurgen Klopp remains a serious target.
The former Everton and Manchester United manager was last night named by The Telegraph as being set for a straight approach from the club but we were told this afternoon that he was simply one of various candidates.
Among them – we were told- are Slaven Bilic and a surprise name Michael Laudrup who has suddenly catapaulted back into the frame.
Rafa Benitez is also in the Irons collective mind but so far has given little encouragement he's ready for an interview as he prepares for talks at Napoli.
Eddie Howe is liked and admired but as revealed in the past is considered high risk given his lack of top level experience.
However, he would be at – or close to the top – of the back-up list of candidates should the club fail in all its efforts to attract one of those they fancy.
It begins to look bleaker and bleaker for Sam Allardyce with the only likelihood of a new deal being offered were every candidate fancied by the club were to not materialise.
And he scored a massive own goal earlier today in an interview with London24.com when explaining why he woas reluctant to play the younger players at the club .
Insiders were shocked at what the manager had to say with one saying: "To be honest it made little or no sense given the league position. Nobody could make head or tail of it."
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Hammers choose OS seats
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
The process to choose your seats in the Olympic Stadium has began with the 808 West Ham Bond Holders choosing their seats first. West Ham Band 1 season ticket holders will follow in May, followed by Band 2 in July, Band 3 in October and finally band 4 in December.
Season ticket holders choose their seats based on virtual technology software at the Stratford Reservation centre. West Ham have promised a comparable seat which they say will be one in an equivalent price band and similar location to the seat occupied for the final season at the Boleyn Ground.
However they add that given the obvious differences in the shape, seating layout and capacity of the two grounds, no two seats will be exactly comparable and the quality of each seat and sight line is subjective.
This virtual reality image is for a Band 1 season ticket holder in row 19 of the new East 'Kop style' Stand.
This season ticket holder reserved One Band 1 Adult ticket at £899 plus two Under 16's tickets at £99 each totaling £1,097 for the three season tickets. They would have paid the 25% deposit of around £275 at the time of reservation.
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Allardyce's kids claims defy explanation!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Quite why Sam Allardyce would decide to discuss his policy – or non policy – towards using younger players at this stage of the season defies any serious explanation.
At a time when his chances of keeping his job appear to be zero he may just have hammered in the final nail to his coffin when decising to explain this to London24.com.
He claims that were we in a better position with our results it would have been a good thing to look at the odd player and adds: "Were we to put a youngster in and the team lost you get criticised, the youngster might get criticised, so it is difficult.
But that he should raise the horrendous events at Nottingham Forest in last season's FA Cup and use it against his critics is utterly mind-blowing.
He said: Play all your youngsters in the FA Cup and get slaughtered for it. You say 'we don't give youngsters a chance' but you give them a chance, lose, and get slaughtered for it. You can't have your cake and eat it."
A furious insider said to ClaretandHugh earlier this afternoon: "There is a difference between sending out a team of youngsters (Forest last season) and blooding one or two here and there.
"That is just taking the wee wee in the biggest possible way. It was his horribly mistaken decision that left the club so embarrassed.
"As for results and 'being in a better position' things can hardly be worse than they have been and fresh blood could easily improve it – the regulars are hardly playing out of their skin are they? "
We have heard some stuff from our manager down the years but this outburst just astonishes. I keep checking to ensure he really said it – he did!
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Charlton Trust seeks OS rental review
Posted by Sean Whetstone on April 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust (CAST) want a review of the terms of West Ham's rental agreement at the Olympic Stadium in response to the West Ham's decision to drastically cut season ticket prices when they move in 2016.
CAST say that lower league clubs in London, such as Charlton, Millwall and Leyton Orient will be affected by the price cuts which they claim are only made possible by the 'prejudicially favourable' terms the club has in its £2m rental of the stadium.
"We believe the current agreement is prejudicially favourable to West Ham," A CAST statement said
"This should be a matter of concern for all taxpayers; we are involved because of the specific commercial impact it will have on Charlton Athletic FC. CAST is not opposed to West Ham playing at the Olympic Stadium, and acknowledges the need for a viable legacy for the stadium."
"We believe that the terms of the agreement put far too much financial burden on the taxpayer; and that as a result West Ham will feel able to offer heavily discounted tickets south of the river in Charlton's catchment area, which is now well connected to the Olympic stadium thanks to the transport links built for the games."
"This presents a severe commercial threat to our club, whose long term future it is our mission to care for and seek to preserve. A re-negotiation of the contract which requires West Ham to pay more will oblige West Ham to focus more on filling the stadium with core West Ham support paying prices similar to those at other FAPL clubs in London."
"Regrettably the London Legacy Development Corporation have resisted all attempts by CAST to inspect the rental contract, even under Freedom of Information law. CAST has a complaint lodged with the Information Commissioner (since last October). The length of time this is taking indicates that the LLDC are determined to conceal from the public the extent of the support from public funds West Ham are getting. CAST feels that through the terms that West Ham have they will be able to 'flood' parts of London with cheap tickets which will ultimately effect clubs close by."
"The most important advantage though is that West Ham are allowed to keep 100% of "corporate" match-day revenue. The Olympic Stadium has a huge capacity for this type of customer. We believe that if West Ham sell this capacity, and achieve attendances of around 35,000, their revenue will be such that they can treat the 19,000 spare capacity as "promotional".
"They can afford to offer these seats at a discount in order to build their support in new areas, particularly in South-East London. This is the scenario that concerns CAST. Put simply, the taxpayer should pay far less of the capital costs than is currently planned, and West Ham should pay back far more in rent to the taxpayer. If this re-balancing were to take place, West Ham will still have excellent commercial prospects, but they will not be able to threaten the commercial health of other clubs (particularly Charlton) using taxpayers' money."
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