Centre Of Midfield

[Kitman]

Scott Parker injury becomes recurring theme

 

Gary Jacob

 

West Ham Uniteds injury woes worsened yesterday when Scott Parker was ruled out for two months. It is the third time this season that the midfield player has been sidelined for an extended period with a knee injury. Parker was substituted in the second half of the Premier League match at home to Manchester United ten days ago after suffering a knock in a challenge from Cristiano Ronaldo early in the game. His absence is a blow to Alan Curbishley, the West Ham manager, who is missing eight players.

 

Parker joined the club for £7 million from Newcastle United last summer, but he suffered a knee injury during the tour to Austria in preseason. On his second match after his return, he limped off with the same knee injury at half-time during the 1-0 defeat at home to Arsenal in September. He was out for two months, even though a scan revealed that medial ligament damage was not serious. He has played eight matches since returning in the 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in November and had hoped to be in contention for the first England squad to be named by Fabio Capello, the new manager, this month. Hayden Mullins will continue to deputise in midfield alongside Mark Noble.

 

Curbishley is still without Kieron Dyer, who will miss most of the season with a broken leg, but there is better news elsewhere, with Craig Bellamy and Bobby Zamora, who has been out since August with a knee injury, expected to start training soon. Bellamy, the forward, has not played since the end of October, shortly after he returned from a groin operation.

 

I thought I would be back playing by now and I have already missed half a season so I am just desperate to get back, Zamora said. If getting in early and doing a bit extra means that, then I am happy to do it. It is has been frustrating but it is part and parcel of football, so you take it on the chin, work hard and get back as soon as you can.

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/west_ham/article3156240.ece

 

Parker is breaking down. Barton hasn't worked out but it doesn't look like keeping Parker would have been a good move either.

 

 

 

I find it interesting that most of the WHU players who've played for us - Dyer, Bellamy, Bowyer, Parker, Nobby - have had recurrent injury problems.  If they'd like to sign a chubby bald headed Irish right back recently rehabilitated to full fitness I'm sure it could be arranged....

[Swissmag]

where the hell is andres d'allessandro? he was f****** immense for portsmouth! he's exactly the type we need at the moment if he is available!

 

and please...stop mentioning diego, van der vaart, riquelme and their kind who we are not going to be able to lure to newcastle.

 

arshavin?have seen him in like 3 games or something, he is good. Can also play at the right wing which is a good thing.

 

D'Alessandro plays for Saragossa i think. Good shout. Would love him here...

[Guest]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11836_3009640,00.html

 

Andres D'Alessandro has voiced his desire to leave Real Zaragoza in the January transfer window.

 

 

 

The Argentine has been given few opportunities to impress since securing a permanent switch to Zaragoza in the summer.

 

 

He admits he has become frustrated by coach Victor Fernandez's reluctance to play him, and is now looking to move on in the New Year.

 

 

"When I am sitting on the bench I feel that I am not useful to my team," D'Alessandro told his homeland press.

 

 

"I think that the coach of Zaragoza is being unfair with me because I deserved to start the year playing.

 

 

"I have to keep on working because all I want to do is play, but if I am not going to be given that chance I would prefer to be transferred."

 

 

D'Alessandro has been linked with a move back to the Premier League after enjoying a spell on loan with Portsmouth in 2006.

 

 

However, Argentine clubs San Lorenzo and River Plate are also understood to be tracking his progress.

 

 

"I know about the interest of River and that makes me feel good because I spent half of my life with that club.

 

 

"But I also appreciate very much Ramon Diaz who is currently the coach of San Lorenzo, so it will be difficult for me to choose."

 

 

Looking to leave Real Zaragoza already. Sure he only cost them a couple of million in the summer. Definitely worth a look at.

[junkhead]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11836_3009640,00.html

 

Looking to leave Real Zaragoza already. Sure he only cost them a couple of million in the summer. Definitely worth a look at.

the closest thing to Emre, i can think of.. still, somewhat more consistent and i'd love him here, but Sam Allardyce doesn't buy such players.. i'm not sure if we are even looking for an attacking midfielder

[Guest jimmy1982]

If he buys Nolan and goes 442 that'd give us a first choice centre midfield of Nolan and Butt. On paper I'd be very happy with that, for the rest of this season at least, with Zogs on one wing and either Milner/Duff on the other. Then it's a case of them clicking together - it seems we've been waiting for our midfield to 'click' for years (I remember thinking Parker and Emre would turn out to be phenomenal combination when we'd first signed them). Against Stoke it was clear Allardyce had told them to keep it on the deck, which we did but without the attacking impetus that Nolan would provide and Smith never will.

[Ally]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11836_3009640,00.html

 

Andres D'Alessandro has voiced his desire to leave Real Zaragoza in the January transfer window.

 

 

 

The Argentine has been given few opportunities to impress since securing a permanent switch to Zaragoza in the summer.

 

 

He admits he has become frustrated by coach Victor Fernandez's reluctance to play him, and is now looking to move on in the New Year.

 

 

"When I am sitting on the bench I feel that I am not useful to my team," D'Alessandro told his homeland press.

 

 

"I think that the coach of Zaragoza is being unfair with me because I deserved to start the year playing.

 

 

"I have to keep on working because all I want to do is play, but if I am not going to be given that chance I would prefer to be transferred."

 

 

D'Alessandro has been linked with a move back to the Premier League after enjoying a spell on loan with Portsmouth in 2006.

 

 

However, Argentine clubs San Lorenzo and River Plate are also understood to be tracking his progress.

 

 

"I know about the interest of River and that makes me feel good because I spent half of my life with that club.

 

 

"But I also appreciate very much Ramon Diaz who is currently the coach of San Lorenzo, so it will be difficult for me to choose."

 

 

Looking to leave Real Zaragoza already. Sure he only cost them a couple of million in the summer. Definitely worth a look at.

 

If Allardyce was still at Bolton i'd have said he's the kind of player he'd go for, but i'm not so sure now he's at NUFC.

[junkhead]

If he buys Nolan and goes 442 that'd give us a first choice centre midfield of Nolan and Butt. On paper I'd be very happy with that, for the rest of this season at least, with Zogs on one wing and either Milner/Duff on the other. Then it's a case of them clicking together - it seems we've been waiting for our midfield to 'click' for years (I remember thinking Parker and Emre would turn out to be phenomenal combination when we'd first signed them). Against Stoke it was clear Allardyce had told them to keep it on the deck, which we did but without the attacking impetus that Nolan would provide and Smith never will.

Nolan doesn't provide much more attacking impetus than Smith, i'm afraid

[Chris_R]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11836_3009640,00.html

 

Looking to leave Real Zaragoza already. Sure he only cost them a couple of million in the summer. Definitely worth a look at.

the closest thing to Emre, i can think of.. still, somewhat more consistent and i'd love him here, but Sam Allardyce doesn't buy such players.. i'm not sure if we are even looking for an attacking midfielder

 

Well we should be.

 

We've got nothing in the centre of the park at the moment, our attacks (The tiny few that we do manage to mount, that is) are far too predictable.

[Guest jimmy1982]

If he buys Nolan and goes 442 that'd give us a first choice centre midfield of Nolan and Butt. On paper I'd be very happy with that, for the rest of this season at least, with Zogs on one wing and either Milner/Duff on the other. Then it's a case of them clicking together - it seems we've been waiting for our midfield to 'click' for years (I remember thinking Parker and Emre would turn out to be phenomenal combination when we'd first signed them). Against Stoke it was clear Allardyce had told them to keep it on the deck, which we did but without the attacking impetus that Nolan would provide and Smith never will.

Nolan doesn't provide much more attacking impetus than Smith, i'm afraid

 

Of course he does. Nolan is all about driving forward and supporting attacks, and  while he'll never be a top class player he's probably as good as we can hope for at the moment. He tries to do the same job as Gerard does for Liverpool. He runs for 90 minutes but that doesn't mean his game is based on defending. Smith in midfield however gives you absolutely nothing going forward.

 

You never know if there's any truth in the Nolan rumours and it does smack of lazy journalists linking Allardyce with one of his old favourites from Bolton, but at the moment I'd far rather have him than some foreign 'playmaker' as with that you always run the risk of signing another Emre or Viana. Nolan is a known quantity in the Premier League. If Sam's still here next season and has the team playing a bit more cohesively and fluently then maybe it'll be the time for introducing someone with a bit more attacking flair.

[Dave]

Whilst I'd be very underwhelmed with Nolan (and would take the risk on a foreigner tbh; we're that bad it's worth it), he's streets ahead of Smith as an 'attacking' midfielder.

[Guest jimmy1982]

Whilst I'd be very underwhelmed with Nolan (and would take the risk on a foreigner tbh; we're that bad it's worth it), he's streets ahead of Smith as an 'attacking' midfielder.

 

Fair shout.

 

If we do sign Nolan it'll be as a replacment/cover for Barton, not Emre though, which I don't think a lot of people realise. Barton was supposed to be Sam's main man, driving us forward, and it hasn't worked out. Emre has ever been in his plans, and he's only put him on at times when we've been so dire that he's been the last throw of the dice to get some passing and attacks going. 

[Lotus]

We'll be very ordinary until we have someone who can pass the ball in CM imo.

[KaKa]

D'Alessandro couldn't play in a 4-4-2 midfield as he is way too lightweight. Perhaps in a three man midfield in a 4-3-3 or as a second striker in a 4-4-1-1, otherwise forget it.

 

 

[Parsley]

A player that interests me is Michael Johnson from City - young and great going forward. Unlikely that City'll sell him though as he's a great prospect.