Thanks to Scott Parker for all he gave to the club in his four years at Upton Park.
The inevitable has happened and Scotty has gone to Spurs for a reported £5 million. He was Billy Bonds-like in his commitment and gave a seven or eight out of ten performance every game.
Certain things stick in the memory, a tackle away at Everton, playing after the death of his dad against Spurs, that goal against Wigan that kept us up and his run from deep to score against Stoke last season.
Perhaps the move is right for both clubs. We were a one-man team last season and when he was injured it was almost as if it gave the players a psychological excuse to fail. Now Scotty has gone the players we have left will have to take more responsibility. Without Parker a midfield of Noble, Nolan, Collison and Taylor still looks strong enough to take us up.
6 comments:
In part obviously I agree with you, he was rapidly becoming a legend and would have confirmed that status by staying naturally.
But why to Spurs if (as reported by Spurs themselves) they had to fight off interest from others including Arsenal today?
Furthermore why put in a transfer request, the final kick in the teeth to all WH fans? Even if it was to remove the £1m transfer fee he was owed, he could simply have said 'no thanks, I won't take the money"
When he does return I hope he doesn't get the boo boy treatment, but he hasn't played the closed season as well as he did the past 4 years imo.
Capello presumably told him to stay in the Premiership and as Scotty is 30 we can't really begrudge him wanting to stay in the England team.
Spurs is an annoying club to join, but I'm assuming they were the only club to meet our fee. Arsenal and Chelsea would not have been great for us fans either.
The transfer request was presumably to ensure the move - but don't think we can blame him for that in that he was being honest about his intentions. It's just sad that the failings of others last season ensured we got into this situation and we lost a great player.
And think he showed a lot of loyalty staying after we struggled in Zola's final season. SP could surely have forced a move then if he'd really wanted to.
Boo boy treatment for Parker? Come on. He gave everything, week in week out, while many of those around him over the last two seasons should hang their heads.
I think the Bard had it just about right:
Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Good luck Scott. Thanks for the memories.
Surely the greatest ever use of Shakespeare in application to West Ham, Phil! Maybe he came from Stratford, East London after all...
Capello made it quite clear he'd play Parker even if he stayed. In any case that wasn't my point, I'd much rather have seen him join arsenal as I believe most west ham fans would. From comments Parker made himself he knew that Spurs was not the place to head off to.
As for 'being honest' why did he wait until almost deadline day to put in the request. We've all known he wanted to go since Wigan away
And if you read the comments on some of the boards I think there's a good chance he will get stick on his return, not that I am one of them.
"but when a club like Tottenham want to sign you it is pretty easy really and I am really looking forward to it," Parker said on Sky Sports News.
Post a Comment