West Ham United FC v Man Poo

All eyes will be on Joe Cole when West Ham United host Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday evening.

The midfielder has re-joined his boyhood club from Liverpool on an 18-month contract and has the chance to make his first appearance in a glamorous cup tie at Upton Park.

Cole also has fond memories of playing against Manchester United in the FA Cup, having been a teenager in the team who stunned Sir Alex Ferguson's team in 2001's fourth round.

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will know Premier League stability remains a priority for last season's Championship play-off winners.

But a cup win over Ferguson's table-topping squad would act as a significant confidence boost for the London club.

Not that Manchester United will be taking it easy when they kick-off in the capital at the weekend.

The FA Cup remains a special competition in Ferguson's eyes and the fact his side have not won it since 2004 has become something of an irritation.

West Ham
Cole could make his West Ham United debut in his second spell at the club when they take on Manchester United in the FA Cup on Saturday evening.

The midfielder has returned to Upton Park, where he began his career, on an 18-month contract which was confirmed on Friday morning.

But West Ham will still be without injured on-loan striker Andy Carroll and so Carlton Cole is likely to continue in attack.

Mohamed Diame also remains sidelined through injury but James Collins and Kevin Nolan can return after suspension.

Man Utd

Manchester United are set for changes and it is quite conceivable Sir Alex Ferguson could select a completely different starting line-up to the one he picked at Wigan Athletic.

Wayne Rooney will definitely be absent after being ruled out for another two weeks due to the knee injury he sustained at Swansea City on 22nd December.

Darren Fletcher could come into the team in midfield as he has not started a game since 1st December after being involved in three of the previous four.

Shinji Kagawa needs additional match practice after his knee injury, while Nemanja Vidic, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are also searching for full fitness.

Facts
Man United have won four of their last six FA Cup matches when away to fellow Premier League teams
West Ham have won eight and lost just two of their last 13 home games in the FA Cup
This will be the eighth FA Cup tie between West Ham United and Manchester United

Head To Head
Manchester United have won 57, drawn 24 and lost 42 of their 123 competitive matches against West Ham.

The Red Devils have won eight of the last nine, including a 1-0 triumph at Old Trafford in the Premier League in November when Robin van Persie's first-minute goal was the difference between the sides. The exception was the Hammers' 4-0 victory, in the fifth round of the Carling Cup in November 2010, when there were doubles for Jonathan Spector and Carlton Cole.

The east Londoners hold a 4-3 winning record over United in the FA Cup. Their most notable triumph was 3-1 at Hillsborough in the 1964 semi-finals, on their way to winning the trophy. The third of United's victories was 6-0 in the fourth round in 2003 at Old Trafford; Ryan Giggs scored twice.
The 1964, 1975 and 1980 winners, who last made an unsuccessful appearance in the final in 2006, have failed to make progress in three of the last five seasons.

They have also been beaten in each of the last six occasions they have been drawn against Premier League clubs in the FA Cup, and have not disqualified one since Middlesbrough in the 2006 semi-finals.

This is one of four all-Premier League ties, and the pick of the third round.

Treble-chasing Manchester United boast the best record in the FA Cup, with 18 appearances in the final, 11 of which were won - five under Sir Alex Ferguson.

This is the fifth successive time they have been drawn against fellow Premier-League opposition in the competition, and the 20th in 25 rounds. When Fergie's men last qualified for the final in May 2007, they faced fellow top-fight opposition in all six rounds. If the Red Devils do not concede, it will be their 150th clean sheet in the FA Cup.

I would go for a youthful side today because as much as a decent cup run would be nice I feel its not worth risking get any injuries to add to the injury list IMO !
The team I would put out may get a hammering but at least it gives the young payers a chance to show what they can do etc .
I would go with :
Spiegel
Spence
Collins
Tomkins
Potts
Taylor
Moncur
Nolan(Captain)
Fanimo
J.Cole
C.Cole

That team I feel would be perfect to put out against Utd - Its got a few 1st team players mixed in with a few youth players who would all have something to prove !

I`am going to go with a 1-0 win for West Ham Utd today with J.Cole getting the winner for us

I think you need to sort your medication out young Arran! Getting beaten by manure is a fair possibility whichever team we put out. Even with them making a large number of changes they are still a good way above us in ability, playing Speigal, Spence, Potts (thought he was on loan?) and the others you mention would be professional suicide for BFS. It would be disrespectful to our fans for one thing, in one of the biggest games at home this season. I think BFS will put out a full strength side and see if he can win a game that would be a great boost for the fans, players and all involved with the club.

However I can't see another 4-0 thrashing of them, that hurt the red nosed drunk, he hates losing and hates losing to us especially, I'm going to enjoy watching tonight, may even have a glass of wine while I watch.

I cant see the point of putting out a strong team and risk getting key players injured and fucking up our chances of staying in the league etc ! If we were in the top half and near or past the 40 mark then yea put a strong side out but we are not and we are close to the relegation zone so the league has to take over the cup IMO

We need a strong side and a strong performance
Confidence is a must at the moment

the next 2 games are Sunderland and QPR
going in to those on a high could mean a big difference in the points we pick up

A young side getting spanked is not the way forward

mottinghammer wrote:I think you need to sort your medication out young Arran! ..... ( )

However I can't see another 4-0 thrashing of them, that hurt the red nosed drunk, he hates losing and hates losing to us especially, I'm going to enjoy watching tonight, may even have a glass of wine while I watch.

Love the idea of a young side going out there today and making a laughing stock of the red nosed drunk.

As for the no doubt about it!! Nothing like a glass of Claret

Right , I'm off down the Camrose, back in time for kick off

I take it thats a pub , laters dude

Campo wrote:We need a strong side and a strong performance
Confidence is a must at the moment

the next 2 games are Sunderland and QPR
going in to those on a high could mean a big difference in the points we pick up

A young side getting spanked is not the way forward

All the makings of a really memorable day today, fingers crossed!!

Would like to here Joe Coles song today will boost him no end

West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Tomkins, Potts, Diarra, Nolan, Collison, Joe Cole, Vaz Te, C.Cole
Subs: Spiegel, Reid, Jarvis, Taylor, Noble, Spence, E.Lee

Manchester United: De Gea, Rafael, Evans, Smalling, Buttner, Vidic, Scholes, Cleverley, Kagawa, Welbeck, Hernandez
Subs: Lindegaard, Ferdinand, Valencia, Giggs, Young, Van Persie, Macheda

Beckham at the game!! Signing for us?????

JulianDicksLeftKnee wrote:Beckham at the game!! Signing for us?????

i expected some mischief but not from you JDLK! I honestly dont think after the reception we have Beckham in 1998 he'll ever sign for us!

Sorry Arran, but as the game is on ITV and against very good opposition a strong team was always the way forward as Sam has done. against lower league side and not live on ITV i'd have to agree with ya team selection

we can save a few quid by allowing Potts a few more games rather than spending out on a left back

Happy so far everyone doing well , Vaz should pass some more , the goals will come , Joe and Potts having good games and what Campo says , Giving as good as we get . COYI

Joe's ball for the goal was quality , we have missed that !

All his balls have been spot on

Campo wrote:Joe's ball for the goal was quality , we have missed that !

X 2

FootyHumour ‏@FootyHumour
BREAKING TRANSFER NEWS: Liverpool submit £15M offer for Joe Cole

We did not deserve that

Lads Bloody good effort

Great Effort by the whole team today !!!

If we play like that on saturday against Sunderland then we will beat them with ease for sure !
My line up against Sunderland would be : Jussi,Demel,Collins,Reid,Potts,Jarvis,Nolan,Noble,J,Cole,Vaz te,Chamakh

Cant wait till Carroll is back with Crosses like that from Cole on the right and jarvis on the left and with diame still to come back in midfield it`s looking again for us !

Proud of all of them today , bloody good effort , deserved the win but did,nt get it , great first game from Joe and great game from Potts , just slipped right in there as though he had been there for 2 seasons