Slaven seems to understand

Slaven Bilic's comments after the Liverpool match proved he knows exactly what West Ham fans want. Bilic said: "It is a special night. Yes, tomorrow is a new day and we have to concentrate on Norwich tomorrow but tonight there is no harm at all in saying this is a special night for our club. I'm so proud and happy for my players and proud of everyone that has any connection with the club because it is a great night for West Ham. OK, it is only for the last 16 but it was a late night kick-off, it was against Liverpool, it's our last season at Upton Park, it's over 120 minutes and we scored with a great header in the last second of the game despite having injuries. We overcame all of that so that is why this game will go down as one of the greatest nights and games in West Ham's history."

Yes, he exaggerated a little by claiming that it was one of the greatest nights in West Ham's history. But he spoke of emotion, pride, heart and special nights. In many ways the winning goal was straight from the Big Sam textbook; a set-piece and a thumping header. But whereas Allardyce would have spoken pragmatically about grinding out a result, Bilic appears to get what being a fan is all about and realises that a win under the lights is always something special. He appears to understand the romance of football.

Ogbonna wins a classic for the Irons

KUMB's take on the result…

West Ham 2 Liverpool 1 (FA Cup)

What a game. Had to miss this one as celebrating my daughter’s 15^th birthday in Byron (strangely she turned down Ken’s Café) but caught the latter stages on the radio.

It’s a cracking start to the match with a stronger Liverpool line-up starting well. Coutinho hits the woodwork for the Scousers and Benteke is blocked by Randolph. Goal machine Joey O’Brien has a deflected shot against the post for the Irons. Payet then strikes the post with another superb free kick with Mignolet making a sharp save to deny Kouyate’s header from the rebound.

West Ham take the lead just before the break as Payet finds Valencia and Enner’s fine cross sits up for Antonio to score with a Van Basten-esque controlled volley. Great effort.

It’s a superb atmosphere at the Boleyn as the radio commentator gets involved in a not very PC metaphor of, “the old girl bats her eyelids and shows she can still do it.”

But it goes wrong early in the second half as West Ham’s wall jumps over the ball and Coutinho scores with a low free kick. Randolph looks slow to react too.

It’s more end-to-end to stuff after that as Sturridge and Origi come on for Liverpool and Collins and  Carroll for West Ham. Winston Reid pulls a hamstring and late in the game the curse of WHU right-backs strikes Joey O’Brien who limps off to be replaced by Moses.

THE QUALITY OF MERSEY IS STRAINED

Text reports reach me from Upton Park claiming that Matt is struggling to stay positive. As if. Antonio has a lobbed effort tipped over and West Ham should be awarded a penalty when Valencia is pulled back by Ilori as he goes for Antonio’s cross. Randolph has to save Benteke’s free kick and then Ibe’s long-range effort

So it’s into extra time with Antonio as an emergency right-back and Kouyate off after being knocked out in a worrying clash of heads. Noble has a decent effort saved by Mignolet and the hapless Benteke misses with a volley and then loses a one-on-one duel with Randolph. Sturridge shoots just over the top as the Scousers finish strongly.

It looks certain to go to penalties until the last minute of extra time when Lucas gives away a silly free kick with a push on Valencia. Payet curls in a beautiful cross and Ogbonna rises brilliantly to thump home Carroll-esque header. Upton Park erupts and there’s even a chant of, “Que sera sera whatever will be will be we’re going to Wembley.” Matt texts, “Oggy Oggy Oggy, oi oi oi!” Some unlikely heroes tonight in Oggy, O’Brien, Antonio and Randolph.

If this is the final cup-tie at the Boleyn then it's a fitting finale. So that’s three wins in a season over Liverpool and an aggregate score of 7-1. No room for complacency at Blackburn, but get a result there (and a fit right-back) and we’ll start to believe this might be our year.

The ten-man Saints go marching in

Southampton 1 West Ham United 0

Couldn't find any local pubs showing the game because of the rugby, so ended up listening on the radio. West Ham paid for a slow start, with Adrian making a fine early save from Cedric, After nine minutes Yoshida pokes home a cross from close range after Enner Valencia inadvertently knocks the ball into his path. Fraser Forster has to make a great save from Winston Reid's header but that's our best chance. 

West Ham have a lot of possession and when Wanyama is red-carded for lunging at Payet it seems we'll surely equalise. Not sure about starting with both Moses and Antonio together, though Slaven takes both off for two strikers in Emenike and Carroll. Emenike has a header wide of the post with his first touch, but we don't really threaten. The Saints twice go close on the break through Long and Austin. A late Owen Farrell-style free kick from Valencia is dubbed "the worst free kick of all time" in Matt's text from the boozer. A disappointing result against ten men, though Southampton have now kept five clean sheets in a row since the return of Forster. We must do better at struggling Norwich.

Je t'aime Dimitri

Interesting and very Gallic interview with Dimitri Payet on BT Sport. Dimitri says of his relationship with the fans: "It was very quick, after just a few months. They took the time to know me as I did them. It gave me a lot of confidence… I felt they they trusted me and were showing it by supporting me all the time. Today I often say, it is a love story. It's the first time in my career I have a song with mu name. For me it's a love story." He describes being close to tears at the reception upon his return against Liverpool and says, "I think it amplified even more my love story with the fans." Not often you get that amount of l'amour from a load of sweaty blokes in the Bobby Moore Stand… J'adore Dimitri!

In praise of Tomka

James Tomkins deserves a lot of praise for playing with 13 stitches in his face against Villa as he must have been in some pain. While Mark Noble is seen as the heartbeat of West Ham, the younger Tomkins can't be far behind. He's been dropped this season and also played out of position at full-back, but has never complained. And the fact he's adapted so well to playing at full-back suggests he's a very good footballing defender. Tomka's taken a lot of batterings in games like Man City away but never complains— though being a Basildon lad he might have learned his survival skills in Bas Vegas. In addition he's cultivating a really excellent Victorian villain's beard. He might just have a great career ahead of him in silent movies, or perhaps as an extra in Poldark.

Below-par Hammers see off Villa

West Ham 2 Aston Villa 0

Inside Ken’s Café Lisa is ordering cheesy chips and Billy is shouting, “I can’t get through I’m trapped!” as he tries to return with his plates past a burgeoning queue. Michael the Renaissance Man arrives late and in a triumph of optimism over experience orders a big breakfast thinking he’ll make the kick-off. His Irons constitution manages to cope with some remarkably rapid ingestion before we leg it down the alleyway. As the café empties Carol offers to give Michael special treatment next time and ensure he makes the kick-off, while there’s a rare appearance of Kenneth himself from the back of the kitchen to greet his best customer.

YOU'VE ONLY GOT TEN MEN

Inside the East Stand the big news is Fraser’s opted for the Steptoe and Son look with a rakish neck scarf. West Ham start very slowly and the whole side looks jaded — possibly not surprising after a testing game at Anfield and with Tomkins playing with 13 stitches in a head would and Kouyate still feeling Saturday’s injury — with Villa shading it in the first ten minutes. An optimistic penalty appeal against Antonio is turned down after the ball hits his hand. Villa’s gameplan is ruined when Jordan Ayew stupidly elbows Cresswell in the face after 17 minutes. The crowd in the corner certainly spot it and the ref gives Ayew a straight red. He wasn’t provoked and it’s absolute stupidity. It’s noticeable he didn’t try to do it to Collins or Tomkins.

Nothing much else happens in the first half. Tomkins’ shot is headed over by Valencia and Enner hits a 40-yard free kick just wide and that’s it. Even Payet is anonymous. Playing against ten men who are bottom of the league, what could possibly go wrong? Surely it won’t be like the Hull game two seasons’ ago.

WHEREFORE ART THOU, ANTONIO?

Part-time Nigel turns up in the bowels of the East Stand at half-time complaining about the tube and saying he’s almost glad we’re going to the superior transport hub of Stratford. He hasn’t missed much. Matt is preparing for his night shift by watching the game in the pub and seems to have lost all his positivity, texting “Have our players bet on who can play worst? Think Antonio is winning but it’s very close.”

  

But the Hammers start much more positively in the second half, penning Villa back. Mark Noble produces a tremendous volley straight from a corner only to see it brilliantly saved by Bunn. Payet hits the post with a free kick and Richards makes a great clearance from Collins’ header.

Just as we’re thinking WHU will do everything but score, the breakthrough comes. Mark Noble swings in an inviting cross and Antonio does really well to head the ball into the far corner. Bunn appears to think it’s going wide as he barely moves. Phew. Mystic Matt has worked his magic on Antonio again.

CHEIKH MATE 

We still struggle to get a second, with Cresswell going close and Noble shooting just wide and Payet much more involved. The game drifts as Nigel asks me to tell the bloke from the Treasury in front of us that Carlton Cole scored for Celtic against Stranraer. Meanwhile having to drink soft drinks in the pub is clearly affecting Mystic Matt, who is texting, “Bilic could substitute 8 or 9 of them. Song, Valencia and Kouyate could all be hooked.” He’s done it again. From a Villa corner Valencia breaks and plays a perfect pass through to Kouyate who chips over the keeper to make it 2-0.

The Villa fans unveil a couple of anti-Lerner banners and we join in their chants of “sack the board!” They’ve been pretty noisy for fans of a team that are doomed and deserve better.

After three very late substitutions from Slaven, we head to the Central where Nigel is befriended by two angry cockney Villa fans raging at their defending for Kouyate’s goal. Michael the Whovian has an anecdote about holding a pub door open for Steven Moffat. As Nigel and Michael discuss David Cameron’s problems over an in-out referendum and whether British teams will still be able to play in Europe after Brexit, I’m able to quip, “It only took West Ham six games to get out of Europe this season.”

An important three points. A poor performance in the first half, but we’ve seen off a struggling team with ten men. That’s progress and we remain sixth. And on 39 points I think we’re safe…

PLAYER RATINGS: Adrian 5; Tomkins 6, Collins 6, Reid 6, Cresswell 6; Payet 7, Song 6, Kouyate 6 (Obiang n/a), Noble 8, Antonio 7 (Jelavic n/a); Valencia 6 (Moses n/a).

Emineke signs on loan

Emmanuel Emenike has finally signed for West Ham on loan from Fenerbahce. Seems like God was the main agent for the deal as Emmanuel says: "I have always known West Ham as a great club. I have known Slaven Bilic for years and thank God we are here together." He's scored nine times in 37 appearances for Nigeria and Bilic knows him from his time managing innTurkey and Russia, so he's clearly worth a punt.Now we just need to make a deadline day bid for Eminem as well.