Parker is Groin Groin Gone

Well we pay him enough to drive a pink Rolls Royce but I'm not sure he would be a West Ham player now had we had a real Brains in the set up. Is Parker a Thunderbird who should go, or rather, should he have gone back in the January transfer window?

Parker is a class Premiership player when he makes it onto the pitch, no argument about that, but then so is Bellyache. Not many dissented when we took the money from City for Period Pains however - everybody knew that he was overpriced at £14m and most understood that the guy is damaged goods, mentally and physically. And look what has happened. A handful of games, two goals, and, surprise, surprise, he has pulled up lame and is out for the season. I bet Bellamy is moved on next January, surplus to City's requirements, and I bet he goes for less than half what City paid for him.

What's true of the Welsh Gripe is also true of Aloysius "Nosey" "Scotty" Parker. Like Bellamy, Parker is just that little bit short of class. He is a very good Premiership player but he is not an International midfielder. Eriksson took a look and didn't fancy what he saw (and he isn't choosy is he?), McClaren flirted but didn't make a long term proposal and Capello has looked him up and down and said a resounding no. As good as he is, Parker presents a problem for the team because he doesn't score enough goals (only 2 in 50 games for us). That puts a huge onus on others and some feel that Parker is the reason why Noble's career has stalled. The thought is that Noble cannot play alongside Parker in the same way that Lampard can't play with Gerrard. So Noble has had to change his game to accommodate the senior colleague and, as a result, he has lost confidence.

But it is not Parker's ability that is in question - he is worth his place in any Premiership team outside of the top 5 or 6 - what is at issue is his fitness record. It now seems likely that we will not see him again this season. That means he will have mustered a grand total of just 45 appearances in two full Premiership seasons. That also means he has missed almost 50% of the games played. And what's more, he has been substituted in 15 of those 45 appearances, so, in fact, he has only completed 90 minutes in 30 games spread over two full seasons. That is 33% of the games only. To be frank, that is shocking and moves Parker into the liability category.

Sadly, some players are injury prone. I don't know why, I am sure there are medical explanations. Maybe injuries cause injuries as the structure of the whole is undermined by each knock, each chip, each crack. Parker, like Bellyache, seems to be damaged goods. Good player, undoubtedly, but if City came again and offered £12million, I would take it. If only to give Bellyache some company in the City treatment room next season!