LEROY: It’s Carroll v Lukaku
My heart is longing for a Hammers win but a part of me will also be down at Ashton Gate where another of my former clubs Bristol City fight for the right to meet either the Irons or Toffees in the fourth Round.
It’s so tight in every area of the pitch – the Hammers are not quite at the top of their game and Everton – with a fine draw against Manchester City are seemingly on the way back.
So in the end it may all hang on the two strikers – Carroll v Lukaku. Whoever is on their game is set to have the final say.
Across the two teams I’d have to say the Hammers are just the better but it’s not by much and although it’s a cliche, league form really does go out of the window in these games.
Sam Allardyce said yesterday that he’s probably more flexible than Roberto Martinez and there may be some truth in that although the Everton boss is now adapting and going a bit more direct.
That’s why Lukaku becomes increasingly important but to be honest he has a way to go if he’s going to become fully effective.
For me he doesn’t put himself about enough and use his physical attributes. That will come in time but at the moment he is short in that area.
Carroll, meanwhile, is on the crest of a wave after that fantastic goal at Swansea and should he come out on top it could easily be our night.
I do feel there’s a little bit to work for him and Enner Valencia to do on their partnership because the Ecuador international actually prefer to play in the Carroll role.
He loves to get on the end of stuff as central striker so the pair of them will need to work on that after training because at the moment it’s not happening. It’s one for Teddy Sheringham!
I’m sure the two of them can work it and with Diafra Sakho out injured it’s really important that they get it sorted sooner rather than later.
Tonight will be tense and taut but I know there’s no better place than under the Upton Park lights to force a result.
There’s no atmosphere like it anywhere in football and that could just give us the edge we need.