In a week which saw a Q & A session with Mark Noble – West Ham United’s longest serving player, I thought it fitting that I should write my next article about him.
In recent years, a player being a one man club is virtually unheard of. Most players and their agent are always chasing a fast buck, and move on as soon as another team flashes more money.
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Noble is a local lad, who came through the academy under Tony Carr. He made his first team breakthrough in the 2004-05 season, when we had been relegated under Glenn Roeder. He only made a handful of appearances, and over the next two seasons, he made a few first team appearances, but also spent time on loan at Hull City, then the season after, at Ipswich Town.
It was the end of the 2006/07 season, the season of the ‘Great Escape’ that Noble managed to establish his place in the first team under Alan Curbishley, most notably, scoring goals against Tottenham Hotspur and Bolton Wanderers at home. He pushed on in the 2007/08 season and made 25 league appearances, and since then, has been a permanent fixture in the first 11. He also made huge impressions when playing for England Under 21’s, but has not been given the chance to bring his talent to the senior squad….yet.
Noble is a West Ham supporter, so is someone the supporters can relate to. He feels the pain as much as we do, even being reduced to tears when we lost at home, 4-3, to Spurs in the year of the ‘Great Escape’. I feel he was unfortunate, when relegated under Avram Grant, that he wasn’t made captain of the side when Sam Allardyce arrived, however he is the vice-captain which is still an honour for such a loyal player.
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Noble is a player that every side needs, a player who sits in the midfield, is comfortable in the ball, and keeps the team ticking over. He is tenacious in the tackle, gives his all for the team, yet slides the ball around with style. Long passes, short passes – he can do both. A solid performer, who if he plays well, West Ham will play well.
He is getting a reputation as a top penalty taker too, and the reputation is well earned. You see Wayne Rooney’s record at Manchester United and it proves that no matter how good you are, penalties are a hard technique to master, no matter how good you are. The only thing I believe Noble lacks, is pace and goals from open play. When you look at someone like Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, who is a very similar player to Noble, Wilshere edges it because of his pace through the middle. However, Nobles consistency and skill on the ball, means he can work space, even without the acceleration and speed. I think Noble needs to get more goals from open play too, we have seen him score from long range, and he should try to shoot more from 25 yards out.
Noble seems happy at the club, he seems happy to have signed a new contract, now all we need is him to push on and make the step up to the full England squad. I think he is the sort of player who needs to stay in the side, a key player to how we play, he keeps the ball moving, and with the right players added around him, could be the key to our success.
COME ON YOU IRONS!!
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very poor today not sure if hes up to prem standard.
dazza – not prem standard? … i disagree.
He is the 4th best tackler in the league and the best passer in the team (counting passes in opposition half). The problem is the lack of pace and movement (Jarvis aside) in the squad and failure to get free in order to receive a pass from some of our other players (the likes of Nolan an M.Taylor come to mind for instance). Therefor Noble needs to hold on to the ball longer and is exposed to pressure. Better quality around him would help…having J.Cole centrally (closer to Noble) would also help in our build-up play and we could do with a few other improvements.
Admittedly he did have a nightmare of a game yesterday but that kind of thing can happen to any player.
No good. Get’s a lot of leeway because he’s a local boy. We would only miss his penalties is he left. He put in a cross toward the end yesterday that is still on it’s way into the box