West Ham’s next heir to the throne

What defines character? It’s all about how one reacts in the face of adversity, coming back stronger and refusing to turn your back on something you hold true to yourself, isn’t it?

Compare and contrast Mark Noble’s body language after leading the Hammers to a 6-0 thumping at Manchester City in the semi-final of the Capital One Cup last Wednesday to Sunday’s morale-boosting triumph at Cardiff. Held aloft by Andy Carroll – akin to Geoff Hurst and Bobby Moore in that famous picture in 1966 – after scoring the all-important second goal, Noble epitomised the meaning of character.

So wouldn’t you want that sort of character captaining your side, a leader of men? With West Ham depleted in numbers and slap bang in the middle of a relegation battle in the Barclays Premier League, it’s character that will win through. Or so they say.

Is Mark Noble ready to do what all West Ham fans have wanted him to do ever since he broke into the side in 2004? Can the midfielder, born and bred in East London and a Hammer through and through, skipper West Ham in a cup final and push for European football in the future?

It’s another question that Sam Allardyce must ponder, and he’s got a few at the moment, with West Ham fans seemingly at the end of their tether with Kevin Nolan.

Much like the Hammers’ start to the season, Nolan has yet to get going. Is it because he’s missed his best pal up front to play off, feeding off Carroll’s knockdowns? Or is this really the end of the road for a man that despite what a lot of fans have had to say, has led the club with passion and sought to bring out the best in others around him.

His red card at Fulham will have done little to silence the doubters and possibly for the first time in all the years Nolan has worked under Big Sam, there may just be an element of doubt in Allardyce’s mind about his most trusted of lieutenants.

For Noble this really has to be his time. He’s been through the highs of promotion and lows of relegation at Upton Park but now it truly is time for the man Alan Pardew described once as the best prospect at the club to step up. Has he fulfilled his potential? I’d argue that while he’s been a steady performer at the heart of the midfield, like West Ham, he’s been too inconsistent. Yet, I sense a change in his confidence on the pitch and you can always tell from the opposition as to who they rate by the level of respect they show. Certainly in several games this season, particularly the 3-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Boleyn, Silva, Toure and Nasri showed him respect.

He needs to continue taking games by the scruff of the neck and dictate how the Hammers play. He showed that at Cardiff and has done several times this season.

Will it be enough to sway Big Sam? Time will tell, but if Noble keeps improving it won’t only be his manager who’ll need to take note but perhaps Roy Hodgson too.