Noble:”The fans really helped”
Our skipper Mark Noble has praised the Hammers fans, declaring how influential the atmosphere was as we ended our run of seven games without a win, on Saturday against Swansea City. Noble made his 400th West Ham appearance against the Swans on Saturday and had this to say in a post-match interview with WHUFC.com: “It was one of the best atmospheres we have played in this year, the fans really got behind us and they really helped”. The captain was in buoyant mood as we took a huge stride towards Premier League safety and relieved the pressure on Slaven Bilic. It hasn’t been Noble’s best season in a West Ham shirt but, there is no denying his fight and determination as he became one of only 18 players to reach the 400 appearance milestone in Claret and Blue.
Nolan backs Bilic
Our former club captain Kevin Nolan has given Slaven Bilic his full support and predicted big things for us in the 2017/18 season. Nolan is currently the player- manager of League 2 side Notts County and told TalkSport in an exclusive interview “Listen, Slav is a great fella and he is the man to get them out of it. Next year we will see a different animal in West Ham”. The 34-year-old scored 31 goals in 167 Hammers appearances, aiding us to promotion from the Championship in our first season and reinstating our consistent Premier League mid-table place. Nolan left us as a free agent in summer 2015 and there is no doubt the former prolific attacking midfielder has fond memories of his time in Claret and Blue.
Lampard sends out message to Gold and Sullivan
Our former midfielder Frank Lampard has urged the board to stick by Slaven Bilic, following our first win in seven games. The former England number eight appeared on Goals on Sunday and said: “I really like Slaven; he is a very talented manager”. Lampard scored 39 goals in 175 appearances for us in the 1990’s and was part of our famous youth system that brought through players like Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand at the time. Lampard moved to Chelsea after leaving us, where he won, most notably, three Premier Leagues and a Champions League. The Romford-born Hammers fan isn’t the only ex-player to come out in support of Bilic with ex-Hammers like Kevin Nolan and Tony Cottee publicly backing the Croat in recent weeks.
Kouyate: “My most important goal for West Ham”
Our Senegalese midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has branded his winner on Saturday as his most important strike in Claret and Blue. The goal eased pressure on manager Slaven Bilic and ended our five-game losing streaks. The 27-year-old said: “For me, this is my most important West Ham goal. This one is for Slaven Bilic. The victory is very important for the team”. The Senegal captain was speaking in a post-match interview with WHUFC.com. Kouyate joined from Anderlecht in 2014 and has been an instrumental part of our midfield ever since. The man from Dakar is a fan favourite and with his improving recent form is set to further hold the status for many years to come.
Worry over Obiang comments
Many West Ham fans have been left fretting over recent comments from midfield playmaker Pedro Obiang. The 25-year-old was speaking in an exclusive interview with Italian Football website GianlucaDiMarzo.com and had this to say: “It’s very likely I will return to Italy, but I don’t know when, I would return to Sampdoria above all else”. The Spaniard picked up a season-ending ankle injury in our 2-3 defeat to Leicester and Obiang was spotted at Sampdoria’s 2-2 draw with Fiorentina on Sunday. He is clearly keen on a return to his former club. The former Spanish U’21 international struggled to hold down a regular starting position last season but, has been a regular fixture in Slaven Bilic’s starting eleven this term and has impressed with his performances up until his injury, attracting the interest of clubs like Liverpool. One thing is for sure, this will be worrying news for most West Ham fans as the Hammer of the year candidate is key to our midfield.
OTD-2015
On this day in 2015, we drew 1-1 with Stoke at the Boleyn Ground. Aaron Cresswell opened the scoring on seven minutes with a sumptuous free-kick, before Marco Arnautovic equalised late on, saving a point for the Potters. We would finish 12th that season under Sam Allardyce, despite being 4th at Christmas in his final season as our boss.