West Ham boss Sam Allardyce

Cup replay is no hindrance to Hammers boss Sam if his players all return

Dave Evans, West Ham correspondent Friday, January 11, 2013
9:00 AM

Saturday’s drawn FA Cup tie means that West Ham will now play a possible six further games this month, but boss Sam Allardyce is not worried about the workload.

After this weekend’s trip to Sunderland, the Hammers will face Manchester United in their cup replay, QPR at Upton Park, as well as trips to Arsenal and Fulham and maybe a fourth round clash with the Cottagers or Blackpool into the bargain.

That would make a grand total of eight games since the first day of 2013.

“We have got a difficult January now,” admitted the boss. “That game gets fitted in around the 15th, but we have some very important league games before and after that.

So is the replay a hindrance for Allardyce? Not a bit of it.

“If we can get our players back, it will be a great game for them to play in,” he insisted. “Andy Carroll and Mo Diame may well be back, although it could be too soon for George McCartney.

“We have only just got Ricardo Vaz Te and Jack Collison back and we have Marouane Chamakh to bring into the squad now and Joe Cole bursting for games, as many as he can get.”

Allardyce has signed three players so far in the window, but is also hoping to add to that this month.

“We have got to boost the squad,” he said. “We have done that with two players to replace Modibo Maiga who is at the African Nations and Yossi Benayoun, who has gone back to Chelsea.

“If we can find another one or two we will try that. If we can get the ones who are injured fit, we have got enough in the squad to allow us to rotate the team,” he added.