Cresswell - We need to keep the run going
WHUFC.com
It's a quick turnaround for Aaron Cresswell and his West Ham United
teammates as they follow Saturday's FA Cup victory over Wolverhampton
Wanderers with a trip to AFC Bournemouth in the Barclays Premier League on
Tuesday. The Hammers are currently on a run of eight games unbeaten and
could move into the division's top five with victory at the Vitality
Stadium. Cresswell is keen to keep the positive momentum going, especially
as the Hammers suffered one of their few defeats this season to the Cherries
back in August. He said: "It's back to the Premier League on Tuesday and we
want to pick another three points up against Bournemouth. "No game in the
Premier League is easy and we'll have another tough one at Newcastle on
Saturday, but they are two games we are relishing. "We do feel like we owe
Bournemouth one and we want to get three points to look forward to the
Newcastle game with. "It's been a good time for us defensively. We've only
conceded a couple of goals in the last six games or so and it was another
clean sheet on Saturday but the main thing was to get the win.
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Reid – 'We're in it for the long haul'
WHUFC.com
The fit-again Winston Reid has his sights set on a prolonged stay in this
season's Emirates FA Cup, after seeing off the challenge of Wolverhampton
Wanderers at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday. Reid, making his first
appearance since an exceptional display at Old Trafford in early December,
helped the Hammers keep a fifth clean sheet in seven. And after a month
spent working his way back from a hamstring problem, 90 minutes will have
done the New Zealander the world of good, not least with a hard-earned win
to enjoy. He told West Ham TV: "It was good to get back out there after a
long while out. The team's been doing really well since I've been injured,
so it's been really good and maybe the players who haven't played as much
came in on Saturday and did their job and got the win." "I did my job on
Saturday. I've been for out for four weeks and trained with the guys for
three and a half, four days, so I had to feel my way into the game and just
get out of it what I could. I had to make sure I did my job and make sure we
got a win."
Though Wolves proved a trickier proposition than the Hammers might have
hoped, Reid was little concerned by the manner of victory, preferring
instead to contemplate what will hopefully be an exciting cup run. "We said
beforehand that we wanted to go through and you know they're a tough team,"
he confirmed. "I've been in the Championship before, it's a tough league, so
they sat back, they were good on the break and we tried to break it down
and, fortunately enough, we did at the end. "We haven't done so well in the
tournament over the last couple of years, but I think our league position
allows us to have a bit more of a go and we intend to. We're in it for the
long haul and we'll try our best."As for the winner, Reid believes Nikica
Jelavic's moment of magic is evidence of the quality that this squad now
possesses, no matter who manager Slaven Bilic decides to call upon. "Andy
[Carroll] showed a bit of ability, took the ball down and laid it off to
Jelavic, and he showed even more ability by finishing it off. "I'm really
happy for Jelavic, he's had to wait for his opportunities and he did well on
Saturday. It was a good finish. "He showed the quality that I think we've
got in the squad now in depth. It was good and most importantly for the
team, we're into the next round."
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ExWHUEmployee Column: Jelavic set to leave! Zarate could follow. Zaza in?
January 10, 2016
WestHamWay.co.uk
ExWHUEmployee
So the Wolves game wasn't the greatest spectacle but we got the job done.
It was a solid performance and they didn't really bother us at all but again
this could be the strength of our defence. I thought Collins and this time
Reid were extremely good and dealt with any threat that they offered.
Another player who stood out for me was Obiang especially in the second
half. He really controlled the play and does his job quietly but
effectively.
Ok on to transfers as I know this is what you are most interested in. You
will read these stories in the papers and other sites within the next day so
please remember where they originated from as this is often forgotten. We
have to sell to buy. This is the theme that I have maintained throughout my
columns particularly because our wages are so high and at the limit. This
however is much more likely to happen now.
The person most likely to leave in January, and this will shock a few, is
Jelavic. He has received a big money offer from abroad and they have
offered him huge wages compared to what he is on now. This is obviously a
massive temptation for him and we do not want to stand in his way we just
want a bit more cash for his signature as we paid money to Hull. Jelavic
has played for two clubs this season (us and Hull) so it cannot be a team
whose season is running in line with ours. I cannot say the club and
league but it is one that offers big contracts. If this is the case it frees
up a lot of cash and a forward position. This is where we go for another
forward on loan with Zaza likely to be the number one option. There are
other targets on the list as well including a couple of forwards who we went
for last summer (these are not hard to work out).
The £20m forward that the insider also spoke of in his column plays abroad
too so he is unproven in England however he is a top talent and has scored
regularly in his current league which is of a good standard, he is highly
rated and has a great goalscoring record. We also have strong links to his
agent and the deal could happen despite the competition. I cannot reveal
who it is because it is far from being concluded yet despite him being
watched many times. We have some brilliant players on the target list and
it is so exciting. I have covered Byram and Tore in previous columns and
they are just two of many potential signings.
Another player who could leave is Zarate. We have had some distant interest
in him and the club would entertain a decent offer. His most likely
destination is Spain and if a club was to pay around £3-£5m we would accept
but we are not desperately looking to sell.
Another player who we had considered moving on and again this may shock you
is Alex Song. He hasn't been himself since he has returned and for me this
was shown in the Wolves game. He is now behind Lanzini, Kouyaye, Noble and
Obiang in the order and with Oxford coming through too his importance is not
seen as great as it once was. It is now unlikely he will be signed in the
summer but this could all change, the interest in him seems to have died
down though so he probably will not move in the January window.
We have also been watching a Derby County youngster who is extremely highly
rated and would be part of the academy for a few years first! It is great to
see Slaven valuing youth so much and seeing Samuelsen doing so well at
Peterborough. We are open to any youth player moving on loan and we expect
that there will be a few that go in January for vital experience.
Today I have again experienced another part of the new website being taken
from us from another site. This seems to be happening quite frequently and
I guess this is what competition brings and should be a complement. All I
can say is stick with us, there are loads of exciting plans and features
coming soon.
The forum is the next project and we have two brilliant admins on board to
get that up and running. If you think you can bring something to the site
then please get in touch. If I don't reply it really isn't personal it is
just there is quite a large volume at the moment. Thanks for the support so
far and all feedback is appreciated.
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Manuel Lanzini: West Ham midfielder out for six weeks
BBc.co.uk
West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini faces up to six weeks on the sidelines
after the recurrence of a thigh injury. The 22-year-old, who has impressed
on a season-long loan from Abu Dhabi club Al Jazira, was hurt in the 2-0 win
over Liverpool on 2 January.The Argentine will be out for "five to six
weeks", club co-owner David Gold wrote on Twitter. Lanzini sustained the
initial injury in training last month and spent three weeks on the
sidelines. He returned earlier than expected as a substitute in the 2-1 win
over Southampton on 28 December, but then went down after hitting the post
with a swerving drive in the subsequent game against Liverpool. Manager
Slaven Bilic said after the game that it was a tendon problem.
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TIN FOIL DREAMS
By Mike Ireson 10 Jan 2016 at 17:00
WTID
The magic of the FA Cup'.
It's a well-used phrase and at this time of year bandied around in a scatter
gun fashion. Although I think everyone appreciates the FA Cup and has a
special affection for it, dependant on your age is how you really feel about
it. If your first memories of football are from the Premier League/Sky
Sports era, then you only know the game as being a readily accessible one. A
choice of live games to watch each weekend, and every goal scored captured
by camera's. If you are older than that then the FA Cup probably means a
little more to you.
When I was growing up media coverage of football was a whole different ball
game, if you excuse the awful pun. Highlights of only 3 or 4 games each
weekend and no live coverage of any game. Except one. The FA Cup final. The
joy of being able to watch a whole live game was amazing. And not only that
but the final was not only about the 90-minute game. It was a day event.
BBC and ITV would go to town on providing a televisual build up. Cup final
special programs throughout the day, coverage of the teams at their hotels
and live coverage from the team buses as they travelled to Wembley. As a kid
this was just amazing. We forget that pre 24 hour rolling sports news and a
bucket full of dedicated sports channels it was a barren land. Football
focus and On the Ball were your Saturday lunchtime fix of football. Match of
the Day/|The Big Match, depending on which company had the rights at the
time, and maybe a bit of midweek action on Sportsnight if you were lucky.
That was your lot. About 4 hours of football programming per week. So to
have a live game and 4 to 5 hours of build-up was like being given your
birthday and Christmas presents all at once. This 3rd round weekend you can
watch 5 live games and see every goal from every game. If the 12-year-old me
were teleported in to the future and to this weekend he'd pass out. And to
be honest, although I didn't get to see every goal from every game at that
age, I wouldn't change it. Only being drip fed media coverage gave me an
appreciation of the game you can't get now. It felt special. It was exciting
to see football action and programs about the game. And so to me and many
others the FA Cup was always the most important competition. The nation
would stop and watch the cup final. Regardless of the teams involved, you
would watch and wish it were your team there. And when you look at the
trophy itself, it has this magical quality. A thing of beauty. None of us,
not one, would not have a little wee if we got within 10 foot of thing. It
adds to the magic of this competition where David can meet Goliath. Heroes
will be made. Lifetime memories forged.
And there is one thing that proves beyond reasonable doubt that this is the
most special competition in the world……….. Nobody would ever dream of
spending hours making a tin foil replica of any other trophy.
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WHY WOULDN'T OUR MIDFIELDERS PASS TO JELAVIC?
By Blind Hammer 10 Jan 2016 at 08:00
WTID
Blind Hammer examines Bilic's game management and the enigma that is Jelavic
Slaven Bilic is becoming a master of managing pressure on opposition teams
from the bench. He has now undone Chelsea, Southampton and now Wolves with
his game management. It is an obvious comment to say that the introduction
from the Bench of Carroll and Payet changed this game in West Ham's favour
in the second half. Bilic has again done unto an opposition team what had
been done unto West Ham many times in the past. Quality coming off the bench
against a tiring defence made all the difference.
However what is more interesting for me is the way that Bilic set up this
pressure at a crucial time from the Bench and managed this victory with
depleted resources. Despite the presence of Payet and Carroll on the bench
this was a team which was still shorn of Lanzini, Moses, Sakho and Valencia.
In other words four attacking players who would normally have played at
least a part in this game.
Bilic had announced during the week that he would prefer to win the FA Cup
than finish fourth and claim a Champions League place. Given this is his
priority the temptation must have been there for him to start either Payet
or Carroll or both. This is certainly what I felt before the game and it was
with some disbelief that I saw Jelavic was starting the game by leading the
attack. Bilic clearly has some faith in Jelavic. However it appeared he has
some work to do to convince the West Ham midfield of Jelavic's qualities. I
listen carefully to the in-stadium commentary through the first half and
surprisingly when Jelavic received the ball he did OK, forcing a throw in on
one occasion and holding the ball up on two further occasions. The problem
was that the West Ham midfield appeared to be voting on Jelavic's selection
with their passes. They appeared not believe in his ability to retain
possession and the idea appeared to be anybody but Jelavic. Zarate, Antonio
and even Jenkinson and Cresswell were all much more likely to receive
possession from the midfield trio of Song, Noble and Obiang. I never heard a
single pass from Song that was directed towards Jelavic. On the face of it
this can only mean one of two things. Either the West Ham midfield decided
independently that they simply did not trust Jelavic with the ball or this
was actually a Bilic game plan all along.
Jelavic on joining West Ham said he wanted to join because Bilic "knew how
to play him". If Jelavic's weak point is his hold up play it makes perfect
sense to starve him of the ball whilst attacks are being constructed.
Sometimes Managers seem to have blind spots about players and I began to
think Bilic had a blind spot about Jelavic. However maybe it is us who are
not seeing the point in Jelavic, it may be that he is making runs off the
ball and dragging defenders about. As this is rarely commentated on it I is
difficult for me to judge.
So this team structure may have been set up by Bilic to ensure Jelavic was
not exposed in his weak points. Jelavic will never be a Sakho or Carroll.
During the game I was convinced it was lack of trust from the West Ham
midfield in Jelavic which was causing the pattern of play. Now I am not so
sure. I wonder now if Bilic is seeing something we simply are not.
West Ham laboured into the second half, but crucially never looked under
threat from Wolves. When the first substitution came I was amazed it was not
Carroll for Jelavic but Payet for Noble who was having one of his more
ponderous games. When Carroll was called off the bench into the fray I was
again amazed that again it was Zarate rather than Jelavic who was
substituted. Zarate despite his over-elaborations had held the ball up far
more than Jelavic. I judged, at the time, that Zarate was unlucky to leave
the game.
Bilic's thinking and continued faith in Jelavic was rewarded when on 85
minutes he seized on a Carroll pass, swivelled and hammered a superb winner.
I would probably not have started with Jelavic and would certainly have
taken him off at half time. Luckily for us all I am not the West Ham Manager
though. Bilic saw a threat there and persevered with his game plan. There is
no doubt about it; Bilic had proved me and probably many others in the
ground wrong with his game management.
Bilic had got all the crucial decisions right. He judged that he could
manage his resources better by not starting Carroll and Payet. Wolves's
early running and commitment was expended against a less threatening West
Ham outfit. There were bad consequences for Wolves as they expended all this
energy against players like Zarate and noble, they were more vulnerable to
the quality unleashed in the second half as a result. If Carroll had started
he may not have had the decisive crucial influence he had in the 85th
minute.
Payet was spared a long match and freed from the potentially clumsy and
dangerous attentions of the Wolves midfield. Carroll was largely preserved
for the challenges to come in the weeks ahead.
What is certain is that Bilic has confidence in his squad. He was very
obvious in his praise of Jelavic when he was eventually substituted by
Oxford. After the game he did not refer to injuries but again stressed that
he was happy with his squad's depth and ability to cope with replays. This
is a refreshing approach. I remember Alex Ferguson being asked who he
directed his post-match comments to. The fans? His Directors? He was
unequivocal in saying all his post-match press conferences were targeted
mainly at his players. It was the public message he wanted them to hear.
I believe Bilic's loud support of the depth of his squad, despite injuries
is certainly targeted at his players and is an important part of his
psychological management. He needs all his squad to step up to the plate if
we are to have a Cup run, the fringe players need to perform as much as the
main men. In the end today's performance was a vindication of Bilic's squad
management as much as it was his game management.
David Griffith
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West Ham listen to ONE DIRECTION in the changing rooms - and even have
Julian Dicks singing along
09:57, 10 JAN 2016 UPDATED 09:59, 10 JAN 2016
BY AARON FLANAGAN
The peculiar dukebox decision turned the heads of the Hammers' management
team but they appear to have been won over by the selection
The Mirror
Metal head managers Slaven Bilic and Julian Dicks have admitted their West
Ham team have got them singing to One Direction . The Hammers management
team were sceptical when Mark Noble first blasted 1D in the dressing room
and admits that the dukebox selection still gets mixed receptions. Bilic is
still uneasy with the musical choices in the changing room, being a big
heavy metal fan, but his assistant Dicks says he can't get the tunes out of
his head. Dicks was nicknamed 'Terminator' during his playing days, but now
finds himself bopping along to 1D hit History. He told The Sun : "At first I
thought 'what is this load of s***' but now I can't get the bloody tune out
of my head. The lads played it after we won too and even I'm singing along
to it now. "I'm not sure Slaven's taken with it. I like everything. I'm a
heavy metal fan but I also love Elvis, 60s music, anything, although I never
thought the day would come when I'd say I liked One Direction. To be honest,
any kind of music is good for lifting the spirits. "Team spirit is so
important. When things are going well it manages itself."
Bilic, keen to stick by his musical tastes, invited Iron Maiden front man
Steve Harris to Upton Park earlier this month to watch their 2-0 win over
Liverpool. The Hammers followed that up with a 1-0 win over Wolves in the FA
Cup this weekend, extending their unbeaten run to eight matches in all
competitions - keeping five clean sheets in that spell.
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Smiling Slav's FA Cup preference – the fans respond
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 10, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has declared that he'd sooner win the FA Cup than
reach the top four. And he reduced a recent press conference to helpless
laughter when holding an imaginary FA Cup over his head to demonstrate the
point. He then declared this was infinitely preferable to looking at a
magazine and trying to find out where the team stood in its Champions League
group repeating over and over to a keen journalist: "FA Cup!" even shrugging
off the "Oh come on Slav" with the same response. It was a genuinely
hilarious moment and members of the ClaretandHugh Facebook forum at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/363174467150521/ have been responding to
Slav's New Irons approach and his honest and direct approach.
Here's some of their responses.
O Love him, incredible man
O This man is making us everyone's second team again!
O It's that enthusiasm -you can see the joy of winning his imaginary cup,
all over his face-love him! COYI!
O Slav's a Superman X
O He's a hero
O He deffo gets what a football fan wants ..love this guy
O While Sam is still shaking his head wondering why we don't love him. Slav
has one thing 25 statisticians can't buy. He understands this club and is
fans. Simples
O You can see real relish in Slavs face thinking about winning the FA Cup
O Yes I'd enjoy a pint with him seems a real genuine nice guy
O We are Super Slaven's Claret and Blue Army. I can see why he was lifted
high and carried out in farewell from his last club. And I don't believe
it's one way. He loves us too.
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Why Antonio couldn't 'show' on training pitches
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 10, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham coaches have realised why early training ground judgements on
Michail Antonio may have been a little unfair on the £7 million signing. The
former Nottingham Forest player of course took a while to break through and
although that was down to positive performances from those in front of him,
there was another reason. One source explained that it wasn't until the
flying winger had got onto a full sized pitch that they could see what his
game was truly all about – pace, power and endurance over 90 mnutes..
Antonio could not show himself to full advantage of the three-quarter sized
pitches at Chadwell Heath but once he was up to fitness it became obvious
that his game in general was well suited to full-size pitches. We were told:
"It was obvious when we scouted him that he is all strength and power but we
were a bit taken aback at his relentless running once he hit Premier League
pitches. He goes from one end to the other over and over again. You can't
judge that stuff on the training ground pitches "He's been a revelation and
now he is up to full fitness and we know the extent to which he can keep
going it's going to be a hard all to drop him."
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DG's surprise man of the match
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 10, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Gold has put forward a surprising name as his man of the match against
Wolves. Whilst The Sun impossibly opted for Nikica Jelavic as their choice,
DG came up with an infinitely more realistic if unconsidered choice.
Speaking exclusively to ClaretandHugh the co chairman declared: " I thought
Pedro Obiang was terrific all afternoon. He was always looking to make
things happened, passed the ball forward positively and had a great
completion. "We weren't at our best and it was a dour old affair but we got
the job done and that's really all that matters at this point in the FA Cup.
Pedro kept going through out and I really think he deserved to pick up the
award." DG is looking forward to tomorrow night's draw and said: 'I'd be
happy to get Eastleigh or Bolton at the Boleyn and then we'll move on all
the way to Wembley and meet my old mate Barry Fry's Posh at Wembley where of
course our youngster Martin Samuelsen will not be allowed to play!"
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Great injury news from Slav
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 10, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Slaven Bilic is expecting Diafra Sakho way ahead of schedule. The manager
has reported the striker is in decent shape and said: "We would look for
him to return by the beginning of February." And he added that Victor Moses
too was close to a recall explaining: "He will rejoin the first team squad
this week – that's the plan." He said: "I don't believe we will have a
repeat of the situation we have had in the first half of the season with
injuries but were we to, we have show we can cope with situations, however
big. "So we are not going to be active in the transfer market. We always
believed we had done our business in the summer and we will not buy simply
because it is time to buy. "There is no point in having two or three back up
players who are not going to play – we have a squad that can cope. It would
have to be something exceptional to come along"
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Sameluson scores another great goal for Posh
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 10, 2016 in Videos, Whispers
C and H
West Ham Loanee Martin Samuelson scored another great goal for Peterborough
yesterday in the FA Cup third round to help the Posh beat Preston 2-0 and go
forward to the fourth round. It was the eighteen year old's debut in the FA
Cup but he scored from 25 yards on 7 minutes into the first half Last week
we spoke exclusively to Peterborough United Director of Football Barry Fry
who welcomed the news that West Ham have allowed Martin Samuelsen to stay
with the Posh until the end of the season and play in the FA Cup by
declaring: "We'll make him a £20 million player." Fry told
MooreThanJustApodcast: "He'll win us the League and if he stays another year
we'll turn him into a man on and off the pitch and send a £20 million player
back to Upton Park! Every Posh player looks up to Martin. He's a training
ground genius. "He will be knocked about and learn to mature at our level.
It's a better place to grow up and learn your trade than in under 21
football where nobody ever tackles."
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Posh to discuss long term Samuelsen deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 10, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Exclusive
Barry Fry will definitely be asking West Ham for permission to keep Martin
Samuelsen at Posh if the League One club are promoted to the Championship.
The young Norwegian smashed home the first goal in the club's Third Round FA
Cup victory over Preston North End yesterday and Fry said: "I'd love us to
draw Manchester City at their place tomorrow night – he would love that and
so would we." Martin's goal was his second in successive games and after
beating four men for his effort against Sheffield United, yesterday's gave
the keeper no chance. ( See the video below). Talking exclusively to
ClaretandHugh Fry said: "It couldn't have been more different. The guy is
pure quality. We are in the final play-off place at the moment and I've said
he is the difference between promotion and us staying where we are in League
One. "If we do get into the Championship we shall certainly be asking West
Ham the question about whether we can keep him for another season- he's a
player who gets the crowd on the edge of their seats every time he picks up
the ball." Fry confirmed that should West Ham draw Posh at any stage of the
season, Samuelsen would be unable to play under the conditions of the loan
deal.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, January 11
Sunday, January 10
Daily WHUFC News - 10th January 2016
West Ham United 1-0 Wolves
WHUFC.com
Emirates FA Cup Third Round
West Ham United 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Nikica Jelavic fired West Ham United into the fourth round of the Emirates
FA Cup with a cracking late strike at the Boleyn Ground, his first for the
Hammers. In a game of precious few clear-cut chances, the Croat latched
onto Andy Carroll's flick with just six minutes of regulation time left to
play and dispatched a clinical first-time finish into the bottom right-hand
corner. Carl Jenkinson had earlier seen a long-range strike brilliantly
saved by Wolves stopper Carl Ikeme, before Dimitri Payet and Andy Carroll
were introduced after the break in a bid to spare the Hammers a return trip
to Molineux. But it was the former Everton and Rangers man who did the
damage, ensuring the Hammers' safe passage into the fourth round, ahead of
Monday's draw.
As expected, Slaven Bilic shuffled his pack for the visit of Wolverhampton
Wanderers. Among the seven changes, Winston Reid's return was the big news,
fit to start after a hamstring injury, while there were also recalls for
Darren Randolph, Jenkinson, Alex Song, Pedro Obiang, Mauro Zarate and
matchwinner Jelavic.
The Hammers made a sleepy start at the Boleyn Ground and Wolves went
alarmingly close within the first 30 seconds. Rajiv Van La Parra's teasing
centre from the right was begging to be tapped home, but instead drifted
past an unsure Reid and right across the face. It took the hosts the best
part of 20 minutes to test Ikeme in the visitors' goal, who comfortably
fielded Zarate's 20-yard drive, before stooping to his left to palm Obiang's
deflected effort around the post.
In an uninspiring first half, Jenkinson's cross from the right almost fell
kindly for Michail Antonio, but after his first swipe had been blocked,
Wolves hacked it clear. But Ikeme was at least called upon rather more
seriously before the half was out. Jenkinson let fly from well outside the
box and the visiting stopper had to be at his very best to tip the
full-back's stinger over the top.
The second half was punctuated by a lengthy stoppage following an injury to
Bjorn Sigurdarson, who was eventually stretchered from the field. Former
Reading man Adam Le Fondre took his place. With 25 to play Bilic called on
Payet to provide a much-needed spark. Skipper Mark Noble made way. But
Wolves were having a good go too. Michael Zyro was allowed to carry the ball
and fizzed a drive into the palms of Randolph. At the other end, Obiang
collected a poor clearance 20 yards from goal but screwed wide of the near
post. Carroll was next to join the fray, partnering Jelavic in attack. But
it was Payet who went closest, as his free-kick drifted narrowly over before
cannoning into the stanchion behind the goal. Though a replay now looked on
the cards, Jelavic popped up with a precious winner six minutes from time.
The Croat was onto Carroll's flick like a flash and his finish into the
bottom right-hand corner of Ikeme's goal was an exquisite one. Incidentally,
Jelavic's only other goal this season was also against Wolves, albeit for
his former employers Hull City. Pretty it wasn't, but the Hammers can now
look forward to Monday's fourth round draw.
West Ham United: Randolph, Jenkinson, Collins, Reid, Cresswell, Obiang,
Song, Noble (c) (Payet 66), Zarate (Carroll 71), Antonio, Jelavic (Oxford
87)
Subs: Adrian (GK), Ogbonna, Tomkins, Cullen
Goal: Jelavic 84
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Ikeme, Iorfa, Batth (c), Ebanks-Landell, Doherty,
McDonald, Edwards, Coady, Van La Parra (Graham 81), Sigurdarson (Le Fondre
56), Zyro (Henry 81)
Subs: Martinez (GK), Golbourne, Byrne, Saville
Referee: Anthony Taylor
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble - Going through is all that matters
WHUFC.com
It was a case of job done for Mark Noble after West Ham United sealed their
place in the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday.
Nikica Jelavic's 84th minute strike was enough to see off Championship side
Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Boleyn Ground and Noble was pleased to make
progress at the first time of asking against a stubborn opponent.
He said: "It's the Cup and Wolves came here to sit back and make it
difficult for us. They started really brightly actually, but we took control
of the game and I'm delighted for Jela that he's got his goal.
"He works so hard in training every day, puts a real shift in and he hasn't
had a lot of game time, but when it dropped to him today it was a top
quality finish.
"Overall it doesn't matter how you play as long as you're in the next
round."
The Hammers' good form rolls on, and with another game at Bournemouth on
Tuesday, Noble is keen for the momentum to keep on building.
He added: "We've played a lot of football in the last couple of weeks, a lot
of hard games – Southampton, Liverpool, well-earned wins. Today was a
possible banana skin for us at home, but we've come through it with a clean
sheet and a victory.
"We want to keep on putting three points on the board, keep that feeling of
winning games. We've won three in a row and the draws before that have given
us the platform to go on and do that."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dicks – 'It was a fantastic finish'
WHUFC.com
Julian Dicks heaped praise on match-winner Nikica Jelavic after the Croat's
first West Ham United goal booked the Hammers' passage into round four of
the Emirates FA Cup. Wolverhampton Wanderers proved no pushovers at the
Boleyn Ground and it took some 84 minutes for Jelavic's fine finish to break
the deadlock. The 30-year-old has had to bide his time since signing for
the Club but, when the opportunity presented itself on Saturday, he took it
with both hands, much to the relief of Coaching Assistant Dicks and his
colleagues.
"It was a great finish," he told West Ham TV. "He does that in training
every day. To do it at that time, it was a fantastic finish. He works hard,
he doesn't always get his rewards but this time he did. "We knew it was
going to be a tough game against Wolves and it proved to be. They weren't
the best conditions either but the lads stuck to it and we got a result."
The visitors' stubborn resistance came as no surprise to Dicks who had
expected a stern examination against a well-drilled Championship outfit.
He continued: "We struggled to break them down. We kept trying to go through
the middle instead of getting it out wide, maybe to Cress and Jenks, and
getting the ball in the box that way. "Kenny [Jackett] gets them fired up,
they've got some big, strong, physical players and as soon as we got the
ball, they got nine, ten behind the ball. So it was difficult for us to
break them down, but with teams like that you just have to keep going. "Our
crosses in the first half, our end product wasn't good enough. But I think
over the course of the 90 minutes it was a fair result."
Aside from victory itself, Dicks was delighted to see the fit-again Winston
Reid play his full part in yet another clean sheet, not least with a tricky
midweek trip to Bournemouth just around the corner. "It's nice to have
your players back and Winston's been out for a while," he added. "It was
nice for him to come through 90 minutes and keeping a clean sheet is always
good. "I think they've said that's seven or eight clean sheets that we've
kept, which is good. Obviously some of those we drew 0-0, but if you keep a
clean sheet you always have a chance of winning. "It was good that we could
rest players, with the likes of Andy and Dimitri [on the bench]. But
Bournemouth will be a tough game,they won on Saturday as well and they'll be
full of confidence. "We know what they're about, because of what happened
here [earlier in the season] and it will be a tough game for us."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Academy slip to Royals defeat
WHUFc.com
West Ham United's U18s opened the New Year with a 3-0 defeat away at to
Reading on Saturday morning.
After picking up an impressive 1-0 Barclays U18 Premier League South victory
over the Berkshire-based side back at the beginning of October, the visitors
were hoping for a similar result.
However, the young Hammers found Reading in fine form. With just under half
an hour played, the Royals went ahead when Sam Smith fired home past Rihards
Matrevics, before midfielder Tyler Frost doubled the host's lead just before
the break.
As the rain poured down in the second half, the Hammers attempted comeback
was thwarted by Axel Andresson who powered home a penalty to seal the win.
The Hammers made four changes from the start that started in the FA Youth
Cup Third Round against Derby County prior to Christmas.
Towering Latvian U17 goalkeeper Rihards Matrevics made his U18 debut while
Development Squad regulars George Dobson, Marcus Browne and Grady Diangana
were replaced in the squad by Anthony Scully, Danny Kemp and Jake Eggleton.
The Hammers first real chance on goal came through captain Matty Carter,
although his free-kick was saved by Luke Southwood, Jahmal Hector-Ingram
pounced on the rebound, but the England youth international striker blazed
his shot well.
It was shortly after that when Reading dealt their first blow of the game.
After a number of passes went astray by the visitors, one of them fell to
Smith, who took the ball on a half-volley and buried into the corner past
Matrevics.
Reading's second goal came from through Frost who ran unchallenged to the
near post and flicked a whipped cross into the back of the net.
The more attacking approach in the second half appeared to lift the trailing
visitors, Carter again the player to get a shot off at goal, forcing another
save from Southwood.
On the hour mark though, Reading extended their lead even further to put the
game out of sight for the Hammers when defender Andresson smashed home a
penalty after Diallo was deemed to have fouled Smith.
As the game continued, West Ham did improve though and worked up a number of
opportunities to grab themselves a consolation goal, but Oscar Borg fired
over from 18 yards and Hector-Ingram's header was cleared off the line.
With that result, the Hammers stay seventh in the Premier League South, with
25 points from 18 games this season.
The Academy will hope to return to winning ways when they host Aston Villa
U18 at Little Heath on Saturday 16 January at 12:30pm.
U18: Metrevics, Eggleton (Diallo), Akinola, Pask, Rice, (Kanu), Neufville,
Carter (c), Scully, Borg, Kemp, Hector-Ingram
Subs not used: Longelo, Leonard.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 1 Wolves 0
9 January 2016
Last updated at 18:30 GMT
BBC.co.uk
West Ham progressed into the fourth round of the FA Cup after Nikica
Jelavic's sublime strike saw off Championship side Wolves. The Croat, whose
only other goal this season came against Wolves when he was at Hull, scored
in the 85th minute when he produced a great low-angled half-volley, which
nestled in the corner. Carl Jenkinson also went close with a strike tipped
over by Carl Ikeme. James Collins denied Wolves when he hooked the ball away
from Dave Edwards. Aside from that half-chance, manager Kenny Jackett's side
barely troubled the West Ham defence. Had top scorer Benik Afobe started the
opposition backline might have endured a tougher workout. But the
22-year-old, who has scored 10 goals for the Midlands side this season, was
left out in order to finalise a £10 move to Premier League side Bournemouth.
Wolves fans will be hoping the powers-that-be reinvest wisely in January,
with the side currently in 11th and seven points shy of the play-off zone.
Hard work for the Hammers
This was not one of West Ham's more memorable FA Cup performances. The
three-time winners will have to improve their performance levels markedly in
the next round if they are going to enjoy a long run. The statistics showed
that Slaven Bilic's side had a healthy 12 efforts on goal, but many of these
were blocked near the edge of the area by a sturdy Wolves defence. Prior to
the goal, the only time keeper Ikeme had his hands stung was when he pushed
away a low effort from Pedro Obiang and then tipped over a Jenkinson
effort.A draw looked the likely and fair result until Jelavic struck.
Jelavic hurts Wolves again
The 30-year-old striker has only made nine appearances for the Hammers since
signing in September, with all but one of them as a substitute. Injuries
forced Bilic to start with the former Everton forward again, who up until
the strike was an anonymous figure in the West Ham attack. But he made the
most of the one chance that came his way. With five minutes of normal time
remaining, substitute Andy Carroll laid the ball into the path of his
team-mate who sent a fizzing effort past the reach of Ikeme. The goal was
enough to give the Hammers their third successive victory, and they are now
unbeaten in eight matches in all competitions.
What the managers said
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "We are delighted to be through into the next
round - it looked like it was going to be a replay, so we are happy. "It was
a great goal by Jela, he took it very well. Credit to Andy for his part too.
"Credit to Wolves because they started very well and stuck to their game
plan. They were very tough to break down."
Wolves manager Kenny Jackett: "It was a spirited performance, very resolute.
We were working hard to take the game to West Ham but we couldn't get the
goal. "It cost us in the end as they had one clear-cut chance and they took
it." On the injury to striker Bjorn Sigurdarson, who was taken off on a
stretcher in the second half: "He just collapsed, there was no one near him.
It's his back.
"We hope he is OK."
What next?
The Hammers are at Bournemouth on Tuesday, while Wolves play Fulham at home
on Tuesday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic happy with West Ham's 1-0 FA Cup win over Wolves
By David Bowers
Last Updated: 09/01/16 7:40pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic says West Ham were rewarded for their patience following
Saturday's FA Cup third-round victory over Wolves. After dominating
throughout the game, Nikica Jelavic eventually broke Wolves' resistance with
an 86th-minute volley at Upton Park - the Croatian's first goal for the
Hammers. Bilic, who admits he was preparing for a draw, was quick to praise
Jelavic's match-winning strike against Kenny Jackett's "stubborn" side.
"First of all, it's an FA Cup game, and they are very often tough even when
you play against teams from two or three levels below," said Bilic, "I lost
a game here as a player against Wrexham. So it's well done to the lads, they
played against a team which won their last three games without conceding.
"They were very stubborn, resilient, and it's the same old story to unlock
it; it has to be their mistake, or a shot from outside the box, or some
extra quality. "But we were patient, we kept our shape and [substitute] Andy
[Carroll] as usual had a big impact and helped Jelavic score a wonderful
goal. It's good to go through with a clean sheet and a great goal. "We were
getting ready for a replay but the guys did everything to try to score. They
pushed and pushed, it wasn't the Alamo but if one team was trying to win it
in one game it was us and we got our reward."I don't think there will be any
complaints from their side."
Jackett, who is set to lose striker Benik Afobe to Bournemouth in a £10m
deal, says his side were left to rue Adam le Fondre's injury-time miss, with
the striker dragging a 15-yard effort wide of goal."That was probably our
best chance of the game," said the Wanderers boss. "It was a spirited
performance, very resolute. We were working hard to take the game to West
Ham but we couldn't get the goal. "It cost us in the end as they had one
clear-cut chance and they took it." Jackett is waiting for an update on the
condition of striker Bjorn Sigurdarson, who left the field on a stretcher
having just returned from a serious back injury. "He just collapsed, there
was no one near him," added Jackett. "It's his back. We hope he is okay."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Nikica Jelavic scores in 1-0 FA Cup win over Wolves
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 09/01/16 6:31pm
SSN
Nikica Jelavic scored an 84th-minute winner against Wolves to send West Ham
through to the fourth round of the FA Cup. The former Everton striker, whose
last goal came against the same opposition for Hull prior to his switch to
Upton Park, struck with five minutes remaining to secure a hard-fought 1-0
win for the hosts. Championship side Wolves arrived in east London without
their 10-goal striker Benik Afobe who is expected to complete a £10million
switch to Bournemouth over the weekend. But they did bring with them a
miserly defence which had not conceded a goal in their last three matches,
and they looked set to earn a replay until Jelavic broke the deadlock. West
Ham survived an early scare when Rajiv van La Parra's cross fizzed across
the goalmouth with no one able to apply the final touch, but they went on to
dominate the first half without finding a way through. They appealed for a
penalty when Danny Batth blocked Aaron Cresswell's drive but referee Anthony
Taylor was not convinced, before Pedro Obiang forced a sharp save from Carl
Ikeme at his near post with a deflected shot.
Obiang's header was also kept out by the Wolves keeper and Michail Antonio
miscued a close-range volley from Carl Jenkinson's cross.
The closest they came to scoring in the opening half was from the unlikely
boot of right-back Jenkinson, who collected Mauro Zarate's square pass and
let fly from 20 yards, with Ikeme tipping the ball over the crossbar. Wolves
showed more ambition at the start of the second half but their momentum was
halted by a worrying mystery injury suffered by striker Bjorn Sigurdarson.
The Icelander, starting his first Wolves match in over two years, collapsed
to his knees with no one around him and was given lengthy treatment before
departing the field on a stretcher.
New signing Michal Zyro did manage to force a save from Hammers keeper
Darren Randolph, while at the other end Obiang and Alex Song fired wide.
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic sent on the cavalry of Dimitri Payet and Andy
Carroll with 25 minutes remaining, and French midfielder Payet immediately
hit a free-kick on to the roof of the net. But it was Carroll who played a
big part in the winner, holding the the ball up on the edge of the area
before feeding Jelavic, who crashed in a superb first-time shot which flew
across Ikeme and into the corner of the net.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham chasing Benfica defender Lisandro Lopez but face competition from
Fiorentina
22:10, 9 JAN 2016 UPDATED 22:55, 9 JAN 2016
BY MIRROR FOOTBALL
The Portuguese champions want £6m for the Argentina defender who has a
contract until June 2018, but neither club has matched that as yet
Th Mirror
West Ham are in a two-way battle with Italian giants Fiorentina for
Benfica's Lisandro Lopez . The Portuguese club want £6million for the
Argentina defender, who has a contract until June 2018, but neither the
Premier League nor Serie A club has matched that. However, it is believed
West Ham will meet in Lisbon on Monday with Benfica representatives. Lopez
has struggled to establish himself at Benfica and was loaned out to La Liga
side Getafe in 2013. The Argentinian won two caps for his national side in
2011 and 2012 but hasn't played since.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Wolves boss admits big two changed the game
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 9, 2016 in News, Whispers
By David Blackmore
C and H
Wolves manager Kenny Jackett conceded the impact of Dimitri Payet and Andy
Carroll was the key factor in his side being dumped out of the FA Cup.
Speaking after the game, Jackett said the appearance of the England
international lifted the crowd and his "physicality" gave the Hammers
another dimension while Payet is a "quality player". It was a spirited
performance by our players," he told the media. "We were very resilient and
I felt in the second half we were more comfortable than the first. "We
worked hard to get up the pitch to take the game to West Ham but we couldn't
find the gaps and that cost us. They had one clear chance and with the
quality they have, they are going to finish it." He later added: "I'm
disappointed [that we didn't get a replay] because there was a sense of
frustration which is always what you want to do as the away side. But West
Ham have had a terrific season and wish them well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slav weary of the Carroll debate!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 9, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Slaven Bilic is "tired" of talking about Andy Carroll following another
press conference with the majority of questions focusing on the England
international.
Speaking to the media after watching his side limp into the fourth round of
the FA Cup after beating Wolves, he said he feels he talks "too much" about
Andy but reiterated the striker "knows what he has to do".
He added: "He is in good shape. I told him now that he has to stay fit and
look after himself because now he looks really fit."
Reflecting on the game as a whole, he said: "In the FA Cup, very often it's
very tough when you play teams that are in the leagues below you.
"But well done to the lads. We've played against a team that hadn't conceded
in, I think, three games, they were stubborn and resilient.
"We knew we would need to break them down and unlock them but it often has
to be a mistake they make and they didn't make many a lot of them.
"[As the attacking side], you need to move the ball and quickly pass to the
flanks, get players into one-on-one situations and then produce some
quality. We were patient.
"We were always going to put Payet on because he needs more games. We then
put Andy on and he had his usual big impact.
"It was a wonderful goal for Jelavic. I'm happy to go through with a clean
sheet and a great goal from Jelavic."
He conceded he had resigned himself to take his side to Wolves for a replay
for Jelavic's late strike.
"We were ready to play another game and to have a replay," he said. "I
didn't know we were going to score but the players did everything to score.
"They pushed. It wasn't the Alamo, we wanted to settle this in one game."
He later added: "We didn't have a negative performance, we were ready for
the replay but I'm happy we don't have to do it.
"We are not in the same situation like Liverpool who are in two cups and
Europe. We have a big enough squad [to cope with FA Cup replays]"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Job done as 'invisible' Jelavic seals it
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 9, 2016 in News, Whispers
By David Blackmore, Editor of Blowing Bubbles Monthly
at Upton Park for CandH
For 82 minutes I was struggling to think of anything Nikica Jelavic had done
before his fine finish. He was a ghost. Invisible. A passenger. I was
struggling to give him more than two out of 10 and that was purely for just
turning up. He had an absolute nightmare of a game. Yes, he does deserve
credit for his goal and that will be what everyone will remember from this
game in the weeks ahead. I just hope Slaven doesn't let one flash of
brilliance rule over 82 minutes of inadequate play. As for the game itself,
it was the case of job done. Next round.
The first half, let's be honest, was a snore fest. We started painfully
slowly, letting Wolves spray it about for the first 10 minutes and winning
all the second balls. Zarate had a few nice touches early on – one flick to
Cresswell early on was particularly sublime – but he is so one-footed it's
painful. So poor was the opening period that the state of the pitch was the
main thrust of conversation around me. We carried a lot of passengers in the
first half. As for Jenkinson, he needs to stop playing for a while, or he
needs someone to get hold of him and tell him to man up. His body language
is awful and he clearly doesn't want to be playing for West Han United at
the moment. When the likes of Cresswell or Antonio get the ball, their first
touch is out of their feet, forward and positive but Jenkinson is so
negative with his play. Confidence or no confidence, he is not doing the
basic things right. When receiving the ball in a good position, I want to
see him taking his man on – not running up to him, turning back and passing
backwards. What summed up his first half was when he took the ball down
nicely and smashed it goalwards only for their keeper to knock it over.
Great play, crowd applauds and yet his body language was of someone who just
didn't want to be there. When we finally chugged into the game, Song and
Obiang had a few nice touches. Noble too. Certainly the final 20 minutes we
dominated possession. We sprayed it from left to right nicely but offered
nothing up top in the final third. Antonio was really the only spark in the
final third for the first half. Our only saving grace in the first half was
that Reid and Collins were absolute rocks at the back and never looked
threatened. It really was a case of more of the same in the second half
until the introduction of Dimitri Payet. The fact the biggest cheer of the
game was for the Frenchman pretty much sums up the game up to that point.
Payet, and the introduction of Carroll minutes later, swung the game towards
West Ham. Without them, we wouldn't have won.
Winston Reid got Man of the Match but for me, Pedro Obiang was our standout
performer. He didn't put a foot wrong. He was involved in everything going
forward and put in some great challenges at the other end.
Randolph: Didn't have much to do. Made a couple of good saves. 6
Cresswell: Nothing special from Aaron but was streets ahead of Jenkinson.
Usual shift. 6
Reid: Was a rock at the back. Never looked under any threat from Wolves. 7
Collins: Along with Reid, was very strong. Won a lot of headers and made
some excellent challenges. 7
Jenkinson: Time for a reality check Carl. He needs to sit down and think
about what he really wants. 3
Noble: Struggled. Didn't quite seem at the races. Huffed and puffed but end
product wasn't great. 5
Obiang: Outstanding performance. Excellent touches, moved the ball quickly,
asked questions of their 'keeper. 8
Song: Tried to make too many "wonder" passes. Did well to get the ball down
at times when it was pinging about. 6
Antonio: Another impressive display. Was the only spark in the final third
for a huge chunk of the game. 7
Zarate: One moment of class followed by poor play. Helped us get into game
but was too predictable, too often. 5
Jelavic: Superb match-winning goal. Did nothing up to that point. 5
SUBS:
Payet: Changed the atmosphere in the ground when he came on. Looked like he
was going to make things happen. 7
Carroll: He did everything Jelavic didn't. Superb performance off the bench.
7
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Emirates FA Cup Third Round
West Ham United 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Nikica Jelavic fired West Ham United into the fourth round of the Emirates
FA Cup with a cracking late strike at the Boleyn Ground, his first for the
Hammers. In a game of precious few clear-cut chances, the Croat latched
onto Andy Carroll's flick with just six minutes of regulation time left to
play and dispatched a clinical first-time finish into the bottom right-hand
corner. Carl Jenkinson had earlier seen a long-range strike brilliantly
saved by Wolves stopper Carl Ikeme, before Dimitri Payet and Andy Carroll
were introduced after the break in a bid to spare the Hammers a return trip
to Molineux. But it was the former Everton and Rangers man who did the
damage, ensuring the Hammers' safe passage into the fourth round, ahead of
Monday's draw.
As expected, Slaven Bilic shuffled his pack for the visit of Wolverhampton
Wanderers. Among the seven changes, Winston Reid's return was the big news,
fit to start after a hamstring injury, while there were also recalls for
Darren Randolph, Jenkinson, Alex Song, Pedro Obiang, Mauro Zarate and
matchwinner Jelavic.
The Hammers made a sleepy start at the Boleyn Ground and Wolves went
alarmingly close within the first 30 seconds. Rajiv Van La Parra's teasing
centre from the right was begging to be tapped home, but instead drifted
past an unsure Reid and right across the face. It took the hosts the best
part of 20 minutes to test Ikeme in the visitors' goal, who comfortably
fielded Zarate's 20-yard drive, before stooping to his left to palm Obiang's
deflected effort around the post.
In an uninspiring first half, Jenkinson's cross from the right almost fell
kindly for Michail Antonio, but after his first swipe had been blocked,
Wolves hacked it clear. But Ikeme was at least called upon rather more
seriously before the half was out. Jenkinson let fly from well outside the
box and the visiting stopper had to be at his very best to tip the
full-back's stinger over the top.
The second half was punctuated by a lengthy stoppage following an injury to
Bjorn Sigurdarson, who was eventually stretchered from the field. Former
Reading man Adam Le Fondre took his place. With 25 to play Bilic called on
Payet to provide a much-needed spark. Skipper Mark Noble made way. But
Wolves were having a good go too. Michael Zyro was allowed to carry the ball
and fizzed a drive into the palms of Randolph. At the other end, Obiang
collected a poor clearance 20 yards from goal but screwed wide of the near
post. Carroll was next to join the fray, partnering Jelavic in attack. But
it was Payet who went closest, as his free-kick drifted narrowly over before
cannoning into the stanchion behind the goal. Though a replay now looked on
the cards, Jelavic popped up with a precious winner six minutes from time.
The Croat was onto Carroll's flick like a flash and his finish into the
bottom right-hand corner of Ikeme's goal was an exquisite one. Incidentally,
Jelavic's only other goal this season was also against Wolves, albeit for
his former employers Hull City. Pretty it wasn't, but the Hammers can now
look forward to Monday's fourth round draw.
West Ham United: Randolph, Jenkinson, Collins, Reid, Cresswell, Obiang,
Song, Noble (c) (Payet 66), Zarate (Carroll 71), Antonio, Jelavic (Oxford
87)
Subs: Adrian (GK), Ogbonna, Tomkins, Cullen
Goal: Jelavic 84
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Ikeme, Iorfa, Batth (c), Ebanks-Landell, Doherty,
McDonald, Edwards, Coady, Van La Parra (Graham 81), Sigurdarson (Le Fondre
56), Zyro (Henry 81)
Subs: Martinez (GK), Golbourne, Byrne, Saville
Referee: Anthony Taylor
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble - Going through is all that matters
WHUFC.com
It was a case of job done for Mark Noble after West Ham United sealed their
place in the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday.
Nikica Jelavic's 84th minute strike was enough to see off Championship side
Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Boleyn Ground and Noble was pleased to make
progress at the first time of asking against a stubborn opponent.
He said: "It's the Cup and Wolves came here to sit back and make it
difficult for us. They started really brightly actually, but we took control
of the game and I'm delighted for Jela that he's got his goal.
"He works so hard in training every day, puts a real shift in and he hasn't
had a lot of game time, but when it dropped to him today it was a top
quality finish.
"Overall it doesn't matter how you play as long as you're in the next
round."
The Hammers' good form rolls on, and with another game at Bournemouth on
Tuesday, Noble is keen for the momentum to keep on building.
He added: "We've played a lot of football in the last couple of weeks, a lot
of hard games – Southampton, Liverpool, well-earned wins. Today was a
possible banana skin for us at home, but we've come through it with a clean
sheet and a victory.
"We want to keep on putting three points on the board, keep that feeling of
winning games. We've won three in a row and the draws before that have given
us the platform to go on and do that."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dicks – 'It was a fantastic finish'
WHUFC.com
Julian Dicks heaped praise on match-winner Nikica Jelavic after the Croat's
first West Ham United goal booked the Hammers' passage into round four of
the Emirates FA Cup. Wolverhampton Wanderers proved no pushovers at the
Boleyn Ground and it took some 84 minutes for Jelavic's fine finish to break
the deadlock. The 30-year-old has had to bide his time since signing for
the Club but, when the opportunity presented itself on Saturday, he took it
with both hands, much to the relief of Coaching Assistant Dicks and his
colleagues.
"It was a great finish," he told West Ham TV. "He does that in training
every day. To do it at that time, it was a fantastic finish. He works hard,
he doesn't always get his rewards but this time he did. "We knew it was
going to be a tough game against Wolves and it proved to be. They weren't
the best conditions either but the lads stuck to it and we got a result."
The visitors' stubborn resistance came as no surprise to Dicks who had
expected a stern examination against a well-drilled Championship outfit.
He continued: "We struggled to break them down. We kept trying to go through
the middle instead of getting it out wide, maybe to Cress and Jenks, and
getting the ball in the box that way. "Kenny [Jackett] gets them fired up,
they've got some big, strong, physical players and as soon as we got the
ball, they got nine, ten behind the ball. So it was difficult for us to
break them down, but with teams like that you just have to keep going. "Our
crosses in the first half, our end product wasn't good enough. But I think
over the course of the 90 minutes it was a fair result."
Aside from victory itself, Dicks was delighted to see the fit-again Winston
Reid play his full part in yet another clean sheet, not least with a tricky
midweek trip to Bournemouth just around the corner. "It's nice to have
your players back and Winston's been out for a while," he added. "It was
nice for him to come through 90 minutes and keeping a clean sheet is always
good. "I think they've said that's seven or eight clean sheets that we've
kept, which is good. Obviously some of those we drew 0-0, but if you keep a
clean sheet you always have a chance of winning. "It was good that we could
rest players, with the likes of Andy and Dimitri [on the bench]. But
Bournemouth will be a tough game,they won on Saturday as well and they'll be
full of confidence. "We know what they're about, because of what happened
here [earlier in the season] and it will be a tough game for us."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Academy slip to Royals defeat
WHUFc.com
West Ham United's U18s opened the New Year with a 3-0 defeat away at to
Reading on Saturday morning.
After picking up an impressive 1-0 Barclays U18 Premier League South victory
over the Berkshire-based side back at the beginning of October, the visitors
were hoping for a similar result.
However, the young Hammers found Reading in fine form. With just under half
an hour played, the Royals went ahead when Sam Smith fired home past Rihards
Matrevics, before midfielder Tyler Frost doubled the host's lead just before
the break.
As the rain poured down in the second half, the Hammers attempted comeback
was thwarted by Axel Andresson who powered home a penalty to seal the win.
The Hammers made four changes from the start that started in the FA Youth
Cup Third Round against Derby County prior to Christmas.
Towering Latvian U17 goalkeeper Rihards Matrevics made his U18 debut while
Development Squad regulars George Dobson, Marcus Browne and Grady Diangana
were replaced in the squad by Anthony Scully, Danny Kemp and Jake Eggleton.
The Hammers first real chance on goal came through captain Matty Carter,
although his free-kick was saved by Luke Southwood, Jahmal Hector-Ingram
pounced on the rebound, but the England youth international striker blazed
his shot well.
It was shortly after that when Reading dealt their first blow of the game.
After a number of passes went astray by the visitors, one of them fell to
Smith, who took the ball on a half-volley and buried into the corner past
Matrevics.
Reading's second goal came from through Frost who ran unchallenged to the
near post and flicked a whipped cross into the back of the net.
The more attacking approach in the second half appeared to lift the trailing
visitors, Carter again the player to get a shot off at goal, forcing another
save from Southwood.
On the hour mark though, Reading extended their lead even further to put the
game out of sight for the Hammers when defender Andresson smashed home a
penalty after Diallo was deemed to have fouled Smith.
As the game continued, West Ham did improve though and worked up a number of
opportunities to grab themselves a consolation goal, but Oscar Borg fired
over from 18 yards and Hector-Ingram's header was cleared off the line.
With that result, the Hammers stay seventh in the Premier League South, with
25 points from 18 games this season.
The Academy will hope to return to winning ways when they host Aston Villa
U18 at Little Heath on Saturday 16 January at 12:30pm.
U18: Metrevics, Eggleton (Diallo), Akinola, Pask, Rice, (Kanu), Neufville,
Carter (c), Scully, Borg, Kemp, Hector-Ingram
Subs not used: Longelo, Leonard.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 1 Wolves 0
9 January 2016
Last updated at 18:30 GMT
BBC.co.uk
West Ham progressed into the fourth round of the FA Cup after Nikica
Jelavic's sublime strike saw off Championship side Wolves. The Croat, whose
only other goal this season came against Wolves when he was at Hull, scored
in the 85th minute when he produced a great low-angled half-volley, which
nestled in the corner. Carl Jenkinson also went close with a strike tipped
over by Carl Ikeme. James Collins denied Wolves when he hooked the ball away
from Dave Edwards. Aside from that half-chance, manager Kenny Jackett's side
barely troubled the West Ham defence. Had top scorer Benik Afobe started the
opposition backline might have endured a tougher workout. But the
22-year-old, who has scored 10 goals for the Midlands side this season, was
left out in order to finalise a £10 move to Premier League side Bournemouth.
Wolves fans will be hoping the powers-that-be reinvest wisely in January,
with the side currently in 11th and seven points shy of the play-off zone.
Hard work for the Hammers
This was not one of West Ham's more memorable FA Cup performances. The
three-time winners will have to improve their performance levels markedly in
the next round if they are going to enjoy a long run. The statistics showed
that Slaven Bilic's side had a healthy 12 efforts on goal, but many of these
were blocked near the edge of the area by a sturdy Wolves defence. Prior to
the goal, the only time keeper Ikeme had his hands stung was when he pushed
away a low effort from Pedro Obiang and then tipped over a Jenkinson
effort.A draw looked the likely and fair result until Jelavic struck.
Jelavic hurts Wolves again
The 30-year-old striker has only made nine appearances for the Hammers since
signing in September, with all but one of them as a substitute. Injuries
forced Bilic to start with the former Everton forward again, who up until
the strike was an anonymous figure in the West Ham attack. But he made the
most of the one chance that came his way. With five minutes of normal time
remaining, substitute Andy Carroll laid the ball into the path of his
team-mate who sent a fizzing effort past the reach of Ikeme. The goal was
enough to give the Hammers their third successive victory, and they are now
unbeaten in eight matches in all competitions.
What the managers said
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "We are delighted to be through into the next
round - it looked like it was going to be a replay, so we are happy. "It was
a great goal by Jela, he took it very well. Credit to Andy for his part too.
"Credit to Wolves because they started very well and stuck to their game
plan. They were very tough to break down."
Wolves manager Kenny Jackett: "It was a spirited performance, very resolute.
We were working hard to take the game to West Ham but we couldn't get the
goal. "It cost us in the end as they had one clear-cut chance and they took
it." On the injury to striker Bjorn Sigurdarson, who was taken off on a
stretcher in the second half: "He just collapsed, there was no one near him.
It's his back.
"We hope he is OK."
What next?
The Hammers are at Bournemouth on Tuesday, while Wolves play Fulham at home
on Tuesday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic happy with West Ham's 1-0 FA Cup win over Wolves
By David Bowers
Last Updated: 09/01/16 7:40pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic says West Ham were rewarded for their patience following
Saturday's FA Cup third-round victory over Wolves. After dominating
throughout the game, Nikica Jelavic eventually broke Wolves' resistance with
an 86th-minute volley at Upton Park - the Croatian's first goal for the
Hammers. Bilic, who admits he was preparing for a draw, was quick to praise
Jelavic's match-winning strike against Kenny Jackett's "stubborn" side.
"First of all, it's an FA Cup game, and they are very often tough even when
you play against teams from two or three levels below," said Bilic, "I lost
a game here as a player against Wrexham. So it's well done to the lads, they
played against a team which won their last three games without conceding.
"They were very stubborn, resilient, and it's the same old story to unlock
it; it has to be their mistake, or a shot from outside the box, or some
extra quality. "But we were patient, we kept our shape and [substitute] Andy
[Carroll] as usual had a big impact and helped Jelavic score a wonderful
goal. It's good to go through with a clean sheet and a great goal. "We were
getting ready for a replay but the guys did everything to try to score. They
pushed and pushed, it wasn't the Alamo but if one team was trying to win it
in one game it was us and we got our reward."I don't think there will be any
complaints from their side."
Jackett, who is set to lose striker Benik Afobe to Bournemouth in a £10m
deal, says his side were left to rue Adam le Fondre's injury-time miss, with
the striker dragging a 15-yard effort wide of goal."That was probably our
best chance of the game," said the Wanderers boss. "It was a spirited
performance, very resolute. We were working hard to take the game to West
Ham but we couldn't get the goal. "It cost us in the end as they had one
clear-cut chance and they took it." Jackett is waiting for an update on the
condition of striker Bjorn Sigurdarson, who left the field on a stretcher
having just returned from a serious back injury. "He just collapsed, there
was no one near him," added Jackett. "It's his back. We hope he is okay."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Nikica Jelavic scores in 1-0 FA Cup win over Wolves
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 09/01/16 6:31pm
SSN
Nikica Jelavic scored an 84th-minute winner against Wolves to send West Ham
through to the fourth round of the FA Cup. The former Everton striker, whose
last goal came against the same opposition for Hull prior to his switch to
Upton Park, struck with five minutes remaining to secure a hard-fought 1-0
win for the hosts. Championship side Wolves arrived in east London without
their 10-goal striker Benik Afobe who is expected to complete a £10million
switch to Bournemouth over the weekend. But they did bring with them a
miserly defence which had not conceded a goal in their last three matches,
and they looked set to earn a replay until Jelavic broke the deadlock. West
Ham survived an early scare when Rajiv van La Parra's cross fizzed across
the goalmouth with no one able to apply the final touch, but they went on to
dominate the first half without finding a way through. They appealed for a
penalty when Danny Batth blocked Aaron Cresswell's drive but referee Anthony
Taylor was not convinced, before Pedro Obiang forced a sharp save from Carl
Ikeme at his near post with a deflected shot.
Obiang's header was also kept out by the Wolves keeper and Michail Antonio
miscued a close-range volley from Carl Jenkinson's cross.
The closest they came to scoring in the opening half was from the unlikely
boot of right-back Jenkinson, who collected Mauro Zarate's square pass and
let fly from 20 yards, with Ikeme tipping the ball over the crossbar. Wolves
showed more ambition at the start of the second half but their momentum was
halted by a worrying mystery injury suffered by striker Bjorn Sigurdarson.
The Icelander, starting his first Wolves match in over two years, collapsed
to his knees with no one around him and was given lengthy treatment before
departing the field on a stretcher.
New signing Michal Zyro did manage to force a save from Hammers keeper
Darren Randolph, while at the other end Obiang and Alex Song fired wide.
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic sent on the cavalry of Dimitri Payet and Andy
Carroll with 25 minutes remaining, and French midfielder Payet immediately
hit a free-kick on to the roof of the net. But it was Carroll who played a
big part in the winner, holding the the ball up on the edge of the area
before feeding Jelavic, who crashed in a superb first-time shot which flew
across Ikeme and into the corner of the net.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham chasing Benfica defender Lisandro Lopez but face competition from
Fiorentina
22:10, 9 JAN 2016 UPDATED 22:55, 9 JAN 2016
BY MIRROR FOOTBALL
The Portuguese champions want £6m for the Argentina defender who has a
contract until June 2018, but neither club has matched that as yet
Th Mirror
West Ham are in a two-way battle with Italian giants Fiorentina for
Benfica's Lisandro Lopez . The Portuguese club want £6million for the
Argentina defender, who has a contract until June 2018, but neither the
Premier League nor Serie A club has matched that. However, it is believed
West Ham will meet in Lisbon on Monday with Benfica representatives. Lopez
has struggled to establish himself at Benfica and was loaned out to La Liga
side Getafe in 2013. The Argentinian won two caps for his national side in
2011 and 2012 but hasn't played since.
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Wolves boss admits big two changed the game
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 9, 2016 in News, Whispers
By David Blackmore
C and H
Wolves manager Kenny Jackett conceded the impact of Dimitri Payet and Andy
Carroll was the key factor in his side being dumped out of the FA Cup.
Speaking after the game, Jackett said the appearance of the England
international lifted the crowd and his "physicality" gave the Hammers
another dimension while Payet is a "quality player". It was a spirited
performance by our players," he told the media. "We were very resilient and
I felt in the second half we were more comfortable than the first. "We
worked hard to get up the pitch to take the game to West Ham but we couldn't
find the gaps and that cost us. They had one clear chance and with the
quality they have, they are going to finish it." He later added: "I'm
disappointed [that we didn't get a replay] because there was a sense of
frustration which is always what you want to do as the away side. But West
Ham have had a terrific season and wish them well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slav weary of the Carroll debate!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 9, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Slaven Bilic is "tired" of talking about Andy Carroll following another
press conference with the majority of questions focusing on the England
international.
Speaking to the media after watching his side limp into the fourth round of
the FA Cup after beating Wolves, he said he feels he talks "too much" about
Andy but reiterated the striker "knows what he has to do".
He added: "He is in good shape. I told him now that he has to stay fit and
look after himself because now he looks really fit."
Reflecting on the game as a whole, he said: "In the FA Cup, very often it's
very tough when you play teams that are in the leagues below you.
"But well done to the lads. We've played against a team that hadn't conceded
in, I think, three games, they were stubborn and resilient.
"We knew we would need to break them down and unlock them but it often has
to be a mistake they make and they didn't make many a lot of them.
"[As the attacking side], you need to move the ball and quickly pass to the
flanks, get players into one-on-one situations and then produce some
quality. We were patient.
"We were always going to put Payet on because he needs more games. We then
put Andy on and he had his usual big impact.
"It was a wonderful goal for Jelavic. I'm happy to go through with a clean
sheet and a great goal from Jelavic."
He conceded he had resigned himself to take his side to Wolves for a replay
for Jelavic's late strike.
"We were ready to play another game and to have a replay," he said. "I
didn't know we were going to score but the players did everything to score.
"They pushed. It wasn't the Alamo, we wanted to settle this in one game."
He later added: "We didn't have a negative performance, we were ready for
the replay but I'm happy we don't have to do it.
"We are not in the same situation like Liverpool who are in two cups and
Europe. We have a big enough squad [to cope with FA Cup replays]"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Job done as 'invisible' Jelavic seals it
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 9, 2016 in News, Whispers
By David Blackmore, Editor of Blowing Bubbles Monthly
at Upton Park for CandH
For 82 minutes I was struggling to think of anything Nikica Jelavic had done
before his fine finish. He was a ghost. Invisible. A passenger. I was
struggling to give him more than two out of 10 and that was purely for just
turning up. He had an absolute nightmare of a game. Yes, he does deserve
credit for his goal and that will be what everyone will remember from this
game in the weeks ahead. I just hope Slaven doesn't let one flash of
brilliance rule over 82 minutes of inadequate play. As for the game itself,
it was the case of job done. Next round.
The first half, let's be honest, was a snore fest. We started painfully
slowly, letting Wolves spray it about for the first 10 minutes and winning
all the second balls. Zarate had a few nice touches early on – one flick to
Cresswell early on was particularly sublime – but he is so one-footed it's
painful. So poor was the opening period that the state of the pitch was the
main thrust of conversation around me. We carried a lot of passengers in the
first half. As for Jenkinson, he needs to stop playing for a while, or he
needs someone to get hold of him and tell him to man up. His body language
is awful and he clearly doesn't want to be playing for West Han United at
the moment. When the likes of Cresswell or Antonio get the ball, their first
touch is out of their feet, forward and positive but Jenkinson is so
negative with his play. Confidence or no confidence, he is not doing the
basic things right. When receiving the ball in a good position, I want to
see him taking his man on – not running up to him, turning back and passing
backwards. What summed up his first half was when he took the ball down
nicely and smashed it goalwards only for their keeper to knock it over.
Great play, crowd applauds and yet his body language was of someone who just
didn't want to be there. When we finally chugged into the game, Song and
Obiang had a few nice touches. Noble too. Certainly the final 20 minutes we
dominated possession. We sprayed it from left to right nicely but offered
nothing up top in the final third. Antonio was really the only spark in the
final third for the first half. Our only saving grace in the first half was
that Reid and Collins were absolute rocks at the back and never looked
threatened. It really was a case of more of the same in the second half
until the introduction of Dimitri Payet. The fact the biggest cheer of the
game was for the Frenchman pretty much sums up the game up to that point.
Payet, and the introduction of Carroll minutes later, swung the game towards
West Ham. Without them, we wouldn't have won.
Winston Reid got Man of the Match but for me, Pedro Obiang was our standout
performer. He didn't put a foot wrong. He was involved in everything going
forward and put in some great challenges at the other end.
Randolph: Didn't have much to do. Made a couple of good saves. 6
Cresswell: Nothing special from Aaron but was streets ahead of Jenkinson.
Usual shift. 6
Reid: Was a rock at the back. Never looked under any threat from Wolves. 7
Collins: Along with Reid, was very strong. Won a lot of headers and made
some excellent challenges. 7
Jenkinson: Time for a reality check Carl. He needs to sit down and think
about what he really wants. 3
Noble: Struggled. Didn't quite seem at the races. Huffed and puffed but end
product wasn't great. 5
Obiang: Outstanding performance. Excellent touches, moved the ball quickly,
asked questions of their 'keeper. 8
Song: Tried to make too many "wonder" passes. Did well to get the ball down
at times when it was pinging about. 6
Antonio: Another impressive display. Was the only spark in the final third
for a huge chunk of the game. 7
Zarate: One moment of class followed by poor play. Helped us get into game
but was too predictable, too often. 5
Jelavic: Superb match-winning goal. Did nothing up to that point. 5
SUBS:
Payet: Changed the atmosphere in the ground when he came on. Looked like he
was going to make things happen. 7
Carroll: He did everything Jelavic didn't. Superb performance off the bench.
7
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, January 9
Daily WHUFC News - 9th January 2016
Preview - Wolves
WHUFC.com
The background
West Ham United's Emirates FA Cup adventure for 2016 begins on Saturday with
a third round visit of Sky Bet Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Hammers take a break from Barclays Premier League action having risen
back to sixth in the table with back-to-back wins either side of the New
Year.
Southampton and Liverpool were both seen off at the Boleyn Ground and Slaven
Bilic will be hoping to make it a hat-trick of home wins in his first FA Cup
tie as boss.
Wolves sit eleventh in the Championship table, seven points shy of the
play-off positions having taken 34 points from 25 games, but are on a good
run of form.
Kenny Jackett's men have won their last three outings, defeating Reading,
Charlton Athletic and Brighton & Hove Albion without conceding a goal.
They are four-time FA Cup winners, last lifting the famous trophy in 1960.
The history
West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers have met twice before in the FA
Cup.
The first meeting was also the first time the clubs faced off in any
competition, with the then-Southern League Hammers defeating their Football
League opponents 5-1 in 1910.
The second cup tie was more recent – in 2004 – when goals from Brian Deane,
Marlon Harewood and David Connolly gave the Hammers a 3-1 fourth round win
at Molineux.
Overall, West Ham and Wolves have played each other 60 times, with the
Hammers winning 28 times to the Midlanders' 18
The match
Team news
West Ham United
Winston Reid returns to the West Ham United squad for the visit of Wolves,
having recovered from a hamstring injury.
Dimitri Payet could start after making his comeback from his ankle problem
in last week's victory over Liverpool, but Manuel Lanzini is out after
limping off during the same game.
Victor Moses and Diafra Sakho (both hamstring) remain sidelined, although a
return for Moses is not far away.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
For Wolves, winger Jordan Graham is a doubt after suffering an ankle knock
and Michai Zyro may come in in his place.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is in contention to start following injury, but
Sheyi Ojo is unavailable after his parent club Liverpool cut short his loan
at Molineux.
Match info
Saturday's referee is Manchester official Anthony Taylor. His assistants are
Constantine Hatzidakis and Adam Hopkins. The fourth official is Kevin
Johnson.
West Ham enjoyed a fantastic start to their head-to-head meetings with
Wolves, winning eleven and drawing three of the opening 14 fixtures before
losing 5-0 at Molineux in a First Division match on 11 April 1960.
Bobby Moore scored the only double of his career in a 4-2 First Division win
over Wolves at the Boleyn Ground on 18 December 1961.
Liam Brady scored on his final appearance in a West Ham shirt in a 4-0
Second Division victory over Wolves here on 5 May 1990 – the last game of
the Republic of Ireland great's illustrious career.
Wolves' most-recent visit to E13 was on New Year's Day 2011, when West Ham
ran out 2-0 Premier League winners courtesy of a Ronald Zubar own-goal and a
strike from Academy graduate Freddie Sears.
Ticketing, travel, coverage and other news
Tickets for Saturday's game against Wolves have SOLD OUT.
District and Hammersmith & City line trains will be serving Upton Park on
Saturday, but please note that trains will not be running on the far eastern
end of the District line, between Upminster and Barking. Replacement buses
will operate. Click here for the latest news on TfL services and here for
National Rail.
A damp day is expected in east London on Saturday, with temperature at
kick-off of 10C (50F).
If you are not heading to the game on Saturday, make sure you keep up to
date on all the action on our digital channels. The whufc.com match centre
will have live audio commentary, text updates, in-running photos, stats and
more, and you can get involved in the conversation on social using the
hashtag #WHUWOL.
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Collins ready for FA Cup glory
WHUFC.com
James Collins has enjoyed many memorable moments at West Ham United during
his lengthy spell at the Boleyn Ground – but the Ginger Pele still has one
painful memory that he is determined to get out of his system. Collins is
still plagued by the FA Cup Final defeat against Liverpool back in 2006
after the Hammers came within seconds of winning their first piece of major
silverware since 1980. Few could forget the events that unfolded at the
Millennium Stadium when West Ham were leading 3-2 heading into injury time
and Steven Gerrard broke the hearts of the Hammers supporters when he fired
an unstoppable shot past Shaka Hislop into the corner of the net to force
the game into extra-time. Liverpool ended up winning 3-1 on penalties and it
was a moment that Collins, who was on the substitutes bench that day, has
failed to get out of his system. Collins said: "It is still one of the
biggest disappointments of my career not winning the FA Cup that season. We
had a great run and got to the final. "We had some great games leading up to
the final and obviously the game against Middlesbrough in the semi-final at
Villa Park was massive when we won 1-0. "Being in Cardiff for the Final was
massive for my family and a special day but gutted overall to have lost it.
We did so well during the game and to lose on penalties was disastrous. It
is still something I think about every time I play in the Cup. "If you look
back at the game and that moment at the end, you just want Lionel Scaloni to
let the ball run out for a throw-in and it is game over. "But unfortunately
he has hooked it into the middle of the pitch and everyone knows what
happened next. "I remember sitting on the bench next to Matthew Etherington
who came off and saying 'we have won the FA Cup – it is unbelievable'. Fate
took it's course and of course we lost it in the end."
Collins knows he can put things right by steering West Ham to FA Cup glory
this season and feels it would be the perfect ending for the Hammers as they
prepare to leave the Boleyn Ground during the summer. The 32-year-old
believes the Club are genuine contenders to go all the way and believes they
have enough quality in the squad to compete against any team. Collins added:
"Any opportunity to win the FA Cup is massive, but to do it in our final
ever season at the Boleyn Ground would be incredible. It would be a great
journey for both the players and the fans. "I think this is one of our best
chances to win it and this is certainly the strongest squad we have had for
a long time. "If the manager wants to make changes early on we can still
field a very strong time. The players who have not been playing recently are
itching to get some game time and they will do just as good a job as the
ones who have been playing. "It is a good time for us and we are doing
better in the league than we normally do at this stage. We had a good
Christmas with result and there is every chance we can do well in the FA
Cup. "Wolves will be wanting to do well against a Premier League side but we
are in a rich vein of form at the moment and are playing well and can
hopefully get another good result on Saturday."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com
What a way for us to start 2016 and it was a memorable victory over
Liverpool last weekend.
We have beaten the mighty Liverpool home and away this season with a 5-0
aggregate scoreline and I am sure that has never been done before in the
Club's history.
Slaven has said that it would be difficult for any side if they were missing
six of their best players but we still managed to get points on the board
during that tricky period and it is no co-incidence that we get our
important players back on the pitch and the victories start to come again.
It proves what we have been saying and I am sure all the supporters were
delighted with the all-round performance.
It was obviously disappointing to see Manuel Lanzini come off with the same
injury and that was the only dampener on a great performance.
He looked brilliant in the opening stages and had that great shot which hit
the post. Let's hope he can make a quick recovery and comes back strong
again.
It does give other players the chance to shine and the best example of that
has been Michail Antonio who was man of the match against Southampton and
produced another great display against Liverpool.
He has certainly grasped his opportunity and got his rewards with two goals
in two games. He never stops running and works so hard for the team.
James Collins was also outstanding and he was my man of the match against
Liverpool. He has continued his great form this season and you could not ask
for more passion and determination that he gives you during a game. The
whole defence were fantastic in helping us come away with another clean
sheet.
To top things off we then see Dimitri Payet back in action and what more can
I say about him.
He can become an all-time great and a legend at West Ham United. He has all
the attributes of the great players we have had at this special football
club over the years.
He lifted the crowd when he came on and looked like he had never been away.
He is a joy to watch.
We now turn our attentions to the Emirates FA Cup and it would be fantastic
if we could go all the way this season and win the competition.
I could not think of anything more fitting for our final ever season at the
Boleyn Ground.
I am fortunate enough to have seen West Ham win three FA Cup Finals at
Wembley against Preston, Fulham and Arsenal and nothing beats seeing your
team win a major trophy.
I was excited as a youngster to see us beat Preston and then the game
against Fulham was very interesting as Bobby Moore was playing against us
and they also had Alan Mullery.
I see Alan Taylor who comes to the home games and he stole the show with two
goals.
I will never forget the victory over the mighty Arsenal in 1980 who were the
strong favourites to win the game. Sir Trevor Brooking scored a rare header
and it was an unbelievable day.
We have certainly come close in recent times with that heartbreaking defeat
against Liverpool back in 2006. It was as if time stood still when the ball
fell to the one player on the pitch you didn't want it to and their name was
on the trophy.
We have had some memorable victories this season, but the whole world is
watching you when you win the FA Cup and it is a fantastic moment. The
emotion of winning a cup is like no other.
I am entitled to dream and I would also love to see the team finish as high
as possible in the Premier League.
With the likes of Payet, Carroll, Reid and Moses coming back from injury, we
have a squad good enough to achieve that.
Wolves are on a decent run of form having won the last three games, but we
are the favourites to win the game and I know Slaven will put out a strong
side who can win the tie.
The transfer window has now re-opened once again and it is great that we go
into this period without us having to buy a certain player.
If we had a weakness I would want to strengthen the squad, but that is not
the case.
I agree with Slaven that if something exceptional comes along we will look
at it, but we have a good squad of players and we are all excited about the
second half of the season.
Enjoy the game on Saturday.
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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com
Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke issues his latest
update – with Spire Roding Hospital...
We arrive in 2016 with the team in good form and with everyone around the
Club feeling positive.
It is FA Cup third round weekend, an important and exciting weekend for
football fans and all people involved in football.
It has been a good Christmas and a great New Year, winning against
Southampton and Liverpool but unfortunately we picked up injuries.
Finding the good balance between fitness and freshness is key to get through
this exciting period.
We have a three-match week coming up and some players are more fatigued than
others but at the end of the day all teams have to find a way to cope, play,
recover and train to the best of their abilities.
The positive news starts with Winston Reid, Winston has been in full
training with the squad all week and is available for selection against
Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Dimitri Payet came through the Liverpool game without any reaction to his
previous ankle injury and is fit to play against Wolves.
Manuel Lanzini re-injured his quadriceps in the win over Liverpool, which
will rule him out for several weeks.
The first game, post injury, is not the biggest risk for a player. The first
game back players are involved for limited minutes, fresh and are playing on
a wave of 'excitement'.
Unfortunately Manuel got injured in his second game and he will rest for a
week followed by the rehab at Chadwell Heath. We'll have more news next
week.
Victor Moses will return to full training with the squad on Monday. Victor
returned to his parent club Chelsea for a part of his rehab before returning
to West Ham last week.
He has been training with our rehab fitness coach and working towards
getting the required level of fitness under his belt.
Diafra Sakho has also returned to the training ground this week after a
period of limited rehab, to let the body heal.
Diaf's rehab is initially focussed on gaining muscle strength and restoring
the optimal movement patterns enabling us to push on the next few weeks.
We will have a better idea of when Diaf will be ready to play at the end of
next week.
As I said at the beginning, we are positive about where we are at the
moment, and will continue to work hard with the players and the staff to
achieve good things this season.
Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science
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New Stadium – Final call for existing STHs
WHUFC.com
All Reservation Centre appointment invitations for existing Season Ticket
Holders have now been issued.
Therefore, all existing Season Ticket Holders wishing to secure seats at
West Ham United's new home should have either already had their appointment
or have an appointment pending.
If, for whatever reason, that is not the case, supporters are asked to call
the Reservation Centre urgently on 0808 110 2016.
Given the volume of supporters on the Season Ticket Priority List, this is a
final opportunity to take advantage of your priority status as an existing
Season Ticket Holder.
The Club have long since surpassed record Season Ticket sales and will
shortly begin scheduling appointments for supporters on the Priority List,
based on the order in which they joined.
Meanwhile, for Season Ticket Holders who have already renewed, there will be
a final opportunity to invite friends and family to join them as Founders.
Supporters who, until now, have only invited one fellow Hammers fan, or
indeed none at all, to join them as a new Season Ticket Holder, can take
advantage of an exclusive five day Founders Amnesty Window.
With the final Band 4 appointments fast approaching, the Amnesty Window will
open on Wednesday 27 January and run until Sunday 31 January.
Supporters wishing to take this last chance to bring friends and family
members with them are asked to complete a short online form at >
amnesty.whufc.com, where you can select whether you would prefer to select
additional seats either over the phone or in person at the New Stadium
Reservation Centre in Westfield Stratford City.
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U18s looking to complete Royals' double
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's U18s return to action this Saturday, their first
competitive game in 2016, with a tough away fixture with Reading.
Steve Potts' side are looking to complete the double over the Royals
following a 1-0 win earlier in the season thanks to an Idris Kanu netted a
14th minute.
The Royals are currently second in the Barclays U18 Premier League South
Division with 35 points from 18 games, five points off league leader's
Chelsea.
Meanwhile the Hammers are looking to kick start their campaign to finish in
the top four and therefore qualify for the Elite round of the Play Offs.
After recent defeats to Derby County and Chelsea, the Claret and Blues find
themselves seventh, however a win on Saturday could see them leapfrog
Arsenal before next weekend's home tie with Aston Villa.
The Hammers play Reading U18's at Reading FC Training Ground on Saturday 9
January, kick off is 11am.
Make sure you follow @whufc_official and whufc.com for updates, a match
report and reaction.
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West Ham v Wolves
KO 15:00
8 January 2016
FA CUP THIRD ROUND
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 9 January Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC local radio, Final Score
TEAM NEWS
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic will field a strong side but midfielder Manuel
Lanzini is out with a thigh problem. Midfielder Dimitri Payet could start
after returning to action last weekend and defender Winston Reid could
feature after overcoming a hamstring problem.
New signing Michal Zyro could make his debut in midfield for Wolves. Keeper
Emi Martinez (thigh) returns. Defender Kortney Hause is out with a hamstring
problem and winger Jordan Graham (ankle) is a 50-50 prospect.
MATCH FACTS
West Ham have faced Wolves twice in the FA Cup, with the Hammers winning on
both occasions in 1910 (5-1) and 2004 (3-1), but this is the first and only
tie to take place at Upton Park.
The Hammers have won only one of their past nine FA Cup games (L5 D3).
Wolves have failed to score in five of their past eight cup matches.
Wolves have lost their last four FA Cup ties in a row against higher-ranked
opposition.
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West Ham v Wolves preview: Hammers without Manuel Lanzini
Last Updated: 08/01/16 9:27pm
SSN
Manuel Lanzini has been ruled out for West Ham's third round FA Cup tie with
Wolves. West Ham will be without Manuel Lanzini when they host Wolves in the
FA Cup third round on Saturday. The Argentinian midfielder suffered a
recurrence of a thigh injury against Liverpool last weekend and faces
another few weeks on the sidelines. Defender Winston Reid could return after
a hamstring problem but winger Victor Moses (hamstring) and striker Diafra
Sakho (thigh) are still missing. Kenny Jackett could hand a Wolves debut to
winger Michal Zyro, who signed from Legia Warsaw on a three-and-a-half-year
deal earlier this month.
Wolves' Jordan Graham is rated as 50/50 for the trip to Upton Park.
Goalkeeper Emi Martinez is back after a thigh injury which has kept him out
since November but defender Kortney Hause remains sidelined with a hamstring
problem. Jordan Graham is rated 50-50 by Jackett after suffering an ankle
injury in the 1-0 win at Brighton and will be assessed, with Wolves due to
make a decision on Friday. One man they will definitely be without is Sheyi
Ojo. The midfielder was due to spend the season at Molineux but has been
recalled by parent club Liverpool after a lack of match action in recent
weeks.
Opta stats
West Ham have faced Wolves twice in the FA Cup, with the Hammers winning on
both occasions in 1910 (5-1) and 2004 (3-1), but this is the first and only
tie to take place at Upton Park.
The Hammers have won only one of their last nine FA Cup games (L5 D3).
Wolves have failed to score in five of their last eight Cup matches.
Wolves have lost their last four FA Cup ties in a row against higher-ranked
opposition.
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Slaven Bilic targets FA Cup success with West Ham
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 08/01/16 11:53pm
SSN
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic would rather win the FA Cup than qualify for
the Champions League. Bilic made the claim ahead of the Hammers' third round
clash with Sky Bet Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Boleyn
Ground. His statement of intent will be music to the ears of West Ham
supporters, who were angry when previous manager Sam Allardyce fielded a
team of youngsters in a 5-0 third round defeat at Nottingham Forest two
years ago. Allardyce was concentrating his resources on a relegation battle
but, with West Ham currently sixth in the Premier League, Bilic can turn his
attentions to bringing a first FA Cup in 36 years to east London. Asked if
he would rather finish in the top four or lift the famous old trophy, Bilic
said: "I would like to win the cup. Of course. "Over the Champions League?
Yes. It is a cup! Win the cup and I can hold it up. Get in the Champions
League and I have to buy a magazine to show the league table and shout 'look
where we are, look where we are'. "The proof is silverware. So I would
prefer to win the FA Cup...and then finish fifth or sixth! "The FA Cup is
special. There was a stage before they changed the format of the Champions
League when the cup was good because through the cup you would qualify for
the Cup Winners' Cup and only the league champions would go through to the
European Cup. "But then they changed it and made it the Champions League.
Suddenly it was more important to finish in the top three or four in the
league than to win the cup. "But in England, the FA Cup for me never lost
its value."
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Can Slaven Bilic's West Ham kick on now Dimitri Payet is back?
By Adam Bate
Last Updated: 07/01/16 2:47pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic has managed West Ham's injuries and Dimitri Payet is back. Can
they get even better?
For much of December, there wasn't a lot for West Ham supporters to shout
about. Their three goalless draws in a row were as many as Sam Allardyce's
side had last season in total. On the face of it, this was not the
excitement promised. However, the truth is that West Ham supporters will be
encouraged by the way that coach Slaven Bilic has navigated a path through
their injury-hit winter.
Bilic expects quiet January
Slaven Bilic expects no new signings at West Ham during January. It's been
quite a list. Key defender Winston Reid was injured midway through that
period; so was Victor Moses. Diafra Sakho picked up a thigh strain in late
November, Enner Valencia has been eased back and Dimitri Payet missed the
entire month of December. Only Manchester United have used more players this
season. Under the circumstances, just picking up points felt like a victory.
Even so, it was in the balance. Draws, and there were five in a row in the
end, produce sequences that can go either way. But home wins over
Southampton and Liverpool either side of New Year have put a different spin
on it. Bilic's side are on the longest unbeaten run in the Premier League.
In half a season, he has shown that he's a coach who can handle a variety of
styles and circumstances.
Unbeaten run
West Ham are the only Premier League team to be unbeaten in their last eight
games. There were the surprise highlights of early season. West Ham took
maximum points from their first three away games against Arsenal, Liverpool
and Manchester City, showcasing the team's counter-punching credentials. And
while a 4-3 home defeat to Bournemouth suggested his side is less
comfortable when the onus is on them, the Hammers have not been beaten in
front of their own fans since. How they'd love to keep that run going in
their final season at the Boleyn Ground.
In some senses, the improvements have been marginal. The statistics show
that West Ham have had similar levels of possession with the number of short
passes increasing slightly and the amount of long balls remaining the same.
Allardyce would no doubt have appreciated the defensive resolve that has
seen the team concede only twice in six games.
Resilient West Ham
Slaven Bilic's men have made 102 blocks in the Premier League this season,
more than any other team. West Ham are the only team to make more than 100
blocks this season and having spent so long leading the big teams, they've
had to embrace the backs-to-the-wall mentality. That's suited James Collins,
who says he's in the form of his life. "Sometimes we defend a little bit too
much," he told the club website. "It is a bit last-gasp, but that is how I
like to play the game." Bilic has been able to fuse this work ethic and
organisation with the addition of some flair in the final third. As a
result, when his West Ham do attack, they are dangerous. Only three teams
have scored more goals from open play this season. They've already got 23
goals this way, having scored only 29 times from open play in the entirety
of last season.
Michail Antonio finished off one such move for the opening goal against
Liverpool last time out. "It's not a surprise that we're producing these
kind of performances," he said. "We've shown it right from the start of the
season when we beat all the top boys. We've had a bit of a dip with the
injuries, but players are coming back, the squad is getting strong again and
now we can keep pushing on."
There is certainly the possibility there to improve the team's position
given the run of games ahead. Although Manchester City visit Upton Park
later this month, six of the next seven games are against sides currently in
the bottom eight. That's an opportunity for a side that's only four points
shy of the final Champions League qualification berth. Andy Carroll will not
be sold in the transfer window, says West Ham boss Slaven Bilic. West Ham
fans can be a pessimistic bunch and the instinct for a club that's finished
higher than sixth only once in the past 30 years is to look down the table
rather than up. But the prospect of getting to March in the mix demands
optimism. "The squad is great, the manager is great and the staff are great,
and everyone's enjoying it," said Andy Carroll this week. Long may it
continue.
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West Ham manager Slaven Bilic would rather win the FA Cup than a Champions
League place
22:30, 8 JAN 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Hammers kick off their bid to lift the trophy at home to Championship
Wolves with the boss insisting the true mark of success is silverware
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic claims he would rather win the FA Cup than qualify for the
Champions League. West Ham kick off their bid to lift the trophy at home
against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. Bilic believes the sixth-placed
Hammers would rather savour a triumphant trip to Wembley to crown their
final year at Upton Park than be dwarfed by the big names in European
football's elite competition next season. The Croat said: "I would like to
win the Cup. It is a cup. Win the Cup and I can hold it up. "Get in the
Champions League and I have to buy a magazine to show them the league table
and shout, 'Look where we are! Look where we are!' "The proof is silverware.
So I would prefer to win the FA Cup – and finish fifth or sixth!" Bilic is
under orders from the Hammers hierarchy to do better than predecessor Sam
Allardyce, whose 4-0 humiliation at West Brom last season saw co-owner David
Sullivan confronted by angry fans in the car park afterwards. The former
defender played in the home defeat by then-Second Division Wrexham in 1997,
where supporters invaded the pitch at the final whistle to hurl abuse at
chairman Terry Brown. Bilic ignored police advice to step out on to the
Upton Park forecourt to try to appease the mob. He recalled: "They scored
near the end of the game – it was a cracker from like 25 yards and I
remember the bad atmosphere afterwards. "The fans were there and we had
police on horses. I remember I came out to talk to them because the fans
were demanding new players because we were struggling. "Iain Dowie had got
injured, Tony Cottee went to the Far East and we were without options up
front. "That's when we bought Johnny Hartson and Paul Kitson and they helped
keep us up. But of course that game was a bad memory." There is far more
strength in depth at the club these days and in their final season before
moving to the Olympic Stadium, the fringe players have a chance to impress.
"It's about competition now with a few players coming back from injury,"
said Bilic. "It gives me the belief they can go far and be a really good
side."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ExWHUEmployee FA Cup Column
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 8, 2016 in News, Whispers FA Cup Column
By @ExWHUEmployee
It has been a while since I last wrote for Claret and Hugh but I am pleased
to write another article for the site before what I believe to be a very
important game for the club. I apologise for the lack of columns recently
but as some of you know I have also been starting my own website up at
www.thewesthamway.co.uk be sure to pop by and check us out too.
The F.A Cup match against Wolves is a game that we must and will take
seriously. In our last season at Upton Park we need to try and extend it as
much as possible and another few home FA Cup ties and hopefully a quarter
final would really send off our magnificent stadium in style.
Some of my favourite moments at the stadium have been in the FA Cup. In my
first ever season as a season ticket holder I witnessed my hero Stuart
Slater destroy Everton in Quarter final. I remember the emotion of being
knocked out by Arsenal on penalties in 1998 again at the quarter final stage
and facing all my mates at school the next day. It is fair to say that I
still feel the romance of the cup.
Yes the FA Cup has lost some of the glamour in the UK than it had when I was
a kid but it is still a special trophy. The cup is watched all around the
world and is arguably just as notorious now as it was in the past in many
countries. There is a larger global audience now with countries such as the
USA and those in Asia becoming more fanatical about our beautiful game so in
some ways it is just as big.
The Wolves game has already sold out and this would be the case for any
future games too and so the occasions would all be special and worth putting
a strong side out which Bilic does intend to do.
If we could progress well in the cup and perhaps even reach the final and
heaven forbid win it really would be the most magical way for us to leave
the stadium, home to so many special FA cup memories. My dad must have told
me his day at the 1980 FA Cup final so many times that I couldn't count now
and to be able to do this in the last season at the Boleyn Ground would be
the utopian send-off that the old girl truly deserves.
I have been "lucky" enough to have already been to two FA Cup Semi Finals in
my life time and to one final (the Liverpool one) and those games will
forever live in my memory. Imagine what it would be like to experience us
winning the FA Cup. I wasn't born the last time we did and as the years
tick by less and less of us have had that privilege and surely this has to
change soon?
I read an interesting omen today that the last time we did the double over
Liverpool was the first time we won the FA Cup. I am a great believer in
stories and fate and I can't help but think this could be history repeated.
It would also be a superb thing to start the new season at the Olympic
stadium with European football available too. I know we didn't take it as a
priority this year but this was because we entered so early if we won the FA
cup we would enter much further into the competition and have a normal
preseason!
It is fitting for me that we play Wolves in the match, the same team who we
played after Bobby Moore's death. That game lives in my memory and I am
glad we get to play them again after they contributed to an emotional day in
1993.
The atmosphere will be buzzing and it is also a great chance for us to get a
few players fitness up as well. I cannot wait for this match and I hope to
here Que Sera Sera around the Boleyn Ground at some point on Saturday as
that timeless classic's days are numbered at the stadium like most things.
The matches are running out but let's have a long FA Cup run to extend those
days that little bit longer!!
COYI EXWHUEmployee
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Former Hammers Hero signs for Sky Blues
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 7, 2016 in News C and H
Hammers Hero Joe Cole has penned a permanent deal to stay at Coventry City
until the end of the season after being on loan there since October. 34 year
old Cole has made seven appearances for the Sky Blues, scoring once, and
boss Tony Mowbray has praised his impact for the Sky Bet League One
promotion hopefuls. Mowbray told the club's official site: "Since he joined
the club, I've really enjoyed working with Joe and delighted to see him sign
on for the rest of the season". "Our staff have worked hard with him to
build up his fitness and physicality, and we've seen Joe really buy into
what we're trying to do here." "He's great to have around the dressing room
and the rest of the squad feed off his experience, and I'm sure it'll have a
positive impact on our younger players as well." "I only see his
performances for the club getting better and he is a fantastic option to
have from now until the end of the season." Cole only played 16 times for
Villa after a switch from West Ham in 2014 following his second spell with
the Hammers but had only made once appearance for them this season.
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Bilic: "I would rather win the FA Cup"
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 8, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
West Ham Manager Slaven Bilic says he would rather win the FA Cup then
qualify for the Champions league. "I would rather win the FA Cup than get a
place in the Champions League - all day long. Ideally finishing fifth or
sixth as well would be nice. I want to win silverware. I remember the FA Cup
about 20 years ago and still now the final can't be bigger. It's a
celebration.
"We're doing well in the Premier League and we're not looking for anything
to make up for it. We're not in a position to worry about league position so
we want to progress in the cup. small_320_David_Sullivan"We went out of the
Capital One Cup earlier in the season against Leicester City in extra time
but we gave out best in that game. We see the FA Cup as an opportunity to
progress. The FA Cup has never lost its value and it's special to the fans."
In the past two seasons the Hammers have crashed out of the FA Cup in
embarrassing fashion under the former manager. They were hammered 5-0 by
Nottingham Forest two seasons ago when Allardyce famously put the kids to
the sword and then endured a 4-0 thrashing inflicted on them by West
Bromwich Albion last season. Creepy AllardyceAllardyce was accused of
disrespecting the FA Cup when West Ham's smattering of first-team regulars,
six players under 21 and three debutants were put to the sword in the 5-0
humiliation against Forest. Last season West Ham co-owner David Sullivan was
confronted by angry fans outside The Hawthorns after the Hammers' 4-0 FA Cup
defeat. Shocking video footage shows Sullivan responding to abuse from a
group of supporters after he left the ground before full-time after what he
described as West Ham's 'worst performance of the season'. The fans were
heard abusing and swearing at the club's co-owner and urging him to sack
manager Sam Allardyce at the time.
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Former Hammer joins Arsenal's coaching staff Posted by Sean Whetstone on
January 8, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed former Hammer Freddie Ljungberg
is helping the club's under-15 side as he looks to qualify for his coaching
badges. According to the Press Association, Ljungberg will remain with
Arsenal's under-15s until the end of the 2015-16 season. The Swede announced
his excitement at the prospect of coaching at Arsenal via his official
Twitter account, with Ljungberg. "Hope everyone had a happy new year.
Enjoying my last week in Cape Town before I go home to coach Arsenals u-15!
V excited :-) Arsenal"
Ljungberg joined West Ham in July 2007 on a four year contract after nine
years are Arsenal but West Ham and Ljungberg agreed to terminate his
contract by mutual agreement in 2008 just one year later. At the time, the
31 year old Ljungberg said in a statement on the club's website: "I gave my
all at West Ham and enjoyed my time there but the decision is the best for
the both of us. Now I will take my time to consider my football future." He
made 25 league appearances during his only year at West Ham, scoring twice.
He was rumoured to have been on a wage of £85,000-a-week for his four-year
contract at West Ham. Reports at the time claimed that Ljungberg received a
one-off payment of £6 million for his early departure. In the financial
accounts of that year the finance wrote about Kieron Dyer and Freddie
Ljungberg "Two players who signed in the summer 2007 transfer window, one of
whom has since left the club, have started a combined total of 32 games and
will have cost the group £34m over the term of their contracts."
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Slav's the man - no teacher's pets in sight Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on
January 8, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H By Brian Neil Gay
WITH the halfway point reached this season it is interesting to note that
while in terms of points wise we are in a similar position to last year it
feels so much better this time around.
It was this time last year of course that the great slide was underway as
the trap door opened and our form fell away. We all know what torture it was
attending or watching matches between January and May 2015.
So just why is there this feeling that we are in a much better place this
year? Has Slaven Billic really made that much difference? He's had injuries
to contend with just as Sam Allardyce faced last year so what is different?
For some clues to the answers let's look at the festive period from the last
two years, a time which in reality has not been that productive for the
Irons for many a year. Under Sam Allardyce we went into the 2014 Xmas period
the form team in the top 4 and looking good. Then the injuries kicked in and
without Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia's up front double act, the form that
had taken us towards the top was about to crumble and disintegrate. We
simply could not cope.
Under Billic we entered the 2015 Xmas period already battered and
beleaguered with numerous injuries to our first 11 yet we have managed to
have go several games unbeaten with a largely makeshift 1st 11. They
weathered the storm and with first Lanzini and then Payet returning, the
team were back to winning ways suggesting that the slide of last year will
not be repeated.
The fact that we went through those matches without key players unbeaten
would seem to me to be down to the way Billic has managed the second, third
and fourth choice players in the squad.
Yes you can point out that SB has been furnished with a deeper squad than SA
before him but ironically it's players from the previous charges squad that
Billic is making into better players.
A classic case in point is James Collins in what he describes as being, and
it is difficult to argue with him, in the form of his life. Told he was
fourth choice CB at the start of the season JC has knuckled down and grafted
and taken his chance with both hands. I wonder if anyone told they were
fourth choice under SA would have put that sort of effort in?
James Tomkins is another who looked to be at best third choice for his 1st
team place but rather than consider a move he's battled hard impressing
Billic enough to go from being a makeshift RB to one who is now considered
above to original first choice for that position Carl Jenkinson.
Two examples of guys in the background putting the effort in and impressing
the gaffer. Two guys who are Irons assets too.
Michail Antonio is another after the joy of signing for a PL side he's had
to wait patiently working hard in training. Can't be easy when you have been
one of the top goalscorers in the Championship, used to being the main man,
look at Patrick Bamford's experience at Palace. Michail is another working
not only for himself but for the gaffer, prepared to wait for his chance
rather than look for a loan and regular first team runs elsewhere. Unlike
Bamford, Michail waited, worked and his chance came when another of our
expensive loans Victor Moses was injured. He might be raw and a bit wild at
times but the effort is there for all to see, the potential too and now he's
scoring who knows how far he will go? Let's be honest Moses for all his at
times excellence is hit or miss and he's been that way for a a few years now
and is in danger of becoming a short term journeyman.
Let's move onto Andy Carroll. His last few displays for me have been pretty
much better than anything I saw from him under Allardyce, more rounded more
complete but still with the end result he is known for. Could this be down
to the fact that he is no longer taken for granted as the main man who the
team is built around but one who has to fight for his place? On the evidence
of his form now and the way his rehab from injury has been handled, this
time it seems to me that yes he very much does want to perform for the
gaffer. No toys thrown, no prima donna off field displays , just a
willingness to accept and battle for his place. This suggests to me The
gaffer has orted him.
Even Enner Valencia's, recent contributions, without Diafra Sakho alongside
him, have been far more effective than any from last season when he was
without DS as a partner. I think the boss must be getting more from EV too.
It is also good to see improvement in the newer signings like Angleo Ogbonna
and Pedro Obiang their recent efforts much better than the early form.
With some of these stand-ins showing their best form it could be difficult
for the like of Winston Reid and Moses to get back in straight away and that
can only be good to maintain a high standard all round. For me these are all
the signs that Billic as a man manger is right up there, he's not one to
have teacher's pets, no one is guaranteed their place and everyone has to
work for it. Yet it is the sign of largely settled squad, if any of them had
any doubt about dissent, step out of line and you can expect to become the
next Morgan Amalfitano.
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Collison to return to West Ham
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 8, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
Former Hammer Jack Collison will return to the Boleyn Ground one last time
to play in Mark Noble's testimonial on 28th March. Jack tweeted "Honoured to
have been asked to play in the Mark Noble testimonial.. Can't wait to go
back to the Boleyn" Earlier this week Barry Fry has revealed that Jack
Collison's playing career is coming to a sad end but that his managerial
career is ready to take off at Peterborough United. West Ham released him
with a heavy heart at the end of last season and although Ipswich Town
handed him a short-term contract in September, he injured his left knee in a
practice match and was unable to make a single appearance for Mick
McCarthy's side. Fry has revealed on MooreThanJustAPodcast that it only
remains for Jack to make the final decision to retire. He explains the
player has seen consultants and reveals all the medical advice he's
received.
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Joe Cole agrees to Boleyn Ground return
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 8, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
Joe Cole has been the latest former Hammer to agree to a Boleyn Ground
return for Mark Noble's testimonial. Noble posted a photo of a young Joe
Cole in a West Ham shirt saying "Confirmed!!! What a man"
Cole yesterday agreed to a permanent free transfer to stay at Coventry City
until the end of the season after being on loan there since October from
Villa. The 34 year old Cole has made seven appearances for the Sky Blues
this season, scoring once. Cole only played just 16 times for Villa after a
switch from West Ham in 2014 following his second spell with the Hammers.
Joe Cole joins Jack Collison, Dean Ashton, Gary O'Neil, Jimmy Walker, Ravel
Morrison, Carlton Cole, Rio Ferdinand and Trevor Sinclair who have all
announced they will be taking part in Nobes' special Easter day. Paolo Di
Canio is also thought to have been approached by Noble and has accepted
while Carlos Tevez and Gianfranco Zola have been approached but have yet to
confirm their availability.
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"I nearly signed James Collins" "Ex left back and the full monty"
January 7, 2016
The WestHamWay.co.uk
Kenny Brown
I was looking forward to having a lazy Saturday morning and watching the
Liverpool game on TV. A late call on Friday evening changed that and I was
instead getting ready to get picked up and taken to the game !My mate had a
spare ticket and thankfully picked up the phone to me. Even better, it was
in the Chicken Run !
I got picked up and the three of us headed to a local cafe. We stopped at
one and there was only 1 person in there, Keith Rowland smashing his way
through a full monty ha ha. Keith used to live with me when he moved up
from Bournemouth. We've remained good friends. Half hour later and were on
our way to Upton Park through the usual traffic up the Barking Road !
We all didn't know what to expect from the game and all would have taken a
draw beforehand. When Liverpool come to Upton Park, its never a
disappointing game and Saturday's was no exception. I really enjoy watching
West Ham this season, they work hard, look solid defensively and are
exciting going forward. It was my first chance to watch Antonio live and he
was very impressive. Physically strong, quick and powerful, at times
Liverpool could not handle him.
His goal summed up his afternoon, making a sliding tackle on the edge of our
box and then arriving at the opposite end to head home from 6 yards out 9
seconds later. For me though, the stand out player by a mile was James
Collins, Benteke didn't get a kick or header all afternoon. Taking nothing
away from us, but i was disappointed with Liverpool and think thats the
worst Liverpool side Ive seen. It was also good to see Payet making a 20
minute cameo appearance after his injury. All in all what a great way to
see in 2016 and we can now put the League to one side and concentrate on a
good Cup run.
Little story was I tried to buy Ginge when he was a kid at Cardiff City and
I was Manager at Barry Town. I went and watched a reserve game and he was
playing as a centre forward. Big, aggressive and a real handful. Lennie
Lawrence was the Manager at the time but thought too much of him to let him
go. Proved to be a wise decision !
Saturday brings Wolves to Upton Park in the 3rd round of the FA Cup but I
will be up at Everton watching our Dag & Red 1st team. FA Cup games are
always special and my best memory was scoring at Wycombe in a 2-0 win in the
4th round. All the press and TV were predicting a Cup shock but we were
comfortable winners with TC and myself scoring the goals.I came on as a 2nd
half substitute and scored our 2nd goal with a header from a Michael Hughes
cross.
Good memories.
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Don Hutchison reacts on Twitter to Pardew's Warnock comments, discusses West
Ham fallout HITC Tim Poole
The former West Ham midfielder was impressed with the Crystal Palace boss's
'refreshing' honesty. Don Hutchison is a big fan of Crystal Palace boss Alan
Pardew's response when questioned about Neil Warnock on Thursday afternoon.
Indeed, Hutchison worked with Pardew at West Ham United and admits there was
some fallout, with the two hardly being 'best of mates.' However, he took to
Twitter on Thursday to praise the former West Ham boss, who completely
dismissed talk of his Crystal Palace predecessor Warnock at a press
conference. The 54-year-old was initially asked about Warnock's suggestion
that Charlie Austin would be a good fit for Palace, as reported by the
Guardian among others.
Come off brilliantly
Unless you're Warnock himself, it's hard not to be impressed by Pardew's
retort. The Palace boss often divides opinion and isn't afraid to give his
own. On this occasion, though, it's come off brilliantly. Rarely has a
Premier League manager responded with such succinct venom, looking all the
better for it instead of the usual press-conference waffle produced by
coaches.
Pardew may well be remembered in a hit-and-miss fashion by West Ham fans -
and Hutchison himself - but Crystal Palace fans have every reason to love
him right now.
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West Ham troll Mark Lawrenson after BBC pundit predicts another Hammers
defeat VAISHALI BHARDWAJ 11 minutes ago0 comments Eveing Standard
West Ham have once again trolled BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson after the former
Liverpool defender predicted yet another defeat for the Hammers this
weekend. Writing in his column for BBC Sport, Lawrenson said West Ham could
lose to Championship side Wolves in their FA Cup third round clash at Upton
Park on Saturday, despite the Hammers having secured a morale-boosting
victory over Liverpool last weekend. After talking about the other FA Cup
ties, Lawrenson wrote: "I also have a feeling that West Ham might slip up
against Wolves, who were struggling until recently but have won three in a
row since Christmas."
Lawrenson has already predicted 13 losses - and just two wins - in the
Premier League for Slaven Bilic's side before his FA Cup one which, if had
happened, would have left the Hammers sitting second from bottom in the
table and not in sixth place, where they currently are. Unsurprisingly,
then, such predictions from the ex-Liverpool man has resulted in West Ham's
Twitter account flagging up Lawrenson's inaccurate foretelling abilities on
the social network site.
The Hammers wrote on their Twitter account on Thursday night: "LAWRO: We are
sure you are all as surprised as we were that Lawro has predicted #WestHam
will lose on Saturday!" The tweet resulted in fans also having their say on
Lawrenson's predictions, with some of the best responses listed below.
Neil Ewins @neilorange63
@whufc_official Has he EVER predicted a West Ham win...?
8:01 PM - 7 Jan 2016
Rob James Cook @RobJCook1
@whufc_official as a wolves fan i'm shocked!
7:43 PM - 7 Jan 2016
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Slaven Bilic: West Ham fans won't ask 'who is this player?' We'll respect FA
Cup SLAVEN BILIC 3 hours ago0 comments Evening Standard
We have a break from the Premier League and I can definitely say I am
thrilled about the prospect of meeting Wolves in the third round of the FA
Cup tomorrow. The FA Cup, even when I was growing up in Croatia, was a big,
big thing. Of course, it is much more difficult to win the League, but the
Cup gives almost any club hope that they can work a miracle. When I was in
the early stages of my days as a player, the Cups in all the European
countries were big because if you won you went on to participate in the
Cup-winners' Cup the following season. Back then, every club tried to win
the Cup, but as things have moved on, the emphasis has changed, along with
the European club competitions and it has become more, let's say,
interesting to finish third or fourth in the League than to win the Cup in
some countries.
As a result, the big clubs in Italy started doing their best to exit from
the Cup and select second teams for those games. However, in England, the FA
Cup still has that magical feel, despite all the changes and other
priorities. Also, in Germany, the Cup remains a big thing. To be fair, the
Italian clubs are going back to the way things used to be and are again
treating their Cup seriously - the way it should be. In none of these other
countries does the Cup have quite the appeal or the reputation of the FA
Cup. It stands alone in that respect.
It was - and still is - a big, big thing.
Bilic on the Olympic Stadium...
I was back at the Olympic Stadium this week to give a tour to a young
competition winner called Ross Miller and his family. I've been three times
now and each time I'm excited because it's simply a great stadium. I think
Ross was a little overwhelmed by it all! Kids don't try to hide their
emotions and his jaw hit the floor when he saw it. It's still amazing for
us, let alone for him. We're in the middle of the season and we're totally
focused on it, but still we are looking forward to moving to our fantastic
new home. From a playing point of view, I did not enjoy great success in the
Cup. I had just arrived in London and was awaiting my work permit when West
Ham played their third-round tie at Upton Park in January, 1996. Honestly, I
can't remember the opposition, but I remember that we won. It was the first
time I had watched West Ham live. The following season, we were drawn away
to Wrexham. I didn't play in the first game, which ended in a draw - my son
Leo was born while it was taking place - but I was in the team for the
replay, which we lost 1-0. I remember it was by far the lowest point of that
season. That was my memory of the Cup at West Ham - not the best, to be
fair. David Sullivan has promised the fans we will be fielding a strong team
for tomorrow's match against Wolves and I completely agree with that. Yes,
we have an important Premier League match at Bournemouth three days later,
but I have options. I want to give some players a chance to start, because
perhaps they have been out with injuries, while it will be an opportunity to
rest a few others because of the busy schedule we have had. You only have to
look at Liverpool's injuries this week to see what happens when fatigue sets
in. Even if we make changes, though, it's not going to be new players who
haven't played much but rather players who have been involved regularly up
to now. I can promise the fans they won't be looking at the team and asking,
"Who is this in our team?"
Of course, though, we must be aware the Bournemouth game comes quickly
afterwards and just lately we have played many games. We would like not to
take a risk with one or two of the players, but we are aiming to progress in
the Cup as far as possible, so we have to find the balance. One player who
definitely won't be out there is Manuel Lanzini. He has suffered a
recurrence of the same thigh injury and, once again, we don't know if he
will be out for four weeks - or six. We will miss him, because he's been an
influential player for us but, hopefully, when he does return we'll still be
on the Cup trail.
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West Ham transfers: Slaven Bilic tells us Andy Carroll is not for sale, but
Hammers could loan young stars SLAVEN BILIC 59 minutes ago0 comments
Evening Standard
The opening of the transfer window has inevitably meant an avalanche of
speculation and rumours. Basically, from our point of view, we are counting
on the players we have in the squad.
No one has approached us directly about anyone yet and, as far as I am
concerned, I want everyone to stay. We don't have the biggest squad - yes,
it is sufficient when everyone is fit - and are not looking to offload
players. There will be a few of our younger players who haven't had the
opportunity to play a lot but are definitely in my head as prospects for the
future who could go out on loan. That's because only that way will they
show me and my staff that they are ready to jump into the team when their
chance comes around next season. For the rest - and that includes Andy
Carroll - we are not looking to part with them. Every time Andy plays well
or scores a goal there is more talk about either him playing for England
again or attracting the interest of one or two other clubs. He is our
player, though, and we are expecting a lot from him for the rest of this
season.
WE'VE RUSHED BACK INTO OUR HQ
We've returned to our training headquarters at Chadwell Heath after moving a
couple of miles down the road to Rush Green for several weeks to give the
pitches time to repair. To be fair, Rush Green is not yet ready for the
first team to train there regularly, but the boys didn't moan at all and the
pitches there were okay. They've started working at Rush Green, meanwhile,
and there are plans for a brand new centre there, so we look forward to
returning when it is all finished. In the meantime, I have no doubts that
the facilities at Chadwell Heath are perfectly adequate for the rest of the
season.
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West Ham transfer news: Slaven Bilic targets Juventus striker Simone Zaza
KEN DYER 19 minutes ago0 comments Evening Standard
West Ham are interested in bringing in Juventus and Italy striker Simone
Zaza on loan this month. The Upton Park club tried to sign the 24-year-old
last summer but are considering returning with a loan bid during the
transfer window. Tottenham have also been linked with the player. However,
the move is likely to depend on whether there are any departures this month
as West Ham say they have reached their wage cap for the season. One player
who has been rumoured to be a possible departure is Argentine striker Mauro
Zarate, who has been linked with Spanish club Malaga. Zaza, who has scored
one goal in seven international appearances, has had limited game time for
Juventus this season but the Serie A champions insist they want to keep him
for the remainder of the season. West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has already
said he is anticipating a quiet January.
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Angelo Ogbonna: West Ham are as tough as Juventus SAM LONG 13 hours ago0
comments Evening Standard
Angelo Ogbonna believes West Ham have matched the mentality and resilience
of Juventus during the east Londoners' recent injury crisis. Slaven Bilic's
side have enjoyed an impressive start to the season and currently occupy
sixth place in the table - just four points adrift of the top four. The
Hammers' form - which included a disappointing run of five successive draws
- has been achieved without the services of several key players and the
defender has been impressed with the manner in which Slaven Bilic's side
have coped with setbacks this term. "We have had a bad period because Manuel
Lanzini, Dimitri Payet, Enner Valencia, Victor Moses and Diafra Sakho have
been injured," he told the Sun. "But we changed our system really quickly.
Also our tactics. It's not been easy but in that period we have only lost
once in eight. "Do I recognise this mentality and resilience from Juventus?
Yes I do. "We have a lot of character to change, to suffer, to maintain our
temperament," Ogbonna insisted. The central defender won two Serie A titles
with Juventus before his summer move to Upton Park but has no regrets about
his decision to swap Turin for east London. West Ham are expected to compete
for a place in Europe during the second half of the season and Ogbonna has
not ruled out a top-four finish ahead of the club's move to the Olympic
Stadium. "When I came from Juventus I felt there was an opportunity for me
and the club. I knew the coach and the quality of the players. "Can we
finish in the top four? Why not? "We have to take care of ourselves and
focus on what we want to do. We will see at the end of the season."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
The background
West Ham United's Emirates FA Cup adventure for 2016 begins on Saturday with
a third round visit of Sky Bet Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Hammers take a break from Barclays Premier League action having risen
back to sixth in the table with back-to-back wins either side of the New
Year.
Southampton and Liverpool were both seen off at the Boleyn Ground and Slaven
Bilic will be hoping to make it a hat-trick of home wins in his first FA Cup
tie as boss.
Wolves sit eleventh in the Championship table, seven points shy of the
play-off positions having taken 34 points from 25 games, but are on a good
run of form.
Kenny Jackett's men have won their last three outings, defeating Reading,
Charlton Athletic and Brighton & Hove Albion without conceding a goal.
They are four-time FA Cup winners, last lifting the famous trophy in 1960.
The history
West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers have met twice before in the FA
Cup.
The first meeting was also the first time the clubs faced off in any
competition, with the then-Southern League Hammers defeating their Football
League opponents 5-1 in 1910.
The second cup tie was more recent – in 2004 – when goals from Brian Deane,
Marlon Harewood and David Connolly gave the Hammers a 3-1 fourth round win
at Molineux.
Overall, West Ham and Wolves have played each other 60 times, with the
Hammers winning 28 times to the Midlanders' 18
The match
Team news
West Ham United
Winston Reid returns to the West Ham United squad for the visit of Wolves,
having recovered from a hamstring injury.
Dimitri Payet could start after making his comeback from his ankle problem
in last week's victory over Liverpool, but Manuel Lanzini is out after
limping off during the same game.
Victor Moses and Diafra Sakho (both hamstring) remain sidelined, although a
return for Moses is not far away.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
For Wolves, winger Jordan Graham is a doubt after suffering an ankle knock
and Michai Zyro may come in in his place.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is in contention to start following injury, but
Sheyi Ojo is unavailable after his parent club Liverpool cut short his loan
at Molineux.
Match info
Saturday's referee is Manchester official Anthony Taylor. His assistants are
Constantine Hatzidakis and Adam Hopkins. The fourth official is Kevin
Johnson.
West Ham enjoyed a fantastic start to their head-to-head meetings with
Wolves, winning eleven and drawing three of the opening 14 fixtures before
losing 5-0 at Molineux in a First Division match on 11 April 1960.
Bobby Moore scored the only double of his career in a 4-2 First Division win
over Wolves at the Boleyn Ground on 18 December 1961.
Liam Brady scored on his final appearance in a West Ham shirt in a 4-0
Second Division victory over Wolves here on 5 May 1990 – the last game of
the Republic of Ireland great's illustrious career.
Wolves' most-recent visit to E13 was on New Year's Day 2011, when West Ham
ran out 2-0 Premier League winners courtesy of a Ronald Zubar own-goal and a
strike from Academy graduate Freddie Sears.
Ticketing, travel, coverage and other news
Tickets for Saturday's game against Wolves have SOLD OUT.
District and Hammersmith & City line trains will be serving Upton Park on
Saturday, but please note that trains will not be running on the far eastern
end of the District line, between Upminster and Barking. Replacement buses
will operate. Click here for the latest news on TfL services and here for
National Rail.
A damp day is expected in east London on Saturday, with temperature at
kick-off of 10C (50F).
If you are not heading to the game on Saturday, make sure you keep up to
date on all the action on our digital channels. The whufc.com match centre
will have live audio commentary, text updates, in-running photos, stats and
more, and you can get involved in the conversation on social using the
hashtag #WHUWOL.
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Collins ready for FA Cup glory
WHUFC.com
James Collins has enjoyed many memorable moments at West Ham United during
his lengthy spell at the Boleyn Ground – but the Ginger Pele still has one
painful memory that he is determined to get out of his system. Collins is
still plagued by the FA Cup Final defeat against Liverpool back in 2006
after the Hammers came within seconds of winning their first piece of major
silverware since 1980. Few could forget the events that unfolded at the
Millennium Stadium when West Ham were leading 3-2 heading into injury time
and Steven Gerrard broke the hearts of the Hammers supporters when he fired
an unstoppable shot past Shaka Hislop into the corner of the net to force
the game into extra-time. Liverpool ended up winning 3-1 on penalties and it
was a moment that Collins, who was on the substitutes bench that day, has
failed to get out of his system. Collins said: "It is still one of the
biggest disappointments of my career not winning the FA Cup that season. We
had a great run and got to the final. "We had some great games leading up to
the final and obviously the game against Middlesbrough in the semi-final at
Villa Park was massive when we won 1-0. "Being in Cardiff for the Final was
massive for my family and a special day but gutted overall to have lost it.
We did so well during the game and to lose on penalties was disastrous. It
is still something I think about every time I play in the Cup. "If you look
back at the game and that moment at the end, you just want Lionel Scaloni to
let the ball run out for a throw-in and it is game over. "But unfortunately
he has hooked it into the middle of the pitch and everyone knows what
happened next. "I remember sitting on the bench next to Matthew Etherington
who came off and saying 'we have won the FA Cup – it is unbelievable'. Fate
took it's course and of course we lost it in the end."
Collins knows he can put things right by steering West Ham to FA Cup glory
this season and feels it would be the perfect ending for the Hammers as they
prepare to leave the Boleyn Ground during the summer. The 32-year-old
believes the Club are genuine contenders to go all the way and believes they
have enough quality in the squad to compete against any team. Collins added:
"Any opportunity to win the FA Cup is massive, but to do it in our final
ever season at the Boleyn Ground would be incredible. It would be a great
journey for both the players and the fans. "I think this is one of our best
chances to win it and this is certainly the strongest squad we have had for
a long time. "If the manager wants to make changes early on we can still
field a very strong time. The players who have not been playing recently are
itching to get some game time and they will do just as good a job as the
ones who have been playing. "It is a good time for us and we are doing
better in the league than we normally do at this stage. We had a good
Christmas with result and there is every chance we can do well in the FA
Cup. "Wolves will be wanting to do well against a Premier League side but we
are in a rich vein of form at the moment and are playing well and can
hopefully get another good result on Saturday."
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From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com
What a way for us to start 2016 and it was a memorable victory over
Liverpool last weekend.
We have beaten the mighty Liverpool home and away this season with a 5-0
aggregate scoreline and I am sure that has never been done before in the
Club's history.
Slaven has said that it would be difficult for any side if they were missing
six of their best players but we still managed to get points on the board
during that tricky period and it is no co-incidence that we get our
important players back on the pitch and the victories start to come again.
It proves what we have been saying and I am sure all the supporters were
delighted with the all-round performance.
It was obviously disappointing to see Manuel Lanzini come off with the same
injury and that was the only dampener on a great performance.
He looked brilliant in the opening stages and had that great shot which hit
the post. Let's hope he can make a quick recovery and comes back strong
again.
It does give other players the chance to shine and the best example of that
has been Michail Antonio who was man of the match against Southampton and
produced another great display against Liverpool.
He has certainly grasped his opportunity and got his rewards with two goals
in two games. He never stops running and works so hard for the team.
James Collins was also outstanding and he was my man of the match against
Liverpool. He has continued his great form this season and you could not ask
for more passion and determination that he gives you during a game. The
whole defence were fantastic in helping us come away with another clean
sheet.
To top things off we then see Dimitri Payet back in action and what more can
I say about him.
He can become an all-time great and a legend at West Ham United. He has all
the attributes of the great players we have had at this special football
club over the years.
He lifted the crowd when he came on and looked like he had never been away.
He is a joy to watch.
We now turn our attentions to the Emirates FA Cup and it would be fantastic
if we could go all the way this season and win the competition.
I could not think of anything more fitting for our final ever season at the
Boleyn Ground.
I am fortunate enough to have seen West Ham win three FA Cup Finals at
Wembley against Preston, Fulham and Arsenal and nothing beats seeing your
team win a major trophy.
I was excited as a youngster to see us beat Preston and then the game
against Fulham was very interesting as Bobby Moore was playing against us
and they also had Alan Mullery.
I see Alan Taylor who comes to the home games and he stole the show with two
goals.
I will never forget the victory over the mighty Arsenal in 1980 who were the
strong favourites to win the game. Sir Trevor Brooking scored a rare header
and it was an unbelievable day.
We have certainly come close in recent times with that heartbreaking defeat
against Liverpool back in 2006. It was as if time stood still when the ball
fell to the one player on the pitch you didn't want it to and their name was
on the trophy.
We have had some memorable victories this season, but the whole world is
watching you when you win the FA Cup and it is a fantastic moment. The
emotion of winning a cup is like no other.
I am entitled to dream and I would also love to see the team finish as high
as possible in the Premier League.
With the likes of Payet, Carroll, Reid and Moses coming back from injury, we
have a squad good enough to achieve that.
Wolves are on a decent run of form having won the last three games, but we
are the favourites to win the game and I know Slaven will put out a strong
side who can win the tie.
The transfer window has now re-opened once again and it is great that we go
into this period without us having to buy a certain player.
If we had a weakness I would want to strengthen the squad, but that is not
the case.
I agree with Slaven that if something exceptional comes along we will look
at it, but we have a good squad of players and we are all excited about the
second half of the season.
Enjoy the game on Saturday.
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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com
Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke issues his latest
update – with Spire Roding Hospital...
We arrive in 2016 with the team in good form and with everyone around the
Club feeling positive.
It is FA Cup third round weekend, an important and exciting weekend for
football fans and all people involved in football.
It has been a good Christmas and a great New Year, winning against
Southampton and Liverpool but unfortunately we picked up injuries.
Finding the good balance between fitness and freshness is key to get through
this exciting period.
We have a three-match week coming up and some players are more fatigued than
others but at the end of the day all teams have to find a way to cope, play,
recover and train to the best of their abilities.
The positive news starts with Winston Reid, Winston has been in full
training with the squad all week and is available for selection against
Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Dimitri Payet came through the Liverpool game without any reaction to his
previous ankle injury and is fit to play against Wolves.
Manuel Lanzini re-injured his quadriceps in the win over Liverpool, which
will rule him out for several weeks.
The first game, post injury, is not the biggest risk for a player. The first
game back players are involved for limited minutes, fresh and are playing on
a wave of 'excitement'.
Unfortunately Manuel got injured in his second game and he will rest for a
week followed by the rehab at Chadwell Heath. We'll have more news next
week.
Victor Moses will return to full training with the squad on Monday. Victor
returned to his parent club Chelsea for a part of his rehab before returning
to West Ham last week.
He has been training with our rehab fitness coach and working towards
getting the required level of fitness under his belt.
Diafra Sakho has also returned to the training ground this week after a
period of limited rehab, to let the body heal.
Diaf's rehab is initially focussed on gaining muscle strength and restoring
the optimal movement patterns enabling us to push on the next few weeks.
We will have a better idea of when Diaf will be ready to play at the end of
next week.
As I said at the beginning, we are positive about where we are at the
moment, and will continue to work hard with the players and the staff to
achieve good things this season.
Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science
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New Stadium – Final call for existing STHs
WHUFC.com
All Reservation Centre appointment invitations for existing Season Ticket
Holders have now been issued.
Therefore, all existing Season Ticket Holders wishing to secure seats at
West Ham United's new home should have either already had their appointment
or have an appointment pending.
If, for whatever reason, that is not the case, supporters are asked to call
the Reservation Centre urgently on 0808 110 2016.
Given the volume of supporters on the Season Ticket Priority List, this is a
final opportunity to take advantage of your priority status as an existing
Season Ticket Holder.
The Club have long since surpassed record Season Ticket sales and will
shortly begin scheduling appointments for supporters on the Priority List,
based on the order in which they joined.
Meanwhile, for Season Ticket Holders who have already renewed, there will be
a final opportunity to invite friends and family to join them as Founders.
Supporters who, until now, have only invited one fellow Hammers fan, or
indeed none at all, to join them as a new Season Ticket Holder, can take
advantage of an exclusive five day Founders Amnesty Window.
With the final Band 4 appointments fast approaching, the Amnesty Window will
open on Wednesday 27 January and run until Sunday 31 January.
Supporters wishing to take this last chance to bring friends and family
members with them are asked to complete a short online form at >
amnesty.whufc.com, where you can select whether you would prefer to select
additional seats either over the phone or in person at the New Stadium
Reservation Centre in Westfield Stratford City.
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U18s looking to complete Royals' double
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's U18s return to action this Saturday, their first
competitive game in 2016, with a tough away fixture with Reading.
Steve Potts' side are looking to complete the double over the Royals
following a 1-0 win earlier in the season thanks to an Idris Kanu netted a
14th minute.
The Royals are currently second in the Barclays U18 Premier League South
Division with 35 points from 18 games, five points off league leader's
Chelsea.
Meanwhile the Hammers are looking to kick start their campaign to finish in
the top four and therefore qualify for the Elite round of the Play Offs.
After recent defeats to Derby County and Chelsea, the Claret and Blues find
themselves seventh, however a win on Saturday could see them leapfrog
Arsenal before next weekend's home tie with Aston Villa.
The Hammers play Reading U18's at Reading FC Training Ground on Saturday 9
January, kick off is 11am.
Make sure you follow @whufc_official and whufc.com for updates, a match
report and reaction.
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West Ham v Wolves
KO 15:00
8 January 2016
FA CUP THIRD ROUND
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 9 January Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC local radio, Final Score
TEAM NEWS
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic will field a strong side but midfielder Manuel
Lanzini is out with a thigh problem. Midfielder Dimitri Payet could start
after returning to action last weekend and defender Winston Reid could
feature after overcoming a hamstring problem.
New signing Michal Zyro could make his debut in midfield for Wolves. Keeper
Emi Martinez (thigh) returns. Defender Kortney Hause is out with a hamstring
problem and winger Jordan Graham (ankle) is a 50-50 prospect.
MATCH FACTS
West Ham have faced Wolves twice in the FA Cup, with the Hammers winning on
both occasions in 1910 (5-1) and 2004 (3-1), but this is the first and only
tie to take place at Upton Park.
The Hammers have won only one of their past nine FA Cup games (L5 D3).
Wolves have failed to score in five of their past eight cup matches.
Wolves have lost their last four FA Cup ties in a row against higher-ranked
opposition.
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West Ham v Wolves preview: Hammers without Manuel Lanzini
Last Updated: 08/01/16 9:27pm
SSN
Manuel Lanzini has been ruled out for West Ham's third round FA Cup tie with
Wolves. West Ham will be without Manuel Lanzini when they host Wolves in the
FA Cup third round on Saturday. The Argentinian midfielder suffered a
recurrence of a thigh injury against Liverpool last weekend and faces
another few weeks on the sidelines. Defender Winston Reid could return after
a hamstring problem but winger Victor Moses (hamstring) and striker Diafra
Sakho (thigh) are still missing. Kenny Jackett could hand a Wolves debut to
winger Michal Zyro, who signed from Legia Warsaw on a three-and-a-half-year
deal earlier this month.
Wolves' Jordan Graham is rated as 50/50 for the trip to Upton Park.
Goalkeeper Emi Martinez is back after a thigh injury which has kept him out
since November but defender Kortney Hause remains sidelined with a hamstring
problem. Jordan Graham is rated 50-50 by Jackett after suffering an ankle
injury in the 1-0 win at Brighton and will be assessed, with Wolves due to
make a decision on Friday. One man they will definitely be without is Sheyi
Ojo. The midfielder was due to spend the season at Molineux but has been
recalled by parent club Liverpool after a lack of match action in recent
weeks.
Opta stats
West Ham have faced Wolves twice in the FA Cup, with the Hammers winning on
both occasions in 1910 (5-1) and 2004 (3-1), but this is the first and only
tie to take place at Upton Park.
The Hammers have won only one of their last nine FA Cup games (L5 D3).
Wolves have failed to score in five of their last eight Cup matches.
Wolves have lost their last four FA Cup ties in a row against higher-ranked
opposition.
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Slaven Bilic targets FA Cup success with West Ham
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 08/01/16 11:53pm
SSN
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic would rather win the FA Cup than qualify for
the Champions League. Bilic made the claim ahead of the Hammers' third round
clash with Sky Bet Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Boleyn
Ground. His statement of intent will be music to the ears of West Ham
supporters, who were angry when previous manager Sam Allardyce fielded a
team of youngsters in a 5-0 third round defeat at Nottingham Forest two
years ago. Allardyce was concentrating his resources on a relegation battle
but, with West Ham currently sixth in the Premier League, Bilic can turn his
attentions to bringing a first FA Cup in 36 years to east London. Asked if
he would rather finish in the top four or lift the famous old trophy, Bilic
said: "I would like to win the cup. Of course. "Over the Champions League?
Yes. It is a cup! Win the cup and I can hold it up. Get in the Champions
League and I have to buy a magazine to show the league table and shout 'look
where we are, look where we are'. "The proof is silverware. So I would
prefer to win the FA Cup...and then finish fifth or sixth! "The FA Cup is
special. There was a stage before they changed the format of the Champions
League when the cup was good because through the cup you would qualify for
the Cup Winners' Cup and only the league champions would go through to the
European Cup. "But then they changed it and made it the Champions League.
Suddenly it was more important to finish in the top three or four in the
league than to win the cup. "But in England, the FA Cup for me never lost
its value."
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Can Slaven Bilic's West Ham kick on now Dimitri Payet is back?
By Adam Bate
Last Updated: 07/01/16 2:47pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic has managed West Ham's injuries and Dimitri Payet is back. Can
they get even better?
For much of December, there wasn't a lot for West Ham supporters to shout
about. Their three goalless draws in a row were as many as Sam Allardyce's
side had last season in total. On the face of it, this was not the
excitement promised. However, the truth is that West Ham supporters will be
encouraged by the way that coach Slaven Bilic has navigated a path through
their injury-hit winter.
Bilic expects quiet January
Slaven Bilic expects no new signings at West Ham during January. It's been
quite a list. Key defender Winston Reid was injured midway through that
period; so was Victor Moses. Diafra Sakho picked up a thigh strain in late
November, Enner Valencia has been eased back and Dimitri Payet missed the
entire month of December. Only Manchester United have used more players this
season. Under the circumstances, just picking up points felt like a victory.
Even so, it was in the balance. Draws, and there were five in a row in the
end, produce sequences that can go either way. But home wins over
Southampton and Liverpool either side of New Year have put a different spin
on it. Bilic's side are on the longest unbeaten run in the Premier League.
In half a season, he has shown that he's a coach who can handle a variety of
styles and circumstances.
Unbeaten run
West Ham are the only Premier League team to be unbeaten in their last eight
games. There were the surprise highlights of early season. West Ham took
maximum points from their first three away games against Arsenal, Liverpool
and Manchester City, showcasing the team's counter-punching credentials. And
while a 4-3 home defeat to Bournemouth suggested his side is less
comfortable when the onus is on them, the Hammers have not been beaten in
front of their own fans since. How they'd love to keep that run going in
their final season at the Boleyn Ground.
In some senses, the improvements have been marginal. The statistics show
that West Ham have had similar levels of possession with the number of short
passes increasing slightly and the amount of long balls remaining the same.
Allardyce would no doubt have appreciated the defensive resolve that has
seen the team concede only twice in six games.
Resilient West Ham
Slaven Bilic's men have made 102 blocks in the Premier League this season,
more than any other team. West Ham are the only team to make more than 100
blocks this season and having spent so long leading the big teams, they've
had to embrace the backs-to-the-wall mentality. That's suited James Collins,
who says he's in the form of his life. "Sometimes we defend a little bit too
much," he told the club website. "It is a bit last-gasp, but that is how I
like to play the game." Bilic has been able to fuse this work ethic and
organisation with the addition of some flair in the final third. As a
result, when his West Ham do attack, they are dangerous. Only three teams
have scored more goals from open play this season. They've already got 23
goals this way, having scored only 29 times from open play in the entirety
of last season.
Michail Antonio finished off one such move for the opening goal against
Liverpool last time out. "It's not a surprise that we're producing these
kind of performances," he said. "We've shown it right from the start of the
season when we beat all the top boys. We've had a bit of a dip with the
injuries, but players are coming back, the squad is getting strong again and
now we can keep pushing on."
There is certainly the possibility there to improve the team's position
given the run of games ahead. Although Manchester City visit Upton Park
later this month, six of the next seven games are against sides currently in
the bottom eight. That's an opportunity for a side that's only four points
shy of the final Champions League qualification berth. Andy Carroll will not
be sold in the transfer window, says West Ham boss Slaven Bilic. West Ham
fans can be a pessimistic bunch and the instinct for a club that's finished
higher than sixth only once in the past 30 years is to look down the table
rather than up. But the prospect of getting to March in the mix demands
optimism. "The squad is great, the manager is great and the staff are great,
and everyone's enjoying it," said Andy Carroll this week. Long may it
continue.
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West Ham manager Slaven Bilic would rather win the FA Cup than a Champions
League place
22:30, 8 JAN 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Hammers kick off their bid to lift the trophy at home to Championship
Wolves with the boss insisting the true mark of success is silverware
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic claims he would rather win the FA Cup than qualify for the
Champions League. West Ham kick off their bid to lift the trophy at home
against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. Bilic believes the sixth-placed
Hammers would rather savour a triumphant trip to Wembley to crown their
final year at Upton Park than be dwarfed by the big names in European
football's elite competition next season. The Croat said: "I would like to
win the Cup. It is a cup. Win the Cup and I can hold it up. "Get in the
Champions League and I have to buy a magazine to show them the league table
and shout, 'Look where we are! Look where we are!' "The proof is silverware.
So I would prefer to win the FA Cup – and finish fifth or sixth!" Bilic is
under orders from the Hammers hierarchy to do better than predecessor Sam
Allardyce, whose 4-0 humiliation at West Brom last season saw co-owner David
Sullivan confronted by angry fans in the car park afterwards. The former
defender played in the home defeat by then-Second Division Wrexham in 1997,
where supporters invaded the pitch at the final whistle to hurl abuse at
chairman Terry Brown. Bilic ignored police advice to step out on to the
Upton Park forecourt to try to appease the mob. He recalled: "They scored
near the end of the game – it was a cracker from like 25 yards and I
remember the bad atmosphere afterwards. "The fans were there and we had
police on horses. I remember I came out to talk to them because the fans
were demanding new players because we were struggling. "Iain Dowie had got
injured, Tony Cottee went to the Far East and we were without options up
front. "That's when we bought Johnny Hartson and Paul Kitson and they helped
keep us up. But of course that game was a bad memory." There is far more
strength in depth at the club these days and in their final season before
moving to the Olympic Stadium, the fringe players have a chance to impress.
"It's about competition now with a few players coming back from injury,"
said Bilic. "It gives me the belief they can go far and be a really good
side."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ExWHUEmployee FA Cup Column
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 8, 2016 in News, Whispers FA Cup Column
By @ExWHUEmployee
It has been a while since I last wrote for Claret and Hugh but I am pleased
to write another article for the site before what I believe to be a very
important game for the club. I apologise for the lack of columns recently
but as some of you know I have also been starting my own website up at
www.thewesthamway.co.uk be sure to pop by and check us out too.
The F.A Cup match against Wolves is a game that we must and will take
seriously. In our last season at Upton Park we need to try and extend it as
much as possible and another few home FA Cup ties and hopefully a quarter
final would really send off our magnificent stadium in style.
Some of my favourite moments at the stadium have been in the FA Cup. In my
first ever season as a season ticket holder I witnessed my hero Stuart
Slater destroy Everton in Quarter final. I remember the emotion of being
knocked out by Arsenal on penalties in 1998 again at the quarter final stage
and facing all my mates at school the next day. It is fair to say that I
still feel the romance of the cup.
Yes the FA Cup has lost some of the glamour in the UK than it had when I was
a kid but it is still a special trophy. The cup is watched all around the
world and is arguably just as notorious now as it was in the past in many
countries. There is a larger global audience now with countries such as the
USA and those in Asia becoming more fanatical about our beautiful game so in
some ways it is just as big.
The Wolves game has already sold out and this would be the case for any
future games too and so the occasions would all be special and worth putting
a strong side out which Bilic does intend to do.
If we could progress well in the cup and perhaps even reach the final and
heaven forbid win it really would be the most magical way for us to leave
the stadium, home to so many special FA cup memories. My dad must have told
me his day at the 1980 FA Cup final so many times that I couldn't count now
and to be able to do this in the last season at the Boleyn Ground would be
the utopian send-off that the old girl truly deserves.
I have been "lucky" enough to have already been to two FA Cup Semi Finals in
my life time and to one final (the Liverpool one) and those games will
forever live in my memory. Imagine what it would be like to experience us
winning the FA Cup. I wasn't born the last time we did and as the years
tick by less and less of us have had that privilege and surely this has to
change soon?
I read an interesting omen today that the last time we did the double over
Liverpool was the first time we won the FA Cup. I am a great believer in
stories and fate and I can't help but think this could be history repeated.
It would also be a superb thing to start the new season at the Olympic
stadium with European football available too. I know we didn't take it as a
priority this year but this was because we entered so early if we won the FA
cup we would enter much further into the competition and have a normal
preseason!
It is fitting for me that we play Wolves in the match, the same team who we
played after Bobby Moore's death. That game lives in my memory and I am
glad we get to play them again after they contributed to an emotional day in
1993.
The atmosphere will be buzzing and it is also a great chance for us to get a
few players fitness up as well. I cannot wait for this match and I hope to
here Que Sera Sera around the Boleyn Ground at some point on Saturday as
that timeless classic's days are numbered at the stadium like most things.
The matches are running out but let's have a long FA Cup run to extend those
days that little bit longer!!
COYI EXWHUEmployee
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Former Hammers Hero signs for Sky Blues
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 7, 2016 in News C and H
Hammers Hero Joe Cole has penned a permanent deal to stay at Coventry City
until the end of the season after being on loan there since October. 34 year
old Cole has made seven appearances for the Sky Blues, scoring once, and
boss Tony Mowbray has praised his impact for the Sky Bet League One
promotion hopefuls. Mowbray told the club's official site: "Since he joined
the club, I've really enjoyed working with Joe and delighted to see him sign
on for the rest of the season". "Our staff have worked hard with him to
build up his fitness and physicality, and we've seen Joe really buy into
what we're trying to do here." "He's great to have around the dressing room
and the rest of the squad feed off his experience, and I'm sure it'll have a
positive impact on our younger players as well." "I only see his
performances for the club getting better and he is a fantastic option to
have from now until the end of the season." Cole only played 16 times for
Villa after a switch from West Ham in 2014 following his second spell with
the Hammers but had only made once appearance for them this season.
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Bilic: "I would rather win the FA Cup"
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 8, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
West Ham Manager Slaven Bilic says he would rather win the FA Cup then
qualify for the Champions league. "I would rather win the FA Cup than get a
place in the Champions League - all day long. Ideally finishing fifth or
sixth as well would be nice. I want to win silverware. I remember the FA Cup
about 20 years ago and still now the final can't be bigger. It's a
celebration.
"We're doing well in the Premier League and we're not looking for anything
to make up for it. We're not in a position to worry about league position so
we want to progress in the cup. small_320_David_Sullivan"We went out of the
Capital One Cup earlier in the season against Leicester City in extra time
but we gave out best in that game. We see the FA Cup as an opportunity to
progress. The FA Cup has never lost its value and it's special to the fans."
In the past two seasons the Hammers have crashed out of the FA Cup in
embarrassing fashion under the former manager. They were hammered 5-0 by
Nottingham Forest two seasons ago when Allardyce famously put the kids to
the sword and then endured a 4-0 thrashing inflicted on them by West
Bromwich Albion last season. Creepy AllardyceAllardyce was accused of
disrespecting the FA Cup when West Ham's smattering of first-team regulars,
six players under 21 and three debutants were put to the sword in the 5-0
humiliation against Forest. Last season West Ham co-owner David Sullivan was
confronted by angry fans outside The Hawthorns after the Hammers' 4-0 FA Cup
defeat. Shocking video footage shows Sullivan responding to abuse from a
group of supporters after he left the ground before full-time after what he
described as West Ham's 'worst performance of the season'. The fans were
heard abusing and swearing at the club's co-owner and urging him to sack
manager Sam Allardyce at the time.
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Former Hammer joins Arsenal's coaching staff Posted by Sean Whetstone on
January 8, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed former Hammer Freddie Ljungberg
is helping the club's under-15 side as he looks to qualify for his coaching
badges. According to the Press Association, Ljungberg will remain with
Arsenal's under-15s until the end of the 2015-16 season. The Swede announced
his excitement at the prospect of coaching at Arsenal via his official
Twitter account, with Ljungberg. "Hope everyone had a happy new year.
Enjoying my last week in Cape Town before I go home to coach Arsenals u-15!
V excited :-) Arsenal"
Ljungberg joined West Ham in July 2007 on a four year contract after nine
years are Arsenal but West Ham and Ljungberg agreed to terminate his
contract by mutual agreement in 2008 just one year later. At the time, the
31 year old Ljungberg said in a statement on the club's website: "I gave my
all at West Ham and enjoyed my time there but the decision is the best for
the both of us. Now I will take my time to consider my football future." He
made 25 league appearances during his only year at West Ham, scoring twice.
He was rumoured to have been on a wage of £85,000-a-week for his four-year
contract at West Ham. Reports at the time claimed that Ljungberg received a
one-off payment of £6 million for his early departure. In the financial
accounts of that year the finance wrote about Kieron Dyer and Freddie
Ljungberg "Two players who signed in the summer 2007 transfer window, one of
whom has since left the club, have started a combined total of 32 games and
will have cost the group £34m over the term of their contracts."
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Slav's the man - no teacher's pets in sight Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on
January 8, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H By Brian Neil Gay
WITH the halfway point reached this season it is interesting to note that
while in terms of points wise we are in a similar position to last year it
feels so much better this time around.
It was this time last year of course that the great slide was underway as
the trap door opened and our form fell away. We all know what torture it was
attending or watching matches between January and May 2015.
So just why is there this feeling that we are in a much better place this
year? Has Slaven Billic really made that much difference? He's had injuries
to contend with just as Sam Allardyce faced last year so what is different?
For some clues to the answers let's look at the festive period from the last
two years, a time which in reality has not been that productive for the
Irons for many a year. Under Sam Allardyce we went into the 2014 Xmas period
the form team in the top 4 and looking good. Then the injuries kicked in and
without Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia's up front double act, the form that
had taken us towards the top was about to crumble and disintegrate. We
simply could not cope.
Under Billic we entered the 2015 Xmas period already battered and
beleaguered with numerous injuries to our first 11 yet we have managed to
have go several games unbeaten with a largely makeshift 1st 11. They
weathered the storm and with first Lanzini and then Payet returning, the
team were back to winning ways suggesting that the slide of last year will
not be repeated.
The fact that we went through those matches without key players unbeaten
would seem to me to be down to the way Billic has managed the second, third
and fourth choice players in the squad.
Yes you can point out that SB has been furnished with a deeper squad than SA
before him but ironically it's players from the previous charges squad that
Billic is making into better players.
A classic case in point is James Collins in what he describes as being, and
it is difficult to argue with him, in the form of his life. Told he was
fourth choice CB at the start of the season JC has knuckled down and grafted
and taken his chance with both hands. I wonder if anyone told they were
fourth choice under SA would have put that sort of effort in?
James Tomkins is another who looked to be at best third choice for his 1st
team place but rather than consider a move he's battled hard impressing
Billic enough to go from being a makeshift RB to one who is now considered
above to original first choice for that position Carl Jenkinson.
Two examples of guys in the background putting the effort in and impressing
the gaffer. Two guys who are Irons assets too.
Michail Antonio is another after the joy of signing for a PL side he's had
to wait patiently working hard in training. Can't be easy when you have been
one of the top goalscorers in the Championship, used to being the main man,
look at Patrick Bamford's experience at Palace. Michail is another working
not only for himself but for the gaffer, prepared to wait for his chance
rather than look for a loan and regular first team runs elsewhere. Unlike
Bamford, Michail waited, worked and his chance came when another of our
expensive loans Victor Moses was injured. He might be raw and a bit wild at
times but the effort is there for all to see, the potential too and now he's
scoring who knows how far he will go? Let's be honest Moses for all his at
times excellence is hit or miss and he's been that way for a a few years now
and is in danger of becoming a short term journeyman.
Let's move onto Andy Carroll. His last few displays for me have been pretty
much better than anything I saw from him under Allardyce, more rounded more
complete but still with the end result he is known for. Could this be down
to the fact that he is no longer taken for granted as the main man who the
team is built around but one who has to fight for his place? On the evidence
of his form now and the way his rehab from injury has been handled, this
time it seems to me that yes he very much does want to perform for the
gaffer. No toys thrown, no prima donna off field displays , just a
willingness to accept and battle for his place. This suggests to me The
gaffer has orted him.
Even Enner Valencia's, recent contributions, without Diafra Sakho alongside
him, have been far more effective than any from last season when he was
without DS as a partner. I think the boss must be getting more from EV too.
It is also good to see improvement in the newer signings like Angleo Ogbonna
and Pedro Obiang their recent efforts much better than the early form.
With some of these stand-ins showing their best form it could be difficult
for the like of Winston Reid and Moses to get back in straight away and that
can only be good to maintain a high standard all round. For me these are all
the signs that Billic as a man manger is right up there, he's not one to
have teacher's pets, no one is guaranteed their place and everyone has to
work for it. Yet it is the sign of largely settled squad, if any of them had
any doubt about dissent, step out of line and you can expect to become the
next Morgan Amalfitano.
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Collison to return to West Ham
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 8, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
Former Hammer Jack Collison will return to the Boleyn Ground one last time
to play in Mark Noble's testimonial on 28th March. Jack tweeted "Honoured to
have been asked to play in the Mark Noble testimonial.. Can't wait to go
back to the Boleyn" Earlier this week Barry Fry has revealed that Jack
Collison's playing career is coming to a sad end but that his managerial
career is ready to take off at Peterborough United. West Ham released him
with a heavy heart at the end of last season and although Ipswich Town
handed him a short-term contract in September, he injured his left knee in a
practice match and was unable to make a single appearance for Mick
McCarthy's side. Fry has revealed on MooreThanJustAPodcast that it only
remains for Jack to make the final decision to retire. He explains the
player has seen consultants and reveals all the medical advice he's
received.
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Joe Cole agrees to Boleyn Ground return
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 8, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
Joe Cole has been the latest former Hammer to agree to a Boleyn Ground
return for Mark Noble's testimonial. Noble posted a photo of a young Joe
Cole in a West Ham shirt saying "Confirmed!!! What a man"
Cole yesterday agreed to a permanent free transfer to stay at Coventry City
until the end of the season after being on loan there since October from
Villa. The 34 year old Cole has made seven appearances for the Sky Blues
this season, scoring once. Cole only played just 16 times for Villa after a
switch from West Ham in 2014 following his second spell with the Hammers.
Joe Cole joins Jack Collison, Dean Ashton, Gary O'Neil, Jimmy Walker, Ravel
Morrison, Carlton Cole, Rio Ferdinand and Trevor Sinclair who have all
announced they will be taking part in Nobes' special Easter day. Paolo Di
Canio is also thought to have been approached by Noble and has accepted
while Carlos Tevez and Gianfranco Zola have been approached but have yet to
confirm their availability.
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"I nearly signed James Collins" "Ex left back and the full monty"
January 7, 2016
The WestHamWay.co.uk
Kenny Brown
I was looking forward to having a lazy Saturday morning and watching the
Liverpool game on TV. A late call on Friday evening changed that and I was
instead getting ready to get picked up and taken to the game !My mate had a
spare ticket and thankfully picked up the phone to me. Even better, it was
in the Chicken Run !
I got picked up and the three of us headed to a local cafe. We stopped at
one and there was only 1 person in there, Keith Rowland smashing his way
through a full monty ha ha. Keith used to live with me when he moved up
from Bournemouth. We've remained good friends. Half hour later and were on
our way to Upton Park through the usual traffic up the Barking Road !
We all didn't know what to expect from the game and all would have taken a
draw beforehand. When Liverpool come to Upton Park, its never a
disappointing game and Saturday's was no exception. I really enjoy watching
West Ham this season, they work hard, look solid defensively and are
exciting going forward. It was my first chance to watch Antonio live and he
was very impressive. Physically strong, quick and powerful, at times
Liverpool could not handle him.
His goal summed up his afternoon, making a sliding tackle on the edge of our
box and then arriving at the opposite end to head home from 6 yards out 9
seconds later. For me though, the stand out player by a mile was James
Collins, Benteke didn't get a kick or header all afternoon. Taking nothing
away from us, but i was disappointed with Liverpool and think thats the
worst Liverpool side Ive seen. It was also good to see Payet making a 20
minute cameo appearance after his injury. All in all what a great way to
see in 2016 and we can now put the League to one side and concentrate on a
good Cup run.
Little story was I tried to buy Ginge when he was a kid at Cardiff City and
I was Manager at Barry Town. I went and watched a reserve game and he was
playing as a centre forward. Big, aggressive and a real handful. Lennie
Lawrence was the Manager at the time but thought too much of him to let him
go. Proved to be a wise decision !
Saturday brings Wolves to Upton Park in the 3rd round of the FA Cup but I
will be up at Everton watching our Dag & Red 1st team. FA Cup games are
always special and my best memory was scoring at Wycombe in a 2-0 win in the
4th round. All the press and TV were predicting a Cup shock but we were
comfortable winners with TC and myself scoring the goals.I came on as a 2nd
half substitute and scored our 2nd goal with a header from a Michael Hughes
cross.
Good memories.
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Don Hutchison reacts on Twitter to Pardew's Warnock comments, discusses West
Ham fallout HITC Tim Poole
The former West Ham midfielder was impressed with the Crystal Palace boss's
'refreshing' honesty. Don Hutchison is a big fan of Crystal Palace boss Alan
Pardew's response when questioned about Neil Warnock on Thursday afternoon.
Indeed, Hutchison worked with Pardew at West Ham United and admits there was
some fallout, with the two hardly being 'best of mates.' However, he took to
Twitter on Thursday to praise the former West Ham boss, who completely
dismissed talk of his Crystal Palace predecessor Warnock at a press
conference. The 54-year-old was initially asked about Warnock's suggestion
that Charlie Austin would be a good fit for Palace, as reported by the
Guardian among others.
Come off brilliantly
Unless you're Warnock himself, it's hard not to be impressed by Pardew's
retort. The Palace boss often divides opinion and isn't afraid to give his
own. On this occasion, though, it's come off brilliantly. Rarely has a
Premier League manager responded with such succinct venom, looking all the
better for it instead of the usual press-conference waffle produced by
coaches.
Pardew may well be remembered in a hit-and-miss fashion by West Ham fans -
and Hutchison himself - but Crystal Palace fans have every reason to love
him right now.
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West Ham troll Mark Lawrenson after BBC pundit predicts another Hammers
defeat VAISHALI BHARDWAJ 11 minutes ago0 comments Eveing Standard
West Ham have once again trolled BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson after the former
Liverpool defender predicted yet another defeat for the Hammers this
weekend. Writing in his column for BBC Sport, Lawrenson said West Ham could
lose to Championship side Wolves in their FA Cup third round clash at Upton
Park on Saturday, despite the Hammers having secured a morale-boosting
victory over Liverpool last weekend. After talking about the other FA Cup
ties, Lawrenson wrote: "I also have a feeling that West Ham might slip up
against Wolves, who were struggling until recently but have won three in a
row since Christmas."
Lawrenson has already predicted 13 losses - and just two wins - in the
Premier League for Slaven Bilic's side before his FA Cup one which, if had
happened, would have left the Hammers sitting second from bottom in the
table and not in sixth place, where they currently are. Unsurprisingly,
then, such predictions from the ex-Liverpool man has resulted in West Ham's
Twitter account flagging up Lawrenson's inaccurate foretelling abilities on
the social network site.
The Hammers wrote on their Twitter account on Thursday night: "LAWRO: We are
sure you are all as surprised as we were that Lawro has predicted #WestHam
will lose on Saturday!" The tweet resulted in fans also having their say on
Lawrenson's predictions, with some of the best responses listed below.
Neil Ewins @neilorange63
@whufc_official Has he EVER predicted a West Ham win...?
8:01 PM - 7 Jan 2016
Rob James Cook @RobJCook1
@whufc_official as a wolves fan i'm shocked!
7:43 PM - 7 Jan 2016
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Slaven Bilic: West Ham fans won't ask 'who is this player?' We'll respect FA
Cup SLAVEN BILIC 3 hours ago0 comments Evening Standard
We have a break from the Premier League and I can definitely say I am
thrilled about the prospect of meeting Wolves in the third round of the FA
Cup tomorrow. The FA Cup, even when I was growing up in Croatia, was a big,
big thing. Of course, it is much more difficult to win the League, but the
Cup gives almost any club hope that they can work a miracle. When I was in
the early stages of my days as a player, the Cups in all the European
countries were big because if you won you went on to participate in the
Cup-winners' Cup the following season. Back then, every club tried to win
the Cup, but as things have moved on, the emphasis has changed, along with
the European club competitions and it has become more, let's say,
interesting to finish third or fourth in the League than to win the Cup in
some countries.
As a result, the big clubs in Italy started doing their best to exit from
the Cup and select second teams for those games. However, in England, the FA
Cup still has that magical feel, despite all the changes and other
priorities. Also, in Germany, the Cup remains a big thing. To be fair, the
Italian clubs are going back to the way things used to be and are again
treating their Cup seriously - the way it should be. In none of these other
countries does the Cup have quite the appeal or the reputation of the FA
Cup. It stands alone in that respect.
It was - and still is - a big, big thing.
Bilic on the Olympic Stadium...
I was back at the Olympic Stadium this week to give a tour to a young
competition winner called Ross Miller and his family. I've been three times
now and each time I'm excited because it's simply a great stadium. I think
Ross was a little overwhelmed by it all! Kids don't try to hide their
emotions and his jaw hit the floor when he saw it. It's still amazing for
us, let alone for him. We're in the middle of the season and we're totally
focused on it, but still we are looking forward to moving to our fantastic
new home. From a playing point of view, I did not enjoy great success in the
Cup. I had just arrived in London and was awaiting my work permit when West
Ham played their third-round tie at Upton Park in January, 1996. Honestly, I
can't remember the opposition, but I remember that we won. It was the first
time I had watched West Ham live. The following season, we were drawn away
to Wrexham. I didn't play in the first game, which ended in a draw - my son
Leo was born while it was taking place - but I was in the team for the
replay, which we lost 1-0. I remember it was by far the lowest point of that
season. That was my memory of the Cup at West Ham - not the best, to be
fair. David Sullivan has promised the fans we will be fielding a strong team
for tomorrow's match against Wolves and I completely agree with that. Yes,
we have an important Premier League match at Bournemouth three days later,
but I have options. I want to give some players a chance to start, because
perhaps they have been out with injuries, while it will be an opportunity to
rest a few others because of the busy schedule we have had. You only have to
look at Liverpool's injuries this week to see what happens when fatigue sets
in. Even if we make changes, though, it's not going to be new players who
haven't played much but rather players who have been involved regularly up
to now. I can promise the fans they won't be looking at the team and asking,
"Who is this in our team?"
Of course, though, we must be aware the Bournemouth game comes quickly
afterwards and just lately we have played many games. We would like not to
take a risk with one or two of the players, but we are aiming to progress in
the Cup as far as possible, so we have to find the balance. One player who
definitely won't be out there is Manuel Lanzini. He has suffered a
recurrence of the same thigh injury and, once again, we don't know if he
will be out for four weeks - or six. We will miss him, because he's been an
influential player for us but, hopefully, when he does return we'll still be
on the Cup trail.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham transfers: Slaven Bilic tells us Andy Carroll is not for sale, but
Hammers could loan young stars SLAVEN BILIC 59 minutes ago0 comments
Evening Standard
The opening of the transfer window has inevitably meant an avalanche of
speculation and rumours. Basically, from our point of view, we are counting
on the players we have in the squad.
No one has approached us directly about anyone yet and, as far as I am
concerned, I want everyone to stay. We don't have the biggest squad - yes,
it is sufficient when everyone is fit - and are not looking to offload
players. There will be a few of our younger players who haven't had the
opportunity to play a lot but are definitely in my head as prospects for the
future who could go out on loan. That's because only that way will they
show me and my staff that they are ready to jump into the team when their
chance comes around next season. For the rest - and that includes Andy
Carroll - we are not looking to part with them. Every time Andy plays well
or scores a goal there is more talk about either him playing for England
again or attracting the interest of one or two other clubs. He is our
player, though, and we are expecting a lot from him for the rest of this
season.
WE'VE RUSHED BACK INTO OUR HQ
We've returned to our training headquarters at Chadwell Heath after moving a
couple of miles down the road to Rush Green for several weeks to give the
pitches time to repair. To be fair, Rush Green is not yet ready for the
first team to train there regularly, but the boys didn't moan at all and the
pitches there were okay. They've started working at Rush Green, meanwhile,
and there are plans for a brand new centre there, so we look forward to
returning when it is all finished. In the meantime, I have no doubts that
the facilities at Chadwell Heath are perfectly adequate for the rest of the
season.
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West Ham transfer news: Slaven Bilic targets Juventus striker Simone Zaza
KEN DYER 19 minutes ago0 comments Evening Standard
West Ham are interested in bringing in Juventus and Italy striker Simone
Zaza on loan this month. The Upton Park club tried to sign the 24-year-old
last summer but are considering returning with a loan bid during the
transfer window. Tottenham have also been linked with the player. However,
the move is likely to depend on whether there are any departures this month
as West Ham say they have reached their wage cap for the season. One player
who has been rumoured to be a possible departure is Argentine striker Mauro
Zarate, who has been linked with Spanish club Malaga. Zaza, who has scored
one goal in seven international appearances, has had limited game time for
Juventus this season but the Serie A champions insist they want to keep him
for the remainder of the season. West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has already
said he is anticipating a quiet January.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Angelo Ogbonna: West Ham are as tough as Juventus SAM LONG 13 hours ago0
comments Evening Standard
Angelo Ogbonna believes West Ham have matched the mentality and resilience
of Juventus during the east Londoners' recent injury crisis. Slaven Bilic's
side have enjoyed an impressive start to the season and currently occupy
sixth place in the table - just four points adrift of the top four. The
Hammers' form - which included a disappointing run of five successive draws
- has been achieved without the services of several key players and the
defender has been impressed with the manner in which Slaven Bilic's side
have coped with setbacks this term. "We have had a bad period because Manuel
Lanzini, Dimitri Payet, Enner Valencia, Victor Moses and Diafra Sakho have
been injured," he told the Sun. "But we changed our system really quickly.
Also our tactics. It's not been easy but in that period we have only lost
once in eight. "Do I recognise this mentality and resilience from Juventus?
Yes I do. "We have a lot of character to change, to suffer, to maintain our
temperament," Ogbonna insisted. The central defender won two Serie A titles
with Juventus before his summer move to Upton Park but has no regrets about
his decision to swap Turin for east London. West Ham are expected to compete
for a place in Europe during the second half of the season and Ogbonna has
not ruled out a top-four finish ahead of the club's move to the Olympic
Stadium. "When I came from Juventus I felt there was an opportunity for me
and the club. I knew the coach and the quality of the players. "Can we
finish in the top four? Why not? "We have to take care of ourselves and
focus on what we want to do. We will see at the end of the season."
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