First and last HOME game at OUR beloved Upton Park!
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So the Fixtures are out TOMORROW AT 9am WHO we gonna get and who do we want? or more to the point who do we NOT want!
Forum | General Discussion
Summer Tragedy
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Today we learned of the terrible tragedy of the six Irish J1 students who died in California when the balcony they were standing on collapsed . A lot of students over the past 15 to 20 years have taken those trips to the USA to give them an insight into what's out there around the world, something I didn't have when I was there age. My own daughter spent the summer in California two years ago, while she had a great time all I hoped for was that she came home in one piece. Today I felt for the Parents of those students dreading that call. You just never know, do you. May they rest in peace.
Jenkinson
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Please don't let it be true that Sunderland have beaten us to getting Jenkinson on loan for next season! I'm hearing also that Arsenal are trying to get Nathaniel Clyne! SUGO and Slav sort it quick!
where are they?
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I'm impatient I know but where are the 'big' signings we heard of? Clock is ticking. I heard Sullivan saying oblong was a big signing, surely not?
Who's the West Ham Legend to assist Bilic ?
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Quite wide spread and generally un disputed rumour going around that Bilic (or Gold and Sulli) will bring in an ex West Ham "legend" to assist running of the club. Names that have been banded around are Cottee, Gale, Dowie(wtf) and even Deano. So who would you like to see back at the club as assistant coach to the backroom staff Bilic will put in place ? Interesting that PDC hasn't been banded about yet, but no doubt time will tell......
Olympic Stadium
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Next Saturday I will be going along to pick our seats for the new era in Stratford. Pointless arguing or debating the move as nothing can stop it, and this is hopefully a stepping stone to a bigger and brighter future. I'm going along with a friend who currently sits in Band 1, we are currently in Band 4, and I am taking advantage of his ability to add 2 seats to his allocation per seat. I don't agree with it as I could be someone going along that has never held a season ticket in my life, but would still get advantage over people that are and that have been for many years? The lack of take up of additional seats for the last season at Upton Park has prompted the club to make this offer so I'm merely doing what many others have chosen to do, it will cost me only £125 per season more for me and Oliver to move from Band 4 to Band 1. I am looking forward to it and am excited, Stratford is 18 minutes and one stop on the train for us, but the Mrs is worried given that I will no longer be driving to games.....
Are we all now looking forward to the move and how many of you have been to view seats or will be soon?
should the situation not be made clear to all?
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just thinking that should clubs not come out and tell us if they have a board that buys the players and not the manager? I agree that this may be the way forward as betty puts forward a good case for it but why does there need to be this secrecy? no one seems to know if rodgers buys his players or the board, we guessed last season that the board bought most of the players. at sunderland poyet came out and said it plain and simple, the board bought the players and he was the coach. what i'm getting at is for example if the board are buying the players for bilic, to what extent is this? is he giving a final nod or is he actually on a subbed somewhere and simply being told so and so has signed? i believe it is healthier to clarify this because at the end of the day bilic will be judged on the teams performances and as fans we should know if he's actually fully to blame for failed signings or whether to cut him slack and say well he's not. a lot of us turned on sam for the signings he made and rightly so if he made the likes of jarvis etc. but i just think theres no need to be secretive about this, just tell us which way it is.
Just a thought
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I was thinking today, we go into next season with the chance of European football and players we are being linked with appear to be at the better end of the market, but what happens after next season, unless we win the Europa or win one of the other 2 cups we've all more or less suggested that top ten is a decent season, we're a fair way away from breaking into the top six, probably a few seasons away, so how will we keep this squad of players happy, we're being linked with Ba today, he'll be the first one to jump ship given half the chance i reckon based on previous clubs he's played for so what's the answer do you think, are we trying to run before we can walk and run the risk of exodus in a couple of seasons or will a modern day player buy into a vision that the club will gradually get more successful, what's your thoughts
Andre-Pierre Gignac
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Our next signing? 29 years old, would be on a free, but other clubs interested.
Looking Forward To the New Season
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It's been a while since I could say I have been looking forward to the start of a new season, but reading the first interview of Bilic was a breath of fresh air,it has got the juices flowing again.There are a lot of positive vibes from all different sources,and you do sense big things are on the horizon.
Just a reminder of some of the questions put to Bilic:
What are your ambitions as West Ham boss? What do you hope to achieve?
SB: “I’ve been in football a long time and wherever you go the ambition is sky high. But with West Ham, I found the ambitions to be realistic and the ambition is right.
“The ambition is to try to be top ten, definitely and then improve on that. First season, if we can finish eighth, ninth or tenth. Then, in the space of a few seasons, with the Stadium and everything, with hype, with probably a little bit more budget, with good planning and good play, nobody can stop us dreaming of European places or if we have a brilliant season to try to break into the Champions League places.
“To win a trophy, to win a cup. You have to believe in that to achieve it. If you don't believe in that then you’re definitely not going to do that. It doesn't have to be an obsession in a negative way. If you don't believe it, who will believe it?
“Where it's going to take us, I don't know, but logically if you play well and you improve your squad, if your players are playing more compact and more fluid with the ball, it should get you up the league.”
I think for all Westham fans there is a nice flavour of realism and optimism ,a guy who seems focused in what he wants to achieve.
How much do you know about the squad you’re inheriting?
SB: “I had many Croatian players who played in England. I'm a big football fan first of all and like the majority of them, I was following the Premier League as well. So I know a lot about West Ham's current squad and the team is good, it has a good balance.
“They were a little bit unlucky last year with the number of injuries in a crucial stage of the season, but the manager has done a good job and is leaving me a good team. I definitely think the team can improve, as I said, last year they had some brilliant games, especially in the first half of the season. It will be my job to improve it and make it better.
“Recently, in the last couple of weeks I took in ten West Ham games and I saw them all, when it was not obvious but likely that I might get the job, after the season finished in Turkey.
“I didn't want to speak to anyone before the season had finished in Turkey, which was 31 May, because of my respect to my club, Besiktas, and because of course the season hadn't finished.”
Impressed with the research he has already done on the squad.You do sense Bilic is a man on a mission eager to make a success .
For me this was the key question:
Tell us about your style as a manager. What sort of team can West Ham fans expect?
SB: “To be successful you have to be good enough in every aspect of the team, you have to defend with numbers, you have to be very compact, very organised but also you have to attack with numbers and be good on the ball.
“The teams that I've managed so far, whether that be Croatia, Lokomotiv Moscow, Besiktas or Hadjuk Split, they were all teams with very high aims. To qualify, to top group with Croatia, to win the league with Split and Besiktas, with Lokomotiv top three, top five, so my style had to be dominant.
“With Besiktas, in 90 per cent of our games we had more possession, you are the better side, you are the one that is attacking and the opponent is on the counter. But in the games where we had to be compact like against Arsenal, we weren't dominant. So you have to be both. But I like my team to play football, to play good football.”
Now that is the football philosophy we have all be crying out for....
It's good to hear some major transfer activity has already taken place.Looking forward to watching Obiang play ,a box to box player.Tore,Remy,Cabaye,Payet,Song (great news),and many more names rumoured the club are after.Will be a busy next few weeks,and I expect to see quite a different look to the Westham starting eleven as well as the squad in general.
Realistic goals : Premiership top 10
: Europa Cup last 16
: A good cup run with a possible trophy.
What targets do you think are realistic?
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