Matt Jarvis finally got his first league goal of the season on Saturday, squeezing the ball under the Southampton keeper Artur Boruc’s body to make the score 1-1. Whilst he has scored a couple in the Capital One Cup this season, it is about time the speedy winger chipped in on a more regular occurrence which would no doubt ensure his place in the starting 11 most weeks.
Jarvis has, so far, not lived up to his full potential since his big money move from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2012. Whilst he has shown glimpses, often getting himself into good crossing and scoring positions and having the ability to take on his full back, too often the final delivery or shot has been lacking in quality. His crossing has been very hit and miss, and although he has delivered a huge quantity of balls into the box, on too many occasions they are aimless and do not pick out a teammate.
Another problem with Jarvis is that he can be too one dimensional and thus easy to defend against. Just getting the ball on the wing and sending it into the box at the first opportunity can be read quite easily. Whether this is down to how he is told to play is unknown, but it would be good to see him drift inside more often and make runs in behind the back four, as he did for his goal against Southampton. He has the pace to do this, and has got himself into good scoring positions because of it on the rare occasions that he moves from his usual touchline station this season. He had a good chance against Arsenal in this way back in December for example.
When Jarvis does get an opportunity to shoot however, he seems very unwilling to hit the ball, and will invariably look for another teammate to pass to, even when he is in a better position to do so. All of these factors are why Jarvis has not chipped in with as many goals for West Ham as he is capable of.
Yet he has the ability to score – not just getting into the right position but to finish off a chance. He showed this on Saturday, and also in the Capital One Cup against Spurs this season. He also scored eight goals in his final season at Wolves in 2011/12, which was a great return considering he was playing for a relegated side. If he could replicate that record for West Ham it could make a huge difference to the clubs season, particularly in the absence of a prolific goalscorer.
In summary, it would be great to see Jarvis continue making those runs in behind the oppositions defence on a more regular basis rather than spend the whole game hugging the touchline. Hopefully Sam Allardyce can see the value of this and allow the winger more freedom in that respect. Then when he gets a chance on goal, we need to see more confidence from Jarvis and trust in his ability to score as he has proven in the past. This would make him a more versatile and valuable player for the Hammers, who cannot continue to rely on Kevin Nolan to carry on his rich rein of form for their goals.
I would like to see him cut in from the right and try a curler towards the far post,Ashley Young does this well for Man U Jarvis needs to be a bit less predictable with putting balls into the box.
And don’t forget, we’ve been waiting for this re-match with Everton, after we twice took the lead against them, when at Upton Park in September, when Mark Noble went in with a great defensive tackle on the edge of our penalty area, when he won the ball and not only did the referee unfairly award a free kick, no, the ref gives Mark his 2nd yellow & Mark gets sent off for great defensive work, and then to add more salt to our wounds Leighton Baines sticks the free kick just inside the angle of upright & crossbar. Not only should we have won that match, which was decided by the referee, no, up pops Lukaku right at the end to deny us even 1 point in a game that was ours until the ref stuck his beak in by reducing us to 10 men, and especially after Sam went to all of the bother in appearing at a work permit hearing to get Lacina Traore accepted into the country. A deal that paved the way for him to sign for West Ham, no the player stabs Sam & West Ham in the back and does a deal behind his back to join Everton. No, give this blasted club both barrels West Ham. GIVE ANDY A FREE HAND!!! This club are just so far up themselves & we demand retribution. God I laughed when John Terry stuck the ball in in injury time on Saturday. We also have no match with Hull the following Saturday, so make this game count West Ham, and now it’s our turn to really make them pay, COYI
And just remember, that if Chelsea get a clean sheet this weekend & we don’t? Then Chelsea will equal our record of 13 Premier League clean sheets, and do you think we want that to happen??? No way COYI!