By Hughie Southon
As a racing man there’s nothing worse than backing what appears to be a non-trier.
They usually line up the back with the commentator always making the remark that they are being held up for a late finish.
There’s only one problem with that, it’s crap except in the rarest of cases; they are generally being saved as a rule for another day when the odds look a bit more attractive.
Some of you will get all that and may realise where this is going.
Non triers are the worst thing in the world as far as I’m concerned among West Ham players. I grew up with the belief as a fan for many years that so long as each player left 100 per cent on the pitch you couldn’t ask for much more.
I have suffered along with many watching Andriy Yarmolenko and Arthur Masuaku and if you make Declan Rice the benchmark for trying you really feel like breaking every non swearing rule in the book.
I really couldn’t understand why Ben Johnson was used in central defence last night when Masuaku was employed in a role that Moyes himself admitted he can’t play – left back!
It wasn’t as though central defence was a major success was it and watching him at left back stood watching as the game passed him by wasn’t great.
Then there’s the Ukranian international who seems perfectly capable of doing it for his country but not his club and who has you making coffee when he is on the ball for the Irons.
There was a tiny bit more last night but his injury record and form this season make him one we will be glad to see the back of.
So here’s my Christmas exit list: Masuaku, Yarmolenko, Fredericks, Randolph which should save us around above £200k thus allowing us to pay the wages of a defender and striker.
I agree with the 4 of them, Fredericks and Yarmo will not be offered new contracts correctly so, Randolph will not get in head of Fab or Areola and we are all tired of Masuaka as a defender. I would also add one more to this, I think Kral’s loan needs to be brought to an end as it is not right for him not to be playing and I also think there is no chance we are going to sign him.
I would also think carefully of offering Ben Johnson a big contract as young Ashby is a far better player both defensively and going forward. Johnson is poor on the ball and last night the amount of times he did not close down when he should have were too many to count, for me he is potentially following the same road as Nkata who joined Watford. I would not be too disapoointed.
We played 3 at the back and with injuries Motes though Johnson was the best option for the right side. Masuaku played wing back not full back. Ashby played right wing back, Did you see the game?
I understood exactly what he did and playing Masuaku as a wing back ‘protected by the likes’ of Lanzini was an error in my view. I know how Ashby was played. I saw the game merely came to less rude conclusions as you
Good shout. Yarmo should be called second gear he never gets out of it, – Masuaku is no idea as regularly shown. Randolph and Fredericks are both surplus to requirements. All of the above must go.
Last night Masuaku was a peripheral figure whether occupying a wing back position or when he strayed closer to our penalty box. We all know he’s not a defender. He hugs the touch line and likes to play neat triangles but he just doesn’t do enough for me. He can cross the ball and he is fairly quick but usually with little end product. I was disappointed we didn’t play Longelo last night – he looked good against Zagreb both going forward and defensively. Either as a wing back or full back, he’s got to be better than Arthur.
I agree with the four to go out the door.
Fredericks can be a decent player when he’s fit so there is an argument to keep him as a back up. Trouble is he’s never fit. He’s like the Andy Carroll of wing backs.