Preview - Blackburn Rovers
WHUFC.com
The background
It's time for Emirates FA Cup action again this weekend when the Hammers
travel to Blackburn Rovers on Sunday for their fifth round tie.
West Ham's cup run has been a dramatic one already, with a late winner
against Wolverhampton Wanderers in round three being followed by an even
later winner against Liverpool last time out.
Slaven Bilic's men needed a replay to defeat the Reds following a 0-0 draw
at Anfield, and penalties looked like the method of settling the tie as the
subsequent Boleyn Ground meeting stood locked at 1-1 in the final minute of
extra time.
But then Dimitri Payet delivered an outstanding free-kick and Angelo Ogbonna
leapt high to plant a header beyond Simon Mignolet and send the Hammers
through.
Blackburn, meanwhile, were 2-1 winners at League Two Newport County in the
third round, and they beat opposition from the same division, Oxford United,
in the last 32.
They sit 18th in the Sky Bet Championship table, having picked up their
first league win in nine attempts in midweek, when they defeated Fulham 3-0.
The history
This will be the first time the clubs have met since they were together in
the top flight in the 2010/11 campaign.
Then, the two games ended 1-1, with Thomas Hitzlsperger cancelling out a
Jason Roberts goal at the Boleyn Ground. At Ewood Park, Junior Stanislas was
the man to notch the Hammers' equaliser after Ryan Nelsen opened the
scoring.
The last five Blackburn-West Ham games have ended all-square, with the east
Londoners' last victory at Ewood Park coming in December 2007 when Dean
Ashton scored the only goal of the game.
In the FA Cup, the teams met in the Hammers' 2006 run to the final, when
they won 4-2 at the Boleyn Ground. In all, they have been drawn together six
times in the competition, with each side progressing three times.
The match
Team news
West Ham United
West Ham are light up front and at right back for this fixture, with Enner
Valencia (ankle) and Andy Carroll (adductor) joining Diafra Sakho on the
sidelines. However, Emmanuel Emenike is eligible to play from this round
onwards.
At right back, James Tomkins (calf) and Joey O'Brien (hamstring) are out
injured, while Sam Byram is cup tied.
Manuel Lanzini returns to the fold after missing the majority of 2016 to
date with a thigh problem.
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn's on loan midfielder Jordi Gomez can feature after not being
involved for parent club Sunderland earlier in the competition.
However, fellow loanees Danny Graham and Matt Grimes are both ineligible
after featuring for Sunderland and Swansea City respectively in the FA Cup
this season.
Match info
- Sunday's match referee is Jonathan Moss. He has taken charge of three
Hammers games so far this term – the 4-3 defeat to Bournemouth and wins over
Chelsea and Aston Villa. Of the four red cards he has issued in 2015/16,
three of them have been in West Ham games. On Sunday he will be assisted by
Gary Beswick and Mark Scholes. The fourth official is Kevin Friend.
- West Ham won their last FA Cup meeting with Blackburn, 4-2 in the 4th
round en route to the final in 2006.
- Overall, they've met 10 times in the competition (including replays),
Blackburn winning three to West Ham's two (5 draws). West Ham progressed via
penalties from one of those draws.
- West Ham are unbeaten in 11 games in all competitions against Blackburn,
with six wins followed most recently by five consecutive draws in a row.
- Michail Antonio scored twice in his last appearance against Blackburn
Rovers, in a 3-3 draw with Nottingham Forest in the Championship last
season.
Ticketing, coverage, travel and other info
- All 7,200 West Ham United tickets have SOLD OUT for this fixture.
- Click here for the latest news on the trains and here for the roads.
- We're set for a wet day in Lancashire on Sunday, with temperatures
reaching 7C (45F)
- If you're not heading to the game, make sure you keep up to date with all
the action using our digital channels. The whufc.com Live Match Centre will
have live audio commentary and text updates, in-running stats, photos and
more. Meanwhile, you can get involved in the conversation on social using
#BLAWHU
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Moses - We will need to be at our best
WHUFC.com
Looking ahead to tomorrow's FA Cup fifth round encounter with Blackburn
Rovers, Victor Moses insists his side will have to be at their best if they
are to overcome hosts Rovers on Sunday afternoon. The winger made a huge
impact off the bench against Norwich City, helping to rescue a point from
being 2-0 down. Now, fully focused on the task in hand, Moses said: "We're
all looking forward to the game, it's not going to be easy. Playing a
Championship team is always hard. We are going to do our best to try and
come out victorious. "We've been doing very well this season, we just need
to stay grounded, keep our feet on the floor and keep playing football.
That's what we've done since the start of the season, and that's what we'll
continue to do."
On loan from Chelsea, the Nigerian international was speaking at a store
signing event at the Club's store in the Liberty Romford shopping centre.
Speaking after the event, he said: "It was amazing to meet some of our fans
today in Romford. They've always been there for us this season and for me
personally since I joined. So it's nice to be able to show them love so I
appreciate them coming out to see us today. "I've been to Romford a couple
of times; it's too far from the training ground. The town centre and
shopping centre is amazing, so it's good, I've been here a couple times."
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From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com
Good afternoon,
The year 2016 is so important to us for so many reasons. It's 50 years since
we won the World Cup with Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. And of
course we will bid farewell to the Boleyn Ground, which will be a momentous
moment in the history of West Ham United.
And what better way to mark both of those events than bringing the FA Cup
back to East London.
As a Board we have tried to make sure that happens. We made significant
funds available for transfers in the summer and have secured a number of key
first-team players, like Dimtri Payet, on big, long contracts.
On the pitch we've also done well and currently sit seventh in the Premier
League. I think right now, though, the FA Cup just feels more important than
the league as to win the cup or even to just get to Wembley would be a
massive achievement in such a crucial year.
I know how important it is to the fans as well. It's also a time in the
Club's history where everything is coming together. It's like a perfect
storm where we've got a great manager, we've got players, who are exceeding
our expectations, and the best fans in the country.
Have we ever seen support like this? It is just exceptional for us to take
7,200 fans to Blackburn on Sunday, especially when you consider it is not
the easiest to get to for a 2pm kick off.
The fans are not only showing their loyalty on Sunday, but they are also
demonstrating it with their commitment to our new Stadium next season. We
are now seeing a huge surge in demand for Season Tickets, which is not only
showing that they are passionate but there are a lot more of them than some
people previously thought!
We were much maligned by the press and our critics who said that we wouldn't
fill a 54,000-seater stadium as we don't have that many fans. Well we proved
them wrong. Not only will we fill 54,000 seats but we will have a waiting
list for Season Tickets for the 2017/18 season already.
There is no doubt that Slaven, like us, would accept slipping the odd place
in the league at the end of the season if it meant us putting out our very
best side in every round of the FA Cup. And that is what we will do on
Sunday.
Everyone around the Club - the Board, the manager, players and fans want to
win this trophy in this very special year for our Club.
Thank you for the role you are playing and for your fantastic support.
David Gold
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Bilic keen to avoid FA Cupset
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic says Emirates FA Cup victory over Blackburn Rovers on Sunday
would help erase the memory of losing to giant-killers Wrexham. Bilic was in
his second season as a player at the Boleyn Ground when the Premier League
West Ham United were knocked out by the Second Division side from North
Wales. The Croatian missed the first tie – a 1-1 draw at the Racecourse
Ground – to attend the birth of his son Leo, but was back in the side for
the replay, which ended 1-0 in favour of the Dragons. While the manager says
defeat by Championship club Blackburn at Ewood Park would not be classed as
anywhere near as big of an upset, he is determined to put the nightmare of
defeat by lower-division opposition behind him this weekend.
"The first game we played it was 1-1 at Wrexham and I didn't play because my
son Leo was born on that day," he said. "It was 4 January 1997. I was in
hospital and Hugo Porfírio scored exactly in the minute when my son was
born. The replay here, it was one of the really bad memories. There were
police on horses and all that, because the fans wanted the chairman to sign
a striker. "We were struggling. We weren't conceding a lot of goals but we
couldn't score and then Wrexham came and they scored at the end of the game,
a great goal from 25 yards. After that we signed Johnny Hartson and Paul
Kitson and we stayed up. "Make no mistake, I am expecting a very tough game
and it wouldn't be a big surprise if a club like Blackburn, at home, beats a
Premier League side in the FA Cup. It's happened many, many times before."
West Ham will travel to Lancashire without the injured Andy Carroll and
Enner Valencia, while the tie has come too soon for Diafra Sakho and Winston
Reid. However, loan signing Emmanuel Emenike could lead the line from
kick-off for the first time since his January arrival from Turkish football,
while Cheikhou Kouyate is available again after coming through the
concussion protocol, and former Blackburn loanee Doneil Henry is fit again
and included in Bilic's squad. Meanwhile, youngsters George Dobson, and Alex
Pike could join fellow Academy stars Reece Oxford, Marcus Browne, Djair
Parfitt-Williams and Sam Howes in the squad, with Sunday's trip providing
them with valuable experience of being in and around the first-team squad.
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Tactically speaking - Blackburn Rovers
WHUFC.com
An in-depth analysis of how Paul Lambert's team could tackle Sunday's
Emirates FA Cup fifth-round tie...
It has been a tough 2016 for Blackburn Rovers, who tasted victory for the
first time in more than two months in the Championship when they beat Fulham
3-0 on Tuesday evening.
That Ewood Park victory was Rovers' first league success in ten attempts – a
run which had seen Paul Lambert's side slip from eleventh to as low as 19th
in the table.
Prior to their welcome midweek success, Blackburn's only joy this year had
come in the Emirates FA Cup, where Lambert's team had scored victories at
League Two opposition in Newport County (2-1) and Oxford United (3-0).
Those successes set up Sunday's fifth-round tie visit of West Ham United to
Lancashire – a seventh FA Cup meeting between two traditional clubs.
Those six previous meetings have been split equally, with each club
progressing to the next round on three occasions – the most recent being
West Ham's 4-2 fourth-round win over Blackburn at the Boleyn Ground on their
way to the final in 2006.
Fast forward ten years and the two will do battle again in the world's
most-famous knockout competition – but how will Lambert's side approach the
tie.
With leading scorer Jordan Rhodes leaving Ewood Park for Middlesbrough in
January, Lambert has brought in Danny Graham on loan from Sunderland to
partner target man Chris Brown in attack.
Graham is cup-tied, which will mean Lambert having to find a new partner for
the physical Brown, to run in behind the opposition defence to latch onto
flick-ons, through balls and lofted passes into the channels. That role is
likely to go to former Gillingham striker Simeon Jackson.
Behind them, Lambert employed a narrow, compact 4-4-2 diamond formation in
Tuesday's victory, with former Norwich City attacking midfielder Elliott
Bennett playing at the tip.
The 27-year-old will start in the centre of the pitch, but has a habit of
wandering into the right channel to support the centre forward. In
possession, Bennett has decent quality and can provide dangerous crosses
from open play and set pieces.
The 'wide' positions will be filled by another on-loan Sunderland player in
Spanish midfielder Jordi Gomez on the left, and Irishman Darragh Lenihan on
the right.
The defensive midfield position will be filled by Corry Evans – a
technically-gifted player who has the discipline to sit deep and provide a
shield for his defenders.
While Blackburn's compact central midfield can close down space on one side
of the pitch, it can leave them open to a quick switch of the ball into
space on the other.
At the back, the full-backs will get forward when the opportunity allows,
but prefer to loft balls forward into the channels for their centre forwards
to run onto. This tactic was used repeatedly against Fulham in order to get
the opposition defenders turned and running towards their own goal.
Former Leicester City winger Ben Marshall started at right-back against
Fulham and will get on the ball and run with it or pass forward with
purpose.
At left-back, Tommy Spurr is more defensively-minded and is also strong in
the air for a full-back at 6'1.
The two centre-halves, Shane Duffy and Grant Hanley, are big, strong and
physically-imposing defenders whose strength is most definitely in keeping
the ball out of their net.
Finally, goalkeeper Luke Steele makes use of his two tall, strong centre
forwards by banging long clearances upfield from the ground, rather than out
of his hands.
Possible starting XI: (4-4-2 diamond) Steele, Marshall, Duffy, Hanley,
Spurr, Evans, Lenihan, Gomez, Bennett, Jackson, Brown
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Hammers fans flock to Romford
WHUFC.com
West Ham United fans turned out in force at the Club's Official Romford
Store on Friday afternoon to meet Victor Moses and Emmanuel Emenike.
With the February half-term holidays in full swing, the Liberty Romford
shopping centre was heaving with excited young Hammers and Nigerian winger
Victor Moses was overwhelmed by the support. Speaking after the event, Moses
explained: "It was amazing to meet some of our fans in Romford. They've
always been there for us this season and for me personally since I joined.
It's nice to be able to show them love so I appreciate them coming out to
see us today. "West Ham is a great club, with a rich traditional and great
fans, so meeting some of the them was great."
Local brother and sister Ethan and Sophia Dylan certainly enjoyed the
opportunity to meet two of the newest Hammers. Ethan enthused: "It was
great, great to meet the players in the flesh. You see them on the pitch and
on TV but to see them in real life was amazing." While Sophia concurred:
"We've had a great season so far and hopefully it continues. We're doing
well in the FA Cup and a European spot is within reach, so yeah, brilliant."
The Hammers newest signing, Nigerian international striker Emmanuel Emenike
also enjoyed his first opportunity to meet some of the most avid West Ham
fans. And with injuries to Enner Valencia and Andy Carroll, the experienced
forward could well be in line for his first start since joining in January
He said: "I am very happy to get the opportunity to meet some of our local
fans. They were really good and I really enjoyed myself. I have only been
here a short time but they have really welcomed me and made me feel at home.
"I enjoy living in London a lot. It's very good so far, I am happy with the
club, and all my teammates are very welcoming. "I am really looking to the
Blackburn game this weekend; it is a very important match for the team but
also personally because I have the opportunity to show what I can do. "If I
score, I don't know what I'd do to celebrate because I would be so excited,
I would be so happy!"
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Slaven Bilic says Darren Randolph will play for West Ham in FA Cup
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 20/02/16 1:33pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic has promised Darren Randolph he will play in the FA Cup final
if West Ham get there. Randolph is back-up goalkeeper to Spanish stopper
Adrian at Upton Park but has been handed his chance in the cup competitions
this season. The 28-year-old Republic of Ireland international made a series
of fine saves as West Ham overcame Liverpool after a replay, and will keep
his place at Blackburn in the fifth round on Sunday. And Hammers boss Bilic
says Randolph will continue to be his cup keeper - hopefully all the way to
Wembley. "Randolph will definitely play," he said. "Adrian is fine with
that. He is our first keeper but Randolph deserves his chance. "Every time
we have put him in goal he has done brilliantly for us. He is doing the same
thing he does when he is playing for Ireland. "It is a big privilege to have
two such great goalkeepers, and I decided that Randolph will be in goal for
all the FA Cup games. "He was very good at Anfield, and also at home when we
beat Liverpool he made some great saves. He deserves to be in goal."
Bilic has made the FA Cup a priority this season, even claiming he would
rather lift the trophy than finish in the top four of the Premier League.
Standing between the Hammers and a place in the quarter-finals are a Rovers
side 18th in the Championship. They have picked up just three wins in their
last 12 games, one of which was a 3-0 victory over Oxford in the last round.
Bilic, however, will not be taking them lightly, although he says the
Hammers should treat the tie as a genuine chance to reach the last eight.
"It will be a big test for us," he added. "They are not having a great
season but they are solid, they don't concede many goals. "No matter who you
play, you are playing for the quarter-finals and that's where we want to be.
The win against Liverpool will have more value if we progress in the cup.
"We have rested a few players this week and I think we are well prepared for
the game. "We'll take nothing for granted, it will be a very difficult game
but we are a Premier League side, we are having a good season so far and I
will be really disappointed if we don't go through."
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Payet's big Lanzini welcome back
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 20, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
It's been pretty obvious that far too much has been expected of Dimi Payet
in the creativity department over recent weeks and it seems that the main
man accepts that himself. He has been the first to admit that he has missed
Manu Lanzini and hopefully as of tomorrow at Ewood Park everything will
change and we'll be close to seeing normal service resumed. Payet – in a
tweet – has welcomed back his partner in arms and is clearly looking forward
to linking up with the Little Jewel again. That may or may not be from the
start of the game as manager Slave Bilic is always cautious with returning
players but it seems certain that the pair are on line to cause havoc over
the closing weeks of the season.
Payet in his tweet hints at the good things to come saying: My bro
@maanuulanzini10 is back…I missed you @whufc_official #westham #coyi #whufc
#mybro…https://www.instagram.com/p/BB-flxXHu_3/
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Hammers request for OS capacity increase to 60K
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 20, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham chairman David Gold has confirmed that the club has asked to
increase capacity from 54,000 to 60,000 to meet demand. The owner replying
to a question on twitter told his 134,000 followers. "Yes, we have applied
for permission to extend the capacity from 54000 to 60000 in an effort to
meet demand. dg " He then added "The rumours suggesting we are increasing
the number of seats just for our critics, who said "you won't fill the
stadium" Are not true. dg" When asked whether the taxpayer is paying for a
possible increase to 60,000 DG quipped "The taxpayer will now own a vibrant
profit making stadium instead of a lose making white elephant. Plus jobs
jobs.dg"
As we reported last week, as many 25,000 supporters could currently miss out
on a season ticket as demand outstrips supply. There are around 34,000 on
the waiting list with as few as 9,000 season tickets remaining. An increase
in capacity to 60,000 would mean another 6,000 season tickets could be sold.
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Gold put down for former Hammers 'bad boy'
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 20, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Gold has made his opinion clear on a former a Hammer who left the club
under a big cloud. Told by a follower that bad boy Morgan Amalfitano was a
"great player" Gold had no issues with making his feelings pretty clear. The
French midfielder fell out with Slaven Bilic early on and the club were
forced to pay him off after the manager flatly refused to have him anywhere
near the first team sending him instead to train with the Development side.
Gold's follower, however, clearly felt Slav had got it wrong and asked the
co chairman: "Should of (have!) kept hold of Amalfitano, he's a great
player."
Gold however was desperately underwhelmed by the suggestion and responded
with a typically cryptic quip to make his feelings known. He tweeted:
"Amalfitano was an OK squad player but I can't believe anyone but his agent
would call him a 'great' player." Dg
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Slav may drop striker bombshell
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 20, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Slaven Bilic may launch a major surprise at Blackburn tomorrow by handing
exciting striker Djair Parfitt-Williams a run out in fifth round clash.
David Gold has revealed that the 19 year old is on the squad and it
certainly isn't outside the realms of possibility that the youngster could
be called into the action. The teenager – whose two senior appearances
came in the Europa League during the opening weeks of this season against
Lusitans home and away – is a hugely exciting talent. He was born in Bermuda
but raised in the United States and can play on either wing, as a striker
or in a deep-lying number 10 role and will hope to take advantage of the
Hammers' lack of fit forwards. Andy Carroll (adductor) and Enner Valencia
(ankle) have joined Diafra Sakho (thigh) on the sidelines, leaving January
signing Emmanuel Emenike as the only fit senior striker. Gold, when asked
about Parfitt-Williams this morning, tweeted: "Djair Parfitt-Williams is in
the squad for Sunday's game."
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Leroy delivers his Rovers/Irons verdict
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 20, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
I don't have the slightest doubt that the Hammers will beat Blackburn Rovers
in the FA Cup at Ewood Park tomorrow even with some difficult injury
problems.
There's a problem at right back and at centre forward which isn't ideal but
the squad will have far too much for Rovers if they approach the game with
the right attitude.
And to be honest I don't have a single worry on that score because we have
shown ourselves as a big occasion side anyway and even when things aren't
going great like last weekend, we have shown ourselves to possess the grit
to tough things out and get a result.
The only issue is the unpredictability of the FA Cup but the reality is we
should be far too strong for a Championship side currently in 18th place.
It looks very much as though Michail Antonio will take over at right back
and knowing the young man's approach to things I know he'll do a job in
there for 90 minutes.
Emenike looks set for the front role and there could hardly be a better game
for him to show what he's all about. It could be a real confidence builder
for him.
Slav would have rotated the squad if everybody was fit and although the
situation isn't ideal in those two positions we'll cope and I see a
comfortable victory ahead.
Ewood Park is a great stadium with a fine surface and with over 7,000
Hammers inside we will create one hell of an atmosphere
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