Ever since Roy Hodgson unenthusiastically claimed that ‘the door is always open’ for Mark Noble and a potential England appearance, many Hammers fans have spoken out about the effectiveness of the club captain this season.
So is he good enough to play for England? Around 10 years ago, you would have said a resounding ‘no’ if a 28-year-old Mark Noble was linked with the national team. However, the England team is not what it used to be and there is no nailed on central midfielders to start in France this summer.
Jordan Henderson has established himself as an experienced England international and his inclusion in the first-team is almost expected at this stage as long as he doesn’t get injured. However, the issue of picking his partner in midfield has been a problem.
Jack Wilshere has been used in the anchorman role by Hodgson but the England manager cannot rely on the injury-plagued Arsenal midfielder. The likes of Fabian Delph and Michael Carrick are other options in midfield but they have not had the best of seasons in this current campaign.
That could suggest that a central midfield spot is well and truly up for grabs ahead of the Euros and Mark Noble should be in contention to challenge for a place considering the form he has been in this season.
Hodgson mentioned the form of Leicester City’s Danny Drinkwater when he was questioned about Noble. Therefore, comparing both Noble and Drinkwater’s stats is a good place to start. It is also worth noting that Hodgson does like to pick Tottenham players and Eric Dier has had a good season so far. As a result, it looks like it could be a three horse race between these midfielders. Although some could claim a place for Jonjo Shelvey, his lack of form at Swansea and Newcastle’s plight this season could affect his chances of playing for England.
Looking at the stats, Mark Noble presents himself as the favourable option in an attacking sense compared to Dier and Drinkwater. The West Ham captain has the highest pass completion (86%) and has played the most key passes (30) out of the three players.
Attacking stats
Eric Dier certainly shines defensively due to his tendency to sit very deep when playing for Tottenham. However, Noble still boasts impressive stats when it comes to interceptions (52) and tackles won (48) this season, something that is vital for a central midfielder.
Defensive stats
Whether Hodgson wants a deeper midfielder to play alongside Henderson remains to be seen but Noble is certainly more than capable of fulfilling that role as well as his typical all-action playing style Hammers fans see week in, week out.
It would be a travesty if Noble is completely overlooked by Hodgson but his recent comments do not inspire confidence. He is a manager that always stated that he would pick players on form and there is not a single English midfielder that has out-performed Mark Noble so far this season.
Whether this is something the England manager realises before the start of the Euros is uncertain. For Hammers fans, one thing is for sure. Mark Noble deserves at least one England cap and he’ll give his all when given the chance. Unfortunately for Mark, there is a sense that West Ham are constantly swimming against the tide when it comes to players entering the England frame.
Surely now is the time for change?
