Last Sunday afternoon saw West Ham’s first and final FA Cup appearance of the season as Chris O’Grady’s late winner for Sheffield Wednesday sent us crashing out of a tournament that never really begun for Big Sam’s men.
On another day we could have been enjoying that fourth round draw on Sunday evening, but for a Sam Baldock missed penalty and a gilt-edged Frank Nouble miss late on, instead we depressingly looked on wondering what could have awaited us in the next round.After their late winner and the subsequent full time whistle, I was gutted, arguably more so than if we had lost it late in a Championship game. The FA Cup is such an historic trophy where heroes are made and fairytales written. The prestigious trophy has given me my best memories in football.
The first ever away game I attended, aged 11, was that memorable Sunday in 2001 when Paolo Di Canio entered legendary status with the Hammers faithful as he poked it past the waving Fabien Barthez to knock Man United out of the Cup and send the claret and blue into delirium. To this day, that afternoon at Old Trafford remains my greatest moment as a football fan.
Then there was the Cup run in 2006, where, but for one Scouse midfielder in the dying seconds, Pardew and the boys would have lifted the famous trophy for the fourth time in our history. It wasn’t to be but the win at Norwich that started it all, Harewood’s cracking winner against Boro in the semis at Villa Park, the whole occasion in Cardiff, to be part of one of the greatest FA Cup finals to ever be played, it was a time that I and I’m sure all other Irons will never forget.
It is these unforgettable moments that make the FA Cup magical and what makes fans so passionate about it. The giant killings, the anticipated draws, the dream of a Wembley final; the competition has it all. We want to experience these incredible moments again and again but sadly there will be none for us in 2012.
It was always going to be a tough game. Big Sam understandably gave a few big names such as Carlton Cole, Rob Green and Kevin Nolan the day off. In addition, Wednesday have been flying in League One recently and themselves look very well set for promotion back to the Championship this season.
The game itself was not a cracker by any means but as mentioned, if Baldock put away the penalty, it would have been a tough ask for the Owls to come back. At very least I think we would have been looking at a replay. However that penalty didn’t go in and it’s now all in the past unfortunately and something we must not dwell on.
On a positive note, it was good to see the likes of Baldock, Gary O’Neill and Henri Lansbury all get good game time as they get their full match fitness back after long layoffs.
As good as a cup run is, now we are out, all eggs can be put in the Championship basket and it’s certainly still all to play for as far as promotion goes. At the end of the day, becoming a Premier League team come May is the absolute priority. Last year you couldn’t help but feel our superb run to the Carling Cup semi-final, as brilliant as it was, impacted negatively on our already below average league performances.
Who knows what League we would have been playing in this season if say we would have lost at Sunderland in the third round of the League Cup last year?
This month Big Sam can, and I’m sure he will, strengthen all departments of the squad and hopefully establish a consistent first team to aid our promotion push. If come May, we sit nicely at the top of the Championship tree I doubt any Hammer will even remember that disappointing January afternoon at Hillsborough.
Plus, there is still one point of interest in the cup of course, that of Mr Di Canio and his Swindon side. Let’s hope the great man can add more magical FA Cup moments to his impressive CV this year.
I think a cup run would have always been viewed upon as a nice bonus but never a priority. Who knows how much of a distraction it could have been had we got through a couple more rounds. Realistically speaking, we were never going to win the FA Cup this year and in the long run, and in terms of promotion, I think we would prefer to be knocked out in the third round, then say the quarter finals.
Sadly this season there will be no memorable cup run, no Di Canio-esque winners at Old Trafford or Anfield, no Wembley visits - but there is always next year. And we have a Championship title to win.
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