BT Were Hoping For Hammers FA Cup Loss

A week can be a long time in politics, and two weeks a lifetime, but two weeks in football can be an eternity! Just ask the chaps at BT Sport, when as soon as the FA Cup 3rd round fixtures were announced, their programmers looked for the 'best' potential cup upset and decided, following 'Oxford Gate', that Gillingham's home tie against West Ham United meant that they could have a 'giant killing' on the cards, after all, it's what the FA Cup is all about isn't it?

Of course hindsight is a wonderful thing, because the tie was scheduled while Manuel Pellegrini was still Hammers' manager, his disdain for the cup competitions was well documented, and his approach and team selection for cup matches confirmed his particularly stubborn stance. BT Sport were licking their lips at the prospect of the 'mighty Hammers' being embarrassed by 'lowly' Gillingham.

However, that was then and this is now, one of the first public statements newly appointed manager David Moyes made was to confirm his desire for the club to progress in the FA Cup, he clearly understands that a 'Euro' spot is out of the question through the team's Barclays Premier League potential finishing position, but knows how important the FA Cup is to fans who have been starved of the excitement the competition can bring, it may not be a 'big earner' now, but fans still love it!

There is no point in 'saving' players for the final push, because by doing so the management would essentially be writing the season off, fears of relegation have been temporarily suspended following the thumping of Bournemouth, and while future opposition will be far more difficult to beat, the fact is the entire squad, bar a couple, were playing as if they had lead in their boots, David Moyes is known for his fitness regimes, and his desire to have his players to be playing on the front foot, play a pressing game but also being capable of hitting teams on the break.

The 'new manager' bounce won't last forever, but given the fact that the team was perpetually so massively under performing, Moyes would be extremely hard put to do any where near as badly! His back to the basics template works, and this time he has a much bigger arsenal at his disposal to work with compared with that of his last tenure at the club, so essentially all he has to do is get the players to perform to the level that they are capable of, by getting players to play in a position that brings out the best of their qualities, Felipe Anderson playing in the middle means support for Haller, and Moyes also knows what a talent Pablo Fornals is, he even knows to play Authur Masuaku as an advanced left winger, it's not rocket science, just basic logic.

Hopefully Moyes doesn't go too gung ho though, if 'the beast's' troublesome hammy is playing up, then rest him, no one will accuse the manager of playing a 2nd strength team if he is ensuring the player's availability for the league matches to come because of his fitness issues, but by the same measure fans will want to see a team full of purpose that doesn't underestimate the opposition, but gives them a hard game that culminates in a victory that will be seen by a huge hunk of the football viewing nation.

Bt Sport were looking for an upset, it is to be hoped that Hammers can upset the upset! - Ed