Gary O’Neil and Joey O’Brien have both captured our hearts this season. Joey O’Brien has become somewhat of a legend as the season has progressed but are they really good enough to start week in week out next season? Whilst they have deputised very well and even claimed their positions as their own, I don’t want to see them in the starting lineup next season, much like Kevin Nolan. For me our aim next season has to be Europa League football and our expectation has to be top 10, with that in mind, are Gary O’Neil and Joey O’Brien good enough?
I will start with everybody’s favourite, Joey O’Brien. He has been an integral part of our fantastic back 4 this season and has performed very well at what he has been asked to do. He has even popped up with a couple of goals and 4 assists this season but I am not convinced he is the man to take us forward at left back and here is why.
He is solid at the back on the most part although he has had help from Winston Reid who has been our outstanding defender this year. It is not often where Joey O’Brien is stuck out of position but when he has made mistakes Winston has been there to save his blushes but on the most he has been very solid. My only issue is, is being just solid enough? When you compare him to relegation threatened Sunderland’s left back of this season Danny Rose, we have a far inferior player in Joey.
He does not offer enough in attack despite his 2 goals and 4 assists. Whilst Jarvis has done ok this season he has not been helped out much at all by O’Brien. Jarvis is usually left to do it all by himself leading to his ineffective left footed floaters. If we are to really challenge for a Europa League spot next season, which I think should be our aim, we will need a better left back. Joey O’Brien is a versatile squad player who can help us out no end as just that, a squad player but I am not so sure he is the man to take us forward as our starting left back. Someone like Maynor Figueroa or Martin Olsson would be my preferred choices.
Now to Gary O’Neil; in the role he plays it is hard to be spectacular, if anything you want him to be unspectacular but effective, which he is. He is not there to produce jinking runs and pose an attacking threat like Diame, he is there to help the back 4 and break up counter attacks and generally slow opposition play down and he has done that very well in the absence of Mark Noble. The only reason I don’t think O’Neil is the man to start week in week out for us next season is because I believe Mark Noble to be a better player.
Mark Noble is younger, West Ham through and through and is a better footballer. Gary O’Neil has shown that he is an admirable deputy but can anyone honestly say he is a better footballer? Even if you believe him to be on a par with Mark Noble surely it is better to keep the younger player in the side and use Gary O’Neil as a rotation option should injuries set in or rest be needed. The advantage of having O’Neil in the squad is that we don’t need to strengthen at defensive midfield. We have two guys who can do a job there, one of which is one of the best defensive midfielders in the league in my opinion.
The issue with O’Neil and O’Brien players, is not that they aren’t good, it is just that they are not quite good enough. They are squad players and if they are starting week in week out it is hard to imagine us even reaching top 10 as we have this season. This season the standard in the Premier League dropped considerably. At the top of the table we have no one still in the Champions League and at the bottom, Reading and QPR have been embarrassing. When you look at the teams below us can you honestly say that top 10 is an overachievement? For me the position we are in is where we should be when you look at our squad. I am not so sure the quality of the league won’t improve for next season and thus we must improve too and Gary O’Neil and Joey O’Brien are two players that need to be dropped from the starting lineup for that to happen.
I think left back has to be a priority in the transfer window. We need someone like Figueroa or Olsson to complete our back 4 and keep Joey O’Brien and Dan Potts as backups. I would look to sell McCartney. Guy Demel gets bad press but as an attacking force from right back I can’t think of many better that we could go out and buy especially with Spence behind him who I think is a quality player. For me our main concerns are left back, left/right midfielder and up front (I would love to see Sam go out and buy Loic Remy then play Remy and Vaz up top together next season, we can all dream hey).
Let me know what you all think, I know Joey O’Brien has an army of fans who have fallen in love with him this season but I don’t think he cuts it as a Premier League starter and the same goes for Gary O’Neil. I am happy to have them in the squad as we know they can step in and do a job but they can’t be regular starters. I hope the Big Sam brigade are happy with this article, even I couldn’t find a way to introduce some Big Sam bashing to this article 😉
Isn’t it brilliant? Been over a half a dozen games to go and not a mass panic concerning the R word! How very unlike West Ham! Lol. Even so we shouldn’t get carried away with ourselves with unrealistic expectations! After all due to the severity of our position no more than a couple of years ago, another season of consolidation would not go amiss. I am as impatient as the next person but I actually believe in what Big Sam is trying to do at the club and given the right encouragement we will see the club improve dramatically next season. Just as long as we don’t over reach ourselves financially.
Does anyone know how good Razvan Rat has been the past season?
Good squad players yes, but Vaz up front? He’s the laziest player I’ve ever seen and fits nicely into the title of not good enough
I’m not sure what point you are trying to make. I don’t think either of them started the season as a starter, but we have had injuries and suspensions and they have come in and done well. Keep both but strengthen the first choice starters ….. Ravel, Carroll? , olsson, Bony?, Rhodes (more realistic than Bony), re-sign Diame without escape clause & ….. ?????
I’m sure that Sam will pull one or two from left field too.
COYI
Get Rhodes in bring back Morrison get rid of Taylor and Nolan and get a decent keeper
Mark Noble is West ham through and through but he is not a good footballer. You make the mistake that most fans do when they talk about the club they support and vastly over-rate the players that have come up through the ranks. He is too slow, loses the ball, passes backwards and sideways and offers no protection to the defence and no support to the front men. Noble should be outed. He is a Championship player at the very best and he struggled there. He is no way near good enough.
At last !!! someone who knows what they are talking about,well done Dave.You also must of played football to a very high standard and have a football education unlike these idiots on here who only ever played football on sunday mornings for pub teams!! .What these Numptys on here have got to realise is that just because someone runs round chasing a football for 90 mins and put a couple of tackles in doesnt make them a good footballer,Noble is overated and wouldnt get in any of the top 8 teams FACT!
What a load of crap. Everyone mentioned to get rid of are our best players! Looks like all you get on here is FIFA fans its a disgrace. Seems like everyone thinks our plan for the summer should be sell everyone other then Reid, Diame, Jarvis, and Carroll. What a joke. Joey O’Brien will be Hammer of the Year or runner up theres no doubt about it as most of the fans that attend games on a regular basis no the he has been one of our most consistent players all season. And i remember in the summer when everyone was saying we should get rid of O’Neil despite him having a great run in the team with Noble and Nolan towards the end and has grabbed his chance with both hands this season whilst never publicly moaning when he couldn’t even make the bench in the first 10 games. These are the players you need to build a squad. Players who wont get in the team just based on their name or price tag but because they work hard give there all and grab the chance with booth hands when it comes along.
I find it frightening that there are a selection of idiots writing on here who other readers who don’t go all the time, or only see MOTD, will think are speaking with any degree of authority, including the writer of the article. O’Brien is playing out of position- he is a right back- due to Linda being out and BFS protecting Potts – and he has done really well ( and with little help at all from Jarvis tracking back as he, Jarvis, doesn’t know what the word tackle means). Noble is the best tackler in the team by far, is the man you want to see taking a penalty and works harder than anyone in the side – Dave, you are a complete bozo slagging him off. O’Neil – I can’t imagine he’s on big money ( unlike the snails pace Nolan) – and he’s done a good job of late – let’s be honest as to where we are, we have a way to go yet, money is tight, honest players like him are what you need in a squad. To go – Vaz Te without a doubt, lazy and a coward,Taylor – even the free kicks are poor now, Maiga clearly isnt impressing BFS as he doesnt get a look in – other than those and returning loans lets be brave enough to give Morrison a chance, keep Diame, hopefully AC as well – and before any ther idiots come on keep CC and Tomkins too, other players that the brain dead critics like to go at.
John Pritchard: you’re probably one of the drunken morons who watch Noble through p”&^ed up eyes. Noble is useless. I bet you sing his name as yet another one of his corners or free kicks fails to get past the first man. Its no coincidence that we’re putting a run together while Noble isn’t playing. He came on against Wigan and we completely lost the midfield. Try watching him while sober you bozo. We were relegated and no-one came in for him, tells you all you need to know.
Dave – number 1) I never have a drink before the game – saveloy and chips at The Queens Fish Bar 2) I don’t tend to sing his name 3) I wouldn’t have him taking free kicks or corners – but then we are awful at all dead ball situations as a team, it’s years since we’ve ever thought we’ll score off either 4) I want him ther to take a pen 5) when the opposition are on the ball who is going to tackle them – certainly not Nolan, no wingers , Diame maybe – but most certainly Noble 5) you reckon we put a run in becasue he wasn’t there – what about the run we had looking good Aug-Dec – I think he was there for most of that 6) we never had the midfield v Wigan, they outplayed us – when he came on he hadnt played for a month orso, back from an injury tha was meant to keep him out till the end of the season 7) we were relegated, we held on to him – and he cared too much to leave – q.e.d. – bozo
We’ve been playing our best football in the last month or so and we’ve look more solide with O’Neil starting so I don’t really see your point.
The first person we need to sign is Diame
The writer of the article and some of the comments are beyond belief. There is a difference between aspirations and reality. Some of the contributors think that West Ham should be ainming for Europa League, before you all get carried away be careful what you wish for, and if you do not understand look at Newcastle. Then we have the financial side to consider and the new rules. So will Sam get new players almost certainly, and that is where the issues start with everyone having a different opinion. Well here’s mine:
We need to have cover in the back 4 with a Left back, and Central Defender to give us cover. Then who do we get rid of; well all of the loanees will go, which of course includes AC, unless a deal can be done to keep him. Then we have Nolan, Taylor they could go. Which then leaves us with the strikers, and the ones likely to go Maiga, Carlton Cole, Vaz Te.
Like it or not the aim will be to survive for a second season so guess what the incoming are likely to be, players that can do that, as for the younger players I would bring them in as cover in the cup games, but foremost I would want to ensure survival. Now this may not fit with everyones views but it is realistic. If we get to middle of the table next year we should all cheer, because that will be harder than this year and just as big an achievement if not bigger.
So let not get carried away if we finish 10th next year that will be some achievement for a second year, just ask some of the others in the Premier League, so should we see if Loic Remy wants to leave QPR, or look to see if any of the Wigan or Reading top players want to leave, why not. Should we look around Europe and se if we can get anyone on the cheap, yes. That’s where our team will come from, but we should also be mindful that we should bring in some of the academy players as cover for the aged players that will be brought in to ensure survival.
Let’s hope that Sam can get the right blend of experience and youth to give us a future rather than become a selling club.
Neither have been first choice this season, they have played due to injuries? Oneil is in the team at the moment due to form, he is playing better than nobes, and obrien is a utility player, he fits in to the back when there are injuries.
We will get in a new left back, there is no doubt about that. With regarsd to noble or oneil, in reality (and without sentiment) neither of them are good enough for a top ten team. We should worry more about whether we have diame next season. Oneil could be partnering nobes which would be a concern. I have faith in the fat man to bring in some decent players in the summer.
Though I like the fact that you are being positive about where we finish next season, Europa league is not going to happen even if we had Fergie as our manager, not a chance! We should be looking at a top half finish and moving forward from this very good season. You’re going to have another dissapointing season if you think we should be looking at finishing in the top 5 and winning a cup is a complete lottery which is why we have only won 4 in over 100 years (well 5 inc the world cup)???
Couldn’t agree more about the LB role, solid is not enough and does leave jarvis without someone making runs on the outside – how many times has Jarvis had to knock the ball on and just drive for the touch line, hoping his pace will win the half yard to deliver a cross, and then he’s crossing at full tilt with a defender on his shoulder – how many of those crosses are going to find a WH player !! A better LB would give him options to come inside.. i think.
Also deffo agree we need to keep Diame, as a team in general we lack flair and the ability to make goals out of nothing which again in my humble opinion is the difference between the top tier and mid table – Diame provides this and is big and strong in midfield, to compliment Nobles industry.
Collins is awesome, yes he makes the odd howler but which CB in the premiership never makes mistakes? Reid puts body and soul on the line, game in game out – hats off. Demel lacks pace but has the presence to make the right choice of ball more times than not.
Do we need to replace Jussi? player of the season? Saved more ‘nailed on goals’, than we scored all season? Anyone that thinks our goal difference would be significantly worse without him is watching different matches to me.
Vaz Te up front though, really? I see him trip over the ball or shoot from 30 yards more than anything else, i think we could do a lot better than that in the RM/RW positions, how much will that cost though? Collison usually produces a more capable display in that role – I think BS is seeing this as well, as he’s brought him on to replace Vaz Te in 4 of the last 5 games – or was it just a change up, who knows?
Carroll has been responsible for the majority of our goals, through knock ons, taking out defenders or smashing headers into the back of the net.. but we can’t keep him at that price, wages or asking price – we have to remember we’re not Man City and can’t spend like they can. We still have 100m of debt and the new financial fair play will hit us hard.
Nolan is a great dressing room captain but delivers FA on the pitch, other than winding the ref up.. He scores the odd goal from 4 yards, my kid can do that.. he is a wasted pick for the team and when he plays I think we play with 10 men for 85 mins of the game.
Dreaming big for the club we love is one thing, getting massively carried away because of a mid table finish, is another.
I’m a third generation hammer !! Hammers Til I die.
i can agree with most that has been said but considering the fact joey has been in immense form and the amount of goals he has stopped by putting his body in the line of fire needs credit, but from what i have read most are saying he isnt the left back to take us forward well that again is true considering he is a natural right back he has done a fantastic job in a position he is not accustomed to. Vaz te just dont do it for me, a championship player at best would rather have seen Paulista given a run, it seems a shame that we buy all these players in and then get id without giving them a chance, look at last season we bought maynard, baldock who both scored goal and especially baldock gave us the tony cottee player we had not seen in a long time and what happens … see ya later thanks.
I agree we not get carried away, and that we need to make some changes, but just for a moment just consider that we have got to get rid of some players for reasonable amounts of cash in order to fund some of the purchases. The ones to go for me are Nolan, Carlton Cole, Taylor, Maiga, McCartney, Demel and the loanees will return to their clubs so that gets rid of Pog, Chamakh, Pullista, and AC. Then the next is folks who could come in, as we have seen before it’s more down to who will want to come to West Ham. So take a look at QPR, Remy perhaps, Wigan Macarthy, Figueroa also look at the players like Spence and Potts as cover initially, but get two full backs that can defend for at least a season until the younger ones can take over. Then look at front players and mid field assuming we keep Diame. I would also use Collison more. The question is the amount of money we would have available if we bought AC, the other intriguing question is what if we do not buy him, what formation would Sam play. Perhaps we should look at Everton as Moyes is going. The merry go round begins, and there are many more twists and turns to come I am sure, and everyone has their own opinion. None of which counts for anything as the decisions will be made by the Manager and the Board, so who knows??
One thing for sure is that we can look forward to next year in the Premier League and we will have as much to talk about or even more. Let’s hoipe that the transfers are done in time to allow a good pre season in order that whowever is polaying has time to settle in.
Well considering he is not actually a left back, JOB has been fantastic in a ‘makeshift ‘ position. I think he is a calm player who most fans, and more importantly his teamamtes ( he was second in the Players player of the year at the club) appreciate.
If we are looking for a Europa league place and he is not good enough then we have few good enough …if thats the standard people are looking for.