Defender finding life tough …but keep the faith

By CandH blogger Allen Cummings

One of the biggest mysteries of the season so far, and  there have been more than a few, is what’s happened to Issa Diop?

Obviously he hasn’t disappeared, gone missing without trace, Marco Boogers style. But his form has certainly deserted him and us this season. He’s become just a shadow of the talented young footballer who first arrived on the West Ham scene at the beginning of last season.

When Manuel Pellegrini paid what was then our record transfer fee of £23m for the young defender from Toulouse, most of us were left scratching our heads at who he was. We soon found out – and we loved what we saw. A 6’4” gangling but pacey, athletic and committed defender, with bags of energy and enthusiasm. Just what we needed.

Fast forward to this season and Diop has been a shadow of his former self. Hesitant in decision-making, uncertain in his tackling, poor with his distribution and seemingly all over the place in his communication with fellow defenders.

His error for Brighton’s second goal was a perfect example of the indecision that’s engulfed his game. So has Issa Diop suddenly become a bad player? Another Pellegrini big money flop? Some supporters seem to suggest “yes” but t I certainly don’t agree.

Sometimes I believe we are too quick to criticise, too hasty in jumping on someone’s back rather than looking for the reasons for the problem.

Issa is still a relatively young player – he was just 23 in January. His Premier League experience is still limited. The pressure of this league, and especially the pressure of playing in an important position, for a team going through a traumatic time, where your every move is under scrutiny, is immense.

Clearly Issa is finding all that extremely difficult to handle. This game is all about confidence. When that’s at a low ebb, even the best and most experienced players can struggle.

Last season he leaned heavily on the experience of Fabian Balbuena. The General has had his own problems this term, so Diop has had to forge a new partnership with Angelo Ogbonna. That clearly has some way to go.

A strong defensive spine is vital to any team. There’s a suggestion for maybe switching Declan Rice to a role alongside Angelo, at Issa’s expense. Personally I feel that would be a mistake.

We need to stick with Diop and keep Declan where he has been and will continue to be most influential. Diop cost £23m for a reason – he was young, talented with bags of potential. He was an investment for the future.

I seem to remember Jose Mourinho singling him out for exceptional praise after our 3-1 demolition of his Manchester United last season. The Spuds were reported to be ready to table a £50m bid for him last summer to replace Toby Alderweireld.

I recall that news meeting with uproar from West Ham fans accusing the club of being prepared to sell their biggest assets. I believe Issa Diop is still an asset we need to keep.

It’s no guide to quality I know, but Issa is regularly one of the last players to leave the field at the London Stadium, win, lose or draw. He’s happy to circle the pitch to show his appreciation to the fans.

He clearly feels connected to us and the club, ppreciates our support, even in the toughest of times. I firmly believe we should continue to support him in the same way. He’s quality and will come good again – of that I feel certain.