Sam Delaney has been speaking on the latest installment of the U Irons podcast, where he claimed he doesn’t want to see Mark Noble return to the West Ham United starting XI.
The Hammers have enjoyed a fabulous campaign and are currently sitting in fifth place in the Premier League table, just three points behind Chelsea, who occupy the final Champions League position.
A midfield duo of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek has been pivotal to the capital club’s success this season, but an injury to the England international has forced David Moyes to change things up in recent weeks.
Experienced West Ham stalwart Mark Noble featured from the off in victories against Wolves and Leicester City, but back-to-back defeats saw the more attack-minded Manuel Lanzini come in alongside Soucek last time out against Burnley and Delaney doesn’t see a way back into the side for the 33-year-old.
He said: (26:46) “I just can’t see, I can’t see Noble, I think Noble has done well since he’s come in for Rice, but I can’t see him getting back in a team now. In fact, I don’t want him to, I don’t want him to because Lanzini is such a different proposition.
“We’ve never really even seen him play that role before, but it’s hard when he comes off the bench for him to make an impact, and I’ve been very cynical about Lanzini.”
TIF Thoughts on Noble…
The West Ham academy graduate has spent his entire career with his boyhood club and announced his intentions to retire at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.
Although Noble has served the Hammers with distinction, making 525 appearances for the east London outfit, his best days are behind him.
With the prospect of European football on the horizon for Moyes’ men, the former Manchester United manager may have to make some bold decisions between now and the end of the season, and leaving out Noble could be one of them.
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