This week the challenge is to write about Sunday’s penalty villain quickly turned penalty hero- and one of my favourite players- Mark Noble. Noble is, as we all know, a local lad, an academy product, and is West Ham through and through. He’s also the clubs longest serving player, and, as of 2014, will have put in 10 years of senior football at the club.
He’s been a mainstay in our midfield over the past years, bar taking some time off for a trapped nerve injury this season, and love him or hate him- he’s been pretty consistent.
With this in mind, the question I’ve been asked this week is if we rate him higher and let his mistakes slide a bit more than we would other players because he’s the closest thing we have to a home grown hero, or would we be equally happy to see him start regularly for us if he was a player who was born and raised elsewhere?
As I’ve said above, he’s one of my favourites- but I am conscious of the fact that he’s not the best player on the pitch. The reason he’s a favourite for me is his constant effort, dogged hard work, and passion. Seeing him cry after losing 4-3 to Spurs in 2007 (an incredibly hard fought loss) showed how much he genuinely cares about the club he plays for; something way too rare in football today. His passion for the club is undoubtedly because of his local upbringing, which has certainly appealed to many fans.
Unfortunately, he’s not a favourite with everyone. Arguments against him are… how to put this delicately… he’s not exactly an exciting or flair player per se, and well, let’s just say that it doesn’t look like he’ll be England’s first choice corner taker any time soon. Looking through comments about Noble on this site, he’s referred to as “really … off the pace” and “slow, lacks vision, can’t do the hard yards and can’t take a free kick,” so I’m very aware that not everyone is a fan.
But for those of us who are firmly in the pro-Noble camp, do we go easier on his shortcomings (the corners, dear lord, the corners) because we want a local boy to succeed, and are we less harsh on him because we still want to believe in the capability of the Academy to produce quality players? Would you still have him in your team if not for his commitment and dedication to West Ham?
If any other player on the pitch hit the first man in corners as often as him, I’d probably be livid at that player starting regularly (or at least continuing to take the corners) so I suppose I’m wearing my rosy tinted ‘hurrah for homegrown’ glasses when watching Noble. I know that I want him in my starting XI, but the main reason remains his passion- which is really a result of his locality and upbringing- and of course I like the idea of having members of the squad that we ‘grew’ and developed in the face of an increasingly foreign Premier League.
I also do believe he’s a good player, and his consistency is something I value. His hard work leads to results, and I hope it continues to do so for many more years.
But what does everyone else think about Mark Noble? Is he who you want starting for us, and, if he is your top choice, do you think you rate him higher because he’s a local lad? Would love to hear what you think, either below or tweet me @makingthemarrow
The heartbeat of the side for a few years now.
Would I be happy for us to sign somemone better and have Noble on the bench? Yes of course.
I think the issue with Noble could easily be resolved by taking him off of corners. The fact no-one else steps up to take them is what worries me the most. Noble is a decent player at premier league level and can just about hold his own. He’s our best passer, albeit the majority are sideways, but I think we warrants a place in the side whilst the likes of Nolan, JOB, Taylor, Vaz Te etc.. still get games. Under Allardyce his positional sense has developed well, rather than a box2box midfielder, which he doesn’t have the legs for, he has become the more disciplined midfielder. Diame marauds around the pitch and Nolan stands in the opponents box, so usually Noble is left alone in the middle of the park and he does a decent job there. Will play for West Ham for a long time.
Not a box to box midfielder? Mark Noble covered the most distance as a West Ham player and was in the top 10 ten in the PL. Might want to rethink that statement.
You’re a knob
I look at noble as a parker type, he might not be the fastest and most skillful but he battles hard everytime he plays, yes he has given away silly free-kicks before but 95% of players do/have. Definetly one of my favourites at upton park
Diame looks a far better player when he has noble behind him tidying up !! like to see him stay at westham for his career always runs himself into the ground may not be the best but allways committed coyi
I rate noble not the best player at west ham but certainly the most loyal. Just keep him away from set pieces and ill be happy 🙂
would be much happier with noble as club captain in the team week in week out and nolan on the bench,with a striker in the side to play off carroll
i got over my homegrown player bias with noble a while ago and hope i have a fairly objective view. going back a few seasons i thought he provided very little, but last season (particularly at the start), i think we saw the best of him: cool under pressure, picks out a great pass, terrific decision making, and at times the heart of all our best moves. i still think he could do more defensively. every know and then he put in a good shift but wasn’t consistently setting the world alight with his defence of the back four. nevertheless, i think based on last season’s performances he should be a definite starter, and if he can up his game further as I hope the whole squad can do, then he might start being talked about for a chance with England.
he’s the best passer we have. im just a bit concerned that he isnt getting any better. either way, i think diame, diarra and nolan is our best starting midfield.. i could be wrong though..
Stunned any WHU fan could put Diarra ahead of Noble.
The best work rate and passing ability in the team. He’s a better player than Nolan. I disagree that he’s not a flair player. When he first broke through the team he was similar to Joe Cole in terms of flair but developed a more gritty and responsible game after his loan spells and relegation battles, quite rightly too. He’s always aware and looking to create a chance with his passing and he never vanishes in a game like others have been guilty of. As good as Diame is, Noble merits being the first midfielder on the team sheet on talent alone. Factoring in 10 years with the club and his passion for the team, he merits being captain.
Think noble is a player who has hardly progressed,has heart, but don’t seem to want to try things adventurous just plod along frustratingly. Should be Mark “Squareball”
I genuinely think hes in our Top 3 of players Jussi and Diame being the other 2. If we where a free flowing passing team then you would see how gifted Our Mark is but we are not. Our thump it up system though it works, doesnt show his talent. Given the opportunity he could be better than Carrick with bit more pace
diarra before noble no way he works his socks off
TRUE TO WEST HAM, BUT I WANT US TO WIN THINGS, GET A BETTER PLAYER ANY DAY OF THE WEEK PLEASE . TO BE HONEST HES SHIT JUST ADMIT I CANT BELIEVE HES STILL THERE OH NO ONE HAS EVER BID FOR HIM SPEAKS VOLLUMES.
so what you are saying is basically get rid of the most loyal and devoted player in our team and he also completed more passes and just as much tackles in anyone else in our team, which will then lead to typical west ham bringing in some foreign flop and wasting £5m. to be honest even if we did mange to bring in a better player i bet you we would still see him at upton park (even if it means him sitting on the bench). finally if he is so s*** then why has he been kept all these years by all of the managers we have had in the past and not been put up for sale. plus no one has ever bid for him because they no he wouldn’t want to move.
2nd Highest pass completion rate and 3rd or fourth highest number of tackles.
Some days my fellow fans bemuse me.
Noble is loyal …… He cannot pass , how many assists last year ? he cannot score from open play … how many goals last year … he is slow with little positional sense and now he misses penalties !! He is not Premiereship class.. get rid and bring in a play maker with vision and a goal in him . … Thanks for being loyal Mark .. Bye bye.
And you are not a West Ham fan so go support the spuds because your inaccurate review of Noble is a disgrace.
No, just honest. Take off your rosé glasses.
Agree!
Ben if you are not already a Tottscum fan, then please fuck off to them anyway.
Mark Noble in West Ham.
Mark Noble undoubtedly is a lovely lad & West Ham down to his toes. However, he is woefully short of pace & gets found out too much. We need more inter-passing in our midfield with quicker players going forwards & getting back to defend. I’m sorry to all his fans but that’s my honest opinion. It wouldn’t surprise me if Mark was a 20 -30 per day smoker. He is too leaden legged & really needs to work on improving his pace. Then we’ll have a decent player.
His last couple of games last season weren’t too bad. Lets hope that he can improve on them, otherwise I can see him being replaced.
Never rated him Prem. quality championship player. Nice bloke, local lad and all, just not good enough, to push up the table. The team moved the ball well, when he was hurt, with journeyman Gary O’neil. That should tell you enough. I’m hoping Jack Collison improves, and stick him in the lineup.
Anyone knocking him really (A) doesn’t know their football (B) probably a spurs supporter. He covers more ground thatN any other player, puts more tackles in, and really puts 100% every time he pulls the shirt on, for me he’d be the first name every week. And those who’d rather see mercenary foreign players in our shirt go and support spurs or man city.
No Mate, not a spuds supporter. Just a fan, who has watched thousands of matches. I’m guessing anyone that disagrees with you, lacks knowledge. That’s funny. Which prem team has submitted a bid for him? He is good enough for England’s senior team? If that’s the case, England will not qualify for any WC. He covers lots of ground? Perhaps from turnovers he creates. Nice enough lad, just not a prem starter. Squad player.
Stunaldo. I’ve played football in my time sometimes three times per week until my late thirties & attended my first WHU match in 1955. I am almost sixty four & know a Premier League player when I see one. Noble might cover more ground (according to statistics) than other midfielders taking into account that most of the top six teams rotate their midfield, but he is too slow. If we as supporters can see it then so can all of the opposition. There are a lot of players who give 100% but it doesn’t necessarily make them good players.
You seem to be a person who has a blatant disregard to anyone who disagrees with your viewpoint when they are merely stating their opinion. You might find yourself on the wrong end of a few sackings later in life if you are not careful.
I personally think he had a great season for us last term and it showed with the amount of plaudits he got from pundits – gary neville was singing his praises so much i expected him to get a call up for the england senior squad in one of the friendlies. Noble is that rare breed these days a loyal and passionate player – long may he stay a west ham player – heres hoping he leads out the team at the os one day as our captain