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So much of West Ham's season and David Moyes' tenure at the club depends on the club's showing in the Conference League Cup semi finals, last year the semi finals were as far as the club could get in the far superior Europa League Cup, failing against the eventual winners.

There is something of the late great 'Sir' Bobby Moore about Declan Rice, albeit in the format of a modern day footballer earning vast amounts of money compared to when Bobby played the game. Apart from putting in a true captain's performance against a team Hammers 'owed one', Rice showed he was just that little bit more special with the heartfelt kindness he showed to a young fan at the end of the match that saw visitors Manchester United beaten by a Said Benrahma goal.

West Ham: Fabianski, Kehrer, Aguerd, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Rice (c), Soucek, Bowen, Paqueta, Benrahma, Antonio.
Substitutes: Areola, Anang, Johnson, Fornals, Lanzini, Downes, Cornet, Ings, Emerson.

Man Utd: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Shaw, Malacia, Casemiro, Eriksen, Antony, Fernandes (c), Rashford, Weghorst.
Substitutes: Butland, Maguire, Martial, Sabitzer, Fred, Dalot, Sancho, Williams, Garnacho.

The mystery illness that has been raging through Hammers squad shows no sign of abating, in fact such has been the effect that assembling a team that is well enoigh to face Manchester United this evening is proving to be such a difficult task that there is a rumour that the cllub may try to get the game postponed due to a lack of fit players!

Man City : Ortega; Walker (c), Stones, Dias, Ake; Alvarez, Rodri, Silva; Mahrez, Grealish, Haaland. Subs: Ederson, Phillips, Gundogan, Laporte, Gomez, Akanji, Perrone, Foden, Lewis.
West Ham : Fabianski; Coufal, Kehrer, Ogbonna, Cresswell (c), Emerson; Paqueta, Downes; Bowen, Fornals, Antonio. Subs: Areola, Anang, Johnson, Lanzini, Cornet, Ings, Benrahma.

With so few games remaining of the season West Ham United's back room staff have told players that they no longer need to wear their performance 'bra's' for the remaining fixtures. The monitoring singlets that do resmeble brassiers are a vital part of acquiring fitness information but are uncomfortable to wear and so have been deemed unnecessary for the remainder of the season.

News that Sam Allardyce will most likely become Leeds United's next manager will come as no surprise to some whereas he is the obvious choice to others as the club look to rescue what looks like an inevitably sinking ship. Realistically, Leeds have the hardest run in of ALL the relegation threatened clubs, but he is known for his defensive organisational abilities and will most definitely stop the flood of goals the club has been shipping on an industrial scale.

Last night's frenzied game between relegation battlers Leicester City and Everton could not have worked out better for West Ham United's struggles at the wrong end of the table, victory for either side would have seen Hammers slender points advantage sliced away to just one point had the hosts held on to a possible victory, one that seemed nailed on as James Maddison strode forward to take the penalty that would have seen the hosts gain a 3-1 advantage.

With so much riding on the result Hammers fans expected a lot from their side for the trip to face Palace at Selhurst Park, instead they saw an insipid and uninspiring performance. The 4-3 scoreline does not truly reflect the game, as the home side could have won 7-1 had they taken all their chances!

Palace: Johnstone, Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell, Doucoure, Schlupp, Olise, Eze, Zaha (c), Ayew. Subs: Guaita, Milivojevic, Tomkins, Lokonga, Mateta, Hughes, Edouard, Richards
West Ham: Fabianski, Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson, Rice (c), Soucek, Paqueta, Fornals, Antonio, Bowen. Subs: Areola, Cresswell, Lanzini, Downes, Cornet, Ings, Ogbonna, Benrahma, Kehrer.