ELQ2: West Ham Utd 1-0 Birkirkara (16/07/15)

[Up the Junction]

Date: Thursday, 16th July 2015

Venue: Boleyn Ground

Time: 7.45pm

[Kendal Iron]

Will we see a more 'first eleven' type line up for this one, or will it be the kids again?

[Jackanakanory]

Booked the afternoon off work to make the long journey up from Pompey for this one.

[MalteseHammer]

Play high balls in , allardyce style and we'll win easily. B'kara will park the bus and minimise damage.

[BarryGreen]

Looking forward to this. Unfortunatey, won't make the away leg

[funky chicken]

Will we see a more 'first eleven' type line up for this one, or will it be the kids again?

I reckon it will be a similar starting 11 to the one that played against Lusitans. But I expect more first teamers to be on the bench as a precaution. I reckon we'll see players like: Collins, Henry, Hendrie, Noble and maybe even Obiang added to the match day squad. Perhaps Carroll to get a runout? How far away is he from returning to full training?

[prophet:marginal]

Boss, the home page of the site puts the away leg as 16th July.

[last.caress]

Possible points of interest, for those of us who know nowt about Birkirkara:

-Three weeks ago they signed former Italian international striker Fabrizio Miccoli, formerly of Juventus, Fiorentina, Benfica and Palermo amongst others
-They've got a 'keeper (Justin Haber) who did two years with the scumbag Blunts (never got a game though)
-They've got a left back (Joseph Zerafa) who played a dozen games for Grays last year and who transferred to Welling as recently as this January (didn't actually get a game for Welling though, and he was at Birkirkara by February)
-Quite a few of them play or have played internationally for Malta
-Being a relatively big fish in a pond as small as Malta (the MPL is currently ranked 51st out of 54 members by UEFA) Birkirkara have got WAY more recent European experience than West Ham, albeit in qualifying rounds for either Europa or the CL where they've been beaten in recent years by the likes of Diósgyőri VTK of Hungary, NK Maribor of Slovenia and FK Metalurg of Macedonia

All courtesy of Wikipedia

[Prawn]

I reckon it'll be something like

Randolph
O'Brien
Tomkins
Burke
Hendrie
Jarvis
Poyet
Obiang
Amalfitano
Lee
Zarate

[Het-Field]

Possible points of interest, for those of us who know nowt about Birkirkara:

-Three weeks ago they signed former Italian international striker Fabrizio Miccoli, formerly of Juventus, Fiorentina, Benfica and Palermo amongst others
-They've got a 'keeper (Justin Haber) who did two years with the scumbag Blunts (never got a game though)
-They've got a left back (Joseph Zerafa) who played a dozen games for Grays last year and who transferred to Welling as recently as this January (didn't actually get a game for Welling though, and he was at Birkirkara by February)
-Quite a few of them play or have played internationally for Malta
-Being a relatively big fish in a pond as small as Malta (the MPL is currently ranked 51st out of 54 members by UEFA) Birkirkara have got WAY more recent European experience than West Ham, albeit in qualifying rounds for either Europa or the CL where they've been beaten in recent years by the likes of Diósgyőri VTK of Hungary, NK Maribor of Slovenia and FK Metalurg of Macedonia

All courtesy of Wikipedia

Stats that are very well worth considering. Particularly the point about having played for Malta's national team. That is not to be scoffed at, particularly as Malta can be a tricky trip, and are tough to beat there. However, a strong team at Upton Park should be well able to beat these guys, and hopefully will be more than enough to deal with them.

Id be looking at beefing up our team from the first two legs. I would look to bring at least one more first team player into the side in each position (perhaps Ginge, Noble, and Nolan), and perhaps having an extra senior hand or two to spring from the bench (maybe even Maiga?). The squad must increase its first team representation as the club progresses in the competition, and we need to start now.

[Up the Junction]

Boss, the home page of the site puts the away leg as 16th July.

Thanks Proff

[MadMart]

when is the away leg?? anyone - official site has no mention

[west ham15]

when is the away leg?? anyone - official site has no mention

23rd July is the away leg.

[Discobar]

Working in Manchester on Thursday. Just gutted I don`t think i`ll be able to make it

[prophet:marginal]

Gross over-generalisation alert, but I reckon that continental football is much more in tune with the simulation/con the ref style of play.

It will be a useful experience for Tomkins and his CB partner to face an old hand like Miccoli

[hammer1975]

Presume Sakho will be suspended - need someone to ensure we convert possession into goals in the home leg

Also wonder if we'll see a debut for Kenobi

[mumbles87]

Presume Sakho will be suspended - need someone to ensure we convert possession into goals in the home leg

Also wonder if we'll see a debut for Kenobi

are we going to appeal his red card? seemed stupid to me.

[Sweeney Bod]

Possible points of interest, for those of us who know nowt about Birkirkara:

-Three weeks ago they signed former Italian international striker Fabrizio Miccoli, formerly of Juventus, Fiorentina, Benfica and Palermo amongst others
-They've got a 'keeper (Justin Haber) who did two years with the scumbag Blunts (never got a game though)
-They've got a left back (Joseph Zerafa) who played a dozen games for Grays last year and who transferred to Welling as recently as this January (didn't actually get a game for Welling though, and he was at Birkirkara by February)
-Quite a few of them play or have played internationally for Malta
-Being a relatively big fish in a pond as small as Malta (the MPL is currently ranked 51st out of 54 members by UEFA) Birkirkara have got WAY more recent European experience than West Ham, albeit in qualifying rounds for either Europa or the CL where they've been beaten in recent years by the likes of Diósgyőri VTK of Hungary, NK Maribor of Slovenia and FK Metalurg of Macedonia

All courtesy of Wikipedia

The other thing I noted from their Wiki page is that former flaxen headed Gooner Alan Sunderland was manager at the club between 1996-97

[hammer1975]

Mumbles,
Don't know how possible it is to appeal without video evidence -which there doesn't seem to be any of. I may be wrong but suspect chances are low without that.

Unless one of the bench was filming by chance

[Iron George]

Will we see a more 'first eleven' type line up for this one, or will it be the kids again?

Just back from a brilliant couple of days in Andorra with IG Jnr.

We spoke to Terry Westley before the game and he said the plan was to integrate 3 or 4 more first teamers into the team for the next round. I'd imagine that will be 4 after Sakho's red.

Well done to all those that travelled to Andorra , another cracking trip with the Hammers.