Buckle Up Boleyn Bretherin

"We are in for a shaky ride" so said a Hammers stalwart ahead of the European Cup Winners Cup nearly SIXTY years ago! Those were the unforgettable words from the late and truly great Bobby Moore as he led his Hammers team out for the final. He was 24 years old, the same age as current captain Declan Rice.

The dialogue and parlance might have changed over the course of time, but the sentiment is exactly the same. Leading Hammers to their first European trophy since 1965 would be a fitting achievement for Rice before seeking pastures new, Moore was of course a one off unique payer, but Rice isn't far behind and has often referenced the great man when talking about his aspirations for the club.

If and it is obviously a huge if, Hammers can lift the UEAFA Conference Cup trophy tomorrow night, Rice will have drawn a line in the sand of 'fifty plus years of hurt' and finally cemented a starting point for a new generation of fans who have only known the Queen Elizabeth Stadium as their ground.

Gone are the days of the fans' Boleyn Ground, however success breeds success and if the team can put in a herculean effort against Fiorentina in Prague then a whole new era might well begin. Starved of success for an absolute age Irons fans have had to put up with being london's poorest neighbours when it comes to attaining trophies, a win could catapult the club to new highs!

A loss in the stupidly designated Fortuna Arena with it's microscopic capacity would be hard to take but not impossible to recover from. Having got to the semi final of the Europa League last season, the club will hope to actually win the much besmirched Conference Cup which many opposition fans are happy to belittle, but their clubs aren't in a final are they?

Not being the bookies favourites might play into David Moyes and his side's hands, being the under dog is not uncommon for West Ham and tends to bring out the best from the team. There are plenty of substitutes allowed during the game and it is hoped that the Hammers manager can throw off his shackles and USE his bench effectively.

It is already common knowledge that Fiorentina will try to exploit the 'dark arts' of football during the game, Hammers fans must expect time wasting and over exaggeration of fouls on an industrial scale. Such practices are standard in Serie A and Fiorentina are past masters at them, even the slightest of challenges will be met with a 'sniper in the crowd' reaction involving multiple pirouettes and screams of pain!

David Moyes has stated that he is aware of what the opposition might try but that his team will play the game properly, well that is an incredibly naive comment which he hopefully said tongue in cheek. If Hammers DON'T match the antics employed against them, then there will only be one outcome and it won't be a happy one!

We have nothing against the long serving Aaron Cresswell, but if Moyes starts him ahead of Emerson Hammers will be on a hiding to nothing, Cresswell just doesn't have the pace he once had and is prone to giving away the sort of fouls that red cards are dished out for in European competitions.

A slightly trickier decision for David Moyes is whether to start Vlad the Impaler Coufal or Kehrer at right back, both have performed admirably in that berth of late but the ex-Slavia Prague defender will probably get the nod as the game is being hosted in his old stamping ground.

The rest of the team virtually picks itself although there is a rumour that Moyes may start Fabianski in goal instead of Alphonse Areola, that would be a grave error because the French International has earned the right to play in the final having performed magnificently throughout the competition.

As the great man once said "We are in for a bumpy ride, so buckle up boys" let's see what you are made of! - Ed