Glenn Happy With Draw

Glenn Roeder says he is delighted with drawing Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup - though he would have preferred it to have been at home.

A win would seal a hat trick of consecutive FA Cup successes at Old Trafford, with the last two knockout visits - a 1-0 win courtesy of Paolo Di Canio two seasons ago and a replay win in the 1985-86 season thanks to Geoff Pike and Ray Stewart - producing wins for the Hammers.

Says Glenn: "No one at the club is disappointed with the cup draw - how can you be?

"It is a fantastic place to go and play football - we have been there just recently - but it would have been nice, perhaps, to have been drawn at home.

"It would have been good for our fans to entertain Manchester United but we are looking forward to the game.

"From a financial point of view, and everyone looks at finances today, both Manchester United and ourselves will earn good money out of it."

He is hoping for an improvement on the recent loss at Old Trafford and adds: "We were beaten 3-0 in the league up there and we know how good they are, as when they start passing the ball as well as they did that particular day.

"But we had periods in the game when we acquitted ourselves well and with different refereeing decisions it could have been a lot closer.

"But I would be the first to admit that they were excellent on the day. It wasn't so much that we didn't play well, but that they had one of those days when they knocked the ball around well and kept the ball for long periods.

"There were also spells when we played well and we are looking forward to the cup tie - it is a place that any footballer should want to play.

"And we are happy to be on the television for the revenue."

With the rearranged game at Charlton preceding it Glenn admits: "January now becomes a very heavy period."