From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com
Normally the end of the season offers a few days to relax and recharge the batteries before thoughts turn to the following campaign.
This year, however, things couldn't be more different. Our decision to part ways with Sam has meant that we now have the huge, but incredibly exciting, challenge of appointing a new man to take us into the final season at the Boleyn Ground and into the new Stadium.
I should add here that our parting with Sam was one of the most amicable I've had in football. I had a good chat with him on the phone last Saturday and we thanked each other for the work we've done together and the progress we've seen at the Club over the past four years. I am sure it won't be too long before we see Sam back in the Premier League and we wish him all the best, except when he's facing West Ham of course!
So back to looking at the future, I am dedicating every waking minute to recruiting the best available manager to drive our Club forwards. It is a constantly changing landscape but we are being absolutely thorough in our search, by speaking to representatives of a number of managers and doing our own due diligence on each one.
Given that, I am not expecting us to make an appointment for at least a week as we must do everything we can to get this appointment right.
What is clear from our discussions so far is that this job is attracting names it wouldn't have done five years ago. When you combine our move to one of the best stadiums in Europe in 16 months' time with the Board's ambitious vision and significant transfer budget you have an extremely exciting prospect for the right man.
In addition, I continue to work with our player recruitment team to identify players to improve the squad. We hope to announce our first signing in the next 24 hours and follow that up with a big name in the next two-three weeks. We will bring you any news of new signings on whufc.com first so please do keep checking back here to find out first.
So in summary, I want to appoint a manager you all feel excited by and one that will honour the Club's traditions and history. With your support, an ambitious managerand the Board's drive and commitment I can see the next few years being game-changing for our Club.
Thank you for your continued support.
Come on you Irons!
David Sullivan
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Europa League preparations underway!
WHUFC.com
Preparations for West Ham United's participation in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League are already well underway at the Boleyn Ground.
With the prospect of a first qualifying round tie at home to kick-off the final season at the Hammers' historic home, head groundsman Dougie Robertson and his team have begun the six-week process of relaying the pitch.
Robertson explained how the hallowed turf will be replaced and ready for use should West Ham be drawn at home in the first leg, which is scheduled for Thursday 2 July.
"We have had to renovate the pitch early because of the Club's potential participation in the UEFA Europa League, which has now been confirmed," said Robertson, who has been part of the Club's groundstaff for nearly two decades. "This is the earliest that we have started this process since the summer of 2002, when the pitch was rebuilt.
"The first process was to strip the vegetation away from the surface, to help expose the Desso fibres and we then finished that process by the more traditional method of raking it out.
"We then spread sand across the pitch and verti-drained to alleviate compaction and assist water removal – a process which we completed at the end of last week."
Robertson and his team usually begin this activity following the end of the annual pitch events in June, but the Club's qualification for European competition via the Fair Play League regrettably meant these events had to be cancelled and the pitch renovation brought forward to before the end of the 2014/15 season.
"We always run with a tight schedule because of the pitch events and ideally we would have longer than six weeks, but this time of year provides us with perfect growing conditions and we will be ready for 2 July," Robertson confirmed.
"The pitch has now been seeded and the next stages of the process will see us cut the new grass for first time at the end of this week, forcing the growth through so that the playing surface is ready for the start of the Europa League."
Should West Ham progress in the Europa League, the Hammers will play no fewer than three competitive home matches before the start of the 2015/16 Barclays Premier League season on Saturday 8 August.
With a potential ten months of football to be played during the historic final season at the Boleyn Ground, Robertson and his team will be working morning, noon and night to ensure the pitch is fit and ready whenever it is needed.
"It is potentially the longest season I have known since I have been at the Club," he confirmed. "We were in the UEFA Cup under Alan Pardew in 2006 and that was an exciting time for the fans, but it does make for a very long season!
"I've spoken to counterparts at other clubs who are well-versed with the Europa League and Thursday/Sunday fixtures and that obviously means my hard-working staff will be in every weekend for the foreseeable future."
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Potts pays tribute to Hammers
WHUFc.com
Dan Potts has bid an emotional farewell to West Ham United on leaving the Club after 12 years in a Claret and Blue shirt.
The 21-year-old joined the Hammers at the age of nine and, after bravely winning a life-threatening battle with leukaemia as a schoolboy, graduated from the Academy of Football and went on to make 13 first-team appearances.
Potts will join League Two club Luton Town this summer, where he will play under West Ham fan John Still and alongside former Hammers teammate Pelly Ruddock, and is looking forward to the prospect of playing regular senior football.
In the meantime, however, the son of West Ham legend Steve Potts, has paid tribute to the staff, players and supporters who made his time at the Boleyn Ground so enjoyable.
"West Ham has been a massive part of my life, not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well," said Potts, who captained the youth team and Development Squad regularly before making his first-team debut at 17 in December 2011. "I've been brought up around the Club and have a lot of fond memories and I will never forget my time here. West Ham has made me the person I am today.
"It goes without saying that my debut against Barnsley at Upton Park was pretty special, and to play away against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier League was also amazing. There are some other moments that I can't really remember, like when I suffered a concussion playing at Arsenal a couple of years ago!
Potts was part of a close-knit year-group that came through the ranks at the Academy of Football, with the likes of Elliot Lee, George Moncur, Blair Turgott, Matthias Fanimo and the late Dylan Tombides forming a special bond that will never be broken.
"I have made friends for life at this Club, 100 per cent. There are a lot of good people at the Club, not just the players, but the staff are also top-drawer and top people. You wouldn't expect anything else from West Ham, because it is based around good people. I've made a lot of friends for life, that's for sure.
"It's been a memorable time and the Club will always be in my heart for various reasons. The Club has always been there when I've been in times of need, on and off the pitch.
"Being around the Club as a whole, it's going in the right direction with the stadium move and all that, so it will be great to see them do well and be in the top half of the Premier League, where they belong.
"No-one deserves that more than the fans, because they are a massive part of the Club and I am one of them. You won't find a better set of fans.
"The Club will always be in my heart and it's a sad day, but it's come to a time when I have to think of myself and I want to be playing. I'll always appreciate what they have done for me I'll never forget it."
After an injury-affected 2014/15 season, Potts is now embarking on a new adventure with Luton, where he hopes to make his mark by becoming a first-team regular and help the Hatters to climb the Football League ladder.
"It's been a tough time, but I know I am ready and it has got to the stage where I need to be playing week-in, week-out and from a personal point of view, that's the decision I've made," he explained.
"When Luton approached me and asked me to look at the club, it felt right and felt that the club was going in the right direction, so I hope I can kick on with them and move up the leagues."
West Ham United would like to thank Dan for his hard work, commitment and passion over the past 12 years and wish him every success in his future career.
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Jack's back at The Posh
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammers midfielder Jack Collison has signed a one-year contract with League One club Peterborough United.
The 26-year-old Welsh international has been without a club since being released by Championship side Ipswich Town last season but is back in the game having landed a contract with The Posh.
Jack collison ✔@Jcollison31
Very excited to have signed for @theposhdotcom .. Looking forward to working with @DaveRobertson11 & @grantmccann11 . Roll on next season ⚽️
8:31 PM - 29 May 2015
Collison, speaking via Peterborough's website said: "It feels a bit like a fairytale because I started my career at Peterborough in the Academy so it is great to be back here.
"I knew the manager [Dave Robertson] back then. I have been speaking with him and I believe in his plans for this football club. The manager has played a massive part in my decision to sign here.
"I had a great time with West Ham and have been working extremely hard day and night to get myself ready for a new challenge this summer. I am looking forward to meeting the boys in the dressing room in pre-season and getting out there on the pitch."
And Collison's new boss Robertson added: "I have been speaking with Jack for a number of weeks now and I am delighted that he has agreed to join the club and bought into what we are trying to achieve here.
"He brings a lot of experience and has obviously played at the highest level both with West Ham United and with Wales.
"He has scored some big goals and he fits into what we are looking for as coaches. I believe in Jack, I know what he can bring to this football club and myself and Grant [McCann] are looking forward to working with him."
Jack collison ✔@Jcollison31
Thanks for all the messages... Can't wait to get started now.. I have missed it so much ❤️⚽️
8:32 PM - 29 May 2015
Collison - who spent nine years at West Ham before leaving last summer - was also a double-winner at last night's KUMB Awards, where he won the Most Missed and Podcast Guest of the Year categories.
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Gone - the XI who are no more
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
11 players have been released by West Ham United, after their contracts came to an end.
The club have announced that first team pros Jussi Jaaskelainen, Carlton Cole, Guy Demel and Nene will not be offered new deals.
They are joined by Under 21s Kieran Bywater, Sean Maguire, Paul McCallum and, most notably, Dan Potts, whose father Steve currently manages the Development squad.
From the Academy, scholars Jerry Amoo, Kieran Bailey and Taylor Tombides - younger brother of Dylan, who sadly died last year - have also been released.
Nene, who moved to London in January but barely featured under Sam Allardyce admitted he was disappointed by the lack of opportunities at West Ham - but felt that he could still play at the highest level for another three years, at least.
"I came to West Ham very motivated and before long was completely adapted, training and playing at a high level, but ended up having few opportunities", he said via his personal website.
"When the season ended I talked to the owners of West Ham and decided it would be best to continue my career at another club.
"I never had physical problems and injuries were rare throughout my career. So I know I can keep playing at a high level for at most three or four seasons. I'll examine any proposals that arise, both in Europe and with Brazilian clubs."
Meanwhile Cole, who enjoyed two spells at West Ham totalling nine years penned a heartfelt farewell letter to the club's supporters.
"I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came along with it," he wrote.
"At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody has treated me like a part of the family.
"It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have done my fair share for the club and been part of the history as well, which is very important for me. I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie, West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.
"It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it."
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New deal for Hammers target on the cards
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
Southend United's play-off hero Daniel Bentley could be set to extend his stay at Roots Hall, despite interest from West Ham.
The 21-year-old goalkeeper was the star of the show as his save in the penalty shootout at Wembley last weekend propelled the Shrimpers to League One, at the expense of Wycombe Wanderers.
And that success has led to Southend preparing a new deal for one of the most highly-rated goalkeepers outside the Premier League.
"It is my understanding that I will be offered a new contract," Bentley told the Echo. "My agent and I will be sitting down with the club to talk about it all and I'm happy to do that.
"I know there has been a little bit of speculation about my future but I'm very happy with what we've achieved this year and I enjoy being a Southend player."
Bentley has been linked with a move to the Boleyn Ground since last summer, when West Ham first considered making a move for the Wickford-born youngster.
With Jussi Jaaskelainen having left the club with his contract having expired, a vacancy for the number two spot at the club now exists.
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First signing of the summer imminent, says Sullivan
KUNB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
David Sullivan has revealed that West Ham expect to make their first signing of the summer within the next 24 hours.
Sullivan, speaking to supporters via the club's website this afternoon (Friday_ revealed that despite having no manager in place, the club hope to announce their first arrival of the close season imminently.
"I continue to work with our player recruitment team to identify players to improve the squad," he said.
"We hope to announce our first signing in the next 24 hours and follow that up with a big name in the next two-three weeks. "
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David Sullivan speaks on manager search
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
Co-owner David Sullivan has given an update on the search for a replacement for Sam Allardyce.
60-year-old Allardyce parted company with West Ham last week after four years at the helm, since when a number of the club's top targets - including Rafa Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti - have rejected overtures from the Hammers.
However Sullivan, speaking via the club's website this afternoon (Friday) insisted that he was spending "every waking minute" to find a suitable replacement.
"I am dedicating every waking minute to recruiting the best available manager to drive our club forwards," he said.
"It is a constantly changing landscape but we are being absolutely thorough in our search, by speaking to representatives of a number of managers and doing our own due diligence on each one.
"Given that, I am not expecting us to make an appointment for at least a week as we must do everything we can to get this appointment right.
"What is clear from our discussions so far is that this job is attracting names it wouldn't have done five years ago.
"When you combine our move to one of the best stadiums in Europe in 16 months' time with the Board's ambitious vision and significant transfer budget you have an extremely exciting prospect for the right man.
"I want to appoint a manager you all feel excited by and one that will honour the Club's traditions and history. With your support, an ambitious manager and the Board's drive and commitment I can see the next few years being game-changing for our Club."
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Dan Potts joins League Two Luton Town
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
Dan Potts has secured a two-year contract with League Two club Luton Town.
The 21-year-old was on the fringes of the first team at West Ham for some considerable time but failed to make the breakthrough, which led to his release by the club this week.
However Potts has wasted no time in getting his career back on track, securing a two-year deal at Kenilworth Road with John Still's Hatters, who missed out on last season's play-offs by just three points.
"I'm over the moon to have signed for Luton Town," he told the club's website. "I can't wait to crack on. Promotion is the key for me, I want success.
"West Ham is a big club, but so is Luton and they want to succeed. So in that respect the two clubs are no different. They have great fan bases and coming into the set-up at Luton will be good for me. Hopefully we'll push on and get up the leagues.
Manager John Still added: "He's young man, a young player who's reasonably experienced. He's played in the Premier League, he's played lower league – a left sided defender who can play left back and centre half. He'll be a good addition to our squad.
"He's always been a player that we were interested in if it became possible and when you look at the other players we've taken from West Ham it gives us a good opportunity to look - and we've been looking at Dan for some time."
Potts made his first team debut for the Hammers at the age of just 17 in a 1-0 Championship win over Barnsley in November 2011. He made his Premier League debut just over a year later, in a 3-0 defeat at Sunderland.
One of several youngsters to have featured in the 5-0 FA Cup drubbing at Nottingham Forest, Potts made his final appearance for West Ham in the Capital One Cup defeat against Sheffield United in August 2014.
He was also named as the KUMB Readers' Young Player of the Year in both 2011/12 and 2012/13.
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SHOULD THEY STAY OR SHOULD THEY GO: THE DEFENDERS
By Iain Dale 29 May 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
Adrian
Officially the Premier League's best goalkeeper it seems. There's no doubt about it, he made some fantastic saves. I can't explain why but he still leaves me squirming in my seat sometimes, but you can't argue with his shotstopping abilities. And three consecutive penalty saves ia almost Rob Green-esque. VERDICT: KEEP. Obvs
Jussi
Jussi has served us well but he's 40. Even he can't keep going forever. He's been a brilliant goalkeeper for Bolton and us, but all good things come to an end. Southend's David Bentley could well be his replacement. VERDICT: RELEASE
James Tomkins
An in and out season for James Tomkins, mainly because of injuries. When he's played he's been his normal reliable self and having now signed a long term contract I can't think anyone would think selling him ought to be on our agenda. A class act. VERDICT: KEEP
Winston Reid
Winston Reid hasn't had his best season mainly due to several injuries but it's hard to think of a game in which he has had a stinker. The contract shenanigins didn't help either, but that's seemingly over now. Until his head is turned the next time. The truth is that no one came in with an offer. VERDICT: KEEP
James Collins
Of our three central defenders Collins had by far the best season. At the beginning of the season you'd have put him as third choice, but I suspect most of us feel that he deserves better than that. Apart from a couple of glaring howlers he was an absolute rock. He also scored a brilliant own goal! He's getting on and won't get any quicker, but he's Mr Reliability. VERDICT: KEEP
Reece Burke
What a pleasure it has been to see Reece Burke break into the first team and get a few games. He has the grace of Rio Ferdinand combined with the tenacity of James Collins. He certainly hasn't let anyone down. He also isn't afraid to shoot when he gets near the opposition penalty area. His distribution could improve, but all in all a very promising few games. VERDICT: KEEP
Carl Jenkinson
Carl has developed into one of my favourite players. I just hope we can persuade Arsenal to either loan him to us again or even better sell him to us. Frankly he's worth whatever they want. He hasn't had a bad game and like Aaron Cresswell has almost operated as a wing back. VERDICT: SIGN!
Aaron Cresswell
A brilliant initial season for the former Ipswich left back. Nothing has phased him at all. He's brilliant on the left wing whether bounding forward or overlapping. His only weaknes is sometimes getting out of position and leaving gaps for opposition players to fill. He's played every game and only had one stinker – at Stoke. He's also got a rocket of a shot on him and I reckon he'll be in the goals next season. VERDICT: KEEP
Joey O'Brien
Joey never lets anyone down and every team needs a Joey. He can play anywhere across the back or in midfield. He's never going to be an exciting player and I'd be sorry to see him leave. However, he may decide that at his age he needs to be playing more. he's the sort of player that ought to be interesting the three promoted clubs, but I for one hppe he stays. VERDICT: KEEP
Guy Demel
Guy Demel didn't really get much of a lookin last season with Jenkinson ruling supreme down the right. I can't see that changing if Carl stays. Demel is very athletic but he's possibly getting long in the tooth to play the role of an attacking right back. Again, I'd be sorry to see him go, but I think he's one who could be let go. VERDICT: SELL
Doneil Henry
We haven't really seen him yet, but by all accounts he was outstanding when he went on loan to Blackburn. If he hadn't been injured I suspect he'd have made the first team in front of Reece Burke. Definitely one for the future. VERDICT: KEEP
Dan Potts
I really regret that Dan Potts hasn't been given the opportunity to build on the excellent start he made a couple of years ago. He made one of the mos timpressive debuts I have ever seen but inexplicably he's been virtually ignored since then. With the purchase of Stephen Hendrie that is unlikely to change. There are rumours that Luton want him. I suspect he would well advised to go if he wants to kickstart his career. VERDICT: SELL UPDATE: I'm now told Potts has formally been released.
VERDICT
Bearing in mind we have Stephen Hendrie joining us from St Mirren, it seems to me we don't need to spend an awful lot of money on defensive reinforcements. Assuming we can retain Carl Jenkinson and Joey O'Brien stays, we're covered at right back. And with five central defenders, do we really need another one? Well, the demands of the Europa League might well suggest we do.
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Irons £25m kitty can attract top boss
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 29, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
Time and again I read that a transfer budget of £25 million – which is about what the Hammers will offer their new boss – is never going to be enough to attract a top managerial name to the club.
I beg to differ!
Obviously double that amount would be great but the idea that we aren't offering enough to attract a decent managerial target is false.
Looking back on last summer it was only the top handful of clubs who spent more than £50 million with the Hammers coming out ninth in the spending League forking out around £26 million.
Possibly the most inspired managerial signing last season was Ronald Koeman at Southampton who spent just £7 million more than us but the likes of Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw had been sold to fund their £33 million outlay.
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley – who escaped relegation on the last day of the season against us – got rid of £44 million.
So the idea that managers will be turned off by what many appear to think is a meagre budget is clearly wrong and already it has become clear that Rafa Benitez would have been happy with it had Real Madrid not come in.
On top of the transfer kitty available our new boss will be able to raid the loan market. Let's not be too downbeat as the squad is pretty respectable and £25m will fund some decent additions.
We have taken our club 'spend' figures from http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/201415-premier-league-transfers-all-permanent-signings-4035681#.VWhxVM9Viko
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Three Hammers out, one in at QPR
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 29, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
Former Hammers Bobby Zamora and Rio Ferdinand have been released by QPR this week following their relegation to the championship. Both have contracts which expire on 30th June. Mauro Zarate will also be rejoining West Ham after his season long loan with QPR which has come to an end after playing just 71 minutes.
If rumours are to be believed to be true then one former Hammer released by West Ham this week could soon be joining QPR in the other direction.
Carlton Cole has been linked with a move to West London to help them win promotion back to the Premier League. Chairman Tony Fernandes who claims to be a life long West Ham fan is a big admirer of the big man.
Once linked with a £20 million move to Liverpool and rejecting opportunities to sign for clubs including Galatasaray and Stoke the former Hammer is likely to receive a number of offers from Championship and MLS clubs following his release.
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DG waves farewell to striker
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 29, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
David Gold has waved a fond farewell to Carlton Cole.
The big striker wrote an emotional open letter to the fans yesterday declaring he would always carry the club in his heart.
The big striker leaves Upton Park after nine years during which he has scored 57 goals in 259 games.
And Gold speaking on Twitter said: " Good luck Carlton in your future endeavours, it's been a pleasure knowing you. dg"
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Posh sign Collison
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 29, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
Peterborough have completed the signing of former West Ham United midfielder Jack Collison on a one-year contract.
The 26-year-old spent time in the Peterborough Academy and the Cambridge United youth set-up before joining West Ham's Academy. Collison then went on to play over 100 games for the Hammers scoring 14 goals and has made 17 appearances at international level for Wales.
Posh boss Dave Robertson was delighted with his first summer acquisition and said: 'I have been speaking with Jack for a number of weeks now and I am delighted that he has agreed to join the club and bought into what we are trying to achieve here. He brings a lot of experience and has obviously played at the highest level both with West Ham United and with his country Wales.
'He has scored some big goals including in a play-off semi-final and he fits into what we are looking for as coaches. I believe in Jack, I know what he can bring to this football club and myself and Grant (McCann) are looking forward to working with him.'
Collison said: 'It feels a bit like a fairytale because I started my career at Peterborough in the Academy so it is great to be back here. I knew the manager back then and I have been speaking with him and I believe in his plans for this football club. The manager has played a massive part in my decision to sign here.
'I had a great time with West Ham and have been working extremely hard day and night to get myself ready for a new challenge this summer and I am looking forward to meeting the boys in the dressing room in pre-season and getting out there on the pitch.'
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Hammers might miss out on Southend keeper
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 29, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
West Ham's Goalkeeper target Daniel Bentley has revealed he is to be offered a new contract by Southend. The shot stopper made two stunning saves during a dramatic penalty shoot-out to help Phil Brown's side secure a memorable victory in Saturday's play off final against Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley.
The 21-year-old, whose current deal expires at the end of next season, is now set to be rewarded with a new contract in a bid to see off other admirers including West Ham.
"It is my understanding that I will be offered a new contract," revealed Bentley to the Southend Echo.
"My agent and I will be sitting down with the club to talk about it all and I'm happy to do that.
"I know there has been a little bit of speculation about my future but I'm very happy with what we've achieved this year and I enjoy being a Southend player.
"I only ever focus on what happens on the pitch but right now I'm also making sure I enjoy this promotion we've just won as well"
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Hammers linked with former Italy boss
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 29, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
According to Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport, West Ham have made contact with Cesare Prandelli to enquire about his availability.
Prandelli started his managing career as youth team coach for Atalanta. He later spent two years with Parma before joining Roma which he left the team because of personal problems involving his wife, with her being seriously ill. Prandelli joined Fiorentina as manager in the summer of 2005 which he manged for five years achieving success.
He became head coach of the Italian national team after the 2010 World Cup resigning in June 2014 after a 1-0 defeat against Uruguay, which eliminated Italy from the World Cup in the group stage.
In July 2014, Prandelli became the manager of Galatasaray taking over from the previous fellow Italian coach Roberto Mancini, signing a two-year contract. He only spent 147 days as the manager of Galatasaray, as he was sacked on 28th November 2014.
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No appointment for at least a week
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 29, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
West Ham joint Chairman David Sullivan has confirmed there is imminent announcement for a new manager saying there will be no appointment for at least a week.
Speaking to the club's official website WHUFC.com Sullivan said:
" I am dedicating every waking minute to recruiting the best available manager to drive our Club forwards. It is a constantly changing landscape but we are being absolutely thorough in our search, by speaking to representatives of a number of managers and doing our own due diligence on each one."
"Given that, I am not expecting us to make an appointment for at least a week as we must do everything we can to get this appointment right."
"What is clear from our discussions so far is that this job is attracting names it wouldn't have done five years ago. When you combine our move to one of the best stadiums in Europe in 16 months' time with the Board's ambitious vision and significant transfer budget you have an extremely exciting prospect for the right man."
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West Ham first signing in the next 24 hours
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 29, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
West Ham joint Chairman David Sullivan has revealed West Ham will announce their first signing of the summer in the next 24 hours followed by a big name signing in the next two to three weeks.
Speaking to the clubs official website Sullivan said:
"I continue to work with our player recruitment team to identify players to improve the squad. We hope to announce our first signing in the next 24 hours and follow that up with a big name in the next two-three weeks."
Speculation is the announcement will be Lassana Diarra who has been training with West Ham for several months while he sorts out a contractual dispute with his former club or 27 year old Birmingham City goalkeeper Darren Randolph on a free transfer.
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West Ham win cup for third time
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 29, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
A team of West Ham youngsters lifted the Premier League Kicks Cup for a third year in a row after beating Newcastle 1-0 in the mixed/boys final.
600 Under-16 youngsters playing in 70 teams and representing 47 Premier League and Football League clubs gathered at Jeffrey Humble Playing Fields in Liverpool on Thursday to display their skills in a competitive and high-quality tournament, which celebrated the work Kicks does throughout the year.
"This was an amazing event," said Malachi Napa, who scored the winning goal for West Ham in the final. "I have played football since I was five and this was the best feeling in the world.
"I have never in my life had a time when I was so happy, to have scored the winning goal to win the cup. Everybody is happy, everyone is enjoying themselves. We came here to have fun, which is the main thing, but we came here to win because West Ham are the best Kicks!"
"It's an amazing feeling to wear the West Ham shirt, we are not an academy but Kicks gives us the opportunity to participate in certain events which other people don't get."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, May 30
Friday, May 29
Daily WHUFC News - 29th May 2015
Hammers confirm Retain List
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have issued their Retain List of players at the end of the
2014/15 season.
The Hammers have confirmed that senior professionals Carlton Cole, Guy
Demel, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Nene will all leave the Club at the end of
their contracts on 30 June.
Young professionals Kieran Bywater, Sean Maguire, Paul McCallum and Dan
Potts will also depart the Boleyn Ground after not being offered new
contracts.
Scholars Jerry Amoo and Kieran Bailey have been released, while Taylor
Tombides will also be moving on.
Meanwhile, youngsters Kyle Knoyle, Djair Parfitt-Williams and Alex Pike have
agreed their first professional deals with the Club and will sign contracts
from 1 July.
The Club would like to thank all the departing players for their efforts and
wish them well in their future careers
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Nene thanks Hammers fans
WHUFC.com
Nene has thanked the West Ham United fans for the support shown to him
during his four months at the Boleyn Ground.
The Brazilian forward will be leaving the Club at the end of his contract on
30 June as he pursues top-flight football elsewhere.
He made eight Barclays Premier League appearances in claret and blue, and
although he admits he hoped for more opportunities, he will leave London
with fond memories.
Writing on his official Instagram account, the 33-year-old said: "My goal is
to play for at least three more seasons at the top level and for that reason
I need to go to another club.
"I thank the fans for their permanent support and wish the best success to
my teammates and West Ham United."
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Cole says farewell
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole has made 293 appearances for West Ham United over the past nine
seasons, scoring 68 goals. The centre forward, who scored on his debut
against Charlton Athletic in August 2006 and the opening goal in the 2012
Championship Play-Off final victory over Blackpool at Wembley, has played
seven times for England during his time as a Hammer. Here, the 31-year-old
says farewell to the Hammers in his own words…
Hello everyone,
I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself
here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came
along with it.
At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody
has treated me like a part of the family.
It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have
done my fair share for the Club and been part of the history as well, which
is very important for me.
I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie,
West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.
It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like
to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come
and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it.
If I could pick out my two most memorable moments, the Play-Off final and
the two goals I scored when we beat Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup
in 2010 are the two that everybody says that I played a blinder in and it
would be fair to say I agree with them.
I have enjoyed every game I have played for West Ham but all good things
have to come to an end and I will be leaving.
When I think of West Ham United I think of a family football club which has
embraced me and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
Thank you all.
Carlton Cole
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Lee looking to build on first team chance WHUFC.com
Elliot Lee wants to build on his first team chance when West Ham United
return to pre-season in late June.
The striker made his second Barclays Premier League appearance for the
Hammers in last Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Newcastle and the experience has left
him hungry for more.
St James' Park is a venue that holds special memories for the 20-year-old,
with Lee having watched his father Rob in action for the Magpies there, so
he was thrilled to follow in his footsteps.
"It was quite an experience for me, and an emotional one too," he explained.
"I grew up watching my dad at Newcastle and the Club posted a picture on
their Twitter of me pointing out where I used to sit in a box with the
Shearer family.
"I was delighted to get on the pitch and I'd like to give a special mention
to Ian Hendon. I've worked with him for quite a few years and he was pushing
for me this year. I think he had a big hand in why I got on so thank you to
him for that, but I'm disappointed that we didn't get a result.
"Most of my family actually went on holiday to Turkey the day before the
game, but I'm sure they watched it out there. My brother and a few of his
pals came along though, and I had text messages from some of my old friends
up there saying don't score!
"It was a great experience – I made my debut at Old Trafford and I said then
the second best place to come on would be St James' or Upton Park. It wasn't
a great result for the team but we'll push on from here and go again next
season."
Lee scored three goals in eleven games on loan at Luton Town before
returning to the first team fold with the Hammers and he was happy to learn
with the Hatters.
He added: "I went out on loan to toughen me up. I experienced playing men's
football and that helped me this season. I came back and have been involved
with the first team squad, so that's great.
"I want to push on from here. We've got the Europa League next year and
hopefully I can be involved in that quite a lot.
"It's important not to get frustrated as a young player because you're
competing with some very good players in the first team, so now I'm going to
keep going in training and hopefully come back and really challenge for a
first team place."
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Young Hammers set for Hong Kong Sevens
WHUFC.com
A young West Ham United team will head to Hong Kong for the HKFC Citibank
Soccer Sevens tournament, which kicks-off on Saturday.
Mark Phillips and his Hammers squad jetted off to the far east earlier this
week to prepare for his prestigious competition, which brings together elite
teams from across Europe and Asia.
Sixteen teams will do battle in the main category, with West Ham drawn in a
group alongside Chinese outfit Shanghai SIPG and local sides Kitchee and
Hong Kong FC Captain's Select.
The group phase will be played out on the opening day, before the Sunday
sees all 16 teams compete in Cup or Plate competitions, depending on their
success in the initial round.
West Ham's squad includes several players who have impressed at U18 and U21
levels this term, with Jordan Brown and Djair Parfitt-Williams leading the
line up front.
Also headed out to Hong Kong are goalkeeper Clarke Bogard, defenders Alex
Pike and Josh Pask, midfielders Marcus Browne, Noha Sylvestre and forwards
Jaanai Gordon, Oscar Borg and Grady Diangana.
U18s coach Mark Phillips is expecting his players to benefit greatly from
the experience.
He told whufc.com: "It's an excellent tournament for the boys to end the
season with. Ian Hendon has taken teams out there twice before and he's
spoken highly of the competition.
"We're the youngest team there, with a few senior and U21s sides there, so
it will provide the players with an invaluable experience.
"It's all a learning curve towards the first team, so dealing with that
challenge, as well as the heat and humidity here will be great.
"I've watched clips from last year's tournament and there's a lot of
athleticism, so we've brought a fit squad with a lot of attacking talent."
You can follow the Hammers' progress throughout the weekend here on
whufc.com
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West Ham striker Carlton Cole to leave club in summer BBC.co.uk
Striker Carlton Cole will leave West Ham this summer when his contract
expires on 30 June.
The 31-year-old, who initially left the Hammers in 2013 before re-signing
five months later, scored 68 goals in 293 appearances after first joining
from Chelsea in 2006.
Veteran goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, defender Guy Demel and midfielder
Nene have also not been retained.
"It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long," said Cole.
"I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part.
"A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed
every minute of it."
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Bielsa rumours have Twitter all of a flutter KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
Twitter was awash with rumours tonight that Marcelo Bielsa had agreed to
join West Ham - only for it later to be revealed as a hoax from across the
Channel.
The Marseille manager has been strongly linked with the vacant position at
the Boleyn Ground - something that French fans appear to have taken umbrage
to.
e-West Ham @e_westham
BREAKING: According to L'Equipe, Marcelo Bielsa is set to leave Marseille
and become the next West Ham manager.
12:03 AM - 29 May 2015
For late on Thursday night rumours began circulating that respected French
broadcaster L'Equipe had reported Bielsa was on his way to the Premier
League having rejected the offer of a new contract from Marseille.
That had Hammers fans gossiping wildly at the prospect of the 59-year-old
Argentine arriving in east London - only to discover some time later that
the whole thing had been a hoax.
Get French Football @GFN_France
Absolutely nothing from L'Équipe or OM TV suggesting that Marcelo Bielsa has
decided to join West Ham. Pure fabrication.
12:45 AM - 29 May 2015
Although contact is understood to have been made between West Ham and
representatives of Bielsa, reports on Thursday morning suggested that he was
close to agreeing a two-year contract extension with his current club.
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Benitez leaves Napoli, set to snub Hammers KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham managerial target Rafa Benitez has confirmed that he will leave
Napoli at the end of the season.
However the Spanish boss, who has topped West Ham's wish-list for some
considerable time looks set to snub the Hammers and re-join former club Real
Madrid.
According to Real director Josep Pedrerol, Benitez will be unveiled as the
successor to the recently-departed Carlo Ancelotti next Wednesday at 1pm.
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Aaron Cresswell named KUMB Readers' Player of the Year KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
Aaron Cresswell has been named West Ham United's Player of the Year by the
readers of KUMB.com.
The full back - who was recently crowned Hammer of the Year - capped a
superb season by taking the main award in tonight 18th annual KUMB Awards,
staged at The Cow in Stratford Westfield.
And there was further good news for the full-back when he was named Best
Signing, narrowly beating Diafra Sakho into second place.
The other player to pick up two awards on the night was one no longer with
us - Jack Collison, who won the Most Missed award whilst also being named
the KUMB Podcast Guest of the Year.
The full list of winners on the night - which was hosted by Chris Scull and
James Longman from the KUMB Podcast and featured guests Jimmy Walker and
Rufus Brevett (above) - were as follows:
KUMB Awards XVIII: The Winners
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Aaron Cresswell (44%)
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Reece Burke (92%)
BEST SIGNING
Aaron Cresswell (45%)
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Stewart Downing (41%)
GOAL OF THE SEASON
15 September 2014: Enner Valencia vs Hull City a, 2-2 (61%)
MOST MEMORABLE MATCH
20 September 2014: West Ham Utd 3-1 Liverpool (36%)
MOST MISSED
Jack Collison (36%)
PODCAST GUEST OF THE YEAR
Jack Collison (20%)
WORST PLAYER
Kevin Nolan (31%)
WORST SIGNING
Mauro Zarate (63%)
GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT
The post-Christmas slump in form (61%)
HACKETT OF THE YEAR
The thieves who stole Kenny Brown's medals (29%)
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Carlton Cole announces his departure from West Ham Last Updated: 28/05/15
6:43pm SSN
Carlton Cole has confirmed that he has been released by West Ham for a
second time.
The 31-year-old striker was let go by the Hammers at the end of the 2013
season, only to return to Upton Park a few months later.
He scored three goals in 26 appearances in all competitions last season but
will now be on the lookout for a new club.
He tweeted: "Looking forward to my next adventure. I have spoken to West Ham
United and it has been decide not to extend my contract.
"I wish West Ham United all the best and I will look out for their progress
in the future. Thanks for a great 9 years. it's been emotional."
Cole later wrote a letter saying goodbye to Hammers fans, published on their
official website,
"I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself
here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came
along with it," he said.
"At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody
has treated me like a part of the family.
"It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have
done my fair share for the club and been part of the history as well, which
is very important for me.
"I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie,
West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.
"It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like
to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come
and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it."
Cole was close to leaving West Ham to join West Brom on Deadline Day in
January but the move fell through at the last minute, much to his
frustration.
"I was there doing the medical; then I was back home," he told The Fantasy
Football Club. "It was disappointing as I was going to get some first-team
football.
"At the time I was not happy about it, but it was one of those things and I
had to get on with it."
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SHOULD THEY STAY OR SHOULD THEY GO: THE MIDFIELDERS
By Iain Dale 28 May 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
Kevin Nolan
When Kevin Nolan joined us four years ago it was quite a move for him, as we
had just been relegated. Since then he has scored thirty goals in 139
appearances, a much better strike rate than he had at Bolton. However, his
form this year hasn't been so good and it's easy to assume that age has
caught up with him. He's 33 in June. His contract is up and will not be
renewed, I imagine. VERDICT: LET GO
Mark Noble
At the age of 28 Mark Noble is at the height of his powers, with more than
300 games behind him. It would be unthinkable for him to be sold, but
stranger things have happened. A lot depends on the new manager, but for me
he should be the new club captain. VERDICT: KEEP
Alex Song
At Christmas you'd have found it difficult to find anyone who wouldn't have
wanted to keep Alex Song but his form since then has been average to say the
least. He's certainly not worth the £100k a week he is said to command. He
wants to stay in London so a new deal is obviously a possibility but I'd
have thought unlikely. There's no doubt he's a quality player, and I have
enjoyed watching him, but he is consistently inconsistent. VERDICT: HEART
SAYS KEEP, HEAD SAYS FORGET ABOUT HIM
Cheikhou Kouyate
He's been a revelation, and he should be our key midfielder next season.
It's handy that he can help out at centre back too. VERDICT: KEEP
Stewart Downing
A bit like Alex Song, he was excellent in the first half of the season but
his form faded in the second half, especially when he wasn't playing at the
top of a diamond. He scored six goals this season,a big improvement on his
single goal in the previous season. But at 31 you have to wonder how much
longer his pace will last. If we sold him now we'd recoup most of the £6
million we paid for him. VERDICT: SELL
Matt Jarvis
Matt Jarvis cost a whopping £10 million and has never really fulfilled his
early potential. He's only scored 4 goals in 75 appearances, a pathetic
return for a £10 million winger. One wonders if we'd recoup more than thirty
per cent of that. VERDICT: SELL
Morgan Amalfitano
Amalfitano has done well despite not being given a huge number of games. His
great asset is his ability to play out wide or through the centre. VERDICT:
KEEP
Diego Poyet
With Kevin Nolan gone Diego Poyet might break through. He impressed whenever
he played and certainly didn't ever let anyone down. I'd like to see more of
him. VERDICT: KEEP
VERDICT
With Noble and Kouyate first choice players in a midfield three, we need a
top class ballplaying midfielder and another defensive midfield player. I
also think we need more speed on the wings.
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If Marcelo Bielsa did not exist it would probably be necessary to invent him
Barney Ronay West Ham may be in the market for a new manager and would liven
things up considerably by appointing the otherworldly Argentinian from
Marseille Friday 10 April 2015 13.11 BST Last modified on Saturday 11 April
2015 08.54 BST
There was a stir in the art world a few years back when the great "lost"
American painter Nat Tate was dramatically rediscovered. Tate, the story
goes, was a member of the New York scene of the 1950s, who ended up jumping
to his death off the Staten Island ferry after visiting Europe and finding
himself haunted by the genius of Braque and Picasso. The Tate retrospective
opened in London with a speech by David Bowie and a tribute from Gore Vidal,
who knew everybody, so naturally knew Tate too. Critics at the launch nodded
sagely. Tate was obscure – they knew the name, of course – but perhaps it
really was time for a re-evaluation of this strangely overlooked
contemporary of Jackson Pollock and the mid-century greats who ... well ...
didn't actually exist.
Tate, it soon emerged, was an amusing cut and paste hoax by the novelist
William Boyd, in part inspired by his irritation with the hype over the
"Young British Artists" of the times, many of whom were, as Boyd later
noted, "not very good".
The reason for mentioning him here is simply that Tate sometimes pops into
my head whenever the cultishly revered, relentlessly name-checked
Argentinian football coach Marcelo Bielsa is mentioned in some unlikely
passing context, as he was this week with the republishing of a leaked
shortlist of candidates to replace Sam Allardyce at West Ham.
You can imagine the talk around the boardroom table on this one. OK, so who
have we got then? Respected club legend? Slaven Bilic. Tick. Premier League
veteran? Rafa Benítez. Got it. Right, all we're missing now is an eccentric
idealist who values academic process above winning and who once wandered
around for several days wearing a pair of shoes on which he'd drawn an
outline of feet to illustrate some fine point of technique to his players.
Bielsa to West Ham: it's a compelling prospect. But then he's a compelling
kind of guy, a seductive and in many ways very funny giant of the modern
game. Certainly if Bielsa didn't exist it would probably be necessary to
invent him, and there is no doubt his legend has been allowed to develop a
slightly exaggerated, cartoonish edge: the manager as crackpot chess genius,
nerd god, wandering the streets in his carpet slippers in search of some
fleeting glimpse of the footballing absolute.
"There are 36 different forms of communicating through a pass," Bielsa once
said, and you can already feel yourself nodding. Yes! More! So much so it is
even possible to imagine, here in landlocked Premier League-land, Bielsa
himself could turn out to be an elaborate hoax, an in-joke concocted by
South American intellectuals at the expense of lonesome English tactical
romantics everywhere.
Except, of course, unlike Nat Tate, Bielsa is real and currently working in
France. This week, as the West Ham link flickered in the background, a video
emerged of him addressing his Marseille team after their 0-0 draw with Lyon
last month. It shows Bielsa giving a beautiful, slightly maniacal speech
about collectivism and team endeavour that drew applause from his players
and provides above all a reminder of his allure, the sense of someone oddly
untouched and otherworldly, concerned solely with method and form.
And what methods they are. At Athletic Bilbao Bielsa produced an array of
impenetrable diagrams, cool green Rothko squares decorated with gloops of
colour, angry squiggles, cartoon hieroglyphs illustrating how his player
should always be in motion. "Running is understanding, running is
everything," he has said, and his teams do run, pushing forward always –
defence is simply the first stage of attack – and resembling at times a kind
of wired, luminous, footballing modern jazz.
In this sense Bielsa isn't Jack Kerouac, the star turn, the headline act. He
is instead the Neal Cassady of modern football: the pure idealist, the guy
who inspired the guys, and from whom so many managers have borrowed a
little, from the more diffuse to to outright acolytes such as Pep Guardiola
or Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli, who used to listen to Bielsa speeches on a
walkman while he went out jogging.
So: West Ham then. It probably won't happen. But wouldn't it be great?
Firstly for that rare thing, a genuine clash of cultures: football's great
professorial puritan at work in its most cheerfully philistine league.
Bielsa is a guaranteed provocation for those who like to see English
football as an unmasker of artifice and pretension, and in which even Louis
van Gaal – who could, frankly, dine out for ever just on that transformative
Ajax team of the mid-1990s – was being fitted up earlier this season as
another empty professor, another Josef Venglos, another Nat Tate.
In which case wait until they get a load of Bielsa, whose reputation as a
modern great rests on intangible moments of tactical innovation, who doesn't
win trophies and whose teams have often enjoyed intoxicating peaks matched
with sudden dips, in part because he appears at times to be asking his
players to do something impossible, to sustain some personal vision of
sublime unceasing movement.
Bielsa to West Ham remains an unlikely dream. But take a step back and there
is a case to be made here. West Ham's fans demand attacking, progressive
football, which is pretty much all Bielsa is interested in. The current
owners seem to want a long-term plan and Bielsa is all about plans. This is
a club that has traditionally allowed its mangers to settle and which also
isn't afraid of a certain academic intensity, from Malcolm Allison and the
Cafe Cassettari set, with their tactical arguments over the squeeze ketchup
bottle; to Ron Greenwood – in his own way a kind of homespun proto-Bielsa, –
the tracksuit obsessive with his Hungarian fixation, his endless hours on
the training pitch before eventually being dragged off in a daze still
muttering about plans and formulae.
Above all it would simply be great fun and a deliciously counter-intuitive
move for the league that doesn't think, the league that likes instead to
bump along in a state of profitable stasis. And which is perhaps missing a
little intellectual content to go with the generalised excitement, a
different kind of passion beyond the familiar operetta.
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Jussi, Cole, Demel & Nene leave West Ham Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28,
2015 in Whispers C AND H
West Ham have officially confirmed that first team squad players Carlton
Cole, Guy Demel, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Nene will all leave the Club at the
end of their contracts on 30th June.
The release of these senior players will free up around £125,000 per week of
wages which is £6.5m per season off the wage bill. Although not mentioned
Loanee Alex Song is expected to save another £75,000 per week in wages after
his loan ended.
Young Academy players Kieran Bywater, Sean Maguire, Paul McCallum and Dan
Potts will also depart the Boleyn Ground after not being offered new
contracts. Hammers scholars Jerry Amoo and Kieran Bailey have been released,
while Taylor Tombides will also be moving on.
Released Under 16 Academy players include Nathan Parsons, Tom Carlton,
Keagan Cole, Nathan Douglas, Matthew Campbell, Billy Holmes and Louis Yuill.
Yuill has joined Birmingham youth while Campbell has joined Millwall youth
setup.
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Official: Hendo becomes O's manager
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 29, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
Leyton Orient have appointed West Ham first team coach Ian Hendon as their
new manager.
Hendon, 43, who played more than 150 times for Orient, takes up his new role
on 1 July.
"Orient is a Club that means a great deal to me – I hope that fans will
remember the commitment I showed as a player, and know they can expect the
same dedication from me as Head Coach," Hendo told www.leytonorient.com
"I've got a lot of experience of the lower leagues, having played at every
level during my career and worked in League Two as player/manager, but
having spent a few years working in the Premier League I have learnt a huge
amount that will stand me in good stead for this new challenge."
"I hope to be able to bring some stability to the Club and help rebuild
after the disappointment of last season. Promotion is the priority, but
reconnecting with the fans is also important. Having met the President, I
was impressed with his own long-term plans for the Club, and I can't wait to
get started."
Hendo's Orient will be playing Teddy Sheringham's Stevenage in league
division two after the O's was relegated this season.
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Lille midfielder interest by Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
According to reports in the media West Ham have enquired about £7m-rated
Lille midfielder Idrissa Gueye.
The Senegalese international is also being tracked by Southampton and
Crystal Palace but is wanted by several teams in France. Gueye, 25, made 39
appearances for Lille this season but was told last summer he could leave
the French club.
Without a manager in place, Director of recruitment Tony Henry is thought to
scouting a number of West Ham targets to hit the ground running in the
Summer transfer market once a manager is finally appointed.
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Potts farewell to Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
West Ham youngster Danny Potts has penned an emotional farewell to the club,
staff and Hammers fans following his release from the club he spent 12 years
at:
"An extremely emotional & difficult day personally in which there is no
creditable way to sum up what West Ham United has done for me over the past
12 years. From the staff & players to the fans that have supported me
through dark times and the very best of times I will be forever grateful.
The club has taught me so much not only as a player on the pitch but a
person off it. I will never forget my time at West Ham and want to wish the
club and the people associated nothing but the best for the forthcoming
seasons & hopefully give the fans the success they deserve! I look forward
to what challenges and opportunities await me and with that I am excited for
what the future holds for myself. It's been an absolute privilege & honour
to have been able to represent the club that means so much to me and there
are no words that will justify it all! Thank You WHUFC!"
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West Ham U21 Relegated
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
West Ham have been relegated from the Barclays U21 Premier League division 1
after finishing rock bottom of the table.
The West Ham youngsters achieved just 5 wins and 17 points during their 22
games season. They now face a season in the U21 division 2.
The Barclays U21 Premier League replaced the Premier Reserve League at the
start of the 2012/13 season. There are 24 clubs entered, of which 15 are
from the Barclays Premier League and nine are from the Championship. The 24
clubs play in two 12-team divisions from the 2014/15 campaign. The teams in
11th and 12th in the division 1 will be relegated, while Division's top 2
will be promoted. West Ham finished in 12th place with a goal difference of
-23 this season while fellow strugglers Fulham were also relegated on 22
points. Middlesborough and Reading have been promoted to division 1.
Head of player development Terry Westley is looking to completely rebuild
the West Ham Academy in an attempt to get a return on the £4m the board
invest each year. A large number players have been released in recent months
and today saw another batch of players released who Westley believes can not
make the grade, this included the son of his U21 manager, Dan Potts.
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Released West Ham players find clubs
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
According to a website dedicated to West Ham youth whufcyouth.wordpress.com
many of today's Academy youth players released by the club have new clubs
lined up.
Taylor Tombides looks like he is set to join Hull City, Danny Potts has been
linked with a move to Luton Town, Sean Maguire has been linked with a move
Accrington Stanley, Jerry Amoo is training with Reading and Kieran Bailey
has joined Colchester.
Head of Player Development, Terry Westley continues to clear out the Academy
built by Tony Carr and Nick Haycock. Westley took over the Academy last
Summer with Steve Potts now in place as the Under 21 manager. It is
understood Westley has been tasked by the board with getting a return on the
£4m plus investment made into the Academy every year.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Martin: 'Club needs grabbing by scruff of the neck'
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
Alvin Marin has delivered his verdict on the state of the club and reckons
someone needs to take it by the scruff of the neck.
The talkSport presenter declared: "This is a very delicate and complex
situation at West Ham. It's not open and shut.
"There are a lot of West Ham fans who were 50/50 whether they liked him or
they didn't like him. (Sam Allardyce).
"When I'm asked about it, it's not just about was it right to make a change?
It's what was the alternative? – If they didn't make a change, they had to
offer him a new contract; what terms would it be on?"
"No one can argue that Allardyce doesn't have plenty of Premier League
experience and a CV to do well at any club around a mid-table sort of level.
"However, West Ham now have the tools to be much more than that and they
will be looking to progress domestically next season and to make the most of
their gifted position in the Europa League.
"Someone needs to grab the club by the scruff of the neck and the board
clearly didn't feel that Allardyce was worth the financial gambled, weighed
against those pressures for the club to improve.
"Whether it turns out to be the right decision remains to be seen, but the
new man coming in has a real opportunity to create something special by the
time of the club's move to the Olympic Stadium."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
An open letter from Carlton Cole
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
Hello everyone,
I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself
here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came
along with it.
At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody
has treated me like a part of the family.
It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have
done my fair share for the Club and been part of the history as well, which
is very important for me.
I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie,
West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.
It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like
to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come
and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it.
If I could pick out my two most memorable moments, the Play-Off final and
the two goals I scored when we beat Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup
in 2010 are the two that everybody says that I played a blinder in and it
would be fair to say I agree with them.
I have enjoyed every game I have played for West Ham but all good things
have to come to an end and I will be leaving.
When I think of West Ham United I think of a family football club which has
embraced me and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
Thank you all.
Carlton Cole
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have issued their Retain List of players at the end of the
2014/15 season.
The Hammers have confirmed that senior professionals Carlton Cole, Guy
Demel, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Nene will all leave the Club at the end of
their contracts on 30 June.
Young professionals Kieran Bywater, Sean Maguire, Paul McCallum and Dan
Potts will also depart the Boleyn Ground after not being offered new
contracts.
Scholars Jerry Amoo and Kieran Bailey have been released, while Taylor
Tombides will also be moving on.
Meanwhile, youngsters Kyle Knoyle, Djair Parfitt-Williams and Alex Pike have
agreed their first professional deals with the Club and will sign contracts
from 1 July.
The Club would like to thank all the departing players for their efforts and
wish them well in their future careers
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Nene thanks Hammers fans
WHUFC.com
Nene has thanked the West Ham United fans for the support shown to him
during his four months at the Boleyn Ground.
The Brazilian forward will be leaving the Club at the end of his contract on
30 June as he pursues top-flight football elsewhere.
He made eight Barclays Premier League appearances in claret and blue, and
although he admits he hoped for more opportunities, he will leave London
with fond memories.
Writing on his official Instagram account, the 33-year-old said: "My goal is
to play for at least three more seasons at the top level and for that reason
I need to go to another club.
"I thank the fans for their permanent support and wish the best success to
my teammates and West Ham United."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole says farewell
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole has made 293 appearances for West Ham United over the past nine
seasons, scoring 68 goals. The centre forward, who scored on his debut
against Charlton Athletic in August 2006 and the opening goal in the 2012
Championship Play-Off final victory over Blackpool at Wembley, has played
seven times for England during his time as a Hammer. Here, the 31-year-old
says farewell to the Hammers in his own words…
Hello everyone,
I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself
here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came
along with it.
At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody
has treated me like a part of the family.
It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have
done my fair share for the Club and been part of the history as well, which
is very important for me.
I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie,
West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.
It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like
to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come
and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it.
If I could pick out my two most memorable moments, the Play-Off final and
the two goals I scored when we beat Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup
in 2010 are the two that everybody says that I played a blinder in and it
would be fair to say I agree with them.
I have enjoyed every game I have played for West Ham but all good things
have to come to an end and I will be leaving.
When I think of West Ham United I think of a family football club which has
embraced me and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
Thank you all.
Carlton Cole
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lee looking to build on first team chance WHUFC.com
Elliot Lee wants to build on his first team chance when West Ham United
return to pre-season in late June.
The striker made his second Barclays Premier League appearance for the
Hammers in last Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Newcastle and the experience has left
him hungry for more.
St James' Park is a venue that holds special memories for the 20-year-old,
with Lee having watched his father Rob in action for the Magpies there, so
he was thrilled to follow in his footsteps.
"It was quite an experience for me, and an emotional one too," he explained.
"I grew up watching my dad at Newcastle and the Club posted a picture on
their Twitter of me pointing out where I used to sit in a box with the
Shearer family.
"I was delighted to get on the pitch and I'd like to give a special mention
to Ian Hendon. I've worked with him for quite a few years and he was pushing
for me this year. I think he had a big hand in why I got on so thank you to
him for that, but I'm disappointed that we didn't get a result.
"Most of my family actually went on holiday to Turkey the day before the
game, but I'm sure they watched it out there. My brother and a few of his
pals came along though, and I had text messages from some of my old friends
up there saying don't score!
"It was a great experience – I made my debut at Old Trafford and I said then
the second best place to come on would be St James' or Upton Park. It wasn't
a great result for the team but we'll push on from here and go again next
season."
Lee scored three goals in eleven games on loan at Luton Town before
returning to the first team fold with the Hammers and he was happy to learn
with the Hatters.
He added: "I went out on loan to toughen me up. I experienced playing men's
football and that helped me this season. I came back and have been involved
with the first team squad, so that's great.
"I want to push on from here. We've got the Europa League next year and
hopefully I can be involved in that quite a lot.
"It's important not to get frustrated as a young player because you're
competing with some very good players in the first team, so now I'm going to
keep going in training and hopefully come back and really challenge for a
first team place."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Young Hammers set for Hong Kong Sevens
WHUFC.com
A young West Ham United team will head to Hong Kong for the HKFC Citibank
Soccer Sevens tournament, which kicks-off on Saturday.
Mark Phillips and his Hammers squad jetted off to the far east earlier this
week to prepare for his prestigious competition, which brings together elite
teams from across Europe and Asia.
Sixteen teams will do battle in the main category, with West Ham drawn in a
group alongside Chinese outfit Shanghai SIPG and local sides Kitchee and
Hong Kong FC Captain's Select.
The group phase will be played out on the opening day, before the Sunday
sees all 16 teams compete in Cup or Plate competitions, depending on their
success in the initial round.
West Ham's squad includes several players who have impressed at U18 and U21
levels this term, with Jordan Brown and Djair Parfitt-Williams leading the
line up front.
Also headed out to Hong Kong are goalkeeper Clarke Bogard, defenders Alex
Pike and Josh Pask, midfielders Marcus Browne, Noha Sylvestre and forwards
Jaanai Gordon, Oscar Borg and Grady Diangana.
U18s coach Mark Phillips is expecting his players to benefit greatly from
the experience.
He told whufc.com: "It's an excellent tournament for the boys to end the
season with. Ian Hendon has taken teams out there twice before and he's
spoken highly of the competition.
"We're the youngest team there, with a few senior and U21s sides there, so
it will provide the players with an invaluable experience.
"It's all a learning curve towards the first team, so dealing with that
challenge, as well as the heat and humidity here will be great.
"I've watched clips from last year's tournament and there's a lot of
athleticism, so we've brought a fit squad with a lot of attacking talent."
You can follow the Hammers' progress throughout the weekend here on
whufc.com
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham striker Carlton Cole to leave club in summer BBC.co.uk
Striker Carlton Cole will leave West Ham this summer when his contract
expires on 30 June.
The 31-year-old, who initially left the Hammers in 2013 before re-signing
five months later, scored 68 goals in 293 appearances after first joining
from Chelsea in 2006.
Veteran goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, defender Guy Demel and midfielder
Nene have also not been retained.
"It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long," said Cole.
"I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part.
"A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed
every minute of it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bielsa rumours have Twitter all of a flutter KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
Twitter was awash with rumours tonight that Marcelo Bielsa had agreed to
join West Ham - only for it later to be revealed as a hoax from across the
Channel.
The Marseille manager has been strongly linked with the vacant position at
the Boleyn Ground - something that French fans appear to have taken umbrage
to.
e-West Ham @e_westham
BREAKING: According to L'Equipe, Marcelo Bielsa is set to leave Marseille
and become the next West Ham manager.
12:03 AM - 29 May 2015
For late on Thursday night rumours began circulating that respected French
broadcaster L'Equipe had reported Bielsa was on his way to the Premier
League having rejected the offer of a new contract from Marseille.
That had Hammers fans gossiping wildly at the prospect of the 59-year-old
Argentine arriving in east London - only to discover some time later that
the whole thing had been a hoax.
Get French Football @GFN_France
Absolutely nothing from L'Équipe or OM TV suggesting that Marcelo Bielsa has
decided to join West Ham. Pure fabrication.
12:45 AM - 29 May 2015
Although contact is understood to have been made between West Ham and
representatives of Bielsa, reports on Thursday morning suggested that he was
close to agreeing a two-year contract extension with his current club.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Benitez leaves Napoli, set to snub Hammers KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham managerial target Rafa Benitez has confirmed that he will leave
Napoli at the end of the season.
However the Spanish boss, who has topped West Ham's wish-list for some
considerable time looks set to snub the Hammers and re-join former club Real
Madrid.
According to Real director Josep Pedrerol, Benitez will be unveiled as the
successor to the recently-departed Carlo Ancelotti next Wednesday at 1pm.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aaron Cresswell named KUMB Readers' Player of the Year KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
Aaron Cresswell has been named West Ham United's Player of the Year by the
readers of KUMB.com.
The full back - who was recently crowned Hammer of the Year - capped a
superb season by taking the main award in tonight 18th annual KUMB Awards,
staged at The Cow in Stratford Westfield.
And there was further good news for the full-back when he was named Best
Signing, narrowly beating Diafra Sakho into second place.
The other player to pick up two awards on the night was one no longer with
us - Jack Collison, who won the Most Missed award whilst also being named
the KUMB Podcast Guest of the Year.
The full list of winners on the night - which was hosted by Chris Scull and
James Longman from the KUMB Podcast and featured guests Jimmy Walker and
Rufus Brevett (above) - were as follows:
KUMB Awards XVIII: The Winners
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Aaron Cresswell (44%)
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Reece Burke (92%)
BEST SIGNING
Aaron Cresswell (45%)
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Stewart Downing (41%)
GOAL OF THE SEASON
15 September 2014: Enner Valencia vs Hull City a, 2-2 (61%)
MOST MEMORABLE MATCH
20 September 2014: West Ham Utd 3-1 Liverpool (36%)
MOST MISSED
Jack Collison (36%)
PODCAST GUEST OF THE YEAR
Jack Collison (20%)
WORST PLAYER
Kevin Nolan (31%)
WORST SIGNING
Mauro Zarate (63%)
GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT
The post-Christmas slump in form (61%)
HACKETT OF THE YEAR
The thieves who stole Kenny Brown's medals (29%)
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Carlton Cole announces his departure from West Ham Last Updated: 28/05/15
6:43pm SSN
Carlton Cole has confirmed that he has been released by West Ham for a
second time.
The 31-year-old striker was let go by the Hammers at the end of the 2013
season, only to return to Upton Park a few months later.
He scored three goals in 26 appearances in all competitions last season but
will now be on the lookout for a new club.
He tweeted: "Looking forward to my next adventure. I have spoken to West Ham
United and it has been decide not to extend my contract.
"I wish West Ham United all the best and I will look out for their progress
in the future. Thanks for a great 9 years. it's been emotional."
Cole later wrote a letter saying goodbye to Hammers fans, published on their
official website,
"I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself
here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came
along with it," he said.
"At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody
has treated me like a part of the family.
"It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have
done my fair share for the club and been part of the history as well, which
is very important for me.
"I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie,
West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.
"It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like
to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come
and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it."
Cole was close to leaving West Ham to join West Brom on Deadline Day in
January but the move fell through at the last minute, much to his
frustration.
"I was there doing the medical; then I was back home," he told The Fantasy
Football Club. "It was disappointing as I was going to get some first-team
football.
"At the time I was not happy about it, but it was one of those things and I
had to get on with it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SHOULD THEY STAY OR SHOULD THEY GO: THE MIDFIELDERS
By Iain Dale 28 May 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
Kevin Nolan
When Kevin Nolan joined us four years ago it was quite a move for him, as we
had just been relegated. Since then he has scored thirty goals in 139
appearances, a much better strike rate than he had at Bolton. However, his
form this year hasn't been so good and it's easy to assume that age has
caught up with him. He's 33 in June. His contract is up and will not be
renewed, I imagine. VERDICT: LET GO
Mark Noble
At the age of 28 Mark Noble is at the height of his powers, with more than
300 games behind him. It would be unthinkable for him to be sold, but
stranger things have happened. A lot depends on the new manager, but for me
he should be the new club captain. VERDICT: KEEP
Alex Song
At Christmas you'd have found it difficult to find anyone who wouldn't have
wanted to keep Alex Song but his form since then has been average to say the
least. He's certainly not worth the £100k a week he is said to command. He
wants to stay in London so a new deal is obviously a possibility but I'd
have thought unlikely. There's no doubt he's a quality player, and I have
enjoyed watching him, but he is consistently inconsistent. VERDICT: HEART
SAYS KEEP, HEAD SAYS FORGET ABOUT HIM
Cheikhou Kouyate
He's been a revelation, and he should be our key midfielder next season.
It's handy that he can help out at centre back too. VERDICT: KEEP
Stewart Downing
A bit like Alex Song, he was excellent in the first half of the season but
his form faded in the second half, especially when he wasn't playing at the
top of a diamond. He scored six goals this season,a big improvement on his
single goal in the previous season. But at 31 you have to wonder how much
longer his pace will last. If we sold him now we'd recoup most of the £6
million we paid for him. VERDICT: SELL
Matt Jarvis
Matt Jarvis cost a whopping £10 million and has never really fulfilled his
early potential. He's only scored 4 goals in 75 appearances, a pathetic
return for a £10 million winger. One wonders if we'd recoup more than thirty
per cent of that. VERDICT: SELL
Morgan Amalfitano
Amalfitano has done well despite not being given a huge number of games. His
great asset is his ability to play out wide or through the centre. VERDICT:
KEEP
Diego Poyet
With Kevin Nolan gone Diego Poyet might break through. He impressed whenever
he played and certainly didn't ever let anyone down. I'd like to see more of
him. VERDICT: KEEP
VERDICT
With Noble and Kouyate first choice players in a midfield three, we need a
top class ballplaying midfielder and another defensive midfield player. I
also think we need more speed on the wings.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
If Marcelo Bielsa did not exist it would probably be necessary to invent him
Barney Ronay West Ham may be in the market for a new manager and would liven
things up considerably by appointing the otherworldly Argentinian from
Marseille Friday 10 April 2015 13.11 BST Last modified on Saturday 11 April
2015 08.54 BST
There was a stir in the art world a few years back when the great "lost"
American painter Nat Tate was dramatically rediscovered. Tate, the story
goes, was a member of the New York scene of the 1950s, who ended up jumping
to his death off the Staten Island ferry after visiting Europe and finding
himself haunted by the genius of Braque and Picasso. The Tate retrospective
opened in London with a speech by David Bowie and a tribute from Gore Vidal,
who knew everybody, so naturally knew Tate too. Critics at the launch nodded
sagely. Tate was obscure – they knew the name, of course – but perhaps it
really was time for a re-evaluation of this strangely overlooked
contemporary of Jackson Pollock and the mid-century greats who ... well ...
didn't actually exist.
Tate, it soon emerged, was an amusing cut and paste hoax by the novelist
William Boyd, in part inspired by his irritation with the hype over the
"Young British Artists" of the times, many of whom were, as Boyd later
noted, "not very good".
The reason for mentioning him here is simply that Tate sometimes pops into
my head whenever the cultishly revered, relentlessly name-checked
Argentinian football coach Marcelo Bielsa is mentioned in some unlikely
passing context, as he was this week with the republishing of a leaked
shortlist of candidates to replace Sam Allardyce at West Ham.
You can imagine the talk around the boardroom table on this one. OK, so who
have we got then? Respected club legend? Slaven Bilic. Tick. Premier League
veteran? Rafa Benítez. Got it. Right, all we're missing now is an eccentric
idealist who values academic process above winning and who once wandered
around for several days wearing a pair of shoes on which he'd drawn an
outline of feet to illustrate some fine point of technique to his players.
Bielsa to West Ham: it's a compelling prospect. But then he's a compelling
kind of guy, a seductive and in many ways very funny giant of the modern
game. Certainly if Bielsa didn't exist it would probably be necessary to
invent him, and there is no doubt his legend has been allowed to develop a
slightly exaggerated, cartoonish edge: the manager as crackpot chess genius,
nerd god, wandering the streets in his carpet slippers in search of some
fleeting glimpse of the footballing absolute.
"There are 36 different forms of communicating through a pass," Bielsa once
said, and you can already feel yourself nodding. Yes! More! So much so it is
even possible to imagine, here in landlocked Premier League-land, Bielsa
himself could turn out to be an elaborate hoax, an in-joke concocted by
South American intellectuals at the expense of lonesome English tactical
romantics everywhere.
Except, of course, unlike Nat Tate, Bielsa is real and currently working in
France. This week, as the West Ham link flickered in the background, a video
emerged of him addressing his Marseille team after their 0-0 draw with Lyon
last month. It shows Bielsa giving a beautiful, slightly maniacal speech
about collectivism and team endeavour that drew applause from his players
and provides above all a reminder of his allure, the sense of someone oddly
untouched and otherworldly, concerned solely with method and form.
And what methods they are. At Athletic Bilbao Bielsa produced an array of
impenetrable diagrams, cool green Rothko squares decorated with gloops of
colour, angry squiggles, cartoon hieroglyphs illustrating how his player
should always be in motion. "Running is understanding, running is
everything," he has said, and his teams do run, pushing forward always –
defence is simply the first stage of attack – and resembling at times a kind
of wired, luminous, footballing modern jazz.
In this sense Bielsa isn't Jack Kerouac, the star turn, the headline act. He
is instead the Neal Cassady of modern football: the pure idealist, the guy
who inspired the guys, and from whom so many managers have borrowed a
little, from the more diffuse to to outright acolytes such as Pep Guardiola
or Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli, who used to listen to Bielsa speeches on a
walkman while he went out jogging.
So: West Ham then. It probably won't happen. But wouldn't it be great?
Firstly for that rare thing, a genuine clash of cultures: football's great
professorial puritan at work in its most cheerfully philistine league.
Bielsa is a guaranteed provocation for those who like to see English
football as an unmasker of artifice and pretension, and in which even Louis
van Gaal – who could, frankly, dine out for ever just on that transformative
Ajax team of the mid-1990s – was being fitted up earlier this season as
another empty professor, another Josef Venglos, another Nat Tate.
In which case wait until they get a load of Bielsa, whose reputation as a
modern great rests on intangible moments of tactical innovation, who doesn't
win trophies and whose teams have often enjoyed intoxicating peaks matched
with sudden dips, in part because he appears at times to be asking his
players to do something impossible, to sustain some personal vision of
sublime unceasing movement.
Bielsa to West Ham remains an unlikely dream. But take a step back and there
is a case to be made here. West Ham's fans demand attacking, progressive
football, which is pretty much all Bielsa is interested in. The current
owners seem to want a long-term plan and Bielsa is all about plans. This is
a club that has traditionally allowed its mangers to settle and which also
isn't afraid of a certain academic intensity, from Malcolm Allison and the
Cafe Cassettari set, with their tactical arguments over the squeeze ketchup
bottle; to Ron Greenwood – in his own way a kind of homespun proto-Bielsa, –
the tracksuit obsessive with his Hungarian fixation, his endless hours on
the training pitch before eventually being dragged off in a daze still
muttering about plans and formulae.
Above all it would simply be great fun and a deliciously counter-intuitive
move for the league that doesn't think, the league that likes instead to
bump along in a state of profitable stasis. And which is perhaps missing a
little intellectual content to go with the generalised excitement, a
different kind of passion beyond the familiar operetta.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jussi, Cole, Demel & Nene leave West Ham Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28,
2015 in Whispers C AND H
West Ham have officially confirmed that first team squad players Carlton
Cole, Guy Demel, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Nene will all leave the Club at the
end of their contracts on 30th June.
The release of these senior players will free up around £125,000 per week of
wages which is £6.5m per season off the wage bill. Although not mentioned
Loanee Alex Song is expected to save another £75,000 per week in wages after
his loan ended.
Young Academy players Kieran Bywater, Sean Maguire, Paul McCallum and Dan
Potts will also depart the Boleyn Ground after not being offered new
contracts. Hammers scholars Jerry Amoo and Kieran Bailey have been released,
while Taylor Tombides will also be moving on.
Released Under 16 Academy players include Nathan Parsons, Tom Carlton,
Keagan Cole, Nathan Douglas, Matthew Campbell, Billy Holmes and Louis Yuill.
Yuill has joined Birmingham youth while Campbell has joined Millwall youth
setup.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Official: Hendo becomes O's manager
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 29, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
Leyton Orient have appointed West Ham first team coach Ian Hendon as their
new manager.
Hendon, 43, who played more than 150 times for Orient, takes up his new role
on 1 July.
"Orient is a Club that means a great deal to me – I hope that fans will
remember the commitment I showed as a player, and know they can expect the
same dedication from me as Head Coach," Hendo told www.leytonorient.com
"I've got a lot of experience of the lower leagues, having played at every
level during my career and worked in League Two as player/manager, but
having spent a few years working in the Premier League I have learnt a huge
amount that will stand me in good stead for this new challenge."
"I hope to be able to bring some stability to the Club and help rebuild
after the disappointment of last season. Promotion is the priority, but
reconnecting with the fans is also important. Having met the President, I
was impressed with his own long-term plans for the Club, and I can't wait to
get started."
Hendo's Orient will be playing Teddy Sheringham's Stevenage in league
division two after the O's was relegated this season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lille midfielder interest by Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
According to reports in the media West Ham have enquired about £7m-rated
Lille midfielder Idrissa Gueye.
The Senegalese international is also being tracked by Southampton and
Crystal Palace but is wanted by several teams in France. Gueye, 25, made 39
appearances for Lille this season but was told last summer he could leave
the French club.
Without a manager in place, Director of recruitment Tony Henry is thought to
scouting a number of West Ham targets to hit the ground running in the
Summer transfer market once a manager is finally appointed.
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Potts farewell to Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
West Ham youngster Danny Potts has penned an emotional farewell to the club,
staff and Hammers fans following his release from the club he spent 12 years
at:
"An extremely emotional & difficult day personally in which there is no
creditable way to sum up what West Ham United has done for me over the past
12 years. From the staff & players to the fans that have supported me
through dark times and the very best of times I will be forever grateful.
The club has taught me so much not only as a player on the pitch but a
person off it. I will never forget my time at West Ham and want to wish the
club and the people associated nothing but the best for the forthcoming
seasons & hopefully give the fans the success they deserve! I look forward
to what challenges and opportunities await me and with that I am excited for
what the future holds for myself. It's been an absolute privilege & honour
to have been able to represent the club that means so much to me and there
are no words that will justify it all! Thank You WHUFC!"
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West Ham U21 Relegated
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
West Ham have been relegated from the Barclays U21 Premier League division 1
after finishing rock bottom of the table.
The West Ham youngsters achieved just 5 wins and 17 points during their 22
games season. They now face a season in the U21 division 2.
The Barclays U21 Premier League replaced the Premier Reserve League at the
start of the 2012/13 season. There are 24 clubs entered, of which 15 are
from the Barclays Premier League and nine are from the Championship. The 24
clubs play in two 12-team divisions from the 2014/15 campaign. The teams in
11th and 12th in the division 1 will be relegated, while Division's top 2
will be promoted. West Ham finished in 12th place with a goal difference of
-23 this season while fellow strugglers Fulham were also relegated on 22
points. Middlesborough and Reading have been promoted to division 1.
Head of player development Terry Westley is looking to completely rebuild
the West Ham Academy in an attempt to get a return on the £4m the board
invest each year. A large number players have been released in recent months
and today saw another batch of players released who Westley believes can not
make the grade, this included the son of his U21 manager, Dan Potts.
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Released West Ham players find clubs
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
According to a website dedicated to West Ham youth whufcyouth.wordpress.com
many of today's Academy youth players released by the club have new clubs
lined up.
Taylor Tombides looks like he is set to join Hull City, Danny Potts has been
linked with a move to Luton Town, Sean Maguire has been linked with a move
Accrington Stanley, Jerry Amoo is training with Reading and Kieran Bailey
has joined Colchester.
Head of Player Development, Terry Westley continues to clear out the Academy
built by Tony Carr and Nick Haycock. Westley took over the Academy last
Summer with Steve Potts now in place as the Under 21 manager. It is
understood Westley has been tasked by the board with getting a return on the
£4m plus investment made into the Academy every year.
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Martin: 'Club needs grabbing by scruff of the neck'
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
Alvin Marin has delivered his verdict on the state of the club and reckons
someone needs to take it by the scruff of the neck.
The talkSport presenter declared: "This is a very delicate and complex
situation at West Ham. It's not open and shut.
"There are a lot of West Ham fans who were 50/50 whether they liked him or
they didn't like him. (Sam Allardyce).
"When I'm asked about it, it's not just about was it right to make a change?
It's what was the alternative? – If they didn't make a change, they had to
offer him a new contract; what terms would it be on?"
"No one can argue that Allardyce doesn't have plenty of Premier League
experience and a CV to do well at any club around a mid-table sort of level.
"However, West Ham now have the tools to be much more than that and they
will be looking to progress domestically next season and to make the most of
their gifted position in the Europa League.
"Someone needs to grab the club by the scruff of the neck and the board
clearly didn't feel that Allardyce was worth the financial gambled, weighed
against those pressures for the club to improve.
"Whether it turns out to be the right decision remains to be seen, but the
new man coming in has a real opportunity to create something special by the
time of the club's move to the Olympic Stadium."
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An open letter from Carlton Cole
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers C AND H
Hello everyone,
I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself
here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came
along with it.
At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody
has treated me like a part of the family.
It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have
done my fair share for the Club and been part of the history as well, which
is very important for me.
I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie,
West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.
It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like
to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come
and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it.
If I could pick out my two most memorable moments, the Play-Off final and
the two goals I scored when we beat Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup
in 2010 are the two that everybody says that I played a blinder in and it
would be fair to say I agree with them.
I have enjoyed every game I have played for West Ham but all good things
have to come to an end and I will be leaving.
When I think of West Ham United I think of a family football club which has
embraced me and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
Thank you all.
Carlton Cole
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Daily WHUFC News - 29th May 2015 [Scanned]
Hammers confirm Retain List
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have issued their Retain List of players at the end of the 2014/15 season.
The Hammers have confirmed that senior professionals Carlton Cole, Guy Demel, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Nene will all leave the Club at the end of their contracts on 30 June.
Young professionals Kieran Bywater, Sean Maguire, Paul McCallum and Dan Potts will also depart the Boleyn Ground after not being offered new contracts.
Scholars Jerry Amoo and Kieran Bailey have been released, while Taylor Tombides will also be moving on.
Meanwhile, youngsters Kyle Knoyle, Djair Parfitt-Williams and Alex Pike have agreed their first professional deals with the Club and will sign contracts from 1 July.
The Club would like to thank all the departing players for their efforts and wish them well in their future careers
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Nene thanks Hammers fans
WHUFC.com
Nene has thanked the West Ham United fans for the support shown to him during his four months at the Boleyn Ground.
The Brazilian forward will be leaving the Club at the end of his contract on 30 June as he pursues top-flight football elsewhere.
He made eight Barclays Premier League appearances in claret and blue, and although he admits he hoped for more opportunities, he will leave London with fond memories.
Writing on his official Instagram account, the 33-year-old said: "My goal is to play for at least three more seasons at the top level and for that reason I need to go to another club.
"I thank the fans for their permanent support and wish the best success to my teammates and West Ham United."
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Cole says farewell
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole has made 293 appearances for West Ham United over the past nine seasons, scoring 68 goals. The centre forward, who scored on his debut against Charlton Athletic in August 2006 and the opening goal in the 2012 Championship Play-Off final victory over Blackpool at Wembley, has played seven times for England during his time as a Hammer. Here, the 31-year-old says farewell to the Hammers in his own words.
Hello everyone,
I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came along with it.
At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody has treated me like a part of the family.
It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have done my fair share for the Club and been part of the history as well, which is very important for me.
I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie, West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.
It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it.
If I could pick out my two most memorable moments, the Play-Off final and the two goals I scored when we beat Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup in 2010 are the two that everybody says that I played a blinder in and it would be fair to say I agree with them.
I have enjoyed every game I have played for West Ham but all good things have to come to an end and I will be leaving.
When I think of West Ham United I think of a family football club which has embraced me and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
Thank you all.
Carlton Cole
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Lee looking to build on first team chance
WHUFC.com
Elliot Lee wants to build on his first team chance when West Ham United return to pre-season in late June.
The striker made his second Barclays Premier League appearance for the Hammers in last Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Newcastle and the experience has left him hungry for more.
St James' Park is a venue that holds special memories for the 20-year-old, with Lee having watched his father Rob in action for the Magpies there, so he was thrilled to follow in his footsteps.
"It was quite an experience for me, and an emotional one too," he explained. "I grew up watching my dad at Newcastle and the Club posted a picture on their Twitter of me pointing out where I used to sit in a box with the Shearer family.
"I was delighted to get on the pitch and I'd like to give a special mention to Ian Hendon. I've worked with him for quite a few years and he was pushing for me this year. I think he had a big hand in why I got on so thank you to him for that, but I'm disappointed that we didn't get a result.
"Most of my family actually went on holiday to Turkey the day before the game, but I'm sure they watched it out there. My brother and a few of his pals came along though, and I had text messages from some of my old friends up there saying don't score!
"It was a great experience - I made my debut at Old Trafford and I said then the second best place to come on would be St James' or Upton Park. It wasn't a great result for the team but we'll push on from here and go again next season."
Lee scored three goals in eleven games on loan at Luton Town before returning to the first team fold with the Hammers and he was happy to learn with the Hatters.
He added: "I went out on loan to toughen me up. I experienced playing men's football and that helped me this season. I came back and have been involved with the first team squad, so that's great.
"I want to push on from here. We've got the Europa League next year and hopefully I can be involved in that quite a lot.
"It's important not to get frustrated as a young player because you're competing with some very good players in the first team, so now I'm going to keep going in training and hopefully come back and really challenge for a first team place."
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Young Hammers set for Hong Kong Sevens
WHUFC.com
A young West Ham United team will head to Hong Kong for the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens tournament, which kicks-off on Saturday.
Mark Phillips and his Hammers squad jetted off to the far east earlier this week to prepare for his prestigious competition, which brings together elite teams from across Europe and Asia.
Sixteen teams will do battle in the main category, with West Ham drawn in a group alongside Chinese outfit Shanghai SIPG and local sides Kitchee and Hong Kong FC Captain's Select.
The group phase will be played out on the opening day, before the Sunday sees all 16 teams compete in Cup or Plate competitions, depending on their success in the initial round.
West Ham's squad includes several players who have impressed at U18 and U21 levels this term, with Jordan Brown and Djair Parfitt-Williams leading the line up front.
Also headed out to Hong Kong are goalkeeper Clarke Bogard, defenders Alex Pike and Josh Pask, midfielders Marcus Browne, Noha Sylvestre and forwards Jaanai Gordon, Oscar Borg and Grady Diangana.
U18s coach Mark Phillips is expecting his players to benefit greatly from the experience.
He told whufc.com: "It's an excellent tournament for the boys to end the season with. Ian Hendon has taken teams out there twice before and he's spoken highly of the competition.
"We're the youngest team there, with a few senior and U21s sides there, so it will provide the players with an invaluable experience.
"It's all a learning curve towards the first team, so dealing with that challenge, as well as the heat and humidity here will be great.
"I've watched clips from last year's tournament and there's a lot of athleticism, so we've brought a fit squad with a lot of attacking talent."
You can follow the Hammers' progress throughout the weekend here on whufc.com
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West Ham striker Carlton Cole to leave club in summer
BBC.co.uk
Striker Carlton Cole will leave West Ham this summer when his contract expires on 30 June.
The 31-year-old, who initially left the Hammers in 2013 before re-signing five months later, scored 68 goals in 293 appearances after first joining from Chelsea in 2006.
Veteran goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, defender Guy Demel and midfielder Nene have also not been retained.
"It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long," said Cole.
"I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part.
"A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it."
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Bielsa rumours have Twitter all of a flutter
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
Twitter was awash with rumours tonight that Marcelo Bielsa had agreed to join West Ham - only for it later to be revealed as a hoax from across the Channel.
The Marseille manager has been strongly linked with the vacant position at the Boleyn Ground - something that French fans appear to have taken umbrage to.
e-West Ham @e_westham
BREAKING: According to L'Equipe, Marcelo Bielsa is set to leave Marseille and become the next West Ham manager.
12:03 AM - 29 May 2015
For late on Thursday night rumours began circulating that respected French broadcaster L'Equipe had reported Bielsa was on his way to the Premier League having rejected the offer of a new contract from Marseille.
That had Hammers fans gossiping wildly at the prospect of the 59-year-old Argentine arriving in east London - only to discover some time later that the whole thing had been a hoax.
Get French Football @GFN_France
Absolutely nothing from L'Équipe or OM TV suggesting that Marcelo Bielsa has decided to join West Ham. Pure fabrication.
12:45 AM - 29 May 2015
Although contact is understood to have been made between West Ham and representatives of Bielsa, reports on Thursday morning suggested that he was close to agreeing a two-year contract extension with his current club.
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Benitez leaves Napoli, set to snub Hammers
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham managerial target Rafa Benitez has confirmed that he will leave Napoli at the end of the season.
However the Spanish boss, who has topped West Ham's wish-list for some considerable time looks set to snub the Hammers and re-join former club Real Madrid.
According to Real director Josep Pedrerol, Benitez will be unveiled as the successor to the recently-departed Carlo Ancelotti next Wednesday at 1pm.
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Aaron Cresswell named KUMB Readers' Player of the Year
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
Aaron Cresswell has been named West Ham United's Player of the Year by the readers of KUMB.com.
The full back - who was recently crowned Hammer of the Year - capped a superb season by taking the main award in tonight 18th annual KUMB Awards, staged at The Cow in Stratford Westfield.
And there was further good news for the full-back when he was named Best Signing, narrowly beating Diafra Sakho into second place.
The other player to pick up two awards on the night was one no longer with us - Jack Collison, who won the Most Missed award whilst also being named the KUMB Podcast Guest of the Year.
The full list of winners on the night - which was hosted by Chris Scull and James Longman from the KUMB Podcast and featured guests Jimmy Walker and Rufus Brevett (above) - were as follows:
KUMB Awards XVIII: The Winners
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Aaron Cresswell (44%)
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Reece Burke (92%)
BEST SIGNING
Aaron Cresswell (45%)
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Stewart Downing (41%)
GOAL OF THE SEASON
15 September 2014: Enner Valencia vs Hull City a, 2-2 (61%)
MOST MEMORABLE MATCH
20 September 2014: West Ham Utd 3-1 Liverpool (36%)
MOST MISSED
Jack Collison (36%)
PODCAST GUEST OF THE YEAR
Jack Collison (20%)
WORST PLAYER
Kevin Nolan (31%)
WORST SIGNING
Mauro Zarate (63%)
GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT
The post-Christmas slump in form (61%)
HACKETT OF THE YEAR
The thieves who stole Kenny Brown's medals (29%)
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Carlton Cole announces his departure from West Ham
Last Updated: 28/05/15 6:43pm
SSN
Carlton Cole has confirmed that he has been released by West Ham for a second time.
The 31-year-old striker was let go by the Hammers at the end of the 2013 season, only to return to Upton Park a few months later.
He scored three goals in 26 appearances in all competitions last season but will now be on the lookout for a new club.
He tweeted: "Looking forward to my next adventure. I have spoken to West Ham United and it has been decide not to extend my contract.
"I wish West Ham United all the best and I will look out for their progress in the future. Thanks for a great 9 years. it's been emotional."
Cole later wrote a letter saying goodbye to Hammers fans, published on their official website,
"I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came along with it," he said.
"At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody has treated me like a part of the family.
"It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have done my fair share for the club and been part of the history as well, which is very important for me.
"I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie, West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.
"It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it."
Cole was close to leaving West Ham to join West Brom on Deadline Day in January but the move fell through at the last minute, much to his frustration.
"I was there doing the medical; then I was back home," he told The Fantasy Football Club. "It was disappointing as I was going to get some first-team football.
"At the time I was not happy about it, but it was one of those things and I had to get on with it."
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SHOULD THEY STAY OR SHOULD THEY GO: THE MIDFIELDERS
By Iain Dale 28 May 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
Kevin Nolan
When Kevin Nolan joined us four years ago it was quite a move for him, as we had just been relegated. Since then he has scored thirty goals in 139 appearances, a much better strike rate than he had at Bolton. However, his form this year hasn't been so good and it's easy to assume that age has caught up with him. He's 33 in June. His contract is up and will not be renewed, I imagine. VERDICT: LET GO
Mark Noble
At the age of 28 Mark Noble is at the height of his powers, with more than 300 games behind him. It would be unthinkable for him to be sold, but stranger things have happened. A lot depends on the new manager, but for me he should be the new club captain. VERDICT: KEEP
Alex Song
At Christmas you'd have found it difficult to find anyone who wouldn't have wanted to keep Alex Song but his form since then has been average to say the least. He's certainly not worth the £100k a week he is said to command. He wants to stay in London so a new deal is obviously a possibility but I'd have thought unlikely. There's no doubt he's a quality player, and I have enjoyed watching him, but he is consistently inconsistent. VERDICT: HEART SAYS KEEP, HEAD SAYS FORGET ABOUT HIM
Cheikhou Kouyate
He's been a revelation, and he should be our key midfielder next season. It's handy that he can help out at centre back too. VERDICT: KEEP
Stewart Downing
A bit like Alex Song, he was excellent in the first half of the season but his form faded in the second half, especially when he wasn't playing at the top of a diamond. He scored six goals this season,a big improvement on his single goal in the previous season. But at 31 you have to wonder how much longer his pace will last. If we sold him now we'd recoup most of the £6 million we paid for him. VERDICT: SELL
Matt Jarvis
Matt Jarvis cost a whopping £10 million and has never really fulfilled his early potential. He's only scored 4 goals in 75 appearances, a pathetic return for a £10 million winger. One wonders if we'd recoup more than thirty per cent of that. VERDICT: SELL
Morgan Amalfitano
Amalfitano has done well despite not being given a huge number of games. His great asset is his ability to play out wide or through the centre. VERDICT: KEEP
Diego Poyet
With Kevin Nolan gone Diego Poyet might break through. He impressed whenever he played and certainly didn't ever let anyone down. I'd like to see more of him. VERDICT: KEEP
VERDICT
With Noble and Kouyate first choice players in a midfield three, we need a top class ballplaying midfielder and another defensive midfield player. I also think we need more speed on the wings.
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If Marcelo Bielsa did not exist it would probably be necessary to invent him
Barney Ronay
West Ham may be in the market for a new manager and would liven things up considerably by appointing the otherworldly Argentinian from Marseille
Friday 10 April 2015 13.11 BST Last modified on Saturday 11 April 2015 08.54 BST
There was a stir in the art world a few years back when the great "lost" American painter Nat Tate was dramatically rediscovered. Tate, the story goes, was a member of the New York scene of the 1950s, who ended up jumping to his death off the Staten Island ferry after visiting Europe and finding himself haunted by the genius of Braque and Picasso. The Tate retrospective opened in London with a speech by David Bowie and a tribute from Gore Vidal, who knew everybody, so naturally knew Tate too. Critics at the launch nodded sagely. Tate was obscure - they knew the name, of course - but perhaps it really was time for a re-evaluation of this strangely overlooked contemporary of Jackson Pollock and the mid-century greats who ... well ... didn't actually exist.
Tate, it soon emerged, was an amusing cut and paste hoax by the novelist William Boyd, in part inspired by his irritation with the hype over the "Young British Artists" of the times, many of whom were, as Boyd later noted, "not very good".
The reason for mentioning him here is simply that Tate sometimes pops into my head whenever the cultishly revered, relentlessly name-checked Argentinian football coach Marcelo Bielsa is mentioned in some unlikely passing context, as he was this week with the republishing of a leaked shortlist of candidates to replace Sam Allardyce at West Ham.
You can imagine the talk around the boardroom table on this one. OK, so who have we got then? Respected club legend? Slaven Bilic. Tick. Premier League veteran? Rafa Benítez. Got it. Right, all we're missing now is an eccentric idealist who values academic process above winning and who once wandered around for several days wearing a pair of shoes on which he'd drawn an outline of feet to illustrate some fine point of technique to his players.
Bielsa to West Ham: it's a compelling prospect. But then he's a compelling kind of guy, a seductive and in many ways very funny giant of the modern game. Certainly if Bielsa didn't exist it would probably be necessary to invent him, and there is no doubt his legend has been allowed to develop a slightly exaggerated, cartoonish edge: the manager as crackpot chess genius, nerd god, wandering the streets in his carpet slippers in search of some fleeting glimpse of the footballing absolute.
"There are 36 different forms of communicating through a pass," Bielsa once said, and you can already feel yourself nodding. Yes! More! So much so it is even possible to imagine, here in landlocked Premier League-land, Bielsa himself could turn out to be an elaborate hoax, an in-joke concocted by South American intellectuals at the expense of lonesome English tactical romantics everywhere.
Except, of course, unlike Nat Tate, Bielsa is real and currently working in France. This week, as the West Ham link flickered in the background, a video emerged of him addressing his Marseille team after their 0-0 draw with Lyon last month. It shows Bielsa giving a beautiful, slightly maniacal speech about collectivism and team endeavour that drew applause from his players and provides above all a reminder of his allure, the sense of someone oddly untouched and otherworldly, concerned solely with method and form.
And what methods they are. At Athletic Bilbao Bielsa produced an array of impenetrable diagrams, cool green Rothko squares decorated with gloops of colour, angry squiggles, cartoon hieroglyphs illustrating how his player should always be in motion. "Running is understanding, running is everything," he has said, and his teams do run, pushing forward always - defence is simply the first stage of attack - and resembling at times a kind of wired, luminous, footballing modern jazz.
In this sense Bielsa isn't Jack Kerouac, the star turn, the headline act. He is instead the Neal Cassady of modern football: the pure idealist, the guy who inspired the guys, and from whom so many managers have borrowed a little, from the more diffuse to to outright acolytes such as Pep Guardiola or Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli, who used to listen to Bielsa speeches on a walkman while he went out jogging.
So: West Ham then. It probably won't happen. But wouldn't it be great? Firstly for that rare thing, a genuine clash of cultures: football's great professorial puritan at work in its most cheerfully philistine league. Bielsa is a guaranteed provocation for those who like to see English football as an unmasker of artifice and pretension, and in which even Louis van Gaal - who could, frankly, dine out for ever just on that transformative Ajax team of the mid-1990s - was being fitted up earlier this season as another empty professor, another Josef Venglos, another Nat Tate.
In which case wait until they get a load of Bielsa, whose reputation as a modern great rests on intangible moments of tactical innovation, who doesn't win trophies and whose teams have often enjoyed intoxicating peaks matched with sudden dips, in part because he appears at times to be asking his players to do something impossible, to sustain some personal vision of sublime unceasing movement.
Bielsa to West Ham remains an unlikely dream. But take a step back and there is a case to be made here. West Ham's fans demand attacking, progressive football, which is pretty much all Bielsa is interested in. The current owners seem to want a long-term plan and Bielsa is all about plans. This is a club that has traditionally allowed its mangers to settle and which also isn't afraid of a certain academic intensity, from Malcolm Allison and the Cafe Cassettari set, with their tactical arguments over the squeeze ketchup bottle; to Ron Greenwood - in his own way a kind of homespun proto-Bielsa, - the tracksuit obsessive with his Hungarian fixation, his endless hours on the training pitch before eventually being dragged off in a daze still muttering about plans and formulae.
Above all it would simply be great fun and a deliciously counter-intuitive move for the league that doesn't think, the league that likes instead to bump along in a state of profitable stasis. And which is perhaps missing a little intellectual content to go with the generalised excitement, a different kind of passion beyond the familiar operetta.
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Jussi, Cole, Demel & Nene leave West Ham
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
West Ham have officially confirmed that first team squad players Carlton Cole, Guy Demel, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Nene will all leave the Club at the end of their contracts on 30th June.
The release of these senior players will free up around £125,000 per week of wages which is £6.5m per season off the wage bill. Although not mentioned Loanee Alex Song is expected to save another £75,000 per week in wages after his loan ended.
Young Academy players Kieran Bywater, Sean Maguire, Paul McCallum and Dan Potts will also depart the Boleyn Ground after not being offered new contracts. Hammers scholars Jerry Amoo and Kieran Bailey have been released, while Taylor Tombides will also be moving on.
Released Under 16 Academy players include Nathan Parsons, Tom Carlton, Keagan Cole, Nathan Douglas, Matthew Campbell, Billy Holmes and Louis Yuill. Yuill has joined Birmingham youth while Campbell has joined Millwall youth setup.
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Official: Hendo becomes O's manager
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 29, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
Leyton Orient have appointed West Ham first team coach Ian Hendon as their new manager.
Hendon, 43, who played more than 150 times for Orient, takes up his new role on 1 July.
"Orient is a Club that means a great deal to me - I hope that fans will remember the commitment I showed as a player, and know they can expect the same dedication from me as Head Coach," Hendo told www.leytonorient.com
"I've got a lot of experience of the lower leagues, having played at every level during my career and worked in League Two as player/manager, but having spent a few years working in the Premier League I have learnt a huge amount that will stand me in good stead for this new challenge."
"I hope to be able to bring some stability to the Club and help rebuild after the disappointment of last season. Promotion is the priority, but reconnecting with the fans is also important. Having met the President, I was impressed with his own long-term plans for the Club, and I can't wait to get started."
Hendo's Orient will be playing Teddy Sheringham's Stevenage in league division two after the O's was relegated this season.
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Lille midfielder interest by Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
According to reports in the media West Ham have enquired about £7m-rated Lille midfielder Idrissa Gueye.
The Senegalese international is also being tracked by Southampton and Crystal Palace but is wanted by several teams in France. Gueye, 25, made 39 appearances for Lille this season but was told last summer he could leave the French club.
Without a manager in place, Director of recruitment Tony Henry is thought to scouting a number of West Ham targets to hit the ground running in the Summer transfer market once a manager is finally appointed.
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Potts farewell to Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
West Ham youngster Danny Potts has penned an emotional farewell to the club, staff and Hammers fans following his release from the club he spent 12 years at:
"An extremely emotional & difficult day personally in which there is no creditable way to sum up what West Ham United has done for me over the past 12 years. From the staff & players to the fans that have supported me through dark times and the very best of times I will be forever grateful. The club has taught me so much not only as a player on the pitch but a person off it. I will never forget my time at West Ham and want to wish the club and the people associated nothing but the best for the forthcoming seasons & hopefully give the fans the success they deserve! I look forward to what challenges and opportunities await me and with that I am excited for what the future holds for myself. It's been an absolute privilege & honour to have been able to represent the club that means so much to me and there are no words that will justify it all! Thank You WHUFC!"
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West Ham U21 Relegated
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
West Ham have been relegated from the Barclays U21 Premier League division 1 after finishing rock bottom of the table.
The West Ham youngsters achieved just 5 wins and 17 points during their 22 games season. They now face a season in the U21 division 2.
The Barclays U21 Premier League replaced the Premier Reserve League at the start of the 2012/13 season. There are 24 clubs entered, of which 15 are from the Barclays Premier League and nine are from the Championship. The 24 clubs play in two 12-team divisions from the 2014/15 campaign. The teams in 11th and 12th in the division 1 will be relegated, while Division's top 2 will be promoted. West Ham finished in 12th place with a goal difference of -23 this season while fellow strugglers Fulham were also relegated on 22 points. Middlesborough and Reading have been promoted to division 1.
Head of player development Terry Westley is looking to completely rebuild the West Ham Academy in an attempt to get a return on the £4m the board invest each year. A large number players have been released in recent months and today saw another batch of players released who Westley believes can not make the grade, this included the son of his U21 manager, Dan Potts.
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Released West Ham players find clubs
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
According to a website dedicated to West Ham youth whufcyouth.wordpress.com many of today's Academy youth players released by the club have new clubs lined up.
Taylor Tombides looks like he is set to join Hull City, Danny Potts has been linked with a move to Luton Town, Sean Maguire has been linked with a move Accrington Stanley, Jerry Amoo is training with Reading and Kieran Bailey has joined Colchester.
Head of Player Development, Terry Westley continues to clear out the Academy built by Tony Carr and Nick Haycock. Westley took over the Academy last Summer with Steve Potts now in place as the Under 21 manager. It is understood Westley has been tasked by the board with getting a return on the £4m plus investment made into the Academy every year.
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Martin: 'Club needs grabbing by scruff of the neck'
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
Alvin Marin has delivered his verdict on the state of the club and reckons someone needs to take it by the scruff of the neck.
The talkSport presenter declared: "This is a very delicate and complex situation at West Ham. It's not open and shut.
"There are a lot of West Ham fans who were 50/50 whether they liked him or they didn't like him. (Sam Allardyce).
"When I'm asked about it, it's not just about was it right to make a change? It's what was the alternative? - If they didn't make a change, they had to offer him a new contract; what terms would it be on?"
"No one can argue that Allardyce doesn't have plenty of Premier League experience and a CV to do well at any club around a mid-table sort of level.
"However, West Ham now have the tools to be much more than that and they will be looking to progress domestically next season and to make the most of their gifted position in the Europa League.
"Someone needs to grab the club by the scruff of the neck and the board clearly didn't feel that Allardyce was worth the financial gambled, weighed against those pressures for the club to improve.
"Whether it turns out to be the right decision remains to be seen, but the new man coming in has a real opportunity to create something special by the time of the club's move to the Olympic Stadium."
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An open letter from Carlton Cole
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
Hello everyone,
I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came along with it.
At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody has treated me like a part of the family.
It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have done my fair share for the Club and been part of the history as well, which is very important for me.
I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie, West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.
It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it.
If I could pick out my two most memorable moments, the Play-Off final and the two goals I scored when we beat Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup in 2010 are the two that everybody says that I played a blinder in and it would be fair to say I agree with them.
I have enjoyed every game I have played for West Ham but all good things have to come to an end and I will be leaving.
When I think of West Ham United I think of a family football club which has embraced me and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
Thank you all.
Carlton Cole
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have issued their Retain List of players at the end of the 2014/15 season.
The Hammers have confirmed that senior professionals Carlton Cole, Guy Demel, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Nene will all leave the Club at the end of their contracts on 30 June.
Young professionals Kieran Bywater, Sean Maguire, Paul McCallum and Dan Potts will also depart the Boleyn Ground after not being offered new contracts.
Scholars Jerry Amoo and Kieran Bailey have been released, while Taylor Tombides will also be moving on.
Meanwhile, youngsters Kyle Knoyle, Djair Parfitt-Williams and Alex Pike have agreed their first professional deals with the Club and will sign contracts from 1 July.
The Club would like to thank all the departing players for their efforts and wish them well in their future careers
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Nene thanks Hammers fans
WHUFC.com
Nene has thanked the West Ham United fans for the support shown to him during his four months at the Boleyn Ground.
The Brazilian forward will be leaving the Club at the end of his contract on 30 June as he pursues top-flight football elsewhere.
He made eight Barclays Premier League appearances in claret and blue, and although he admits he hoped for more opportunities, he will leave London with fond memories.
Writing on his official Instagram account, the 33-year-old said: "My goal is to play for at least three more seasons at the top level and for that reason I need to go to another club.
"I thank the fans for their permanent support and wish the best success to my teammates and West Ham United."
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Cole says farewell
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole has made 293 appearances for West Ham United over the past nine seasons, scoring 68 goals. The centre forward, who scored on his debut against Charlton Athletic in August 2006 and the opening goal in the 2012 Championship Play-Off final victory over Blackpool at Wembley, has played seven times for England during his time as a Hammer. Here, the 31-year-old says farewell to the Hammers in his own words.
Hello everyone,
I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came along with it.
At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody has treated me like a part of the family.
It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have done my fair share for the Club and been part of the history as well, which is very important for me.
I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie, West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.
It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it.
If I could pick out my two most memorable moments, the Play-Off final and the two goals I scored when we beat Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup in 2010 are the two that everybody says that I played a blinder in and it would be fair to say I agree with them.
I have enjoyed every game I have played for West Ham but all good things have to come to an end and I will be leaving.
When I think of West Ham United I think of a family football club which has embraced me and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
Thank you all.
Carlton Cole
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Lee looking to build on first team chance
WHUFC.com
Elliot Lee wants to build on his first team chance when West Ham United return to pre-season in late June.
The striker made his second Barclays Premier League appearance for the Hammers in last Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Newcastle and the experience has left him hungry for more.
St James' Park is a venue that holds special memories for the 20-year-old, with Lee having watched his father Rob in action for the Magpies there, so he was thrilled to follow in his footsteps.
"It was quite an experience for me, and an emotional one too," he explained. "I grew up watching my dad at Newcastle and the Club posted a picture on their Twitter of me pointing out where I used to sit in a box with the Shearer family.
"I was delighted to get on the pitch and I'd like to give a special mention to Ian Hendon. I've worked with him for quite a few years and he was pushing for me this year. I think he had a big hand in why I got on so thank you to him for that, but I'm disappointed that we didn't get a result.
"Most of my family actually went on holiday to Turkey the day before the game, but I'm sure they watched it out there. My brother and a few of his pals came along though, and I had text messages from some of my old friends up there saying don't score!
"It was a great experience - I made my debut at Old Trafford and I said then the second best place to come on would be St James' or Upton Park. It wasn't a great result for the team but we'll push on from here and go again next season."
Lee scored three goals in eleven games on loan at Luton Town before returning to the first team fold with the Hammers and he was happy to learn with the Hatters.
He added: "I went out on loan to toughen me up. I experienced playing men's football and that helped me this season. I came back and have been involved with the first team squad, so that's great.
"I want to push on from here. We've got the Europa League next year and hopefully I can be involved in that quite a lot.
"It's important not to get frustrated as a young player because you're competing with some very good players in the first team, so now I'm going to keep going in training and hopefully come back and really challenge for a first team place."
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Young Hammers set for Hong Kong Sevens
WHUFC.com
A young West Ham United team will head to Hong Kong for the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens tournament, which kicks-off on Saturday.
Mark Phillips and his Hammers squad jetted off to the far east earlier this week to prepare for his prestigious competition, which brings together elite teams from across Europe and Asia.
Sixteen teams will do battle in the main category, with West Ham drawn in a group alongside Chinese outfit Shanghai SIPG and local sides Kitchee and Hong Kong FC Captain's Select.
The group phase will be played out on the opening day, before the Sunday sees all 16 teams compete in Cup or Plate competitions, depending on their success in the initial round.
West Ham's squad includes several players who have impressed at U18 and U21 levels this term, with Jordan Brown and Djair Parfitt-Williams leading the line up front.
Also headed out to Hong Kong are goalkeeper Clarke Bogard, defenders Alex Pike and Josh Pask, midfielders Marcus Browne, Noha Sylvestre and forwards Jaanai Gordon, Oscar Borg and Grady Diangana.
U18s coach Mark Phillips is expecting his players to benefit greatly from the experience.
He told whufc.com: "It's an excellent tournament for the boys to end the season with. Ian Hendon has taken teams out there twice before and he's spoken highly of the competition.
"We're the youngest team there, with a few senior and U21s sides there, so it will provide the players with an invaluable experience.
"It's all a learning curve towards the first team, so dealing with that challenge, as well as the heat and humidity here will be great.
"I've watched clips from last year's tournament and there's a lot of athleticism, so we've brought a fit squad with a lot of attacking talent."
You can follow the Hammers' progress throughout the weekend here on whufc.com
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West Ham striker Carlton Cole to leave club in summer
BBC.co.uk
Striker Carlton Cole will leave West Ham this summer when his contract expires on 30 June.
The 31-year-old, who initially left the Hammers in 2013 before re-signing five months later, scored 68 goals in 293 appearances after first joining from Chelsea in 2006.
Veteran goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, defender Guy Demel and midfielder Nene have also not been retained.
"It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long," said Cole.
"I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part.
"A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it."
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Bielsa rumours have Twitter all of a flutter
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
Twitter was awash with rumours tonight that Marcelo Bielsa had agreed to join West Ham - only for it later to be revealed as a hoax from across the Channel.
The Marseille manager has been strongly linked with the vacant position at the Boleyn Ground - something that French fans appear to have taken umbrage to.
e-West Ham @e_westham
BREAKING: According to L'Equipe, Marcelo Bielsa is set to leave Marseille and become the next West Ham manager.
12:03 AM - 29 May 2015
For late on Thursday night rumours began circulating that respected French broadcaster L'Equipe had reported Bielsa was on his way to the Premier League having rejected the offer of a new contract from Marseille.
That had Hammers fans gossiping wildly at the prospect of the 59-year-old Argentine arriving in east London - only to discover some time later that the whole thing had been a hoax.
Get French Football @GFN_France
Absolutely nothing from L'Équipe or OM TV suggesting that Marcelo Bielsa has decided to join West Ham. Pure fabrication.
12:45 AM - 29 May 2015
Although contact is understood to have been made between West Ham and representatives of Bielsa, reports on Thursday morning suggested that he was close to agreeing a two-year contract extension with his current club.
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Benitez leaves Napoli, set to snub Hammers
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham managerial target Rafa Benitez has confirmed that he will leave Napoli at the end of the season.
However the Spanish boss, who has topped West Ham's wish-list for some considerable time looks set to snub the Hammers and re-join former club Real Madrid.
According to Real director Josep Pedrerol, Benitez will be unveiled as the successor to the recently-departed Carlo Ancelotti next Wednesday at 1pm.
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Aaron Cresswell named KUMB Readers' Player of the Year
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 28th May 2015
By: Staff Writer
Aaron Cresswell has been named West Ham United's Player of the Year by the readers of KUMB.com.
The full back - who was recently crowned Hammer of the Year - capped a superb season by taking the main award in tonight 18th annual KUMB Awards, staged at The Cow in Stratford Westfield.
And there was further good news for the full-back when he was named Best Signing, narrowly beating Diafra Sakho into second place.
The other player to pick up two awards on the night was one no longer with us - Jack Collison, who won the Most Missed award whilst also being named the KUMB Podcast Guest of the Year.
The full list of winners on the night - which was hosted by Chris Scull and James Longman from the KUMB Podcast and featured guests Jimmy Walker and Rufus Brevett (above) - were as follows:
KUMB Awards XVIII: The Winners
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Aaron Cresswell (44%)
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Reece Burke (92%)
BEST SIGNING
Aaron Cresswell (45%)
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Stewart Downing (41%)
GOAL OF THE SEASON
15 September 2014: Enner Valencia vs Hull City a, 2-2 (61%)
MOST MEMORABLE MATCH
20 September 2014: West Ham Utd 3-1 Liverpool (36%)
MOST MISSED
Jack Collison (36%)
PODCAST GUEST OF THE YEAR
Jack Collison (20%)
WORST PLAYER
Kevin Nolan (31%)
WORST SIGNING
Mauro Zarate (63%)
GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT
The post-Christmas slump in form (61%)
HACKETT OF THE YEAR
The thieves who stole Kenny Brown's medals (29%)
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Carlton Cole announces his departure from West Ham
Last Updated: 28/05/15 6:43pm
SSN
Carlton Cole has confirmed that he has been released by West Ham for a second time.
The 31-year-old striker was let go by the Hammers at the end of the 2013 season, only to return to Upton Park a few months later.
He scored three goals in 26 appearances in all competitions last season but will now be on the lookout for a new club.
He tweeted: "Looking forward to my next adventure. I have spoken to West Ham United and it has been decide not to extend my contract.
"I wish West Ham United all the best and I will look out for their progress in the future. Thanks for a great 9 years. it's been emotional."
Cole later wrote a letter saying goodbye to Hammers fans, published on their official website,
"I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came along with it," he said.
"At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody has treated me like a part of the family.
"It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have done my fair share for the club and been part of the history as well, which is very important for me.
"I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie, West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.
"It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it."
Cole was close to leaving West Ham to join West Brom on Deadline Day in January but the move fell through at the last minute, much to his frustration.
"I was there doing the medical; then I was back home," he told The Fantasy Football Club. "It was disappointing as I was going to get some first-team football.
"At the time I was not happy about it, but it was one of those things and I had to get on with it."
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SHOULD THEY STAY OR SHOULD THEY GO: THE MIDFIELDERS
By Iain Dale 28 May 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
Kevin Nolan
When Kevin Nolan joined us four years ago it was quite a move for him, as we had just been relegated. Since then he has scored thirty goals in 139 appearances, a much better strike rate than he had at Bolton. However, his form this year hasn't been so good and it's easy to assume that age has caught up with him. He's 33 in June. His contract is up and will not be renewed, I imagine. VERDICT: LET GO
Mark Noble
At the age of 28 Mark Noble is at the height of his powers, with more than 300 games behind him. It would be unthinkable for him to be sold, but stranger things have happened. A lot depends on the new manager, but for me he should be the new club captain. VERDICT: KEEP
Alex Song
At Christmas you'd have found it difficult to find anyone who wouldn't have wanted to keep Alex Song but his form since then has been average to say the least. He's certainly not worth the £100k a week he is said to command. He wants to stay in London so a new deal is obviously a possibility but I'd have thought unlikely. There's no doubt he's a quality player, and I have enjoyed watching him, but he is consistently inconsistent. VERDICT: HEART SAYS KEEP, HEAD SAYS FORGET ABOUT HIM
Cheikhou Kouyate
He's been a revelation, and he should be our key midfielder next season. It's handy that he can help out at centre back too. VERDICT: KEEP
Stewart Downing
A bit like Alex Song, he was excellent in the first half of the season but his form faded in the second half, especially when he wasn't playing at the top of a diamond. He scored six goals this season,a big improvement on his single goal in the previous season. But at 31 you have to wonder how much longer his pace will last. If we sold him now we'd recoup most of the £6 million we paid for him. VERDICT: SELL
Matt Jarvis
Matt Jarvis cost a whopping £10 million and has never really fulfilled his early potential. He's only scored 4 goals in 75 appearances, a pathetic return for a £10 million winger. One wonders if we'd recoup more than thirty per cent of that. VERDICT: SELL
Morgan Amalfitano
Amalfitano has done well despite not being given a huge number of games. His great asset is his ability to play out wide or through the centre. VERDICT: KEEP
Diego Poyet
With Kevin Nolan gone Diego Poyet might break through. He impressed whenever he played and certainly didn't ever let anyone down. I'd like to see more of him. VERDICT: KEEP
VERDICT
With Noble and Kouyate first choice players in a midfield three, we need a top class ballplaying midfielder and another defensive midfield player. I also think we need more speed on the wings.
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If Marcelo Bielsa did not exist it would probably be necessary to invent him
Barney Ronay
West Ham may be in the market for a new manager and would liven things up considerably by appointing the otherworldly Argentinian from Marseille
Friday 10 April 2015 13.11 BST Last modified on Saturday 11 April 2015 08.54 BST
There was a stir in the art world a few years back when the great "lost" American painter Nat Tate was dramatically rediscovered. Tate, the story goes, was a member of the New York scene of the 1950s, who ended up jumping to his death off the Staten Island ferry after visiting Europe and finding himself haunted by the genius of Braque and Picasso. The Tate retrospective opened in London with a speech by David Bowie and a tribute from Gore Vidal, who knew everybody, so naturally knew Tate too. Critics at the launch nodded sagely. Tate was obscure - they knew the name, of course - but perhaps it really was time for a re-evaluation of this strangely overlooked contemporary of Jackson Pollock and the mid-century greats who ... well ... didn't actually exist.
Tate, it soon emerged, was an amusing cut and paste hoax by the novelist William Boyd, in part inspired by his irritation with the hype over the "Young British Artists" of the times, many of whom were, as Boyd later noted, "not very good".
The reason for mentioning him here is simply that Tate sometimes pops into my head whenever the cultishly revered, relentlessly name-checked Argentinian football coach Marcelo Bielsa is mentioned in some unlikely passing context, as he was this week with the republishing of a leaked shortlist of candidates to replace Sam Allardyce at West Ham.
You can imagine the talk around the boardroom table on this one. OK, so who have we got then? Respected club legend? Slaven Bilic. Tick. Premier League veteran? Rafa Benítez. Got it. Right, all we're missing now is an eccentric idealist who values academic process above winning and who once wandered around for several days wearing a pair of shoes on which he'd drawn an outline of feet to illustrate some fine point of technique to his players.
Bielsa to West Ham: it's a compelling prospect. But then he's a compelling kind of guy, a seductive and in many ways very funny giant of the modern game. Certainly if Bielsa didn't exist it would probably be necessary to invent him, and there is no doubt his legend has been allowed to develop a slightly exaggerated, cartoonish edge: the manager as crackpot chess genius, nerd god, wandering the streets in his carpet slippers in search of some fleeting glimpse of the footballing absolute.
"There are 36 different forms of communicating through a pass," Bielsa once said, and you can already feel yourself nodding. Yes! More! So much so it is even possible to imagine, here in landlocked Premier League-land, Bielsa himself could turn out to be an elaborate hoax, an in-joke concocted by South American intellectuals at the expense of lonesome English tactical romantics everywhere.
Except, of course, unlike Nat Tate, Bielsa is real and currently working in France. This week, as the West Ham link flickered in the background, a video emerged of him addressing his Marseille team after their 0-0 draw with Lyon last month. It shows Bielsa giving a beautiful, slightly maniacal speech about collectivism and team endeavour that drew applause from his players and provides above all a reminder of his allure, the sense of someone oddly untouched and otherworldly, concerned solely with method and form.
And what methods they are. At Athletic Bilbao Bielsa produced an array of impenetrable diagrams, cool green Rothko squares decorated with gloops of colour, angry squiggles, cartoon hieroglyphs illustrating how his player should always be in motion. "Running is understanding, running is everything," he has said, and his teams do run, pushing forward always - defence is simply the first stage of attack - and resembling at times a kind of wired, luminous, footballing modern jazz.
In this sense Bielsa isn't Jack Kerouac, the star turn, the headline act. He is instead the Neal Cassady of modern football: the pure idealist, the guy who inspired the guys, and from whom so many managers have borrowed a little, from the more diffuse to to outright acolytes such as Pep Guardiola or Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli, who used to listen to Bielsa speeches on a walkman while he went out jogging.
So: West Ham then. It probably won't happen. But wouldn't it be great? Firstly for that rare thing, a genuine clash of cultures: football's great professorial puritan at work in its most cheerfully philistine league. Bielsa is a guaranteed provocation for those who like to see English football as an unmasker of artifice and pretension, and in which even Louis van Gaal - who could, frankly, dine out for ever just on that transformative Ajax team of the mid-1990s - was being fitted up earlier this season as another empty professor, another Josef Venglos, another Nat Tate.
In which case wait until they get a load of Bielsa, whose reputation as a modern great rests on intangible moments of tactical innovation, who doesn't win trophies and whose teams have often enjoyed intoxicating peaks matched with sudden dips, in part because he appears at times to be asking his players to do something impossible, to sustain some personal vision of sublime unceasing movement.
Bielsa to West Ham remains an unlikely dream. But take a step back and there is a case to be made here. West Ham's fans demand attacking, progressive football, which is pretty much all Bielsa is interested in. The current owners seem to want a long-term plan and Bielsa is all about plans. This is a club that has traditionally allowed its mangers to settle and which also isn't afraid of a certain academic intensity, from Malcolm Allison and the Cafe Cassettari set, with their tactical arguments over the squeeze ketchup bottle; to Ron Greenwood - in his own way a kind of homespun proto-Bielsa, - the tracksuit obsessive with his Hungarian fixation, his endless hours on the training pitch before eventually being dragged off in a daze still muttering about plans and formulae.
Above all it would simply be great fun and a deliciously counter-intuitive move for the league that doesn't think, the league that likes instead to bump along in a state of profitable stasis. And which is perhaps missing a little intellectual content to go with the generalised excitement, a different kind of passion beyond the familiar operetta.
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Jussi, Cole, Demel & Nene leave West Ham
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
West Ham have officially confirmed that first team squad players Carlton Cole, Guy Demel, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Nene will all leave the Club at the end of their contracts on 30th June.
The release of these senior players will free up around £125,000 per week of wages which is £6.5m per season off the wage bill. Although not mentioned Loanee Alex Song is expected to save another £75,000 per week in wages after his loan ended.
Young Academy players Kieran Bywater, Sean Maguire, Paul McCallum and Dan Potts will also depart the Boleyn Ground after not being offered new contracts. Hammers scholars Jerry Amoo and Kieran Bailey have been released, while Taylor Tombides will also be moving on.
Released Under 16 Academy players include Nathan Parsons, Tom Carlton, Keagan Cole, Nathan Douglas, Matthew Campbell, Billy Holmes and Louis Yuill. Yuill has joined Birmingham youth while Campbell has joined Millwall youth setup.
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Official: Hendo becomes O's manager
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 29, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
Leyton Orient have appointed West Ham first team coach Ian Hendon as their new manager.
Hendon, 43, who played more than 150 times for Orient, takes up his new role on 1 July.
"Orient is a Club that means a great deal to me - I hope that fans will remember the commitment I showed as a player, and know they can expect the same dedication from me as Head Coach," Hendo told www.leytonorient.com
"I've got a lot of experience of the lower leagues, having played at every level during my career and worked in League Two as player/manager, but having spent a few years working in the Premier League I have learnt a huge amount that will stand me in good stead for this new challenge."
"I hope to be able to bring some stability to the Club and help rebuild after the disappointment of last season. Promotion is the priority, but reconnecting with the fans is also important. Having met the President, I was impressed with his own long-term plans for the Club, and I can't wait to get started."
Hendo's Orient will be playing Teddy Sheringham's Stevenage in league division two after the O's was relegated this season.
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Lille midfielder interest by Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H
According to reports in the media West Ham have enquired about £7m-rated Lille midfielder Idrissa Gueye.
The Senegalese international is also being tracked by Southampton and Crystal Palace but is wanted by several teams in France. Gueye, 25, made 39 appearances for Lille this season but was told last summer he could leave the French club.
Without a manager in place, Director of recruitment Tony Henry is thought to scouting a number of West Ham targets to hit the ground running in the Summer transfer market once a manager is finally appointed.
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Potts farewell to Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
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West Ham youngster Danny Potts has penned an emotional farewell to the club, staff and Hammers fans following his release from the club he spent 12 years at:
"An extremely emotional & difficult day personally in which there is no creditable way to sum up what West Ham United has done for me over the past 12 years. From the staff & players to the fans that have supported me through dark times and the very best of times I will be forever grateful. The club has taught me so much not only as a player on the pitch but a person off it. I will never forget my time at West Ham and want to wish the club and the people associated nothing but the best for the forthcoming seasons & hopefully give the fans the success they deserve! I look forward to what challenges and opportunities await me and with that I am excited for what the future holds for myself. It's been an absolute privilege & honour to have been able to represent the club that means so much to me and there are no words that will justify it all! Thank You WHUFC!"
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West Ham U21 Relegated
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
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West Ham have been relegated from the Barclays U21 Premier League division 1 after finishing rock bottom of the table.
The West Ham youngsters achieved just 5 wins and 17 points during their 22 games season. They now face a season in the U21 division 2.
The Barclays U21 Premier League replaced the Premier Reserve League at the start of the 2012/13 season. There are 24 clubs entered, of which 15 are from the Barclays Premier League and nine are from the Championship. The 24 clubs play in two 12-team divisions from the 2014/15 campaign. The teams in 11th and 12th in the division 1 will be relegated, while Division's top 2 will be promoted. West Ham finished in 12th place with a goal difference of -23 this season while fellow strugglers Fulham were also relegated on 22 points. Middlesborough and Reading have been promoted to division 1.
Head of player development Terry Westley is looking to completely rebuild the West Ham Academy in an attempt to get a return on the £4m the board invest each year. A large number players have been released in recent months and today saw another batch of players released who Westley believes can not make the grade, this included the son of his U21 manager, Dan Potts.
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Released West Ham players find clubs
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
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According to a website dedicated to West Ham youth whufcyouth.wordpress.com many of today's Academy youth players released by the club have new clubs lined up.
Taylor Tombides looks like he is set to join Hull City, Danny Potts has been linked with a move to Luton Town, Sean Maguire has been linked with a move Accrington Stanley, Jerry Amoo is training with Reading and Kieran Bailey has joined Colchester.
Head of Player Development, Terry Westley continues to clear out the Academy built by Tony Carr and Nick Haycock. Westley took over the Academy last Summer with Steve Potts now in place as the Under 21 manager. It is understood Westley has been tasked by the board with getting a return on the £4m plus investment made into the Academy every year.
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Martin: 'Club needs grabbing by scruff of the neck'
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
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Alvin Marin has delivered his verdict on the state of the club and reckons someone needs to take it by the scruff of the neck.
The talkSport presenter declared: "This is a very delicate and complex situation at West Ham. It's not open and shut.
"There are a lot of West Ham fans who were 50/50 whether they liked him or they didn't like him. (Sam Allardyce).
"When I'm asked about it, it's not just about was it right to make a change? It's what was the alternative? - If they didn't make a change, they had to offer him a new contract; what terms would it be on?"
"No one can argue that Allardyce doesn't have plenty of Premier League experience and a CV to do well at any club around a mid-table sort of level.
"However, West Ham now have the tools to be much more than that and they will be looking to progress domestically next season and to make the most of their gifted position in the Europa League.
"Someone needs to grab the club by the scruff of the neck and the board clearly didn't feel that Allardyce was worth the financial gambled, weighed against those pressures for the club to improve.
"Whether it turns out to be the right decision remains to be seen, but the new man coming in has a real opportunity to create something special by the time of the club's move to the Olympic Stadium."
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An open letter from Carlton Cole
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 28, 2015 in Whispers
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Hello everyone,
I've been at West Ham United for quite a long time and I've enjoyed myself here, with all the ups and downs, the heartaches and everything that came along with it.
At the same time, I've grown from being a boy to a man here and everybody has treated me like a part of the family.
It is heart-warming to know that I have got such support and that I have done my fair share for the Club and been part of the history as well, which is very important for me.
I'm very happy to have been a part of it and, wherever my future may lie, West Ham will always have a special place in my heart.
It means a lot to me to have been at West Ham for so long. I wouldn't like to use the word hero, but I have played my part. A load of players have come and gone, but I've stayed around and enjoyed every minute of it.
If I could pick out my two most memorable moments, the Play-Off final and the two goals I scored when we beat Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup in 2010 are the two that everybody says that I played a blinder in and it would be fair to say I agree with them.
I have enjoyed every game I have played for West Ham but all good things have to come to an end and I will be leaving.
When I think of West Ham United I think of a family football club which has embraced me and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
Thank you all.
Carlton Cole
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