Tel The Hammer wrote:I tend to disagree...
For me Collison has put in better displays this season than Noble ever has done at Premier League level. Noble put some good shows in when he came into the side when we stayed up, but Collison has shown much more guile and technique this season than Noble ever has done infront of my eyes.
I know at this stage of proceedings who I'd rather keep.
Collison quite simply looks a much better midfielder than Noble to me.
I'll give you that. Just. Collison is much easier on the eye. He is as elegant on the ball as any midfielder we've had since Benayoun and looks capable of striking a ball with the best of them but, and this is a big but, he has utterly failed to produce any kind of passing range so far. So yes he may be very pleasing on the eye but he doesn't yet provide the functionality for the team as Mark Noble did, and despite so much criticism, still does. As much as people might attack Noble for being unable to beat a man, they don't seem prepared to admit that Collison has shown very little vision beyond a simple 4 yard pass. And you know what, that's actually quite important for a midfielder. Remove Noble from the side and we're left with who exactly? Parker is tidy but I think his role in the team is perfect as it is and we should avoid changing it. I know this is where you say we should sell him and get someone even better, but why not sell Collison instead? We can do a lot better than him too.
I think they can work together. No, I know they can. We've watched them in the last few months form, along with Parker and Behrami, a midfield that we are all rightly proud of. I don't see the point in shipping one off for the sake of improvement when we could make more of a case for the other if we are honest with ourselves.