Sullivan apologises for loss
Our co owner David Sullivan has apologised for our 2-3 defeat to Leicester on Saturday in his weekly column on the club website. The 68 year old said, talking about Saturdays game, “ All we can do is say sorry, as I have learnt in many decades it’s never easy being a West Ham supporter and we all know we have to do better”. Many may see the joint chairman’s comment as a slight tongue in cheek warning to our manager Slaven Bilic. Both David Sullivan and David Gold have built up a reputation as owners of sticking by their managers but it is hard to deny that Slaven Bilic is beginning to come under pressure from fans and critics alike.
Masuaku “we have to believe”
Our French left back Arthur Masuaku has issued a rallying cry to team mates and fans regarding our recent poor form. The former French U21 “We have to believe and we always have to think positive, even if the results are not with us”. Masuaku was speaking in a post match interview with WHUFC.com. The full back has enjoyed a tough first season in Claret and Blue which has been marred by poor performances and a lengthily spell on the sidelines with a knee injury. Saturday was the Frenchman’s first game back after the injury despite being sent off for the U23s last Monday night and he was glad to be back in action. Rumours have linked Masuaku away from us in the summer but maybe the full back does have a future at the London Stadium considering he is now back in the first team frame.
Hammers hunt Muriel
It has been rumoured this week in the Mirror that we have added Sampdoria striker Luis Muriel to our summer shopping list. The Columbian international has a release clause of £24m in his contact and could well be the prolific striker we have been hunting for years. Muriel has 10 goals and 9 assists for the Italian’s in Serie A this season but we may face strong opposition for the inform strikers signature in the summer transfer window.
Antonio forced to withdraw from 3 Lions squad
Our top goal scorer Michail Antonio has been forced to remove himself from the latest England squad due to a hamstring injury he sustained in Saturday’s defeat to the Foxes. Despite being called up 3 times Antonio is yet to play an international game and will now have to wait longer for his first England cap. The winger suffered an arm injury in last week’s game away at Bournemouth meaning he had to have it strapped up for Saturday’s game . The hamstring knock added insult to injury quite literally for Antonio and decided to pull out after the double injury blow was assessed by both England and West Ham medical teams.
Injury news roundup
Our manager Slaven Bilic has revealed the specific injuries that forced Pedro Obiang and Winston Reid off against the Foxes. Bilic said in his post match press conference “Winston Reid had to come off with a conductor problem, then Pedro it was a challenge on his ankle”. Both injuries looked fairly severe with Obiang being stretchered off and Reid gingerly hobbling off early on. We will found out the extent of the problems when head of sports science Stijn Vanderbrouke issues his weekly injury report on Thursday. In other injury news Diafra Sakho is just 2 weeks away from returning to first team training after a thigh problem. The prolific Senegalese striker has been only been able to make one League start this season scoring inside 10 minutes away at Old Trafford before being forced off with the injury.
OTD 2015
On this day in 2015 we left it late to beat Sunderland at home in only our third win in the second half of the 2014/15 season. Diafra Sakho’s 88th minute well directed volley was enough to take all 3 points that day on our way to a 12th place League finish that term despite being 4th at Christmas.