West Ham United (A) FA Cup build up 9/1/16

[sycophantia]

Graham is 50/50 for this game. Wouldn't risk him at all.

A good game for Zyro and Byrne to play the wide roles then

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Graham is 50/50 for this game. Wouldn't risk him at all.

No chance. We cannot lose him or Afobe so they don't play, especially when we have alternatives with plenty to prove.

If Ken doesn't play Wallace in this one I'm going to be very unhappy.

 

[Kenny]

I guess Jed will be less than pleased as well.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

We are overdue a cup run, hopefully this will be our year. Nothing to lose, play our best team and go for it. The Hammers will almost certainly rest a few players, so we may be able to take advantage of that.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Play our best team. Lose Afobe and Graham to injury, and have everything come crashing round our ears. I think not.

 

[Nando]

We're not overdue one as we haven't taken them seriously for a long while. We'll get slapped.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

Injuries can happen at any time. That is part of the game. We are also currently mid table, so why not give it a go.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Our last good run coincided with getting promoted under DJ. You could argue I suppose that the run helped galvanise the team in the second half of that season. However, that team was way better than our position before we played Newcastle, and all we actually did was sort ourselves out and perform to a correct level.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

We're not overdue one as we haven't taken them seriously for a long while. We'll get slapped.

We will win.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Injuries can happen at any time. That is part of the game. We are also currently mid table, so why not give it a go.

Because we aren't safe yet. Not by a long chalk. The 9 points have been hugely welcome from a table point of view, and there is plenty of dross below us and a good gap. BUT play all the best players and get unlucky with injuries and we could very quickly end up dropping back toward Rotherham et al.

For me, league position is absolutely the only thing that matters until I see our points total starting with a 6.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

We will win.

We will play a weakened side and get absolutely thraped.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Our last good run coincided with getting promoted under DJ. You could argue I suppose that the run helped galvanise the team in the second half of that season. However, that team was way better than our position before we played Newcastle, and all we actually did was sort ourselves out and perform to a correct level.

Also around the time that DJ fell on Miller and Ndah as a partnership as they were the only two fit forwards left at the club. No chance he'd have ever tried that out of choice.

I'd be very wary of using 02/03 as any pointer to anything ever, unless it's 'running a very expensive squad in the Championship means you'll probably have a good run somewhere along the way'. Zero managerial skill that season.

 

[Tony Towner]

I think we will play a weakened team and think they'll play people like Moses and Payet that they are looking to get fit. We will be spanked, it's a shame really, the Cup when it was First 11's vs First 11's was a much finer competition

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I agree. Our budget that year was enormous by Championship standards, and we should have won the league by a street, not pootled along into the play-offs.

 

[Nando]

Payet against our lot is a scary thought.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

The problem with the FA Cup for a team in our position (or indeed virtually any team outside the very biggest guns) is it not possible to win it (bar very unusual years like the Portsmouth or Wigan wins). It is a competition to win the right to get dicked by whichever one of the big six you bump into first, or if you are really lucky to maybe make a semi-final and get humiliated live on BBC by a Chelsea or Man United while Jonathan Pearce spouts condescending platitudes about how you all at least got to enjoy the big day out while having your tummies tickled.

Fuck that. And the club hierarchy seem to agree, so we don't care.

 

[Lycan]

This is my team bar Iorfa for Doherty (Doherty up against Antonio again, no ta), Saville instead of Coady (may as well give him a game) and I'd play Emi if he's fit. I suspect Zyro would be on the right and Byrne on the left if we did go that way.

Oh yeah, if Emi's fit it goes without saying that he should go straight back into the team.

I hear you on Doherty but I just feel that Dom needs a break and we don't have any other options (unless Hause is fit and we can move EEL to RB).

If Ken doesn't play Wallace in this one I'm going to be very unhappy.

Wallace is a lightweight, there's no chance of him being involved while Ken's still harping on about getting more power into the team. TBH I'm kind of expecting Evans (Saville has looked better this season apparently but Evans is more 'powerful') to come back into the first team in Jan and Wallace to go out on loan in League 1.

We are overdue a cup run, hopefully this will be our year. Nothing to lose, play our best team and go for it. The Hammers will almost certainly rest a few players, so we may be able to take advantage of that.

I'm not so sure West Ham will be resting players, this could potentially be the last ever FA Cup tie to be played at the Boleyn Ground.

Easy to say 'play our best team' but what is our best team? Is it the 4-1-4-1 that has just won us 9 points out of 9 or does it consist of the more technical players who've been warming the bench recently?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

There is no way West Ham are resting anyone. Do you honestly think they want to bow out of the FA Cup at the Boleyn for the last time ever against lower division opposition? Not a chance.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If we set up vs these as we did vs Brighton we'll lose 4-0 minimum.

I think they'll rest Carroll but not much else.

 

[Lycan]

Payet will come in for Lanzini, Obiang might play and they might take the opportunity to give Reece Oxford some more game time but that's about it I reckon. They'll absolutely hammer us (pardon the pun).