In all the hullabaloo about new signings, I want to remember that we already have players that I'm proud to have at the club and Mark Noble is one. I hope he has a fantastic season. He deserves to lead a team out that is fit to wear the shirt and hopefully we now have that this season.
'Appy 'Ammer wrote:It is the beginning of the end for him.
Thanks Mr noble
You know what, such is the man he'd happily step aside today if someone genuinely better than him would come along to replace him and do whatever the manager asked if it was to come off the bench rather than kick up a stink and demand to move. He genuinely wants what's best for the team first and foremost.
Should Wilshere arrive and fully fit to play, his place would be seriously under threat and I'd have no problem with him being dropped in such an instance. However I would caveat that saying it wouldn't be the end of him or as some kind of but player, rather a chance to prove himself that he can still earn his place on merit and play alongside someone like Wilshere and not an either/or scenario. He always strikes me as someone who revels in playing with genuine class players and his game thrives when he's got proper options around him to pass too.
In my opinion, even if I get my wish and Wilshere signs having proved his fitness, it won't be the beginning of the end of him but rather the end of having to fight fires on his own and can now concentrate on his natural game and enjoy his football again like he did during the last season of the Boleyn.
Kialos wrote:In all the hullabaloo about new signings, I want to remember that we already have players that I'm proud to have at the club and Mark Noble is one. I hope he has a fantastic season. He deserves to lead a team out that is fit to wear the shirt and hopefully we now have that this season.
Hear, hear.
He should now also have the movement up front needed to make him shine even more as far to often he receives the ball looks up and nothing....
For someone who's spent his best footballing years playing in some of the worst West Ham teams ever assembled, this season should be a nice change for him.
Nice post Pinkie, I couldn't have put it better myself.
I bet Mark is looking forward to the start of the season, look at the players around him compared to the final third of last season how can that not inspire a player and supporter, and every time Noble has been written off, as some are doing on here at this time, he's rolled his sleeves up and delivered a better season than expected. Always up for the challenge, he has the ability if he stays fit to stay in the team regardless of the form of Fernandez, Kouyate and Obiang as he is still the best passer of the ball at the club and his underdog spirit will still be needed as although our signings this summer have been good we haven't morphed into a top four team overnight.
He must surely have one of the best injury (free) records, for an outfield player in the history of the Prem.,
Something like 400 games in 10 years ?
Ironmark
Even if Wilshere did become first choice CM ahead of Noble, it's hardly a threat. Noble could still end up playing 3/4 of a season covering for injury!
Noble is a good player and a consistent performer. He's a competent passer of the ball, and has a wealth of Premier League experience. Nobody gets to play for that long in the Premier League as a first team player if they're rubbish. He does have weaknesses though. His pace is one, and his aerial ability is another. He hardly wins a single ball in the air defensively in comparison to Kouyate. He can also be indecisive on the ball - which sometimes results in an opposition player nicking the ball from him. His positional play isn't really great either and he has a habit of chasing the ball around the pitch. For all his workrate chasing, he doesn't actually get that many tackles in. As he's chasing, the tackles he does put in tend to be desperate lunges which, when they come off, look very impressive. When they don't come off they're dangerous. Once we have the ball then his habit of chasing the ball becomes an advantage as he's always available for the pass. His ability to retain possession is essential in the team. We only have him and Lanzini who aren't desperate to give the ball away as soon as we win it back.
The argument that he's at his best when surrounded by quality players isn't really a great argument in his favour. The same could be said of most average players. That's not to say that Noble is average, it's a criticism of the argument.
The conclusion? He's good at some stuff and not so good at other stuff. I'm surprised at how few people have come to the same conclusion in this 260 page thread.
Definitely a West Ham legend, it was shame he never got a chance with England.
The way he comes across I don't think he would throw his toys out of the pram if he was benched for a superior player. He would do it for the benefit of the team.
PF. wrote:I really can't understand why anyone isn't. Each to their own I guess.
Pretty girl syndrome, ain't it? Some people focus on a players skill or ability in regards to what a servant they are to the club.
That is, they'd rather subserviently walk 3 steps behind Paolo Di Canio in Bluewater, carrying her Pandora bags, than go for a beer with Dailly, Butler and Pearce.
rare as rockinghorse shat wrote:That is, they'd rather subserviently walk 3 steps behind Paolo Di Canio in Bluewater, carrying her Pandora bags, than go for a beer with Dailly, Butler and Pearce.
She wouldn't bother showing up if it was shopping in the Trafford Centre
I love Nobes, but attending football games IS about the mavericks for me. When Payet was doing his thing before it went bandy, or Paolo being dramatic, or even the over-exaggerated Tevez spell.. I love watching them play.. We are a weird club in that we've had a large dose of our modern entertainment be based around the fact that Scott Parker and Mark Noble were not literally scared of a football when most of the lads around them were, or simply could not play football. But that sort of makes those mavericks even more joyous. Makes classier players even classier too.. I'll never forget the first time I saw Alex Song standout for us in the flesh - Not just pass sideways or offer himself for throw in duties, but actually control a game.
I'm not slagging MN off, but I'm in it coz of Gazza, not Steve Hodge.
