Antonio and Cresswell extend contracts

Some good news for West Ham is that Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell have signed extended contracts. Antonio has signed until 2020 and Cressie until 2021. It's a shrewd move to be tying down our young stars. Both players should have a future with England after our abject failure against Iceland. Cresswell, who wears a magic hat, deserves a chance as an alternative to Danny Rose and Antonio, if he maintains his current progress, could surely offer more goal threat from the flanks than Sterling or Lallana. And now Lanzini has signed permanently too we have the basis of a really promising side.

Farewell Tomka

Hope West Ham haven't made a mistake selling James Tomkins to Crystal Palace. Past seasons suggest we need four quality centre backs so presumably Reece Oxford or Reece Burke (who did well at Bradford) will become our fourth centre back alongside Ogbonna, Reid and Collins. But potential is one thing, Tomkins was a proven PL centre back who could play at right-back as well. Last season James played against Aston Villa after having 13 stitches in a head wound sustained at Anfield, which shows his commitment to the Hammers. He made 243 appearances for the Irons scoring 11 goals and also gave us a good chant after a big night out at Sugar Hut. He'll be missed. Mark Noble summed it up with his tweet: "Looked after @TomkinsOfficial for 16 years, been through everything together, sad day for me but that's football for ya, good luck geezer."

Lost in France with Avram Grant

Sounds like my pal Big Joe had a painful time sitting with the Welsh fans against Belgium, having bought tickets thinking it would be England playing, and an even worse trip on the Eurostar, culminating in an appearance by Avram Grant. He writes: 

"I spent most of my day standing towards the front of a stationary 500-strong but semi-orderly column trying to board a train from Lille. I know, big mistake to think one could be so astute as to accurately predict the outcome of any group stage of a football tournament where England are concerned but I still say, incompetence aside, under normal circumstances we should have come out as eventual winners and then ended up participating in last night’s game (James Collins MOM btw) hence the advance purchase of match tickets.    

"Imagine our surprise when among the ensuing outbreak of barely concealed impatience and mass tutting who was to come waddling past posing for selfies than none other than Average Grant. While it took all my powers of persuasion to prevent Danny from thanking him for being the best thing that’s ever happened to Millwall this century and just as I’d composed myself to let him know he will always be highly regarded in E13 as the worst manager we’ve ever had, off he skulked, without a trace of shame, frowning and shrugging his way to join the press of French queue-jumpers gathering at the front of line!"

If France win the Euros will it make Payet more likely to stay at West Ham?

Another goal for Dimitri Payet last night for France against Iceland. While in the Daily Mail David Gold says: “We’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure Dimitri pulls on a claret and blue shirt next season. We want to improve our squad and Dimitri is an integral part of what we’re trying to do. But we also must be realistic. If Barcelona or Real Madrid made a bid and he wanted to move there, it would be difficult to keep him."

Thankfully the phone hasn't rung yet, but the thought occurs that it might be better for West Ham if France were to go on and win the European Championship. At least then Dimitri would, at 29, have a major medal under his belt and might be more likely to give West Ham another season and try to win a domestic trophy. If the Germans beat France (probably on penalties) it might all look different and he could be tempted to go for guaranteed trophies at Real Madrid or Barcelona. Another option would be to wait until the January transfer window before he weighs up West Ham's chances against any bids. In the meantime let's just be thankful that we've still got Payet.

Tomkins set to move to Crystal Palace

The Daily Mail reports that Crystal Palace have agreed a £12.5 million fee for James Tomkins. I'd be really sad to see Tomka go. Being a Basildon lad he's one of our own and feels like part of the heartbeat of the club. He did a great job when playing out of position at right back last season and was a mainstay of our promotion side and then for the next four seasons in the Premier League. We also look much more threatening from corners when he's in the side. Perhaps a slight lack of pace left him exposed when the likes of Fernando Torres were at their peak, but he's surely as good as some of the centre-backs who have made it into the England side.

It's true that we have four centre backs vying for two spots and that Ogbonna and Reid appear to be Bilic's first choices, with Tomkins and Collins as back-up. Part of Slaven's thinking could also be that he wants to give Reece Oxford more games as a centre back, particularly with several clubs rumoured to be interested in Oxford. And at 27 perhaps Tomka wants a guaranteed place under Alan Pardew, a manager who knows him from the youth team at West Ham. But if he does go, then thanks for being a great servant to the club James.

Meanwhile it's gone a little under the radar that West Ham have signed Algerian winger Sofiane Feghouli from Valencia, who will presumably replace Victor Moses. He's got 40 caps and was the Algerian footballer of the year so could be promising. Let's hope he's the next Mahrez. Feghouli is our second sumer signing after Norwegian midfielder Harvard Nordtveit from Borussia Monchengladbach.

Ginger Pele in Euro glory

Good to see James Collins come on in the 90th minute of Wales' epic win over Belgium. James still looks a little like Gandalf helping his men defeat the forces of Mordor. England could certainly learn from the way the men in red played for each other and the way journeymen club players like Robson-Kanu, Gunter, Chester and Vokes raised their game and ended up giving Tintin's boys one hell of a beating. All set for a Wales versus Iceland final now.

Payet celebrates year at Hammers with another assist

Yesterday was the first anniversary of Dimitri Payet signing for West Ham and to celebrate Payet picked up another assist, passing wide in the build up to France's equaliser against Ireland. Also good to see Darren Randolph have an outstanding game for Ireland. Wonder if he'll be content to spend another season at West Ham as Adrian's understudy? Now England play Iceland. I'd still have been happier to see Mark Noble in the squad rather than a recuperating Jack Wilshere. And from a WHU perspective the thought occurs that if it's level late on a sub like Andy Carroll might have come in handy…