Rumours, largely stoked by a radio station, have been building that Joe might be given the option to go out on loan since Claudio Ranieri was quoted as saying it was something he was mulling over.
No contact has officially been made, however, and Alan Pardew says of the matter:
"There is a simple answer to that; Joe is a player that has come through the system at West Ham, he is loved here - and respected by me.
"If he became available of course we would love to take him."
That, however, is as far as it goes for the moment, and Alan is concentrating on preparations for Saturday's trip to Sunderland.
Whether Sebastien Carole makes it to the bench remains to be seen after a second consecutive strike for the reserves at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday evening.
On that, Alan says:
"He has got two goals on the trot with another good one, and it was a creditable performance by the reserves, which was a young side."
West Ham gave a trial to young Irish striker Sam Morrow and Alan says:
"He got released at Ipswich; he seems a decent lad, and we know he has got ability, so we thought we would have a look."