James Tomkins is at the centre of fierce speculation that he could become a major summer tansfer target for Sunderland and Crystal Palace.
The Hammers are believed to want a minimum £7 million should either clubs show their hand but how do the Hammers fans feel about one of their own moving on?
ClaretandHugh’s Facebook forum members have been giving their reaction:
O I’d want twice that or better in today’s market. Centre back and can also lay at fullback. The sad thing, of course, is that he’s one of our own
O We need him, Ginge isn’t getting any younger
O Shame if he goes, I like Tomkins
O With European football on the cards, I don’t think we can afford to let him go.
O Ridiculous
O Tomkins has his limitations, but plays within them generally. Can’t see him getting a look-in at right-back next season (hopefully) but bound to be enough injuries amongst Reid, Ogbonna and Collins to get some games at centre-half
O Shame but….He’s good and he is one of ours but we need to upgrade and think bigger now. I’m sure Slav has a replacement in mind who is better at playing the ball out from the back. We have Burke and Oxford coming up also and I’m sure Slav will be considering that. Ginge isn’t getting any younger but he is ahead of Tomkins imo.
O I think if we get European football he needs to stay. Burke and Oxford will need first team football next season but with the Europa League looming we need strength in depth.
O Cant believe it. Its just ridiculous. How on earth can we sell Tonks? Just give the guy a chance to prove himself at CB! Slav did a great job overall this season, but the way we defended didn’t convince me at all. And the other question – where will we find a BETTER replacement for a reasonable price?? I just hope its not true.
O A better replacement than for the 4th choice CB on £45k pw who hardly played at the end of the season?
In fact, he only played at the start as we run out of fullbacks. And when that happened again we played a winger there instead.
In fact, he only played at the start as we run out of fullbacks. And when that happened again we played a winger there instead.
O Still rate him higher than Reid. Better on the ball, better football brain. They’d be stupid to cash in.
O There seems to be a real debate on the order of CB. I’d go Reid, Ogbonna, Tomkins and Collins.
O No matter how you order them, we probably need all four. And we’re not going to replace any one of them for what we’re going to be asking.
O Gutted If he goes. Always thought he was destined for bigger things. Rate him highly.
O Really shocked another kick in the teeth to young Academy Players, time there was a rule stating each side % of home produced players.
O Ogbonna has been our best CB period…..don’t forget this has been his first season in the Prem as well! He will only get better…..if Tomkins leaves for £7 million then it’s a good price for player who has been done a good job…..people need to realise we are moving on to big things!
As was mentioned on a previous article these things will happen.Transfers will happen that may not be universally popular but if they are conducted to improve the squad with incoming players who are better that’s okay with me.Sentimentality is great but it is only ever short term with football fans.It never takes us long to move on to our next favourite or idol lol
I think Tompkins has had a good season, he has proved adept as a more defensive right back, what has really frustrated me is Slav’s insistance on playing Reid as a right centre back, Ginge and Tompkins both play that position really well and they don’t leave huge gaps between the right back and cb that have often been exploited for goals, Reid also seems to favour defending his left side when playing in the right cb position which is natural for a left sided cb but leaves him unaware of that gap between him and Antonio or Tompkins, also he was to blame for the second goal at Stoke because he switched off when he should have gone with the Diouf the commentators blamed Ogbonna but he should have marked him and left Ogbonna with the one they were both effectively marking. Back on Topic if we do end up in Europa I think we should keep Tompkins.
I totally agree we should keep him if we qualify for Europe no32.You know what there is so much bullshlt & bluster around this time of year Slaven probably has no intention of selling him anyway.
I agree with you Rick, I’m sure Slav knows exactly what WH need to improve, I’m relying on him. I am just worried that if Tomkins leaves there might be another river of tears… lol 😉
Love Tomo as one of our own great as RB to replace Jenkinsons but I think Byram will be our number one maybe not next year if Pied come in,
But I think we need a better CH then him or Ginge if we are going to get better and with Burke,Henry and Oxford coming through maybe why he has value we should listen to offers for him Ginge and Reid and take what is best for us,
We have to move on weather he is one of ours or not,
I think Slav has his eye on more then one CH
Didn’t I read all the ‘experts’ lauding his performance in the RB position and claiming he was so good he had made the RB position permanently his. Memories, it seems are very short
I wish your memory was shorter Chaz,then you wouldn’t always be saying ‘As I said months ago’ haha 😉
Have a look at the stats.
Reid and Ogbonna – 2.1 goals per game.
Collins and Ogbonna – 0.8 goals per game.
Reid and Tomkins – 1.6 goals a game.
Me thinks Reid is the weak link, the last 12 games played without Collins we shipped in over 2 goals a game. You can’t win anything doing that.
Nice Stats Dave, shows that when you put round pegs into round holes everything is sweet (Like Antonio further forward and Sakho and Valencia up top 😉 ), I think Reid is a great left sided cb and obviously a leader on the pitch but he isn’t as good as Ogbonna and Slav should look at those stats the evidence is clear, just look at where all the goals have come from right side of defence, backed up by your stats !!!
Dave those stats are interesting.
Personally an underrated player who hasn’t had a fair crack of the whip.
Moved out to play at right back as hes the most mobile and technically good on the ball of the 3 defenders, which is by no means an easy feat. He even had a stint at centre mid last year under big Sam.
I’m sure if he spent more time forging a partnership with ogbonna we would look a much better side.
Ginge has had a fantastic season but time really isnt on his side. Personally I would be more open to selling Reid, Nkoulou really takes my fancy (Free Agent, from Marseille) if we plan on replacing him.
Having said that, Slav as a centre back must have a good instinct and eye for a centre back so I think we should back him on this one whatever the decision may be.
Always a shame to see one of your own leave though
I have the same thoughts as well AMCW.The fact that Bilic was a centre back himself leads me to believe he should know his way round what makes a good cb pairing or good centre back.The job always looks easy sat on a computer tapping away like we do lol
Nkoulu looks decent from what I have seen also AMCW the Dave’s love a freebie so hopefully we can pick some up, him and Van Der Wiel will do for starters 😉
if he want to go to get regular football then you cannot stand in his way but 7 mil really I would have said more like 12 mil I do believe bilic will ship a few out as he reshape the team with better players this is his first proper transfer window and I just trust he wont let us down
Hello, all. I’m new here, though I’ve been reading C&H for a while now.
I don’t like the idea of losing players like Tomkins. He’s not a top-two centre back in our current squad, but he’s a good defender and versatile. If Burke or Oxford were ready they’d be playing already, and I can’t see us replacing Tomkins with anyone as good for the amount of money we’d get for him.
Mostly, though, I think it is important that players come up through the youth ranks and have a presence in the team. Even if we could replace Tomkins for free with his Albanian or Ecuadoran or Canadian equal, the club would be losing a player who has grown up at the club and who offers a real human link to the history and ethos of West Ham United. There is no real way to quantify how much of an advantage that really is, of course, and I wouldn’t say keep a player who isn’t good enough just because he grew up here, but Tomkins IS good enough, so I think the club should look to keep him for as long as he wants to play a role that is suitable to his level of ability.
I remember before the start of last season people saying that Noble was no longer good enough to start in our midfield and that we should move him on. I hope those people aren’t still saying that after the season he’s just had!
If we recruit as well this offseason as we did last, we should be able to improve on what was a great season for us. Personally, I think we are strong at centre back. We shouldn’t even be THINKING about changing our centre backs when there are so many other positions where we need depth and/or better quality.
Greetings Far West! Totally agree with you. Dont forget to join our Facebook group too! COYI
Hi Far West.For me it’s the papers & media firing out stories whether they are true or not.I really can’t see him moving on,I’m sure Slav sees his value to the squad.Having said that though if the player wants to leave then let him.I don’t believe that would be the case.Im sure by the end of the summer nearly every one of our players will have been sold by one paper or another haha
Well.. to be honest i d love this info to be fake, but Hugh never posts news or gossip without any truth in em.. (
We don’t need to be doing any favors to Pardew or Alladyce by giving them one of our best defenders At Any Price . Tompkins is West Ham through and through and does a great job at RB . Pardew and Alladyce both know that , and Slaven should know it as well . If he does get moved on we had better be sure we have a better player to replace him with . Not great seeing wingers in defensive roles . Reckon that’s where we slipped up to be honest .
And as several people have already commented , if Man Utd do us a favour we are going to need all hands to the pumps .
We had no choice but to play Antonio at RB through injury Kev remember and even with Byram joining he was cup tied,
It actually worked for a long time,then Slav could not change the side and find a place for Antonio with Payet and Lanzini in the team until the Payet injury,
We need to move on again and if Slav does not rate his defenders he will let them go,can’t all keep giving 35 year old players another year,
We are now in an unique position of thinking about getting better and have to get used to change and that means home grown players as well we only ave room for so many players and they want to play as well
Fully agree with the , had no choice bit , Bubs . But my point is Tomkins is at present a very useful player and with the possibility of Europe can we really afford to let him go . Our current strikers would have a difficult time against Tompkins in my opinion .
But yes , we need changes , of course .
It’s the cost & price that will be paid for trying to move on to another level.Our fans will need to get used to it pretty quickly.Im not for one minute saying it’s something I embrace but I still know that it is going to be something that will happen more in the future.I don’t see Tonka going anywhere anytime soon but if Bilic wants the funds or Tomkins wants out that’s life folks .