As you all know if you have read any of my previous articles that there are two things I value more than anything as a West Ham fan, and I’m sure this opinion is upheld amongst most of the readers here:
- Firstly, that the players in Claret and Blue each week are players who want to play for the club, not the money. Players such as Mark Noble, Freddy Sears, Anton Ferdinand etc etc
- Secondly, the impact of Tony Carr’s Academy on our first team is exceptional. Seeing youth players develop and brought through into the first team is so encouraging. Players such as Mark Noble, Freddy Sears, Anton Ferdinand etc etc
There seem to be a link.
What Tony Carr appears to be instilling in his youth system is that not only is it a privilege to play for West Ham, but also that remembering your roots is vital to keeping your feet on the ground in the big time.
Mark Noble is a humble player. He oozes class and professionalism on the pitch. But combines all that with a blatant desire to play every single week and put 110% effort in. It’s clear from his performances why Curbishley felt it necessary to keep him on the bench some games to “prevent him from burning out”(!).
So it is encouraging to hear that amid all this frustrating speculation about losing Anton to about 55 other clubs for a fee ranging from £6-10m, that this is what he had to say to Sky Sports:
For me personally, until Alan Curbishley says I am not a West Ham player, then I will be a West Ham player. I love playing for the club
It’s such a shame that Anton’s future lies in somebody like Curbishley’s hands! I appreciate that a lot of people are reading this now thinking that Anton is not good enough. Most fans are still split about him.
The way I look at it though is that if a team like Villa who are pushing for big places in the league are willing to pay that sort of money for him, then what are we doing looking to get rid of him. He “loves playing for the club”, he was part of the Academy system and is West Ham through and through. On those qualities alone, I think we should sit for a long while and think about why we want to sell him.
Anton and Upson on a good run of form are a very very solid English back line.
Here is the second encouraging comment I have heard today. And it comes from Tony Carr:
They [referring to a long list of U-19 and U-17 players] are promising players that we should all keep an eye on. That is what we are talking about, the conveyor belt. We are looking for the next in line and we are hoping the conveyor belt continues.
He is so optimistic about what the Academy can provide our club. Very encouraging.
Yes, experience is important in a side. I personally think we have that experience currently playing for us. If the same situation arises as last year where we find ourselves happily avoiding relegation, then I think the foundations we have in place allow for a lot of these younger players getting their first tastes of Premier League football.
It’s exciting.
Sam
I’ve always wanted Anton to stay, unless a ridiculous bid came in. But we need to give some of our youngsters an extended stay at Upton Park and provide some tought competition and see if they can emulate the likes of Rio, Lampard, Cole, Carrick and Johnson. When was the last time we allowed one of our top youngster to flourish at the club and resisted the temptation of cashing in as soon as a sizable bid came in? We’ve all asked the question “what if?” when talking about those that have gone on to be succesful at other clubs, well until we give them a chance at West Ham we will always be asking that question.
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I agree with you Sam, even i found myself more interested in how our youth and reserves were doing late last season than what i was with the boring 1st team, lets hope we see some exciting football this new season coming.
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I am very pleased by Anton’s response.
Him with Matty Upson are very good CD pairing and with young Tomka pressing his ways to the team and with Gabbers and Collins on the bench, I think CD is pretty solved.
As to the young kids. There is nothing more exciting me than to see our own young guns doing well. I would love West Ham to win a World Cup again.
I am going to check the progress of Tomka and Searsy live in two weeks time, when England U19′s play mighty Czechs in UNDER 19′s EURO CHAMPIONSHIP which takes place in Czech Republic in 2 weeks time.
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COYI!!
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I think anton is a great player and the only reason why he did not exactly reach a good potential last season was beacause upson was out injured. if it was me i would ask o’neill what he would offer as his maximum price, if it’s not enough then we keep him. simple as. as sears, tomkins and collison, i think the games last year with help them progress in enormous strides for next season.
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Hate to remind you all that this is the same Anton that lied to the club and went partying in the sun. He is a decent player but not as good as he thinks he is or as committed to the team as he or his agent want us to think.
If we got a silly price from Villa (£8million should do it) I’d grab it and buy a proper right back.
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@ ROYWRITES
i see your point roy, but don’t forget that the rio we see playing for manchester united in the champions league final and capataining the england side is the same rio who was convicted of drink driving early in his west ham career.
people can change!
don’t sell Anton!
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If i in serbia see that Anton is Quality…and some of you in England don’t…then f*** it! He’s a lot better than Upson,Collins,Gabbidon,and the rest by far!!!i would love to see Coloccini in the squad…that would be perfect!!Plese bring Serbians to the squad…not Croatians!!! ehehe
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I’d be gutted if Anton left, but he may need the new challenge to develop further. I’m not convinced about Gudmundsson though. When he took over there was a hope that we’d hang onto our young talent and be pushing for the top 4 in 5 years, using his financial clout to hang onto our top youngsters. We’ll have to see what happens over the next 3 years or so to make a call.
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Guys, The proof will always be in the action not words and I think we should keep hold of Anton. On the youth side, again that’s great, but I disagree that we have the recipe for attaining a European place this coming season, don’t forget a lot of these experienced players were injured last season and what is to say they won’t get injured again this season. All the other clubs looking to do the same as us are looking to strengthen and we must too. Avoiding relegation for me would not be good enough, we must strengthen to push on.
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[...] « This Is Encouraging [...]
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I think this year we will have a great year with a superb blend of youth and experience. Keeping them all fit is the key and with Anton staying and all the CB’s playing for a place we will be very solid and the 4-0 defeats of the past will be resigned to the past. Have we also forgotten Davenport in all this? We do need a right back and left back either cover or improvement. and with the fit mid field and Bellamy and Ashton up front I am again the ever optimistic Hammer. COYI!!!!!
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