Noble cause

Disturbing rumours in yesterday's Evening Standard that Mark Noble is a target for Fulham. We seem to have seen off their interest, but the fact remains that Nobes has one year of his contract left and has yet to sign a new deal. It would be a mistake to get rid of a home grown player who appears to enjoy playing for us and he's surely worthy of pay matching the new signings. Noble has never become quite the player he promised to be, but that is possibly because he was forced to play as a ball winner in the Curbishley era and last season had to do an awful lot of running to cover for Nolan's forays forward. But the fact is he was our player of the year in 2011-12 and this could be the season he finally makes it as a playmaker if he can play in front of Diame and/or Diarra.
Meanwhile still rumours we'll go for Andy Carroll and try to shift Cole and Noble to pay for it. And Robert Green might be available soon, as QPR have just signed another keeper...