Michail Antonio: We can build on Saturday’s performance
[Michail Antonio]
Michail Antonio is hoping his outstanding goalscoring form will help West Ham United return to winning ways in the Premier League. The No30 took his superb run of form to nine goals in his last nine Premier League appearances on Saturday with a well-taken equaliser at Arsenal, only for a late Gunners winner to leave the Hammers empty-handed. With Wolverhampton Wanderers scheduled to visit London Stadium on Sunday evening, Antonio is determined to hit the net again and secure the Irons’ first points of the 2020/21 season in the process. “We’re definitely very disappointed,” he told Premier League Productions. “Saturday was a good opportunity for us to get some points on the board, but it’s just one of those things and part and parcel of football, really, that if you don’t take your chances, you get punished. “It was a great team effort and it showed the quality we have got in the squad, and hopefully we can take the confidence from all the good stuff we did on Saturday into next week. “Hopefully, we can build on the performance we did on Saturday. We had 14 chances and, on another day, we could have scored two or three more goals and won.”
[Michail Antonio celebrates]Antonio’s goal means he has now scored in four consecutive top-flight away games – the first West Ham player to do so since Frederic Kanoute in 2000/01, and is now joint-fourth in West Ham’s list of Premier League all-time goalscorers. So, what has been the secret to his outstanding form in front of goal?
“I don’t know, to be fair?” he conceded. “Saturday was a great team goal. The ball out from Jarrod to Ryan and from Ryan to find me, I couldn’t miss, so hopefully I can get a few more in the weeks to come and we can get some more points on the table.”
While there was no debate about Antonio’s goal, there was about West Ham’s appeal for a first-half penalty for handball against Arsenal centre-back Gabriel. Neither referee Michael Oliver nor VAR official Chris Kavanagh deemed an offence had been committed, with the ball judged to have hit the Brazilian on the shoulder, rather than the arm, in line with new Premier League laws. “It’s difficult because I was talking to the referee about it and he said how it hit him on the sleeve,” Antonio revealed. “With the new rules coming in, it’s difficult to judge where it hits him and where it doesn’t and I was asking him if it hits him on the line of the sleeve, is it handball or is it not handball? “It’s such a big ball, so it’s difficult to judge. I’m not going to comment if it was a pen or not but it was a hard one to take because we thought we could have got three points, so leaving with nothing was painful.”
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West Ham end Tarkowski interest · By Staff Writer
KUMB.com
Monday, 21st September 2020
West Ham are reported to have ended their pursuit of Burnley’s England international defender James Tarkowski. The Hammers made at least two bids for the 27-year-old – possibly more, depending on which sources you believe – but have admitted defeat after seeing their latest offer rejected, according to Sky’s Pete O’Rourke. The latest bid by West Ham was thought to be worth in the region of ?35million, with ?30million of that guaranteed and an additional ?5million dependent on certain targets being met. However Burnley have refused to drop their asking price of ?50million for Tarkowski, a stance that has resulted in West Ham reluctantly pulling out of the deal. Unsurprisingly perhaps the news has been greeted with a fair degree of derision by some supporters who have become accustomed to the club being linked with high-value players only to see a series of purported offers rejected. Carlos Bacca, William Carvalho and Joe Allen are just three such players who were claimed to have been targeted by West Ham’s board in recent transfer windows, only too see offers considerably lower than the players’ valuation rejected.
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Hammers ready with Tarkowski pay rise
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 21, 2020 Claret & Hugh
[https://cdn.claretandhugh.info/wp-content/uploads/Tarkowski2.jpg]
West Ham are into a waiting game for James Tarkowski and hopefully two other defenders as the Hammers head towards their next Premier League clash against Wolves at the weekend. Burnley – knowing there are just 24 months left on the contract of their 27-year-old defender – are believed to still be weighing up whether they can afford to keep the player in face of a £35 million offer. It would mean that were they to hold onto him until January they would get a reduced offer given his contract expires in June 2022 and that’s what is concentrating minds in the Turf Moor boardroom. One thing is for sure the deal is not dead as with the Clarets having a pay ceiling of around £35k a week on players the central defender can expect to pick up at least another £20k a week at the London Stadium. There’s room in the wage budget following the departures of Zabaleta, Sanchez, Roberto, Albian Ajeti and Jordan Hugill. Moyes has already indicated that he could strengthen across the entire backline but it’s likely that there will be loan signings arriving rather than three or four permanent signings.
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West Ham want ‘three or four players’ before window shuts but David Moyes doubts transfer funds exist · SIMON COLLINGS ES Sport
[In charge: David Moyes]
In charge: David Moyes ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images )
West Ham boss David Moyes wants to sign “three or four players” before the transfer window shuts next month – but he may not have the necessary funds to do so. The Hammers have started the new Premier League season with two defeats in as many games after losing to Arsenal on Saturday. West Ham were much improved at the Emirates Stadium after their opening loss to Newcastle, but were still beaten 2-1. Moyes is keen to bolster his squad before the transfer window shuts next month and the club are chasing a new centre-back. Burnley’s James Tarkowski is understood to be one of their top targets, but they are yet to have an offer accepted. West Ham have some money to spend after selling Grady Diangana to West Brom and Moyes has revealed he hopes to get three or four in the door. “I just don’t want centre-halves. I want other positions as well,” he said. “Ultimately I would like to sign three or four players, but I totally understand we are not in a financial position to do so.”
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