Manchester United have been drawn against West Ham in the Carabao Cup third round, the 'Moose' Cup game will be held at Old Trafford and will be decided via penalties if required, with no replays. The tie will be played on the midweek of September the 22nd or 23rd.
Manchester United visit West Ham in the Barclays Premier League on the Sunday the 19th, so at most there will only be 4 day gap between games. Having been beaten 3 times by the Manchester Club last season, David Moyes will be hoping his 'counter attack' specialists will be able to undo his old club this time round.
Although a periphery competition to most fans, especially those who have seen their team dumped out of it, the Moose Cup nevertheless represents the opportunity to acquire silver ware. Clubs that aren't state sponsored or funded by massive corporations, still view winning it as a worthy achievement, and fans of the eventual winners will be more than happy to accept the trophy despite it's devaluation in the last few years.
Having been 'unfairly' beaten 1-0 in the FA Cup match at Old Trafford in February, a game which went to extra-time, Hammers will be looking for their revenge, and why not? While there are many doubts as to how long West Ham's paper thin squad can cope with the demands inherent of competing in Europe, as well as the three domestic competitions, there is genuine belief that the team Moyes has developed is capable of taking on the 'big boys'.
It is hoped that last season was NOT an aberration, rather a transitional phase between a club that is used to failure or mediocrity on a regular basis to a club that is comfortable at the top table, even if it's suit is off the peg as opposed to tailor made.
Such has been the progress and continued upward trajectory of the club, that some fans have even taken to social media 'worried' that Hammers chance of achieving a treble are seriously threatened by having to 'face off' Manchester Utd so early in the competition!
While we wouldn't advocate Moyes doing 'an Allardyce' by throwing the youth players to the proverbial Wolves, the game would represents the opportunity to give some of the clubs U-23 and Academy players a serious run out, and there are plenty of them champing at the bit just waiting, they see their senior team's players doing really, really well, and want a part of it...success breeds success after all.
Then again for some fans, particularly the older ones who have been 'scarred for life' by watching West Ham, there is the fear that the wheels are going to come off the wagon sooner rather than later, beginning against Palace on Saturday.
The Palace game, the 2nd to be played at the 'Dome' in a week, will present an ideal microcosm of how far he club have 'really' progressed under David Moyes, in the past it would be almost a cert that the visitors would arrive and put the 'fancy dans' in their place, something that has happened all too often in the past. Watford's 'humbling' of the club in their 3-2 victory, after having been 2-0 down a few seasons ago, is one that painfully springs to mind in particular, but there have been plenty of other instances!
The next few games, as well as the impending Cup competition, will go a long way to show just how far the team g=has progressed AND if the team has managed to lose it's 'powder puff' exterior of the past, 'Flakey' is the word used by David Moyes to describe Hammers teams of the past, it is to be hoped that is exactly where the flakiness stays, in the past! - Ed
