Did he really have to go?

It’s always difficult to justify releasing a player, especially during a season when the push for an immediate return to the Premier League is the ultimate goal and we aren’t particularly gluttonous at any one position.  That being said, did West Ham need to let Herita Ilunga go in this recent transfer window?

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Yes.

When the leftback arrived at the club on loan from Toulouse during the 2008-2009 season, he provided much needed cover for the club as we had just sold George McCartney to Sunderland (ironic).  Because of the lack of depth, Ilunga was able to establish himself as the first choice leftback at the Boleyn Ground.  He signed a four year contract with the club during the summer of 2009, but his performances on the pitch saw him transition to a backup role, often occupying a spot on the bench.  Then on 27 January, we released him with immediate effect.  As of yet he has not found a club.  While it’s never nice to see someone out of work, it was clear that Ilunga simply could not cut it for us.  There are no stats that can show how poorly he performed for us, but if I could sum up his play, it’d be as follows:  Ilunga always managed to let his man get in behind him while he was pushing forward (to little or no effect), his pace wasn’t good enough to recover, and he would lunge in recklessly committing fouls and getting carded on such a regular basis that one always felt extremely nervous when the ball was on his side of the pitch.

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I hope Ilunga finds a club. I hope he does well. I wish him all the best.  However, I am so glad he is gone.  Our defence plays better as a unit and though our fullbacks don’t make marauding runs as often as we’d like, they do defend more competently.  Ilunga wasn’t of the calibre needed at West Ham.  Let’s hope that the three players we just brought to the club are. 

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