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Alan 11:19 Mon Dec 29
Monday newspapers (includes West Ham)
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Paper Talk Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is keen on the vacant Crystal Palace hotseat. Arsenal could move for Winston Reid in January as Arsene Wenger eyes up defensive reinforcements. Lukas Podolski's Arsenal future is in doubt after Inter Milan met with Gunners to discuss the unsettled striker. Harry Redknapp is plotting a QPR transfer swoop for old pal Yakubu. Liverpool midfielder Emre Can is wanted by David Moyes at Real Sociedad. Aston Villa are eyeing a move for Fulham's Lasse Vigen Christensen as a potential Fabian Delph replacement. Manchester City outcast Scott Sinclair is a January target for managerless Crystal Palace. Chelsea starlet Islam Feruz is wanted by Birmingham on loan. Bolton manager Neil Lennon is keen on a January deal for Celtic midfielder Kris Commons. Liverpool are set to miss out on Bayern Munich playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri, who is heading to Juventus on loan with an option to buy. Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet says he has nothing to prove despite being dropped. West Brom boss Alan Irvine could be sacked on Monday after Baggies fans turned on him following seven defeats in nine games. Manchester City are giving opponents the cold shoulder by refusing to heat the seats in the away dug-out at the Etihad Stadium. Diego Simeone is set to disappoint Liverpool and Manchester City by committing his managerial future to Atletico Madrid. Manchester United are looking into a £25million bid for Everton's Seamus Coleman. Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk is ready to reject Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal in January. Chris Hughton has put his name forward for the vacant managerial posts at Crystal Palace and Brighton. Arsenal are planning a cut-price £4million January move for West Ham defender Winston Reid. QPR midfielder Adel Taarabt, 25, has turned down a move to Serie A side Atalanta in the hope that AC Milan make a bid. Arsenal are set to bid £20million for Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho. BBC TRANSFER GOSSIP Manchester United are considering a £25m bid for Everton right-back Seamus Coleman, 26, who is also wanted by Chelsea. (Daily Star) Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk is ready to reject interest from Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United in January, with the Premier League clubs readying £10m bids for the 23-year-old centre-back. (Daily Express) Arsenal are planning a cut-price £4m January move for West Ham defender Winston Reid. (Daily Mail) Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is preparing to meet Sporting Lisbon's £20m asking price to bring midfielder William Carvalho, 22, to the Emirates in January. (Independent) Diego Simeone is set to disappoint Liverpool and Manchester City by committing his managerial future to Atletico Madrid. (Daily Star) Crystal Palace are ready to challenge QPR to sign Manchester City midfielder Scott Sinclair, 25. (Daily Mirror) Liverpool are close to signing West Brom striker Saido Berahino, 21, in a deal worth £23.5m. (Metro) But the Reds are set to miss out on Bayern Munich playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri, 23 with the Swiss star on the verge of a loan move to Juventus who will have an option to buy him at the end of the season. (Sun - subscription required) Liverpool's German midfielder Emre Can, 20, is wanted by Real Sociedad's new manager David Moyes. (Daily Mirror) Chelsea are preparing to make a £7.8m bid for Croatian side HNK Rijeka's forward Andrej Kramaric, 23, in January. (Metro) QPR midfielder Adel Taarabt, 25, has turned down a move to Serie A side Atalanta in the hope that AC Milan make a bid. (Daily Mail) Aston Villa are to make a move for Fulham midfielder Lasse Vigen Christensen, 20, as a potential replacement for 25-year-old Fabian Delph who is wanted by Liverpool and Tottenham. (Daily Mirror) OTHER GOSSIP Crystal Palace officials are preparing to make a formal approach for Newcastle boss Alan Pardew - but will have to pay hefty compensation with the Londoner having five years left on his contract. (Northern Echo) Pardew has fuelled rumours linking him with the Palace job by refusing to speak to the press after the 3-2 victory over Everton on Sunday. (Daily Mail) Former Newcastle, Birmingham and Norwich boss Chris Hughton has put his name forward for the vacant managerial posts at Palace and Brighton. (Daily Express) Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet says he has nothing to prove despite being dropped "indefinitely" last month. (Sun - subscription required) Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has refused to rule out releasing forward Lukas Podolski, 29, in January after the German admitted to being frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities. (Daily Mirror) Uefa president Michel Platini has used the Dubai International Sports Conference to reaffirm his 'white card' initiative to sin-bin players for "maybe five to 10 minutes" for certain offences, such as play-acting and backchat. (Goal.com) Former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has accused ex-Blues defender Ashley Cole, 34, of going to the press and undermining his authority while he was in charge at Stamford Bridge. (Daily Star) Former Fulham boss Felix Magath has called English players "a joke" for not being prepared to train twice in a day, but has not been put off managing in England again. (Guardian) Everton could still face action from the FA after a supporter appeared to shine a laser towards the eyes of Stoke City striker Bojan Krkic, 24, during the Boxing Day defeat at Goodison Park. (Daily Mail) West Brom boss Alan Irvine could be sacked on Monday after Baggies fans turned on him and his coaches after Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Stoke City made it seven losses in nine games. (Sun- subscription required) BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA Manchester United striker Robin van Persie, 31, drew a blank in the goalless draw against Tottenham on Sunday and then posted a photo of himself on Instagram falling on his neck with the caption "one of those days". AND FINALLY... Manchester City are giving opponents the cold shoulder by refusing to heat the seats in the away dug-out at the Ethiad Stadium. (Sun - subscription required) Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez, 26, says travelling to Champions League fixtures and Chile internationals has distracted him in his attempts to learn English, but insists he learned to speak Italian fluently at Udinese and will "crack" English, too. (Daily Mirror)
Mail
West Ham 1-2 Arsenal: Santi Cazorla and Danny Welbeck strike in quick succession as the Gunners bump Hammers from fifth
West Ham captain Alex Song's 25-yard volley in the first half was denied by the assistant's offside flag
Santi Cazorla (penalty) and Danny Welbeck scored in quick succession to give Arsenal a 2-0 half-time lead
Cheikhou Kouyate hit back on 54 minutes with a strong header after a cross from James Tomkins
Arsenal, who started the day in sixth place in the Premier League, took West Ham's position in fifth
By Matt Barlow
Arsenal remain unconvincing in many areas and yet this was a day to savour for Arsene Wenger as four team above his dropped points and his players produced the sort of character they are usually accused of lacking.
Two goals in three minutes just before half-time were enough to clinch victory at West Ham and, although more clinical finishing would have given the score-line a healthier glow, they have emerged from two London derbies in three days with six points.
Wenger smiled with satisfaction and hailed his players for their resilience and durability, especially having played for 40 minutes with 10 men against Queen’s Park Rangers on Boxing Day.
'We had a solid, combative and united performance from the first to the last minute,' said the Arsenal boss. 'We made more chances and deserved to win the game - a positive, committed and direct game. Everyone did their job well. We were a bit jaded and had to dig deep.'
Santi Cazorla opened the scoring from the spot, having reclaimed penalty duties from Alexis Sanchez who stole them against QPR and missed, and Danny Welbeck pounced for the second as West Ham were distracted by referee Neil Swarbrick’s decision to award the penalty.
Swarbrick had not endeared himself to the home crowd in the fifth minute when he ruled out Alex Song’s splendid volley because Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate were offside.
The penalty multiplied their anger but both decisions were understandable - even though Allardyce took issue with the offside in a big way, complaining about inconsistencies and a goal scored against his side by Romelu Lukaku at Everton in November.
Once the win was in the bag, even Wenger admitted his surprise that the goal did not stand.
Kouyate pulled one back after the break and Arsenal wobbled at the back and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny struggled under the high ball.
Substitute Enner Valencia almost levelled in a late scramble but, equally, the visitors should have extended their lead from one of many chances they carved open on the counter-attack.
Captain for the day Alex Song lashes a sensational volley from 25 yards into the back of the net but the goal doesn't stand
Song declines a well-deserved celebration against his former club before the referee Neil Swarbrick calls for offside anyway
Song (circled) had his early goal disallowed because of interference from Diafra Sakho (15) and Cheikhou Kouyate (8)
Sportsmail's graphic shows Szczesny's line of sight as the shot comes in from West Ham's on-loan midfielder
Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (left) is off balance as the ball passes him by under pressure from West Ham's Cresswell
Gunners' French defender Francis Coquelin (left) slides to keep the ball in play under the challenge of Hammers midfielder Downing (right)
West Ham's Senegalese midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate hurdles Coquelin as he surges forward at Upton Park
West Ham goalkeeper Adrian produced a string of saves to thwart Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez and Cazorla, while Welbeck, having scored his first goal for nearly a month, dragged a couple of decent chances wide of the target.
For a change, the win was not about Arsenal’s precision in attack but their determination and courage at the back, helped by Laurent Koscielny, back for only his second appearance during nearly three months of problems with his Achilles tendons.
Koscielny is always a solid presence, but others stepped up too in this department. Per Mertesacker produced one terrific clearance, heading behind for a corner as Andy Carroll loomed over him, and Francis Coquelin, making his first Premier League start in nearly two years, added bite in midfield.
In fact, Allardyce can be flattered by the team Wenger selected because the Arsenal boss rarely tinkers on account of the opposition. Coquelin was brought in alongside Mathieu Flamini to fight for the knock-downs won by Carroll in the air.
Arsenal finished the game with the only six senior defenders in the first-team squad all on the pitch. 'We need to be stable defensively,' said Wenger. 'We’ve missed important players at the back.
'I felt Coquelin played well. He tired but in the first half in was very influential. It was a gamble but his passing was quick and sharp through the lines.'
Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla (centre) goes over the extended left leg of West Ham defender Winston Reid (right) to win a penalty
Hammers striker Andy Carroll is show a yellow card after a challenge on Gunners defender Mathieu Debuchy (left on the ground)
Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez (centre) attempts to keep his balance as Song holds onto his midriff while headed to the ground
With Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble on the bench, Alex Song was West Ham captain against the club he left for Barcelona in 2012, but he played most of the first-half like someone too desperate to prove a point, often caught in possession while over-elaborating.
Song was more commanding after the break and did start the match by lashing a sweet volley into the net. He chose not to celebrate – unlike Allardyce who pumped his fists in the air – but there was a flag up and referee Swarbrick ruled it out.
Kouyate and Diafra Sakho were offside and jumped out of the way of the ball in front of Szczesny. It seemed like a good decision but, it’s true, on another day it might have been allowed.
Arsenal went ahead four minutes before the interval when Winston Reid tripped Cazorla as he ran at goal and the Spaniard scored, sending Adrian the wrong way from the spot.
Danny Welbeck (second right) can hardly miss from four yards as Arsenal almost immediately double their lead
For the second, Mathieu Debuchy eluded Kouyate and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ran the ball to the line before cutting a low cross into the centre where Welbeck slid in behind James Tomkins.
Kouyate struck early in the second half, climbing above Debuchy to meet a cross from Tomkins, the centre-half who found himself on the right wing and skipped past Cazorla as if he wasn’t there.
It offered hope, but that is where the fight-back ended and Arsenal have won their last nine against West Ham. A win at Southampton on New Year’s Day and Arsenal will be back in the top four. 'I always had belief,' said Wenger.
They are 13 points behind leaders Chelsea and expect key players like Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey back next month. They couldn’t, could they?
Cheikhou Kouyate (left) rises high to meet Tomkins cross and get West Ham back in the match at 2-1
Carroll, no stranger to goals in this fashion himself, races to join Senegalese Kouyate as he celebrates pulling one back against the Gunners
West Ham keeper Adrian dives to his left to cover a shot from Danny Welbeck late in the match on Sunday
Adrian, who made a series of outstanding saves to keep his side in touch, watches the ball sail wide of his goal
MATCH FACTS
WEST HAM 4-3-1-2: Adrian 7.5; O’Brien 5 (Demel 78mins), Reid 6, Tomkins 6.5, Cresswell 5.5; Kouyate 7 (Nolan 78), Song 6, Amalfitano 6.5; Downing 6.5; Carroll 6.5, Sakho 5 (Valencia 62, 5.5)
SUBS NOT USED: Jaaskelainen, Collins, Noble, Cole
BOOKINGS: Carroll, Tomkins
MANAGER: Sam Allardyce 6
ARSENAL 4-2-3-1: Szczesny 6; Debuchy 6, Mertesacker 6, Koscielny 6.5, Monreal 6; Coquelin 6.5, Flamini 6; Oxlade-Chamberlain 7 (Chambers 90), Cazorla 7, Welbeck 6.5 (Gibbs 84); Sanchez 6.5
SUBS NOT USED: Ospina, Akpom, Walcott, Campbell, Podolski
BOOKINGS: Sanchez, Debuchy, Coquelin
MANAGER: Arsene Wenger 7
MOM: Adrian
REFEREE: Neil Swarbrick 7 ATT: 34,977.
Guardian
Arsenal gather momentum after Danny Welbeck secures win at West Ham
Dominic Fifield at Upton Park
This was a result to suggest normal service is being resumed in the clutter below the title race. Arsenal may be patched up and makeshift, a team depleted by injuries to key personnel, but they are inching inexorably back towards familiar territory. West Ham had been a refreshing and worthy presence in the top five but they have been usurped. Only goal difference is keeping Arsène Wenger’s team out of the Champions League places.
That can be addressed on New Year’s Day when another of this season’s success stories, Southampton, are confronted at St Mary’s, but the sense is Arsenal are reimposing themselves on the pack. Every other member of the top seven dropped points on Sunday and this is a seventh win in nine games in all competitions, a revival that has almost gone unnoticed with the focus instead drawn to the deficiencies exposed in defeat at Stoke and the draw at Liverpool amongst that sequence of successes. Nine consecutive wins against these opponents says otherwise but triumphing at Upton Park is no mean feat these days. “A solid, combative and united performance from first to last,” said Wenger. “It was more a fight today than a creative game but you need that sometimes.”
He had reason to be encouraged. It had been a test of mettle, particularly given Arsenal had played for 37 minutes with 10 men in beating Queens Park Rangers on Boxing Day and, given their crammed treatment room, have precious few options to make sweeping changes to their lineup. At times in the opening 40 minutes when Alex Song and Cheikhou Kouyaté strode purposefully around the Hammers’ midfield and dominated the occasion, with Aaron Cresswell and Morgan Amalfitano lively on the flanks, the visitors had been horribly stretched but they also proved resilient.
Song’s 20-yard volley was ruled out because Diafra Sakho and Kouyaté were deemed to be distracting Wojciech Szczesny from offside positions, and James Tomkins volleyed wastefully over the bar. Yet out of West Ham pressure Arsenal conjured a two-goal lead in a frantic passage of play before the interval and effectively settled the contest.
Santi Cazorla’s dart into the penalty area provoked panic, Winston Reid losing his footing but lifting a leg to trip the Spaniard and concede a penalty. Cazorla converted that with glee and with West Ham players still incensed at the award and distracted in their frustration, Arsenal struck again.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain burst to the byline and fizzed a centre through Reid’s legs and into the six-yard box where Tomkins was dawdling. Danny Welbeck slid in to score at the defender’s back.
If West Ham were perplexed to find themselves behind then Kouyaté’s headed goal, having leapt above Mathieu Debuchy to meet Tomkins’ centre, suggested another shift in momentum. Yet their huff and puff would yield nothing but disappointment and Enner Valencia nodded on to the roof of the net deep into stoppage time.
Sam Allardyce’s complaints centred on Song’s volley six minutes in. “[Sakho] wasn’t in the eye line of the keeper and he didn’t touch the ball,” said the manager. “The ball went through his legs and he’s standing three yards to the right of Szczesny. [The referee] Neil Swarbrick cannot have a clear view whether Sakho is in the goalkeeper’s eye line or not.
“Cast your mind back to Everton away and [Romelu] Lukaku’s goal was allowed to stand even though the ball had ricocheted off our player to him when he was offside, and he scored. I’m completely confused and bewildered. But if ours today had been allowed to stand we wouldn’t have lost. It would have kicked the lads on and, given our recent home record, Arsenal would have found life very difficult from then on.”
In truth, only the excellence of Adrián in the home goal prevented Arsenal restoring their two-goal lead late on, with the Spaniard delivering a flurry of fine saves.
Allardyce will be confident his team’s upward trajectory can be restored when West Bromwich Albion visit on New Year’s Day but they are playing catch-up to Arsenal now. “To be in the top four is vital for us, and it’s all still to do,” said Wenger. “But we have done it 17 years [in a row], so I’m entitled at least to believe we can do it again.” His team are quietly rising through the ranks. Another statement must be delivered at St Mary’s.
Man of the match Adrián (West Ham U)
West Ham United (4-1-2-1-2): Adrián; O’Brien (Demel, 78), Tomkins, Reid, Cresswell; Song; Amalfitano, Kouyaté (Nolan, 78); Downing; Sakho (Valencia, 62), Carroll. Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, Noble, Collins, Cole. Booked: Carroll.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Debuchy, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal; Flamini, Coquelin; Oxlade-Chamberlain (Chambers, 90), Sánchez, Cazorla; Welbeck (Gibbs, 85). Subs not used: Ospina, Podolski, Walcott, Campbell, Akpom. Booked: Sánchez, Cazorla.
Referee: N Swarbrick. Att: 34,977.
Telegraph
West Ham United 1 Arsenal 2, match report: Santi Cazorla and Danny Welbeck put Gunners fifth
By Matt Law, Upton Park
On paper, West Ham United would have appeared favourites to beat up Arsenal in a straight fight at Upton Park. But Mathieu Debuchy epitomised his team’s spirit here by taking one on the chin from Andy Carroll and Arsenal came out punching when it mattered.
Having been given a late scare by Queens Park Rangers, this was the second time in three days Arsenal were made to fight for a victory that could and should have been far more comfortable. With his team so often accused of lacking heart and grit, Arsène Wenger will not be too worried that finesse has momentarily been replaced by power in the battle for a top-four place.
The two sucker punches came at the end of a first half in which Arsenal had traded blows with their surprise rivals for Champions League qualification. Santi Cazorla won and scored a penalty and Danny Welbeck scored from close range, following good work by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Cheikhou Kouyate pulled a goal back for West Ham, but only the goalkeeper Adrian stopped Arsenal producing a knock-out blow.
It was perhaps telling that for all the running of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alexis Sánchez, and the craft of Cazorla, it was Francis Coquelin who stood out for Arsenal. Starting in the Premier League for Arsenal for the first time in almost two years, Coquelin broke up play and used the ball well. His selection ahead of more attacking players also suggested that Wenger had unusually tailored his side around the opposition.
Coquelin’s presence helped to negate the effect of Stewart Downing at the top of West Ham’s diamond and also gave Arsenal a physical presence against the muscle of Kouyate and Alex Song.
Song’s inclusion was one of five changes made by Sam Allardyce, the West Ham manager, from the side that lost at Chelsea and the midfielder was also given the captain’s armband against his former club.
Apart from the fact that he immediately stood out for wearing different coloured boots on each foot, Song made an early impression on the game. The Upton Park crowd and Allardyce thought Song had given West Ham a sixth-minute lead when he rifled a 20-yard volley past the Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny, but the midfielder did not celebrate.
He was either being respectful to his old employers or had seen that both Kouyate and Diafra Sakho were offside as the ball skidded past Szczesny. The referee Neil Swarbrick disallowed the goal and allowed play to continue.
Song’s defensive work was often criticised in his time at Arsenal and it was his foul on Danny Welbeck that presented Sánchez with a wonderful chance to open the scoring, but he headed Cazorla’s free-kick wide.
Laurent Koscielny returned to the centre of Arsenal’s defence and the Frenchman was on hand to clear after Carroll had outmuscled Debuchy and smashed the ball dangerously across the six-yard box.
Debuchy came off worse from another aerial tussle with Carroll nine minutes before half-time, but the West Ham striker was booked for catching the Arsenal defender with his elbow.
Arsenal survived a let-off, when James Tomkins volleyed a wonderful pass from Downing over the crossbar and West Ham paid a heavy price for missing that opportunity as they conceded two goals in four minutes at the end of the first half.
Winston Reid tackled Cazorla on the edge of the area, but the ball bounced back into the path of the Spaniard and Reid lifted his leg to trip him. Swarbrick pointed straight to the spot and Cazorla got back to his feet to score, without any complaints from Sánchez who had failed to score a penalty against Queens Park Rangers.
Reid then let Oxlade-Chamberlain’s low cross through his legs and allowed Welbeck to poke the ball in from close range to double Arsenal’s lead on the stroke of half-time.
Per Mertesacker prevented Carroll from pulling a 54th-minute goal back for West Ham by heading Sakho’s cross over his own bar, but the home side reduced Arsenal’s advantage 60 seconds later. Tomkins rounded Cazorla on the right and sent in a cross that Kouyate headed into the net, via a slight deflection off Debuchy who he had beaten in the air.
In their bid to find an equaliser, the Hammers left gaps at the back and Welbeck raced from the halfway line during one breakaway and pulled a left-footed shot just wide. Adrian produced superb stops from Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sánchez.
West Ham tried to pin Arsenal on the ropes in the dying minutes, but substitute Enner Valencia headed over the bar and Wenger’s men made it out of Upton Park unscathed.
OS
Big Sam disputes disallowed goal
Sam Allardyce felt Alex Song's early strike should have stood in Sunday's 2-1 defeat by Arsenal
Sam Allardyce pointed to Alex Song's controversially disallowed goal and missed chances when asked for his defining moments in West Ham United's 2-1 home defeat by Arsenal.
Song thought he had volleyed the Hammers ahead against his old club after just five minutes on Sunday. However, referee Neil Swarbrick ruled the spectacular strike out because Cheikhou Kouyate was in an offside position when the ball passed through his legs on its way into the bottom corner.
Big Sam claimed the Senagalese midfielder was not in goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny's line of vision, but the flag went up and Swarbrick agreed with his assistant.
The hosts were on top for the majority of the first half, only for their frustration to be compounded by two goals in four minutes at the end of it. First, Winston Reid was penalised for tripping Santi Cazorla, and the Spaniard converted from the penalty spot, then Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got to the byline before crossing for Danny Welbeck to slide home.
West Ham responded well in the second half, with Kouyate nodding in James Tomkins' cross on 56 to give them hope, before both sides traded missed chances for the remainder of the game - the last of which saw substitute Enner Valencia head narrowly over in the sixth minute of added time.
"The biggest shock of the lot was that we were 2-0 down at half-time from our point of view and we have ourselves to blame for that," said the manager. "We just got the stuffing knocked out of us by the penalty and we didn't recover from that.
"Arsenal nicked another and there really had been nothing in the game up to then, except from us. We hadn't scored in that period when we were on top for two reasons - one was the chances we missed and the second was a really unbelievable decision to rule out Alex Song's goal, which was bewildering me that it was disallowed.
"When these things go against you at the wrong time in a game, it can contribute to a massive part of the result, and that has not allowed us to go 1-0 up when we should have done. We could have built from there and we might easily have won the game.
"We could also have lost, but we would have lost through two teams playing against each other without a big mistake and a big contribution from the officials."
The manager disputed that Kouyate's presence played any part in the 'goal' being ruled out.
"They said he was the line of sight, but when you see it back, he clearly isn't. How can the assistant referee put his flag up and judge from that position whether he is in front of the goalkeeper or not?
"There were several bodies in front of the referee Neil Swarbrick, so he cannot see for definite. When you look at it, he is miles off the goalie!
"One of these decisions has never been given like that. Cheik has not touched the ball, he is coming out away from goal and has let it through his legs. He is nowhere near Szczesny or in his eye-line. If he wasn't there, he wouldn't have saved it and that's the bottom line, but sadly we can't do anything about that now."
While Big Sam was not happy with Song's strike being ruled out, he admitted Reid's foul on Cazorla for West Ham's opener was a fair decision.
"Having seen it, Reidy sticks his leg up and while it's a bit soft, I can see why he has given it, because if Reidy keeps his leg down there is no penalty. Because he lifted his leg, he has dived over it.
"Then again, Morgan Amalfitano has rolled Nacho Monreal in the box later on and Monreal has both arms around him, but because Morgan has tried to stay on his feet and get the equaliser the referee has chosen not to give us what was a blatant penalty.
"They moan about players diving, but what do you say to your player? You have to tell them to go down because the referee won't give it to you if you stay on your feet.
"It was a frustrating afternoon, and then we missed our chances to boot. What we were in control of was our clinical finishing, but we didn't do it. Even the one at the end, I did expect Enner to score, but he probably headed it too well and it went over the bar.
"It was a tremendous effort and brilliant end-to-end entertainment, but sadly we were on the wrong end of the result."
West Ham complete 2014 having collected 56 points from their 38 league games in the calendar year, with 31 coming in 19 this season so far.
"Fifty-six points in one year is a pretty good record and that would probably finish us in the top eight at least.
"We just need to carry that on and make sure we get 56 this season, or more, because if we can do it one year, let's try and do it in one season and see where it gets us."
Mail
Arsenal plotting £4m move for West Ham defender Winston Reid in January
Arsenal hope to lure Winston Reid to the club in January
The Gunners are confident West Ham will sell Reid for £4million
The club have watched Reid in every game since November
Meanwhile, Lukas Podolski is due to join Inter Milan on loan
By Sami Mokbel
Arsenal are planning a cut-price £4million January move for West Ham defender Winston Reid.
Arsenal have identified the centre half because they believe West Ham can be persuaded to sell next month rather than lose Reid for nothing in the summer.
Arsenal have watched Reid in every game he has played since November and are ready to make their move.
West Ham are trying to get the 26-year-old to sign a new deal but Reid wants more than £60,000 per week, in addition to a £1million signing-on fee.
The Gunners are also keen on Ipswich left back Tyrone Mings, but his £10m asking price is proving prohibitive, while Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk has also been on the radar since last summer.
London24
West Ham chief gives January update as key men set to depart
Brad Pinard
West Ham co-chairman David Gold is confident the Hammers can cope without Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate who are heading to the African Cup of Nations.
Fortunately for West Ham, Cameroon have decided against calling Alex Song up after a bust up between numerous players and staff members at the World Cup last summer.
However, Senegalese duo Sakho and Kouyate have become firm fans favourites since arriving in back in August and will leave holes in the side.
Gold is confident the Hammers have replacements for the departing players though and admits squad rotation is key.
“We’ve got cover for Sakho and Kouyate but we would really miss Song,” @davidgold tweeted.
Asked about team selection in recent games, the chairman added: “Some players can’t play 180 minutes in two days.”
January signings are unlikely to be flooding through the gates at Upton Park, with the budget for the season spent in the summer, seemingly quite well.
West Ham go into the new year sitting sixth in the Premier League and face lowly West Brom in east London on Thursday.
The likes of Enner Valencia and Morgan Amalfitano are set to become more crucial to the squad over the next few weeks with Diego Poyet also eyeing a first team return.
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Replies - Newest Posts First ( Show In Chronological Order)
snowbadger
11:09 Tue Dec 30
Re: Monday newspapers (includes West Ham)
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Thank you Alan.
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jimbo2.
12:48 Tue Dec 30
Re: Monday newspapers (includes West Ham)
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Thank you Alan old chap!
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stomper
5:59 Mon Dec 29
Re: Monday newspapers (includes West Ham)
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Thank you Alan
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Son of Anarchy
5:23 Mon Dec 29
Re: Monday newspapers (includes West Ham)
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Cheers alan
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Takashi Miike
3:16 Mon Dec 29
Re: Monday newspapers (includes West Ham)
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cheers Alan
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Thanks Alan
2:36 Mon Dec 29
Re: Monday newspapers (includes West Ham)
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g,ph 11:46 Mon Dec 29
Hammerhermit. 11:39 Mon Dec 29
ted fenton. 11:31 Mon Dec 29
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gph
11:46 Mon Dec 29
Re: Monday newspapers (includes West Ham)
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Thanks, Alan
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Hammerhermit
11:39 Mon Dec 29
Re: Monday newspapers (includes West Ham)
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Thanks Alan.
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ted fenton
11:31 Mon Dec 29
Re: Monday newspapers (includes West Ham)
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Thanks Alan.
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