I know the guy's form has been in and out, but surely Grant would not have chosen to leave him behind with so many players ruled out. He presumably didn't travel with the team because we started with only 6 players on the bench, including a 16 year old replacement keeper.
The injury list yesterday crystalises the problems Grant faces. One of his staunchest critics on here - a Zola ho desperate to be proved right about the Italian - has complained repeatedly that Grant has enlarged the squad to no good effect. Well thank God he has enlarged that squad because unless he had done so, we wouldn't have been able to put out a team yesterday! Remember, Zola told us all how good it would be to operate with a smaller squad!
But tell me, what options did Grant have yesterday? Look at the sub's bench and the only players not used were Reid and Faubert - and if Obinna was injured, or unavailable for other reasons, the cupboard was otherwise bare. In the circumstances, a 1-1 draw was probably a good result.
But does anybody know why Obinna wasn't there?
16 comments:
If you read the Official Site (as most genuine fans do), you'd know he had a leg injury. Trouble is, you are so busy listening to your own voice and slagging our team off you can't see the wood for the trees.
Was too cold.
I was thinking the same thing regarding OBINNA,no news about him whatsoever.He to me has been our best player this season along with PARKER and NOBLE .What little creativity we have in the team he is our main source, so he is certainly a big loss.Like you HF,I do not blame GRANT,he inherited a weak squad.Those that he brought in were probably the best we could get considering our league status,and the fact he was working on a shoestring budget.He knew a number of players were required to strengthen.What was his budget £10m doesn't go far these days does it?Not forgetting that there were certain targets he was after that never came off.Its all very well saying that we are a club that holds to its values where we encourage players to come through the youth system.But lets face it ,that side of things has pretty much dried up now.We have HINES,NOUBLE and EDGAR on the fringes,HINES probably the brightest prospect, but apart from them we have no talent of any note that has come through.That is why we need to bring in some quality players.COLLISON,TOMPKINS and STANISLAS were the last crop of youngsters we have had come through,but they have been around for 2 or 3 seasons now so they are not exactly new blood.
I read in the official West Ham iPhone app that he has suffered a leg injury
I did read the OS and could find no reference to it.So, Grant was without 11 players yesterday then and still we came away with a point. Great management!
Didn't he get crocked in training?
feck me your verbal diarrhoea isn't any better is it.... so many words when "does anybody know why Obinna wasn't there?" would have sufficed.
Not just about Obinna though is it? All those words on one page intimidate you mate? Use to, "Here is Spot...turn the page...Spot has got a ball...turn the page...Spot has lost the ball...turn the page...Spot plays for West Ham...turn the page...Spot is crap...?
Zola had long injury lists too HF. Remember against Villa when we had no senior strikers? We had to play Nouble on his own. We had 10 players out during that period which included Parker, Cole and fan's favourite Noble...and no strike force.
ye but back then our only strikers were cole and hines till the end of january ohdont try inclue diamanti as he was only ever played on the wing
Yes Fred, but that just shows the limited resources Zola had to work with. HF will then say 'it's because Zola wanted a small squad' but that is just to fool people because even HF knows Zola would not have wanted just two strikers. Your point, if anything, merely strengthens the argument that if you think Avram has it bad with injuries, Zola had it worse.
What disappoints me over the appointment of grant is he isnt a good coach, he doesnt work and improve the players. Where as zola encouraged young players, he worked with the players on specific things and as a result carlton cole was on fire, parker was brilliant, collison looked Awesome, etc, etc. Zola was a very good coach and improved the players, he fitted in with our ethos and what should be our project. Another example is james tomkins, he has, since wally downes has come in, been superb because he has received some specialist coaching and someone to connect with in the way zola did because the players responded to zolas character and personality.
The future with west ham is as it always has been.... in our academy and the young players. We need a young manager, who understands the club and who works with the players. Instead grant who wants to hire 5 new coaches to work on specific things.... so what exactly will grant be doing??
Overall, I believe we need a change and I personally dont trust or back the owners one bit, what have they done in their first year in charge except tarnishing the clubs reputation and taking the club further down.
The trouble is mate, Zola didn't improve players did he? Cole scored 1 in his last 13 games under Zola. Some improvement! The Upton Park "faithful" were giving him hell at the end of last season!
Noble has looked so much better under Grant than under Zola and so has Tomkins. He was playing well BEFORE Downes arrived by the way. Upson has also looked better this season IMO and Parker has scored more this season than in any other season in his career bar one. How do you explain that?
Everybody seemed to buy into the Zola improved players nonsense, but if he did, why did the team weaken? Why did we go from 10th to 4th from bottom under his management? Facts are a bugger!
Upson, Green, Behrami, Ilunga, Noble and Tomkins all lost their way under Zola. Cole improved then went into reverse. Diamanti and Jimenez never achieved their potential. Collison and Stanislas have improved but you would expect progress at their age (and prior to his injury Collison was looking a shadow of the player who had impressed so much the season before).
The big one is Sears! What did Zola do to / for Sears? If Zola had this talent, surely Sears of all the players would have benefited? Young diminutive striker - a chip off the Zola block surely? And how long is it now since he scored a competitive goal?
I forgot Etherington and Mullins, both of whom went into career reverse under Zola!
Zola was a proper coach HF. Grant is not. If you are suggesting that these improvements are from Grant's coaching then that is laughable. He doesn't do the coaching, he does the managing. That is why after the sacking of Petrovic they got in Downes. Grant said that they would still add to the coaching side. That says it all.
"from time to time we will add to the staff."
"We want to build West Ham step by step and are looking for more specific coaches which will do specific jobs."
After that comment, the guys on soccer Saturday questioned what Grant actually does himself and I would have to agree with them.
Cole was having injury problem's near the end of Zola's time. You quote games but quoting minutes would be more appropriate, but nevertheless, he was finding form after injury.
Any improvement in the other players can easily be put down to natural progression and who's to say that it's not Zola's work that is finally paying off now anyway?
And, if everyone is improving so well under Grant, why are we still bottom?
1. an act of improving or the state of being improved.
Cole started off badly and was improved by Zola - I can't see your point. This is my first time here and I can't say I'm impressed with your argument, is this the way you normally replied to posters? Surely you have a duty to offer a balanced and fair view for someone who has taken the time to post here?
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