Can they cope in the Premier League?

I am starting to seriously question this, last week the news broke that Crystal Palace’s, Nathanial Clyne would not be signing for us and later that week he was holding a Southampton shirt. It seemed through what the reliable sources were publicising that it was when, not if Clyne would move from South-East to-East London. I was fully expecting this highly rated Under 21 international to sign for us and I was hoping that he may have broken the mould of West Ham, for many a year putting off trying to sign a very high quality full back. Though, am I just speculating and casting a doubt over a minor weak spot in our line up?

I feel that we must look at this position, but thankfully we do have options. Our first option is look to the Academy. I needn’t remind you of our fixture against Barnsley at home last December, where Abdoulaye Faye was in the starting line up and then we were told he was unfit to start, welcome to the team young Danny Potts, son of Steve. Now. We were all thinking okay give him a go, it’s only Barnsley and at the time we were in a bit of a crisis with injuries. He flourished and started and was rewarded with a start against Birmingham City on Boxing Day. Is he ready for the Premier League? It’s a gamble, for sure but if he could gain confidence from a starting line up chance, why not? The more game time, the better he will get but I expect he will not be a regular. We also have the capable Jordan Spence, who spent a year at Bristol City and has been performing well in pre-Season, which includes a goal against Southend. If he can use the first team experience he gained in Bristol to good effect he could become a very handy squad player, though nothing more than that.

 

Our second option is to trust the regulars that took us up. Julien Faubert, Joey O’Brien, Guy Demel, George McCartney and Matthew Taylor took us up and at times looked very accomplished. The only player missing from that list or will not be there next year is the hard tackling Frenchman, Faubert. Taylor and Vaz Te have played together now for a while, and they will trust each other down that left wing. With the option of having a strong wing game in McCartney, Taylor and Vaz Te on the left could be quite handy, especially as I feel that, we at times were most potent last year when Taylor and McCartney were overlapping and putting balls into the box where the poacher instinct that Kevin Nolan has and the sheer power of Carlton Cole caused many a problem. So I feel that the left wing may just be strong enough, though they will struggle, like many defences, against the talents of Silva and the ilk.

Though the right wing is a side that does lack quality. Demel and O’Brien at times are both very solid and controlling presences, Demel impressed until it came to the play off final, when it looked as though he just couldn’t cope. O’Brien, is a very prudent player, the mantra of a player that stereotypically Sam Allardyce likes, ‘If in doubt, knock it out’ which is a very safe tactic, though positional awareness appeared to lack and his injury worries will be a concern. I feel that we have only one option on this right side and this is Option 3.

The 3^rd option is most definitely to buy in a right-sided full back. Can you imagine Demel having a great game against better than average winger of the quality of Stewart Downing? We missed out on Clyne, and compensation payments couldn’t be agreed according to the sources, though he isn’t the only option. We could look to Danny Simpson at Newcastle United, who is very well known to want away a move from the Sports Direct Arena. He has experience and the prospect of playing with captain Kevin Nolan again, may just give him an inviting factor to bring him to East London. He would be my ideal signing for this position, but he isn’t the only player out there who would be a much more capable hand. Whatever the option we choose it is imperative that we make sure that a right side Full Back is signed, or we may just regret it.