A few weeks ago on one of my increasing infrequent Twitter sessions I recall reading that with Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia in such outstanding form we could ditch the club’s record signing Andy Carroll.
“Get rid now” and “taxi for Carroll” were two of the kinder comments as the keyboard warriors made their points, perhaps in the hope they would make their own names at the same time.
Oddly, the same recommendations weren’t made on behalf of Carlton Cole but we’ll let that pass.
Kevin Nolan of course has his share of knockers along at times, surprisingly, with Mark Noble who has occasionally been told that he may not be strong good to hold down a first team place.
And there’s a group who seem to believe that when a player can’t make the starting line-up that automatically means – as is the argument with AC – that we might as well get rid.
Now this isn’t going to be the most insightful thing I ever write, but it seems to me that after the lack of player resources at the club last season, a “starting” mindset has fixed itself in the psyche of some.
That’s not the way big clubs – and that’s what we are becoming – think. We need as many good players in the West Ham squad as we can get and rotate them without there being any immediate weaknesses becoming apparent.
Up front and across the middle we are there and as I’ve written before it’s at the back where we need a couple of decent signings,
But when we get them as I believe we will next summer, let’s not start suggesting that one or the other of those on the books can be flogged when they fail to make the team for four or five weeks.
We need to fix one thing very firmly in our minds: It’s a squad game and West Ham are no longer a selling club thank God.
This season is the start of something very big at the club. It almost feels like a revolution at times. Yes, there’s some dead wood that needs to be cleared out but once it is, we will be well and truly on our way to the big time.
Agreed.However the bigger problem,as has been proven over the last two seasons,is that Allardyce won’t be able to deal with a squad rotation as he can only just about pick eleven plus Jussi,O’Brien,noble cole AC ,Jarvis and whoever’s left or fit. A decent manager would be able to relish rotation but he only seems capable of choosing Curtis players.You can knock these comments if you can show at any time in his 25 years has he ever rotated.he hasn’t!.
When he goes in May the new manager will still have a great squad to move us up and onwards and rotate!
I couldn’t agre with you more! You are spot on again!
The game today is more of a squad game than ever and we are benefiting from having the strongest squad I can ever remember having at the Boleyn.
While it is impossible to please everybody it’s time now to get behind the team and not allowing personal dislikes of the manager and some players to keep clouding ones judgement.
Yeah there has been some really bad times recently, nobody enjoyed last year, relegation, the fizzy pop league, near bankruptcy or the banking crash that lead to an Icelandic debt mountain of £100mill+ But we are now over all of that and have the brightest of OS futures to look forward to! COYI!
Quite honestly sir. You’re article “time to get in step with irons revolution” is the most sensible and forward thinking thing I’ve read about West Ham for some time and is definitely the most positive thing I’ve ever read on this particular website. Congratulations. You make some excellent and valid points. Time to put an end to the negative thinking attitude that may have had some justification in the past but was starting to spread and eat away at our great club like some kind of poison. No forget that. This is a brave new world. Time for West Ham supporters to get with the programme.
I agree but who do you call squad players ? Yes AC,KN, are good players but are Obrien,Cole and Vaz Te good enough ? Have we good cover at left back ? When are we going to bring on our young central defenders,they are good enough we can all see that in my option at least one should be on the bench each week not O Bien or Cole they won’t win games in the last ten mins and with Song and Kouyte who can cover at the back we need to think of the future not keep buying .
Sir, I so very much agree with you. And this is not a new phenomenon amongst our “supporters”.
Look at the History of Carlton Cole, whom you mention: time after time he has been denigrated and abused, and each time he has proved his detractors ludicrously wrong with patience tenacity, fortitude and dignity. He works, breathes and bleeds claret and blue, and I for one love him.
Mark Noble is the centrepiece of this club, now and for the foreseeable future. ANYBODY who is incapable of seeing this simple fact is not a recognisable Hammer.
Yes, I am delighted and joyful at the arrival of our new stars, and am loving our return to our traditional ways of playing. But this is only possible with strong foundations, and the two players that I have mentioned are the strongest!