COC3: West Ham Utd 3-2 Cardiff City (24/09/13)

[sutts07]

No match thread as yet (not that I could see anyway) so for now this post will have to do to kick things off. UTJ can replace this with a detailed effort from one of the regulars later...

West Ham United v Cardiff City
Capital One Cup 3rd Round
Tuesday 24 September 2013
7.45pm kick off

£15 for Adults and £10 for Under-16s if bought in advance.
Matchday tickets purchased after 9am on the day of the game will be priced at £15 for Under-16s and £20 for Adults.

West Ham progressed through to the 3rd round with a 2-1 win at home to Cheltenham. Stunning goals from Ricardo Vaz Te (who thought he was saying goodbye to the Boleyn Ground) and Morrison were just about enough to outclass the lower league opposition. Summer signing Adrian gave the visitors a 2nd half penalty to ensure a nervy end to the game.

Cardiff eased into the 3rd round with a 2-0 win away at Accrington and also rang the changes with a starting line up that featured just one player from their opening day line up at West Ham.

It will be interesting to see how both managers approach this game now. With our squad already looking thread bare I am worried that it might get hugely overlooked by the Big Man and Cardiff could follow suit making it essentially a reserves match.

Noble will serve his one game suspension, I doubt that Cole or Downing will be risked from the start (if at all), same for Demel and maybe Reid and Collins too. Diame and Nolan were both looking very leggy towards the end of the Everton game so Tuesday may come too soon for them to start... It really worries me.

Adrian, McCartney Tomkins, Rat, Chambers, Collison, Taylor and Vaz Te will all most likely be looking to start again and i am sure Petric will be looking for his first start and a good hour.

I just hope we do not put out too weak a side as this is a very winnable tie that will see us progress to the 4th round of just 7 in the competition. Win this and we are just one win away from the Quarter Final.

Cardiff will not be as poor as they were on day one of the season (depending on the team they put out) and if we take this lightly it could easily be another Wigan.

[kalashnikov]

On one hand Allardyce will be worried about risking first team players with so many injuries already, on the other this is an excellent chance to get the squad back to winning ways.


--------------------Maiga-----------------
Taylor ------- Nolan ----------- Vaz Te
---------- Collison --- Ravel-----------
Rat, Tompkins, McCartney, O'Brien
------------------Adrian------------------

Nolan may be carrying a knock from Everton though.

[sutts07]

I think Sam will just look at the first hand you mentioned. I think his priority this coming week is to get at something at Hull. Cole and Downing may get a half each but last time he tried that he lost them both for two weeks.

Sadly, I would expect to see something more like this from him...

-------------------- Adrian -------------------

Chambers Tomkins McCartney Rat

-------------- Collison Taylor ------------
Vaz Te ------- Morrison -------- Jarvis

------------------- Petric --------------------

Henderson, Nolan, Diame, Downing, Collins, O'Brien, Lee

[prophet:marginal]

___________Adrian___________

Spence_____Tomkins______Reid___________Rat

Vaz_______Diame_______Collison___Jarvis

_________________Rav______________

__________________Petric_______________


Not dropping Collins, JOB and Jussi, as much as giving them a well-deserved rest.

If Downing available, play him in place of Vaz Te and give Vaz and Petric a half each.

This is a 6 tie competition and, unless we're just not interested as a club in progressing, we oughtn't to just chuck in some kids in a sink or swim experiment. We should be looking to progress. One of our best team performances last season was in the cup.

[sutts07]

Spence_____Tomkins______Reid___________Rat

Spence is at Sheff Wed on loan (I think??). Chambers is the most likely right back if he decides to rest O'Brien.

[cockney farmer]

A real shame tat our league form and injuries would have affected the starting team as this would have been very winnable, not so sure now big plus is Adrian getting 90

[sutts07]

Another big plus would be 60 mins and a goal for Petric but if we are worried about his recovery rate then he may only get 30 with an hour going to Maiga.

Maybe it is just yesterday's sense of inevitability still hanging over me but I really do fear the worst in this. I can see Cardiff turning up with a full strength side and us trying to scrape through with a team made up of squad players but getting beaten 2-1.

Plus, our lot know they will get a trip out to Dubai in the new year if they bomb out of this cup now so where is their incentive?

[Puff Daddy]

On one hand Allardyce will be worried about risking first team players with so many injuries already, on the other this is an excellent chance to get the squad back to winning ways.


--------------------Maiga-----------------
Taylor ------- Nolan ----------- Vaz Te
---------- Collison --- Ravel-----------
Rat, Tompkins, McCartney, O'Brien
------------------Adrian------------------

Nolan may be carrying a knock from Everton though.

What is the point in playing Maiga. As a goal threat, do you mean ?

[sutts07]

What is the point in playing Maiga. As a goal threat, do you mean ?

I thought he had him in goal with Taylor Nolan and Vaz Te as a back three at first. Jokes aside, the only reasons I would consider starting him would be...

1) if Petric wouldn't be able to start on Tue and Sat due to fitness.
2) if we experimented with the line up and went with two up top.

I can't think of any other reason why Maiga should ever start for us again up front on his own (and yes, that is even taking into account the fact he started there for us in the same fixture a few weeks back which we won).

[RyanWHUFC]

Adrian
Chambers Tomkins Reid Rat
Collison Diame
RVT Morrsion Jarvis
Petric

Few changes, but still what I'd call strong. Would love a cup run.

[kalashnikov]

What is the point in playing Maiga. As a goal threat, do you mean ?

My thinking was purely that Petric starts vs Hull so he won't vs Cardiff. With our injuries Vaz Te has to play in midfield leaving Maiga the only option up top.

Would love it if we gave Eliot Lee a go, but I can't see it happening.

[prophet:marginal]

Spence is at Sheff Wed on loan (I think??). Chambers is the most likely right back if he decides to rest O'Brien.

I'd forgotten that, cheers.

Its my first match of the season... Hold tight for a defeat, y'all!

[Kialos]

I doubt Elliot Less could be any less effective than Maiga so he might as well be viewed as the striker option along with Vaz Te, Petric and Carroll.

[bobo]

------------------------Adrian---------------------

Chambers------Tomkins---Reid---------Linda

------------------Collison---Taylor--------------

Joe Cole--------------Petric------------Downing

--------------------Carlton Cole-------------------

[fjthegrey]

Will we win 6-0?

I don't know, but we sure as hell should try to, after all, it'd be a great result.

[Aceface]

Adrian, Tomkins, Collison, Taylor, Petric and Maiga are certainties to get a run. Haven't a clue whether the rest will be made up mainly of first teamers or the likes of Chambers, Lee et al. though

[OllyWHU6]

Will we win 6-0?

I don't know, but we sure as hell should try to, after all, it'd be a great result.

I'd much prefer a boggy 1-0 seeing as i won't be there and i'd hate to miss something exciting. :twisted:

[RyanWHUFC]

I'd much prefer a boggy 1-0 seeing as i won't be there and i'd hate to miss something exciting. :twisted:

I wouldn't worry about that too much if I was you fella. Exciting and West Ham don't seem to be going hand in hand at the moment

['Appy 'Ammer]

Ryan... CAPS LOCK!

I think we will get turned over by the sheep shaggers or it will go to pens

[Exiledin cardiff]

Sutts I think you are right there Cardiff will really fancy themselves for this, they have seen what we are about and you can bet McKay will adjust accordingly.
I think we will have to give them something different to look at , if we go two up top with Petric and Maiga we can always revert to Sams original tactic. If we left Nolan on the bench, I would be concerned with Cardiff flooding the midfield and think a central 2 of Diame and Collison would have a bit about it. We can always bring Rav off the bench.
I'd partner Collins and Tomkins giving Reidy a rest and give Adrian a game, Cardiff are a quick passing side and I think they are going into this game much more confident than the first day of the season.
It all depends whether Sam wants a cup a run or is more concerned with Hull in all honesty i don't believe we should fear either of the two, and a cup run may well give us impetus in the league.