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 😉
Utter garbage. The players you are damning with faint praise have been an integral part of a squad that have got us where we are this season.
Why do you come out with such piffle?
You just know any negative article will be one of Bevan’s. No idea where he gets his opinions. Utter rubbish
I’m split. Keep O’Brien, but not as left-back. Demel to go.
Keep Nolan as helper for Morrison and clean games up. O’Neil, Nice thought of having 4 CM’s (Diame, Noble, Collison, O’Neil)
I am glad you have written this it is what I have thought all season. I beleive they have games where they play out their skins and thats what people love, but they lack top ten skills. You find players like these have 1 or 2 seasons at the top and then you are in trouble. We should respect and admire thier effort for ever, but not be complacent and move forward, this is our first season back, we need to improve the squad it is all to easy to sit there and fall back down as we did last time. This articale is a good shout.
You need these type of players to stay up and succeed. Just because fifa doesnt rate them doesnt mean they arent important Joey won us the game against norwich. And gary goal was class.
Joey o brien has been outstanding all season..can’t think of a better left back we’ve had for a good few years..and he’s not even a defender!!!..he’s got some big balls and gives 100% every week..I’m More than happy sticking with him next season..he deserves his chance again
certainly sell oneil joey obrian is an ok squad playersell carlton cole as well as collison we need to buy 2 strikers a right winger and start with joe cole in nolans spot
i think we need 3 signings this window, left back, goalie, striker(preferably carroll) and a creative midfielder who can actually advance with the ball with a bit of flair.
this is what my team i think should be next season, Begovic figureroa reid tomkins demel diame noble jarvis hall morrison carroll
Europa League the aim next season?? And BFS was mocked when he said some of our fans were delusional!! We need a couple more solid seasons avoiding relegation with games to spare before wanting something like that!! I’d bet decent money Newcastle wished they hadn’t over achieved last season!!
Jussi,O Brien,Demel,Linda,O Brien,O Neill,Noble,Collison and Carlton all to go!. Jussi is ok but there will be the young keeper from Reading or Brad Guzan up for grabs ,both are quality!.Demel, Linda,O Brien,O Neill and Collison all average at best!,My bedroom wardrobe is quicker then Noble and has better distribution then him and as for Carlton if he is up for America then so am i ,i’ll drive him there!.Realistic transfer targets for me are;Guzan,Rose,Benteke,Solly(Charlton),Nathen Dyer,James McCarthy of Wigan(that lad is quality)! really would like to see Spence,Hall and Morrison have a fair chance at it!.
Probably wont go down well but just my honest opinions,coyi’s
He hates obrian so much he wants him out twice!!! Noble and collision out. Are you on drugs?????
Collison? Behave!
If given a chance he would be one of our best players. Ten times more ability than Nolan.
collison would be in the squad every week but injury problem with knee stops him playing ( rumour has it he will have this problem for the rest of his career ,hope im wrong )COYI
Oh and I missed Noble!!! How the hell can you want rid of Noble…he was easily our player of the season until he got injured. Moronic. Have you watched any games this year ?
Noble was the player of the season because we have a song about him. Chav’s idol. He is useless.
Jussi has been quality been outstanding later part off the season ,i like most irons i was gutted we didnt resign green but jussi has won me over. As for noble and collison and tomkins always give 100% for the club you build the team around these players there our own .
I agree, would like to see spence hall and morrison get a chance .
And for me diame the signing of the season QUALITY .
tommolives in cuckoo land
Honestly the only player who doesn’t add any quality to the squad is Matt Taylor
Agree with you on that one. Matt Taylor is shocking and has to go. He offers nothing.
The problem with us Hammers fans is that our expectation levels are completely unrealistic. I would settle for another season of consolidation! We’ve got to stop becoming a yo-yo club. Most of the players you’ve mentioned – as one other poster has mentioned are invaluable squad players – don’t throw the baby out with the bath water!!
youve hit the nail on the head weve had a decade of struggling but i think we are moving in the right direction . Sam will continue to strengthen the squad, i would happy with a mid table finish next season.COYI
A club like us will need to keep OBrien, ONeill etc as we just do not have the funds and can’t afford to lose them as cover. They’re pretty dependable if called upon.
I think we can improve heavily on Nolan though. I just wish we had someone with flair to replace him. Maybe Joe Cole can sit behind whoever we get in as our main striker. Joe Cole could feed someone like Jelavic. Jelavic may not be everyones cup of tea of course cos of the season he had this term but the guy puts a good stint in. Just can’t think who we can get to the job that Carroll does.
i think oneil deserves some support for the way he’s been playing lately. he’s stepped up and shown he’s better than i have him credit for earlier in the season. shown much more potential and abilty to play at this level. i also find his energy to run to be commendable. and would even say that he’s reached Noble’s levels lately. .. and in some circumstances he’s even more expansive / attack minded than Noble. i’ve lost count of the times noble has wound me up by turning back to safety for the easy pass than to try to open up a defence. in conclusion, he can mix it with Noble anyday. … the real problem is, for me, neither of them is a De Rossi or a Lampard or a Scholes or a Keane. … which means, given the importance of that postion in a successful team, it’s a position we might need to find another better option.
oh yeah, and i think o brien deserves his praise as well. he’s been solid, dependable and stats show more successful going forward than jarvis. and i like his swagger. … keep o brien in the squad! But sign someone in addition with the pace and intelligence to deal with the walcott’s and bale’s of this world. not all team’s have them, but joey did struggle this season in certain occasions and we didnt have a plan b.
Collison is a quality player, but has the knee problem. He’s a great player to have, doesn’t cost much, a great impact sub, and happy to be as if he plays regularly he will crock himself. How you can say Demel is a good right back is wrong. When Demel plays, we may as well list him as a RW, his defensive efforts are average at best. O’Brien is a good backup, as is O’Neill, but they will should never be depended on. I think we need to sign a creative midfielder. If any midfielder has underperformed this season it is our captain, Nolan. But because he’s captain he won’t be sold *sighs*. Controversial but I think someone like Joey Barton may do well under BFS.
Mr. Bevan you demonstrate all that is worst about our fans. Big Sam has taken a team of over hill players, sh*te, players and second rate players from the deepest depths to mid-table in two years. You somehow expect ManU and Citeh to fall over and capitulate because we are in their league. Your grasp on reality is non-existent. These guys have just done it. That which they were asked to do, with fu**ing knobs on. In time we want to improve. Move into a new stadium and compete for the highest trophies. Right now we have exceeded expectations and are more settled than we have been for years. And all you can do is slag off the boys that have done it for us. F**k off and shame on you.