Having each seen their Champions League qualification hopes fade at

the weekend, West Ham United and Manchester United approach Wednesday’s

FA Cup quarter-final replay with special motivation to progress.

For West Ham, the competition represents a final opportunity to crown

their farewell season at the Boleyn Ground, which stages its last ever

FA Cup tie, with a piece of silverware.

Visiting manager Louis van Gaal, meanwhile, may need to win the FA

Cup, which his side hasn’t won since 2004, if he is to stand any chance

of holding onto his job, after Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur

left his side four points off the Champions League places with only six

games of the season remaining.

“It is the last chance of a title so it is very important for the

players, for the club, for the manager, for the fans,” said the

Dutchman, who is yet to win a trophy in close to two full seasons at Old

Trafford.

“And still we have one day less than West Ham United, because that’s

also important. But we have proved against Arsenal and Man City (in the

Premier League) that in spite of less days to recover we could beat

them.

“So I hope that we shall recover very good, also mentally, because

this (losing to Tottenham) is again a blow of course. But everybody

knows that this is the last chance.

“Both teams have to cope with that. Both teams know that when you are

not winning, you are out of the cup and you don’t have any title.”

Van Gaal could be boosted by the return of captain Wayne Rooney, who

had a run-out for the club’s under-21s on Monday after missing 12 games

with a knee injury.

But given a choice of venues for such a pivotal encounter in his

United tenure, it is reasonable to assume that the Boleyn Ground would

have been among the very last names on Van Gaal’s list.

The venerable east London stadium, West Ham’s home since 1904, will

be charged with emotion and has already provided the scene for a

last-gasp 2-1 victory over Liverpool in a fourth-round replay, as well

as league wins over Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Arsenal almost became the latest heavyweights to fall to Slaven

Bilic’s side on Saturday, when Andy Carroll scored a typically emphatic

hat-trick as West Ham came from 2-0 down to rescue a 3-3 draw.

United’s defence

was breached three times in six fraught minutes at Tottenham and Van

Gaal could not disguise his discomfort at the thought of the bruising

Carroll going up against Chris Smalling and the lightweight Daley Blind.

“I’ve seen the Andy Carroll Show,” he said. “And (against Tottenham) I

think our problem was also the miscommunication of our central

defenders. 

“I hope that we improve our communication because it is very important this game for us.”

Carroll’s time at West Ham has been hampered by injuries and despite

the likely unavailability of fellow striker Diafra Sakho, Bilic refused

to confirm if he would start on Wednesday.

“I’m not blaming him, but it’s a fact that he’s out every now and

then,” said the Croatian, who is bidding to lead West Ham into the last

four for the first time since they last reached the final in 2006.

“The medical team and the club are doing everything they can with

Andy and he is doing it, but he should be even better if he can stay

away from those injuries for a few years.

“Because it’s a waste for West Ham, it’s a waste for England, but it’s the biggest waste for him.

“Will he start against Man United? I hope he’s going to be fit for

Man United. I don’t think Sakho or (Alex) Song will be fit for that

game.”