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Alan 12:37 Sun Mar 3
Sunday newspapers (includes West Ham)

BBC

Manchester United face tough opposition from Paris St-Germain to sign Borussia Dortmund and England winger Jadon Sancho, 18. (Mirror)

Real Madrid are willing to use Wales forward Gareth Bale, 29, as bait to sign Tottenham and Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen, 27. (Mirror)

Manchester United will be offered Argentine striker Mauro Icardi, 26, as Inter Milan eye Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, 25, in a swap deal. (Express)

West Ham are set to sign England midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, 27, from Newcastle in the summer. (Sun)

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is no longer looking to sell the club after failing to see any realistic offer for the club since putting it up for sale 17 months ago. (Times - subscription required)

New Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers has told England striker Jamie Vardy, 32, he will build his team around him. (Telegraph)

Manchester City's Portuguese playmaker Bernardo Silva will be handed a new six-year deal. (Mail)

Chelsea will give Argentine goalkeeper Willy Caballero, 37, a one-year contract extension. (Sun)

Manchester City will have to fend off AC Milan and Juventus if they are to sign Dinamo Zagreb's 18-year-old winger Antonio Marin. (Calciomercato)

Fifa could prevent Chelsea's plans to launch a £200m summer spending spree before their transfer ban kicks in, which could also stop the Blues chances of bringing in Zinedine Zidane as manager. (Sun)

Manchester City will spend £350m in the summer with manager Pep Guardiola wanting to make four additions to his squad. (Star)

Guardiola wants to make a signing from previous club Bayern Munich - with his sights set on Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara, 27. (Mirror)

Manchester United will offer 180m euros (£155m) to Benfica to sign two of their Portugal internationals - defender Ruben Dias, 21, and attacking midfielder Joao Felix, 19. (Record - in Portuguese)

Juventus could turn to former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte if Massimiliano Allegri leaves the Serie A giants this summer. (Corriere Dello Sport - in Italian)

They may also consider Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. (Tuttosport - in Italian)

Newcastle and Paraguay striker Miguel Almiron, 25, says he was "ecstatic" when he learned Magpies manager Rafael Benitez wanted to bring him to St James' Park. (BT Sport, via Chronicle)

Manchester United and Sweden defender Victor Lindelof, 24, says he used to pretend he was former United and France goalkeeper Fabian Barthez when playing football as a child - even though, at that time, he played as a number 10. (Mail)







Guardian

Declan Rice and Mark Noble lead West Ham to easy win over Newcastle

Nick Ames at the London Stadium

West Ham’s supporters came in homage to Billy Bonds, around 20,000 of them taking their seats in the stand that adopted his name in a stirring ceremony before kick-off. They left lauding heroes present and future too and, for one night at least, the club’s modern existence sat in perfect harmony with its past.

Taking the emotion out of it, this was a functional and largely sterile win over a dreary Newcastle side. West Ham did what they had to do; they just could not have found two more appropriate men to do it.

Declan Rice is the most exciting player to come through their system in over a decade and set West Ham on their way with a header his feted predecessor would have appreciated. Mark Noble is a captain who strives to mould himself in Bonds’s image and his 42nd-minute penalty put the seal on a victory that the feeling around the London Stadium had demanded.

“You could feel the atmosphere before the game, the crowd was extra loud,” Noble said. “I know Billy Bonds quite well and he is a fantastic person and was a fantastic player. Everyone can look to him as an example for the football club.”

A visibly emotional Bonds had made his entrance to a rapturous reception, flanked by a guard of honour comprising 25 of his former teammates. He represented West Ham for a quarter of a century, including four and a half years as manager in the early 1990s, and they had put on some show to mark the occasion. The sense of affection as he cut the ribbon in front of the Billy Bonds Stand, the stadium’s eastern flank, was genuinely uplifting and the current crop duly fed from it.

“Six foot two, eyes of blue” was Bonds’s old terrace chant. Rice is just an inch shorter than that and when he rose to thud Robert Snodgrass’s corner past Martin Dubravka after losing Fabian Schär a little too easily, West Ham were ahead within seven minutes. They contained Newcastle for the rest of a stop-start half that was held up for several minutes by a bloody clash of heads between Aaron Cresswell and Javier Manquillo. The latter carried on, heavily bandaged, while Cresswell would depart before the break with what seemed an unrelated problem.


Robert Snodgrass whipped in a corner and midfielder Declan Rice was there to meet it to give West Ham the lead

It did not derail West Ham, who could enjoy an energetic first start since May for the fit-again Manuel Lanzini. Shortly before the interval an overzealous challenge on Snodgrass from Sean Longstaff, a midfield tyro who has drawn somewhat excitable comparisons to Rice in some quarters, brought a free-kick that found Javier Hernández beyond the far post. He was clumsily clipped by Florian Lejeune as he manoeuvred towards the byline. It was indisputably a spot-kick and Noble converted emphatically.


West Ham talisman Mark Noble made sure of the three points as they beat Newcastle 2-0


Javier Hernandez won the penalty after he brought the ball down on the left and drew the challenge from Florian Lejeune

Longstaff was replaced by Mohamed Diamé at half-time and could later be seen leaving the stadium on crutches. It epitomised a dispiriting affair for Newcastle, who caused a few flutters towards the end but never came closer than a Salomón Rondón free-kick that hit the post. “I’m not annoyed, I’m disappointed,” said Rafael Benítez, in a choice of words that is unlikely to have made anyone feel better. “We’re still in a relegation battle.”

They need another couple of wins before Benítez will entertain thoughts of discussing a new contract. West Ham, who threatened only sporadically in the second half but emitted an air of rare control, pleased Manuel Pellegrini by looking like “a solid team” and, sitting in ninth, can now look firmly upwards.

Like his skipper, Pellegrini noted how the tribute to Bonds had raised the noise levels. West Ham will contest far more exciting games but the all-round glow with which they departed has been some time in coming.

MATCH FACTS (Mail)

West Ham (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 7; Fredericks 7, Diop 8, Ogbonna 8, Cresswell 6.5 (Masuaku 34, 6.5); Rice 8.5, Noble 7 (Obiang 80); Snodgrass 7, Lanzini 7.5, Anderson 7; Hernandez 7 (Arnautovic 68, 6)

Subs not used: Adrian, Nasri, Perez, Antonio

Scorers: Rice 7, Noble 42 (pen)

Booked: Noble, Masuaku

Manager: Manuel Pellegrini 7

Newcastle (5-4-1): Dubravka 5.5; Manquillo 5.5, Lascelles 5.5, Lejeune 5, Schar 5 (Dummett 65, 6), Ritchie 6; Perez 5.5, Hayden 5.5 (Atsu 79), Longstaff 5 (Diame 45, 6), Almiron 5; Rondon 5.5

Subs not used: Darlow, Ki, Muto, Yedlin

Booked: Schar, Longstaff, Hayden, Diame

Manager: Rafa Benitez 6

Referee: Chris Kavanagh

Att: 59,910







Telegraph

Declan Rice and Mark Noble strike as West Ham ease past limited Newcastle

Luke Edwards, London Stadium


Declan Rice celebrates after heading West Ham into an early lead Credit: REUTERS

On a day when West Ham were able to pay a stirring tribute to one of the legends of their past, Billy Bonds, there was another tantalising glimpse of the exciting future they seem to have under Manuel Pellegrini.

It will be another season without a trophy for the Hammers, but progress is not always measured in silver and gold. They can take plenty of satisfaction from the fact they are the Premier League’s most improved team.

This time last year, West Ham were a club on the brink of civil war; a club drifting aimlessly in a new stadium that did not feel anything like home, but there is not only unity again, there is also a genuine sense of anticipation at the opportunities still to come.

“Maybe last season was not one of the best, so there has been a difference,” said Pellegrini. “It is difficult to compare because I was not here, but we are playing well. We also know we can still improve.

“From the first day I arrived, I have always talked about creating that winning mentality. We have more options now.”

Bonds will have been impressed. The former West Ham captain has always been a man of action rather than words and the tears that trickled down his cheeks as he was saluted by West Ham’s supporters before kick-off said far more than he managed with a microphone in his hand.

This was a special moment; a chance for fans to show their love and appreciation for one of their own. The fact West Ham have named a stand after him in a stadium they do not actually own, which will host fans of the rock band Muse and baseball’s New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in June, should not diminish the significance of the gesture.

West Ham’s players made sure the celebrations continued, taking an early lead through Declan Rice’s header, the midfielder escaping some half-hearted marking from Fabian Schar to nod in Robert Snodgrass’ corner.

Newcastle occasionally threatened and Ayoze Perez had a goal ruled out for offside, but the Hammers slipped into the comfort zone before half-time when Mark Noble scored their second from the penalty spot, awarded when Florian Lejeune stuck out a leg for Chicharito to make sure he tripped over.

West Ham were better in every department; stronger in defence, more imaginative in attack and Chicharito might have scored their third when he hit the side-netting from a knockdown by Arthur Masuaku.

For Newcastle, this was a reminder, after back-to-back wins over Huddersfield and Burnley, that they are always likely to lose when they are not as focused as manager Rafa Benitez demands.

“We said before the game that we had to keep doing all the same things that we did when we were winning game and we did not do that,” said Benitez.

“We lost concentration and conceded two goals from set pieces we should have stopped. It is a learning experience. I’m not annoyed, I’m disappointed. We are still in a relegation battle and we have to remember that.”




Sun

West Ham set to land boyhood fan Jonjo Shelvey from Newcastle in the summer

The Hammers wanted him in January but Rafa Benitez wanted the midfielder to stay

By Mike McGrath

Now the 27-year-old is FIFTH-choice in the Toon central midfield.

It means a £20million move to Shelvey’s boyhood club West Ham is back on.

Out-of-favour Shelvey hit the winner for Newcastle’s Under-23s against Fulham on Friday night.

Shelvey is behind Sean Longstaff, Isaac Hayden, Mo Diame and Ki Sung-yueng in the pecking order.

Benitez said on Friday that he's finding it hard to find a place for Shelvey in his Newcastle squad - he failed to make the bench for the defeat at West Ham on Saturday.

The Spaniard said: "He's somebody who is keen to be involved so that is positive.

"Then we have the same problem though. There's still 24 players available and 18 places in a squad.

"At the same time, it is good because there's competition for the players. The only thing that can be is positive for improving the levels."

Texas Iron 1:43 Mon Mar 4
Re: Sunday newspapers (includes West Ham)

Cheers...

gph 1:20 Mon Mar 4
Re: Sunday newspapers (includes West Ham)

The papers can see we dominated, even if MotD didn't show it

Mex Martillo 8:01 Sun Mar 3
Re: Sunday newspapers (includes West Ham)

Thanks Alan

gph 3:21 Sun Mar 3
Re: Sunday newspapers (includes West Ham)

geoffpikey 2:09 Sun Mar 3

Thanks Alan 3:15 Sun Mar 3
Re: Sunday newspapers (includes West Ham)

Queens Fish Bar 3:15 Sun Mar 3

Queens Fish Bar 3:15 Sun Mar 3
Re: Sunday newspapers (includes West Ham)

cheeses cruyf 12:58 Sun Mar 3

Whitester. 2:31 Sun Mar 3
Re: Sunday newspapers (includes West Ham)

Thanks Alan. ⚒

geoffpikey 2:09 Sun Mar 3
Re: Sunday newspapers (includes West Ham)

Thanks Alan.

Thanks Bonzo

It's great to be West Ham today. COYI!

Eddie B 1:07 Sun Mar 3
Re: Sunday newspapers (includes West Ham)

Alan, thanks.

cheeses cruyf 12:58 Sun Mar 3
Re: Sunday newspapers (includes West Ham)

Good morning all and thanks Alan