The rumour mill has started already. Ravel Morrison is reportedly heading for the exit door. If West Ham let him go that will be the most mindless thing Sam Allardyce and the owners have done since joining the club, and that is saying something!
Ravel Morrison has picked up 13 ‘Man of the Match’ awards for Birmingham City this season. Say what you want about the quality of the league but that is quite some achievement. In over half the games he has played this season he has been given the ‘Man of the Match’ award.
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Morrison’s problems at Man Utd have been well publicised but we took a chance on him and by all accounts he has passed the ‘test’. The midfielder has not been in trouble whilst on loan at Birmingham and he is letting his football do the talking. Unfortunately he is under the age of 25 which means getting a run of games in a West Ham shirt under Big Sam is nigh on impossible. He has proved his quality on loan this season, if he is not in and around the starting line-up week in week out next season it will be a real testament to where the club has gone since Big Sam arrived.
Neglecting our youth prospects has become something of a Sam trademark but he can change that perception next season and Ravel Morrison should be the spearhead of our youth in the first team. For me there is no question of his ability, I can’t claim to have watched every one of his games at Birmingham and I can only go on what I have heard from their fans and on the facts and they are very favourable.
Ravel is an attacking midfielder; Kevin Nolan is an attacking midfielder. We have already seen Nolan’s performances drop hugely this season. No doubt he is a great guy to have in the dressing room but if he starts week in week out next season we will lose out. He scored his 100th career goal last weekend but that cannot detract from his woeful performances this season. Ravel Morrison would be a great option for the “Nolan role”.
We also have Jack Collison to provide a bit of competition in the ranks although with Diame likely leaving in the summer I would have both in the side next season. Ravel Morrison was described as the best youth prospect Sir Alex has seen since he has been at the club, quite some praise I think you will all agree, we would be stupid to let him go.
Some may say “well if Manchester City offer over the odds for Ravel then sell him and it will be a good deal”. They would be wrong to say that. Ravel has done exactly what has been asked of him by Big Sam; he has gone out on loan and proved to everyone that he is a class prospect. To pay over the odds for him a club would have to offer millions and millions due to the huge potential he has.
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Any footballer at any level of the game wants to play regular football and start. I suspect Ravel would rather stay here and get game time than go to a club like City where he would be competing with David Silva, arguably the best attacking midfielder in the Premier League, it is easy to become disillusioned with life at a club when that is the case, just take a look at Michael Johnson. It is because of this that I don’t think we would have too much trouble keeping Ravel at the club if City came knocking. In three years time he could be an integral part of the team that represents West Ham at the Olympic Stadium, a very exciting prospect for him.
The issue is, despite his fantastic performances, it is still very unclear as to whether he will get a chance. Jordan Spence and Dan Potts have been shunned by Big Sam this season. Rob Hall performed very well at Birmingham yet as soon as he got back he was shipped out on loan almost immediately. Big Sam is not sending out positive signals to our youth players and why would that change next season?
The problem with this is that Big Sam signed Ravel Morrison. He saw the potential and took a punt on him and so far I don’t think anyone can say that he made a bad decision. To now not give Ravel a chance next season would be utterly disgraceful.
Ravel is the creative attacking midfielder we desperately need, not the ‘goal-hanging’, unfit but “great captain” that Kevin Nolan is. It is not hard to score goals when the majority of your chances are handed to you on a plate because your role is essentially as a ‘goal-hanger’. Perhaps I am being too harsh on Nolan but I think he has lost it as a Premier League quality player. His record with Andy Carroll is outstanding but I am not so sure he is the only person who can score goals as a partner of Carroll’s.
I have to applaud Big Sam for the signing of Morrison but if we let him go it will just be yet another thing that frustrates me about Sam. He has done a great job to get us to the top 10 and deserves credit for that but I would like to see us play a more expansive game next season which involves creativity, with Ravel Morrison at the forefront of that. If next season that is what we begin to do, I could absolutely understand why this season has been how it has been. Our insistence over the years of not only creating great youth but going on to use them and give them a chance in the first team is one of the things that makes West Ham the great club it is.
Next season will tell us a lot more about Big Sam’s intentions with regard to the style of football we will play but we have a few young members of the squad that should definitely be in and around the first team starting lineup and Ravel Morrison is at the forefront of that pack. Please do let me know what you think. Always good to hear from all fans whether they agree or not. COYI!!
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Sam is sadly Never going to change, his lack of giving opportunities to young players has been abysmal this last season. But it seems all what West Ham became famous for is now being thrown out by our owners and many supporters! as long as we just survive in the Premiership at all costs it does not matter.
The San/Nolan clique is so obvious & the obsession with 6 goal Carroll is now beyond a joke! AC’s salary is a disgrace but he is now a member of the clique!
We should be looking for someone to replace Nolan, we should be looking at strikers who score goals regularly to think Geoff Hurst scored 250 +
Completely agree with everything you say mate.
The majority of this article is written in response to rumours and conjecture from the tabloid press. As impressive as it is pointless.
Morrison is completely untried at the highest level unfortunetly but I for one would be pleased to see him and Rob Hall in and around the 1st XI, preferably in the cup games.
Your remarks however about Nolan and ‘goal hanging’ sound slightly immature at best. His goals over the last 2 seasons have been much needed. Perhaps you should look at the multitude of strikers that don’t score as many as Nolan does each season.
All youth players are completely untried at the highest level, you have to try them, that is my point. He and Rob Hall should absolutely be in and around the first team next season.
As a season ticket holder at the club my opinion is based on what I see week in week out, I wouldn’t call it immature. That is essentially Nolan’s role and he rarely does anything else of note in the game. Comparing Nolan with other strikers in other teams involves too many variables, if you stuck someone else in his position for us I believe they would do better.
Spot on AA Gill! Couldn’t have put it better!
If pure speculation is all that is needed to have a go at Big Sam, then this article is very weak indeed! I have also read the speculation regarding Morrison over the last two weeks and lets face it if Man Citeh want him they can pay for him and probably get him, as lets face it he is a Mancunian.
That piece of speculation sounds very very wide of the mark and probably something a desperate agent is putting about.
Finally when has Big Sam ever let a player go that has gone on to proving it was a mistake to let the player go in the first place???…….Exactly. This sort of article is negative and we all know why!
It’s getting tedious now!
As are your comments on my articles Cat. I want to see Ravel in a West Ham shirt, it doesn’t seem to look like Sam will let that happen in my opinion, so go find something better to do than continually berate my articles you immature old man.
Just as you have a right to post, I have a right to comment. When you start talking facts and actually justifying the nonsense that you post using speculation as FACT. Maybe then you can meet me on a level that has more to do with reality than Hugh’s bitter speculation.
You always seem to be on the defensive Hugh? Probably because you’re so out of step with most supporters!
Unfortunately, writing about football cannot always be based on fact. The fact is that Ravel Morrison has not played at the highest level for long enough for me to write a whole article on the facts of his few minutes game time at the highest level. Football is all about opinions. The fact is, Sam plays boring football, yet you can’t seem to understand that I don’t like it. My speculation is based on the facts of this season and how Sam has treated our youth, that is my justification.
What a stupid thing to say, naturally I am going to defend my point of view when people disagree with what I have written.
Lets see what he can do next season in the big leagues. He’s done well in the championship but this 13 mom awards is rubbish. Half my family are blues fans and though they admit he has done well he certainly hasn’t stood head and shoulders above the rest of the Brum team.
Fergie got rid of him for a reason so I would also take this ‘one of the best talents he’s had at United’ with a pinch of salt. He is far from being a star premier league performer atthe moment and for Fergie to let such a great talent leave is a concern. The best manager ever in English football who can’t get the best out of a prodigious young player, I’ve never known that to happen.
As for the usual digs at Sam and the davids about neglecting our youth players, I honestly find it absolutely laughable that we are 10th in the league and you are still moaning. If we had put faith in Potts, Spence, Miorrison and Hall in our 1st season back in the premier league, we may well be looking at relegation this season. they are not better than what we currently have o proven premier league standard, and if they are good enough they will make the grade. if not (like the vast majority of young players in all the top acadamies) then they will ply their trade at lower levels
Fergie didn’t fail to get the best out of him, it was his off the field issues and the ridiculous wages that he wanted which caused Fergie to get rid. Fergie himself said he was the best talent out of the youth system he had seen since Paul Scholes.
As for the Sam and David stuff, we disagree, end of.
hahahahahaha
no, this guy can’t even be trusted to brush his own teeth, he had a bust up at man u, a bust up at west ham and a bust up at birmingham earlier this season. off the pitch he is the biggest moron in fotball, he attacked his own mother, intimidated witneses and sent racist tweets on twitter among a whole list of other things, he will be shown the door, hopefully for a nice profit…replace our captain and top scorer, are you on drugs?
I agree that we should give more youngsters a chance and maybe we will now we are pretty much safe. I think the young players going out on loan is a great thing for them were they can get used to being involved in a first team squad and get regular game time. If anyone really knows about the potential of our youth player then it is the staff at the club not the fans. We go on hear say, brief cameo appearances and videos from youth team games. If we are going to replace Nolan in the starting team then the answer is not Ravel Morrison it is Joe Cole.
I can only go on what I have heard and the bits I have seen of him and they have all pointed towards him being a quality talent that has off the field issues. Joe Cole would be a great option in the Nolan role too although I prefer him out wide as he is the best crosser of the ball we have in the team, Jarvis just hasn’t cut it for me and JC has actually managed to create more goals and score more despite playing a lot less games than Jarvis.
As the Championship finishes a couple of weeks before the Prem, Morrison could feature in our final two league games? I’d like to see BFS give him a start in at least one of these. What’s to lose?
Same here Andy, we will be mathematically safe by then, would love him to try something different and give the youngsters a chance.
Ha ha ha… and who will be your choice for captain? Noble? might as well continue the joke.
Winston Reid. We need a captain who doesn’t spend 90 minutes shouting at his teammates and the referee.
Youth must be given a chance but at the right time and under the right circumstances. Not playing the young lads this season was correct as staying up was all that mattered. We used to bring young lads in then sell them because our league position was s–t, we needed the money and they saw no future success with West Ham, so we must stabilise first and gradually bring youth in to a successful side.
Lets all be real here we must stabilise first and then slowly and i mean slowly improve our squad from within or with signings, this nonsense about goodfootball that we play and how important it is can only come in to play when we are stabilised and can attract quality capable of goodfootball and then youth can slot in to the team.
Hold on shouting at your team mates hmmmmmmmmmmmm isnt that what a capt jobs is ?
We gave youth a chance in the cups and have gone out in the 1st round everytime because they aint ready.
I too cant believe we are moaning about BFS when we are 10th would you rather be in QPR position playing the kids I wouldnt for one.
Wake up and smell the coffee folks and get real
I love the fact that so many fans are still moaning despite sitting 10th in the league in our first season back and we have a host (if the tabloids are to be believed) of clubs after our players, mainly one Mr Diame who happened to be a stroke of genius deal by Big Sam, and for most he has been the player of the year. I have said on previous posts that I am a big backer of our youth policy and will always say give them a chance. Sam did give them a chance, anyone that was at the 1 – 4 drubbing by Wigan in the cup will be testament to why Sam has not gone with them in this year of consolidation. At times when called upon Spence and Potts have been fantastic but they have had game time when they have been needed and not recklessly thrown in at the deep end. Morrison does seem like a talent and to answer one of the previous reply’s, Fergie let him go to get him out of Manchester as much as anything cos it was that scene that was destructive for him and all his entourage. We need Nolan around with bringing Morrison on for him at the later stages of games and or instead of in games we can. Potts I think should be given more time this year along with Spence. Hall I would love to see more of but dont think Sam will be playing with 2 up top and a Nolan / Morrison anytime soon so can’t see where he will get a look in and the say with Lee, but you never know, both have had run outs this year. For me we need a new keeper as I think Jussi who has been outstanding the last 2 months needs pushing, Henderson is a good understudy for now but not ready yet, we need a first choice LB as I dont think McCartney will be the player he once was but even if he is we need to improve on that and get a better player in with Potts as understudy. Happy with RB as Demel, O’Brien and or Spence are solid. We could do with one more CB as cover with my ideal pairing being Tomkins and Reid with Collins and A N Other in rotation. Midfield if we can keep Mo is sorted with a strong line up throughout. We need to keep Carroll, and I know this wont go down well with many but I think CC’s time has come, it pains me to say as I would love the guy to do well for us as he is a true club man but he isn’t what we need to push on. Maiga is still an relatively unknown quantity so keep him but something has gone on there with him and Sam I am sure. Get in another forward like Remy if we can to shake things up. Whilst we are talking taking QPR players how about Julio Cesar as he wants to stay in London?
spot on WJO1974
The Allardyce/Gold/Sullivan bashing is starting to get a bit repetitive, and the lack of credit you give them is becoming more stubborn than lucid. It has been well documented that prior to joining Birmingham Morrison had bust ups with several players and members of staff, which if left unreconciled could disrupt the dressing room and affect team performances. No player of any talent is worth that risk, but I would love this all to end amicably so he could prove his worth. As for replacing Nolan, what for? You suggest he spends too much time arguing, well don’t you think this might be a positive factor; a brutal leader who will fight his team cause at his own expense, but if he wasn’t performing you may still have a point.You need only look at Mr Upson to see an example of a bas captain. However Nolan is performing, putting in a thankless shift most of the time, moving the ball along in a similar vein to O’Neil; their faces will never light up the back page but without them we struggle (just like when O’Neil was subbed against Wigan). But you, Mr Bevan wouldn’t give Allardyce praise under any circumstances, and that makes me question your journalistic credentials.
Perhaps if you read the whole thing, other than the first line you might notice that I do in fact acknowledge that Sam and the owners deserve praise, that doesn’t mean to say that I cannot be disgruntled with the way they have gone about things.
Here here, Bevan quit writing here, it’s becoming boring to read your dross….
Here’s a thought, how about you stop reading my articles, then we both don’t waste out time writing comments to each other, idiot.
Hugh, putting your material in the public domain opens it up to scrutiny. Your response to Big Ern is childish at best. I would suggest writing in a notepad and putting under your bed, if you are incapable of negative posts.
Broaden your shoulders fella.
Negative posts are fine. Telling me to stop writing is just as childish as my response. I try to give respect to those who disagree with me and comment as to why they disagree but commenters like Big Erm get a bit tiresome to be honest.
Well said mate I could not agree more. I think that G & S + BS have done us proud. Nolan has lost a bit of form in the last weeks but since Liverpool he has got steadily better if he plays average and score 12–15 a season he will do for me. Anyone who has played football will know the importance of a good captain. Slagging of our own does not help the club. As for Ravel he has not been trouble free at Birmingham and in fact nearly got sent home in disgrace remember one bad apple can ruin the barrel if Citeh come in with a good bid and BS make 2-3 mil on him, why not sell ? We still have some big debts if not and he comes good happy days ! As for the younsters who have been blooded or out on loan that is how clubs develop players ! Dont believe me ask Ferguson at Man Utd all his youngsters spend time on loan useually at Wigan. When we are in the OS have sold UP paid our debts and have moved on aa a club, will you still be slagging of BS. He has given this club back a degree of pride.
Firstly, I never said sending them on loan this season was a bad thing. Just that sending Hall on loan again immediately after him doing well at Birmingham doesn’t give confidence to the youngsters. Potts was recalled from his loan, for what? To sit on the bench a bit and play in the development squad? Jordan Spence is a far better centre back than Pogatetz, yet Pog gets the call up. Collison is our most naturally talented centre midfielder along with Joe Cole, he rarely gets a look in and don’t say it’s because of his knee injury because his knee injury does not restrict him to a couple of games a season!
Nolan has scored 7 in 34 games this season, Modibo Maiga has scored 4 in 4 starts + 6 sub appearances where he has been given more than 15 minutes to play. Maiga and Carroll both up top would be better than Nolan.
Your right in what your saying I agree . players like matt taylor being played over young fit, technical and skilled players like maiga the boy is a waste of talent at west ham and Nolan has lost it full stop
totaly aggree about nolan diame amd the rest of the midfield have carried him all season cant pass can barly shoot loses the ball all the timr gives away free kicks and always talkin moanin to the ref onr of the worst players.ive seen at westham in a long time. aint a sam fan but fait play to him gettin us pretty much safe but my god he aint got a clue how the hell aint spence in out first 11 baffles me why is nolan foreva startin? when his dog shitt why is maiga not givin.a chance? with alot the other youngsters rob hall potts been giving more time on the pitch o boy gonna be a long hard next 2 3years till he fucks off hopefully would and should martinaz
SPOT ON !! Nolan is living on past “glories” (relatively speaking) and is Allardyces dressing room poodle. Thank god SOME of us can see it !!
Lots of sense but also a lot of missed points . It is no coincidence that our recent good form has come when C.Cole, Noble and Tomkins are not playing . They are all poor ( but loyal ) members of the squad and should be moved on . The point regarding the youngsters is a no brainer . Taylor and Pogatetz are not as good as Hall ,Potts , Spence and young George Moncur . O’Neil has starred since he came back and deserves another season , if only as a squad member . COYI
sorry mate i agree about taylor and carlton cole but tomkins is a quality player and we must keep our better players if we are going to kick on as for morrison the boy went out on loan and has done well at brum nolans best days are behind him time to give so give morrison a run and hopefully he is nolans natural successor
nolan and demel are our weak links in the team. although nolan maybe a good character to have toesnt mean he should be in the first team every week. imo if you play in the hole behind carroll and are shielded by the midfield you are essentially playing a free role and i dont mind a player playing a free role but if they play in this role they have to produce i.e. bale. the fact of the matter is you say nolan is a poacher but no one has been given a chance in his role to see how easy it is. i cannot recall him sprinting this season or playing a welsher-esque direct one two through the middle or beating a player and getting a shot away.
we say allardyce is a long ball merchant but he is always open to players who make things happen ie jay jay okocha at bolton. what i am getting at is there are players with more skill and flair to produce and score for example taarabt could be a cheap buy from qpr given that he could be another di canio in the sense that his ability is undoubted but has never had the love and appraisal to give him the confidence to excel.
have you got a spare 50 million to buy a bale esq player for us like?
bale has two assists this season, isn’t exactly productive for the role he plays, he scores a few goals i give you that but again, nolan is 48 million quid cheaper than bale for a reason
I would love him to be in the first team but where would you play him ? Diame and noble have been exerlent this season , Jarvis will soon improve as it is only his first season Nolan and Vaz te I don’t think have been good enough I think we should try some youngesters but if we could use Morrison as e.g. Likes of holtby and the role and position he plays for spurs would be great we have colinson to go on the right who I would have over Vaz te any day but still can be improved and the the st position it looks like its between carrol and Rhodes next season in the westham shirt but I think we should go for remy as we would get him cheaper now the qpr are in the position they are In but carrol is in form with a big price tag
I posted about Big Sam’s policy with the young players here: http://goo.gl/lu3UO
Although it is a tad concerning, I am inclined to wait until the team has developed and is more established in the Premier League and not an early candidate for relegation each season. Also we don’t see what goes on in training – maybe they are just not good enough?
As for Ravel Morrison, I think he is a wrong ‘un and will always be so (although I will be very happy to be proven wrong). I think the team spirit and togetherness is currently spot on, and I can only see Morrison’s influence in the dressing room to be negative. He did after all disappear on loan pretty damn quick.
Mark
http://www.westhamfan.net
My 3 legged dog is faster than Nolan and can pass a ball better. Nolan must have some real dirt on BFS. When Morrison grows about 1.5m taller he might get chance here.
Excellent article by the way, ignore the BFS/Nolan fan club.
I’d replace Kevin ‘I do nothing then get lucky goal’ Nolan with Morrison. We’d be higher in the table no doubt.
Please guys , Nolan is finished , he can’t run gives away free kicks because he is 2 yards of the pace. If maiga had played the same number of games he would of scored double what Nolan has .The game is about pace and power .ravel m must be given a chance he cannot do any worst than Nolan , Taylor ,I niell etc. Away from home Nolan is a spectator , you need counter attacking football he cannot give you that. He hangs around the goal in home games and gets the odd goal .Good professional in his day the prem is just far to quick for him know FACT!