Preview - Everton
WHUFC.com
When and where?
West Ham United v Everton
Premier League
Saturday 22 April 2017, 3pm BST
London Stadium
What's the story?
The Hammers are in Saturday 3pm action at London Stadium for the final time in the 2016/17 season when they welcome Everton to east London.
With the closing stretch of the campaign in full swing, Slaven Bilic's men will be hoping to build on a run of four points from their last two outings.
The victory over Swansea City and the draw at Sunderland followed a run of five consecutive defeats and lifted the Hammers nine points clear of the relegation zone.
With just three points separating them from Watford in tenth, West Ham eyes are still on a top half finish, and victory over the Toffees would be a significant step in that direction.
Everton, of course, enjoy a terrific record against West Ham, having not lost in east London in the Premier League since 2007 and only once at home over that same timeframe.
The Toffees have had a resurgence under the management of Ronald Koeman this season, and currently lie seventh in the Premier League table.
One more win will guarantee them European football next season, and with seven points separating them from Manchester City in fourth, they still have an outside sniff of UEFA Champions League qualification.
At home, they have been nearly unstoppable, taking 40 of their 57 points to date on their own turf. That will give West Ham optimism, with the Toffees having won just four times away from home this term.
Their last victory on the road came in January when they saw off Crystal Palace by the only goal, but Romelu Lukaku has been in tremendous form and the Hammers will have to be wary of his threat – not that they need reminding of his record against them.
Team news
West Ham will have to do without Andy Carroll for the visit of Everton on Saturday as the striker suffered an abductor injury in the 2-2 draw at Sunderland last week.
Diafra Sakho could be back after missing out at the Stadium of Light, but Sam Byram is banned after being sent-off late on in that game and Mark Noble serves the second of his two-match ban.
Winston Reid has returned to training after a month out injured and is available for selection, although Michail Antonio (hamstring), Angelo Ogbonna (knee) and Pedro Obiang (ankle) are out.
For the Toffees, Hammers loanee Enner Valencia is ineligible to face his parent side, while James McCarthy continues to struggle with a hamstring problem.
Muhamed Besic is working his way back from a serious knee injury, while Ramiro Funes Mori (knee), Yannick Bolasie (knee), Seamus Coleman (broken leg) and Aaron Lennon are all missing.
How do I get to the game?
There are no planned disruptions to London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway or TfL Rail services which call at Stratford and Hackney Wick on Saturday. Click here for the latest news on these networks.
Greater Anglia services running into Liverpool Street are also scheduled to operate as planned. Click here for up-to-the-minute news on National Rail.
Our Matchday Guide contains all the information you need to make the most of matchday at London Stadium. Click here to access it.
How can I watch the game?
This match is not being broadcast live in the UK. However, if you live overseas you may be able to tune in. Check our widget below for coverage details in your territory.
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Westley – Ugo had outstanding qualities
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Academy Manager Terry Westley pays tribute to Tottenham Hotspur U23 coach Ugo Ehiogu
Former England defender passed away at the age of 44, after suffering a cardiac arrest
Centre-half played 355 Premier League games for Middlesbrough and Aston Villa
West Ham United Academy Manager Terry Westley has paid tribute to Tottenham Hotspur U23 coach Ugo Ehiogu, who has sadly passed away at the age of 44.
The former Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and England defender, who was born just a short distance from the Hammers' London Stadium home in Homerton, died on Friday morning, hours after suffering a cardiac arrest at Spurs' training ground.
Westley managed in opposition to Ehiogu on many occasions during his time at Tottenham's Academy, where he worked his way up to be appointed U21 coach in 2014 and U23 coach last summer, and also spent time talking football with the former defender on coaching courses.
"It is staggering news," said Westley. "It was only a few weeks ago when we took an U23 team to play against Ugo's Tottenham at their training ground in an 8v8 friendly match, and we stood together on the touchline by their indoor pitch talking football.
"Ugo was a very thoughtful man who had time for everybody. He had no ego and no edge to him, which you might have expected for someone who played so many games at Premier League level.
"Ugo will be sorely missed by everybody in the football world."
Westley was hugely impressed by the approach Ehiogu took to his own coaching career, which saw him rise through the Academy ranks at Tottenham, learning from his colleagues and putting his knowledge and experience to use developing the next generation of players for the north London club.
As someone who also watched Ehiogu develop himself into one of this country's outstanding centre-halves with Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, playing 355 times in the Premier League, Westley paid tribute to the late defender's commitment to excellence.
"Ugo had outstanding qualities as a player and he took those into his coaching career, where he spent years developing his skills under the guidance of Tottenham's head of coaching and development, John McDermott," he confirmed.
"Ugo worked hard, developed his skills as a coach and thoroughly deserved his chance to lead Tottenham's U23 side.
"I and my coaching staff were talking on learning the sad news and we all agreed that Ugo's character was what set him apart. He was a thoughtful, football man who loved to talk about the game, he had respect and time for everyone and his passing has left us all with a feeling of immense sadness."
West Ham United's U23s travel to Ehiogu's first club West Bromwich Albion on Monday evening in Premier League 2 Division 2, when tributes are expected to be paid to the former Baggies defender before kick-off.
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Five-a-side
WHUFC.com
whufc.com selects a five-a-side team from players who have represented both West Ham United and Saturday's visitors Everton...
1. George Kitchen
Derbyshire-born George Kitchen was an outstanding all-round sportsman, becoming a professional golfer as a teenager and coaching cricket at Dulwich College. After playing for Lancashire League Stockport County, Kitchen spent seven seasons with Everton, helping the Toffees finish as runners-up in the First Division in 1901/02. On moving to east London, he amazingly scored the winning penalty on his debut against Swindon Town in the Southern League on 2 September 1905. Kitchen would score four times in his first season in Claret and Blue, including on his FA Cup bow at Woolwich Arsenal, and six times overall in 205 appearances.
2. Lucas Neill
Australia defender Lucas Neill spent 12 years with Millwall and Blackburn Rovers before joining West Ham United's bid to make a Great Escape in January 2007. The right-back was appointed captain two months later, leading the Hammers on a memorable run of seven wins in nine games and salvation at Old Trafford on the final day. Neill remained with West Ham for two more seasons, totalling 88 appearances before departing for Everton in summer 2009. The experienced Socceroo spent just four months at Goodison Park before joining Turkish side Galatasaray.
3. Danny Williamson
Born in West Ham, Danny Williamson had cheered on the Hammers from the Boleyn Ground's North Bank and played for Newham and Essex Schoolboys before joining his boyhood club. Williamson spent four seasons as part of the first-team squad, making his debut at Arsenal on 30 April 1994. A first goal arrived in a 3-3 home draw with Southampton a week later, and he totalled 58 appearances and five goals. A talented midfielder, Williamson's career was affected by injuries both before and after his August 1997 move to Everton, where sadly he made just 17 appearances before officially retiring in 2000.
4. Mark Ward
A Liverpool-born winger, Mark Ward started his career as a schoolboy with Everton, before being released for reportedly being 'too small'.
After dropping into non-league football, Ward enjoyed two fine seasons with Oldham Athletic before joining West Ham United for £250,000 in August 1985. Ward's first season in east London was sensational, as he was ever-present in the Hammers' run to third place in the First Division. In all, he totalled 14 goals in 209 games. After 18 months with Manchester City, Ward returned to Everton in 1991, following his former City manager Howard Kendall, and made 94 appearances over the next two-and-a-half seasons.
5. Tony Cottee
A hero in both east London and on the blue half of Merseyside, Tony Cottee scored goals galore for both West Ham United and Everton in the 1980s and 1990s. A teenage prodigy at the Boleyn Ground, Cottee helped the Hammers to third in the old First Division in 1986 before departing for Everton two years later. In six seasons at Goodison Park, Cottee netted 82 goals and appeared in the 1989 FA Cup final defeat by Liverpool, before returning for a second spell in east London, where he ended his time with 146 goals in 336 games.
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Bilic – Stopping Lukaku will be key
WHUFC.com
Stopping Romelu Lukaku at London Stadium will be crucial if West Ham United are to get a result on Saturday, says Slaven Bilic
The boss believes the Belgian is currently one of Europe's top scorers
Lukaku has scored in his last nine consecutive matches against the Hammers
Stopping in-form Everton striker Romelu Lukaku will be vital if West Ham United are to beat the Toffees at London Stadium on Saturday, according manager Slaven Bilic.
The Belgian has been a constant thorn in the side for the Hammers over a number of years, having scored in nine consecutive games against the Claret and Blues, including the opener in October's Goodison Park meeting between the two sides.
And Lukaku, with eight goals in his last eight Premier League games, will be the main danger for the hosts' defence to worry about once again on Saturday, believes Bilic.
The boss said: "It's a job for our defenders [to stop Lukaku], but not only the defenders, to stop him. In some games we've played against them, our defenders were really good against him but last time he scored a goal.
"He is an individual and he can do you harm. It's about the teamwork though and we have to stop the service. The more you stop the service, the less likely he will hurt you.
"You try to get him out of these positions he's really good in. We have to stop the service and when it does come, to get close to him and double up on him.
"Lukaku is really good. He's also consistent for his age. People forget how young he is because he's been on the radar for a long time. He's been scoring goals since he went on loan from Chelsea and every season at Everton.
"He's been getting better and better and that's why he's been linked with a lot of big, big clubs."
Still only 23-years-of-age, Lukaku has already scored 81 Premier League goals in less than 200 appearances and has been on the top of his game this side of Christmas.
And despite transfer speculation surrounding the Belgian ahead of the summer window, Bilic thinks Everton have shown great ambition to keep hold of their sough-after talent so far.
"Everton have done a really great job to keep him and they've showed with that how big and ambitious they are," he continued.
"I rate him really, really high like most people do, and for me he's definitely one of the best strikers not only in the Premier League but in general in Europe.
"Sometimes it does not have to mean you are not ambitious if you have to sell a player. OK, they sold John Stones, but with that money they bought Yannick Bolasie, Idrissa Gueye and Ashley Williams; it doesn't mean you're not ambitious."
Currently sitting seventh in the league table, Everton have had a successful first season under Ronald Koeman and Bilic believes the Dutchman has built a strong team, meaning Lukaku is not the only danger.
"They are a very confident team now, especially at home where they broke that record with all the wins. Last year with Roberto Martinez they were very good up-front and offensively but they were a bit unlucky and also they were vulnerable at the back, not only with a back-four or back-three but as a unit.
"They've now kept that offensive part of their game really well, but they are much more solid. Espeically in midfield, they have legs, aggression and energy with the players they have got.
"With Tom Davies, Ronald Koeman showed he had guts to put him in to play, he's 18."
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Reidy return a boost for Bilic
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic confirmed Winston Reid has returned to training ahead of Saturday's home fixture against Everton
The New Zealand defender has missed West Ham United's last four Premier League matches with a groin problem
Andy Carroll, however, along with the suspended Sam Byram, will miss out against the Toffees
West Ham United defender Winston Reid is fit again and ready to return to action against Everton on Saturday, according to manager Slaven Bilic. The New Zealand international has missed the Hammers' last four Premier League matches due to a groin problem suffered during March's Premier League clash against Leicester City. But now back in training, the Club's vice-skipper will be available for selection when the Toffees travel to London Stadium this weekend, Bilic confirmed. He said: "Winston Reid is good. He is back from injury and it's good for us, of course. He's one of our most important players "We will see if he is going to start but he's been training throughout this week and in his rehabilitation programme, of course he did some individual training. "But he looks good, as I said. It's a big boost for us."
Saturday's hosts will also, of course, be without Sam Byram, who picked up two yellow cards and subsequently a red against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light last week. The full-back misses out through suspension, while Bilic also revealed Andy Carroll is ruled out at the weekend. "From the game against Sunderland, we are without Sam Byram, who got a red card at the end of that game, and we are also without Andy Carroll," the former defender continued. "He will probably be fit for our next game, but for this game, no."
Having missed last week's north east clash through injury, Diafra Sakho will return to training on Thursday and the boss is due to access the forward's fitness before making a decision upon his inclusion in Saturday's squad. "I have spoken about the thing with Diafra Sakho that was in the papers and all that already," Bilic stated. "He was injured against Sunderland. There wasn't a row or anything. "I should know about that if there was because it involves me who spoke with him and everything! He was injured for that game. "Diafra is supposed to train today, and we will see what condition he is in after."
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Lanzini is big Barkley fan
WHUFC.com
Manuel Lanzini is a big fan of Everton attacking midfielder Ross Barkley
Hammers No10 says Barkley should relish the pressure being put on him to perform
England international is nine months younger than West Ham United's Argentinian star
Manuel Lanzini has urged fellow attacking midfielder Ross Barkley to relish the pressure being put on him to perform.
Born nine months apart in 1993, expectations have been high on the West Ham United No10 and Everton No8 since both were schoolboys.
Lanzini won titles with River Plate in his native Argentina and Fluminense in Brazil as a teenager before excelling in his first two seasons with the Hammers, while Liverpool-born Barkley has spent almost his entire professional career in a Toffees shirt, being tipped for great things.
Capped 22 times by England, Barkley's talent has already been rewarded, but some critics have recently claimed the 23-year-old needs to do more with his undoubted ability.
Lanzini, who turned 24 last month, is not one of them, and has encouraged the man he will share the London Stadium pitch with on Saturday afternoon to keep doing what he does best.
"Of course I have seen Everton and they are a very good team with very good players," Lanzini began, when asked about this weekend's high-flying visitors to east London. "Ronald Koeman has a good striker in Romelu Lukaku, who is an amazing player, but we also have very good players. The game is going to be a good one.
"They also have Ross Barkley, who is a very good player. I don't think he is thinking about the pressure people are putting on him, because there was a lot of pressure on him last week and he played really well against Hull City.
"He has a good touch, good finishing and good recovery, so he is a very good player. I don't think the pressure is a bad thing for him.
"Speaking personally, it's not easy when the pressure is on you, but it's not difficult either, because I like the pressure and the responsibility of the team and of the people to be on me. This is football and you need pressure for motivation."
Lanzini himself may be small in stature, but his diminutive appearance marks a strong character and a steely determination to succeed honed during his formative years at Buenos Aires giants River Plate.
There, he debuted at 17 and was handed the coveted No10 shirt while still a teenager, before inspiring Los Millonarios to the Primera Division title in 2014.
Belief and confidence, the South American continued, are vital to success on the pitch.
"I think confidence in football is very important, because when you have confidence you can try anything and it's OK," Lanzini explained. "The last game with Sunderland, for example, we played very well in the first 30 minutes but, after they scored, the game was difficult because they pressed us. We have been working on this and we will be OK on Saturday.
"When you play with smiles on your faces and joy in your heart, football becomes easier, but sometimes you also have to be serious. It is about getting the balance right.
"We need to take points [on Saturday]. It's difficult because this season has been difficult for us, but now is the time to work hard and to think about the game with Everton. It's going to be a very difficult game, but we are ready to work and ready to play and that's it."
Lanzini has netted seven times in the Premier League this season, eclipsing his tally from last term, when one of his six strikes was an exquisite curler in the 1-1 Boleyn Ground draw with Everton in October 2015.
He would love to repeat the trick in a home win that would take the Hammers onto 40 points and, most likely, secure their top-flight status.
"It was one of my best goals for West Ham!" he smiled. "I was very happy with that goal and I would love to get another one on Saturday, because this game is important for us and we need to win."
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The Big Interview - Slaven Bilic
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic says West Ham United are looking to finish the season strongly after picking up four points from their last two Premier League matches.
The Hammers host in-form Everton at London Stadium on Saturday, having beaten Swansea City and drawn with Sunderland, and Bilic is expecting the Toffees to provide a sticky test.
The manager also revealed that Winston Reid will be fit to face Ronald Koeman's side and responded to speculation about Diafra Sakho.
Slaven, you have taken four points from the last two matches and are now on 37, but will that be enough to keep you in the Premier League?
"I don't know if we have enough points to keep us safe, but we have five games to play and I think that we still need points, because we don't want a situation where we are waiting for other results to go with us and wonder 'Is it going to be enough?'.
"The good thing is that we have four points from the last two games and have a bit of a cushion and also we have motivation because we are three points below mid-table, let's say it like that.
"It's also stupid to think that way, even if we were safe, because we can't think 'That may be enough' because we still need points."
Is it your aim to finish in the top half of the table?
"We are looking both ways. We can't be arrogant and say we are not interested in what is happening below us. We are pretty much in that situation, still, and we want to get out.
"We want to look above us, of course, but that is a theory because the only way we can get into the situation where we are only looking up is by winning games, so we need points, starting from Saturday against Everton.
"OK, these last two games made the situation for us a little bit easier, but there are still a lot of games to be played and 15 points to be decided. Some of the clubs have six games left, so of course we need points."
You have some good news about one of your most important players?
"Yes, Winston Reid is back. He's been training with the rehab and fitness coaches for a week now and they have done good work on his fitness, so he is back and trained with us on Tuesday.
"We know from before that he doesn't need many games to get his form good, so it's big for us of course because he's one of our major players, one of the senators, as I call them. It's a big boost for us for the remainder of the season.
"He is one of our best players of the season, so we are expecting him to make our defence more solid."
What can you tell us about the situation with Diafra Sakho not being involved at Sunderland at the weekend?
"It was in the 'papers that I had a row with Diaf, but no, there is no rift between us. I called Diaf on the day we travelled to Sunderland and asked him what was happening because he got injured and all that.
"He said 'I am only frustrated because I have a small injury but I hope to be back for the game against Everton' and we will see that. There was no argument whatsoever between us.
"I can say from my direct conversation with Diaf that it's not the case and it's not true what it said in the 'papers."
You said you need to kill teams off, as it has been a problem this season?
"Yes, in many games this season, in our last two away games for example at Hull and Sunderland, we scored early goals and were on top of them for 15-20 minutes, but we have to punish them.
"Against Swansea we won 1-0, but in the second half we created three or four chances and we really had to score goals.
"At Sunderland, especially when we scored our second goal and when a point was not good enough for them, so they were risking and throwing bodies up front, they were leaving space behind and we should have exploited that and used that to our advantage and killed the game off."
Next up on the fixture list is a home game with Everton. What sort of test are you expecting from them?
"Well, it's a very difficult game. They are playing well at the moment and are still fighting for one of those top six positions. They have done well and have improved a lot.
"But, you know, it is about us. Recently we are playing good at home. OK, we are in the position that we are but, in 2017, in all the games, it was only Manchester City twice and the second half against Arsenal away that you say they were better and they deserved to win.
"All the other games were like 50/50 and we had a chance to win any of those games. I'm talking Bournemouth and Hull away, Leicester, West Brom and Swansea at home, and now the game against Sunderland.
"OK, Everton are going to be tough, they are a good side, they have more than enough points and are highly motivated to finish as high as possible and all that, but we are very confident."
Finally, how important will the support of the Claret and Blue Army be at London Stadium this Saturday?
"They were very important for us during this season, not to mention last season when we made history and they were brilliant for us.
"We asked for them to support us against Swansea and they gave us a boost in energy for that 90 minutes to keep a clean sheet and produce a solid performance. Now, I'm sure they are going to be the same against Everton.
"Their backing has been very important for me personally because the most important thing about a Club is the fans. We are playing football for the fans and if there weren't fans, we wouldn't be speaking about football now."
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Collins looks forward to Lukaku challenge
WHUFC.com
James Collins is relishing the challenge of facing in-form Everton striker Romelu Lukaku
Defender spoke to Saturday's Official Programme about the task of marking the Belgian
Issue also includes interviews with Alvin Martin, David Cross and Blues-supporting boxer Tony Bellew
James Collins will need to use all his experience when faced with the challenge of the Premier League's best centre forward on Saturday afternoon.
Powerful, fast and clinical, Everton's Romelu Lukaku has a league-leading 24 goals to his name, while he has also netted nine in eleven career appearances against the Hammers.
The Welshman has played against Lukaku six times in and Everton shirt and the Belgium international has scored in all six of them. Of those six games, the Toffees have won all four in the Premier League, with the Hammers securing a draw before progressing in a thrilling FA Cup third-round replay in January 2015.
The defender admits neither Lukaku nor Everton are his favourite opponents, so he is eager to end the 23-year-old's record of having scored on all nine appearances for the Blues against the Hammers.
"I've played against loads of centre forwards in my time who are deadly in the box, and we will have to be on our toes as every team you play against these days seems to have a striker who is capable of scoring 20-plus goals a season, so in that respect it's no different than any other game," Collins told Saturday's Official Programme, when asked about the challenge of marking Everton's No10.
"Of course, Lukaku has got a good record against us, and we probably haven't defended as well against him as we could have done in games gone by.
"Physically, he has got everything, he is big, strong and he can finish so it's going to be a tough game. He's obviously on top of his game, but I'm happy with the way I'm playing at the minute, so I'm looking forward to pitting my wits against one of the best strikers in the Premier League.
"It's going to be a tough afternoon for all of us at the back, but I'm pretty happy with my form at the moment and I'm looking forward to a good challenge."
Saturday's issue is packed full of exclusive content, including columns penned by Joint-Chairman David Gold, manager Slaven Bilic and captain Mark Noble.
Also inside, fans can enjoy Ian 'Moose' Abrahams' interview with Everton-mad boxer Tony 'Bomber' Bellew, Ken Dyer's discussion with 1980 FA Cup hero David Cross and a revealing chat with Liverpool-born Hammers great Alvin Martin.
With the complete lowdown on Saturday's visitors Everton, the Official Programme is the essential guide to your London Stadium matchday. At just £3.50 for 100 action-packed pages, it's great value too!
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Ladies edged out at White Hart Lane
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies beaten 4-0 by Tottenham Hotspur in historic White Hart Lane fixture
Spurs are new FA Women's Premier League Southern Division champions
Hammers host north London rivals in their final home game of the season on Sunday 14 May
West Ham United Ladies put up a brave display but new FA Women's Premier League Southern Division champions Tottenham Hotspur ultimately proved too strong at White Hart Lane.
The historic fixture was played at Spurs' soon-to-be demolished stadium on Wednesday evening, a year after West Ham had welcomed their London rivals to the Boleyn ground for a fixture in similarly emotional circumstances.
With 2,140 fans present, including hundreds of travelling Hammers, the unbeaten home side showed why they have won all but one of their league matches this season to complete a 4-0 victory that saw them secure the Southern Division title.
A competitive first half ended with Spurs a single Josie Green goal to the good, but the hosts netted three more times after the break through Wendy Martin, Nikita Whinnett and Bianca Baptiste.
For West Ham, who welcome Tottenham to Thurrock FC in their final league game on Sunday 14 May, Chloe Burr tested former Hammer Toni-Anne Wayne in the Spurs goal, fired a second effort narrowly wide and saw a third blocked before half-time.
Into the second half and Jasmine Auguste and Shannon Albuery both went close, but Greg De Carnys' team just could not find a way past Wayne and her well-drilled defence, which has now conceded just six goals in 17 league matches.
"It's obviously not a nice feeling being on the end of that scoreline and to watch them win the league, to get the trophy and do it at White Hart Lane as well," De Carnys admitted.
"But we have to look at the positives. We obviously now have to play Tottenham again and we have to learn from what happened again in the game.
"I think in the first half it was quite an even game, I'm sure that they would agree, but unfortunately towards the end of the second half their quality and fitness levels started to show. There was some important defending that had to be done at the end of that second half."
Defeat at White Hart Lane leaves West Ham ninth in the eleven-team table, four points ahead of Queens Park Rangers Ladies and one ahead of Swindon Town Ladies in tenth.
Both teams below the Hammers have games in-hand, but De Carnys is hopeful his team will not be bottom of the pile come the season's end.
"We have to also recognise the position that we are in the league, we're currently third from bottom now, four points ahead of Queens Park Rangers, so even little things like the blocks on the line we made could be really important if it came down to goal difference," he continued.
"We are where we are because of all the games that we have had this season. Now we have got to dig deep and find something special for the last game of the season and that is what we are hoping to do."
Whatever happens in the remaining weeks of the 2016/17 campaign, De Carnys believes he and his coaching staff will be working with a talented and improving squad next season.
"We are a young squad who are building a project for the long term and to have such a group of young players – we have an average age of 19 in the squad – is great for the future," he confirmed.
"We were taking on a Tottenham team that is going to be an FA Women's Super League (WSL) 2 team next year and a good WSL 2 team I think.
"Our girls have a lot of things to learn but also have a lot of potential because they are young, ambitious and they have got quality. They are still gelling as a team, I think those sorts of things will grow and hopefully we will be in a similar position to Tottenham in not too long."
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Loanee round up
WHUFC.com
There was a packed schedule for those Hammers on loan in the Football League over the Easter weekend
Reece Oxford and Reading are close to sealing their place in the Championship play-offs
Likewise, Bradford City and Josh Cullen are still set for a top-six finish in League One
There was a packed schedule for many West Ham United loanees with most Football League clubs in action twice over the Easter weekend.
Starting with first the Premier League, however, Enner Valencia's Everton were in action just once as they beat Burnley 3-1 at Goodison Park on Saturday. Ecuadorian international Valencia played the full second half for the Toffees, who took the lead through Phil Jagielka four minutes after the Hammers man's introduction. Sam Vokes equalised for the Clarets shortly after with a penalty but Everton went back in front with 19 minutes left on the clock as Ben Mee was unfortunate to deflect into his own net. Romelu Lukaku rounded off the victory minutes later, scoring for a ninth successive home game to, albeit for a day, push Ronald Koeman's side up to fifth in the Premier League table.
Reece Oxford missed out on Reading's 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, but was back in the squad as the Royals beat rock-bottom Rotherham United on Monday. The centre-back was an unused sub, however, as he watched Lewis Grabban and John Swift overturn a Tom Adeyemi opener to make it five wins in six games. Oxford's men now mathematically need only a win and a draw – though realistically fewer would probably suffice – from three final games to seal their place in the Championship play-off spots.
In League One, there was no rest for Josh Cullen who played the entirety of Bradford City's two Easter weekend clashes. On Good Friday, the Bantams' weekend got off to the perfect start as they beat Oxford United – who were without the injured Toni Martinez – 1-0 at Valley Parade. Nicky Law scored the game's only goal on the hour mark as he touched home Charlie Wyke's glancing header as Stuart McCall's men then began to focus on Monday's clash against Sheffield United. There was a party atmosphere, however, at Bramall Lane as the Blades – already promoted – looked to secure the third tier's top spot. They did so, putting three past Bradford thanks to Leon Clarke, who grabbed a brace, and League One top scorer Billy Sharp. Cullen and Bradford, six points clear of seventh-placed Southend United, still look a sure bet for the play-offs, despite Monday's defeat.
In League Two, Newport County kept their survival hopes alive with a 1-0 Friday win over Yeovil Town, with Hammer Jaanai Gordon as an unused substitute. Mickey Demetriou's second half free-kick proved the decisive moment and despite a 6-1 thrashing two days later at promoted Plymouth Argyle, the Exiles remain just a point from safety.
Finally, Sam Howes played for Hampton and Richmond Borough in the National League South though they were beaten 3-1 at Dartford. The Beavers are now unable to qualify for the play-off spots.
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'It was an amazing game'
WHUFC.com
London Stadium steward Harinder Dhillon ran the line on a famous night at the Boleyn Ground 31 years ago!
Today marks 31 years since West Ham United's memorable 8-1 victory over Newcastle United during the famous 1985/86 campaign, and the event that became a compulsory trivia question for any self-respecting football quizmaster over the years.
All Hammers fans over a certain age will recall that Alvin Martin became the only player to score three goals against three different goalkeepers on a crazy evening at Upton Park, when John Lyall's side stuffed the Magpies on their way to a highest-ever league finish.
Less commonly known is the fact that a current long-serving member of staff at London Stadium also made a rather unique and significant contribution to that unforgettable encounter near the end of the record-breaking Boys of '86 year.
Harinder Dhillon, known to his friends and colleagues as Harry, is a familiar, friendly face as one of the security stewards based in the players' tunnel on matchdays, ensuring that the area is kept clear and safe as the two teams and officials enter and leave the playing arena.
However, he is also a qualified Class One referee, and was handed his officiating 'debut' in top flight professional football thanks to another quirk of fate on that balmy April evening at the Boleyn Ground back in April 1986.
Taking up the story, Harry, now 64, recalled: "I used to play and manage a local amateur team. But I didn't enjoy the managing so I took up refereeing, getting my qualification in 1981. After that it was a case of climbing up the ranks and going through the process to achieve Class One, allowing you to officiate in the professional game.
"I got my Class One in 1985, and towards the end of that season, I was appointed reserve official at West Ham, my local club, for their match against Newcastle. It was the first time I'd been given the role at senior level, for a top-flight match.
"At half-time I was in the referee's dressing-room, making the tea, ready for him and his two linesmen. Then one of the linesman comes in and said he's twisted his ankle. So they called for the West Ham physio, Rob Jenkins, who took a look and said he'd better not carry on.
"Next thing I know, they're telling me to take the flag and get ready for the second half! So I was a straight substitute for the linesman and did the second half in front of the Chicken Run, which was an experience!
"I was running the line at the Newcastle defensive end, so I was up there for Alvin's penalty against Peter Beardsley. It was an amazing game, and West Ham could have had even more than eight.
"After the game, the assessor came in and said he hadn't even noticed the change, which was obviously nice to hear and meant I'd done a decent job. Later on, I got a nice letter from the Football League and a cheque for £20, which was a bonus!"
Despite working on the security staff at West Ham for over 15 years, Harry's unique connection to the match only came to light recently when he bumped into Alvin prior to a fixture at London Stadium and recounted the story to the legendary Hammers defender, who responded with typical wit and humour.
"Blimey, I thought I was the only one who had a good story to tell about that game!" laughed Alvin.
Harry's surprise introduction turned out to be his one and only appearance as an official in the old First Division, but he went on to enjoy a long and distinguished career refereeing at non-league level, covering games in the Ryman League and Essex and Herts Border Combination, and still referees park football now.
"I was doing senior football when some of the current Premier League officials were starting out," said Harry. "Some of them remember me when they come here to do games, so it's nice to have a bit of banter with them and there are a few double-takes when they see me standing in the tunnel in my uniform!"
Harinder Dhillon and Jegta PadamHarry's colleague in the tunnel on matchdays is his long-time friend and neighbour, Jegta Padam, and the pair share yet another unique and heart-warming story when it comes to their association with West Ham United.
"We joined the Club together when the new main stand at the Boleyn Ground was built in 2001," recalls Harry. "Our friendship goes back much further than that though. We first met as kids in 1965, when we lived next door to each other in Rosebery Avenue, Manor Park. I lived at number 36 and Jegta lived at number 34.
"We went to school together and have been friends ever since. We first went to West Ham together as fans in the late '60s – we used to go in through the gate for the second half when they opened it to let people out!"
Jegta, just a few months older than his great friend at 65, says: "I came to this country at the age of 13, in 1964, the year West Ham won the FA Cup. I met Harry the following year and we've been inseparable ever since. It was Harry who persuaded me to go for the security job at West Ham with him.
"At the Boleyn Ground we worked up in the hospitality lounges, and started in the same role together when we moved over to the new stadium last summer.
"Then the positions in the tunnel became available, and we were asked to take up that role. I think everyone realises that we come as a pair!"
Keep checking whufc.com for more stories about some of the people who make West Ham United much more than just a football club. #WeAreWestHam
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Slaven Bilic column: West Ham manager says changing goalkeepers is the toughest call to make
EXCLUSIVE
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard
The past two games — against Swansea and Sunderland — have improved our situation considerably, but because of the way we conceded a late equaliser at the Stadium of Light, the media focus this week has been on Darren Randolph.
I am not going to say here what my team will be against Everton tomorrow but, as a manager, you want all your players to be on their toes and also to be confident, not to be afraid of making mistakes.
As a player, if you start being concerned about errors, then it is very likely you'll make one. It is a balance between being confident but not lazy and too much in the comfort zone. It would be totally wrong to change your goalkeeper on a weekly basis because you would lose both of them.
I know there has been some criticism of Randy recently but two games ago we beat Swansea 1-0 and he was good.
Okay, as a manager you have always to think of the best team and things cannot go on for ever, but normally you have to stand behind your players whenever possible, especially goalkeepers.
The easy thing sometimes is to change a few players if you have that option, even goalkeepers. Even with Adrian earlier in the season, though, I didn't want to change but the situation came when I felt it was right for the team.
The last thing you want is to change the goalkeeper, but sometimes you have to because things cannot go on for ever.
Tomorrow we must again make some changes, anyway. We have five players out through injury and suspension but we should remain positive because it is an opportunity for others. One telling statistic is that, over this season so far, we've had 11 players who have been out for more than two months. Can you imagine that?
I always try to be honest. I hope people see that. I don't ever want to make excuses. Sometimes, even when there is a valid reason for something, it sounds like an excuse.
But when that many are out of action for that length of time it is bound to affect any club — even Manchester City with their resources.
Everton will provide tough opposition but they have not been quite as good away from home as at Goodison Park. At home they are third in the League but away they are ninth, one place ahead of us. At home we've struggled more this season but things are improving.
They are certainly not unbeatable but it is true that Romelu Lukaku's record against us — I believe he has scored in the past nine games between the two clubs — is scary. He is a top striker and all that but that record has to stop sometime, so why not tomorrow?
The four points we have earned from the last two games have put us into a much better position than before and mentally we responded really well against Swansea — we deserved to win and should have scored more goals.
It is a concern, though, that we have conceded too many points from winning positions. We seem to struggle when our opponents start throwing bodies forward because they are chasing the game.
Now we can talk about team defence or perhaps not exploiting the situation when you get the ball. We have many situations when we have the ball, yet we don't seem to create a lot of chances. I don't see their goalkeeper saving the game, it's more us who get into promising situations but then don't finish them.
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West Ham United v Everton
SAT, 22 APR 2017PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: London Stadium
BBC.co.uk
TEAM NEWS
Andy Carroll is a doubt for West Ham because of the recurrence of a groin injury, meaning Diafra Sakho could make his first start since November.
Winston Reid returns following five weeks out with a groin problem but Sam Byram and Mark Noble are both suspended.
Everton's on-loan forward Enner Valencia is ineligible to face his parent club.
James McCarthy may not play again this season because of a hamstring injury.
Muhamed Besic is nearing a return after missing the entire campaign with a knee injury.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Jonathan Pearce: "West Ham need three points for safety. Everton need to improve their away form to finish in the top five. They are favourites here even though they haven't won outside of Goodison Park for nearly three months.
"They've only lost once against the Hammers in 17 meetings. Romelu Lukaku has a lethal hit-rate against them. They also have pace in key attacking areas to trouble the patched-up home side.
"Injuries to Michail Antonio and Angelo Ogbonna, plus suspensions for Sam Byram and Mark Noble, leave Slaven Bilic short of numbers. Too many of his summer signings haven't come up to scratch.
"There is much work to be done before they're safe."
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on a possible summer move for John Terry: "We are going to see. I'm a big admirer of John, he is one of the best that ever played, not only in that position but in general.
"He won everything, he did everything and we are talking about an England captain, a true leader.
"We are pretty well covered in that position, we have quality and we have experience, but we will see. You never say never."
Everton manager Ronald Koeman on Romelu Lukaku: "He has scored 24 goals and with five games to go he can reach a really high total.
"But I think he is improving in the rest of his football. He is doing better pressing and running in the channels. He is now a better striker for the team than he was last year.
"If someone is interested, for sure they will call the board and then we will speak about it but we will try to do everything to keep him at Everton next season."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
When they are on the road, the Toffees just don't seem to create the same number of chances that they do at home, so I am going to go for a draw here.
Prediction: 1-1
West Ham's record of five dismissals this season is a league-high
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham have only won seven of the last 48 league meetings spanning 30 years, losing 29 of those games.
The Toffees are on an eight-match unbeaten run away to West Ham in the Premier League, winning six and drawing two.
West Ham United
West Ham have won once in nine matches, but are unbeaten in the last two following five straight defeats.
The Hammers have 16 points fewer after 33 games than they had at this stage last season.
They have dropped an unrivalled 22 points from winning positions, their joint-worst return for a single Premier League season.
Slaven Bilic's side have scored 18 goals at home this season, eight fewer than they have away.
Everton
Everton are winless in their last five away games (L2, D3) and have just two victories in the last 14.
They have recovered 16 points from losing positions this season, a tally bettered only by Liverpool (18) and Tottenham (17).
Romelu Lukaku has scored once in each of his nine appearances against the Hammers.
Only Lionel Messi, with 17 goals, has scored more often in the top five European leagues than Lukaku in 2017. However, only one of the Belgian's 14 goals has come away from home.
Phil Jagielka has scored in his last three league appearances - as many as he managed in his previous 71.
SAM's verdict
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 24%
Probability of home win: 33% Probability of away win: 43%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.
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THE SEASON SO FAR BY KEVIN SLADE
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 20 APRIL 2017 AT 9:22PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Kevin Slade of Sex, Drugs and Carlton Cole @S_D_C_C
Writing an article based on your own opinion is difficult, but that's what makes the beautiful game so great; it's based on opinions. First & foremost I want to start with the season we've had thus far. Putting it bluntly, it's been a complete shower of shit. I honestly can't remember it being this disappointing & deflating watching West Ham United in the 25 years I've been a season ticket holder. The Avram Grant era was probably the worst I've seen, but on the other hand we wasn't heading into the 'most exciting season in our history', so the expectation was never going to be high. Let's not beat around the bush here – it was always going to be extremely difficult moving into a new stadium. Especially from a stadium as iconic as the Boleyn ground. I for one was excited and very much 'pro' stadium move as I made that clear on various articles & on our weekly radio show with Dave and Ex. The chance to move to a 60,000 seater stadium with the likes of Payet, Lanzini, & Bilic at the forefront of this amazing project to spearhead us into this exciting new era appealed to me in abundance. Having a player of Payet's ilk should have been one of the main focal points of this 'project' to really take us to the next level; similar to when Manchester City signed Robinho all those years ago. I'm not comparing the two players, nor do we have a bottomless pit of funds like City, but Payet was without a doubt the name on everyone's lips in world football during the Euro's last summer & was nominated for the Ballon D'or. We should have used that to our advantage to attract quality players to the club. THIS is where Bilic failed for me. Regardless of what people want to think there was money there to be spent and it was spent very very poorly. We had the chance to sign the likes of Benteke and Batshuayi – Strikers of that 'next level' calibre that I believe would have joined us. At £25-30m each a piece, we had the money but it was used on Andre Ayew for £20m (a panic buy in my opinion), and a £5m loan fee for Simeone Zaza with a view to a £25m permanent deal should he be successful after a certain amount of games. So the money was there to be spent, however, Bilic stalled on both players because he was too busy making everyone laugh jumping on tables during the Euro's, which inevitably resulted in them both going elsewhere. Prior to that, Alexandre Lacazette was heavily linked with all sorts of figures being thrown around for a possible transfer. THIS is where the board have failed for me. We aimed way too high at such an early stage of this new 'project', and making it as public as it was didn't do the board any favours. Especially after ending up with Zaza and Calerri. Lacazette is a player I could see playing for the likes of Arsenal and we are nowhere near Arsenal's status to attract a player who scores 30+ goals a season – as proven for the past few years. This is where false expection was built which has led to bitter disappointment. And like I said, this lays with both the board and Bilic between them.
Although it might sound like I'm leading a hate campaign towards Bilic, we have to face reality here. Too many of his mistakes have been swept under the carpet this season by using the stadium and various other excuses for him. This is the messiah who insisted on not needing a right back which has cost us so many points this season. He persisted on playing players out of their natural positions to fill the void instead of using Sam Byram or Alvaro Arbeloa time & time again. Yes, there's been a lot to deal with regarding the stadium move, Payet, etc, but why didn't Manchester City have these problems when they first moved to the common wealth stadium? Their billionaire owners took over 2-3 years after their move, yet they still didn't have the problems we've had. I didn't want to leave the Boleyn Ground – I spent 25 years of my life there. But I'm also fed up of mediocricy year after year, and I'll put my reputation on the line by saying this: Slaven Bilic isn't the man to make this dream a reality. He can't keep on living on his reputation from last season – Ranieri won the league with Leicester, was sacked, and they won 6 in 6 games. Mourinho steam rolled the league with Chelsea the season before he was sacked, and what happened when he lost his job? You guessed it, they started picking up points. It's not the stadium's fault Bilic has played players out of position all season, it's not the board's fault for Bilic not having a plan B or being able to motivate his players to show the fight we need to get out of this mess. Bilic's job title is 'football manager'. He's supposed to manage a football team and he's not doing that properly, is he? He also employed his backroom staff, who must I add, nobody knows what on earth they do! And then there's the situation with Diafra Sakho. What is Slav going to do about this. It's clear to see that Diafra is a bad apple after various rumours have been doing the rounds. Morgan Amalfitano once crossed Bilic and never played for the club ever again. Why is the situation with Diafra different to that? He's spent most of the season injured, everyone at the club has been patient with him, and he throws his toys out of the pram when he's 'fit'. The joke is if he wasn't so injury prone he'd now be playing for West Brom!
For the first time in my life I'm going through the motions with West Ham at the moment and I just can't wait for the season to end to be honest. Between the manager AND the board, this season has just been a complete & utter let down for our amazing supporters.
But they also know that Win, lose, or draw… We'll always be by their side.
Kevin Slade
(Sex Drugs & Carlton Cole)
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DIMITRI PAYET'S ANTICS, WHICH I'M CONVINCED STARTED LAST SEASON, HAVE COST US DEARLY.
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 20 APRIL 2017 AT 9:35PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Farehamhammer @farehamhammer
I'm afraid that I believe that Dimitri Payet's antics started much earlier than we were led to believe, and we have paid a dear price for them. Look, I don't want Slaven Bilic sacked, he gave us some incredible moments last season, and I think he will become a better manager because of the trials and tribulations he has faced this season. Contrary to popular opinion I don't think he handled the Payet saga at all well.
I think that Payet started playing up during the last few games of last season, around about the time he got selected for France's Euro Squad. We were facing Stoke City in a game that would have meant automatic EUFA League qualification. Yet all sorts of stories emerged regards Payet: Payet had a slight knock, was 'tired' and needed to be 'rested' for the Euro's. Nothing about West Ham's needs of qualifying directly for The EUFA League! Already then Payet was calling the shots in my opinion. Fatal for any manager. We had Bilic at The Euro's standing on the table while a Pundit for ITV, arm's outstretched, shouting "P –A-Y-E-T! P-A-Y-E-T! "Yes, it looked impressive and the manager meant it. I like you and many others roared our approval!
Who could be blamed us or the manager? Payet was one of the finest player's to have donned the claret and blue…till the last four or five games of last season anyway. A superstar in anyone's language! "Our Dimi! We were not bothered with such niceties as, Payet has ALWAYS been loyal to Payet only. Strikes and threats has always been what Payet reverts to if he doesn't get his way. Almost like some youngster knowing their partner has a history of cheating, somehow believing that this time it would be different. Because the serial cheater really loved them. We believed that this time it would be different, because Payet loved the club and us! How wrong we were .With Bilic bending over backwards to please Payet, putting him on a virtual pedestal how do you think the rest of the squad felt? Resentment? You bet they did! Off to The Euro's went Payet where he performed fantastically. No doubt at that point Payet and his agent start really intensifying his efforts to leave West Ham. It took forever him to reappear for the club pre-season. When he did against Juventus at the London Stadium, his body language was terrible. The message was clear: I don't want to be here. I believe this could have had a knock on effect on our transfer activity. What does the club do? They have the no 27 shirt hanging at the London Stadium and plan to build a team around the club's super star. If they sell him they would get slaughtered and people would moan we are a selling club. The only way out would be if they could get £50-£60M for the player and bring in two or three top players in his place.
Reluctantly the Club were forced to draw up two transfer list, one with the Payet money and one without. The club in virtual limbo as far transfer activity was concerned. Payet had West Ham at virtual gunpoint. The Club waited and waited for the bids to come in and the transfer clock was going tick tock. Unfortunately it seems they never did. Small wonder our transfer activity was an utter shambles. No doubt Payet was ALREADY threatening to strike .In an effort to appease Payet the club gave him a million pound 'Loyalty bonuses'
No doubt The Club's reasoning if Payet kept up his EURO form the club would more than get their money back in January. So we had an uneasy truce. We had Payet who was person not grata to the rest of the players and seen by some no doubt as the manager's pet. A Club in disarray we most certainly were, no surprise then that results were poor on the pitch. Payet of course did not bother his arse on the pitch. Forcing the club to sell him for virtual peanuts at the end of January. Slaven Bilic eventually outing him during the January transfer window. Felt like lancing a boil, the poison being let out. Things have not been perfect since Payet left. Often setbacks in life see's people emerge stronger, As a Football Club we undoubtedly learnt a few valuable lesson's due to Payet gate. But I have no doubt we will emerge stronger as a Football Club because of it. We are more than a football club, we're a way of life! COYI'S!!
Farehamhammer!
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Carroll out - but duo set for return
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 21st April 2017
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic has confirmed that Andy Carroll is likely to miss this weekend's clash with Everton - but hinted at a possible return for Diafra Sakho.
The Senegal international was missing from last week's travelling party that drew 2-2 at Sunderland and was rumoured to have exchanged angry words with Bilic having learned that he would not be part of the 18-man squad.
However Bilic denied rumours of a bust up - for the second time this week - and indicated that Sakho could return to face the Toffees.
"Diafra Sakho was injured against Sunderland," he said. "He was supposed to train today and then we're going to see what condition he's in. There was no row, I should know about that as it was me who spoke to him. No row at all."
And there was further good news as Bilic confirmed that Winston Reid is set to be involved following several weeks on the sidelines.
"He's back from injury which is good for us, as he's one of the most important players," added Bilic. "We'll see if he's going to start but he's been training this week. He looks good but it's a big boost for us."
Carroll is set to miss the game having picked up a minor knock, but is scheduled to return for the trip to Stoke the following weekend according to Bilic.
Meanwhile Sam Byram, who was sent off in the closing minutes at Sunderland last weekend will also miss out through suspension.
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Hammers keeping tabs on Besiktas star
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 19th April 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are one of FIFTEEN clubs said to have dispatched scouts to watch tomorrow's Europa League tie between Besiktas and Lyon.
And they'll all be there to watch Turkish international midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup, who has been enjoying an excellent season in the Super Lig with the Black Eagles.
First linked with a move to West Ham back in 2015, when former Besiktas boss Slaven Bilic expressed interest in bringing both Ozyakup and team mate Gokhan Tore to England, the 24-year-old been has on the radar of several of Europe's top clubs.
And along with West Ham, scouts from clubs such as Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg, Everton, Southampton and Anderlecht are expected to descend upon Istanbul's Vodafone Arena on Thursday evening to watch Besiktas attempt to turn around a 2-1 deficit from the first leg.
The Dutch-born Ozyakup started life at AZ Alkmaar's Academy before joining Arsenal's youth set-up in 2008 where he remained for four years, making just two first team appearances, before joining Besiktas.
Although he was already firmly established at Besiktas before Bilic became general manager in 2013, Ozyakup became a firm favourite of the Croatian manager's - who he subsequently referred to as "Turkey's most talented footballer" in an interview last year.
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Inzaghi inbound?
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 19th April 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are preparing to offer Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi a five-year contract, according to reports emerging from Italy this morning.
The 41-year-old has enjoyed a successful first season in management, having taken the Rome club to within the reach of a Champions League spot and a spot in the Coppa Italia Final, where they will face Juventus.
And according to Corriere dello Sport, West Ham have approached Inzaghi with view to offering him a long-term contract to succeed Slaven Bilic, who is tied to West Ham until the summer of 2018.
Capped three times for Italy, Inzaghi spent the bulk of his career at Lazio, despite only making 129 appearances for the club in an 11-year spell. He also represented his country on three occasions.
* In other news, Slaven Bilic believes that John Terry could yet feature for another year in the Premier League.
When asked about the 36-year-old, who is set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season, the Hammers boss replied: "There are not many leaders like him. I do not think about it now, but never say never."
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Hammers linked with Bundesliga duo
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 19th April 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are being linked with another move for Koln's in-form striker Anthony Modeste.
The Hammers made discrete enquiries into the French forward's availability last summer after he hit 18 goals for the Bundesliga side during a busy 2015/16 season.
And according to SportBild, the Hammers have made a fresh enquiry into Modeste's availability after he continued that rich vein of form this season; thus far he has hit the net 25 times in just 32 appearances (Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal).
However the German club are unlikely to let the striker - who celebrated his 29th birthday earlier this week - leave for less than €30million, according to the source.
* In other transfer news West Ham are one of up to TEN clubs said to be chasing Hamburg forward Bobby Wood, who is said to be available for €12million. Leicester City and Bayer Leverkusen are two of the other clubs said to be vying for the USA international's signature, according to SportBild.
* Meanwhile triallist Alexander Alp has returned to current club AIK Solna after failing to secure a contract. The highly-rated 16-year-old has initially impressed Hammers scouts but has now returned to Sweden.
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Ex Academy star indicted
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 19th April 2017
By: Staff Writer
Former Academy star Blair Turgott is set to appear in court on charges of money laundering and fraud.
The 22-year-old winger is set to appear before Westminster Magistrate's Court next week (Friday 28 April) to face the two charges - which could potentially lead to a jail sentence.
Turgott, who claims to do 'God's Work' on his Twitter bio first joined West Ham as a nine-year old when he was invited for a trial having been spotted playing football for his father's local team in South London.
He was released by West Ham in February 2015, having made just one first team appearance - in the ill-fated FA Cup third round ie at Nottingham Forest in January 2014.
Following a short spell at Coventry City, Turgott returned to London with Orient but was released after just one season at Brisbane Road. Last summer he joined home town club Bromley, who play in the National League.
* Further reading: KUMB spoke to Blair in 2012 about his future hopes and aspirations. You may read the article here.
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West Ham v Everton preview: Romelu Lukaku aims to continue scoring streak
By James Walker-Roberts
Last Updated: 21/04/17 11:59am
SSN
Romelu Lukaku will be looking to score for the 10th game in a row against West Ham when Everton travel to the London Stadium on Saturday. The striker is the top scorer in the Premier League this season with 24 goals. And Hammers manager Slaven Bilic said: "We have to try to get him out of his favoured positions and stop the service to him. "Lukaku has a good record against us but it is a job for our defenders. In some of the games against Everton we did well but he still scored. "He's really good and also consistent for his age. Everton have done a great job to keep him which shows how ambitious they are. He's not only one of the best players in the Premier League but in the whole of Europe."
Lukaku's form has helped Everton challenge for a top-six spot in the Premier League this season and they start the weekend three points behind fifth-placed Manchester United. West Ham are 11 points clear of the relegation zone after drawing 2-2 with Sunderland last weekend. A last-gasp strike from Fabio Borini denied the Hammers back-to-back wins for the first time since January.
Team news
Andy Carroll and Sam Byram are the latest additions to West Ham's absentee list.
Striker Carroll is out with a recurrence of a groin injury and right-back Byram is suspended following his red card at Sunderland last weekend.
Captain Mark Noble completes a two-match ban while Michail Antonio (hamstring), Angelo Ogbonna (knee) and Pedro Obiang (ankle) are injured, but Winston Reid (groin) and Diafra Sakho (back) could return.
Everton's on-loan striker Enner Valencia is ineligible to face his parent club West Ham.
Midfielder James McCarthy may not feature again this season as he continues to struggle with a hamstring problem.
Muhamed Besic will play his second match for the Under-23s on Friday as he steps up his comeback from a serious knee injury, while Ramiro Funes Mori and Yannick Bolasie (both knee), Seamus Coleman (broken leg) and Aaron Lennon all remain absent.
Opta stats
West Ham have won only one of their last 17 Premier League games against the Toffees (D5 L11).
Everton haven't lost away to West Ham in the Premier League since April 2007, winning six of the last eight (D2).
Romelu Lukaku has scored in each of his nine previous appearances against West Ham for Everton (all competitions, nine goals in total).
Lukaku is the top scoring Premier League player in 2017, netting 14 times with just 23 shots on target.
Both teams have scored in each of the last seven Premier League games in which the Hammers have hosted Everton, although this is their first meeting at the London Stadium.
The Hammers have 16 fewer points this season after 33 Premier League games than they had at this stage last season (53).
Slaven Bilic's side have also scored eight more goals on the road this season (26) than they have at the London Stadium (18).
Phil Jagielka has scored in each of his last three games for Everton; as many as he had scored in his previous 71 in the Premier League.
Merson's prediction
It will be a difficult game for Ronald Koeman's side but Everton's fine form should continue in east London.
West Ham need to get a couple more points to confirm their top-flight status and I can see them battling to a draw this weekend.
I don't think they are as bad as everybody seems to be saying.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (Sky Bet odds 11/2)
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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic refuses to rule out move for Chelsea legend John Terry
Terry announced on Monday he will be leaving the west London club following 19 memorable years and has been linked with a move to the east London club
The Mirror
COMMENTS
BYMARC ISAACS
18:56, 18 APR 2017
West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic is refusing to rule out a move for John Terry after the club were strongly linked with a move for the Chelsea legend.
Terry announced on Monday that he will be leaving the west London club at the end of the season after 19-memorable years at Stamford Bridge.
The former England captain enjoyed an unforgettable spell winning the Champions League, four Premier League titles, five FA Cups and three League Cups. Terry, 36, still feels he can compete at the highest level and with the Hammers conceding a number of goals this season, he could add some crucial experience to their backline next season. Bilic has no doubts that the former England skipper can still perform in the Premier League, but is refusing to think about any future signings until the end of the season. Bilic said: "Every manager and club would think about him because there aren't many leaders like him. "But, then again, we have experience in that position. We have good players in that position so never say never but I don't think about that right now. "When you are talking about leadership and characters on the pitch, you are talking about them - [Steven] Gerrard, [Frank] Lampard, [Rio] Ferdinand and Terry, "John Terry is Mr Chelsea. He's done everything and he definitely has at least a couple of years left. "Whether that will be at West Ham or in the US, I don't know. We don't think about that right now. "I don't think this is the end of John Terry's career."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, April 21
Tuesday, April 18
Daily WHUFC News - 18th April 2017
Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Hello everybody,
Looking back on Saturday's game, of course it is easy to feel disappointment
as we were twice in the lead and looked comfortable for long periods in each
half after we had scored. However, allowing the other team to come back into
the game when we have got a goal and are looking good is something which has
happened already this season, more than once. We have seen this situation
before and it has cost us points. At Sunderland, we took the lead twice and
we looked really good after the first one for 15 minutes and also after the
second one. They were a threat, but only on the counter attack, even when we
were leading 2-1. But, when we are in this position in games, as we have
been before, we have to finish the opposition off. We have to and we didn't,
and it cost us a victory. You have to take that advantage when you are in
control and finish them off. It's not a case of the players switching off,
but we can't let these situations happen when we concede late goals. It's
not easy to score goals in the Premier League, so you have to protect them.
That said, basically in this league, you can't expect the opponent not to
have their own chances too, especially if you score early like we did, no
matter where they are in the table. If you have a look at the bigger
picture, it's a good point for us at this stage of the season, and it's a
fair result. We're disappointed now, as we were very close to winning the
game, but four points from two games, it can be very good at the end of the
season. Some journalists asked me about whether I am going to change my
goalkeeper again after Saturday's game. I told them I don't like to change
goalkeepers on a game-to-game basis. Darren Randolph had been waiting for
his chance for a long time, and he has done well for us. We have to stay
behind our players, especially goalkeepers, so that's it. We will look back
over the Sunderland game and see what we can do better to avoid the same
situations occurring. We have five matches left, three of them at home, and
we will now prepare for Everton and work to finish as high in the table as
we can.
Come on you Irons!
Slaven
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Ayew - We will solve the problem
WHUFC.com
Andre Ayew scored his fourth goal in his last eight games in Saturday's 2-2
draw at Sunderland
Ghanaian's goal put Hammers 1-0 up, but Black Cats twice pegged them back
Ayew is sure Hammers will solve problem of giving up winning positions
Andre Ayew was determined to take the positives out of West Ham United's 2-2
Premier League draw at Sunderland. The Hammers scored early in each half and
twice led at a subdued Stadium of Light, only to concede two bizarre
equalisers and end the game with ten men following Sam Byram's red card.
West Ham have now squandered 22 Premier League points from winning positions
this season - the highest in the division. Ayew, whose fifth-minute goal was
his fourth in his last eight appearances, says West Ham's rollercoaster
season has contributed to their repeated inability to kill teams off when
they go in front. "I'm confident at the moment and confident for my
teammates too," the Ghana winger told whufc.com. "It wasn't a bad game from
us collectively but we're disappointed to have not taken the three points.
"It was a tough game and we're disappointed to concede in the last minute.
That's happened a few times now but we're ready to prepare for Everton and
that's going to be a tough game. "I think this season has been difficult
season in many ways. We just need to work hard to gain confidence and when
we're leading, we went back too much and don't go forward. It happens when
you haven't got the results you have wanted. "I know we will solve this
problem before the end of the season."
On a personal level, Ayew is now showing regular examples of why the Club
spent £20.6m to bring him to east London from Swansea City last summer.
"I think I'm getting there," he observed. "I have said it before, I'm
getting there. I know my quality and I'm working hard and my teammates are
giving me a lot of confidence. They have a lot of trust in me. "I am trying
to do my best at the moment."
Next up for the No20 and his teammates is a home fixture with an in-form
Everton and their in-form centre forward Romelu Lukaku. Ayew knows the
Toffees possess quality across their team, but insists the Hammers have the
quality of their own to stop Ronald Koeman's men - especially with a
vociferous London Stadium crowd behind them. "We need to prepare and
hopefully the fans will be there in their numbers for Everton at home and
hopefully we give them something to cheer as well," he said. "Everton are a
big team with big players and it's a big game and we need to points. It's
important. "We saw the atmosphere in the last game against Swansea and we
need the same again. We will give it our best."
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LUNCHTIME ROUND UP: SLAV V SAKHO PART 2, DEFENDER LINKED WITH IRONS, WHO IS
TO BLAME THIS SEASON?
BY DAN CHAPMAN ON 17 APRIL 2017 AT 1:08PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Good afternoon Hammers. Here is today's lunchtime round up.
Diafra Sakho has been involved in another bust up with manager Slaven Bilic.
(The Sun)
Sakho will now reportedly be sold in the summer after a second row with the
Hammers boss. (Football Insider)
I think Sakho has to leave the club in the summer. I am sick of his poor
attitude, because it just isn't needed. I was willing to give him another
chance after his strop last season, but this is the final straw for me.
Bilic's job is to do what he thinks is best for the team, and if Sakho
doesn't like it then he can lump it.
Glen Johnson is on the verge of signing a new contract at Stoke, despite
interest from West Ham. (Football Insider)
I am not too fussed about this one. He is a good defender, but I feel we can
do better. Zabaleta has been linked with us in recent weeks, and I would
much rather sign him than Johnson.
St Etienne want £12m for defender Kevin Malcuit, who is a target for West
Ham and Manchester United. (Talksport)
I haven't seen much of this guy, but he did get very good reviews when he
played against Man United in the Europe League earlier this season. It would
be interesting to see if we follow up the interest in Malcuit, especially if
we are supposed to be signing Zabaleta too. But if we were to sign him, I do
wonder what would happen to Sam Byram.
David Gold has said getting a licence to hold 66,000 at the London Stadium
is proving difficult. (Football London)
The board already have a lot of supporters on their case about the stadium
move, and this is not going to help matters. I really do hope we manage to
get a licence to have 66,000 at the London Stadium, because I think it has
the potential to become a very special stadium.
Steven Gerrard says that the West Ham players are to blame for their poor
form this season. (BT Sport)
Everyone from top to bottom at the club has to take some of the blame,
because this season has been so disappointing. There needs to be a massive
shake up in the summer as I said yesterday in the article I wrote. We have
to get things right from now on.
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This is how to lose your job, Slav
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 17th April 2017
By: Paul Walker
If this miserable, painful season finally does for Slaven Bilic as our
manager, it won't have anything to do with signings, the new stadium, the
board or even the long-debated move from the Boleyn. It will all be down to
what has happened on the pitch, coaching, match preparation and what goes on
between the ears of our players in the final minutes of match after match
after match. Saturday and the draw at Sunderland was all too predictable.
The worst team in the division finally managed to score for the first time
in 11 hours 41 minutes, and actually got two! It was hard not to feel
embarrassed . More so when you view the statistics that may well cost Bilic
his job, however much I like the bloke, his persona and his background as
something of a West Ham man, even if it was for just 54 matches.
We have won just seven of our last 26 matches. It's now 59 goals conceded in
33 League games and 73 in 41 in all competitions, and it's been getting
worse, not better. In 2017 we have conceded 31 goals in 15 games, winning
just twice. Now I know this will sound like I am singing from the Sam
Allardyce song book, but it is not meant to sound that way. More that the
only sensible way to play the game at any serious level is to stop
conceding, defending comes first otherwise you have no chance. The warning
lights surely have been flashing for Slav for some while. On 20 occasions
this term we have conceded two or more in a match. We haven't won any of
those 20 games, in fact managing just three draws. Since Christmas we have
achieved only two clean sheets and just nine all season.
This is all a horrendous recipe for disaster, although we are just about
safe from relegation. With only five games left and none of which I can see
us winning…I can't see us getting another home point against Spurs, Everton
or Liverpool, while the two away matches at Stoke or Burnley do not fill me
with confidence.
Thankfully our goal difference against the likes of Hull and Swansea is
worth another point, so both those clubs have to come up with at least three
wins in their five remaining games each to get near to us. .Both have won
only eight games each all season so it's going to take a miraculous turn of
fortune.
But that does not excuse what has been happening to our lot! We are not
capable of the mental strength, concentration and technique to close out
matches.
Those late goals are destroying us week after week, even if Darren Randolph
seems to be doing his best to lose points all on his own, Saturday's
dreadful display at the Stadium of Light maybe being the thin end of the
wedge.
The final 15 minutes of matches sees us crumble. We have conceded 21 goals
in the final 15 minutes of matches this term…18 in the last ten minutes and
seven in injury time. We are being told we have wasted 23 points from
winnable positions, while Randolph (according to Opta) is supposed to have
made more mistakes that costs goals than any other player in the top flight.
Adrian lost his place after the howler that gave Stoke a point at the OS in
November, having been culpable a few weeks earlier for some general
incompetence that saw us lose 4-2 to Watford having been 2-0 ahead. He has
barely been seen since, which makes a lot of folk wonder just what he has
done backstage to upset our manager, who has plenty of previous at falling
out with players.
And now we are being told that Diafra Sakho got the hump on Friday when he
found out he was only going to be on the bench, so another 'knock' was
invented. You can't have players behaving like that. But I think that's the
last we will see of him, because if he doesn't play he doesn't get injured
and will get through medical somewhere in the summer.
I do feel sorry for Slav, though. He has had bucket loads of rubbish to
contend with all season…the move, the new training ground, constant and
lengthy injuries to key men, plus the failure of last summer's signings to
make much impact.
And the defensive line and 'keeper…Adrian, James Tomkins or Michail Antonio,
Winston Reid, Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell, has all but disappeared
over the course of the season for one reason or another, and say what you
like about Antonio at wing-back, that defensive base did pretty well last
term compared to the constant changes of this dire campaign.
It's easy to blame the 'transfer committee' for all this. But by now that's
not realistic. Whoever bought whom, suggested whom, it doesn't matter. You
have to expect that players , whoever they are, do their jobs properly. We
are operating in a pool of potential transfers that are all going to be a
punt.
The top, top boys are not interested. David Sullivan and co tried their best
and didn't persuade anyone of any real merit to join us, however much wages
were thrown at them. So we have to sift through the slightly too old, the
ones who can be lame at a moments notice or young players with potential.
There are no sure-fit buys where we are having to look.
No, we are being destroyed week after week by the failure of players to do
the basics right. Of coaching that makes every set-piece we face a lottery.
Of players, mainly because of injuries to others, having to play out of
position.
And the goals we concede are embarrassing. Sunderland's first equaliser
shows that. Randolph was fouled, in any country in Europe apart from here.
But do we not practice defending set plays at Rush Green? Why was there not
a defender forcing his way between Randolph and Victor Anichebe to protect
the 'keeper from being pushed around? Everybody else defends that way, it's
why referees have to go through the pantomime rollicking before corners can
be taken.
And why wasn't there anyone on the far post? When Mark Noble plays, his job
always seems to be to 'mark' a post. I've watched him do it for years. So
didn't anyone in midweek think of assigning someone else to that roll? It
keeps sounding like big Sam's book of football theory, these things wouldn't
be happening on his watch.
Now I am no coach, (you can tell) and I haven't played the game to any
level..and that was a (very) long while ago. But I can still watch set piece
defending and know I am not seeing the job being done properly.
Do the players not listen to what they are detailed to do? How much broken
furniture does it take before it sinks in? Or do too many of our players
think Slav is off anyway in the summer, so why should they bother until the
new man comes in...
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be
attributed to, KUMB.com.
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Bilic in huge row with West Ham star over bench snub – report
Date published: Monday 17th April 2017 11:09
TeamTalk
Diafra Sakho is reported to have had a huge bust-up with West Ham boss
Slaven Bilic before Saturday's draw with Sunderland after the frontman
refused go on the bench. The Senegal international striker had just forced
his way back into Bilic's first-team plans after more than three months out
with a chronic back injury. The 27-year-old reportedly told the Hammers
chief that he was ready to start against the Black Cats but when it looked
as if bench duty beckoned for the third match in a row, Sakho told Bilic he
would not travel with the squad to the game and said he was injured again.
It is thought that he was left back in London, where his future with the
club is set to be decided, and he is almost certainly expected to be axed
this summer. A London Stadium source told The Sun: "His absence against
Sunderland was a result of not being picked for the starting eleven. "The
player thought he was fit and ready to play but the boss wanted to offer him
a place on the bench rather than give him his first start of the season. "He
has been begging to make his claim in the team for weeks as they are
struggling. It has all then kicked-off. "The player made it clear it wasn't
good enough and had another fall-out with the boss. He then declared himself
injured and unable to make the bench.
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Report claims West Ham United want Alexander Alp deal
HITC
Subhankar Mondal
West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Alexander Alp. West
Ham United are interested in signing Alexander Alp, according to The Sun on
Sunday (print edition, page 57, April 16, 2017). It has been reported by the
British tabloid that the Hammers are eyeing a quick deal for the AIK Solna
youngster. Alp is 16 years of age and plays as a striker. The Swedish
youngster was recently taken on trial by West Ham, according to
Football.London. It was reported by Football.London that West Ham scouts
were impressed with the teenager, who was then brought to England for the
club to see if he is good enough for them.
The Sun on Sunday (print edition, page 57, April 16, 2017) has now reported
that Alp impressed on trial, and that West Ham are now planning to sign him.
The youngster is only 16, and it will take him a few more years to break
into the West Ham first team. The Hammers are 13th in the Premier League
table at the moment with 37 points from 33 matches and appear to be out of
danger of getting relegated to the Championship at the end of the season.
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WEST HAM 27-YEAR-OLD TO BE SOLD AFTER BLAZING ROW WITH BILIC – REPORT
Football insider
17th April, 2017, 6:52 AM
By Danny Wright
Diafra Sakho's West Ham future has been thrown into doubt after he refused
to sit on the bench against Sunderland, according to a report. The Sun claim
that the striker had a huge bust-up with Slaven Bilic because he believes he
is fit enough to start matches following a long spell on the sidelines. It
is said that Sakho, who has had a fiery relationship with manager Bilic, is
expected to be axed in the summer. Sakho has played just three games this
season in all competitions and made his comeback from a chronic back problem
in the loss against Arsenal earlier this month. The 27-year-old missed three
months of action with his latest injury and Bilic has opted not to rush him
back into action as he was left as an unused substitute in the win against
Swansea last week. West Ham could only manage a draw with the Premier
League's basement boys Sunderland on Saturday and Sakho has taken offence to
the fact he wasn't picked to start the game. The Sun report that Bilic
wanted to name him on the bench for the third consecutive match but Sakho
declared himself injured again as he made it clear he would not travel to
the Stadium of Light. Carroll was picked to lead the line instead of the
six-time Senegal international. This news comes just days after the Mirror
claimed that Bilic was about to face a huge divide in the dressing room over
the pay of certain players. A separate report in the Sun said that the Croat
must secure a top-half finish this season or face the axe. West Ham are
currently 13th in the standings. Sakho joined the Hammers from Metz in 2014
on a four-year deal for £4.25million and he has gone on to score 16 times in
47 appearances.
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GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS - BY JOGGING ALONG
By HamburgHammer 17 Apr 2017 at 08:00
WTID
Can someone please wake me up when this atrocious season is finally over ? I
have learned while supporting this (once) great club that it is rarely
bumper to bumper fun and biscuits, but this season has been quite a
revelation in terms of delivering one body blow after another. I won't bore
you to death by naming them all again.
Did we really lose 22 points from winning positions this season ? That's
bad.
Were we not once this season in a position to field our best starting XI due
to a neverending chain of long term injuries ? Sad, but true.
Is there anything that our players actually do consistently well on the
pitch during games ? Other than running out of steam? Answer on a postcard
please.
I know we are not safe yet, or so my former maths teacher tells me. But it
looks like the season is petering out the same way it has played out all
season. Poorly. Shockingly gutless. With less passion than your average
Sunday League outfit.
It all has a very matter-of-factly feel about it. Our players (with the odd
exception) seem to do the bare minimum in order to avoid a fine for not
doing their job properly. We are basically going through the motions, but at
the same time never seem to get out of second gear. We don't run or sprint,
we jog. We don't chase and harrass opposition players, we jog next to them
at a respectful distance and watch what they may do next.
Why is that? Why do we not go for the jugular once we take a lead ? It is
utterly frustrating to see us throw away points in such careless fashion.
Plus the alleged rumours about unrest in the dressing room over the wage
levels of certain players, especially when put in comparison with the money
paid to players who have performed better and done more for the club than
certain new arrivals.
Togetherness and team spirit was our main asset last season. Now we just
have a group of players who happen to wear the same shirt but who don't sing
from the same hymn sheet. We are hitting all the wrong notes and are a
shambles, both as a team and as a club too.
If I take my claret and blue tinted glasses off for a moment I couldn't
seriously advise any player of a certain quality to come and join West Ham
at this point.
It might put a significant dent in your career. We used to be a bit special.
Now we are a trainwreck waiting to happen and I hope at least the emergency
brakes have been checked thoroughly and are still in working order.
How about Diafra Sakho for instance, just returning from a long-term back
injury, who apparently refused to travel with the squad to Sunderland after
being told he would only start on the bench. Really ? After all the previous
crap of throwing his toys out of the pram? How stupid can you get? I don't
blame Bilic at all for trying to ease Sakho back into things, with 15
minutes here, then half an hour the next game, maybe an hour the game after.
As much as I love Sakho as a player, he is not quite good enough to warrant
a starting place at all costs. A teamplayer he certainly is not. So he may
be another one on his way out. As surely there has to be some sort of reboot
in terms of our squad. A massive overhaul is due, covering all the bases:
Players, coaching staff, medical team.
We have too many players just making up the numbers. We have loan players
with next to no chance of being signed permanently. And we have players who
tend to get injured. A lot. For God knows what reasons. I expect a lot of
things to happen at our club over the summer, the revolving door will be as
busy as the ticket office trying to flog the season tickets of those who
won't be renewing.
I'd like to think we may have learned a thing or two from past mistakes and
get most of our decisions right, but I'm not holding my breath in
anticipation.
And I will most certainly go to bed on a regular basis during the transfer
window as I shall no longer buy into all the big words coming from our board
about marquee signings, 20 goal a season strikers and making the top 4 clubs
looking over their shoulders anytime soon.
A quick word on the goalkeeper situation. Randolph had a dismal game on
Saturday, granted. He deserves to be dropped now with Adrian going back in
goal for a few games, that's how it should be anyway, especially if you have
two goalkeepers who are not far apart in terms of quality. Randolph ain't a
bad custodian between the posts, he is a decent enough goalkeeper and
doesn't deserve some of the crap I've heard him labeled with. Are there
better goalkeepers out there ? Course there are. But guess what?
They cost a lot of money. So, do we want a top goalkeeper in the summer? A
decent RB, either of experienced veteran variety or a top prospect ? Or the
20 goal a season striker?
Because sure as night follows day we will not get all Fahrerin the summer.
We are skint, remember ? Still in debt to the tune of £100 million or so.
Restricted by FFP on top of that. Let the wheeling, dealing and signing loan
players comments.
If I want to put a positive spin on all this, it's never dull to be a West
Ham fan, right ?
It's also never dull to be a Concordia supporter. Starting with the bad
news, the lads lost their Easter Sunday away fixture against the country
pumpkins from Buchholz, a totally disappointing and unnecessary 1:0 defeat.
Depending on how our promotion rival Altona do in their fixture later today,
the gap could now grow to a gulf of nine points with only six games
remaining. So the league season appears to be petering out for Concordia as
well, with the promotion dream slowly fading and dying, however, we are
still very much harbouring dreams of winning the Cup this season as you can
see from the above video link.
Cordi beat Osdorf on Good Friday and are now in the Semifinal draw of the
Oddset Cup, the local cup competition determining which Hamburg based team
from the lower leagues will be entered into next season's first round draw
of the German FA Cup. Two more wins for Concordia and a bit of luck in the
draw and Concordia could be playing someone like Bayern Munich, Borussia
Dortmund or Moenchengladbach in a competitive fixture in the not too distant
future. That should be a bit of fun! And possibly a rugby score…:-))
Not long to go now for my next West Ham game against Spurs. Unlike previous
visits though my excitement is fairly contained this time, maybe I'm just
going through the motions at this point too, same as my club…COYI!
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Hello everybody,
Looking back on Saturday's game, of course it is easy to feel disappointment
as we were twice in the lead and looked comfortable for long periods in each
half after we had scored. However, allowing the other team to come back into
the game when we have got a goal and are looking good is something which has
happened already this season, more than once. We have seen this situation
before and it has cost us points. At Sunderland, we took the lead twice and
we looked really good after the first one for 15 minutes and also after the
second one. They were a threat, but only on the counter attack, even when we
were leading 2-1. But, when we are in this position in games, as we have
been before, we have to finish the opposition off. We have to and we didn't,
and it cost us a victory. You have to take that advantage when you are in
control and finish them off. It's not a case of the players switching off,
but we can't let these situations happen when we concede late goals. It's
not easy to score goals in the Premier League, so you have to protect them.
That said, basically in this league, you can't expect the opponent not to
have their own chances too, especially if you score early like we did, no
matter where they are in the table. If you have a look at the bigger
picture, it's a good point for us at this stage of the season, and it's a
fair result. We're disappointed now, as we were very close to winning the
game, but four points from two games, it can be very good at the end of the
season. Some journalists asked me about whether I am going to change my
goalkeeper again after Saturday's game. I told them I don't like to change
goalkeepers on a game-to-game basis. Darren Randolph had been waiting for
his chance for a long time, and he has done well for us. We have to stay
behind our players, especially goalkeepers, so that's it. We will look back
over the Sunderland game and see what we can do better to avoid the same
situations occurring. We have five matches left, three of them at home, and
we will now prepare for Everton and work to finish as high in the table as
we can.
Come on you Irons!
Slaven
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Ayew - We will solve the problem
WHUFC.com
Andre Ayew scored his fourth goal in his last eight games in Saturday's 2-2
draw at Sunderland
Ghanaian's goal put Hammers 1-0 up, but Black Cats twice pegged them back
Ayew is sure Hammers will solve problem of giving up winning positions
Andre Ayew was determined to take the positives out of West Ham United's 2-2
Premier League draw at Sunderland. The Hammers scored early in each half and
twice led at a subdued Stadium of Light, only to concede two bizarre
equalisers and end the game with ten men following Sam Byram's red card.
West Ham have now squandered 22 Premier League points from winning positions
this season - the highest in the division. Ayew, whose fifth-minute goal was
his fourth in his last eight appearances, says West Ham's rollercoaster
season has contributed to their repeated inability to kill teams off when
they go in front. "I'm confident at the moment and confident for my
teammates too," the Ghana winger told whufc.com. "It wasn't a bad game from
us collectively but we're disappointed to have not taken the three points.
"It was a tough game and we're disappointed to concede in the last minute.
That's happened a few times now but we're ready to prepare for Everton and
that's going to be a tough game. "I think this season has been difficult
season in many ways. We just need to work hard to gain confidence and when
we're leading, we went back too much and don't go forward. It happens when
you haven't got the results you have wanted. "I know we will solve this
problem before the end of the season."
On a personal level, Ayew is now showing regular examples of why the Club
spent £20.6m to bring him to east London from Swansea City last summer.
"I think I'm getting there," he observed. "I have said it before, I'm
getting there. I know my quality and I'm working hard and my teammates are
giving me a lot of confidence. They have a lot of trust in me. "I am trying
to do my best at the moment."
Next up for the No20 and his teammates is a home fixture with an in-form
Everton and their in-form centre forward Romelu Lukaku. Ayew knows the
Toffees possess quality across their team, but insists the Hammers have the
quality of their own to stop Ronald Koeman's men - especially with a
vociferous London Stadium crowd behind them. "We need to prepare and
hopefully the fans will be there in their numbers for Everton at home and
hopefully we give them something to cheer as well," he said. "Everton are a
big team with big players and it's a big game and we need to points. It's
important. "We saw the atmosphere in the last game against Swansea and we
need the same again. We will give it our best."
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LUNCHTIME ROUND UP: SLAV V SAKHO PART 2, DEFENDER LINKED WITH IRONS, WHO IS
TO BLAME THIS SEASON?
BY DAN CHAPMAN ON 17 APRIL 2017 AT 1:08PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Good afternoon Hammers. Here is today's lunchtime round up.
Diafra Sakho has been involved in another bust up with manager Slaven Bilic.
(The Sun)
Sakho will now reportedly be sold in the summer after a second row with the
Hammers boss. (Football Insider)
I think Sakho has to leave the club in the summer. I am sick of his poor
attitude, because it just isn't needed. I was willing to give him another
chance after his strop last season, but this is the final straw for me.
Bilic's job is to do what he thinks is best for the team, and if Sakho
doesn't like it then he can lump it.
Glen Johnson is on the verge of signing a new contract at Stoke, despite
interest from West Ham. (Football Insider)
I am not too fussed about this one. He is a good defender, but I feel we can
do better. Zabaleta has been linked with us in recent weeks, and I would
much rather sign him than Johnson.
St Etienne want £12m for defender Kevin Malcuit, who is a target for West
Ham and Manchester United. (Talksport)
I haven't seen much of this guy, but he did get very good reviews when he
played against Man United in the Europe League earlier this season. It would
be interesting to see if we follow up the interest in Malcuit, especially if
we are supposed to be signing Zabaleta too. But if we were to sign him, I do
wonder what would happen to Sam Byram.
David Gold has said getting a licence to hold 66,000 at the London Stadium
is proving difficult. (Football London)
The board already have a lot of supporters on their case about the stadium
move, and this is not going to help matters. I really do hope we manage to
get a licence to have 66,000 at the London Stadium, because I think it has
the potential to become a very special stadium.
Steven Gerrard says that the West Ham players are to blame for their poor
form this season. (BT Sport)
Everyone from top to bottom at the club has to take some of the blame,
because this season has been so disappointing. There needs to be a massive
shake up in the summer as I said yesterday in the article I wrote. We have
to get things right from now on.
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This is how to lose your job, Slav
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 17th April 2017
By: Paul Walker
If this miserable, painful season finally does for Slaven Bilic as our
manager, it won't have anything to do with signings, the new stadium, the
board or even the long-debated move from the Boleyn. It will all be down to
what has happened on the pitch, coaching, match preparation and what goes on
between the ears of our players in the final minutes of match after match
after match. Saturday and the draw at Sunderland was all too predictable.
The worst team in the division finally managed to score for the first time
in 11 hours 41 minutes, and actually got two! It was hard not to feel
embarrassed . More so when you view the statistics that may well cost Bilic
his job, however much I like the bloke, his persona and his background as
something of a West Ham man, even if it was for just 54 matches.
We have won just seven of our last 26 matches. It's now 59 goals conceded in
33 League games and 73 in 41 in all competitions, and it's been getting
worse, not better. In 2017 we have conceded 31 goals in 15 games, winning
just twice. Now I know this will sound like I am singing from the Sam
Allardyce song book, but it is not meant to sound that way. More that the
only sensible way to play the game at any serious level is to stop
conceding, defending comes first otherwise you have no chance. The warning
lights surely have been flashing for Slav for some while. On 20 occasions
this term we have conceded two or more in a match. We haven't won any of
those 20 games, in fact managing just three draws. Since Christmas we have
achieved only two clean sheets and just nine all season.
This is all a horrendous recipe for disaster, although we are just about
safe from relegation. With only five games left and none of which I can see
us winning…I can't see us getting another home point against Spurs, Everton
or Liverpool, while the two away matches at Stoke or Burnley do not fill me
with confidence.
Thankfully our goal difference against the likes of Hull and Swansea is
worth another point, so both those clubs have to come up with at least three
wins in their five remaining games each to get near to us. .Both have won
only eight games each all season so it's going to take a miraculous turn of
fortune.
But that does not excuse what has been happening to our lot! We are not
capable of the mental strength, concentration and technique to close out
matches.
Those late goals are destroying us week after week, even if Darren Randolph
seems to be doing his best to lose points all on his own, Saturday's
dreadful display at the Stadium of Light maybe being the thin end of the
wedge.
The final 15 minutes of matches sees us crumble. We have conceded 21 goals
in the final 15 minutes of matches this term…18 in the last ten minutes and
seven in injury time. We are being told we have wasted 23 points from
winnable positions, while Randolph (according to Opta) is supposed to have
made more mistakes that costs goals than any other player in the top flight.
Adrian lost his place after the howler that gave Stoke a point at the OS in
November, having been culpable a few weeks earlier for some general
incompetence that saw us lose 4-2 to Watford having been 2-0 ahead. He has
barely been seen since, which makes a lot of folk wonder just what he has
done backstage to upset our manager, who has plenty of previous at falling
out with players.
And now we are being told that Diafra Sakho got the hump on Friday when he
found out he was only going to be on the bench, so another 'knock' was
invented. You can't have players behaving like that. But I think that's the
last we will see of him, because if he doesn't play he doesn't get injured
and will get through medical somewhere in the summer.
I do feel sorry for Slav, though. He has had bucket loads of rubbish to
contend with all season…the move, the new training ground, constant and
lengthy injuries to key men, plus the failure of last summer's signings to
make much impact.
And the defensive line and 'keeper…Adrian, James Tomkins or Michail Antonio,
Winston Reid, Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell, has all but disappeared
over the course of the season for one reason or another, and say what you
like about Antonio at wing-back, that defensive base did pretty well last
term compared to the constant changes of this dire campaign.
It's easy to blame the 'transfer committee' for all this. But by now that's
not realistic. Whoever bought whom, suggested whom, it doesn't matter. You
have to expect that players , whoever they are, do their jobs properly. We
are operating in a pool of potential transfers that are all going to be a
punt.
The top, top boys are not interested. David Sullivan and co tried their best
and didn't persuade anyone of any real merit to join us, however much wages
were thrown at them. So we have to sift through the slightly too old, the
ones who can be lame at a moments notice or young players with potential.
There are no sure-fit buys where we are having to look.
No, we are being destroyed week after week by the failure of players to do
the basics right. Of coaching that makes every set-piece we face a lottery.
Of players, mainly because of injuries to others, having to play out of
position.
And the goals we concede are embarrassing. Sunderland's first equaliser
shows that. Randolph was fouled, in any country in Europe apart from here.
But do we not practice defending set plays at Rush Green? Why was there not
a defender forcing his way between Randolph and Victor Anichebe to protect
the 'keeper from being pushed around? Everybody else defends that way, it's
why referees have to go through the pantomime rollicking before corners can
be taken.
And why wasn't there anyone on the far post? When Mark Noble plays, his job
always seems to be to 'mark' a post. I've watched him do it for years. So
didn't anyone in midweek think of assigning someone else to that roll? It
keeps sounding like big Sam's book of football theory, these things wouldn't
be happening on his watch.
Now I am no coach, (you can tell) and I haven't played the game to any
level..and that was a (very) long while ago. But I can still watch set piece
defending and know I am not seeing the job being done properly.
Do the players not listen to what they are detailed to do? How much broken
furniture does it take before it sinks in? Or do too many of our players
think Slav is off anyway in the summer, so why should they bother until the
new man comes in...
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be
attributed to, KUMB.com.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic in huge row with West Ham star over bench snub – report
Date published: Monday 17th April 2017 11:09
TeamTalk
Diafra Sakho is reported to have had a huge bust-up with West Ham boss
Slaven Bilic before Saturday's draw with Sunderland after the frontman
refused go on the bench. The Senegal international striker had just forced
his way back into Bilic's first-team plans after more than three months out
with a chronic back injury. The 27-year-old reportedly told the Hammers
chief that he was ready to start against the Black Cats but when it looked
as if bench duty beckoned for the third match in a row, Sakho told Bilic he
would not travel with the squad to the game and said he was injured again.
It is thought that he was left back in London, where his future with the
club is set to be decided, and he is almost certainly expected to be axed
this summer. A London Stadium source told The Sun: "His absence against
Sunderland was a result of not being picked for the starting eleven. "The
player thought he was fit and ready to play but the boss wanted to offer him
a place on the bench rather than give him his first start of the season. "He
has been begging to make his claim in the team for weeks as they are
struggling. It has all then kicked-off. "The player made it clear it wasn't
good enough and had another fall-out with the boss. He then declared himself
injured and unable to make the bench.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Report claims West Ham United want Alexander Alp deal
HITC
Subhankar Mondal
West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Alexander Alp. West
Ham United are interested in signing Alexander Alp, according to The Sun on
Sunday (print edition, page 57, April 16, 2017). It has been reported by the
British tabloid that the Hammers are eyeing a quick deal for the AIK Solna
youngster. Alp is 16 years of age and plays as a striker. The Swedish
youngster was recently taken on trial by West Ham, according to
Football.London. It was reported by Football.London that West Ham scouts
were impressed with the teenager, who was then brought to England for the
club to see if he is good enough for them.
The Sun on Sunday (print edition, page 57, April 16, 2017) has now reported
that Alp impressed on trial, and that West Ham are now planning to sign him.
The youngster is only 16, and it will take him a few more years to break
into the West Ham first team. The Hammers are 13th in the Premier League
table at the moment with 37 points from 33 matches and appear to be out of
danger of getting relegated to the Championship at the end of the season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM 27-YEAR-OLD TO BE SOLD AFTER BLAZING ROW WITH BILIC – REPORT
Football insider
17th April, 2017, 6:52 AM
By Danny Wright
Diafra Sakho's West Ham future has been thrown into doubt after he refused
to sit on the bench against Sunderland, according to a report. The Sun claim
that the striker had a huge bust-up with Slaven Bilic because he believes he
is fit enough to start matches following a long spell on the sidelines. It
is said that Sakho, who has had a fiery relationship with manager Bilic, is
expected to be axed in the summer. Sakho has played just three games this
season in all competitions and made his comeback from a chronic back problem
in the loss against Arsenal earlier this month. The 27-year-old missed three
months of action with his latest injury and Bilic has opted not to rush him
back into action as he was left as an unused substitute in the win against
Swansea last week. West Ham could only manage a draw with the Premier
League's basement boys Sunderland on Saturday and Sakho has taken offence to
the fact he wasn't picked to start the game. The Sun report that Bilic
wanted to name him on the bench for the third consecutive match but Sakho
declared himself injured again as he made it clear he would not travel to
the Stadium of Light. Carroll was picked to lead the line instead of the
six-time Senegal international. This news comes just days after the Mirror
claimed that Bilic was about to face a huge divide in the dressing room over
the pay of certain players. A separate report in the Sun said that the Croat
must secure a top-half finish this season or face the axe. West Ham are
currently 13th in the standings. Sakho joined the Hammers from Metz in 2014
on a four-year deal for £4.25million and he has gone on to score 16 times in
47 appearances.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS - BY JOGGING ALONG
By HamburgHammer 17 Apr 2017 at 08:00
WTID
Can someone please wake me up when this atrocious season is finally over ? I
have learned while supporting this (once) great club that it is rarely
bumper to bumper fun and biscuits, but this season has been quite a
revelation in terms of delivering one body blow after another. I won't bore
you to death by naming them all again.
Did we really lose 22 points from winning positions this season ? That's
bad.
Were we not once this season in a position to field our best starting XI due
to a neverending chain of long term injuries ? Sad, but true.
Is there anything that our players actually do consistently well on the
pitch during games ? Other than running out of steam? Answer on a postcard
please.
I know we are not safe yet, or so my former maths teacher tells me. But it
looks like the season is petering out the same way it has played out all
season. Poorly. Shockingly gutless. With less passion than your average
Sunday League outfit.
It all has a very matter-of-factly feel about it. Our players (with the odd
exception) seem to do the bare minimum in order to avoid a fine for not
doing their job properly. We are basically going through the motions, but at
the same time never seem to get out of second gear. We don't run or sprint,
we jog. We don't chase and harrass opposition players, we jog next to them
at a respectful distance and watch what they may do next.
Why is that? Why do we not go for the jugular once we take a lead ? It is
utterly frustrating to see us throw away points in such careless fashion.
Plus the alleged rumours about unrest in the dressing room over the wage
levels of certain players, especially when put in comparison with the money
paid to players who have performed better and done more for the club than
certain new arrivals.
Togetherness and team spirit was our main asset last season. Now we just
have a group of players who happen to wear the same shirt but who don't sing
from the same hymn sheet. We are hitting all the wrong notes and are a
shambles, both as a team and as a club too.
If I take my claret and blue tinted glasses off for a moment I couldn't
seriously advise any player of a certain quality to come and join West Ham
at this point.
It might put a significant dent in your career. We used to be a bit special.
Now we are a trainwreck waiting to happen and I hope at least the emergency
brakes have been checked thoroughly and are still in working order.
How about Diafra Sakho for instance, just returning from a long-term back
injury, who apparently refused to travel with the squad to Sunderland after
being told he would only start on the bench. Really ? After all the previous
crap of throwing his toys out of the pram? How stupid can you get? I don't
blame Bilic at all for trying to ease Sakho back into things, with 15
minutes here, then half an hour the next game, maybe an hour the game after.
As much as I love Sakho as a player, he is not quite good enough to warrant
a starting place at all costs. A teamplayer he certainly is not. So he may
be another one on his way out. As surely there has to be some sort of reboot
in terms of our squad. A massive overhaul is due, covering all the bases:
Players, coaching staff, medical team.
We have too many players just making up the numbers. We have loan players
with next to no chance of being signed permanently. And we have players who
tend to get injured. A lot. For God knows what reasons. I expect a lot of
things to happen at our club over the summer, the revolving door will be as
busy as the ticket office trying to flog the season tickets of those who
won't be renewing.
I'd like to think we may have learned a thing or two from past mistakes and
get most of our decisions right, but I'm not holding my breath in
anticipation.
And I will most certainly go to bed on a regular basis during the transfer
window as I shall no longer buy into all the big words coming from our board
about marquee signings, 20 goal a season strikers and making the top 4 clubs
looking over their shoulders anytime soon.
A quick word on the goalkeeper situation. Randolph had a dismal game on
Saturday, granted. He deserves to be dropped now with Adrian going back in
goal for a few games, that's how it should be anyway, especially if you have
two goalkeepers who are not far apart in terms of quality. Randolph ain't a
bad custodian between the posts, he is a decent enough goalkeeper and
doesn't deserve some of the crap I've heard him labeled with. Are there
better goalkeepers out there ? Course there are. But guess what?
They cost a lot of money. So, do we want a top goalkeeper in the summer? A
decent RB, either of experienced veteran variety or a top prospect ? Or the
20 goal a season striker?
Because sure as night follows day we will not get all Fahrerin the summer.
We are skint, remember ? Still in debt to the tune of £100 million or so.
Restricted by FFP on top of that. Let the wheeling, dealing and signing loan
players comments.
If I want to put a positive spin on all this, it's never dull to be a West
Ham fan, right ?
It's also never dull to be a Concordia supporter. Starting with the bad
news, the lads lost their Easter Sunday away fixture against the country
pumpkins from Buchholz, a totally disappointing and unnecessary 1:0 defeat.
Depending on how our promotion rival Altona do in their fixture later today,
the gap could now grow to a gulf of nine points with only six games
remaining. So the league season appears to be petering out for Concordia as
well, with the promotion dream slowly fading and dying, however, we are
still very much harbouring dreams of winning the Cup this season as you can
see from the above video link.
Cordi beat Osdorf on Good Friday and are now in the Semifinal draw of the
Oddset Cup, the local cup competition determining which Hamburg based team
from the lower leagues will be entered into next season's first round draw
of the German FA Cup. Two more wins for Concordia and a bit of luck in the
draw and Concordia could be playing someone like Bayern Munich, Borussia
Dortmund or Moenchengladbach in a competitive fixture in the not too distant
future. That should be a bit of fun! And possibly a rugby score…:-))
Not long to go now for my next West Ham game against Spurs. Unlike previous
visits though my excitement is fairly contained this time, maybe I'm just
going through the motions at this point too, same as my club…COYI!
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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