Sunday 13 November 2011

Why is Tottenham favourite Scott Parker the Journo's Darling?

I may be setting myself up here, but I really don't get how and why Parker has become the darling of the journalists. It's almost as if they are desperate to vindicate their selection of Scotty as Player of the Year last season, despite West Ham's relegation.

Yesterday is another typical example. Milner provided the cross that resulted in the goal, Lampard headed home the only goal and led from the front whilst on the pitch and Lescott and Jagielka were truly superb at the back, marking empty space until Spain sent on Torres, and picking out Spanish runners brilliantly.

But who was the hero on the night? Parker apparently. Does anybody have access to the player stats because I would love to see them. What was Parker's pass completion rate on the night? Poor I bet. How many tackles did he complete? Not as many as some imagine I'm sure. How many free kicks did he concede? One in a very dangerous area that could have led to a goal for sure. How many killer passes did he play? None. how many shots on goal did he have? None. How many times did he head clear in his own box. Not once.

What did he do? He harried. He put his foot in. He tracked runners well. He made one superb interception, although he deflected the ball across the face of his own goal when he did so. He took one in the face in typical Scotty fashion. And he ran himself into the ground and needed to be replaced for the closing minutes. And to be fair, Fabregas was then unmarked and missed Spain's best chance of the game. Perhaps Scotty would have tracked him. Perhaps.

Is that enough for the Man of the Match award? Weren't Spain's midfielders better? Didn't they dominate the game? How do you think Xavi's pass completion rate compares with Parker's? What about Lescott and Jagielka? They were fabulous!

But what I really don't get is why the glaring Parker error in the match is not mentioned in a single report I have read. Do you remember it? If you support West Ham you should because we saw the same error time and time again when he wore Claret and Blue! Parker tried to turn a circle just 30 yards from his own goal, lost the ball, and Spain were in on goal. Jagielka made a much more telling, though less dramatic, intervention than Parker's and saved the Tottenham Lion's skin. Tell me, had Spain scored then, would Parker have been Man of the Match? Of course not!

Parker remains the darling of the journos because he is a trier. But class? Do me a favour! If you want class, then look at the Spanish midfield! And let's not forget, as Hammers fans, that the man who scored the winner was an Academy product who played more games and scored more goals than Parker ever managed in Claret and Blue!

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Couldn't agree more. I was totally bemused at his selection as MOTM. Good player. Nothing Special.

EssexYid said...

Just as bitter and twisted as ever then I see, Parker was West Hams's best player by a country mile for the last 3 years or so, but you idiotically try to place some of the blame for West Ham's relegation on his shoulders.

It is not his job to create loads of chances, or any of the other things you claim he didn't do, he is a holding midfielder, his job is to break up opposing play and give the ball to more technically gifted players, he did his job extremely well.

It is just the fact that he plays for Spurs that you cant stand isn't it, you and thousands of other hammers fans are unbelievably bitter and full of hatred towards Spurs, you just cant hide it can you.

Anonymous said...

Get over it!

Sav said...

I agree about the comment you make regarding which team has the best midfielders. There is really no comparison and indeed if the completion rate of passes was the only criterion about the man of the match award they should give it to a Spanish player.

But what I don't understand about you HF is why do you pick practically on every single thing that Scott Parker does or ever did wrong when you can't see the more obvious. For example, how many times in a match Noble gives the ball away, how many bad and intimed tackles he makes and so on and so forth. And Scott is not even our player anymore....

Anonymous said...

Sounds like sour grapes to me just because your best player signed for spurs. Bet you wernt saying that when you voted him player of the year.

Anonymous said...

I thought he was extremely good actually. How you can criticise his performances for west ham is shocking, I don't know full time stats but in first half, he made the most passes out of any England player. Like you say ran himself into the ground, made blocks, talked, passes. Deserved it. Should be captain.

Anonymous said...

I was in a pub last night and some Spurs were loving the England game, couldn't help tell all and sundry how wonderful Scotty is.... and rubbing my nose in it when they found out I was a hammer by thanking me for letting go so cheaply and reminding me they hadn't lost in the league until he joined. According to them he's the bes thing that happened to them this season.

Anonymous said...

ha, ha there's nothing like an eternally disgruntled wet spam supporter, he left you because youre crap and is now a spurs player, get over it

Anonymous said...

my god ,WHU sold spurs probably the best player in the uk for little money and you cant take it that spurs have made him even a greater player.

I suppose watching your lot every week without him really hurts!!

Anonymous said...

Gosh those grapes are sour.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to take a wild, wild guess here, probably one a monkey would be able to conjure but I think it might be something to do with him preventing 7 GSOs in 1 match.

T.I.S said...

lol good player nothing special, yh right.

football lover said...

Your hatred for all things Tottenham is eating you up.To see the strides Parker has made by playing with better players is killing you.You need counselling badly,I pity you

Tevo said...

An alternative headline could have been "why do I hate Scott Parker so much?".

You've already state twice that you haven't seen the passing stats but bet Parker's were poor. So why should any open-minded viewer take you seriously and anything other than bitter and trying to justify a position that seems to be increasingly untenable.

Get the stats to back up you're opinion before
posting. I know stats can be manipulated and spun to make one opinion fact but at least you will have a reasoned argument. But as it stands, I'm sorry to say you're sounding more and more deranged.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I saw that 'glaring mistake' HF - as I have mentioned once before, it's Parker's 'subbuteo' swivel, and he came unstuck with it again. He's predictable , but he does get stuck in and keeps trying, and that is loved in this country, probably more than winning. If they really want to win, train up and employ more youth coaches, like Spain etc.
gateman

Anonymous said...

bitter spammer from the lower division... one class move parker did make was leaving you lot in the championship

Anonymous said...

kevin in manchester writes..

I used to report football matches; what happens is as the game progresses, there emerges a general consensus as to what the story is and voila- there you have the narrative. I imagine Scotty for FWPOTY emerged when some respected scribbler floated it and it gained a momentum of its own. He'll have to be responsible for losing six games on the trot before his halo will be tarnished among the footballer writers.. there are some free thinkers- Martin Samuel for instance but by and large, the herd instinct rules. Everyone is basically afraid of being seen as a maverick, which is very odd indeed but there you are.

Hammersfan said...

LOL Read the Spurs fans telling me how I hate it that our best player has joined Spurs and the West Ham fans telling me I am a closet Tottenham fan!

I KNOW he is a holding midfielder, that's what I've always maintained! That's why he was no good for West Ham but ideal for Tottenham. We don't have Modric and Bale sadly!

Interesting Kev, that's what I said was happening all last season. Scotty was the story, the facts didn't matter!

Spurshater said...

We sold a 31 year old player to Spurs who signed a four year contract on possibly the highest salary at that club. This will be his last good season so we've done well. To the Spurs fan who said the West Ham fans hate Spurs - of course we do. Spurs fans are the most deluded big mouthed fans in football. They're better than us but they are a long way off the big clubs. Personnaly, I hope Parker breaks both legs while playing for England.

Hammersfan said...

I can't endorse that Spurshater. I am not Parker's biggest fan and dislike the way he held a gun to our head to force his move to Tottenham, but it is going too far to wish him physical harm. He tried his heart out for the club so why wish him ill?

Anonymous said...

It's autism I tell yea.

Spurshater said...

Comments like this make me hate Parker - http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/283571/I-can-t-fit-the-bill-admits-star-Scott-Parker

Blaming West Ham for being unfit. He had a pre-season with us and played half heartedly at the beginning of the season. If he is unfit then he has no-one to blame but himself.

Deane said...

Parker? Spurs? is this some foreign jibber jabber What exactly are these things?