Cup Final

[John Simkin]

My prediction: West Ham 3 Liverpool 2

[Guest]

My prediction: West Ham 3 Liverpool 2

The triumph of hope over common sense perhaps

I think Liverpool should win comfortably, but it is a funny old game Greavsie and West Ham are capable of some good stuff!

Odd to be in the South East and to witness the excitement of so many West Ham fans.

I had to postpone a mentor meeting with a student teacher yesterday because he was "too excited to concentrate"

[Guest]

My prediction: West Ham 3 Liverpool 2

Nearly

And I have to say I think your boys deserved to win that one... a great performance

[John Simkin]

My prediction: West Ham 3 Liverpool 2

Nearly

And I have to say I think your boys deserved to win that one... a great performance

I never really thought that West Ham would win the final. However, I lived in hope. We have one of the worst defensive records in the premiership (we let in more goals then relegated Birmingham). The main reason is because we play open, attacking football. Pardew promised the fans he would not change his tactics for the final. Therefore I calculated that Liverpool would score at least two goals. The only chance we had was to score three goals. That is what we did, however, so did Liverpool.

Before the game Pardew said that the difference between the two clubs was Steven Gerrard. Pardew added: “If West Ham had Gerrard we would be favourites to win.” Pardew was right.

West Ham might have lost on penalties but it does not feel like we lost. We drew even if we did not get the pleasure of winning the cup. The important thing is that British football won. A manager has shown what can be achieved by buying and grooming young British footballers and then playing open attacking football. Let us hope it starts a new trend. Maybe in the future we will be able to say that British football changed direction as a result of the 2006 cup final.

[Guest]

A manager has shown what can be achieved by buying and grooming young British footballers and then playing open attacking football. Let us hope it starts a new trend. Maybe in the future we will be able to say that British football changed direction as a result of the 2006 cup final.

Your best player was an Israeli

[Ed Waller]

Your best player was an Israeli

Indeed he was the best player on the pitch.

Well done to both teams for a thoroughly enjoyable match. I feel slightly disappointed for West Ham as they came so close.

Pleased that neither team appeared to have stayed at the Cardiff Marriott!

[John Simkin]

Your best player was an Israeli

I disagree. Dean Ashton was West Ham’s best player. The BBC’s accumulated ratings agree with Ashton scoring 7.73 against Benayoun’s 7.63. I also thought Gabbidon was better than Benayoun but defenders rarely get a look in in these contests.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/f...ngs/default.stm

It is true that Benayoun had a good game. Nor am I against foreign players being in teams. My argument is that it is not good for British football to have teams full of foreign players. I believe that football should like cricket, have limits on the number of overseas players in the team.

Benayoun would not have been in the team if we had not sold Joe Cole. Glen Johnson would have been right-back instead of Scaloni, our other foreign-born player. If we had been one of the big-four (Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool) we would also have had Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick and Jermain Defoe in the team.

Supporters of the big-four have no concept of what it is like supporting a team that is forced to sell its best-players to wealthier clubs. The big-four have won every title and cup-final since 1995. They have bought that success in the same way that rich individuals buy privileges. That is the way the capitalist system works. I am just pleased that I was born in an area that allows me to be a supporter of a club who achieves what it does by developing local talent. I would hate to be seen as someone who supports a club because it has a large bank-balance.