News that permission has been granted for West Ham United to increase the capacity at the Olympic Stadium from 54,000 to 60,000 in time for the new Barclays Premier League season has gone down well with the 'huge' amount of people who have paid £10.00 each to be on the massively over subscribed waiting list.
A date between April 11th and April 17th is currently being scheduled for the West Ham United v Manchester United FA Cup quarter final replay at the Boleyn Ground. The match, which will be the last ever Cup tie at the Boleyn, is destined be another sell out many many times over despite being televised!
Manchester United : De Gea, Varela, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Carrick, Fellaini, Rashford, Herrera, Lingard, Martial.
Subs: Romero, Darmian, Williams, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Januzaj, Memphis.
Randolph, Antonio, Cresswell, Reid, Ogbonna, Kouyate, Noble, Emenike, Lanzini, Payet, Carroll.
Subs: Adrian, O'Brien, Song, Obiang, Moses, Sakho, Valencia.
Three games, nine points, the burying of a hoodoo and a plethora of players returning from injuries, that was the remarkable week that was for West Ham United! For Hammers fans used to a diet of crash and burn during the latter part of the season, this one is uniquely different.
Everton: 1 Robles 5 Stones 6 Jagielka 25 Funes Mori 8 Oviedo 20 Barkley 16 McCarthy 23 Coleman 12 Lennon 10 Lukaku 11 Mirallas Substitutes 3 Baines 14 Niasse 17 Besic 18 Barry 19 Deulofeu 21 Osman 24 Howard
West Ham: 13 Adrián 35 Oxford 8 Kouyaté 21 Ogbonna 3 Cresswell 16 Noble 14 Obiang 28 Lanzini 30 Antonio 29 Emenike 27 Payet Substitutes 1 Randolph 4 Song 9 Carroll15 Sakho 25 Henry 44 Dobson
West Ham: Adrian, Antonio, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Obiang, Noble, Kouyate, Lanzini, Payet, Emenike
Subs: Randolph, Song, Carroll, Sakho, Oxford, Henry, Dobson
Tottenham: Lloris, Trippier, Alderweireld, Wimmer, Davies, Dier, Mason, Lamela, Chadli, Eriksen, Kane
Subs: Vorm, Walker, Rose, Son, Alli, Onomah, Carroll
Three points in the bag doesn't really sum up yesterday's narrow 1-0 victory over Sunderland in the Black Cat's final visit to the Boleyn Ground, prior to the match there was much made of Sam Allardyce's return to the club he managed for four years and the type of reception that he would receive.
West Ham: 13 Adrian 22 Sam Byram 21 Angelo Ogbonna 19 James Collins 3 Aaron Cresswell 8 Cheikhou Kouyate 16 Mark Noble (c) 28 Manuel Lanzini 30 Michail Antonio 29 Emmanuel Emenike 27 Dimitri Payet Subs1 Darren Randolph 4 Alex Song 9 Andy Carroll 14 Pedro Obiang 20 Victor Moses 25 Doneil Henry 35 Reece Oxford
Ahead of this lunch time's Barclays Premier League fixture against relegation threatened Sunderland, West Ham manager Slaven Billic has a couple of pleasant selection head aches. Primarily who does he play at right back, Sam Byram who is now available having been cup tied, or retain Mikael Antonio who performed so well against Blackburn in the 5-1 FA Cup victory? Billic also has to decide whether to give Emmanuel Emenike his first EPL start, or start the incredibly fragile Andy Carroll, as Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho are both unavailable through injury.
To read some of the comments trawled out about Sam Allardyce by his sycophantic pals in the media ahead of his Sunderland team's visit to the Boleyn Ground for this Saturday's early 12;45 kick off, one could be forgiven if one thought that Big Sam was a saviour who rode in and rescued a "club that was on it's knees" single handedly! There is no mention of the massive salary he received or the fact that he was backed financially by the board on numerous occasions for several dubious purchases.