Back To His Best For West Ham?

So after an extremely disappointing result against Aston Villa the only real positive West Ham had from the game was James Tomkins fantastic and whole hearted display at the back, which has left West Ham fans thinking, is JT finally regaining the form of last season and showing the Premier League just what he is actually about?

 

 

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The 2011-2012 season couldn’t have went any better for James Tomkins with him forging a great partnership with Winston Reid and picking up player of the month for August which is the opening month of the season so it started with and bang. But it also finished with a bang as Tomkins was selected into the PFA Championship Team of the Year and was also voted as runner up to Mark Noble for Hammer of the Year. He topped this off by being selected for Team GB for the Olympic Games.

 

 

During the course of the 11-12 season Tomkins was the subject of many transfer rumours and linked to clubs such as QPR and Newcastle United. However, Tomkins was to sign a new four and a half year contract at West Ham stating that “I’m a local boy and have come through the ranks at the club loyalty is a far bigger currency to me than money” which as a fan is always fantastic to hear for a young fantastic player.

 

 

However the 12-13 season hasn’t been the best for James Tomkins with inconsistency being a major factor, but why has he been so inconsistent? Is it the fact that as a member of Team GB and only playing 2 games has hindered him when he could have been focussing more on getting ready for the new season with his new West Ham teammates in the summer? Is it the return of James Collins or, is the fact that Sam Allardyce has a habit of persistently playing him out of position at right back or as a defensive midfielder? James Tomkins has been quick to blame his inclusion to Team GB and the lack of games for his loss of form; I personally feel it’s a mixture of all three aforementioned factors.

 

 

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You can’t possibly get the best out of Tomkins playing him as a defensive midfielder; the fact of the matter is Tomkins is a central defender so to play him in any other position is doing the player major injustices in my opinion. Also with West Ham the signing of Collins in the summer has split an otherwise solid defensive duo with Tomkins and Reid, and if I am totally honest I would have hoped this would create a huge fight for the starting line up but it has just seemed to have knocked Tomkins’ confidence and made him uncertain and scared to make a mistake.

 

 

Progressively Tomkins is now starting to grow in confidence again and his performance against Aston Villa is the James Tomkins of old and the Tomkins all West Ham fans loved, a no-nonsense approach and defensively dominant. Tomkins has the ability to be one of the best defenders in the Premier League and if you have that ability you don’t just lose it, it is building his confidence back up and Sunday’s game will have done him the world of good.

 

 

Personally my defensive duo is, and will be as long as they are at the club, Tomkins and Reid they are both young and have huge ability. Tomkins for me can become a West Ham great and that has never changed. I now want Tomkins to build off the back of the Aston Villa game and go from strength to strength.

 

Carl Bateson

 

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