David Moyes will embark upon a new FA Cup campaign admitting it may represent a quicker route to success than the Premier League.
The Hammers head for National League Stockport on Monday evening sitting comfortably in 10th place in the top flight and just three points behind fifth-placed Manchester City having lost just two of their last 10 games.
However, asked whether he would prefer to win the cup or claim a top-six finish, the Scot was not willing to choose.
Moyes said: “If you are a top six side in Premier League, the best league in the world, it shows consistency and means you’ve not just been turning up for one game and doing it, so finishing top six in Premier League would come top for me on that.
“But to be an FA Cup winner and win trophies in this country is incredibly difficult with the level of competition, so I don’t think there is one more than the other – but there reasons to go down different routes.
“I would love to think we can challenge for the top six. It might be too soon for us to get close to that, so I will give the Cup every chance.
“I don’t know any managers who enter the cup competitions with the hope they don’t win it and get to the final.”
Moyes did just that with former club Everton in 2009 and the memories of that cup run – which was ended at Wembley when Frank Lampard’s goal secured a 2-1 victory for Chelsea – remain fresh.
The Hammers boss said: “I have great memories and it’s the sort of thing you talk about. We beat Manchester United in the semi-final at Wembley on penalty kicks to get to the final.
“We scored in the opening two or three minutes to go up against Chelsea through Louis Saha and lost 2-1 in the end.
“But there are lot of things I remember it for; the build-up, the run we had, beating Liverpool in a replay at Goodison with a Dan Gosling goal in extra time, so you get to remember the run you were on when it was a good competition for you.
“I hope come April or May I am saying, ‘It all started at Stockport’. But I have to try and win that game before I can think any further than that.”
