westham,eggyandchips wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2020 2:23 pm
If only Matt Upson was from Canning Town eh?
Strangely when we were relegated in 2011 Upson took an absolute beating (and still does) for it. Yet somehow, Noble will be part of his second relegation in May and somehow will be defended to the hilt.
I'm sure he has the club at heart though, as he's 'Mr West Ham'
Jeez we're in trouble if he's our only hope.
It's funny because I don't see many people harp on about his "Canning Town" roots other than to claim that's why he is given special treatment. Not to mention hes actually from Custom House and by time he was on our books lived in Beckton.
But that's an aside. Upson gets stick and rightly so. Not only was he a poor centre half he showed zero leadership.
Maybe some think Noble has shows the same lack of qualities as Upson this season, but to make the comparison between a product of our youth academy versus a 4 year contract journeyman is simply wrong.
Seems to me that this is just a case of scapegoating and straw clutching.
Puff Daddy wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2020 1:13 pm
We can all remember Donkey Adams. He wasn't a great player, far from it and he definitely had his detractors, but he was a leader out there on the pitch.
I wish we had a Donkey Diop or Ogbonna, it'd been 3-0 v BHA.
Seems to me that this is just a case of scapegoating and straw clutching.
Not in the least.
He's been terrible, along with a few others this season.... Haller, Lanzini, Roberto, Balbuena to name at least another 4. If they'd been here as long as Mark then I dare say their respective individual threads would reach similar amounts of pages and posts. We know he's your pal and its natural to defend him. But don't call it straw clutching when we can ALL see what's happening before our eyes..... and its not pretty.
He should probably be benched for the majority of the games once Soucek is up to speed. His legs simply are not there any more. Snodgrass actually offers more in his position now.
He's been terrible, along with a few others this season.... Haller, Lanzini, Roberto, Balbuena to name at least another 4. If they'd been here as long as Mark then I dare say their respective individual threads would reach similar amounts of pages and posts. We know he's your pal and its natural to defend him. But don't call it straw clutching when we can ALL see what's happening before our eyes..... and its not pretty.
He's not my pal.
You also misunderstood. I'm not saying you are scapegoating or clutching at straws. But many are on this thread and elsewhere.
Maybe we are just too forgiving in 232, but no one around me cains him. They just realise that he cannot maintain the frequency of games and its only going to get harder. I think even the staunchest Mark noble fan recognises that.
bristolhammerfc wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2020 7:08 pm
He's become this seasons Kevin Nolan.
People are seeing a few poor performances mostly when he is outpaced after a Rice foray.
Nolan did much more than he got credit for and the same applies here
A few poor performances?
Come on Bris, it's been way more than that. In some games, particularly when Lanzini is also in the team, it's like we have 9 men on the field.
I don't dispute what Noble does off the pitch, and frankly I dont really care either.
It's what happens on the pitch that counts, and if your skipper is out of form, that poor form spreads throughout the team. Standards get set from the captain, those standards have gone to **** this season.....and look where we are.
I actually think the comparison with Nolan is a tad harsh.
By the point of Nolan leaving, his legs had absolutely gone and he’d spent the best part of two seasons getting away with it because = Allardyce. A good club servant, but a better managers one.
Noble has had at least 3 standout MotM performances for us this season. All performances that under better ownership would have seen the fella rewarded with a rest, and the squad of a top 20 earning club in the world allowing him that grace.
Instead he’s dragged on against West Brom at half time and puffing out of his ass for 90 minutes every week, because we have no one else.
Mark has been here so long it’s easy to forget he was the lad who did the donkeys work for Scott Parker AND Kevin Nolan.
e17 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2020 11:08 pm
I actually think the comparison with Nolan is a tad harsh.
By the point of Nolan leaving, his legs had absolutely gone and he’d spent the best part of two seasons getting away with it because = Allardyce. A good club servant, but a better managers one.
Noble has had at least 3 standout MotM performances for us this season. All performances that under better ownership would have seen the fella rewarded with a rest, and the squad of a top 20 earning club in the world allowing him that grace.
Instead he’s dragged on against West Brom at half time and puffing out of his ass for 90 minutes every week, because we have no one else.
Mark has been here so long it’s easy to forget he was the lad who did the donkeys work for Scott Parker AND Kevin Nolan.
The post lost all credit when you say he did parkers donkey work? The same Parker who did the donkey work for the entire first team and single handedly saved us from relegation?
I feel sorry for the fella with some of the comments on here.
Yes he is nearly 33 and is on the decline. he has never been blessed with pace and it is more evident now in this fast pace premiership than ever. Problem is, who have we had in our squad who could have replaced him, seriously?
If he had been dropped because he doesn't have the pace, movement or brain power to be an active first teamer and replaced with say Sanchez, where would we be? I would say even worse than were are now.
Wilshire should not be counted as part of the squad, Fornals isn't a CM and even Snodgrass is a converted winger. Lanzini has been largely missing and to be honest I am not sure he has been found yet.
Mark's comments post WBA was telling, I think he was basically saying we was reliant on him but he is getting on and is tired.
We have had a terrible season and Mark has been part of it however, I can name a few who have been worse and we haven't had the luxury of a full squad to replace those in need of a rest or out of form. I blame Pellegrini (or board...) for the massive cull on players in the summer.
Going forward we have two new signings, one in midfield who I would like to see alongside Rice with Fornals a little more forward. Hopefully this will give Noble a rest to make a positive impact in the upcoming battles.
bubbles1966 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 04, 2020 9:54 am
I wouldn't bother starting him in the next two - Liverpool and Man City. Maybe on the bench, maybe rested completely.
Perhaps give Snodgrass, Anderson and/or Fornals a go in there as the ball-playing third man with Rice and Soucek.
In a relegation battle, you'd give our captain a free pass to sit out the two toughest games we have left?
