Since 1871/72 The FA Cup has been in existence, making the competition considerably older than West Ham United Football Club. The odds for every team are lengthened, if compared to the League Cup, simply due to the vast amount of clubs that enter the competition. West Ham have only managed to win the FA Cup three times in their 119 year history. An inexperienced West Ham side were thrashed by Nottingham Forest in the third-round.
What Sam Allardyce discussed with the board, prior to the Nottingham Forest match, was making sure that West Ham were not going to risk losing twice, in an attempt to win. What I mean by that is – West Ham could quite possibly have been beaten by an inform Nottingham Forest side, who are certainly no unranked outsider regardless of the match-day squad. If that were to be the case, West Ham would lose the match and lose the fitness of the senior players, therefore meaning a double negative for the club.
West Ham reached the cup semi final this season, and after the first-leg, there’s little danger of reaching the final. Prior to the Forest match, we had already achieved more in cup competitions this season, by reaching the Capital One Cup semi-final, since being the FA Cup runners-up in 2006.
Adrian Durham of talkSPORT claimed that no West Ham fan would back what Sam did at the weekend. He’s wrong – I do. I feel that if there’s a West Ham fan who would be happy to be relegated with the FA Cup (like Wigan Athletic), they are wrong.
The priority is to stay in the Premier League, and already that task has been evidently difficult. Sticking with a manager, and with a little more fortune in the way of fewer injuries combined with injured players returning is a way to get out of this rut. Putting all remaining focus – come April/May – into Premier League survival is paramount.
The League Cup is a chance to enjoy the latter stages of a cup competition without risking chances of survival. The FA Cup final is usually the last domestic fixture of the season, in 2012/13 this wasn’t the case and Wigan couldn’t enjoy their cup success as the Premier League final fixtures were three days after the FA Cup final, and defeat left them relegated. West Ham fans should relish in a cup semi-final for this season, and support for Premier League survival.
Of course there is no proof that there is any direct correlation between their cup success and their league demise, however, if they saved what that had versus Manchester City for Arsenal three days later, maybe they would still be a Premier League club. That status is not as important for a stagnant club like Wigan Athletic, but with the Olympic Stadium on the horizon, West Ham NEED Premier League status come 2016/17.
Wigan fans may have a memorable day but they also have an uncertain future, something that West Ham cannot afford. We’ve only won the FA Cup three times in 119 years, so what’s another FA Cup-less season going to matter?
Just to point out that we played in the first ever FA Cup final, though we were the Royal Engineers back then.
was not first fa cup final we played in it was first at wembley 1923 and we lost 2-0 to bolton wanderers , and we were not royal engineers we were fromerly know as thames iron works
Thats all very well but how to you anticipate west ham stay in the premier league?
The managers tactics could be written on a wax tablet and handed down throughout history.
The team selection with a fully fit team is a constant nightmare, with players played out of position, favouritism is all too evident and is often used over ability.
The transfer policy has historically sold us players beyond their sell by date at inflated prices whilst young talent is ignored.
The injury list all but clearly shows us that there is something wrong with the training policy or the medical backup. Surely we cant have so many glass players?
The way that any media media business is conducted is laughable at best, with the heavy reliance on an 11 year old giving out a babble of disinformation.
I have supported west ham for the last 43 years of my life and can truly say this is without doubt the darkest period of history I have ever had to contend with, even beyond the Tevez saga and the biscuit barons.
As a 45 year Hammers fan, whilst the cup scores are a jolt,they for me were not the darkest days as SA was right to prioritise the league, sadly. Whether the players rise up to the challenge at Cardiff us another thing in a must win, not lose game.
Darker times for me were other LC semis seasons ie Oldham 6-0 after disaster of appointing a manager that season who was envolved in Swindon being demoted, Luton 0-3 at home the year before when we did go down with a previously great manager, as well as going down with 44 points under GR and losing a potentially good team thereafter.
However the money/debt situation now worries me more than anything. By not being able to buy we are losing time on 50/50 loans that may not be finalised and the games tick by.
Face it.
Adrian Durham of talkSh*T —claimed that no West Ham fan would back what Sam did at the weekend. He’s wrong –
He Is Usually wrong
I have to agree with comments above. West Ham have had a bundle of problems that have left them in a dangerous position in the premiership table. There were some questionable refereeing decisions in the early part of the season that affected results, and injuries in many key areas have had their effect too. Most of those issues have been beyond the control of Sam Allardyce or anyone else. Despite the fact that West Ham are not far from safety, I firmly believe that they have the resilience to bounce back, especially when the injured return or decent new signings are made.
Perhaps the key loss is Winston Reid! There were so many clean sheets before his injury and replacements have just not provided the same level of defence. In fairness, I am not sure that even Winston Reid or Andy Carrol would have made much of a difference to the debacle of Wednesday night, although it is probably fair to say that West Ham are not the only ones to suffer at the hands of a very professional and well organised Manchester City who have blown away most opposition at their home ground.
i fully agree with what you have just said mate… the FA cup is useless if we keep getting injuries… can u imagine if Guy Demel or Diame or Joey obrien got injured in that game.. we have a ridiculous amount of injuries to our first team already.. if any more defenders pull up with an injury our season would be completley finished…
im glad there are still some fans who actually have a brain
I can understand Sam throwing 2 cup games for the sake of Premier League survival. However I cannot condone the nature of those 2 heavy defeats & the betrayal to the fans who spent a fortune in travelling to those 2 away cup defeats, especially the 2nd defeat at City, which has virtually made everyones tickets for the 2nd leg at Upton Park worthless. I know other teams have gone to the Etihad and conceded 6 goals or more. Even Arsenal conceded 6, but at least they had the where with all to hit 3 back. I mean an agregate of 11-0 over 2 games that’s a damned insult to everyone who paid to watch those games, but the biggest insult may be, that if after all of this sacrifice by everyone, is that if this does not produce a result at Cardiff, then Sam had better literally run for his life after the game & he had better not dare step foot inside the Boleyn ground for the Newcastle game. No, he would need to be long gone by then, so maybe a win today at Cardiff would be too good Sam. I really hope we do win, otherwise we will become a QPR of last season mkII
Plus the damage of this season has gone too far. Sam didn’t make the right, &/or enough of the right transfer signings in the summer window. We just haven’t got the players. I feel sorry for who we do have, as they are doing their best, but they are clearly out of their depth, & today’s good news I reckon, is that a player who Sam keeps playing, who I think is absolutely useless and thank heavens is now injured, being Joey O’Brien, at least he won’t be playing today & neither should that crap signing he made in Roger Johnson ever play another game again for the Hammers as his defending against Yaya Toure was absolutely woefull. If we play Johnson again we will definitely go down!
A loss today and for the sake of the fans, club and board he has to go, no if,s not but,s this is crunch time