If I could have one former Hammer back to put into the current West Ham team who would it be and why? Well in all truth this is such a hard question as West Ham have had so many players that I would love to have back in the current squad so I have had to think long and hard about it.
I know a lot of people would expect to see the same generic names as answers to this question such as Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking, Billy Bonds, Frank McAvennie, Tony Cottee, Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez. Every one of these names mentioned have every right to be named as players that people would love to see back in the current West Ham squad but what I wanted to do was give a name that people may have heard of but may not have considered.
I also thought about what West Ham have lacked all season and where we need to improve and we all know that is goals so I narrowed it down to a striker, so let me tell you which player I have went for and why.
Vic Watson – I am sure most if not all West Ham fans know who Vic Watson is and what he achieved at West Ham. Goals have been a real source of concern for West Ham this season so this is why I have chosen Watson as the player I would love to see back in the current West Ham squad if I could choice one West Ham great. Watson is West Ham’s all time top goal scorer where he scored 326 goals in 505 games. In 13 of his 15 seasons with the club he reached double figures and on nine occasions managed to score more than 20 goals in a season. This is an achievement that is very unlikely to ever happen again at the club. Watson could also play as a left sided attacker.
This is who I would pick at this moment in time taking into account West Hams current problem. As I said there are so many players you could chose and pick and it would be great if you could comment and let me know your choice and why?
Carl Bateson
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Julian dicks sort the defence out terminator – legend
Carl, I’ll go to the other end of the pitch.
Phil Parks:- season after season solid as they come between the sticks, something we have lacked this season. To many easy goals conceded to Jaaskelainen left.
For me it has to be Alan Devonshire – top class.
Michael Carrick. Because I believe he typifies so much of what is good about our youth system.
The player that I believe would have the biggest impact throughout the club on and off the pitch whether playing or injured has to be Billy Bonds.
Heart, commitment, strength and leadership!
Carl, you’re a pseud. You never saw the guy play. He means nothing to you beyond a statistic you read somewhere. You may as well have said ‘I want some geezer who scored a lot of goals sometime’. I’d say Moore. The greatest defender we’ve ever had but I was too young to see him play in a West Ham shirt. For me it would be David Cross, and anyone who grew up watching the Hammers of the same age as me? Well they may not agree but they’d all understand why I chose him. An unsung Hammers hero and I’d love to see him back now.
Whilst we lack goals, that’s not the fault of the central striker. No striker would score 15-20 goals in our team because the system we use means he plays with his back to goal most of the time. It’s the wide players that need to chip in with c10 goals each in a season. That’s why I believe we should play RVT on the left.
In terms of any past player I’d like to see it would have to be Brooking because what I think we lack most in the team is creativity and variation.
tony cottee for me chaps always scored goals in and around the box how many times has it broken down in front of goal this season loads
Alvin martin of course. Martin and reid in the centre!
Billy Bonds way ahead of any other hammer.He played in several different positions and didn’t moan and whinge like a lot of modern players.They broke the mould when Bonzo was born.
As great as it would be to have Moore, Brooking etc. Bonzo is really the only choice for me. He was a wonderful player & servant to the club!
Moore & Brooking were too but Bonzo was versatile & such a hard worker.
It’s a shame Redkrapp stabbed him in the back as he could’ve been manager & part of the club for years to come. Shame on the board at the time. They let Bonzo down. Moore was let down & only appreciated as an after thought! By West Ham & England!
The East Stand/Chicken run should’ve been named after Billy Bonds.