Colours never run wrote:So we're all decided then, we don't replace him after all and still consider him to be a key player in our Team for next season?
I’m more concerned we’re going to start the season with the same idea of Wilshere as the other option
Colours never run wrote:So we're all decided then, we don't replace him after all and still consider him to be a key player in our Team for next season?
Well I’m with you on that one.
Once he finally retires, I hope people finally recognise him as the good, solid pro that he has been for us. Rarely spectacular, but mostly dependable.
The Old Man of Storr wrote: I'm always happy to listen to someone with a different opinion to me as long as it's approached and laid out in a sensible non-abusive manner .
Colours never run wrote:So we're all decided then, we don't replace him after all and still consider him to be a key player in our Team for next season?
That depends on the system Pellegrini chooses.
If he goes back to a midfield two or a 4-4-2, then Noble doesn't play. His presence is completely dependent on us playing a midfield 3.
He also becomes vulnerable if we start filling the team up with the likes of Cresswell, Hernandez etc.
The recent upturn in the team's form, and Noble's, coincides with a three man midfield, rapid full backs, an energetic front three.
Very ironic that someone who posts with the name "brooking" constantly goes on about lack of pace. Trevor (who I rate as West Hams greatest ever player) had the pace of an arthritic snail.
Colours never run wrote:When he scores from open play, you rarely ever see him score a **** goal. Looking back on them all, there's been some absolute belters, the Watford one being the most recent.
The danger is remembering the last few games of the season and forgetting the rest...
Taking the whole season into account, our midfield - including Noble - haven't particularly shone. Last few games of the season you could give him an average of 8/10. The season as a whole, more like 6/10.
The same applies to a few other members of the team who's form picked up at the end. If we bring someone in and he performs better than Noble then that's great - our team has improved. If Noble ups his game and keeps his place then that's great too. We shouldn't just get complacent though and not buy anyone just because the team looked good for a handful of games.
He's a key player in the squad for sure... whether he's still a key player in the first team this time next year remains to be seen.
Csnt agree, Burnley. Noble, like Antonio, Snodgrass and Rice have all been very consistent this season. Every now and then they'll have a poor performance but in the main they've all been consistent in their own right. Our issues have mainly stemmed from other problems in the team and most signs point to the defence and sometimes up front ie Arnie acting up. We can and should of course tweak the Midfield (that was supposed to be Nasri/Wilshere) but that didn't materialise for obvious reasons. The likes of Noble though hasn't been the issue and never really has been.
doesn't seem to me that Burnley is coating Noble. he is making a fair case for the entire midfield and all of those who played, over the course of the season.
Anderson had an awful time around early December iirc and wasn't helped by Arnie's absence. Antonio had his moments and not so moments. Snoddy was probably the most overall consistent performer in terms of application but then again had an awful 4-6 game stretch maybe Feburary/March. Obiang was non existent.
Rice as a DM was our best season long performer with I would suggest maybe an 7.5/8
Noble had his good and bad days. again as I pointed out, sometimes all of them suffered from Pellers selection/system.
we were overrun there on many occasions. those days can't be forgotten. Cardiff away, Huddersfield at home, Everton at home Wimbledon away come immediately to mind.
then again there were the ManU at home, Arsenal home and away, Liverpool at home, Chelsea at home, City away..where we either competed or won the midfield.
I think a 6-7/10 overall is a fair assessment. you might think more then that's fair enough.
Sure and in my opinion I think it's a wrong assessment. Bar the first handful of games under a new manager, the team thereafter right up until new years when Arnie acted up, we were playing very well and on a consistent basis giving most teams a real game, it was entertaining and we were climbing the table looking up. With Arnie plus the injuries mounting up, the team had a slump culminating with a shocking performance against Wimbledon but once we eventually shook off the very disappointing FA Cup hangover, our form and performance began to pick up again right up to the last day of the season. And as one of the ever presents Noble like other prominent Midfielders I mentioned have been very consistent. 5 goals, 5 assists plus everything else he manages to get through during a season was a solid consistent season for Noble. It wouldn't be right to paint the midfielders season performance as something like a great performance every now and again amongst many poor showings. For me it's the other way around. Noble was no different.
That's right... and of the midfield, I'd say only Rice has looked fairly consistent all season in that he was probably our best performer in the games where the rest of the team fell apart.
Antonio has had a good spell for the last few games but you don't really need to go back very far before you find a lot of criticism of him during the match threads. I certainly don't think he's a good example of consistent performances.
Noble has had quite a few excellent games, but also quite a number of games where it looks like he's struggled. Possibly due to the system we played... What if we brought in a midfielder that was good enough to make a 2 rather than a 3 work in midfield? In any case, I feel that Noble is better deployed further forward. I think he'd do a good job at standing in for Lanzini as a playmaker due to his superior range of passing
Speaking of Lanzini, he needs a full pre-season behind him as he's looked distinctly average since coming back.
Obiang has been up and down for a long time.
Snodgrass started well with a few goals, then went through a spell of being ineffective on the wing before finding some form again as a central midfielder. I can't argue about the effort he puts in but he's been a bit hit and miss with regards to performances.
Anderson is inconsistent too, and I don't think many can deny that. Looks like a world beater one week and a waste of money the next. Not unusual for a flair player though - I remember Payet having a number of games where he did naff all.
how many penalties in that 5 goals ? 5 assists ? imvho not enough.
not singling him out. other than really Anderson and Antonio who came alive more at the arse end of the season, our midfield didn't contribute overall enough. in terms of assists and goals. and either offensively or defensively.
5th in shots conceded
7th in goals conceded inside the area
including our great finish only 7 clean sheets - only Fulham and Huddersfield were worse.
our goal keeper made the most saves in the league.
I think that our midfield has/had to do a much better job in closing down the opposition. they all do (the team) but I think (movho) we were under so much pressure by losing the ball or not winning it back quickly enough and in areas of the field that were the most damaging.
Antonio's scored 7, assisted 6 this season before the other work he's done. I agree with Pellegrini for regularly selecting him due to his consistency. It's not been a season of brief moments but one of his most consistent for the team. Same for Snodgrass and Rice (who has had some poor performances of his own for all the deserved plaudits the young pup does get).