West Ham are through to the 4th round of the FA Cup after an extra time winner. Academy Graduate Reece Burke grabbed the winner with only a few minutes left.
It’s not pretty, but West Ham are in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Yes the Hammers and Moyes would have preferred to avoid the extra half an hour, and the replay altogether, but at the end of the day the boys from East London got the job done. Just.
And there are some positives to take from the ties. Obviously the win is the big one, but if Moyes is to get the best out of his squad I think these matches may have given him a lot of help. And a good cup run will please both fans and players as well.
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First of the positives, and the most minor really, is Joe Hart keeping two clean sheets. Yes, its a lower league opposition, but given how low his confidence must have been that’s no bad thing. Having two keepers fighting for a place is vital to a solid back line in my opinion. Unless you have a truly world class keeper, backup is needed.
Secondly we had a lot of players prove their fitness over this period, and that is important too. Even matches like this require a lot of effort and to have these players still running is a great sign for Moyes.
But the most important positive is the impact of the youngsters. Even away from the goalscorer Reece Burke, there were encouraging signs from youngsters throughout the side. Josh Cullen in particular for me stood out as someone who could well be a part of our squad going forward. Having lost a tooth in the first match, he showed a calm head and a desire to work hard throughout the game.
Martinez, although he failed to get a goal, showed that if the team supply him he will get shots away. It will take some time for the side to mould to his style however. Certainly I feel much of the criticism he received was very harsh.
Next: Is Chicharito set to leave?
The one youngster who didn’t do well was Oxford. Potentially his fitness was the concern, but some think his head has been turned. Is he likely to remain at the club for much longer given careless performances?