West Ham Online

FA Cup
Friday, 6 March 2026 20:00
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool
Venue: Molineux
League Positions: 20 v 6
Current Forms: 25 v 42

My Instant gut reaction here would be that Liverpool are already into the next round, but although they've picked up lately, their still a little - by their standards - inconsistent.

Wolves have nothing but this competition to go for, and, I suspect, go for it they will. Expect media pundits to be throwing themselves off tall buildings everywhere:

Prediction: Home Win

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FA Cup
Saturday, 7 March 2026 12:15
Mansfield Town v Arsenal
Venue: Field Mill
League Positions: 60 v 1
Current Forms: 11 v 37

We all know where this one is going. Mansfield will be grateful for the extra money, but there's only ever going to be one winner here:

Prediction: Away Win

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FA Cup
Saturday, 7 March 2026 17:45
Wrexham v Chelsea
Venue: Racecourse Ground
League Positions: 26 v 5
Current Forms: 41 v 18

Plucky little Wrexham eh? Against a very in-form Chelsea? They'll put up a spirited fight, but again, only one outcome:

Prediction: Away Win

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FA Cup
Saturday, 7 March 2026 20:00
Newcastle United v Manchester City
Venue: St James' Park
League Positions: 12 v 2
Current Forms: 21 v 45

This should be City's all day long. Newcastle beat the red Mancunians though, last time out and City dropped points to Forest (spit!). Will City cede the title and focus on the cup? Probably their easiest way back into Europe.

Prediction: Away Win

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FA Cup
Sunday, 8 March 2026 12:00
Fulham v Southampton
Venue: Craven Cottage
League Positions: 10 v 27
Current Forms: 36 v 45

Southampton are on a bit of a roll at the moment, so this will be a very tight game indeed. Fulham will have the right hump after their midweek game and I suspect that will be enough - just - to see them over the line:

Prediction: Home Win

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FA Cup
Sunday, 8 March 2026 13:30
Port Vale v Sunderland
Venue: Vale Park
League Positions: 68 v 11
Current Forms: 21 v 14

Sunderland won away at Leeds on their last outing. Factor that in with league position and it'll be Port Vale who will be asked to not let the door hit them on the arse on their way out.

Prediction: Away Win

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FA Cup
Sunday, 8 March 2026 16:30
Leeds United v Norwich City
Venue: Elland Road
League Positions: 15 v 37
Current Forms: 18 v 36

Do Leeds, like us, really need this competition right now? Of course the FA Cup is (in my mind) THE trophy to win, but from a pure financial viewpoint PL survival trumps all.

Norwich are more sounding like a cup & saucer placed on top of a refrigerator than actually "buzzin'", but I think they might just have enough.

Prediction: Away Win

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FA Cup
Monday, 9 March 2026 19:30
West Ham United v Brentford
Venue: The London Stadium
League Positions: 18 v 7
Current Forms: 18 v 29

As the song goes - "Save the best till last". We're certainly not out of the shit yet, league-wise and after this round, if we go through we'll be the weakest side left in the draw. Those left would be looking for a home tie against us and the sponsors will want us out PDQ.

Still. FA Cup eh? As I said earlier, it's the one to go for and Sullivan will appreciate the prize money (to borrow against) for us getting a bit further. Now. Will we? Won't we? Will we? Won't we? Will we? Won't we?:

Prediction: Home Win

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Go on...you know you want to...

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool -
Mansfield Town v Arsenal -
Wrexham v Chelsea -
Newcastle United v Manchester City -
Fulham v Southampton -
Port Vale v Sunderland -
Leeds United v Norwich City -

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And finally, the moment you've all been waiting for: My FA Cup acca:

Wolverhampton Wanderers  (@ Home to Liverpool 5/1)
Chelsea (Away @ Wrexham 4/11)
Fulham (@ Home to Southampton 8/15)
Norwich City (Away @ Leeds United 11/2)

Just a bit of fun, Guv.

Total stake: £11.00. Potential return: £297.97

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It’s not fixed.

End of. 

West Ham have now had twenty (TWENTY) consecutive FA Cup draws without drawing Liverpool OR Man city OR Chelsea OR Arsenal

But apparently its a big fix every round
.

My draw prediction
They need an advertisers/money game for Saturday night 
Arsenal v Chelsea

A plucky lower league heartwarming tale
Liverpool v Port vale 

Man City v Leeds
 
Brentford or West Ham v  Southampton 







 

Great opportunities for Sunderland and Fulham wasted. Both are on 40 points, no chance of going down, slim chance of European qualification. This was their best chance of winning something and also qualifying for the Europa League, and they both decided to rest players to focus on the league. What is the point of being a football fan if your club never tries to win anything?

Liverpool vs West Ham/Brentford
Arsenal vs Port Vale
Chelsea vs Leeds
Man City vs Southampton

Expect Liverpool and Arsenal to draw Port Vale and Southampton at home.  We will get Man City.

Proper old style game with Rangers & Celtic 

Rangers not taking defeat too well

Hello Mrs. Jones" wrote: ↑08 Mar 2026, 15:09 100s of empty seats at Port Vale. What's happened to the magic of the FA Cup?

The "magic" of the FA cup disappeared when Jock McTaggart sacked it off.

Sunderland resting players?? WTF!

If we beat Brentford then Port Vale at home would be nice but i imagine the FA have reserved then for Man City.

Hello Mrs. Jones" wrote: ↑08 Mar 2026, 15:09 100s of empty seats at Port Vale. What's happened to the magic of the FA Cup?

100s of empty seats at Port Vale. What's happened to the magic of the FA Cup?

Sunderland look shit

Port Vale would be great in Quarters never been to that ground 

How would you set it up? 

the big thing is the difference between the premier league and the rest. If you’re at the top table you get all the benefits of Yank, Arab and Oligarchy money. 

of course if you want a 1950s football experience follow a team in the fourth tier. Or Charlton or something. 

 

The FA, like the PL, want as much interest as possible in their competition. With the PL there is a direct link to the rich 5 or so clubs, namely, the Mancs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Citeh and Pool, since they probably account for 70, 80% of TV subscription revenue via China, Europe, Americas etc? ( anyone know ?)  I guessing its why so many of their games, if not all, are televised as main events and why they typically play at times less convenient to UK viewers?  Im guessing, but could be wrong ( often am ), that foreign / overseas subscriptions are the ones with most growth potential? And generally its these 5 clubs that drive it all you?. The FA also see this as the best way to maximise the  global interest and viewing, hence revenues, with as many of the “big” clubs remaining in their FA cup. 

Its all set up like a cartel or “closed shop” for the rich clubs to get richer. It all stinks ( “tilted table”) as its anti competitive because these clubs regularly / usually get european competition and an extra 50-100 million a season. This enables them to maintain or widen the gap to the other 14 or so PL clubs. They have also been able to build large stadiums with hotels and shops with less impact on their ability to compete ( they still have plenty to spend on recruitment) and get the best players as they can afford 50 million + players as opposed to us and the poorer 14 clubs who are shopping in the 20-50 million range more typically. Of course as the Mancs have shown, you still have to get recruitment right or waste a lot of money but over the long term the higher spending will always eventually pay off, get you in the top league placings and europe, allow for bigger,  deeper  quality squads. Its why these clubs win almost everything domestically and will contijue to dominate in europe.  Those aforementioned investments in large stadium complexes ( hotels, retail shops etc) also mean ability to generate 100s of additional  millions to widen the gap to the rest.

And these 5 rich clubs all got “first mover” advantage when the PL league was originally formed in the 90s for 10 years or so? before financial regulation really came in. So they got that advantage by beimg able spend on squads at will and have kept it. A glass ceiling as teams like Newcastle and Villa are finding.  

Modern football arguably mimics our culture, wealth gaps continue to widen with the 1% having 99% or more of wealth?  But thats another discussion

Older gits like us still follow a club like West Ham. Its in our DNA, emotional connection and family history. Even if run well,  we can never compete. A Euro champs lge place is becoming unreacheable or if a club like us did ever qualify, the revenue flows would see that it is not sustained.  Future generations and the modern age of narcissism also means kids less inclined to support clubs like ours. Its all about the status one gets from supporting a “winner” but again another discussion.

And finally ( huzzah you cry , shut that twat Alf up ) A massive bunch of owners, Tv pundits, media, agents and many other “pigs at the trough” all earning nicely from the game. There is no interest in changing anything and PSR, FFP, VAR etc just “ window dressing” or theatre to bring the illusion of competition and fairness.

*** Alf reaches for pitchfork ***


 

Southampton would be good to play in the quarters. 

Southampton with a 91st min pen at Fulham

One post Oxbore saying no chance big 4 drawn against each re it being fixed and the next post giving percentage figures etc of balks coming out
Surprised he ain't mentioning Sullivan or Opera either 

Mike Oxsaw" wrote: ↑08 Mar 2026, 08:10

Come On You Irons" wrote: ↑08 Mar 2026, 08:02 It's a bit shit that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City have all made it through to the quarter finals already.

We could easily get potentially drawn away to one of those BEFORE our match on Monday night.

 

I believe that there's a 66.6% chance of the winners of our game playing one of the "Big 4" already through, home or away.

Ideally I'd like to see them all drawn against each other in that set for the next round, but the authorities (sponsors) would never allow it.

Not sure how big the audience overseas is for an FA Cup quarter final
If Man U are still in it they are selected as a tv game whoever they are playing
Am sure the FA would prefer Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool & City all to be at home in the quarter finals to allow those 4 to be the semi finalists & 2 in the final 

Ideally of course we win tomorrow and those 4 draw each other 

the coming of gary" wrote: ↑08 Mar 2026, 12:51 No need to complicate it ; there will be 7 possible opponents,  so 4 out of 7 is indeed 57 percent

No need to complicate it ; there will be 7 possible opponents,  so 4 out of 7 is indeed 57 percent

There seems to have been a big club game in each round, which ends up being the Saturday evening TV game.  So I expect there will be a game featuring 2 of the 4 big clubs already through. The FA Cup is hard to sell abroad, so they need one decent game per round. Money innit.
 

Come On You Irons" wrote: ↑08 Mar 2026, 11:45 OxBORE in inability to do basic maths shock.