Wigan vs WHUFC (FA Cup) January 27th, 2018

Here we are... 8 hours before kick-off...

All the magic of the FA Cup... how things have changed... when I first moved to the States, the only option I had was to get in the car, drive 20 miles to Santa Monica to the Cock 'n' Bull pub...

Reminds me of the nightmare... the "Breen" game...

had to get up at 4am on me birthday, drive all that way.. watch us ship 6 goals and then drive home to be back by 6am... and I was only one of two Hammers in the place...

but now it's 2018... I has the big screen Tv and a live game being broadcast right into my living room... so all I gots to do these days is roll out of bed at 6:50am and there we are...

but what of tomorrow's game?

it's West Ham... it's the cup... who the fupp knows...

see you in just under 8 hours...

My two boys are driving up there for this game.
I just hope that whatever team we put out they have a go and try and win it.

well i guess the 'news' is...

Cullen starts

Martinez is up front with Hernandez

Hart in goal

the first minute belongs to Wigan... we almost got a break but our little triangle passing in the centre circle got intercepted..


Byram is also in the starting 11

holy spitballs... just looked down to type that the first 5 minutes had been fairly even and Wigan go and score

poor defending on the far post as a cross comes in from miles out of the wing and almost a free header into the back of the net...

ugh...

Looked like Burke who was at fault...

8 mins gone... 0-1

and there you have it... an almost identical move... this time form a free kick...

into the box... scramble as players have no idea where the ball is and it's in the back of the net...

for some reason the Lnesman flagged it as offside... so we have to count ourselves lucky that we're not 0-2 down...

He's done so well at U-23 level but I have to say, Martinez has looked piss poor when's played for the first team...

the Byram side of our defense is completely AWOL... everyone packed in the centre of the box with two Wigan players free and clear on the right hand side (I can never figure out which side is which... you stand as the beer and do left and right from that perspective?)

fortunately the Wigan payer with the ball decides to go for glory rather than the obvious over lap and shoots over the bar

Hammers fans are in fine voice as usual... shame the team is so all over the place

Wigan are most definitely on top

ooh... we attack... long ball form Masuaku... but Martinez fucks up his run one on one with the defender and gets flagged offside...

with a high Wigan line at the back, this seems like a good ploy... but the attackers have to be smart about their runs and positioning... Martinez wasn't.

Masuaku decides to do what he does best and beats the Wigan player on the wing to hang in a cross that gets put out for our first corner...

halfway thru the first half... the corner kinda went nowhere... then came out to Cresswell who miss hit a shot so badly everyone just kinda stood and watched while it looped around and eventually came out to to us... but then went nowhere... possession back to Wigan

although we're on the attack again... but then pressed back to our own half and then conceding a free kick...

oh great... the stretcher is on...

Oxford is getting ready come on as Obiang is strapped into the plastic to be carted off

that's gonna suck in the coming weeks...

Charlie Ham wrote:My two boys are driving up there for this game.
I just hope that whatever team we put out they have a go and try and win it.

oh Charlie... didn't see you there.

hope the boys are having fun... difficult watching this shower...

one end of the ground seems almost empty... if that's where our fans are then they're making a lot of noise... if it's where Wigan fans are then they should disgusted at the lack of attendance for a home game...

43 minutes gone... we have a corner...

ooh... and a good one... plopped on the ground right in the middle of the six yard box... but no one pounced on it and the chance is gone

totally asleep at the wheel gives Wigan a long range shot that Hart smothers...

4 minutes added to this thanks to the Obiang injury...

gotta do better... much better...

Martinez times his run wrong again and is flagged offside...

holy crap... Martinez actually does superbly well... looks like he's stumbled over on the touchline but that only allows him to slip the ball past the defender... get to his feet and play it into the 6 yard area where...

where we ping it about and ultimately shoot so wide that we miss the end of the stadium...

Half time...

I guess in a way we're lucky to only be a goal down...

2nd half starts and a bit of a change up... new player gets a run out as João Mário replaces Pablo Zabaleta.

not sure if we're just trying to save Zab from injury or admitting how shit he's been...

westhamonkey wrote:

holy crap... Martinez actually does superbly well... looks like he's stumbled over on the touchline but that only allows him to slip the ball past the defender... get to his feet and play it into the 6 yard area where...

where we ping it about and ultimately shoot so wide that we miss the end of the stadium...

Half time...

I guess in a way we're lucky to only be a goal down...

Can't say I'm surprised by the score.
If it stays like this then my boys will have a very long and quite journey home.

hold on a mo'... Masuaku's been sent off!!!!

what the fupp?

oh... that's why...

Wigan player barged into Masuaku... so Arthur spits at him... what a minge

off you go.

game over? should I go back to bed?

a goal down

the one player who actually looked busy gets sent off...

there's plenty of time to pull it out of the fire... but I can't say I'm optimistic

free header to Wigan in the centre of the penalty area...

its the same old West Ham... year in year out...

lack of effort

lack of a game plan

lack of ideas

injuries

and the away fans drowning out al the noise in the stadium with their singing

yay... penalty

calm down... calm down...

it's to Wigan

seems harsh... Burk was only a yard away form the player who kicked the ball but had his arm across his chest... so feels kinda harsh to give that as a pen... but a pen it is and it's in the back of the net...

well that was shit

so with no midfield, Chicharito and Martinez have to try to conjure chances for... well... for themselves... something neither is actually very good at...