Avid's Analysis http://www.ukfpl.com/Goto.asp?Where=Blogs en-us Hammers 1-0 Middlesbrough http://www.ukfpl.com/Goto.asp?Where=Blogs&BlogKey=131 Marlon Harewood's thunderbolt was enough to send the Hammers' faithful into a surreal ecstasy, West Ham United into an FA Cup final to face Liverpool and into Europe next season.

What a day!!!

It's been 26 long, long years since our last FA Cup final, and with the recent deaths of Hammers legends Ron Greenwood and John Lyall, there couldn't possibly be a more fitting tribute.

The game itself was completely and utterly, a game of two halves. Middlesbrough suprised the boys with an unexpected formation and we found ourselves on the back foot

]]> Middlesbrough 2-0 Hammers http://www.ukfpl.com/Goto.asp?Where=Blogs&BlogKey=129 With both sides making several changes to the sides that played on Saturday and are likely to feature in the semi-final, it became a strange encounter. A draw would have set up the semi rather nicely and been another point on the board for us, but this was not to be. Hasslebaink, in 14 games for Leeds, Chelsea and now Middlesbrough, has scored against the Hammers 13 times, so PLEASE somebody break his legs in the European game on Thursday night. ;-) In truth, Chelsea should never have let him go when they did, and the idea of Borough not offering

]]> Hammers 1-0 Man City http://www.ukfpl.com/Goto.asp?Where=Blogs&BlogKey=128 A game against a City side that have now lost 6 in a row, was made pretty hard work of. We played quite well in the first half, showing some nice attacking moves and creating a few chances. In the second half, we didn't as we sat back a bit, allowing City into the game to create a few themselves and to have two touch-and-go offside decisions go against them to disallow their efforts. Was glad to see Shaun Newton, who may well be leaving at the end of the season, get a start and pay back his manager by popping up with a composed finish after Bobby

]]> Chelsea 4-1 Hammers http://www.ukfpl.com/Goto.asp?Where=Blogs&BlogKey=122 Well, after 15 mins I was dreaming. We were 1-0 up after a crackin header from the legend James 'Ginger' Collins after he superbly lost his marker and beat Peter Cech. And then filthy Maniche was sent off for a disgusting challenge on Argentine Lionel Scaloni, and I thought, hang on.

But all the adversity in the face of the Champions spurred them on beyond belief, and I've never seen a more dominant performance from 10 men, ever. We had a chance to attack them when they were still on the racks at 1-0, but didn't take it, and with 2 goals in 2

]]> Hammers 0-0 Charlton http://www.ukfpl.com/Goto.asp?Where=Blogs&BlogKey=121 Yawn!

Well, what to say. To be fair to Charlton, they were very well organised and all stuck to their tasks very well. Since the departure of Murphy, they have lacked a little invention, but they are very resiliant now, with many goaless scorelines of late. So it wasn't really one for the neutral as they came looking for a point, but the Hammers did themselves come close with a Harewood volley and Bennayoun header. Bobby Zamora had a good effort from a corner with his powerful header cleared off the line, and on a later corner, all thought Teddy

]]> Man United 1-0 Hammers http://www.ukfpl.com/Goto.asp?Where=Blogs&BlogKey=115 Was nice to see us make a very respectable account of ourselves in what is a very hard fixture here. Many were saying that we were guna get a good hiding as United are currently the FORM team in the Prem, having now notched up 7 consecutive victories.

We started the game particularly well, and really took the game to United, stopping them from settling. Dean Ashton was unlucky not to convert a Lionel Scaloni effort, and also missed 2 narrow headers, whilst Matty Etherington saw a 20-yard effort go just off target. In what was, by 40 mins in,

]]> Wigan 1-2 Hammers http://www.ukfpl.com/Goto.asp?Where=Blogs&BlogKey=110 Well, looking at this fixture, It was always guna be a very even, well contested match between the two sides that were everyone's favourites for the drop last May. This has clearly turned out to be nowhere near the case, as both teams have found themselves comfortably in the top half of the table for the entire season. But, my prediction on here for the game was 2-2; thought we'd definitely have a cup hangover, and probably take a point to be relatively pleased with. But Nigel Reo-Coker, with the assistance of the still quality Teddy Sherringham

]]> Man City 1-2 Hammers http://www.ukfpl.com/Goto.asp?Where=Blogs&BlogKey=108 Bloody hell, for the first time in his life, Mark Lawrenson got it right!!

Now this bloke, without question, dislikes us. He is always on MOTD slagging off our defensive players, and not giving our offensive players any of the credit that they richly deserve. Add that to the fact that on BBC Sport, Lawrenson always goes for the other team to beat us in his predictions, and I start to think, maybe he's never forgiven us for beatin his beloved Preston in last season's play-off final. ;-)

But then, low and behold, I look on BBC Sport for his

]]> Hammers 2-4 Pompey http://www.ukfpl.com/Goto.asp?Where=Blogs&BlogKey=107 Embarassin.

I know Pards made six changes with one eye majorly on monday night's FA Cup trip to City, but with the possibility that we could too lose that, will it then be worth it?..

I was more disappointed with the performance to be honest. Pompey did look good as their new players finally begin to gel, but I was confident with the line ups on show, that we still should have had too much for them. How wrong I was.

Ratings from the terraces:

Walker - 7. No goal his fault, good return.

Scaloni - 4. Awful, will be dropped Monday.

Anton

]]> Hammers 2-1 Bolton http://www.ukfpl.com/Goto.asp?Where=Blogs&BlogKey=103 "Time will tell Samuel, time will tell." ;-)

Well, very pleased to have, at the 5th time of asking, got the better of Sam Allardyce's Trotters. I have never liked Sam, or their team, or the way that they play, but I would never deny that they are one of the hardest teams in the Premiership to break down and beat, and they NEVER give up.

The game got underway, and we came out of the traps like I'd have expected, and the crowd were terrific, kicking every ball with the team. The atmosphere was electric... Which may have helped Nicky Hunt into

]]>