clarke wrote:
Understand what you're saying. However, that will come when we've got Bellamy in the team, Noble on his game and making forward runs, and say Faubert, who's pace should be able to get in behind the full back easily.
At the moment I think it's more important to play to the strengths of the team as a whole as opposed to the strengths of Ashton.
Basically to get the best out of Ashton you have to drop our entire midfield and Cole , throw away a set up that has seen us compete with the top 4 and build a new team.
Alternatively, you leave out Ashton and stick with a team and set up that has beaten Liverpool and Man Utd and throughly outplayed Man City, and Chelsea for an hour.
because he waits for the killer pass that never comes ( certainly from CC)
To criticise Cole for Ashton's inadequacies is plain wrong. Deadly Deano has scored just 4 prem goals in 14 prem starts in his West Ham career
when without Cole. 1 every 3.5 games. Surely, Cole cant be blamed for that?
His goal record at West Ham is actually better with Cole alongside him - its Cole (and the whole midfield) who suffer when partnering Ashton. Perhaps the killer pass is hiding in the same place as the centre forward's intelligent runs and clever movement?
Ashton simply is not the player some people think he is.
But every time he plays poorly its Cole's fault, it's the midfield's fault etc. Our other players who have given pretty much the best teams in the league a real game suddenly become bad players who cant pass etc in his company.
Curbishley has to play him to keep up the pretence that he is fit in the hope that someone (probably Bolton, Villa, Reading or Newcastle) will buy him in the summer and take on chance on him returning to his best.
Unless there is a dramatic upturn in his performances, commitment, fitness the exit door certainly beckons this summer with West Ham potentially taking a loss on him as his contract is running down.
I get the strong impression that Curbs doesn't really rate him but is trying to handle an increasingly small number of fans perception that he is a great player and the fact that Ashton's value drops with every injury and missed game.