We’re hurtling towards the end of the season, which means a multitude of things; panic, fear of disappointment, the conclusion of European competitions. But of course, the most important question on everyone’s mind is, who’s going to win Hammer of the Year.
It’s harsh though to say that there haven’t been any standouts. We’ve had a mixed season, but key players have kept us afloat and we can say they deserve some recognition for that. Lucas Paqueta is, obviously, a talent to behold. He changes games and we saw how everything went downhill when he was injured at the start of the year.
As soon as he came back, results and performances picked up again. For a man who isn’t a ‘Moyes signing’ he’s also really settled well with his boss, which has reflected in his attitude and performances. I think it’s fair to say we’d be a totally different team without him, and that’s a very good application for an award.
We also need a big mention for Edson Alzarez, who has come in and settled into the Premier League pretty seamlessly. He has composure and holds his own in midfield, filling some of the massive gaps left over the last few seasons by Noble and Rice.
Not only is he consistent on the field, he’s really endeared himself to the fans and he seems to be the popular vote for HOTY this season. Bowen’s also in with a shout, right? It seems like he would be for every season because you know what you’re going to get with him: commitment, hard word and goals.
He’s currently in the top five scorers in the league, top for West Ham, obviously. Dare I say it, but we might be headed towards the elusive ‘twenty-goal-a-season’ man. The same as with Paqueta, it’s hard to see the team without him. We’re just better when he’s around.
There have also been a lot of calls for Areola to get the accolade. Without him we surely would have lost a few more matches, he’s been the best player on the pitch for quite a few. He rarely makes daft mistakes, which in the context of a goalkeeper is a measurable benchmark.
He was monumental against Everton and his display that day was an example of why he’s right to be our number one and a reminder of how solid he has been for our season. Another contender is the new man Mohammed Kudus – he’s been a brilliant signing and scored a couple of crackers, one of which will surely see him pick up a Goal of the Season trophy.
He’s got the confidence and flair that we need, and his 12 goals so far this season have mostly been purposeful and nicely finished. If more of them had been game changing in terms of results, he might be even higher in the queue for the all-important award.
There’s also an argument to be made for Emerson, who has just been going about his business effectively and without a fuss. Players like that don’t always get the credit they deserve, but at this stage of the season if you’re picking the team, you certainly wouldn’t leave him out.
His partnership with Paqueta has brought great benefit to the team and he shouldn’t be forgotten in the list. I can’t quite believe I’m about to say the next sentence after the last couple of seasons, but what about Tomas Soucek? It’s baffling that he’s had such a profound effect on our season.
He won the Forest game in the 88th minute, won the Burnley game in the 91st minute, put the final goal in at Everton in the 91st minute, put us ahead at Arsenal, got us through to the fourth round of the League Cup and won the second group stage game against TSC in the 89th minute. When you put that all on paper, kind of sounds like he should be at the top of the list.
In a really good season you’ll have standout goalscorers, game changers and leaders. But in what has been a mixed bag we’ve proved to have a team of individuals who have dug deep on separate occasions to rescue points and improve performances. Maybe that’s what went wrong mid-season – the team wasn’t looking like a team, whilst the players named above all tried to pull something out of the bag in order to rescue situations.
It’s not surprising. We’ve been through incredible transitions of losing award-winning leaders in Mark Noble and Declan Rice. What has become a little clearer from thinking about who will pick up the Hammer of the Year award is that we’ve got a squad of undeniable talent, it just needs some sticking together on the pitch.
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