Pardew to leave no stone unturned
West Ham manager Alan Pardew vowed no stone will be left unturned ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough.
It is Pardew’s usual practice in the week of a game to provide the Hammers squad with individual portfolios breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of their opposite number.
But this is no normal game. At stake for West Ham is a first FA Cup final appearance in 26 years and qualification for next season’s UEFA Cup.
Pardew, determined to use every tool possible to gain that extra percentage, is leaving nothing to chance.
“This is a special game for us and my message to West Ham fans is that this will be the best prepared team I have put out,” said Pardew.
“I have got a bit more time than most weeks to prepare and we are going to make sure we are thorough.
“It’s my duty to make sure the players are armed with as much information as possible about Middlesbrough but also they know everything about the day, the referee and the venue.
“That way they can turn up on Sunday without any unexpected surprises, free their minds and play their game.
“There are two goals in front of this team. One on Sunday is we are 90 minutes from European football and I don’t think anybody gave us a realistic chance of that at the start of the season.
“And if we can do that we then have the bigger goal of winning a major trophy.”
Pardew expects West Ham to be at full strength for the semi-final, with Anton Ferdinand and Danny Gabbidon both recovering well from respective hip and groin injuries.
Of more concern now is West Ham’s recent slump in form. While Steve McClaren has transformed Middlesbrough’s season, West Ham seem to have lost momentum.
Pardew has had to shuffle his pack to cope with a tough cup run and, particularly since the quarter-final win over Manchester City, there have been concerns that a tough first season back in the Barclays Premiership is beginning to catch up on them.
But Pardew is confident his men are ready to come out firing on Sunday and put in a performance the late John Lyall – the last West Ham manager to win the FA Cup, who died on Tuesday, would be proud.
“I don’t think my team is going to freeze, I really don’t. All I can hope is we produce our best form, which we haven’t done in recent weeks,” he said.
“We have dropped off a little bit in the league and I think perhaps the players have had their eye on the semi-final.
“But I don’t think any other team has beaten three Premiership sides to get to the semi-final and we have got to beat another one to get to the final.
“We look like we are a good cup team but then so are Middlesbrough.
“It’s going to be touch and go but we have been strengthened with John Lyall’s departure in our determination to win the game.
“I hope we play the way that we can play, because that would be fitting.”
