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.