West Ham's Europa League/UEFA Cup chances boosted by FA Cup results

West Ham’s chances of a surprise European qualification were given a boost at the weekend even though Gianfranco Zola’s side did not kick a ball in anger.
The weekend’s FA Cup games all went the way Zola would have hoped as he looks to lead his side to a seventh place finish and a place in the re-vamped UEFA Cup, the Europa League.
The Hammers currently occupy seventh place which would be enough for European qualification if the FA Cup is won by a team which has already qualified for Europe through another route.
Of the five teams left in the competiton following this weekend’s matches only Hull City – still to meet Arsenal in a delayed quarter-final – look unlikely to make European qualification through their league position.
The chance of entering the Europa League qualifying rounds is a carrot which the Hammers players are focussed on.
“It is massively in our mind,” said England defender Matthew Upson.
“It is a target of ours.
“We sat down and have talked about it. We are heading towards them and when you set targets you want to achieve them and that is what we want to do at this club.
West Ham’s next outing is a home match on Monday against strugglers West Bromwich Albion – a potential banana skin - but Upson insists he and his team-mates will not lose focus.
“We have a couple of fixtures coming up where we can pick up points,” said Upson.
New signing Savio is also targeting a dream debut season and a return to the continent – this time in a West Ham shirt.
Speaking about his first few months in the Premier League the German said: “It has been everything I expected. It is fantastic to have the opportunity to play in a team like this and to do the things we are doing now.
“It is very good that we are seventh and we have a great opportunity. I am sure we can finish seventh and nothing is impossible.
“We have only to focus on the next match and doing well and at the end of the season we can see if it's enough.”
Seventh should now be enough - all they need to do is hold on to it!