Jun 25

Spector’s Specs

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Jonathan Spector is in the thick of the action in South Africa, helping the US to unlikely success in thee Confederations Cup. The US pipped Italy in the group stages, and just produced one of the giantkilling results of the decade, sweeping aside the 26-match unbeaten Spain on merit in the semi-finals. Spector’s been playing at right-back throughout the tournament campaign – the USA’s regular right-back is injured. And the back four he is part of are now getting rave reviews.

I like Spector. He should already be celebrated for his performance at Old Trafford to keep the club up – McCartney was injured, Spector came on and the club held out against one of the best clubs in the World. Spector doesn’t seem to complain in the press. Spector gives his all out on the pitch, wherever he is played.

Nobody should have a bad word to say about him. But somehow they do. I think he is underrated as an asset.

And I don’t see anything wrong with him as such. Good engine, good heading ability, good mentality, decent ability on the ball. His weakness is still his decision-making, but that is something that often comes with experience. He is good at most things a footballer needs to be good at. But he isn’t great at anything yet.

I don’t think he’s good enough to be our first-choice right-back yet. I don’t think he looks like it’s his natural position. In fact I don’t see a position that he could fully make his own at this stage. That makes him a slightly weird prospect – a player who we’ve yet to see absolutely command a spot in the team.

I’m happy to accept him for his versatility. He is a jack of all trades and a master of none (yet). I don’t really think there’s anything wrong with a player who comes in when somebody else is suspended or injured and does a good job. Indeed I think that’s a crucial role in a small squad.

The only problem could come from Spector himself. I wonder whether the player is willing to settle for a backup role at West Ham, when he could probably be playing every match at a lower level? It’s not the sort of thing you dream about as a young boy – becoming a utility replacement at club level.

Maybe he will decide that he is a right-back and gear himself towards that position – maybe Zola will encourage him to do that. But it seems like that decision is being continually deferred.

The tragedy for the utility man is that they are only useful while a club lacks the players to replace them. If we had shit-hot replacements for every position, then there would be little real point in keeping Spector on. We’ve all developed a respect for John O’Shea at Manchester United because he slots in well wherever he’s needed, but should they have a season free of injury we’d hardly see him. Chelsea certainly didn’t pay all those millions for Essien because of his ability to fill in at right-back.

Whatever the future holds for Spector, the least we could do as supporters is offer our support. There’s a temptation to simply write him off as mediocre, which I think is a misinterpretation of his abilities. The fact is that none of the all-time footballing greats were treasured for their versatility. But at the moment I feel that Spector is a genuine asset, for reasons that we don’t always appreciate.

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Jun 06

In Praise Of Lampard

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I couldn’t agree more with Jeff Powell’s article about Frank Lampard today – ‘Junior’ is one of the very best players in the world, and has a footballing x-factor that ranks him up among the greats, yet seems to somehow struggle for recognition with the public.

I feel privileged to have watched him blossom as a youngster at West Ham. Never gifted with the physical abilities that Rio Ferdinand had alongside him, Frank somehow developed this canny knack of making undetected late runs into opposition penalty areas, and he has now developed that into an incredible 20-goal-a-season habit. What he learned in the years since he left our club is the ability to dictate play from midfield – at West Ham has was almost always ahead of the ball, but now I rate him among the best midfield passers of the ball in the modern game. There’s a fizz to his play that I just don’t think you can teach.

Perhaps that’s the reason the public struggle with him – he is one of those midfielders that you just don’t necessarily understand. Watch Gerrard and you see the man’s raw power – he bullies the ball into submission, where Lampard strokes it. Where a Gerrard drives forward with the ball, Lampard hangs back and arrives late without it. Lampard is not an out-and-out matchwinner – he’s a creator of the conditions for winning.

Where Lampard has disappointed is on the international stage – not that he hasn’t played well, but he just hasn’t ever found that inspirational contribution that perhaps you need at that level. If England were a successful outfit then Lampard would be a vital cog in the machine, as Bobby Moore was. As England have underachieved over the years, Lampard has become associated with that. To play the number of games he has played for his country is an incredible achievement, but you can’t pretend that it’s been the glorious bit of history it perhaps should have been. That is partly just bad luck of course.

But I feel a sense of pride as a West Ham fan towards what he has achieved – he has surpassed any expectation you could possibly have had of the player as a youngster. The same with the other outstanding players of that era – Cole, Carrick, Lampard and Ferdinand have all proved themselves world-class performers among the elite of World club football. And though all players develop over their careers, these players basically are the same as when they were produced from the West Ham academy. Our club is special, and produces special players.

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Jun 03

Life without the captain…

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plr_neill

I’m surprised that the club seem to have officially announced that Lucas Neill is leaving the club. It’s too definitive to be a bargaining gambit with Neill and his agents – the implication seems to be that the club were only willing to go so far, and that’s the end of the issue. Obviously if Neill came back then a deal could be done, but this is the club drawing their line and sticking to it.

I don’t know how I feel about this. I want the club to have a wage structure, and a set of principles that they adhere to. We all remember how the massive wage bill under Redknapp/Roeder came close to destroying the club. At the same time, the practical upshot of this is that one of our best players is leaving the club.

The worry is that if West Ham are not willing to pay the market rate for players, then how are we hoping to compete? I understand that the concept is to develop younger players, but without the experienced core to give the playing staff a solid base then there’s more than a danger that we may lose our way.

Also, what does this situation with Neill mean for our other senior players? What message does it send to Upson, Parker and Green? It’s hardly a sign that we are looking to move forward from last season’s mid-table position. The message is clear to the senior players – you are expected to steady the ship while we rebuild. Whether these players are willing to use up the prime of their careers on a project that they will probably never last to see to fruition is a big question.

At the same time, this ‘football project’ has been highly successful so far – now is not the time to start getting cold feet. We have a great technical director, a great manager, great coaches, a great youth development system – if it is decided that the infrastructure can handle the loss of the club captain, then who are we to disagree?

In practical terms we now need to worry about our defence. Our first-choice right-back has gone, and taken with him some of the cover at centre-back that we relied on at times last season. On the basis of Neill’s departure we can be pretty certain that Spector, Collins and Gabbidon will all remain at the club this Summer. And surely we need to buy full-back cover for both flanks.

My worry is that Zola and the club may underestimate the importance of good full-backs, and rely on using the likes of Behrami, Faubert and others to cover when required. I’m not even sure Spector is comfortable at full-back.

I’m convinced it’s an area in which we need to invest. This Summer. So at least it gives us something to keep an eye on in the transfer market.

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