Friday 22 October 2010

Will Stanislas ever start another Premiership game for West Ham?



I hope I am wrong, the boy is still not much more than a kid after all, but I have a hunch that Junior may be destined to play out his career in the lower divisions.

His rise to prominence under Zola was certainly meteoric. One moment he was out on loan at Southend and not really being talked about as a future first team player, the next he was being press ganged into plugging a hole in the team because of injuries and a threadbare first team squad.

Undoubtedly there was early promise, with a return of 6 goals from his first 19 appearances, but since then, the goals have dried up and the lad has looked either very short on confidence or a little short on class. In fact, since he scored in the 5-3 victory over Burnley back in November of last year, Stanislas has only completed a full 90 minutes for the first team once, either being used as a sub or being subbed off if he has started.

Can anybody remember a convincing Stanislas performance since the Burnley game? He was even withdrawn against Oxford in the League Cup game, having looked pretty ineffectual when on.

I argued through last season for him to be switched from the left flank to the right, on the basis of him being naturally right footed. Zola declined to do it and Grant has arrived and used him on the left too. The trouble is, the boy is so easy to mark when wide left. He automatically positions himself to come inside as the ball is passed to him, so the full back knows that there is no danger of being skinned on his outside.

I heard Lee Dixon talking on the radio about how, as a full back, he hated wingers that he couldn't read. He explained that, although not quick, he could handle the speed merchants who always tried to do him for pace on the outside, because he knew in advance what they would try to do. Equally, it was easy to mark a winger who always sat high, or always dropped deep, or always came inside. In Dixon's words, "Variety is the winger's most potent weapon and uncertainty is the biggest threat to a defender", or words to that effect. And there, in a nutshell, is why Stanislas is so easy to mark when played wide left. The defender KNOWS he will drift inside and so can read his next move.

Against Oxford, Stanislas tried to receive the ball wide left and dribble up the left flank. He used his right foot to control the ball and play it forward, and promptly kicked the ball into touch three feet in front of him. It was comic to watch because it was so pathetic. The Oxford full back was a big lump and I would have fancied my chances of skinning him, but Stanislas didn't do him down the outside once.

To be a success in the Prem, I am convinced that Stanislas either needs to switch to the right or be moved inside, playing on the shoulder of the striker. The trouble is, the one time he was tried on the right by Zola, he looked all at sea and utterly disinterested in the game.

Will he come again, or like others before him, will Stanislas simply slip down into the Championship to play out the remainder of his career?

19 comments:

fred149 said...

when stanislas was at southend he was often played as a striker or in behind the striker and did well but hes been ruined by the amount of times hes played on the left

Kareem said...

I believe in Stanislas, and we simply need to play him on the right. His playing style reminds me of Boa Morte...just the Boa Morte in good form :P

Anonymous said...

All that effort and just 2 comments. Take the hint and get your coat....

Hammersfan said...

Three comments now. Oops four!

I keep telling you, my friend, it is not about comments, it is about MY entertainment, YOUR entertainment, and hits. With my wife in hospital and undergoing major surgery yesterday, this blog has been quite theraputic for me. This article actually features in second place on the News Now West Ham All Sources board, that is higher than the OS article on how Allison will be honoured, which was published BEFORE mine. That's not bad when you think about it!

As I keep saying, I NEVER comment on other blogs so don't really EXPECT others to comment on mine. At present, I am pretty optimistic so the Hate Mob don't have much to chunter about. Watch the reaction when I say something TRULY NEGATIVE!

Anonymous said...

Taxi for Fanny-o! It's about hits??! Why? What does a faked hit counter prove. You get no comments, that's the measure of how well this blog is going. Not a hit counter that you started off from a false position and goes up a notch every time you're indexed by google/newsnow/etc. It also makes you seem really insecure. I can't remember the last 'hit counter' I saw.

You really are a turnip.

Hammersfan said...

Explain why this article features higher on the News Now board than the OS article if it is fake hits. Logic doesn't stand up does it Turnip? My wife has come through the operation by the way, just in case that was of any interest to you. Of course, each time you vivit the hit counter tiicks around one. Almost 700,00o hits in a year. Not bad in my book. How many comments are there on the OS articles by the way? Again, this is not a forum, it is a blog.

Me insecure? Why would I be insecure about something I do for fun? Look out for me by the way. providing my wife is well enough, I being interviewed for a cable and internet Media channel next week on the back of this blog. Sickening aint it?

Anonymous said...

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!! Earth to Fanny-o, come in Fanny-o!

Anonymous said...

PS, Dales site must be up to about 7 million hits in that case. Seeings as he averages about a 20/1 ration of comments compared to this place. That's going on your logic of not posting comments on blogs. I'll leave you to the funny farm. Say goodnight to Gracie xxx

Anonymous said...

Oh, what does 'vivit' mean?

Anonymous said...

Sickening? Why would it be sickening? It's not like your successful or anything is it? 'cable and internet media channel'? You mean youtube?! Couldn't think of a more descriptive channel for you, you tube.

Do let us know when your name and face is out there in cyber land. Could do with a laugh!

Hammersfan said...

No, not YouTube and it is You're. Go back to school and get an education eh? Vivit? Same as visit. There's at least one other typo you missed!

Hammersfan said...

At 1835, the MOST visited article on the News Now board!

Anonymous said...

When are you on the tele HF? Which channel, I'll tune in to put a face to the name.

Hammersfan said...

And at 0038 Sunday Morning, TGGC report on the defeat to Newcastle is the most viewed match report on the West Ham All Sources News Now board. Odd that, given the site is failing!

Anonymous said...

hahaha plum plum plum what a boring man you must be - the anonymous's - let's say there's 10 of us - and we post once a day - still makes us all more interesting than you - ie we've got other things to do - whereas you my friend are always here, checking the counter and newsnow - how very sad!

Hammersfan said...

Is there 10 of you? That how many responded to your wehatethegamesgonecrazy site is it?

Me, I look in whenever I fancy it. MOTD2 on at the moment and I've just looked in. Not really too much effort for me. But tell me, given you hate the site, why do YOU keep coming back?

Still losinf The Game my friend, you and the other 9 members of the Anonymous gang. Try to find another two eh, then I can call you the Dirty Dozen!

Anonymous said...

A dozen would also be most than the regular contributors that you have here... now that would be embarrassing

Anonymous said...

I always get the impression that there's far more than a dozen and we all know that the wehatethegamesgonecrazy was something you produced yourself HF

Keeping the moderating facility means that you are running scared, it also means that YOU lost the game - all that extra work.... mwwwwaaahhhaaahhhhaaaaaaa and you don't even get paid for it! hahahahahaha

Hammersfan said...

Oh I get paid richly. Every time you return and make comments like mwwwwaaahhhaaahhhhaaaaaaa it is worth a mint to me! You see, I enjoy writing the articles but I enjoy you pathetic demonstrations of pain even more! Stilll losing the Game I see!

PS Currently 10 Spam replies sitting in moderation in box. It is the price of success. This site now throws up more and more on Google searches so the Spammers (how ironic, I sound like a Spud!) are targeting it!

Keep losing the Game, I enjoy your discomfort!