Wednesday 18 March 2009

Was Noble Nobbled? Blame Basildon Irons!

(The following has been lifted from the mordant org. Bas has always been an intelligent contributor willing to risk the ire of the Klan. I hope you don't mind me carrying this Bas, given I am banned from the site it is the only way I can engage in the debate with you! I attach a response and hope others join the debate.)

Mark Noble burst onto the scene in the most emphatic way and, in my opinion, without him the great escape would never have happened. He was the real driving force behind those great performances that secured our Premier League survival; but, for me, ever since the start of last season something has been missing, he just simply has not cut it.

Now before you all start throwing abuse about me being negative and how he’s one of us and we should leave him alone (all that stuff has been thrown at me many times before on westhamfans.org) just have a real hard think about this player. He doesn’t score goals, he doesn't assist, he’s not a destroying midfielder who prevents goals and his tackling comes with a "Will Break A Leg Soon" warning; so tell me, what is he actually good at?

I think he has gone backwards in his development and for such a young player he appears terribly slow with no burst of pace whatsoever. This brings me to the point where I’m slightly confused. When Curbishley brought him through, he seemed to have all the technical attributes, apart from natural pace, needed to become a West Ham great; yet time after time I’m left totally frustrated and bemused by his performances.

In those early oh so heady days, Curbishley seemed to give him a ‘Steven Gerrard’ level of freedom, apparently sending him onto the pitch with a "just go out and play" instruction. When he did this he was top notch and the enthusiasm he showed, allied to his natural talent, was exceptional. Come the start of last season, however, he seemed withdrawn, depressed almost, with all his creative spark extinguished. It was as if Curbishley had told him to adopt a more responsible defensive role, not to get drawn too far forward, not to gamble and risk being caught out of position. Whether or not this is actually the case we will probably never know but that’s how it seemed. Like everyone under Curbishley, he picked up niggling injuries and his season never really took off. It was like a lost year, a year in the wilderness, with Noble searching for the player he once had been.

The start of this season was much the same and then enter Gianfranco Zola. I really expected someone like Zola to get the best out of Noble. I thought he would liberate him, release him from the shackles of self doubt and get him performing with his old vim and vigour. But that hasn’t happened has it? Where are those lung-busting runs into the opposition's box? Where are those fearsome tackles when tracking back to our own goal? Where are those set piece deliveries? Where are those emotional, wholesome gutsy performances that turned a team of down and outs into a team of winners, a team of fighters, a team with pride? Where has it all gone wrong for this boy?

We know he can do the business, we’ve all seen it, but for whatever reason it just isn’t happening. I’m interested to know if anyone has the same views as me but please, if all you’re going to do is yell insults, don’t bother wasting your time. I’m not having a dig, I just want to know if anyone else thinks the same as me and to hear other views on this. Is it mismanagement or is Noble simply not good enough?

28 comments:

Hammersfan said...

I'm not so concerned Bas. He isn't fully fit and he's being played out of position wide on the right or left of midfield. I expect to see the real Mark Noble playing with his heart on his sleeve at the start of next season.

Dag66 said...

I agree with Hammersfan. Noble is playing out of position, but, there is something else.
I can't make it out. He has lost his way.
No question he performed well when he had a cause, but we need the passion now!
I still beliewve in his ability, but, would I keep him? Not convinced. GF has other option with a fully fit squad.
I loved Stanislaus Monday. He shows real quality!

Anonymous said...

I really do rate mark noble, i might be biased cause i know him, but he loves west ham with all his heart and would do anything to wear the claret and blue shirt hence playing out of position. When GZ plays him back in an attacking central mid-fielder We'll see the best of him. I think his been restricted to what can do. GZ want west ham to pass the ball into the back of the net not individual runs. I think within a couple of weeks if that and he'll be back to his normal self.

Andy Harding said...

Where i sit in the ground everyone around me is saying pretty much the same, he isnt the same since he came back from long term injury. We all hoped WHU would cash in on him and sell him in the window, sorry but he just aint got it in him to cut it in the prem for a whole season.

Anonymous said...

Excellent article Basil, you and I had a right dust up when I first blew my trumpet on the Orgestra - and we made "post of the year" on the annual awards if I remember correctly. Your big base drum is wasted there mate, you already have more replies here with the crazy gang. Noble for me is a good squad player who will play his part over the course of the season. He is not good enough to play the attacking midfield role as a first choice. I'm not knocking him, he has claret and blue blood and you need players like him to make a good squad.

Anonymous said...

Big base, big base , big base drum; big base drum, big base drum: You are the music man Fanno and perhaps not such a one man band after all!!!

Anonymous said...

yeah spot on with your shout,i sit in the bobby moore lower,and the majority of fan's near me are all of the same opinion.we all know he is a hammer but we need a bit more than that,i think that collison has blown people away this season and that may have made us look at noble in a different way.

Anonymous said...

He has had several injuries this past year. He is still only 21 and so his form has dropped off. This is to be expected of a young player. Collison has injected the excitement that Noble had in previous seasons. Lay off Noble and he will come back fitter and stronger next season after a good rest.

Anonymous said...

I don't think anyone is laying into him anon. It's just a healthy discussion about his achievements and potential.

Anonymous said...

I could get used to this, a bit of intelligent comment with my Crunchy Nuts in the morning. Keep it up boys.

Anonymous said...

I think West Ham will win 4-0

Anonymous said...

To be honest, what you saw in the survival season was a West Ham supporting boy with the energy and will to help save his club from relegation over th last 10 games of the season, he was fresh and ready.

What you have now is a regular first team player who has turned in to a man and a proper pro rather than the enthusiastic boy and it is that professional man that will make himn a good footballer. You can't have that rash boyishness for long.

Anonymous said...

Well said that man!

Anonymous said...

C'mon guys; let's see a few names - have difficulty responding to 'anons'. Mark is turning into a real enigma as he really was inspired before and into the 'great escape'. Ever since he seems to lack that special 'something' that will endear him forever in the minds of the faithful. He really must learn to 'pull his head in' with some of those tackles though. With tackles like his he could be a prime candidate for a spell out here in the antipodes. This site is doin' my head in - I find I can only post as anonymous. I hate that when my name is Saltbush Bill. Maybe some Aussie invective will assist?

Saltbush Bill said...

Some of you will know me from another (West Ham Fans)site. Is there room for my brand of nonsense on here?

Anonymous said...

No, piss off!!

Saltbush Bill said...

Oh damn! Still I fail to make good impressions when I attempt to hang my hat somewhere. Speaking of Mark; now he’s a local Essex lad - isn’t he? Does anyone think he might have a si ………. Nah! Silly idea. Maybe if I showed him my tackle first? mолоток

Anonymous said...

LOL A delight to see your charming antipodean wit mate. I'm not so sure we want to see your charming antipodean tackle though!
Speaking of which I believe the Aussie rules lads have been getting a bit raunchy in the photo studio!

Anonymous said...

You speak for yourself Mr. Martillo!

Hammersfan said...

Welcome to all. Will be investigating how we can springboard this site to a discussion forum. Anyone know?

Anonymous said...

I feel Noble has been totally upstaged by Collison. Collison thinks faster, on and off the ball and exhibits far more attacking flair than Noble. He is also significantly fitter. Too many times Noble is blowing out his arse by an hour. I can excuse Parker of that because he is literally everywhere but Noble goes missing for me and he shouldn't as a youngster supposedly brimming with enthusiasm. He has SOME natural talent but not loads. He is a decent squad player and I love having proper West Ham fans in the side. However, he needs to improve his speed, stamina, mental quickness and goalscoring ability before he can command a regular place in the side. I think we are guilty of cutting our home-grown young un's too much slack sometimes. Noble v Cole is terms of raw contribution is a no-contest this year but listen to some of our fans and you would think we were comparing Steven Gerrard with Iain Dowie! Time for a rethink, change of attitude and some serious running this summer methinks. I believe he has it in him, but it needs to be shown and soon! DENBIGHAMMER.

Hammersfan said...

Hi Den, good to see you "troll side". Naturally I concur with your Cole comments - how lame do we look without him? Presuming it is ok to lift some of your posts on the mordant org and carry them on here?

Anonymous said...

Of course you can, not that I do post that much at the mo, apart from my 'Is The UEFA Cup Worth It?' thread that I've punted twice now! Your opinion on the subject? I think that without Cole we are a side totally devoid of options going forward. We can do nothing except try and pass through them. People don't seem to realise that you need to mix things up and Cole brings others into play....or he's just fackin sh1t, depending on your opinion! I was annoyed by the unwillingness to spread the play on Monday, Parker being particularly guilty of trying to thread the needle through three defenders when a team-mate was standing in space on the opposite side of the field. Denbighammer.

Hammersfan said...

The play was so lopped sided on Monday. EVERYTHING went down the middle or the left. The problem was the selection of Noble down the right, teamed with Neill - which meant no pace whatsoever. I didn't get the use of both Savio and Stanislas on the left and the failure to even try swapping the flank players. Had Noble come over to the left, Ilunga could have pushed beyond him giving us an attacking flank player on the left, whilst Savio / Stanislas would have given us pace on the right. Both Savio and Stanislas are right footed anyway! Perverse! As for the UEFA Cup, it is mickey mouse and a drain on playing resources but beggars can't be choosers and we aint going to figure in the Champions League any time soon are we?

Anonymous said...

Oi Fanno you unlawfully take one of my posts, then have the bloody cheek to alter my use of grammar, put words in I did not use and then to top it off you yet again turn my post somehow into an anti-curbishley rant, I don’t like it……………..i f*cking love it mate!!!! Glad you enjoyed the thread, get this site up and running into a proper forum where we can engage and I think a new rival to the org is born. Marky noble has a massive few weeks in front of him. I’ve every confidence that Zola and Nani already have a host of targets they are looking for in the summer and if the ‘new’ west ham business model is to be stuck too we will have to sell to acquire new talent. If someone comes in with a decent bid for Noble and he hasn’t shown what he’s about between now and the end of the season I can see him being ‘let go’. Its simple he has to now step up and be counted, no behrami, no collision, we need him now more than ever!!!

Anonymous said...

Marty I do believe in our first ‘discussion’ you referred to me as ‘bone headed knuckle dragger’ or something along those lines…you were probably right. It just seems such a shame to have to refer to
Noble as a squad player, he seems to have so much more potential than that, just cant fulfil it.

Anonymous said...

That's very nearly a compliment in Spain Basil, you should see how I described Fanno in the post "Visualise It" that I got banned for!!

Hammersfan said...

Welcome Bas and thanks.