West Ham United have been hard at work on the training pitch already as they build towards Wednesday night's FA Cup replay away to Middlesbrough.
Gianfranco Zola's squad were in on Sunday and there was a determination in the camp to instantly put right the disappointment of Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers. Missing on the Chadwell Heath pitches was James Collins, with his hamstring injury suffered early in the Reebok Stadium contest expected to keep him out for a month but the manager has plenty of defenders ready to deputise.
James Tomkins was a more than able replacement on the day for Collins, getting 75 minutes against a lively Bolton strikeforce while, at right-back, Jonathan Spector's first start since April was impressive and he also made Scott Parker's second-half consolation. Both have staked their claim while captain Lucas Neill is back from suspension and the versatile Radoslav Kovac remains in line for his Hammers debut.
The manager, who is well aware that Riverside date this week could go all the way to extra time and penalties with a quarter-final at Everton the ultimate prize, said: "James Collins has been playing very well. He is a big asset for us but the way James Tomkins came on and played was very encouraging for me. I am sure he will do his job properly."
Zola also said "it was not a concern" that the team has failed to take a host of chances at the other end in recent matches. "It would be a concern if we weren't creating the opportunities," he explained. "I am sure that my strikers will be scoring again soon. For me the most important thing is the team performance. We had chances and that's it, they are doing well. I am sure they will sort the problem out straight away."
The memories of Bolton may have begun to be wiped away by a lively training session or two but Zola wants his team to recognise the positive way they responded to their early setback. "Apart from the first ten minutes, the players were OK. They got back in the game very well. They were very unlucky to be down two-nil and the team were getting back in the game.
"There was not much I could say to them at half-time. The whole performance apart from the first 15 minutes was good and the second half was even better. I think being two-nil down against a team like Bolton in their home could have been more difficult. I was pleased because the team didn't lose their bearings. They kept playing all the time and, in the end, were unlucky that they just didn't get the result."