Page pleased to see performances rewarded
WHUFC.com
Having secured their fifth consecutive win with a 2-1 victory over
previously undefeated West Bromwich Albion, left-back Lewis Page said he was
delighted that the Dev Squad are getting the rewards that their performances
deserve. In a dominant display, the Dev Squad took the lead through Jaanai
Gordon's powerful drive from the edge of the box, before Martin Samuelsen's
late strike sealed the three points after Saido Berahino had equalised.
Reflecting on the win, their sixth from seven games in all competitions,
Page said: "It's nice that our performances are turning into results, at the
start of the season our performances weren't getting anything, but now we're
all playing well and taking our chances. "It was definitely a deserved win,
even though they had a strong team out tonight, Serge Gnabry and Saido
Berahino as well as some other good players, so it was good to get a win
over such a strong side."
While the young Hammers had a tough start to the campaign, they have
improved as the season has progressed and now find themselves seventh in the
Barclays U21 Premier League Division Two.
Up next is a tough London derby with Arsenal at Upton Park next Monday, and
Page and his teammates know another win could see them climb as high as
third. He continued: "The confidence has always been there really, now after
a few wins it's obviously even better, we're all buzzing in the dressing
room now. "I just hope we can maintain this unbeaten run for as long as
possible, if we do that, who knows where it'll take us. We're slowly
climbing the league which is nice to see, and hopefully that continues. "We
didn't play to our best against Arsenal that day, we're playing a lot better
now than we were back then so hopefully we'll give them a good game and get
something out of it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Manuel Lanzini update
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that Manuel Lanzini could be ruled out for up to
six weeks with a quadriceps injury. The Argentinian attacking midfielder
suffered the thigh injury in training ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier
League trip to Manchester United. Lanzini underwent a scan on Monday and
will now begin a period of rehabilitation which is expected to keep him out
of first-team action for a period of up to six weeks. The 22-year-old is
currently on a season-long loan from UAE-based Al-Jazira Club. He has four
goals and one assist in his 12 Barclays Premier League appearances this
term.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
From the Newsroom - Dave Evans
WHUFC.com
It was just a year ago when we all thought that Mauro Zarate had played his
last game for West Ham. He was in the team that returned from West Brom with
all three Premier League points, but differences with then manager Sam
Allardyce meant he was out of the team and shipped off to west London and
Queens Park Rangers. Things did not get much better there as first injury
and then non-selection restricted him to just four substitute appearances.
What a difference a year makes. With the arrival of Slaven Bilic, has come a
new start and a new belief in the skills and potential of the 28-year-old
Argentinian. He has scored five goals already this term and though Saturday
at Old Trafford turned out not to be his day, he was the man who took the
game to Manchester United with his flair and daring. Without Dimitri Payet,
Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho and latest injury victim Manuel Lanzini many
thought that West Ham would be in for a long and tough afternoon in
Manchester on Saturday. But even without those key men, West Ham looked
confident, took the game to Louis van Gaal's men and on another day would
have had the game sewn up by half time.
That first half was as good as the Hammers have played on the road this
season and that includes the trips to Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester
City. The only thing that was missing was the finishing. Zarate was one of
the reasons for that first-half dominance. While Adrian did not have a shot
to save in the opening 45 minutes, Zarate hit the post, albeit without
realising it; Winston Reid headed against the base of the same post, while
perhaps the best chance fell to Victor Moses who failed to beat David de Gea
in a one-on-one situation. United have only let in one home league goal all
season and most visiting teams have not had much of a sniff of even an
opening there, so to have four golden chances in the opening 45 minutes was
a monumental achievement.
Earlier in the season it would have been game over and three more points for
West Ham, but it wasn't quite to be. The second half saw United storm back –
it is United at home after all – but the Hammers kept their belief, defended
superbly with Winston Reid at his very best, but they still would not have
held out if it wasn't for the fact that they relieved the pressure with some
attacking of their own. And then came the moment - the moment where West Ham
could and should have secured the match. It was a great move. Michail
Antonio put in a low cross with the outside of his boot, Andy Carroll played
a superb knock down which fell neatly into the path of the onside Zarate.
But inexplicably, the Argentinian somehow managed to poke his shot wide with
just the keeper to beat and he buried his head into the Old Trafford turf in
disbelief. Zarate apologised for the miss on twitter on Saturday night, but
there was no need.
At least he was in the right place at the right time and over the years
since that Carlos Tevez winner on 'Great Escape' day, the Hammers have
rarely got into the United box at all. This is a different sort of West Ham
though. Not a defence first, play for a point team, but a confident side who
know they can play with the best, even if they are missing their own key
men.
Zarate is a part of that and a year is clearly a long time in football.
Without a change in manager and the arrival of Bilic, he would have been
long gone. Now he is a vital attacking player for the team. Not bad for a
free transfer who couldn't get into QPR's relegation team!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Big Interview - Michail Antonio
WHUFC.com
Michail Antonio has been waiting patiently for his chance in the first-team
but could not have asked for a bigger platform to showcase his talents than
Old Trafford on Saturday. Antonio has been a regular member of the
first-team squad following his big money move from Nottingham Forest during
the summer, but has yet to start a Premier League game. The 25-year-old was
called into action after 37 minutes during the 0-0 draw against Manchester
United after Victor Moses was forced to leave the field through injury.
Antonio quickly showed why he is rated so highly with an impressive display
and will now be hoping to keep his place for the home game against Stoke on
Saturday.
Michail, this was not a bad time for you to come on and play such a big part
in the game at Old Trafford. Do you feel the team could have come away with
all three points?
MA: "We could have definitely come away with a victory. We had some big
chances with Victor Moses who was through on goal, we hit the woodwork twice
and Zarate had a big chance in the second half. "We could have taken all
three points but we will settle for taking a point as Old Trafford which is
a great stadium to play in and this will be a confidence boost for the rest
of the season."
We had so many influential players missing for the United game. Is there a
belief in the dressing room that we can go to these big clubs and come away
with a result?
MA: "Manchester United have got a great history and some great players. Some
people will say this was a bonus game for us but we have gone out with
nothing to lose. "We wanted to see what we could take from the game and we
are happy to come away with a point and move onto the next game."
Victor Moses was forced to come off with an injury, but you seemed to relish
coming on in front of a big crowd at Old Trafford and taking your chance in
the first-team?
MA: "Victor has picked up an injury and it has given me the opportunity. I
hope he has a fast recovery but I now have a great opportunity. "Hopefully I
can build on this and get better as the season goes on."
You have had to be patient for you chance but how much do you want to
establish yourself as a first-team regular?
MA: "We have got a few injuries in the position that I play. I have been
patient for my chance but now I need to take it and keep my shirt. "I need
to take my opportunity and push on for the next game."
Finally, we return to action at the Boleyn Ground this weekend. How much are
the players keen to get back on the winning trail when we face Stoke on
Saturday?
MA: "We have not won for a couple of games now and we need to get three
points back on the board again. "Even though we are picking up points in the
league, we need to be picking up victories to help us move higher in the
league."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Manuel Lanzini: West Ham midfielder faces six weeks out
BBc.co.uk
West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini could be out for up to six weeks with a
thigh injury. The Argentine, 22, suffered the problem in training before
Saturday's 0-0 draw at Manchester United. Lanzini, on a season-long loan
from Abu Dhabi club Al Jazira, has four goals and one assist in his 12
league appearances this campaign.
He had a scan on Monday and has now begun the rehabilitation which should
see him return next month. Meanwhile, Hammers winger Victor Moses will have
a scan on Tuesday on his hamstring injury. The 24-year-old, on loan from
Chelsea, came off during the goalless draw at Old Trafford.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lanzini ruled out until January
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 8th December 2015
By: Staff Writer
Manuel Lanzini has added to West Ham's injury woes after being ruled out of
action for at least a month. The in-form Argentine midfielder has joined the
likes of Dimitri Payet, Diafra Sakho and Enner Velencia on the sidelines
after sustaining a quadriceps injury, according to West Ham's website. "The
Argentinian attacking midfielder suffered the thigh injury in training ahead
of Saturday's Barclays Premier League trip to Manchester United," said
whufc.com. "Lanzini underwent a scan on Monday and will now begin a period
of rehabilitation which is expected to keep him out of first-team action for
a period of up to six weeks."
Lanzini, who is currently on a season-long loan from Al-Jazira has made 14
appearances for West Ham since moving to England and scored four goals -
against Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Everton and, most recently, Tottenham.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stop making nonsense
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 8th December 2015
By: Matthew Webb
Following the match against Manchester United on Saturday, most people seem
to agree that both Marouane Fellaini and Bastian Schweinsteiger should have
been sent off. I am certainly one of them.
Marouane Fellaini is a player that I would award a yellow card to just for
walking on the pitch. Schweinsteiger is less disagreeable, but you can't
argue with an elbow to the throat (although I'm sure Manchester United will
try.)
I am not writing to bitterly lament our bad luck in not being given the
opportunity to play most of this game against nine men (well…maybe I am a
little…) but what this game has really highlighted for me is an odd trend
I've been noticing recently among pundits and journalists when talking about
potential sending off incidents.
More and more often I am hearing people say something along the lines of,
"What the fans want to see is eleven against eleven." Which on the surface
of things is a fair enough statement, even if simply because that is one of
the principle rules of the game that so many of us flock to watch each week.
What I'm finding increasingly frustrating is the way this phrase is being
used as an excuse for a referee not issuing a red card to a player. It seems
that in the game on Saturday, Mark Clattenburg genuinely didn't see either
incident. Frustrating but forgivable. But if he had seen these incidents and
decided against issuing a red card in order to avoid spoiling the match for
"everybody," what sort of a message does that send out?
That is essentially what pundits are arguing in favour of when they make
this "eleven against eleven" comment. Let's ignore the rules of the game so
that the fans can get full enjoyment out of it, somehow. Don't issue a
second yellow for a foul that deserves one. Don't issue a red for an elbow.
Bend the rules as much as possible. For the fans.
This is yet another comment that proves to me that most people who work in
football media actually have no idea what an average fan thinks. Imagine if
Fellaini or Schweinsteiger had popped up with a last minute winner on
Saturday. Apparently we'd have all been saying, "Oh well, at least we got to
see a fair game, eleven on eleven!"
Of course we wouldn't have been saying that because that would not have been
a fair game. We'd have been furious. Fellaini should have been sent off.
Schweinsteiger should have been sent off.
I suppose what I'm saying is that I'd prefer pundits to start using a phrase
more along the lines of, "What the fans want to see is a decent game of
football, competently refereed by somebody that knows and understands the
rules properly" but that would be a bit of a mouthful for a Robbie Savage or
a Graeme Souness.
Actually, what I'd really like is for pundits and commentators to stop
assuming any kind of knowledge of what the fans are thinking at all. We are
a fickle and unpredictable bunch. We quite like seeing our team win. Beyond
that it's very hard to say how we're feeling, almost as if we're a
collection of individuals rather than a single giant entity like The Blob
from the 1958 film of the same name.
Take the case of pundits trying to understand our feelings towards Sam
Allardyce last season. "I don't know what West Ham fans expect," was
commonly heard from Alan Shearer on Match of the Day. That's right, Alan.
You don't. Neither do we, for the most part, except maybe... just...
better..?
Yes, I think that's what I expected towards the end of last season. Better.
I really would have struggled to explain my feelings in clearer words than
that, so for a bunch of overpaid ex-professionals to try to make sense of
those emotions is just ridiculous.
So there's my message for pundits and journalists. Stop making assumptions
on behalf of football fans. Stop trying to understand how our crazy minds
works. Most of all, stop using our feelings as an excuse for referees not
doing their jobs properly.
Maybe if the FA could see their way clear to retrospectively awarding us
three points for Saturday; that would also be great.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
LANZINI JOINS THE INJURY LIST SO WHO CAN REPLACE HIM?
By Iain Dale 8 Dec 2015 at 19:31
WTID
I was having a row with my Gooner supporting LBC producer Matt this
afternoon. He reckoned Arsenal's injury problems were far worse than ours
and involved better players than ours. He cited Wilshire, Sanchez Carzola
and a couple of others I can't recall (and care even less about). I reckoned
that the fact that we now have Payet, Sakho, Lanzini, Moses and Valencia out
more than out-trumped him. He laughed at my assertion that Payet is better
than Sanchez.
The news that Lanzini is out for six weeks is a bitter pill to swallow on
top of everything else. To lose Payet would have been bad enough, but now
Lanzini, it means we're incredibly light on the creative front. It will give
Antonio and Obiang their chances to shine, and maybe Reece Oxford too, but
no one can pretend they will score or create the goals that Payet and
Lanzini would have. I'm also assuming Moses is out too. So it seems that
Michael Antonio is going to get his chance to show us what he can do. By all
accounts e did very well at Old Trafford.
We have Martin Samuelsen out on loan to Peterborough, who might have been a
direct replacement for Lanzini in the short term but apparently, according
to Hugh Southon we cannot recall him as he has to be there a full month.
Unbelievable. Diego Poyet is at Huddersfield for the season but hopefully he
could be recalled. He is more of a holding midfielder than a creative one,
though.
So how might we line up against Stoke in midfield and attack? I suspect it
will be something like this…
Adrian, Cresswell, Tomkins, Ogbonna, Reid, Noble, Kouyate, Song, Antonio,
Zarate, Carroll
Subs Randolph, Collins, Jenkinson, Oxford, Jelavic, Obiang, Cullen
Still a strong team. Just as well we have strength in depth for once.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
UPTON PARK MEMORIES - NEW BOOK
By Tony McDonald 8 Dec 2015 at 17:00
WTID
NOT long to go now until West Ham United and their passionate, loyal fans
bid an emotional farewell to the Boleyn Ground before moving to Stratford's
Olympic Stadium.
The bulldozers will be on their way soon . . . but they can't destroy our
memories.
Upton Park Memories is a brand new book launching this Saturday (Dec 12)
that captures the essence of the club's spiritual home for the past 112
years. Printed in hardback and lavishly illustrated throughout its 372 full
colour pages, UPM is a riveting compilation of personal stories, anecdotes
and shared experiences as recalled by 200-plus West Ham fans and a number of
players, including heroes such as Sir Trevor Brooking, Sir Geoff Hurst,
Billy Bonds, Julian Dicks and Paolo Di Canio.
Our contributors' devotion to the Hammers spans all 11 decades of The Boleyn
years – the oldest was 100-years-old and saw his first game aged six in 1910
– and each has a unique story to tell. Absorb and entertain yourself by
reading about:
WHY FANS SUPPORT WEST HAM UNITED AND THEIR FIRST GAME MEMORIES
MEMORABLE MATCHES & MOMENTS
GREAT GOALS
THREE FAVOURITE PLAYERS & CULT HEROES
MATCH DAY ROUTINES & RITUALS
BOLEYN HIGHS & LOWS
FAVOURITE KITS
CHARACTERS IN THE CROWD
Quotes from the back cover.
Plus . . . Songs & Chants, Bond Scheme Protests and Hooliganism, Fanzines,
Collectables, Autographs, Tickets, Boleyn by Air, Special Guests,
Programmes, Handbooks, Upton Park Firsts, Street Parades, Stadium Views
Through the Years, Timeline, etc.
In the final 'Moving On' chapter, fans express their forthright views on the
owners' decision to sell Hammers' famous old ground and move to the Olympic
Stadium.
The book includes 700-plus photos and illustrations, many of which have
never been seen before. It's an emotional rollercoaster read that will make
you laugh out loud and bring tears to your eyes. I feel sure all of you
reading this will readily relate to most of what is in the book and,
hopefully, be entertained by it.
With Stoke City visiting Upton Park on Saturday, I'm pleased to present the
following excerpts from our book, which I hope will resonate and give you a
flavour of what to expect . . .
From the chapter titled: Why West Ham United? – Your First-Ever Visit to the
Boleyn Ground
Joe Durrell: When I arrived at the ground to sign schoolboy forms in the
summer of 1968, there was nobody there. Eventually, Ernie Gregory turned up
and told me to go and buy 20 fags at the local shop, so the first task I had
as a West Ham boy was to go and buy Ernie Gregory a packet of Batchelors
cigarettes!
My family were regulars at Upton Park and when I think back I remember
going, with Mickey Durrell, to the FA Cup semi v Manchester United as well
as the finals. To then later play with those same guys is simply
unbelievable. As a kid you just can't absorb the full magnitude of that.
On the day of my first team debut v Stoke City (25/9/71), I remember getting
on the train at Mile End to go to the ground about an-hour and-half before
kick-off. I would be sitting there with the fans.
Gordon Banks was in goal for Stoke and I got injured early on. Before taking
the free-kick Bobby Moore came over to me and said: "Try and keep it away
from the big man in green," which was a brilliant thing for me to hear at
the time. It really settled me down and was just the instruction I needed.
I think I did all right. I wasn't fantastic but I was good enough and we won
the game 2-1 (with goals from Clyde Best, Bobby Moore). I didn't have any
chances but I did put in a few crosses.
John Lawrence: One of our neighbours, Ernie, popped round to our house one
Friday evening to ask if I wanted to go to West Ham the following day. I
went as company for his son Terry, who was three years older than me. It was
a goal-less draw v Stoke City (30/10/65) and at the impressionable age of
eight I was amazed by the colours and the noise of the crowd. I remember
very little apart from a truckload of back passes and the fact that I stood
in the cage in the North Bank – the one that overlooked the main grandstand.
The steps were huge and the bit next to the stand had wobbly railings. If
you looked down and through them there was a massive drop. Very scary!
Lee Burch: v Stoke City (21/10/78), 1-1 (Trevor Brooking). I was four and
the crowd was electric as I took my seat in the West Stand upper. I remember
asking my uncle for a song-sheet, because I didn't know all the words to the
songs!
From the chapter titled: Memorable Matches & Moments
Dave Spurgeon: If I am tied down to one choice only, then not for the
happiest of reasons it has to be me being among that throng of fans on the
North Bank when Stoke's Gordon Banks saved Geoff Hurst's penalty in the
dying minutes of extra-time (15/12/71) to deny us a place in the League Cup
final at Wembley. Inside 60 seconds every Hammers fan there that night rode
the emotional rollercoaster of euphoric anticipation through to dismayed
disappointment and disbelief, pretty typical over the decades, one could
say.
There was celebration and noise when the penalty was awarded (Banks dropped
a cross and then brought down Harry Redknapp while trying to retrieve the
ball) akin to an actual goal being scored. As Hurst placed the ball on the
spot the crowd and mood seemed to change in a matter of seconds. Even the
more exuberant and vocal elements on the North Bank steadied themselves in
anxious anticipation. Hurst had scored from the spot against Banks in the
first leg. Could he do it again with the Twin Towers in sight?
Hammers heartbreaker: Gordon Banks diverts Geoff Hurst's penalty over the
bar.
My vivid memory is of looking down the length of the pitch to see Tommy
Taylor and John McDowell crouched down, covering their eyes with their hands
facing the South Bank and not daring to watch. Some prophet of doom from
about three feet behind me on the terrace then shouted: "Give it to Robson,
for f*** sake, Hurstie, we all know where you gonna f****** put, it let
alone Banks!"
Well, Gordon Banks certainly knew and as the ball flew off Hurst's boot at
such power and speed, I could not actually say I could follow it with the
naked eye. My eyes, however, did not see the desired result of the ball
smashing the net, only it's return from orbit via Gordon Banks fists and the
look of disbelief on Geoff's face.
My ears were filled with groans and foul mouthed curses from 10,000 fans
around me. I was probably too numb to shout anything but if that prophet of
doom from behind me had been identified, I may well have had a word in his
ear.
Kevin Courtney: Seeing my boyhood hero Bobby Moore scoring past Gordon Banks
via a deflection in the 2-1 victory v Stoke City (25/9/71). His celebration
was typically muted but after that I proceed to copy him whenever I scored a
goal at school!
Terry Foster: Most unusual memory was v Stoke City (8/4/69). A terrible,
goal-less game enlivened only by a woman spectator running onto the pitch at
the end and decking the ref (T.H.C. Reynolds of Swansea).
Paul Morgan: v Stoke City, (7/10/67), THAT unbelievable 4-3 defeat! Geoff
Hurst (2) and Martin Peters put Hammers 3-0 up in 40 minutes but Stoke
scored four in the last 25 minutes.
This is just a very small sample from a substantial volume containing
150,000-plus words. To pre-order Upton Park Memories for £20 (saving a fiver
on the RRP and with FREE P&P in the UK) visit our EX-Hammers website or
phone Caroline or Susie on 01708 744 333. We expect delivery of the book
this Friday (Dec 11) and all orders will be despatched that day.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A TIME OF OPPORTUNITY
By Bobby Shovels 8 Dec 2015 at 08:00
WTID
I said we needed a result at Old Trafford and we deservedly got one. Yes,
many of us will replay in our head that Mauro Zarate opportunity a million
times over: his finishes against Arsenal and Chelsea were far more difficult
to execute. But hey, that's football, and a point at Old Trafford –
regardless of all the negative chat around them at the moment – is something
to be fully pleased with.
The matter of my negativity is one that comes up a lot but I want to focus
on something my pessimism fails to fully appreciate in this season: the
unpredictable nature of 2015/2016. I'm sure you've heard a lot about this in
podcasts and papers, but it is truly something to behold. During a work
shift this weekend, I kept casting fleeting glances at the Newcastle v
Liverpool game, convinced of a late victory to the Reds or a stalemate. 2-0
to the Magpies was not something anyone saw coming.
There are numerous reasons given for such a bizarre season. The tiredness of
Chelsea. The dullness of United. The injuries of Arsenal. The inconsistency
of Man City. Yet it's also about the strengths of sides. The consistency of
Leicester City. The silent rise of Stoke. The Palace of Pardew. The rise
again of Everton. And what about the newcomers? Watford's start of a good
run as well as Norwich's growing comfortableness in the top league.
Ahead of the TV revenue windfall, clubs are desperate to stay in the league.
But clubs are also realising the allure of the league more widely and the
ability to get a lot of bang for your buck. The brilliance of Payet and
Shaqiri – and even Mahrez, who was bought for just 400,000 in early 2014 –
shows that you do not even need to spend huge sums to get real quality that
can take you above the mid-table inertia your team has become accustomed
too.
It is in such an environment, that West Ham faces Stoke after a run of five
games without a win – but yes, with two decent draws against Everton and
United. Stoke have just beaten City – West Ham were the first team this
season to triumph against the title favourites. So? My gut says a Hammers
win. Is that a surprise? Well, yes and no. No, because it should be a game
the Hammers can muster some strength and fight for. Yes, because West Ham
have only won two games at home this season.
The key thing though is that West Ham have a string of injuries that
threaten to derail our season. But, as my musings above detail, this is a
year when such a problem may not be too big if we can hold on until the new
year. Stoke, Swansea, Villa and Southampton are our remaining games in 2015.
Now, part of me worries that matches against Swansea and Villa – teams
really under the cosh – are just the kind of battles that the Hammers
usually come out defeated, much to our collective embarrassment. But surely
this is as good a time as any – in a season when others keep slipping – for
us to muster the strength in the depth of our squad, despite the injuries,
to really get a good number of points on the board so that 2016 – perhaps
the biggest year in the Hammers' history since 1986 (or even since 1965)
gets off to a calm and safe start – ready to take on Klopp's Liverpool.
Bring in the New Year, come on you Irons.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham WON'T spend big in January despite Manuel Lanzini blow adding to
injury crisis
18:39, 8 DEC 2015 UPDATED 19:02, 8 DEC 2015
BY DARREN LEWIS
The playmaker is out for up to six weeks - a month longer than anticipated -
and joins Dimitri Payet, Diafra Sakho and Victor Moses as long-term
absentees
The Mirror
West Ham will refuse to go on a January spending spree even after their
injury crisis hit a new low. The east Londoners have been rocked by
confirmation that playmaker Manuel Lanzini is out for up to six weeks - a
month longer than they had anticipated. Mirror Sport revealed on Monday that
22-year-old Lanzini - whose loan deal from Al-Jazira is set to be made
permanent - had picked up the thigh problem in training ahead of Saturday's
goalless draw at Manchester United.
West Ham had initially expected him to be out for seven to 14 days. Hammers
co-chairman David Gold even tweeted on Monday that he was confident that the
Argentine would be back for Saturday's home game against Stoke.
A scan on Monday, though, confirmed the extended layoff and Lanzini has now
started the rehab that the club hope will see him back for the home game
against Manchester City on January 23. It is understood, however, that the
seventh-placed club feel they still have enough within the squad not to have
to spend their way out of trouble. Andy Carroll will keep his place in the
side while Nikica Jelavic, Mauro Zarate and Michail Antonio, a £7million
summer signing from Nottingham Forest in the summer, will now be handed more
significant roles over the festive period. So far this season Lanzini has
scored four goals and provided one assist in 12 Premier League appearances.
His absence will be a huge blow for boss Slaven Bilic. West Ham are also
expecting to receive confirmation that Victor Moses is out for a similar
length of time with a hamstring injury. The 24-year-old Nigeria forward, on
loan from Chelsea, came off after 37 minutes of the United game at the
weekend.
The loss of both players comes with key men Dimitri Payet and Diafra Sakho
both out for three months. In better news for the Hammers, Enner Valencia
could return this weekend. He was previously expected to be out for another
three weeks.
Meanwhile, chairman David Sullivan has revealed he wants the club to exact
revenge on FA Cup third round opponents Wolves. Reacting to Monday night's
draw, Sullivan said: "One of my first games at the club was Wolves at home
and we were appalling. I'd like revenge for that. It was a Tuesday night, we
were terrible."
Goals from Kevin Doyle, Ronald Zubar and Matt Jarvis clinched victory for
Wanderers that night in March 2010, with Guillermo Franco grabbing the
Irons' consolation.
Sullivan told the Claret and Hugh website: "It's a decent draw, its been
four or five games since we have been drawn at home in the Cup. We are due
four or five home draws. "We will be treating the FA Cup very seriously. We
must give Wolves respect. It's not an easy draw, but it's one we expect to
win."
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Referees amazed by Manchester United star Bastian Schweinsteiger's FA charge
over West Ham incident
17:00, 8 DEC 2015 UPDATED 17:16, 8 DEC 2015
BY JOHN CROSS
The decision has sparked concern about 're-officiating' games despite
whistler Clattenburg missing the German's clash with Winston Reid
The Mirror
Bastian Schweinsteiger is set to appeal after the FA's decision to charge
him caused widespread amazement among the refereeing fraternity. Manchester
United midfielder Schweinsteiger is facing a three-game ban after trial by
television for flooring West Ham defender Winston Reid at Old Trafford on
Saturday. Former officials Steve Dunn, Alan Wiley and Eddie Wolstenholme all
agreed the case should be referred after Mark Clattenburg missed the
incident during the game.
But Mirror Sport understands the FA's decision has caused concern among
whistlers about re-refereeing the game, and whether it was deliberate. One
source said of the Schweinsteiger incident: "You cannot possibly say that he
meant that. It was purely the motion of his arm. It's a very strange case."
Man United are believed to be ready to take legal advice before deciding
whether to appeal and have until Thursday to contest the charge.
Historically, clubs very rarely have any success overturning charges after
'trial by television' and a ban would rule Schweinsteiger out of the
upcoming games with Bournemouth, Norwich and Stoke. West Ham are convinced
the shove merits a suspension. Reid insisted after the match: "It was a red
card. "He knows what he's done – he's elbowed me in the face."
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Striker's injuries need thorough investigation
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
Yes, the injury issues which surround West Ham United are extraordinary and
very, very worrying – there's too many of them too often. CandH forum
members are calling for investigations into the whys of this although no
probe is required into the Dimi Payet injury. We all know what happened
there. However, the communication breakdown on Manu Lanzini needs some
explaining
Both co-chairman were of the view publicly -David Gold even tweeted it -that
his was a relatively minor problem yet today we are stunned by the news that
its a major quadriceps injury – the same as suffered by Angelo Ogbonna.
Coincidence or what? Enner Valencia will soon be back and has been unlucky
whilst the Victor Moses hamstring was sustained during the game and owes
nothing to the Chadwell Heath training ground conspiracy theory which
regularly does the rounds.
I just believe we are unlucky but there has been one recurring thought which
is starting to concern me more than a bit – Diafra Sakho's injury problems.
Last season he made 26 appearances from a possible 43 with his back the
issue. This season we will be without him for another 13 on top of those
already missed. It could be more if he fails to make it back for March 1,
the generally projected date. This time his problem is a thigh muscle strain
– a similar injury to that affecting his back last season.The full
investigation called for on the FB forum into injures generally may not be
realistic or possible.
But the medics should surely make certain that they look very very closely
at the issues which may surround Sakho – arguably the most important member
of the squad if for a moment we can disregard Payet.
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Hammers repeat: "He's not for sale"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham have again made it clear that James Tomkins is going nowhere. With
the Hammers set to be very quiet in the January transfer window, keen
speculation has started surrounding Irons players who may be on their way
out. ClaretandHugh reported a couple of days back that the Hammers have no
intention of selling but such has been the speculation that a reliable club
source has repeated their position. And chief among them since a weekend
report appeared in one of the Sunday papers is that Sam Allardyce wants
Tomkins at around £10 million. That has been rejected again with a source
telling us this morning: "It's nonsense. It won't be happening. James is an
important member of the squad and won't be going anywhere. "Let's be honest
even if we were ready to sell him – which most certainly are not – he's an
Essex boy and the last place I can imagine him going would be Sunderland.
"We understand that reporters have to get stories published but this one
truly is a non starter. We would add that Sunderland have made absolutely no
approaches either."
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Hammers can't recall this loanee for Lanzini
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham cannot recall Martin Samuelsen from Peterborough United as an
emergency replacement for Manuel Lanzini. The Hammers were hit with the
shock news of the midfielder's injury which could keep him out of action for
up to six weeks. And the thoughts of some on the social networks immediately
turned to the young Norwegian as a replacement after his stunning start to
life on loan at London Road. But ClaretandHugh was immediately told: "No,
he's not ready and he has to stay at Peterborough for month a month before
he can be recalled anyway." "The Lanzini blow is cruel. No one expected such
news but we showed on Saturday we can cope but we really can't take any more
injuries."
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Sullivan seeking revenge
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Sullivan will be looking for revenge when the Hammers meet Wolves at
the Boleyn in the Third Round of the FA Cup. The chairman is pleased with a
draw which finally sees us getting a home draw in the premier domestic cup
competition. Hammers fans didn't have long to wait beyong the third and
fourth balls to arrive out of the canister to know their 2015-16 opponents.
There was relief that we were at home to a very beatable team and speaking
exclusively to ClaretandHugh this morning the chairman declared himself
content with the match-up But he recalled: "One of my first games at club
was Wolves at home at we were appalling, I'd like revenge for that It was a
Tuesday night, we were TERRIBLE !" The Hammers were beaten 3-1 via goals
from Kevin Doyle, Ronald Zubar and a certain Matt Jarvis with our lone
response coming from Guillermo Franco. Sullivan told us: "It's a decent
draw, its been four or five games since we have been drawn at home in the
Cup. We are due 4-5 HOME DRAWS ! If we can't beat a middle table
Championship side at home we do not deserve to get to round 4. We will be
treating the FA Cup very seriously. We must give Wolves respect. It's not an
easy draw, but its one we expect to win."
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Injured Irons expected return dates
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 8, 2015 in News
C and H
Keeping track of West Ham's walking wounded and their likely return dates is
becoming a time consuming job. And in the absence of an update from the club
we are grateful for the information supplied by www.physioroom.com who keep
a reasonably accurate check on injuries across the Premier League over the
course of the season. Here's how they are reporting the Hammers casualty
situation at the moment.
Victor Moses: Hamstring injury……..no return date
Manu Lanzini: Hip/thigh ………………January 23rd 2016
Diafra Sakho: Thigh muscle strain…March 2016
Enner Valencia: Ankle/foot injury…..December 20th 2015
Dmitri Payet: High Ankle sprain…….February 2016
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Manchester United's Bastian Schweinsteiger to appeal against charge
• Midfielder allegedly elbowed West Ham's Winston Reid
• Referee Mark Clattenburg and assistants missed incident
Daniel Taylor
@DTguardian
Tuesday 8 December 2015 12.08
Bastian Schweinsteiger has told Manchester United he wants to fight a charge
of violent conduct after his clash with Winston Reid during Saturday's
goalless draw against West Ham at Old Trafford. Schweinsteiger is facing a
three-match ban after knocking Reid to the ground with his forearm but the
Germany international does not believe it should warrant a suspension and
has the backing of his club. United have until Thursday to inform the FA
about whether they intend to appeal but their chances of overturning the
decision look slim given that the governing body has already shown the
incident to a panel of three former referees. Their decision unanimously was
that it should have warranted a red card and Schweinsteiger should miss
United's matches against Bournemouth, Norwich City and Stoke City. The
referee, Mark Clattenburg, has told the FA he did not fully see the incident
and West Ham are convinced it deserves a ban. Their manager, Slaven Bilic,
described it as "a moment of madness" and Reid insisted after the match it
was deliberate. "It was a red card," the West Ham defender said. "He knows
what he's done – he's elbowed me in the face. The referee couldn't see it,
so we move on."
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Lanzini adds to the list of Hammers attackers on the sidelines
Date: 8th December 2015 at 2:08 pm
Written by: Matt Bourne | Comments (0)
froeverwestham.com
Another massive injury blow today as West Ham have confirmed that Manuel
Lanzini will be out of action for the hammers for up to 6 weeks following a
scan on his thigh. Lanzini was left out of the draw with Manchester United
at the weekend as a precautionary measure, and was expected to return to the
side for the Stoke match this weekend. However, this new injury setback
means that another one of our most influential attacking players is set for
a spell on the sidelines. The Argentine has been added to a list including
Payet, Sakho and Valencia. We are also still waiting anxiously for the news
from Victor Moses' hamstring scan as the Nigerian could yet be added to the
growing list after his injury picked up on Saturday at Old Trafford.
These players are all potential starters in Bilic's strongest starting
eleven and Sakho, Lanzini and Payet all look destined to miss the busy
Christmas period coming up. So what does this mean for Slaven Bilic's side
in the immediate future? It means that the hammers are gonna need to follow
up the clean sheet at Old Trafford with more of the same. The defence is
gonna be essential over the Christmas period as Carroll and Jelavic don't
look like banging in the goals anytime soon. Zarate has had moments of magic
this season, but has also had his fair share of shockers. Some consistency
is needed from him to fill the creative void left by the likes of Payet and
Lanzini. We might even catch a rare Michail Antonio sighting from the start
of a Premier League game at some point.
Some good news is long overdue on the injury front, so let's hope that
Victor Moses will be ready to return to action sooner rather than later.
There is no need to panic for West Ham fans yet, but another attacker on the
sidelines is not ideal with a busy schedule coming up.
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Tony Cottee backs Slaven Bilic to guide West Ham to the Champions League in
the future
HITC
Jordan Harris
The Hammers have claimed some famous victories already this season. Former
West Ham striker Tony Cottee has backed Slaven Bilic to one day guide the
Hammers into the Champions League, the Daily Star report. "Let's be honest.
West Ham are behind the three main London clubs. Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs
have all had Champions League experience of various forms," he said. "West
Ham are the fourth London club at the moment. As a passionate West Ham fan I
want us to move on to the next level and be competing with them. "But Slaven
Bilic is doing a great job, and if we build slowly I think West Ham can get
to that stage. People will laugh and say West Ham fans are dreaming but you
have to dream in football," he added. The Boleyn Ground outfit currently sit
sixth in the Premier League table, having already beaten Arsenal, Liverpool,
Manchester City and Chelsea this season. And while their performances in
those games would suggest that Cottee's prediction is not as bold as it
initially sounds, defeat against the likes of Bournemouth and Watford have
prevented Bilic's men from staying in touch with the current top four.
However, with tenth-place Stoke City being the highest placed side that the
Hammers will come up against during the busy Christmas period, Bilic's men
will have the opportunity to prove whether they have banished the
complacency which prevented them hitting the heights they hit against some
of the division's biggest sides. Although Cottee's prediction will arguably
come too soon to be fulfilled this season, a string of ruthless performances
in December may well put them back into the mix to spring another surprise
during this bizarre campaign.
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Sam Allardyce eyes £10million January West Ham raid to solve Sunderland's
defensive issues
London 24
06:55 08 December 2015 Brad Pinard
Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce is hoping to snap up James Tomkins from West
Ham in January. The Evening Chronicle claims Big Sam is hoping to lure
Tomkins away from Upton Park but the £10million asking price could be
excessive with loan deals currently the plan for Sunderland. Fellow Hammer
James Collins is also a target of Allardyce who wants to plug his leaky
defence, with only rivals Newcastle and newly promoted Bournemouth conceding
more than them this season. Tomkins has been an unsung hero for Slaven Bilic
this season, playing centrally or at right back with great effect. Having
lead a young West Ham team through the early stages of the Europa League in
pre season, Tomkins has now become regular despite Bilic originally planning
his defence without him. Sunderland are also keen on Leeds United full back
Sam Byram who has turned down a new deal at Elland Road and could be
available for free in the summer or cheap in the January window.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham transfer news: Hammers plan swoop for Chelsea academy starlet
Brentwood Gazette
By SamBalls | Posted: December 08, 2015
West Ham are keeping tabs on Chelsea's academy starlet Charly Musonda and
could be tempted to make a move for the Belgian wonder kid. Musonda is a
Belgian under-21 international and is regarded as one of his nation's
brightest talents, yet finds his path to first team football blocked at
Stamford Bridge. The Hammers are keen on an 18 month loan deal to let the
youngster, 19, show what he can do, but face competition from Marseille.
Musonda has won both the FA Youth Cup and the UEFA Youth League with Chelsea
over the past two seasons, but needs to play first team football to continue
his progression. Chelsea have Musonda tied down to a contract until 2019,
and Mourinho has already resisted advances from Manchester City, Arsenal and
Manchester United for his player's signature.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham confirm the situation regarding Martin Samuelsen
HITC
Vincent Ralph
The young Norwegian is currently on loan at Peterborough United from West
Ham United. West Ham United's official Twitter account has clarified the
situation regarding midfielder Martin Samuelsen. The 18-year-old midfielder
is currently on loan at League One side Peterborough United but he made a
somewhat surprising appearance for the Hammers' under-21 side when they took
on their West Bromwich Albion counterparts on Monday evening. Recent
suggestions were that West Ham had given Samuelsen permission to play in
Peterborough's FA Cup second round match against Luton Town, but after the
Norwegian teenager was not included in the match-day squad on that occasion
some Posh fans wondered what was going on. Now West Ham have clarified the
situation on social media, explaining that they did not give permission for
Samuelsen to become cup-tied, and that Peterborough have allowed the
attacking midfielder to feature for the Hammers' under-21s this week.
Samuelsen enjoyed an outstanding debut for Posh against Scunthorpe United
and it will be interesting to see how he develops in the coming months.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, December 9
Tuesday, December 8
Daily WHUFC News - 8th December 2015
Manchester United 0-0 West Ham United
WHUFC.com
West Ham United secured a valuable away point at Old Trafford following a
0-0 draw with Manchester United. While the team and fans alike were
satisfied with a point, it was testament to a committed performance that the
Hammers could have been forgiven for wanting more than a solitary point.
From front to back, the claret and blues put in a terrific display, in
particular Adrian and Winston Reid were talismanic at the back in ensuring a
clean sheet. Meanwhile upfront, they had a series of chances, most notably
for Victor Moses after just 11 minutes, while Mauro Zarate had a similarly
golden chance shortly after the re-start, both chances were thwarted by the
ever impressive David De Gea. Prior to kick off, Slaven Bilic made four
changes to side that drew with West Brom. Mark Noble, Alex Song, Andy
Carroll and James Tomkins all came into the starting line up in place of the
injured Diafra Sakho and Manuel Lanzini, while Carl Jenkinson and Pedro
Obiang dropped to the bench. With the travelling Hammers' fan in fine voice
prior to kick off, the injuries to Sakho and Lanzini clearly hadn't dampened
their optimism and confidence; resounding renditions of 'We've got Payet',
'Bubbles' and 'Let's all do the Barthez' could be heard loud and clear. The
hosts started the brighter, first Paddy McNair fired narrowly over from the
edge of the box before Marouane Fellaini's back post header nestled against
the side netting. However the Hammers responded with a golden chance of
their own after eleven minutes when Victor Moses bore down on goal following
an exquisite through-ball from Mark Noble. The Nigerian raced away from his
marker yet David De Gea did brilliantly to parry the shot. In a terrifically
open and exciting encounter, Fellaini's height and presence again caused
problems, this time his knock down to livewire Anthony Martial was saved by
a heroic block tackle from Winston Reid to maintain the stalemate.
Midway through the half, again the game turned. Cheikhou Kouyate bombed
forward with typical gusto and laid off Aaron Cresswell who fizzed in a
teasing cross. For once, De Gea fumbled it straight into Zarate's path yet a
ricocheted Chris Smalling clearance skimmed the post and out for a corner.
From the resulting corner, the visitors hit the post again, this time Reid's
towering header had the Spaniard beaten but the woodwork came to the host's
rescue. The second half started much like the first had ended; with chances
aplenty for both sides. The pick of the bunch fell to Zarate following
superb link up play between Andy Carroll and Michail Antonio. The Argentine
shot from six yards out, yet at an acute angle, he fired wide. The look of
anguish on his face said it all.
Moments later Van Gaal's side had a golden chance of their own, Jesse
Lingard burst down the left and fed Martial who pulled it back to Fellaini.
With the goal at his mercy, Adrian made an outstanding save when it seemed
like the Belgian could not miss. Old Trafford was stunned. With 20 minutes
remaining, Van Gaal brought on Memphis Depay who posed the Hammers' backline
further problems, yet they stood up to the task manfully. Bilic responded by
bringing on Pedro Obiang for Alex Song who had run himself into the ground
on his first start of the season. Despite pressure late on, the Hammers
withstood the onslaught and were value for their point, taking them to a
comfortable 23 points from 15 games.
Manchester United: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling ©, McNair (Varela 46), Blind,
Schneiderlin (Carrick 43), Schweinsteiger (Memphis 72), Lingard, Fellaini,
Mata, Martial
Subs: Romero (GK), Young, Borthwick-Jackson, Pereira
Bookings: Carrick
West Ham United: Adrian, Tomkins, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble ©, Song
(Obiang 77), Kouyate, Moses (Antonio 37), Zarate (Jenkinson 86), Carroll
Subs: Randolph, Collins, Oxford, Jelavic
Referee: Mark Clattenberg
Attendance: 75,350
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Bilic - I can only praise the team
WHUFC.com
West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic was full of praise for his team after they
earned a 0-0 draw at Manchester United on Saturday. The Hammers gave as good
as they got at Old Trafford and could well have taken all three points after
hitting the woodwork twice through Mauro Zarate and Winston Reid. The fine
margins were not with the Hammers in an attacking sense, but Bilic was
thrilled with the way his team were set up overall, limiting the hosts to a
single shot on target, despite second half pressure. He explained: "I can
only praise the team because first of all the way we defended and the way we
were closing them down, and the way we were good with the ball. "The amount
of chances we created here against a team who have conceded only one goal at
home this season, especially when you add on top of that we were without
four major players, puts me in a situation that I want and I have to praise
the players for the team performance, "It gives us belief that we've come
here and created those chances without those players, definitely, but still
we didn't score a goal. "What I'm saying is that this pattern is good for
us because this is the only way that we can replace those players that we
are missing and unfortunately we are going to miss for a few more games."
The Hammers kept a first clean sheet in ten league matches and Bilic said
that was a huge positive ahead of a busy December. He added: "To be fair
Manchester United had their chances. They weren't on target because we made
a few really great blocks in front of the goal. "It is Manchester United
and you can't expect from them not to have a chance. We limited them to a
minimum of chances and that's why we're very pleased with this result. "This
is a good pattern now for us, before this busy period. We have a lot of
games, and when the players come back, we have to be like we were today -
defending as a team."
The one negative was the first half injury to Victor Moses, which forced him
off the field early. Bilic said: "It's still too early, but it doesn't look
good again. It's a hamstring - he felt it and we had to takw him off. "It's
a big blow for us, but we have to stay positive as some of the players maybe
have a chance of being back for the Stoke game. If not Stoke, then Swansea."
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Song - I am very happy to be back
WHUFC.com
Alex Song was a tired but proud man after helping West Ham United to a
hard-fought goalless draw at Manchester United. The midfielder made his
first senior start in seven months as the Hammers climbed back into the
Barclays Premier League's top six with a fine performance at Old Trafford.
Song, who has recently returned following a long-term ankle problem, was
part of a superb all-round term performance that combined defensive
resilience with counter-attacking flair. "I think we did very well," he told
West Ham TV. "Firstly, we had a lot of chances to score, but we have to be
happy with the draw and with the point, because the way we were working
together and the team spirit we showed was fantastic. "The fans were very
happy and that's why we have to play like this, and we just have to improve
at home as well. In a way, we are happy to get a point. "We had a lot of
opportunites to win this game but this is football – sometimes it doesn't go
in and no matter how hard you try, you cannot score. I am happy, but I think
I could be happier if we won this game. It's the same for the fans as well."
Song says the Hammers have to take the confidence they have shown on the
road this season into their performances at the Boleyn Ground. West Ham have
earned 14 of their 23 points away from home this season, winning at Arsenal,
Liverpool and Manchester City and now drawing at Manchester United. "We
played very well, but for the future we just have to keep going and improve
our game at home, because if we do that then we will get much more
confident. "When we play away, we are very good. That's why we have to try
to do the same thing at home."
West Ham hit the post twice and lost Victor Moses to injury, but there was a
sense of pride rather than frustration at the final whistle. For Song,
simply returning to the pitch from the kick-off after such a long time on
the sidelines was a source of real pride and happiness. "I'm very happy
because for six months I did not do anything," he explained. "I was just
training very hard when I was injured. When I had surgery, I had to work
very hard to come back. "I am very happy because it's not finished yet. I
have to keep working. I am very happy with how I played but I know I'm not
100 per cent. "The last 15 minutes it was very hard because my legs were
shaking a little bit. That's normal because I didn't play, but I am happy
with how things went and I just have to rest and be ready for when the
manager gives me the chance to play."
Song will now continue to build up his fitness and form as West Ham prepare
for the busy festive period. With home games against Stoke City and
Liverpool, trips to Swansea City and Aston Villa and the FA Cup third round
all on the agenda, the No4 will be a vital figure as the Hammers try to
maintain their top-half position in the New Year. "For me, I've said every
time that in the next few years we will be fighting for the top, because
that's what everyone at the Club wants to do. "The fans give all their best
to support the team and then the players want to achieve a lot of things.
That's the way we want to be and the way we want to play for West Ham
Football Club."
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Tomkins pleased with clean sheet
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins returned to the West Ham United starting eleven at Old
Trafford and was delighted to help the team to a first clean sheet in ten
Barclays Premier League matches. The Hammers were solid against Manchester
United, but could possibily have turned the draw into victory with several
good chances falling their way. Tomkins admitted the win could have been
theirs, but was still satisfied with the point. He said: "It could have been
all three - we had so many chances and you don't often get that at Old
Trafford. "They keep a lot of clean sheets, but we could have scored two or
three. On another day they go in, but we'll take the point home and [look at
it] as a good day at the office." Tomkins' chance back in the team came at
right back, and although he is more recognised in the centre, the Academy
graduate is pleased to do his bit there. He added: "I'm still learning
there. It's a completely different experience for me - I'd be able to count
the amount of times I've played there on two hands. "I've had a couple of
good performances there against some good teams so it's been a good test for
me. "I want to play anywhere for the team and I'm enjoying it at right
back."
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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic was still beaming after Saturday's impressive draw at
Manchester United added to West Ham United's superb collection of away
results this season.
Bilic said that the nature of the Hammers' performance – which follows
impressive away wins at Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City - will give
them belief going into an intensive run of games over the Christmas period.
Stoke City are up next at the Boleyn Ground this Satul6rday and the manager
will almost certainly be replaying clips of his side's Old Trafford
performance in a bid to fire them up for the game. "You can talk, you can do
analysis, you can prepare but the best way the players are going to believe
it is when they have done it," Bilic explained. "You could have prepared the
game by saying how things should be done by showing them something from some
other club, but I can do it using our team from almost every single game."
Bilic explained that he had briefed his players to exploit the hosts'
attacking intent and so it proved as the visitors created by far the best
chances. Victor Moses, Mauro Zarate, twice, and Winston Reid all went close
to securing the winner before late United pressure required some outstanding
defence work from the Hammers' backline. "I told the players yesterday and
at half time that at 0-0 the longer the game goes they are giving you more
spaces and they are risking more and they don't track back immediately so it
presents more opportunity. "The chances were key moments that you get when
you play Manchester United as you can't expect that you'll get five or ten
of them. That moment you have to score if you want to win anywhere,
especially at Old Trafford. Moses passed up a good one-on-one opportunity
after being played in by Noble, Zarate hit the post from close range, Reid
headed a corner against the frame, before Zarate missed arguably the best
chance of the lot after being played in by Andy Carroll. Bilic, however,
believes those misses did not necessarily define the game "The players
responded really well and it was a very good point for us, especially when
you consider the historic results between West Ham and Manchester United.
They have only conceded one goal at home and we had four of our best
offensive players out, so to put that performance on was superb. "We didn't
only defend, on the contrary, we created enough chances against them and it
was a very good day for us. "But you never know in football. If we had
scored then we might have lost 2-1!"
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Westley - That was the best performance so far
WHUFC.com
Terry Westley described the 2-1 victory over previously unbeaten West
Bromwich Albion as the best performance of the season so far. The young
Hammers extended their winning run to five games with a sterling performance
at Rush Green. To a man, the Dev Squad were superb, and their efforts were
rewarded when birthday boy Jaanai Gordon netted his third goal in two games
with a powerful shot before Martin Samuelsen secured the win late on with a
volley from a corner in stoppage time. Speaking after the win, Westley said:
"I'm delighted with the way we played, particularly against a very
experienced side. We didn't just win; we outplayed them and out passed them.
The combination of all the hard work has come together for a fine result and
a fine performance. "I think collectively, with the team we were up against
tonight, even if we hadn't won tonight, I would still be delighted with the
performance. We were terrific regardless of the result tonight, the added
bonus if that we've won. "In terms of the result, it's probably the best
we've had so far, and maybe the best result too."
Having struggled for points early on in the season, the Dev Squad have now
turned committed, hardworking performances into the points they richly
deserve.
After Gordon had opened the scoring, Saido Berahino responded quickly by
scoring a well-taken equaliser, however the hosts refused to be cowed and
got their rewards seconds from time when Samuelsen, a real thorn in the
Baggies' side all evening got his just rewards as he connected to Josh
Cullen's inswinging corner.
Westley continued: "The players are learning all the time which is
important, and that's our job to produce players ready for the first team.
And then collectively, if they jell together then you have the makings of a
good team. That's a bonus really, now I'm seeing plenty of our players ready
to make that step into the first team.
"Our stats will be high tonight, number of touches, passes, entries into
their box will be positive. Then the confidence grows and the players
believe in what you're doing, and in themselves. "You can't really pick
out individual players tonight; we were good across the board."
Up next for the Dev Squad is a tough home fixture at Upton Park against
Arsenal, who beat the Hammers 5-0 earlier in the season. However Westley
believes the confidence garnered from their recent run of victories will
count for a lot come next Monday. "Five wins in a row at any level is a lot.
We didn't have a particularly good start, but we've caught up. Now we face
Arsenal next at Upton Park, hopefully we'll have a decent crowd supporting
us. "We had four U18s playing for us tonight and that combination of Cullen,
Dobson and Browne is a joy to watch, they'll bring something different to
the table. Then out wide, Parfitt-Williams and Samuelsen can beat people,
they'll frustrate, but there aren't many players who can beat players on the
inside or outside, so we have plenty of options. "Page and Knoyle looked
like professionals tonight and the two centre-backs in the middle held it
all together. Jaanai scored a great shot to cap it off. "We're now
dominating games, and we can still improve on that. We're keeping possession
better. We're creating the outcomes where our players can become Premier
League players, we need to continue and maintain that level of performance
we have now established. If we do that in the second half of the season we
will have more outcomes where we produce Premier League players."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Young Hammers suffer the Blues
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's U18s suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Barclays
U18 Premier League South leaders Chelsea on Saturday 5 December. The Blues
opened the scoring after just two minutes when Jacob Maddox burst into the
Hammers' penalty box and slid home to put the hosts ahead. Miro Muheim,
Trevoh Chalobah and Ike Ugbo all netted in the second half to secure the
emphatic win. After last weekend's 2-2 home draw with Arsenal, the Academy
made four changes to the starting eleven. Goalkeeper Tim Brown, on Youth
Loan at Chelmsford City, was replaced by Sam Howes. Matt Carter missed the
trip to Cobham, while Aboulahi Diallo and Grady Diangana were dropped to the
bench, allowing Joe Powell, Noha Sylvestre and U16 midfielder Anthony Scully
a starting place. Having won 11 of their 15 league fixtures prior to kick
off, it took Chelsea just 70 seconds to show their dominance when a strong
and skillful run into the Hammers' penalty area finished with Maddox firing
inside the near post. The visitors had few chances of their own within the
opening 45 minutes, although Howes made a string of saves to keep the score
at 1-0. Just nine minutes into the second half, Chelsea finally managed to
double their advantage when an outstanding through ball from Mason Mount
found Muheim through on goal, who finished confidently into the corner of
the net. Having established a comfortable cushion, the Blues found a rhythm
and were passing the ball around well, forcing the east London visitors to
chase the ball. The home side extended their lead even further through a
corner, which was whipped into the box by Mount and headed home by
16-year-old Chalobah. The young Hammers did manage to conjure up a rare
opportunity midway through the second half when former Blues midfielder Dan
Kemp nut-megged his opponent and played in Jahmal Hector-Ingram, but the
England international forward could only find the side netting with his
powerful shot. Down the other end, the hosts wrapped up the points when a
quick attack down the wing allowed for a low cross to find Ugbo alone in the
six yard box to seal the 4-0 result. The Hammers now have just one last
fixture left before Christmas as they head to Derby U18 in the FA Youth Cup
Third Round on Friday 18 December. Kick-off at the iPro Stadium is 7pm.
U18: Howes, Sylvestre (Diallo), Neufville, Lewis, Akinola, Alese, Borg,
Powell (Coventry), Hector-Ingram, Scully (Henry), Kemp.
Subs not used: Forde, Diangana.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Loan round up
WHUFC.com
Reece Burke played for the full 90 minutes as Bradford City eased past
Chesham United in the FA Cup Second Round. Goals from Kyel Ried, James
Hanson, Gary Liddle and Devante Cole secured the rout which sees them
progress to the Third Round of the FA Cup.
Diego Poyet played 73 minutes of MK Don's 2-0 defeat away at Brentford. A
goal either side of half-time secured the Bees the three points. Lasse Vibe
opened the scoring after 21 minutes before Alan Judge doubled the lead. The
Dons are 20th in the Championship with 16 points from 19 games.
Chelmsford City slipped to a 2-1 defeat away at Gosport Borough in Tim
Brown's debut for the Clarets. Dan Wooden opened the scoring for the hosts
shortly after the restart before Michael Thalassitis looked to have rescued
a point. However George Barker popped up with six minutes remaining to seal
the win.
Josh Pask was an unused substitute in Dagenham & Redbridge's 1-1 draw with
minnows Whitehawk to enforce an FA Cup replay.
Clarke Bogard's Tilbury made it 17 matches unbeaten with a hard earned point
against Soham Town Rangers.
Ben Sawyer curled a free-kick home expertly however Tilbury earned
themselves a penalty when Harry Cook was bundled over and Kurt Smith scored
from the spot. The visitors again went ahead when a ball in the box found
Sawyer again to tap home, however a second Cook penalty saved the home side.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com
It was a fantastic performance from the team against Manchester United on
Saturday. It is never easy playing at Old Trafford and considering the
number of players who were missing through injury, Slaven was still able to
pick a strong side and we could have easily come away with all three points.
We hit the woodwork twice in the first half and the statistics suggest that
over the course of a season you score five times as many goals as you hit
the post. To hit the post twice and not score is therefore a statistical
long shot, but sadly our luck isn't in at the moment. We also had big
chances to score through Mauro Zarate and Victor Moses and on another day we
would have scored four goals! Mauro is one of the best finishers at the club
and I know he will be gutted that he was not able to convert the chance when
he was through on goal. Hopefully he will be able to put that behind him and
get on the scoresheet when we play Stoke on Saturday. Winston Reid had a
superb game at the back and all the defenders played their part in helping
us to come away with an impressive clean sheet. We have taken only three
points from the last five games, but in all three draws we were so close to
getting the win, so I can't be too downhearted. We suffered more
disappointment on the injury front at the weekend when Manuel Lanzini was
forced to miss the game at Old Trafford. Victor Moses also had to leave the
pitch in the first half. Hopefully Lanzini is a very short-term injury.
Enner Valencia will hopefully be back in action in the near future and Payet
and Sakho will be back in February. It will be great to get these top
players back in action. We are back in action at the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday and we face a Stoke side who are at the top of their game. But I
believe we can beat them on Saturday. We recently had a fantastic Cyber
weekend across all our retail outlets and I want to thank you for taking
advantage of all the special offers we made available. With Christmas fast
approaching I urge you to visit our Club Stores, or shop online at the
official West Ham store and make sure you don't miss out on your Hammers
stocking fillers.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble - We have a great team spirit
WHUFC.com
West Ham United captain Mark Noble has nothing but praise for the way his
team-mates have stuck together this season and showed they are ready to
compete against any team in the top flight. Despite losing influential
players such as Dimitri Payet, Diafra Sakho, Enner Valencia and Manuel
Lanzini and Victor Moses coming off injured in the first half, the players
still showed they have enough quality to come away with an impressive point
against Manchester United. The Hammers could have easily won the game after
hitting the woodwork twice and both Moses and Mauro Zarate had big
opportunities to open the scoring. Noble feels the team spirit has played a
major role in helping the squad come together and the strength in depth has
enabled Slaven Bilic to still name a strong team when key players have not
been available for selection.
Noble said: "We have had good team spirit from day one. We are not going to
get a result every game but it is how you bounce back. We have had a few
good away results this season, but coming off the back of a couple of
disappointing performances, I thought the boys played really well. "There
were a lot of important players missing (against United) but the boys have
stepped in well. I thought the back four were fantastic and Reidy in
particular was great. "Angelo coming back into the team and Tonks playing at
right back at Old Trafford against a tricky player just shows what we have
got in the dressing room. It is a great result for us. "To come to Old
Trafford on a windy afternoon in December and put in a performance like that
shows you the belief and a lot of credit to the lads. "We had a couple of
great blocks from the lads but we had chances to win the game. We hit the
post twice and had a great chance when Victor missed a one on one. Mauro has
also missed a good chance. "You don't normally get too many opportunities
when you come to Old Trafford and it is a credit for us that we managed to
create them. They are a top team and have only conceded one goal at home
this season but we gave them a good game."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers draw Wolves in Round Three
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have been drawn to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the
Emirates FA Cup third round.
The Hammers will host the Sky Bet Championship side side over the weekend of
8-11 January 2016.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lou predicts tough trip for Potters
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 7th December 2015
By: Staff Writer
Former West Ham United manager Lou Macari believes Stoke will have their
work cut out when they visit the Boleyn Ground this weekend. Macari, who
managed the Hammers for six months between July 1989 and February 1990 went
on to manage City - placing him in a fairly unique position. And he believes
that West Ham may have rediscovered their mojo following the goalless draw
at Old Trafford last weekend against another of his former clubs. "I was at
Old Trafford on Saturday and after watching Man City go down at the
Britannia, everyone was wrongly assuming that Man Utd would take advantage
by beating West Ham," he told the Sentinel. "I was interested to see what
West Ham had to offer because Stoke go there on Saturday. "In years gone by
they've turned up at Old Trafford, got soundly beaten without too much fuss
and left you wondering why they bothered to make the journey north. But last
Saturday I have to say they seemed to have a bit more about them. "For long
spells they not only did okay against Man Utd, but were the better team.
They had chances to sneak a game that deserved to end in a draw at the end
of the day. So on this form, you'd expect Stoke to be in for a tough one at
Upton Park this coming weekend."
Macari, who was fired by West Ham after being investigated for betting
irregularities also admitted that he will be sad to see the Boleyn Ground
pulled down at the end of the current season. "It will be Stoke's last visit
to that great stadium and I must admit I find it terribly sad to see such
arenas disappearing, just like White Hart Lane in another part of London,"
he said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bastian Schweinsteiger charged by FA for alleged act of violent conduct
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 07/12/15 8:13pm
SSN
Bastian Schweinsteiger has been charged with violent conduct by the Football
Association for an alleged elbow on Winston Reid in Manchester United's
goalless draw against West Ham. Schweinsteiger appeared to stick out his
left arm and caught Reid in the throat as both players jostled for position
in the build-up to a first-half free-kick. Referee Mark Clattenburg spoke to
both players to calm them down, but did not see the apparent elbow and it
was therefore not mentioned in his post-match report. That left the FA free
to punish the midfielder retrospectively. The 31-year-old is facing a
three-match ban if found guilty. An FA statement read: "Bastian
Schweinsteiger has been charged for an alleged act of violent conduct which
was not seen by the match officials but caught on video. "The Manchester
United midfielder was involved in an incident with West Ham United's Winston
Reid in the 40th minute of the game on Saturday December 5, 2015. "The
matter was referred to a panel of three former elite referees who each
reviewed the video footage independently of one another to determine whether
they considered it a sending-off offence. "For an FA charge to follow the
decision by the panel must be unanimous. The player has until 12 noon on
Thursday 10 December 2015 to reply to the charge."
Already hampered by a lengthy injury list, United can ill afford to lose the
influential player for their next three league games, which are against
Bournemouth, Norwich and Stoke. Schweinsteiger was prevented from speaking
about the incident at United's pre-match press conference in Wolfsburg on
Monday evening. "We're here to talk about the game," a United official said
when a reporter asked the German about the clash with Reid. The West Ham
defender insisted on Saturday that the elbow was intentional. "He knows
what he's done - he's elbowed me in the face," Reid said after the game. And
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic insisted the player should have been sent off.
He said: "It's a clear red card. A straight red without any doubts. It was a
moment of madness. He deserved to be sent off, but the referee told me he
didn't see it. Fair enough, I believe it. It was an elbow."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham forward Victor Moses to have scan on Tuesday
By PA sport
Last Updated: 07/12/15 11:33am
SSN
West Ham winger Victor Moses will undergo a scan on Tuesday to discover the
extent of his hamstring problem. The 24-year-old, who is on loan from
Chelsea, hobbled off in the 37th minute of the goalless draw with Manchester
United at Old Trafford on Saturday. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic feared Moses
could be out for up to six weeks so he will be hoping the scan shows the
injury is not as bad as first feared. He said: "We have to wait for a scan
but it doesn't look good. It's not like cramp. I don't know if it's three,
four, five or six weeks."
Bilic is already short of options in attack with Dimitri Payet, Diafra
Sakho, Enner Valencia and Manuel Lanzini left sitting on the sidelines at
the weekend. Lanzini could be fit to face Stoke at Upton Park this Saturday
after suffering what was described as a minor injury in training late last
week. West Ham co-chairman David Gold wrote on Twitter: "I'm optimistic
that Lanzini will be available for Stoke but we must wait till Tuesday for
the scan on Victor." Ecuador forward Valencia could also be in contention to
face the Potters after five weeks out with an ankle injury, but Payet and
Sakho are not expected back until February.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ref Watch: Should Marouane Fellaini and Bastian Schweinsteiger be sent off?
Last Updated: 07/12/15 8:29pm
SSN
Should Marouane Fellaini and Bastian Schweinsteiger have been sent off
against West Ham? Should Alberto Moreno's goal against Newcastle have stood?
Those were some of the questions posed to former referee Dermot Gallagher on
Sky Sports Now after another weekend of contentious decisions in the Premier
League.
Read on for his take on three big offside decisions, a couple of handballs
and some players who were very fortunate not to receive red cards...
INCIDENT: Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini challenges James Tomkins of
West Ham with his studs, but is not punished by the referee.
SCENARIO: In the 27th minute of Saturday's game at Old Trafford, Fellaini
and Tomkins entered a 50-50 challenge by the touchline. Tomkins wins the
ball but Felliani's studs appeared to go into Tomkins' shin. No foul or card
was given by referee Mark Clattenburg with Tomkins exiting the challenge
unscathed.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Should have been a red card.
GALLAGHER SAYS: "Initially I didn't think it was a free-kick when I saw this
and thought it was a throw-in. That's what Mark Clattenburg sees because he
thinks Fellaini has kicked the ball out. From a different angle, you can see
he's been very naughty. When you see Mark Clattenburg's view, Tomkins' body
actually shields what happens. It's up to the FA to decide if they're going
to follow it up. I would have given it as a red."
INCIDENT: Bastian Schweinsteiger of Manchester United appears to throw an
elbow to the throat of West Ham's Winston Reid, but is not punished.
SCENARIO: As United prepared for a free-kick, Schweinsteiger appeared to
catch Winston Reid with an elbow to the throat. The referee talked to both
players but no cards were given.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Red card for Schweinsteiger... if Clattenburg saw the
incident!
GALLAGHER SAYS: "I'm not convinced the referee's seen what we've seen. Chris
Smalling may block him off. He's seen two players coming together and what
he's done is decided to calm it down, take the heat out of it, because it
was a free-kick. I'm not convinced he sees what we see from the camera
angle. If you do that in the current climate you run a massive risk. If you
take that risk and get caught you have to accept the punishment. If Mark
Clattenburg had a really good view of that, he would send him off."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bastian Schweinsteiger elbowed me in the face, says Winston Reid
Last Updated: 06/12/15 7:31am
SSN
Winston Reid and Slaven Bilic were adamant Manchester United's Bastian
Schweinsteiger should have got his marching orders for a flying elbow.
Schweinsteiger and Reid clashed in the 0-0 draw at Old Trafford on Saturday
as West Ham avoided defeat at another of the Premier League heavyweights
following wins at Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool. As the pair were
jostling in the penalty box in the first half, the German World Cup winner
swung an elbow which caught Reid in the throat. Referee Mark Clattenberg
called both players over but no cards were brandished to the bemusement of
West Ham manager Bilic, who had words with the official as the teams went in
at half-time and labelled the incident a "big time red card". Reid agreed
with his manager, claiming it was a calculated act on Schweinsteiger's part.
Reid said: "It was a red card. He knows what he's done - he's elbowed me in
the face. The referee couldn't see it, so we move on." Bilic agreed with his
centre-back but was sympathetic towards Clattenberg. "It is a red card, but
I can agree that he didn't see it," the Croatian said. "No matter how many
referees you have, sometimes they can't see. "I'm sure if he did see it, it
would have been a straight red. Of course we are disappointed but it
happens. He just didn't see it.
"I saw it on the replays at half-time. It was a red, a big-time red. I
understand the decision but it was a crucial moment. I can't blame the
referee."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WHO WILL BE OUR HIDDEN GEM THIS SEASON?
By HamburgHammer 7 Dec 2015 at 08:00
WTID
It's always enjoyable to witness a thorough masterclass of a team
performance. Our 0:0 at Old Trafford was not only a point very well earned
and respected, it was a sign that this team is bursting with guts and
character. In fact the homeside were the lucky ones really to leave the game
with a point in hand after we couldn't convert any of several good scoring
opportunities. I won't get into judging the referee's performance as it
won't do my blood pressure any favours, but Schweinsteiger will be lucky to
escape a retrospective ban. If indeed Clattenburg saw the incident of the
German's elbow in the Kiwi's neck and did nothing in terms of cards he needs
to be demoted.
It has been well documented how again we have been struck by an almighty
injury curse. Not just the odd knock here and there, but long-term injuries
to key players.
The heart and soul of our new sophisticated passing game Payet…out till
January/February 2016.
Moses likely to have done his hamstring…out for 1-3 months.
Sakho injuring himself stretching to reach the ball…for return date see
Payet's estimate above.
Valencia with another ankle injury…luckily he seems to heal better than
expected and might return for the busy Christmas schedule.
If these injuries are just down to sheer bad luck or we may need to tweak
our training regime or matchday warm ups and warm downs is a question well
worth debating, but hard to do from the outside looking in of course.
But it gives Bilic the chance (or forces him, whatever way you wanna look at
it) to give a run out and more responsibility to other squad members.
Experienced ones but also youngsters. I have no doubt in my mind that Bilic
is more open to give young players a chance than our previous manager.
It also happens quite a lot that players whi are a bit under the radar turn
out to be revelations or unlikely heroes.
So I wonder which Hammer will be our surprise package this season, stepping
up to the plate and forcing his way into the first team reckoning ?
Will Antonio stake his claim now with Moses likely to be unavailable for a
huge chunk of the season now ?
Can Cullen catch the manager's eye and add even more creativity and flair to
our midfield ?
Or could Reece Oxford get more gametime, either in the back four or in
midfield, to make sure he wants to stay instead of getting his head turned
by one of the circling vultures from North London or Manchester ?
Maybe it could also be someone like Obiang or Ogbonna shining during the
remainder of the season ? But both of those came with a certain pedigree of
course and can be expected to add quality to our side. Once again, kudos to
our team for their performance against the Mancunians (I love that word!
Sounds like they should be fighting the Klingons in the Star Trek universe.)
West Ham are finally playing proper football again and we're sitting nicely
in sixth place, despite injuries to key players.
After todays game we will be 7th of course, but we still look good for a
solid midtable position at the end of the season.
I reckon 6th or 7th is a pretty realistic target for us and would show nice
progress from last season, also being a decent platform to start from for
our first season in the OS.
Exciting times to be a Hammer for sure!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger charged with violent
conduct over Winston Reid clash
19:37, 7 DEC 2015 UPDATED 19:42, 7 DEC 2015
BY DAVID MCDONNELL
The German midfielder faces a three-match ban following an apparent elbow on
the Hammers defender during the 0-0 draw on Saturday
The Mirror
Bastian Schweinsteiger is facing a three-match ban after being charged with
violent conduct. The FA charge relates to Manchester United's 0-0 draw with
West Ham on Saturday, in which Schweinsteiger appeared to deliberately
strike Winston Reid with his left forearm. Schweinsteiger, preparing for
United's must-win Champions League tie tonight against Wolfsburg in his
native Germany, has until midday on Thursday to respond to the charge. The
United midfielder, speaking at a press conference in Wolfsburg alongside
boss Louis van Gaal, was prevented from answering a question on the incident
with Reid, minutes before the charge was announced. The FA statement said:
"Bastian Schweinsteiger has been charged for an alleged act of violent
conduct which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video. "The
Manchester United midfielder was involved in an incident with West Ham
United's Winston Reid in the 40th minute of the game on Saturday [5 December
2015]. "The matter was referred to a panel of three former elite referees
who each reviewed the video footage independently of one another to
determine whether they considered it a sending-off offence. "For an FA
charge to follow the decision by the panel must be unanimous. "The player
has until noon on Thursday 10 December 2015 to reply to the charge."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham believe they can do ANYTHING on their travels after another big
away result says Slaven Bilic
22:30, 6 DEC 2015
BY DAVID ANDERSON
The Hammers added to the scalps taken at Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester
City earlier this season with Saturday's 0-0 draw at Old Trafford
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic claims his West Ham players now believe they can get a result
ANYWHERE. In addition to their fine point against Manchester United at Old
Trafford on Saturday, the Hammers have won at Arsenal, on their travels at
Liverpool and as Manchester City's visitors this season under their
first-year manager. And ex-Irons defender Bilic says they no longer need him
to instil belief. "You can talk, analyse, prepare, but the best way the
players are going to believe is if they have done it recently," he said.
They have responded really well and this is a great point for us. If you
consider everything - Manchester United's recent history in these games, and
that we were without four key players – then it is a good day for us and I
have to praise my players." Bilic feels his players are suited to playing
away from Upton Park because all the pressure is on the team playing at
home. "When you are away, you are happy with a throw-in," he said. "You
don't rush to take a throw-in, if you know what I mean.
Kings of the road — West Ham's away giant-killings this season:
August 9th: Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
August 29th: Liverpool 0-3 West Ham
September 19th: Manchester City 1-2 West Ham
"When you're playing at home, you need to do something extra and you are a
little bit nervous after 25 minutes if it is 0-0. The crowd in England is
very polite, but also sometimes very demanding on the players."
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Fans pile in after Keown slams Reid
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
TV pundit and former Arsenal defender Martin Keown created a storm when
claiming that Winston Reid's behaviour after a challenge from Bastian
Schweinsteiger was "almost a disgrace" at Old Trafford on Saturday. The
United midfielder could be facing retrospective disciplinary action as a
result but Keown was quick out of the traps to slam our central defender
declaring: "The way Winston Reid goes down is almost a disgrace. I'd be
embarrassed if I went down like that. Remember the wrestling that used to
be on on Saturdays? It was like that."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Schweinsteiger charged with violent conduct
Posted by Sean Whetstone on December 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
Bastian Schweinsteiger has been charged for an alleged act of violent
conduct by the FA which was not seen by the match officials but caught on
video. The Manchester United midfielder was involved in an incident with
West Ham United's Winston Reid in the 40th minute of the game on Saturday
5th December 2015.
The matter was referred to a panel of three former elite referees who each
reviewed the video footage independently of one another to determine whether
they considered it a sending-off offence. For an FA charge to follow the
decision by the panel must be unanimous. The player has until 12 noon on
Thursday 10th December 2015 to reply to the charge.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
DG delighted winger didn't try to over impress
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Gold has been a regular presence alongside Michail Antonio during the
first troubled days of his West Ham career. And although no one was happy to
see Victor Moses leave the Old Trafford action on Saturday, Gold was
delighted to see the £7 million signing acquit himself so well in the second
half. The 25 year old admitted that getting forward was a problem as he
isn't fully match fit but he did a fine job on a couple of occasions and
Gold believes the outing will give him the confidence he needs to move on –
presumably at home against Stoke City. Gold told ClaretandHugh: "He's shown
great patience and what a way to make your first big appearance . It wasn't
easy for him but I thought he did really well and certainly didn't look
overawed or out of place. "After a big money move it would have been easy
for him to try to over impress but he was very professional and made an
extremely important intervention at the back. "With Victor Moses looking
likely to be out for a period that was an important appearance for Michail
and he will take a lot of confidence from that match."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold confident on Lanzini
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Gold has confirmed Manu Lanzini's expected return to action for the
clash with Stoke City at the weekend. The co chairman declared himself
"optimistic that Lanzini will be available for Stoke" adding: "As I
understand the situation from the medical guys it's very minor and he should
be fine." That confirms the story from CandH last night (Sun) in which we
claimed Lanzini would be back despite later national press reports putting
the injury return at a fortnight. Gold is delighted with the squad's
determination to shrug off it's injury concerns as it goes in search of
points telling CandH: "We really are having a difficult time but the manager
and the squad are showing fantastic resilience. "It's great too that we
don't hear injuries used as excuses for dropped points – it's all part of
the games and you need to get the results regardless of the situation in the
dressing room. "Everybody played their part and it proved what we've been
saying that this is a very good squad but we can do without any further
injuries."
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This player may save us a transfer market fortune
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
James Tomkins may be set to save the Irons a lot of money in next summer's
transfer market. It's well known that we are in the market for a right back
and following JT's impressive displays in the position his claims to become
a regular in the position going forward are looking more and more of a goer.
He admitted himself over the weekend that he's still learning the job but it
hasn't escaped anybody's attention that with him and Angelo Ogbonna at the
back we kept our first clean sheet the weekend at the eleventh time of
trying. There were the odd moments of concern at the back but with Tomkins
and Reid outstanding, Ogbonna coming back to his best and Cresswell
excellent, we look to have found our four at the back. Indeed some sources
are already discussing the possibility of JT being our long term answer at
right back with the club now perhaps looking set to sign a back-up in the
position. ClaretandHugh was told: "He had a worrying time there a few years
ago but he is that much older and looking a far better player in the role.
Yes, it's conceivable he could save us a lot of money in the summer."
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Co chairman predicts this kid is the new Brooking
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
On-loan Posh starlet Martin Samuelsen has just been paid the greatest
compliment or biggest burden he's ever going to carry. The Norwegian
teenager was given the opportunity of joining Peterborough United on loan a
couple of weeks back and has been wowing the locals with his fabulous
skills. Indeed Barry Fry, the club's director of football told ClaretandHugh
soon after he joined that he believed if Posh could hold onto the player
until the end of the season the club would win the league. Now David Gold
has gone many steps further than Fry's bold prediction by claiming Samuelsen
can become as great as one of the Hammers immortals.
Tweeting this evening (Mon) he declared: "Martin Samuelsen is on loan at
Posh, I still believe he is going to be a player. It's possible he could be
as good as Sir Trevor Brooking. dg" No pressure on the young man then!
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United secured a valuable away point at Old Trafford following a
0-0 draw with Manchester United. While the team and fans alike were
satisfied with a point, it was testament to a committed performance that the
Hammers could have been forgiven for wanting more than a solitary point.
From front to back, the claret and blues put in a terrific display, in
particular Adrian and Winston Reid were talismanic at the back in ensuring a
clean sheet. Meanwhile upfront, they had a series of chances, most notably
for Victor Moses after just 11 minutes, while Mauro Zarate had a similarly
golden chance shortly after the re-start, both chances were thwarted by the
ever impressive David De Gea. Prior to kick off, Slaven Bilic made four
changes to side that drew with West Brom. Mark Noble, Alex Song, Andy
Carroll and James Tomkins all came into the starting line up in place of the
injured Diafra Sakho and Manuel Lanzini, while Carl Jenkinson and Pedro
Obiang dropped to the bench. With the travelling Hammers' fan in fine voice
prior to kick off, the injuries to Sakho and Lanzini clearly hadn't dampened
their optimism and confidence; resounding renditions of 'We've got Payet',
'Bubbles' and 'Let's all do the Barthez' could be heard loud and clear. The
hosts started the brighter, first Paddy McNair fired narrowly over from the
edge of the box before Marouane Fellaini's back post header nestled against
the side netting. However the Hammers responded with a golden chance of
their own after eleven minutes when Victor Moses bore down on goal following
an exquisite through-ball from Mark Noble. The Nigerian raced away from his
marker yet David De Gea did brilliantly to parry the shot. In a terrifically
open and exciting encounter, Fellaini's height and presence again caused
problems, this time his knock down to livewire Anthony Martial was saved by
a heroic block tackle from Winston Reid to maintain the stalemate.
Midway through the half, again the game turned. Cheikhou Kouyate bombed
forward with typical gusto and laid off Aaron Cresswell who fizzed in a
teasing cross. For once, De Gea fumbled it straight into Zarate's path yet a
ricocheted Chris Smalling clearance skimmed the post and out for a corner.
From the resulting corner, the visitors hit the post again, this time Reid's
towering header had the Spaniard beaten but the woodwork came to the host's
rescue. The second half started much like the first had ended; with chances
aplenty for both sides. The pick of the bunch fell to Zarate following
superb link up play between Andy Carroll and Michail Antonio. The Argentine
shot from six yards out, yet at an acute angle, he fired wide. The look of
anguish on his face said it all.
Moments later Van Gaal's side had a golden chance of their own, Jesse
Lingard burst down the left and fed Martial who pulled it back to Fellaini.
With the goal at his mercy, Adrian made an outstanding save when it seemed
like the Belgian could not miss. Old Trafford was stunned. With 20 minutes
remaining, Van Gaal brought on Memphis Depay who posed the Hammers' backline
further problems, yet they stood up to the task manfully. Bilic responded by
bringing on Pedro Obiang for Alex Song who had run himself into the ground
on his first start of the season. Despite pressure late on, the Hammers
withstood the onslaught and were value for their point, taking them to a
comfortable 23 points from 15 games.
Manchester United: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling ©, McNair (Varela 46), Blind,
Schneiderlin (Carrick 43), Schweinsteiger (Memphis 72), Lingard, Fellaini,
Mata, Martial
Subs: Romero (GK), Young, Borthwick-Jackson, Pereira
Bookings: Carrick
West Ham United: Adrian, Tomkins, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble ©, Song
(Obiang 77), Kouyate, Moses (Antonio 37), Zarate (Jenkinson 86), Carroll
Subs: Randolph, Collins, Oxford, Jelavic
Referee: Mark Clattenberg
Attendance: 75,350
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic - I can only praise the team
WHUFC.com
West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic was full of praise for his team after they
earned a 0-0 draw at Manchester United on Saturday. The Hammers gave as good
as they got at Old Trafford and could well have taken all three points after
hitting the woodwork twice through Mauro Zarate and Winston Reid. The fine
margins were not with the Hammers in an attacking sense, but Bilic was
thrilled with the way his team were set up overall, limiting the hosts to a
single shot on target, despite second half pressure. He explained: "I can
only praise the team because first of all the way we defended and the way we
were closing them down, and the way we were good with the ball. "The amount
of chances we created here against a team who have conceded only one goal at
home this season, especially when you add on top of that we were without
four major players, puts me in a situation that I want and I have to praise
the players for the team performance, "It gives us belief that we've come
here and created those chances without those players, definitely, but still
we didn't score a goal. "What I'm saying is that this pattern is good for
us because this is the only way that we can replace those players that we
are missing and unfortunately we are going to miss for a few more games."
The Hammers kept a first clean sheet in ten league matches and Bilic said
that was a huge positive ahead of a busy December. He added: "To be fair
Manchester United had their chances. They weren't on target because we made
a few really great blocks in front of the goal. "It is Manchester United
and you can't expect from them not to have a chance. We limited them to a
minimum of chances and that's why we're very pleased with this result. "This
is a good pattern now for us, before this busy period. We have a lot of
games, and when the players come back, we have to be like we were today -
defending as a team."
The one negative was the first half injury to Victor Moses, which forced him
off the field early. Bilic said: "It's still too early, but it doesn't look
good again. It's a hamstring - he felt it and we had to takw him off. "It's
a big blow for us, but we have to stay positive as some of the players maybe
have a chance of being back for the Stoke game. If not Stoke, then Swansea."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Song - I am very happy to be back
WHUFC.com
Alex Song was a tired but proud man after helping West Ham United to a
hard-fought goalless draw at Manchester United. The midfielder made his
first senior start in seven months as the Hammers climbed back into the
Barclays Premier League's top six with a fine performance at Old Trafford.
Song, who has recently returned following a long-term ankle problem, was
part of a superb all-round term performance that combined defensive
resilience with counter-attacking flair. "I think we did very well," he told
West Ham TV. "Firstly, we had a lot of chances to score, but we have to be
happy with the draw and with the point, because the way we were working
together and the team spirit we showed was fantastic. "The fans were very
happy and that's why we have to play like this, and we just have to improve
at home as well. In a way, we are happy to get a point. "We had a lot of
opportunites to win this game but this is football – sometimes it doesn't go
in and no matter how hard you try, you cannot score. I am happy, but I think
I could be happier if we won this game. It's the same for the fans as well."
Song says the Hammers have to take the confidence they have shown on the
road this season into their performances at the Boleyn Ground. West Ham have
earned 14 of their 23 points away from home this season, winning at Arsenal,
Liverpool and Manchester City and now drawing at Manchester United. "We
played very well, but for the future we just have to keep going and improve
our game at home, because if we do that then we will get much more
confident. "When we play away, we are very good. That's why we have to try
to do the same thing at home."
West Ham hit the post twice and lost Victor Moses to injury, but there was a
sense of pride rather than frustration at the final whistle. For Song,
simply returning to the pitch from the kick-off after such a long time on
the sidelines was a source of real pride and happiness. "I'm very happy
because for six months I did not do anything," he explained. "I was just
training very hard when I was injured. When I had surgery, I had to work
very hard to come back. "I am very happy because it's not finished yet. I
have to keep working. I am very happy with how I played but I know I'm not
100 per cent. "The last 15 minutes it was very hard because my legs were
shaking a little bit. That's normal because I didn't play, but I am happy
with how things went and I just have to rest and be ready for when the
manager gives me the chance to play."
Song will now continue to build up his fitness and form as West Ham prepare
for the busy festive period. With home games against Stoke City and
Liverpool, trips to Swansea City and Aston Villa and the FA Cup third round
all on the agenda, the No4 will be a vital figure as the Hammers try to
maintain their top-half position in the New Year. "For me, I've said every
time that in the next few years we will be fighting for the top, because
that's what everyone at the Club wants to do. "The fans give all their best
to support the team and then the players want to achieve a lot of things.
That's the way we want to be and the way we want to play for West Ham
Football Club."
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Tomkins pleased with clean sheet
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins returned to the West Ham United starting eleven at Old
Trafford and was delighted to help the team to a first clean sheet in ten
Barclays Premier League matches. The Hammers were solid against Manchester
United, but could possibily have turned the draw into victory with several
good chances falling their way. Tomkins admitted the win could have been
theirs, but was still satisfied with the point. He said: "It could have been
all three - we had so many chances and you don't often get that at Old
Trafford. "They keep a lot of clean sheets, but we could have scored two or
three. On another day they go in, but we'll take the point home and [look at
it] as a good day at the office." Tomkins' chance back in the team came at
right back, and although he is more recognised in the centre, the Academy
graduate is pleased to do his bit there. He added: "I'm still learning
there. It's a completely different experience for me - I'd be able to count
the amount of times I've played there on two hands. "I've had a couple of
good performances there against some good teams so it's been a good test for
me. "I want to play anywhere for the team and I'm enjoying it at right
back."
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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic was still beaming after Saturday's impressive draw at
Manchester United added to West Ham United's superb collection of away
results this season.
Bilic said that the nature of the Hammers' performance – which follows
impressive away wins at Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City - will give
them belief going into an intensive run of games over the Christmas period.
Stoke City are up next at the Boleyn Ground this Satul6rday and the manager
will almost certainly be replaying clips of his side's Old Trafford
performance in a bid to fire them up for the game. "You can talk, you can do
analysis, you can prepare but the best way the players are going to believe
it is when they have done it," Bilic explained. "You could have prepared the
game by saying how things should be done by showing them something from some
other club, but I can do it using our team from almost every single game."
Bilic explained that he had briefed his players to exploit the hosts'
attacking intent and so it proved as the visitors created by far the best
chances. Victor Moses, Mauro Zarate, twice, and Winston Reid all went close
to securing the winner before late United pressure required some outstanding
defence work from the Hammers' backline. "I told the players yesterday and
at half time that at 0-0 the longer the game goes they are giving you more
spaces and they are risking more and they don't track back immediately so it
presents more opportunity. "The chances were key moments that you get when
you play Manchester United as you can't expect that you'll get five or ten
of them. That moment you have to score if you want to win anywhere,
especially at Old Trafford. Moses passed up a good one-on-one opportunity
after being played in by Noble, Zarate hit the post from close range, Reid
headed a corner against the frame, before Zarate missed arguably the best
chance of the lot after being played in by Andy Carroll. Bilic, however,
believes those misses did not necessarily define the game "The players
responded really well and it was a very good point for us, especially when
you consider the historic results between West Ham and Manchester United.
They have only conceded one goal at home and we had four of our best
offensive players out, so to put that performance on was superb. "We didn't
only defend, on the contrary, we created enough chances against them and it
was a very good day for us. "But you never know in football. If we had
scored then we might have lost 2-1!"
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Westley - That was the best performance so far
WHUFC.com
Terry Westley described the 2-1 victory over previously unbeaten West
Bromwich Albion as the best performance of the season so far. The young
Hammers extended their winning run to five games with a sterling performance
at Rush Green. To a man, the Dev Squad were superb, and their efforts were
rewarded when birthday boy Jaanai Gordon netted his third goal in two games
with a powerful shot before Martin Samuelsen secured the win late on with a
volley from a corner in stoppage time. Speaking after the win, Westley said:
"I'm delighted with the way we played, particularly against a very
experienced side. We didn't just win; we outplayed them and out passed them.
The combination of all the hard work has come together for a fine result and
a fine performance. "I think collectively, with the team we were up against
tonight, even if we hadn't won tonight, I would still be delighted with the
performance. We were terrific regardless of the result tonight, the added
bonus if that we've won. "In terms of the result, it's probably the best
we've had so far, and maybe the best result too."
Having struggled for points early on in the season, the Dev Squad have now
turned committed, hardworking performances into the points they richly
deserve.
After Gordon had opened the scoring, Saido Berahino responded quickly by
scoring a well-taken equaliser, however the hosts refused to be cowed and
got their rewards seconds from time when Samuelsen, a real thorn in the
Baggies' side all evening got his just rewards as he connected to Josh
Cullen's inswinging corner.
Westley continued: "The players are learning all the time which is
important, and that's our job to produce players ready for the first team.
And then collectively, if they jell together then you have the makings of a
good team. That's a bonus really, now I'm seeing plenty of our players ready
to make that step into the first team.
"Our stats will be high tonight, number of touches, passes, entries into
their box will be positive. Then the confidence grows and the players
believe in what you're doing, and in themselves. "You can't really pick
out individual players tonight; we were good across the board."
Up next for the Dev Squad is a tough home fixture at Upton Park against
Arsenal, who beat the Hammers 5-0 earlier in the season. However Westley
believes the confidence garnered from their recent run of victories will
count for a lot come next Monday. "Five wins in a row at any level is a lot.
We didn't have a particularly good start, but we've caught up. Now we face
Arsenal next at Upton Park, hopefully we'll have a decent crowd supporting
us. "We had four U18s playing for us tonight and that combination of Cullen,
Dobson and Browne is a joy to watch, they'll bring something different to
the table. Then out wide, Parfitt-Williams and Samuelsen can beat people,
they'll frustrate, but there aren't many players who can beat players on the
inside or outside, so we have plenty of options. "Page and Knoyle looked
like professionals tonight and the two centre-backs in the middle held it
all together. Jaanai scored a great shot to cap it off. "We're now
dominating games, and we can still improve on that. We're keeping possession
better. We're creating the outcomes where our players can become Premier
League players, we need to continue and maintain that level of performance
we have now established. If we do that in the second half of the season we
will have more outcomes where we produce Premier League players."
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Young Hammers suffer the Blues
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's U18s suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Barclays
U18 Premier League South leaders Chelsea on Saturday 5 December. The Blues
opened the scoring after just two minutes when Jacob Maddox burst into the
Hammers' penalty box and slid home to put the hosts ahead. Miro Muheim,
Trevoh Chalobah and Ike Ugbo all netted in the second half to secure the
emphatic win. After last weekend's 2-2 home draw with Arsenal, the Academy
made four changes to the starting eleven. Goalkeeper Tim Brown, on Youth
Loan at Chelmsford City, was replaced by Sam Howes. Matt Carter missed the
trip to Cobham, while Aboulahi Diallo and Grady Diangana were dropped to the
bench, allowing Joe Powell, Noha Sylvestre and U16 midfielder Anthony Scully
a starting place. Having won 11 of their 15 league fixtures prior to kick
off, it took Chelsea just 70 seconds to show their dominance when a strong
and skillful run into the Hammers' penalty area finished with Maddox firing
inside the near post. The visitors had few chances of their own within the
opening 45 minutes, although Howes made a string of saves to keep the score
at 1-0. Just nine minutes into the second half, Chelsea finally managed to
double their advantage when an outstanding through ball from Mason Mount
found Muheim through on goal, who finished confidently into the corner of
the net. Having established a comfortable cushion, the Blues found a rhythm
and were passing the ball around well, forcing the east London visitors to
chase the ball. The home side extended their lead even further through a
corner, which was whipped into the box by Mount and headed home by
16-year-old Chalobah. The young Hammers did manage to conjure up a rare
opportunity midway through the second half when former Blues midfielder Dan
Kemp nut-megged his opponent and played in Jahmal Hector-Ingram, but the
England international forward could only find the side netting with his
powerful shot. Down the other end, the hosts wrapped up the points when a
quick attack down the wing allowed for a low cross to find Ugbo alone in the
six yard box to seal the 4-0 result. The Hammers now have just one last
fixture left before Christmas as they head to Derby U18 in the FA Youth Cup
Third Round on Friday 18 December. Kick-off at the iPro Stadium is 7pm.
U18: Howes, Sylvestre (Diallo), Neufville, Lewis, Akinola, Alese, Borg,
Powell (Coventry), Hector-Ingram, Scully (Henry), Kemp.
Subs not used: Forde, Diangana.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Loan round up
WHUFC.com
Reece Burke played for the full 90 minutes as Bradford City eased past
Chesham United in the FA Cup Second Round. Goals from Kyel Ried, James
Hanson, Gary Liddle and Devante Cole secured the rout which sees them
progress to the Third Round of the FA Cup.
Diego Poyet played 73 minutes of MK Don's 2-0 defeat away at Brentford. A
goal either side of half-time secured the Bees the three points. Lasse Vibe
opened the scoring after 21 minutes before Alan Judge doubled the lead. The
Dons are 20th in the Championship with 16 points from 19 games.
Chelmsford City slipped to a 2-1 defeat away at Gosport Borough in Tim
Brown's debut for the Clarets. Dan Wooden opened the scoring for the hosts
shortly after the restart before Michael Thalassitis looked to have rescued
a point. However George Barker popped up with six minutes remaining to seal
the win.
Josh Pask was an unused substitute in Dagenham & Redbridge's 1-1 draw with
minnows Whitehawk to enforce an FA Cup replay.
Clarke Bogard's Tilbury made it 17 matches unbeaten with a hard earned point
against Soham Town Rangers.
Ben Sawyer curled a free-kick home expertly however Tilbury earned
themselves a penalty when Harry Cook was bundled over and Kurt Smith scored
from the spot. The visitors again went ahead when a ball in the box found
Sawyer again to tap home, however a second Cook penalty saved the home side.
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From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com
It was a fantastic performance from the team against Manchester United on
Saturday. It is never easy playing at Old Trafford and considering the
number of players who were missing through injury, Slaven was still able to
pick a strong side and we could have easily come away with all three points.
We hit the woodwork twice in the first half and the statistics suggest that
over the course of a season you score five times as many goals as you hit
the post. To hit the post twice and not score is therefore a statistical
long shot, but sadly our luck isn't in at the moment. We also had big
chances to score through Mauro Zarate and Victor Moses and on another day we
would have scored four goals! Mauro is one of the best finishers at the club
and I know he will be gutted that he was not able to convert the chance when
he was through on goal. Hopefully he will be able to put that behind him and
get on the scoresheet when we play Stoke on Saturday. Winston Reid had a
superb game at the back and all the defenders played their part in helping
us to come away with an impressive clean sheet. We have taken only three
points from the last five games, but in all three draws we were so close to
getting the win, so I can't be too downhearted. We suffered more
disappointment on the injury front at the weekend when Manuel Lanzini was
forced to miss the game at Old Trafford. Victor Moses also had to leave the
pitch in the first half. Hopefully Lanzini is a very short-term injury.
Enner Valencia will hopefully be back in action in the near future and Payet
and Sakho will be back in February. It will be great to get these top
players back in action. We are back in action at the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday and we face a Stoke side who are at the top of their game. But I
believe we can beat them on Saturday. We recently had a fantastic Cyber
weekend across all our retail outlets and I want to thank you for taking
advantage of all the special offers we made available. With Christmas fast
approaching I urge you to visit our Club Stores, or shop online at the
official West Ham store and make sure you don't miss out on your Hammers
stocking fillers.
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Noble - We have a great team spirit
WHUFC.com
West Ham United captain Mark Noble has nothing but praise for the way his
team-mates have stuck together this season and showed they are ready to
compete against any team in the top flight. Despite losing influential
players such as Dimitri Payet, Diafra Sakho, Enner Valencia and Manuel
Lanzini and Victor Moses coming off injured in the first half, the players
still showed they have enough quality to come away with an impressive point
against Manchester United. The Hammers could have easily won the game after
hitting the woodwork twice and both Moses and Mauro Zarate had big
opportunities to open the scoring. Noble feels the team spirit has played a
major role in helping the squad come together and the strength in depth has
enabled Slaven Bilic to still name a strong team when key players have not
been available for selection.
Noble said: "We have had good team spirit from day one. We are not going to
get a result every game but it is how you bounce back. We have had a few
good away results this season, but coming off the back of a couple of
disappointing performances, I thought the boys played really well. "There
were a lot of important players missing (against United) but the boys have
stepped in well. I thought the back four were fantastic and Reidy in
particular was great. "Angelo coming back into the team and Tonks playing at
right back at Old Trafford against a tricky player just shows what we have
got in the dressing room. It is a great result for us. "To come to Old
Trafford on a windy afternoon in December and put in a performance like that
shows you the belief and a lot of credit to the lads. "We had a couple of
great blocks from the lads but we had chances to win the game. We hit the
post twice and had a great chance when Victor missed a one on one. Mauro has
also missed a good chance. "You don't normally get too many opportunities
when you come to Old Trafford and it is a credit for us that we managed to
create them. They are a top team and have only conceded one goal at home
this season but we gave them a good game."
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Hammers draw Wolves in Round Three
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have been drawn to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the
Emirates FA Cup third round.
The Hammers will host the Sky Bet Championship side side over the weekend of
8-11 January 2016.
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Lou predicts tough trip for Potters
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 7th December 2015
By: Staff Writer
Former West Ham United manager Lou Macari believes Stoke will have their
work cut out when they visit the Boleyn Ground this weekend. Macari, who
managed the Hammers for six months between July 1989 and February 1990 went
on to manage City - placing him in a fairly unique position. And he believes
that West Ham may have rediscovered their mojo following the goalless draw
at Old Trafford last weekend against another of his former clubs. "I was at
Old Trafford on Saturday and after watching Man City go down at the
Britannia, everyone was wrongly assuming that Man Utd would take advantage
by beating West Ham," he told the Sentinel. "I was interested to see what
West Ham had to offer because Stoke go there on Saturday. "In years gone by
they've turned up at Old Trafford, got soundly beaten without too much fuss
and left you wondering why they bothered to make the journey north. But last
Saturday I have to say they seemed to have a bit more about them. "For long
spells they not only did okay against Man Utd, but were the better team.
They had chances to sneak a game that deserved to end in a draw at the end
of the day. So on this form, you'd expect Stoke to be in for a tough one at
Upton Park this coming weekend."
Macari, who was fired by West Ham after being investigated for betting
irregularities also admitted that he will be sad to see the Boleyn Ground
pulled down at the end of the current season. "It will be Stoke's last visit
to that great stadium and I must admit I find it terribly sad to see such
arenas disappearing, just like White Hart Lane in another part of London,"
he said.
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Bastian Schweinsteiger charged by FA for alleged act of violent conduct
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 07/12/15 8:13pm
SSN
Bastian Schweinsteiger has been charged with violent conduct by the Football
Association for an alleged elbow on Winston Reid in Manchester United's
goalless draw against West Ham. Schweinsteiger appeared to stick out his
left arm and caught Reid in the throat as both players jostled for position
in the build-up to a first-half free-kick. Referee Mark Clattenburg spoke to
both players to calm them down, but did not see the apparent elbow and it
was therefore not mentioned in his post-match report. That left the FA free
to punish the midfielder retrospectively. The 31-year-old is facing a
three-match ban if found guilty. An FA statement read: "Bastian
Schweinsteiger has been charged for an alleged act of violent conduct which
was not seen by the match officials but caught on video. "The Manchester
United midfielder was involved in an incident with West Ham United's Winston
Reid in the 40th minute of the game on Saturday December 5, 2015. "The
matter was referred to a panel of three former elite referees who each
reviewed the video footage independently of one another to determine whether
they considered it a sending-off offence. "For an FA charge to follow the
decision by the panel must be unanimous. The player has until 12 noon on
Thursday 10 December 2015 to reply to the charge."
Already hampered by a lengthy injury list, United can ill afford to lose the
influential player for their next three league games, which are against
Bournemouth, Norwich and Stoke. Schweinsteiger was prevented from speaking
about the incident at United's pre-match press conference in Wolfsburg on
Monday evening. "We're here to talk about the game," a United official said
when a reporter asked the German about the clash with Reid. The West Ham
defender insisted on Saturday that the elbow was intentional. "He knows
what he's done - he's elbowed me in the face," Reid said after the game. And
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic insisted the player should have been sent off.
He said: "It's a clear red card. A straight red without any doubts. It was a
moment of madness. He deserved to be sent off, but the referee told me he
didn't see it. Fair enough, I believe it. It was an elbow."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham forward Victor Moses to have scan on Tuesday
By PA sport
Last Updated: 07/12/15 11:33am
SSN
West Ham winger Victor Moses will undergo a scan on Tuesday to discover the
extent of his hamstring problem. The 24-year-old, who is on loan from
Chelsea, hobbled off in the 37th minute of the goalless draw with Manchester
United at Old Trafford on Saturday. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic feared Moses
could be out for up to six weeks so he will be hoping the scan shows the
injury is not as bad as first feared. He said: "We have to wait for a scan
but it doesn't look good. It's not like cramp. I don't know if it's three,
four, five or six weeks."
Bilic is already short of options in attack with Dimitri Payet, Diafra
Sakho, Enner Valencia and Manuel Lanzini left sitting on the sidelines at
the weekend. Lanzini could be fit to face Stoke at Upton Park this Saturday
after suffering what was described as a minor injury in training late last
week. West Ham co-chairman David Gold wrote on Twitter: "I'm optimistic
that Lanzini will be available for Stoke but we must wait till Tuesday for
the scan on Victor." Ecuador forward Valencia could also be in contention to
face the Potters after five weeks out with an ankle injury, but Payet and
Sakho are not expected back until February.
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Ref Watch: Should Marouane Fellaini and Bastian Schweinsteiger be sent off?
Last Updated: 07/12/15 8:29pm
SSN
Should Marouane Fellaini and Bastian Schweinsteiger have been sent off
against West Ham? Should Alberto Moreno's goal against Newcastle have stood?
Those were some of the questions posed to former referee Dermot Gallagher on
Sky Sports Now after another weekend of contentious decisions in the Premier
League.
Read on for his take on three big offside decisions, a couple of handballs
and some players who were very fortunate not to receive red cards...
INCIDENT: Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini challenges James Tomkins of
West Ham with his studs, but is not punished by the referee.
SCENARIO: In the 27th minute of Saturday's game at Old Trafford, Fellaini
and Tomkins entered a 50-50 challenge by the touchline. Tomkins wins the
ball but Felliani's studs appeared to go into Tomkins' shin. No foul or card
was given by referee Mark Clattenburg with Tomkins exiting the challenge
unscathed.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Should have been a red card.
GALLAGHER SAYS: "Initially I didn't think it was a free-kick when I saw this
and thought it was a throw-in. That's what Mark Clattenburg sees because he
thinks Fellaini has kicked the ball out. From a different angle, you can see
he's been very naughty. When you see Mark Clattenburg's view, Tomkins' body
actually shields what happens. It's up to the FA to decide if they're going
to follow it up. I would have given it as a red."
INCIDENT: Bastian Schweinsteiger of Manchester United appears to throw an
elbow to the throat of West Ham's Winston Reid, but is not punished.
SCENARIO: As United prepared for a free-kick, Schweinsteiger appeared to
catch Winston Reid with an elbow to the throat. The referee talked to both
players but no cards were given.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Red card for Schweinsteiger... if Clattenburg saw the
incident!
GALLAGHER SAYS: "I'm not convinced the referee's seen what we've seen. Chris
Smalling may block him off. He's seen two players coming together and what
he's done is decided to calm it down, take the heat out of it, because it
was a free-kick. I'm not convinced he sees what we see from the camera
angle. If you do that in the current climate you run a massive risk. If you
take that risk and get caught you have to accept the punishment. If Mark
Clattenburg had a really good view of that, he would send him off."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bastian Schweinsteiger elbowed me in the face, says Winston Reid
Last Updated: 06/12/15 7:31am
SSN
Winston Reid and Slaven Bilic were adamant Manchester United's Bastian
Schweinsteiger should have got his marching orders for a flying elbow.
Schweinsteiger and Reid clashed in the 0-0 draw at Old Trafford on Saturday
as West Ham avoided defeat at another of the Premier League heavyweights
following wins at Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool. As the pair were
jostling in the penalty box in the first half, the German World Cup winner
swung an elbow which caught Reid in the throat. Referee Mark Clattenberg
called both players over but no cards were brandished to the bemusement of
West Ham manager Bilic, who had words with the official as the teams went in
at half-time and labelled the incident a "big time red card". Reid agreed
with his manager, claiming it was a calculated act on Schweinsteiger's part.
Reid said: "It was a red card. He knows what he's done - he's elbowed me in
the face. The referee couldn't see it, so we move on." Bilic agreed with his
centre-back but was sympathetic towards Clattenberg. "It is a red card, but
I can agree that he didn't see it," the Croatian said. "No matter how many
referees you have, sometimes they can't see. "I'm sure if he did see it, it
would have been a straight red. Of course we are disappointed but it
happens. He just didn't see it.
"I saw it on the replays at half-time. It was a red, a big-time red. I
understand the decision but it was a crucial moment. I can't blame the
referee."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WHO WILL BE OUR HIDDEN GEM THIS SEASON?
By HamburgHammer 7 Dec 2015 at 08:00
WTID
It's always enjoyable to witness a thorough masterclass of a team
performance. Our 0:0 at Old Trafford was not only a point very well earned
and respected, it was a sign that this team is bursting with guts and
character. In fact the homeside were the lucky ones really to leave the game
with a point in hand after we couldn't convert any of several good scoring
opportunities. I won't get into judging the referee's performance as it
won't do my blood pressure any favours, but Schweinsteiger will be lucky to
escape a retrospective ban. If indeed Clattenburg saw the incident of the
German's elbow in the Kiwi's neck and did nothing in terms of cards he needs
to be demoted.
It has been well documented how again we have been struck by an almighty
injury curse. Not just the odd knock here and there, but long-term injuries
to key players.
The heart and soul of our new sophisticated passing game Payet…out till
January/February 2016.
Moses likely to have done his hamstring…out for 1-3 months.
Sakho injuring himself stretching to reach the ball…for return date see
Payet's estimate above.
Valencia with another ankle injury…luckily he seems to heal better than
expected and might return for the busy Christmas schedule.
If these injuries are just down to sheer bad luck or we may need to tweak
our training regime or matchday warm ups and warm downs is a question well
worth debating, but hard to do from the outside looking in of course.
But it gives Bilic the chance (or forces him, whatever way you wanna look at
it) to give a run out and more responsibility to other squad members.
Experienced ones but also youngsters. I have no doubt in my mind that Bilic
is more open to give young players a chance than our previous manager.
It also happens quite a lot that players whi are a bit under the radar turn
out to be revelations or unlikely heroes.
So I wonder which Hammer will be our surprise package this season, stepping
up to the plate and forcing his way into the first team reckoning ?
Will Antonio stake his claim now with Moses likely to be unavailable for a
huge chunk of the season now ?
Can Cullen catch the manager's eye and add even more creativity and flair to
our midfield ?
Or could Reece Oxford get more gametime, either in the back four or in
midfield, to make sure he wants to stay instead of getting his head turned
by one of the circling vultures from North London or Manchester ?
Maybe it could also be someone like Obiang or Ogbonna shining during the
remainder of the season ? But both of those came with a certain pedigree of
course and can be expected to add quality to our side. Once again, kudos to
our team for their performance against the Mancunians (I love that word!
Sounds like they should be fighting the Klingons in the Star Trek universe.)
West Ham are finally playing proper football again and we're sitting nicely
in sixth place, despite injuries to key players.
After todays game we will be 7th of course, but we still look good for a
solid midtable position at the end of the season.
I reckon 6th or 7th is a pretty realistic target for us and would show nice
progress from last season, also being a decent platform to start from for
our first season in the OS.
Exciting times to be a Hammer for sure!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger charged with violent
conduct over Winston Reid clash
19:37, 7 DEC 2015 UPDATED 19:42, 7 DEC 2015
BY DAVID MCDONNELL
The German midfielder faces a three-match ban following an apparent elbow on
the Hammers defender during the 0-0 draw on Saturday
The Mirror
Bastian Schweinsteiger is facing a three-match ban after being charged with
violent conduct. The FA charge relates to Manchester United's 0-0 draw with
West Ham on Saturday, in which Schweinsteiger appeared to deliberately
strike Winston Reid with his left forearm. Schweinsteiger, preparing for
United's must-win Champions League tie tonight against Wolfsburg in his
native Germany, has until midday on Thursday to respond to the charge. The
United midfielder, speaking at a press conference in Wolfsburg alongside
boss Louis van Gaal, was prevented from answering a question on the incident
with Reid, minutes before the charge was announced. The FA statement said:
"Bastian Schweinsteiger has been charged for an alleged act of violent
conduct which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video. "The
Manchester United midfielder was involved in an incident with West Ham
United's Winston Reid in the 40th minute of the game on Saturday [5 December
2015]. "The matter was referred to a panel of three former elite referees
who each reviewed the video footage independently of one another to
determine whether they considered it a sending-off offence. "For an FA
charge to follow the decision by the panel must be unanimous. "The player
has until noon on Thursday 10 December 2015 to reply to the charge."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham believe they can do ANYTHING on their travels after another big
away result says Slaven Bilic
22:30, 6 DEC 2015
BY DAVID ANDERSON
The Hammers added to the scalps taken at Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester
City earlier this season with Saturday's 0-0 draw at Old Trafford
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic claims his West Ham players now believe they can get a result
ANYWHERE. In addition to their fine point against Manchester United at Old
Trafford on Saturday, the Hammers have won at Arsenal, on their travels at
Liverpool and as Manchester City's visitors this season under their
first-year manager. And ex-Irons defender Bilic says they no longer need him
to instil belief. "You can talk, analyse, prepare, but the best way the
players are going to believe is if they have done it recently," he said.
They have responded really well and this is a great point for us. If you
consider everything - Manchester United's recent history in these games, and
that we were without four key players – then it is a good day for us and I
have to praise my players." Bilic feels his players are suited to playing
away from Upton Park because all the pressure is on the team playing at
home. "When you are away, you are happy with a throw-in," he said. "You
don't rush to take a throw-in, if you know what I mean.
Kings of the road — West Ham's away giant-killings this season:
August 9th: Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
August 29th: Liverpool 0-3 West Ham
September 19th: Manchester City 1-2 West Ham
"When you're playing at home, you need to do something extra and you are a
little bit nervous after 25 minutes if it is 0-0. The crowd in England is
very polite, but also sometimes very demanding on the players."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fans pile in after Keown slams Reid
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
TV pundit and former Arsenal defender Martin Keown created a storm when
claiming that Winston Reid's behaviour after a challenge from Bastian
Schweinsteiger was "almost a disgrace" at Old Trafford on Saturday. The
United midfielder could be facing retrospective disciplinary action as a
result but Keown was quick out of the traps to slam our central defender
declaring: "The way Winston Reid goes down is almost a disgrace. I'd be
embarrassed if I went down like that. Remember the wrestling that used to
be on on Saturdays? It was like that."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Schweinsteiger charged with violent conduct
Posted by Sean Whetstone on December 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
Bastian Schweinsteiger has been charged for an alleged act of violent
conduct by the FA which was not seen by the match officials but caught on
video. The Manchester United midfielder was involved in an incident with
West Ham United's Winston Reid in the 40th minute of the game on Saturday
5th December 2015.
The matter was referred to a panel of three former elite referees who each
reviewed the video footage independently of one another to determine whether
they considered it a sending-off offence. For an FA charge to follow the
decision by the panel must be unanimous. The player has until 12 noon on
Thursday 10th December 2015 to reply to the charge.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
DG delighted winger didn't try to over impress
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Gold has been a regular presence alongside Michail Antonio during the
first troubled days of his West Ham career. And although no one was happy to
see Victor Moses leave the Old Trafford action on Saturday, Gold was
delighted to see the £7 million signing acquit himself so well in the second
half. The 25 year old admitted that getting forward was a problem as he
isn't fully match fit but he did a fine job on a couple of occasions and
Gold believes the outing will give him the confidence he needs to move on –
presumably at home against Stoke City. Gold told ClaretandHugh: "He's shown
great patience and what a way to make your first big appearance . It wasn't
easy for him but I thought he did really well and certainly didn't look
overawed or out of place. "After a big money move it would have been easy
for him to try to over impress but he was very professional and made an
extremely important intervention at the back. "With Victor Moses looking
likely to be out for a period that was an important appearance for Michail
and he will take a lot of confidence from that match."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold confident on Lanzini
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Gold has confirmed Manu Lanzini's expected return to action for the
clash with Stoke City at the weekend. The co chairman declared himself
"optimistic that Lanzini will be available for Stoke" adding: "As I
understand the situation from the medical guys it's very minor and he should
be fine." That confirms the story from CandH last night (Sun) in which we
claimed Lanzini would be back despite later national press reports putting
the injury return at a fortnight. Gold is delighted with the squad's
determination to shrug off it's injury concerns as it goes in search of
points telling CandH: "We really are having a difficult time but the manager
and the squad are showing fantastic resilience. "It's great too that we
don't hear injuries used as excuses for dropped points – it's all part of
the games and you need to get the results regardless of the situation in the
dressing room. "Everybody played their part and it proved what we've been
saying that this is a very good squad but we can do without any further
injuries."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This player may save us a transfer market fortune
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
James Tomkins may be set to save the Irons a lot of money in next summer's
transfer market. It's well known that we are in the market for a right back
and following JT's impressive displays in the position his claims to become
a regular in the position going forward are looking more and more of a goer.
He admitted himself over the weekend that he's still learning the job but it
hasn't escaped anybody's attention that with him and Angelo Ogbonna at the
back we kept our first clean sheet the weekend at the eleventh time of
trying. There were the odd moments of concern at the back but with Tomkins
and Reid outstanding, Ogbonna coming back to his best and Cresswell
excellent, we look to have found our four at the back. Indeed some sources
are already discussing the possibility of JT being our long term answer at
right back with the club now perhaps looking set to sign a back-up in the
position. ClaretandHugh was told: "He had a worrying time there a few years
ago but he is that much older and looking a far better player in the role.
Yes, it's conceivable he could save us a lot of money in the summer."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Co chairman predicts this kid is the new Brooking
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 7, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
On-loan Posh starlet Martin Samuelsen has just been paid the greatest
compliment or biggest burden he's ever going to carry. The Norwegian
teenager was given the opportunity of joining Peterborough United on loan a
couple of weeks back and has been wowing the locals with his fabulous
skills. Indeed Barry Fry, the club's director of football told ClaretandHugh
soon after he joined that he believed if Posh could hold onto the player
until the end of the season the club would win the league. Now David Gold
has gone many steps further than Fry's bold prediction by claiming Samuelsen
can become as great as one of the Hammers immortals.
Tweeting this evening (Mon) he declared: "Martin Samuelsen is on loan at
Posh, I still believe he is going to be a player. It's possible he could be
as good as Sir Trevor Brooking. dg" No pressure on the young man then!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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