Stage is set for ‘priceless’ Nobes

CandH’s top blogger Allen Cummings makes a very good case for the skipper as the tension builds ahead of the restart .

Following the arrival of Tomas Soucek – and the way he dovetailed almost seamlessly into a midfield role within the David Moyes’ team – there was a growing feeling that skipper Mark Noble’s days as a permanent starter for West Ham was coming under increasing threat.

As we entered the last quarter of the season support was gathering for the younger and more athletic Czech Republic international to be the regular partner to Declan Rice in that key midfield area – at Noble’s expense. But then came Covid-19, football stopped and everything went on hold.

Now a resumption is on the horizon – and I believe the picture with regard to the skipper has changed massively. Where a place on the subs’ bench looked to be a real possibility for Noble – now I believe he is going to be needed more than ever out there, where it matters most, on the pitch and in the thick of the action.

For me he has to start ahead of Soucek – not necessarily because he is a better player technically or physically than Tomas but because he has more influence on this team than anyone else in the side.

Football post- coronavirus is going to be very different to what we knew before. Players aren’t going to be inspired by the crowd because the stadia will be empty.

They aren’t going to feed off the atmosphere because there won’t be one. The role of the captain is going to come into focus far more than ever before in my opinion.

No-one leads by example more than Nobes. He lives and breaths West Ham. His passion for the club and for the team is there for all to see, and we love him for it. He wears his heart on his sleeve, just the way Billy Bonds did. And we all know what an incredibly inspirational figure Bonzo was.

Noble has his critics, but his admirers, both on and off the field, far outweigh his detractors. His team mates admire him, respect him and feed off him. Right now his team mates and his team need Mark Noble as never before.

They need him to pump them up. They need him to drive them on. They need him to continually remind them of the job that has to be done. Nobes is made for the task.

The next nine games will make or break our season. They could, some say, make or break our club. We know the skipper has just moved into his 34^th year, his legs aren’t what they were, but his mind is still as sharp as ever. His experience for what lies ahead will be vital. His influence will be priceless!