Man Utd v West Ham United FC ( cup game )

Manchester United and West Ham meet in an FA Cup third round replay, with a home date against Fulham awaiting the victors.

There was to be no separating the two sides during an initial meeting at Upton Park, with Robin van Persie snatching a late leveller for United in a 2-2 draw.

The Red Devils take each competition they enter seriously, with Sir Alex Ferguson a coach who demands success, and they will be looking to go all the way to Wembley.

United have, however, gone six years since they last graced an FA Cup final, and nine since they last lifted the trophy.

West Ham will be determined to see that barren run stretched on Wednesday, with the Hammers looking to make their way into round four.

Sam Allardyce's injury-ravaged squad could do without the extra games, but fresh faces will be drafted in during the January transfer window to help manage the workload.

Man Utd

Wayne Rooney is set to return to the Manchester United starting line-up at Old Trafford.

Rooney has recovered from the knee injury he suffered in training on Christmas Day and is likely to be among a number of changes for the Red Devils.

Nani is fit again after spending two months out with a hamstring problem but Ashley Young (knee) and Johnny Evans (hamstring) both miss out. Nemanja Vidic (also knee) is expected to be fit, but may not be risked.


West Ham United FC

West Ham manager Allardyce has only three fit defenders to choose from, so may opt to change his system as Joey O'Brien (hamstring) and George McCartney (knee) are definitely out, but midfielder Mohamed Diame is available again.

Striker Marouane Chamakh is ineligible for the cup competition due to the terms of his loan from Arsenal, while Allardyce is still deciding how best to integrate new signing Wellington Paulista.

Andy Carroll continues to nurse a knee problem and fellow frontman Modibo Maiga is away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Mali.

Found this somewhere



Slur Alex Ferguson faces the tricky prospect of facing a dangerous West Ham United side on Wednesday night in the FA Cup, knowing his side must travel to London to face Spurs on Sunday.

There is no doubt that Manchester United's priority this season is the Premier League, but Ferguson's jubilant reaction to Robin van Persie's equaliser against the Hammers in the original tie shows he still wants to do well in the FA Cup.

Ferguson has a delicate balancing act on his hands. He doesn't want to crash out of the FA Cup at the first stage, but he also wants to keep his players fresh for Sunday, particularly after a tough battle last weekend against old rivals Liverpool.

Jonny Evans (hamstring) and Nemanja Vidic (knee) are both carrying knocks and are unlikely to play, while Rio Ferdinand rarely plays three games in a week, so could well be rested for this Old Trafford cup replay. That means we may see the talented but inexperienced pairing of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones together at the back.

At left-back, Patrice Evra may well step aside to allow Alex Buttner to gain more first-team experience, while Rafael is likely to continue on the right.

With Ashley Young receiving treatment for a knee injury, Antonio Valencia is likely to get the nod on the right flank, with old hands Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes also getting a rare first-team start.

Up front, Robin van Persie may well start the game on the bench with Javier Hernandez paired alongside Danny Welbeck, who won man of the match against Liverpool.

Anderson, Nani and Wayne Rooney are all likely to be back in the squad after returning from injury, so you could see them playing at least some of the game. If Rooney can demonstrate his sharpness, he could get a start at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Ferguson will want to win this match, but he will feel that he can still achieve that without risking further injuries to his already fragile back-line, while also blooding those in need of some game minutes.

It's a risk and one West Ham might be able to capitalise on.


Got a feeling we are gonna go up there and give them a spanking

My line up and formation :

SUBS:Spiegel,Moncur,Vaz Te,C.Cole,Noble,Diarra,Demel

I would give Diame just over an hour on the pitch before taking him off for Noble

Any players not registered when we played the original game cannot play Arran ie Paulista or Chamakh. Maiga is away at the African Cup of Nations

You really need to keep up!!

I would certainly not risk Diame. I would play Diarra Taylor and O'Neil

Tony P wrote:Any players not registered when we played the original game cannot play Arran ie Paulista or Chamakh. Maiga is away at the African Cup of Nations

You really need to keep up!!

I would certainly not risk Diame. I would play Diarra Taylor and O'Neil

I wish we could rest one or both centre backs as well.

I would go with this line up...

Yep. I like the look of that line-up Carrick !

I'd have Messi on the bench.

TaniaP wrote:I'd have Messi on the bench.

You get Messy in the Supps Club, let alone on the bench

I had considered that Tania, had Vaz Te on the left. I just felt Messi would help out more defensively...

I know i said in the first game that we needed a good show and to build confidence for the Sunderland game (well that worked didn't it )
I would rest some key players for this one, QPR at the weekend has become and bit of a must win game now, they also will have an extra day recovery time.

Really need to concentrate on the QPR game.
This one is now a bridge to far and the only thing that worries me is that it’s on the tele and could be very embarrassing.

With you Charlie on the QPR game . Shame we did,nt win last time at home but shit happens , now all concentration should be on stuffing Arry,s mob good and proper , the league is more important to us at the mo

carrick wrote:I would go with this line up...

I don't know if some of them are ready to play in the West Ham first team, Messi? Fabrigas? Villa? hmmm when we have Cole x 2 and Vaz Te!!

(I think Messi scored more goals on his own in 2012 than West Ham United FC managed!)

Charlie Ham wrote:Really need to concentrate on the QPR game.
This one is now a bridge to far and the only thing that worries me is that it’s on the tele and could be very embarrassing.

As a stat attack, we haven't won an FA Cup third round replay, by my recollection since beating Farnborough Town 1-0 in 1992. Since then we've lost three FA Cup third round replays: to Wrexham (1997), Swansea (1999) and Man City (2008).

Dan C wrote:As a stat attack, we haven't won an FA Cup third round replay, by my recollection since beating Farnborough Town 1-0 in 1992. Since then we've lost three FA Cup third round replays: to Wrexham (1997), Swansea (1999) and Man City (2008).

Well it looks like that trend is going to continue Dan !!

Dont ask me why but I just have this feeling that we may see a repeat of the Carling Cup Q/F result tonight

Iam going to go 3-1 West Ham (C.Cole x2 and Nolan and Rooney for them )

I can see nothing but being on the wrong end of 3 or 4

Campo wrote:I can see nothing but being on the wrong end of 3 or 4

No injuries is a success tonight

Admin wrote:Found this somewhere



Slur Alex Ferguson faces the tricky prospect of facing a dangerous West Ham United side on Wednesday night in the FA Cup, knowing his side must travel to London to face Spurs on Sunday.

Dangerous?!dangerous??!! clearly whoever penned this never watched that Sunderland game.

Not sure I want to watch tonight game.

Might give me nightmares.

Really not feeling very confident about this one

West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Spence, Reid, Tomkins, Potts, Diarra, O'Neil, Diame, Taylor, Vaz Te, C.Cole

Manchester United: Lindegaard, Rafael, Jones, Valencia, Anderson, Smalling, Nani, Buttner, Rooney, Hernandez


West Ham United subs: Spiegel, Demel, Jarvis, Collison, Nolan, Lletget, Lee


Manchester United subs: Amos, Ferdinand, Carrick, Scholes, Van Persie, Kagawa, Welbeck