An ideal Mark Noble replacement? Joe Allen could be the ideal signing for West Ham
Stoke City have been far too stretched at the back and have leaked goals this term. The Potters are currently placed 15th in the table, just three points ahead of 18th placed West Ham. But some of their individuals such as Xherdan Shaqiri, Joe Allen and Choupo-Moting have impressed this season.
Many clubs have shown a massive interest in Joe Allen, one of them being West Ham United as David Moyes looks to build a solid team for the future. His versatility has impressed former Manchester United boss but Mark Hughes knows the importance of the little midfield maestro.
“We won’t be encouraging any bids for any of our key players, especially not in January, that is for certain”, claimed the Potters boss, clearly illustrating his reluctance to let one of their main men go, who has been a silver lining in their dark cloud this season.
More On The Player
Joe Allen started his career at Welsh club Swansea City, where he shaped himself in the space of 7 years before making his first-team debut at the age of 16. Since then, he went on to wear the Swansea shirt 150 times, helping them reach the Premier League in 2011. In the 2011-2012 season, he was a prompt figure in the starting line up and protected a feeble Swans defence many times.
He bagged 4 goals that term and caught the eyes of Liverpool. He made over 132 appearances for the Reds but fell down in the pecking order which forced a move away to the Bet365. Since then, he has been highly pivotal for them. For the national team, he has earned 40 caps and has found the back of the net twice. The crafty midfielder was also a part of the Wales side that did wonders at the Euro 2016 and was named in the team of the tournament.
What Will He Offer The Club
Dubbed as ‘Welsh Xavi’ by his ex-manager Brendan Rodgers and many of the Liverpool supporters, Allen can find spaces for himself and other players with or without the ball. He wins possession back on a regular basis and reloads the attack. Amidst all the box to box runs, over the top passes, set pieces and combination play, what he adds most is defensive maturity and stability.
The midfielder intercepts at least twice per match and can close any player down, choke him for space or break the play. This clearly highlights his counter-attacking threat and the ability to initiate them. He often gels well with his teammates, stays off the media frenzy climate and goes about his job quietly and diligently. This season, he already has a goal and four assists to his name.
Worth The Fuss?
Joe Allen will add more quality in possession for West Ham and would surely fix their jigsaw puzzle, if not complete it. He always seems to get many players involved in front of him, keep the ball well and is capable of splitting the defence with just one pass even if the run of play is slow. Still only 27, with his experience, he is totally worth it. Also to mention, West Ham’s club captain Mark Noble is not getting any younger and a responsible ball keeper who can create chances and put pressure on the opposition constantly is required for the Irons. Go for it, Moyes!