Guest Post by Benjamin Cronin
Agreed, Bradford and Middlesbrough progressing in the FA Cup was a shock to the system. It doesn’t take twenty minutes of Dale Tempest on Sky Sports News telling us what odds the two were and how much money could have been made to realise that. It does, however, ignite a glimmer of hope in many football fans across the country. Whether it be form sides in the Championship, the big dreamers in the leagues below or the Premiership teams that have only had mid-table obscurity to get excited about over the last few years, whispers of “this could be our year” will be echoing out across England.
Thanks to Mr. Tempest, I’m now well informed enough to know that West Ham are fourth favourites to win the FA Cup and this doesn’t really come as a surprise after the weekend’s events. Before any replays are decided, as well as the final tie in the round (Stoke Vs Rochdale), only ten Premier League sides remain in the competition. You can’t argue with the odds, with Manchester United and Liverpool still having replays to negotiate there may well be a few points of contention, but do we really have that good a chance of a trip to Wembley and better yet, lifting a trophy?
If I had a pound for every time someone mentioned ‘the magic of the FA Cup’ this weekend, I’d probably have a good £250 to stick on the Irons to win it at 7/1. In all seriousness though, this apparent ‘magic’ that led to the disappearing act of Chelsea and City (and the long list of others) has left West Ham with a great opportunity. Unfortunately, as pleasing as the win was, the performance against Bristol City showed there is a lot of work to be done and many a clichéd banana skins still left to negotiate. Granted, a win is a win and we’re in the next round without having to deal with a tricky replay but I can’t imagine many Hammers fans will be happy with what they saw on Sunday afternoon. Thanks to not one, but two goal line clearances we managed to not concede and after struggling all game to create anything of note, we managed to do what Bristol City couldn’t and stick the ball in the back of the net. I don’t want to dwell on the game too much as I’m sure everyone has their own view but there were too many points to go unmentioned. I’d be the first in line to show my appreciation for Andy Carroll and the work he puts in but I’m still struggling to understand how he had more of an impact in our penalty area than the oppositions. His cross that led to the goal was a touch of class but the performance (or lack of it) of those around him meant we were really struggling in a creative sense. Downing didn’t show up and Alex Song appeared to send someone along disguised as him to play. Song is one of my players of the season so far and players can be forgiven for having a bad game but there was something about his presence on the pitch that made me think he just didn’t want to be there. Along with the half-hearted swinging of a leg into challenges and lack of movement to receive the ball, his constant conceding of possession (we’re all aware of the quality of pass he has) was detrimental to the team’s cause. Pundits were quick to label it a professional performance but I think it was far from it, only after the introduction of Sakho did we begin to look like a Premier League side and Bristol City (credit where credit is due, they played well) couldn’t deal with it.
I can’t remember looking forward to an FA Cup draw this much for a good while but when pondering what would be a good tie, I was hit with the thought that it doesn’t really matter. Obviously a home tie is what every club will be after (bar those after a big pay day) but I can’t see myself being happy with any tie. This weekend has proved the dangers of lower league opposition and having already been knocked out to (groans) Sheffield United in the League Cup, we all know what a one-off performance can result in. If we end up away at the likes of; Blackburn, Derby or ‘Boro, I’d be wary of those few half chances and missed opportunities Bristol City had being converted into goals. The dangers of a fellow Premier League side in the next round doesn’t need to be explained but as stupid as it sounds, it could be our best bet. If we were to avoid the likes of; Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, another win would see one more Premier League side out of the running and confidence grow even further. I’m not denying that if we were pulled out alongside Bradford, Preston or Sheffield United I wouldn’t be happy, as strange as it may be, those ties now appear to come with added pressure and I would honestly be happier with Leicester, Sunderland or Villa.
Given our run of fixtures over the next month or so, Big Sam appears to have a difficult juggling act on his hands. Darren Fletcher is apparently on his way in, which in my eyes is a good thing (several doubts surrounding his quality and fitness but he’s sure to add some depth to the squad), Sakho is edging back to full fitness and it looks like Reid will be staying put until the summer, both being major positives that will ease Allardyce’s headaches. I’ve previously mentioned that Sam should look for solidity and strong defensive performances in our upcoming league games and the cup would appear to be the ideal chance to play our expressive, attacking style of football. Ultimately, we’ll need a bit of luck to go our way. Starting tonight, we need the right draw, we need players to stay fit and we need to perform (unlike Sunday) in these big games. There is a long way to go yet before anyone has a good chance of winning the FA Cup but still being in it is a start. I often think back to that day in 2006 when although being heartbroken, I had one of my best days as a West Ham United supporter. The weekend’s results and aftermath has made me realise another day like that isn’t far away, here’s to hoping we get to experience it again this year and who knows, maybe a happy ending.