Ward-Prowse Confirmed
West Ham United has announced the signing of England international James Ward-Prowse (28) from Southampton. He will wear the no.7 shirt.
That’s what he told the official website: “ I’m buzzing to be here at West Ham United. It’s great to be here and I’m looking forward to getting going.
“From the outside looking in, this is a Club that has been on the rise for a number of years now and coming off the success in the UEFA Europa Conference League last year, you can feel there is real momentum around this Club. It’s great to be a part of it and I can’t wait to play my role in the games to come,” said Ward-Prowse, who is West Ham’s second summer signing following Mexico midfielder Edson Álvarez.
Ward-Prowse arrives fit and ready to play and could make his debut in Sunday’s Premier League fixture with Chelsea at London Stadium.
Season starts with 1-1
West Ham United opened their 2023/24 Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw at AFC Bournemouth on Saturday
Jarrod Bowen’s fine 51st minute strike – 67 days after his goal earned the Irons the UEFA Europa Conference League trophy in Prague – had David Moyes’ men hoping of a winning start to the season, but the Cherries’ Dominic Solanke struck back eight minutes from time to earn his side a point.
▶️ 67 days ago
The Hammers twice struck the woodwork, through Tomáš Souček in the first half and Paquetá late on, but Bournemouth had their chances too with Solanke’s physicality in particular proving a handful throughout.
West Ham‘s goal came in the 51st minute when Fornals regained possession high up the pitch and Souček nudged the ball to Bowen, who opened up for the shot on his left foot and curled the ball into the top left corner from just outside the box.
Bournemouth pushed back and were rewarded with a leveller eight minutes from time. Antoine Semenyo’s attempted shot was heading well off target, but bounced into Solanke, who reacted well to latch on to the loose ball, round Areola and slot home.
West Ham still went close to winning it, Paquetá striking the base of the post with five minutes to go, but the east Londoners had to settle for a point on the south coast.
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Zouma ©, Aguerd, Emerson, Souček, Paquetá (Cornet 90+4), Fornals (Kehrer 86), Bowen, Benrahma, Antonio (Ings 78)
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Anang (GK), Johnson, Ogbonna, Coventry, Mubama
Goal: Bowen 51
“Thank God, not Rapid!”
Bei der Auslosung der Play-offs für die Conference League kann Aston Villa aufatmen – man spielt gegen den Sieger aus Hibernian vs. FC Luzern und nicht gegen den „Albtraum“ von 2009 und 2010, den SK Rapid.
Nach jahrelanger Europacup-Abstinenz qualifizierten sich die Villans mit Platz 7 wieder für einen europäischen Bewerb (während Tottenham das als Achter der letzten Saison nicht schaffte).
“Your nightmare returns”, heißt es in dieser Saison für Aston Villa also nicht; dafür bekommt es der SK Rapid mit einem Déjà-vu für den RapidHammer zu tun: die Grün-Weißen werden auf die Viola aus Florenz treffen, die vor zwei Monaten in Prag das Conference League-Finale gegen West Ham 1:2 verloren haben, sofern man vorher den ungarischen Vertreter Debrecen ausschalten kann.
Dass der AC Florenz überhaupt in dieser Saison wieder in der Conference League dabei ist, ist eine Überraschung, denn als Achter der Serie A wäre man eigentlich nicht für Europa qualifiziert gewesen. Die UEFA hat aber Juventus Turin wegen Verstößen gegen das Financial FairPlay mit dem Ausschluss aus der Conference League bestraft und Fiorentina hat den Platz der „Alten Dame“ geerbt.
First trophy for Rice
First (minor) silverware for debutants Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber in their first competitive game for Arsenal as the Gunners beat champions Manchester City at Wembley on penalties to win the Community Shield.
Double 4-0 on the Saturday
West Ham‘s letzter Test vor dem Premier League Start ging ziemlich schief, und man wartet weiterhin auf die erste Neuverpflichtung der Hammers in dieser Transferzeit. Das hätte ein deprimierendes Weekend werden können, und dem West Ham-Anhang bleibt mal wieder, wie so oft, nur der gewohnte Galgenhumor.
Aber zum Glück gibt’s Rapid!
Die Hütteldorfer, um die ich mir vor dem Saisonstart schon Sorgen gemacht hatte (Was ist los mit Rapid?), konnten nach dem 1:1 beim Bundesliga-Auftakt gegen LASK auswärts auch im ersten Heimspiel gegen Altach überzeugen!
Während die Hammers also in Deutschland 0:4 verloren, schickten die Grün-Weißen die Vorarlberger mit einer schönen Packung in der selben Höhe nach Hause. Die Tore erzielten Kühn (2), Burgstaller und Auer.
Wochenende gerettet!
Only at West Ham…
‼️West Ham are the only PL team yet to sign a senior player… ‼️ This season’s transfer window seems to be a complete mess. What‘s going on behind the scenes at West Ham?
It’s only eight weeks on from West Ham’s famous European Conference League win. Only West Ham could subject their fans to such a downward spiral of emotion after such a magnificent triumph – their first title in 43 years.
We are becoming troubled and furious that after Rice’s foreseeable departure still no replacement has been found. More players seemingly want to leave the club and with no signings imminent we fear that West Ham’s squad will be considerably weaker than last season – and as is well known, even with Declan Rice, WHU had to fear relegation most of last season in the Premier League!
The PL season starts in less than two weeks on Friday, 11 August. West Ham‘s first game is Bournemouth away on Saturday, 12 August, 3 p.m. (BST). The Cherries’ new Spanish manager Andoni Iraola has already signed five new players.
Wann gibt’s wieder Stimmung?
In letzter Zeit taucht immer wieder dieser italienische Song auf Facebook und Instagram auf, der schon seit vielen Jahren von den Tifosi gesungen wird, vor allem im Mailänder San Siro Stadion (oben). Das Lied ertönte auch bei den Meisterfeiern in Neapel (unten), wo man heuer den ersten “Scudetto” seit 1990 feierte.
Die Stimmung, die Emotionen und die „confusione“ des geliebten Fußballs gehen einem nun schon seit Wochen ab. Das Conference League-Finale in Prag liegt mehr als sechs Wochen zurück, nachher gab es noch ein paar Ländermatches, aber das ist auch schon einen Monat her.
Aber die “fußballlose Zeit”, in der es – abgesehen von Transfergerüchten und “pre-season matches” – so gut wie keinen Fußball gab, geht langsam zu Ende. In Österreich haben mit der ersten ÖFB Cup-Runde gestern die Pflichtspiele begonnen, und nächste Woche startet schon die österreichische Bundesliga.
In den großen Fußballnationen dauert es bekanntlich noch etwas länger, bis es wirklich losgeht: Die Premier League startet am 11. August, die deutsche Bundesliga sogar erst am 18. August.
Die für die Europacup-Gruppenphase wichtigen Play-offs werden jene Teams, die die drei Qualifikationsrunden im Juli und August überstehen, am 24. und 31. August (Europa League und Conference League) spielen. Die Auslosung dafür findet am 7. August 2023 statt.
In der Champions League ist man jeweils ein bzw. zwei Tage früher dran: die Play-offs finden am 22./23. und 29./30. August statt, die Gruppenphase beginnt dann am 19. September.
Also, bald gibt es wieder Emotionen und “confusione” live!
Dieser ▶️ Link zeigt den berühmten Milan-Song “Sarà perché ti amo” in einem noch lauteren Video!
Unten das Original des Songs aus 1981:
„Che confusione
Was für ein Chaos
Sarà perché ti amo
Es wird sein, weil ich dich liebe“
Rice Finally Gone, etc.
▶️ www.bbc.com/sport/football/66209874
“I want you to know how tough a decision it has been for me to leave an environment that I have loved and cherished so much.”
(Declan Rice’s ▶️ personal message to West Ham fans)
On Saturday, exactly one month before the new Premier League season will start, West Ham United finally have confirmed that Declan Rice leaved the Club for a British record transfer fee of £105m.
The 24-year-old England midfielder made a total of 245 senior appearances for the Club – the last of which finished in glory last month as he lifted the UEFA Europa Conference League trophy in Prague to end our 43-year wait for a major honour.
Having progressed from the Academy of Football at Chadwell Heath, where he began his Claret and Blue journey as a 14-year-old in 2013 before making his first-team debut against Burnley in May 2017, the Kingston-born midfielder has established himself as one of the greatest young talents in world football.
Winner of the Hammer of the Year award three times, in 2020, 2022 and 2023, and runner-up in 2018 and 2019, Declan made his full England debut in March 2019 and has since gone on to win 43 caps. He was named West Ham United Club Captain in the summer of 2022 following the retirement of Mark Noble and enjoyed a triumphant final season as David Moyes’s team secured only the second major European trophy in the Club’s history.
Earlier in the month the Club had informed that Manuel Lanzini (above) would leave West Ham. The Argentine midfielder joined the Hammers, initially on loan, from United Arab Emirates side Al Jazira in the summer of 2015, making the move permanent the following year.
Over his eight seasons in Claret and Blue, Lanzini made 226 appearances in all competitions and scored 32 goals – twice winning the Club’s Goal of the Season award, for his unforgettable last-gasp strike at Tottenham Hotspur in 2020/21 and then a superb volleyed finish at Crystal Palace the following campaign.
Hammer of the Year runner-up in 2016/17, Lanzini bravely fought back from a serious knee injury that cost him a place in Argentina’s FIFA World Cup finals squad in 2018 to regain his national team spot and play a key role in West Ham’s success over the last three years. He made eleven appearances in our glorious UEFA Europa Conference League run this season, scoring in our home and away victories over Danish side Silkeborg.
When will first transfer be made at West Ham?
The Hammers are now one of just three Premier League clubs yet to sign a player this window. With the first of three instalments of Declan Rice’s transfer now available, manager David Moyes should be able to start making much awaited business in this transfer window. And the manager has already declared that his “full focus” is now in bringing players in. 
David Moyes also faces the task of rebuilding his coaching staff after his assistant coaches Paul Nevin (above) and Mark Warburton recently have left West Ham.
Furthermore it remains to be seen if Rob Newman will remain at West Ham as head of recruitment following the appointment of a new Technical Director, German Tim Steidten.
Declan Rice Transfer Update
On Monday West Ham were still waiting for Arsenal to present an acceptable payment plan for the £105m purchase of England midfielder Declan Rice, 24. (The Sun)
By midweek it seemed that an agreement on the terms of payment had been reached as Declan‘s medical with Arsenal reportedly was set to take place on Friday.
Well, there was still no official post regarding Declan’s signing on Arsenal‘s website on Saturday or Sunday.
EXTRA TIME 
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