Mark Noble - West Ham Legend 500 up

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Colours never run
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by Colours never run »

I'm struggling to recall anyone calling Noble a 'great' player, I'm assuming in the sense of say a Scholes type. He does however have the occasional great game, like against Spurs or indeed Watford. For me he always has been Mr Consistent though in the top flight and that's a huge well deserved compliment considering his longevity in the 1st Team as a regular starter. He's a consistent 7/10 during his entire career (just like his most recent season at 32), sometimes a 5 or 6, sometimes an 8 or a 9 performance. My only regret for him was 2 things, he hasn't enjoyed the chance to play with top class Players like Payet, Anderson more in his career, often in mediocre sides struggling to compete a lot of the time and that he's also been asked to play holding Midfield for far too long in his early spells of his career when he really should have been encouraged to get forward more.
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thejackhammer
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by thejackhammer »

We could upgrade Noble, we could upgrade anyone and improve the team.

I just don't think it's priority number one.

I'd be bringing in a 3rd centreback before that, our fall of form when Balbuena was injured cost us a higher finish.

We also need a couple of strikers, one as an absolute priority, another if we sell as expected.

In terms of our most effective midfield three, Noble, Rice, Snodgrass, I'd be improving Snodgrass first, if that improvement is good enough that he can also cover Noble's defensive contribution then we can play him with Rice and Lanzini.

If he's not, I can't see us having the budget to improve on Noble just yet. Though that time will come.
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by sendô »

I've just read that Noble - with 42 - is our second highest league goal scorer in the PL era (behind Parlo on 49).

That's as depressing a stat as I've read in a long time.
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by sutts07 »

Ding wrote: The persistence that Pellers has shown in wanting to play two in midfield this season means there is a high chance he will do the same next season.
We pretty much played with a variation of 451 all season (4141, 4231, 4321... etc).

I think you are making up a 'persistence' to play 442 to be honest. We used that formation in just 9 Prem games out of the 38. Hardly persistent.

And even breaking down those nine games you have a real mixture of success. Wilshere and Noble played together when Bournemouth overran us early in the season.
Noble and Rice were at the heart of it as we went on a run that saw us win at Newcastle then at home to Cardiff and Palace before beating Fulham... We then tried the same tactics at home to a half decent Watford side and came up well short so we swiftly reverted to 451 and won at Southampton.

We also tried to play with a 442 away at Burnley which was a disaster of a performance all round, away at Wolves (same again) and at home to Everton (same again - although that was with Rice and Obiang in there).

The only conclusion you can really bring from all of that is that 442 only works against the really weak sides in the league, and whenever it has worked for us, it has been Rice and Noble in the middle.

The point I (along with various others) am trying to make is that we just cannot play with two in the middle against anyone of any quality. Hardly any other teams at this level play that way and make it work.

We would need far more than just one decent 'shiny new CM' to make 442 work for us. We'd need to be a lot more solid at the back, we'd need forwards who pressed from the front and we'd need wingers who knew how to tuck in to make a compact four in the centre when we lose the ball. Even then there would be some games that you just wouldn't be able to get away with it in.

It isn't simply a case of upgrade Noble = progress as a club. Which is the point you to to be making.
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by Colours never run »

thejackhammer wrote:We could upgrade Noble, we could upgrade anyone and improve the team.

I just don't think it's priority number one.

I'd be bringing in a 3rd centreback before that, our fall of form when Balbuena was injured cost us a higher finish.

In terms of our most effective midfield three, Noble, Rice, Snodgrass, I'd be improving Snodgrass first, if that improvement is good enough that he can also cover Noble's defensive contribution then we can play him with Rice and Lanzini.
Exactly how I feel 100%.

.............Rice
Noble.............Lanzini

..is my preferred midfield three to do serious damage if they all have a solid pre season. That for me has the balanced mixture of plenty of pace, experience, guile, skill and energy to cover one another. With more fortune in the injury dept the likes of Wilshere, Nasri should play a more prominent role. Just needs decent cover for Rice (definitely not Sanchez).

Supplement that with the likes of Antonio/Anderson either side and a quality Striker up top, could still be Arnautovic if he behaves himself. Replace other Strikers leaving with another quality one.

For me it's finding top class full backs to really push us on and a Centre Half to make a real difference to our squad. The Squad is shaping up well heading in right direction for next season and Noble is likely to still be at the heart of it.
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by DM »

Now the Premier League's longest serving player! :scarfer:

https://www.football365.com/news/every- ... ng-players" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by swash »

Well Done Sir Mark :crest:
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by Colours never run »

No surprise to some, although often written off by others. He's still got another 5 years left in him as a Squad player, as long as he avoids serious injury and still has the same hunger to play at the top level.
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by Estuary »

Colours never run wrote:No surprise to some, although often written off by others. He's still got another 5 years left in him as a Squad player, as long as he avoids serious injury and still has the same hunger to play at the top level.
As we bring in better players I wonder if we will see the best of Mark. It has always been my view that he is a far better player than he gets credit for and that he can raise his game to that of those around him if he isn’t running about trying to cover for some of the dross he’s had to play with even recently.
Expect an Indian summer for big chief Mark.
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by White Goodman »

DM wrote:Now the Premier League's longest serving player! :scarfer:

https://www.football365.com/news/every- ... ng-players" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Love the way those Chelsea spackers have nobody that anyone has heard of as their three longest serving players.
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by old fart »

He's too slow and his legs have gone


Must be true Ive been reading it on here for years
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by Hugh Jargon »

Love the bloke. But he is struggling. Especially against more powerful opponents.
I would make him club captain and give the armband to someone else. Maybe Diop. Restrict his playing time considerably. No room for sentiment if we want to crack that craved 7th slot. Pardon?
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by Estuary »

Hugh Jargon II wrote:Love the bloke. But he is struggling. Especially against more powerful opponents.
I would make him club captain and give the armband to someone else. Maybe Diop. Restrict his playing time considerably. No room for sentiment if we want to crack that craved 7th slot. Pardon?
Pellers doesn’t play him out of pity, nor will he. If he plays he will have deserved the place. As to your point about struggling against powerful opponents, the Watford midfield are probably the biggest and strongest in the division and he annihilated them only a month ago.
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by Colours never run »

Hugh Jargon II wrote:Love the bloke. But he is struggling. Especially against more powerful opponents.
I would make him club captain and give the armband to someone else. Maybe Diop. Restrict his playing time considerably. No room for sentiment if we want to crack that craved 7th slot. Pardon?
Aye, he was all over the place Vs Spurs, Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal in recent years and months... The bloke has often been consistently key in these fixtures when we do well against them, not in spite of him. He's not struggling in the slightest.
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by Colours never run »

Estuary wrote: As we bring in better players I wonder if we will see the best of Mark. It has always been my view that he is a far better player than he gets credit for and that he can raise his game to that of those around him if he isn’t running about trying to cover for some of the dross he’s had to play with even recently.
Expect an Indian summer for big chief Mark.
1 million percent. It's never been the fact he struggles playing with better players around him for lesser ones, it's the fact he always flourishes when playing with better calibre of player more on his wavelength. It's no coincidence it's happening again, since the Payet days. The fact were reducing the general age of the squad further, as well as adding more quality, will mean the longevity of Noble. He must be loving life and football right now with more of the burden taken from him, instead of trying too hard to wipe others stars for them a lot of the time.
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by Aztec Hammer »

He started last season so badly, he did look like his legs were gone. Came on strong and was one of our better players in the back half of the season.

Pellegrini knows his football. I’m sure he appreciates Noble’s quality on the ball. But at the same time, is aware of his limitations.

The ideal, to me, would be him playing a lot of games for us, but as part of a squad and not as someone we need to rely on for every single game.

To say he’s untouchable, or to say he’s useless... both to me feel like extremes. He’s a good player with limitations, and he’s comfortably more a help than a hindrance to us at the moment.

He’s also Club captain and he probably does wonders for team spirit around the place, with new signings and all the comings and goings.
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by Colours never run »

It's a simple equation for me and that's until we learn to win regularly without him, he'll always be considered a key part of the Team. Once that's finally achieved, is the moment Noble sits out more games than he starts. And if we manage that, it can only be a good thing for West Ham progressing as a Team.
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by Burnley Hammer »

I've said it before on another thread, but I think Noble suffered a bit of mid season fatigue last season due to the sheer amount of minutes he was playing. Nearer the end, I think the fact Pelle started substituting him around the 70 minute mark actually helped him and he found some good form in that last run of games.
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by brooking1966 »

Played like a lightweight most of the season, maybe 10 decent games, played better with restricted minutes & rotating. CNR you mention Watford a week before their Cup Final had a big part (fear of injury) to play in our win, don't get it twisted, like when he had (off form) Pogba in his pocket. Time & time again when the chips are down, I don't see your leader, he's mostly invisible. CNR you should give Masuaku some respect because he offers way more than your precious MN. Great around the club as a bit part player, but please not a regular staer next season, your preferred midfield is weak, due to Mark being in it. Guile & experience wow, your reaching with guile, I see experience, of your 3 preferred only Lanzini has guile. So who has the Pace, Energy, strength, Aerial ability, skill, or goals in your 3?
------------------------------------------------Rice--------Noble
-----------------------------------------------------Lanzini

Is this a joke?
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Re: Mark Noble - West Ham Legend

Post by Patito »

brooking1966 wrote: of your 3 preferred only Lanzini has guile. So who has the Pace, Energy, strength, Aerial ability, skill, or goals in your 3?
------------------------------------------------Rice--------Noble
-----------------------------------------------------Lanzini

Is this a joke?
Tbf, CNR came up with that 3 a month before Fornals was signed....
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