A big decision was made to make the announcement before the close of the season that Danny Ings, Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal and Aaron Cresswell will all be released at the end of the season.
We also did our own enquiries and found out that former captain Kurt Zouma will also be released when his loan spell at Al-Orobah FC expires at the end of the season.
The Sad Reality of Kurt ‘Happy’ Zouma
I have mixed emotions about the five players leaving. Zouma had been a good player for the club and an important part of our success under David Moyes, even captaining the side in Moyes’ last year.
He was a popular figure around the place and lived up to his middle name of ‘Happy’. Sadly Kurt’s knees are ruined and he is no longer able to play in top flight football especially the high pace of the Premier League so releasing him is the correct thing to do.
The Costly Experiment of Danny Ings
Danny Ings must go down as one of our most expensive flops. Whilst not entirely his fault as he never got a decent run of games in the team, the costly gift that Sullivan presented Moyes with cost around £15m and a weekly wage of £120k which clearly could have been spent better.
Saying Goodbye to the “Polish International”
This now takes me onto Lukasz Fabianski who has been a great signing by the club and must go down as one of our best keepers in recent history.
He is in an elite list of keepers including Phil Parkes, Ludek Miklosko, Shaka Hislop and Robert Green to have won the Hammer of the Year award collecting the trophy in 2019.
If it wasn’t for the fact he has turned 40 and will be 41 next season, I would have kept him on for another year to provide backup for Areola as he has done this year. However, I think given his age and the fact we have a roster full of top young keepers coming through, then probably now is the time to say goodbye to the Polish international.
Vladimir Coufal: The Ultimate Recommendation
When we signed Vladimir Coufal, like many, I knew very little about him other than he was mates with Tomas Soucek and he had recommended him to the club. But what a recommendation that was as the right back has gone on to make 170 appearances for the club.
He has also got a runner up in Hammer of the Year award and was a crucial part of our Europa Conference winning squad. He has the sort of personality and character that fans love with his die hard no nonsense attitude.
Coufal always felt he was underpaid at the club and I think would have only stayed too if he had got an increase on his salary. I think he will have a number of suitors for his signature. Fulham tried to sign him in January and his former manager David Moyes will surely be keen to bring him to Merseyside.
Aaron Cresswell: The End of an Era
Speaking of Merseyside, little was known of scouser Aaron Cresswell when he joined the club from Ipswich Town. Yes we knew he had been a consistent performer for them but I don’t think anyone imagined he would go on to be an absolutely crucial part to our squad for the next 11 years.
Under the old rules, in our own ground, he would be due a testimonial now and it’s a massive shame that he won’t get one.
Another former Hammer of the Year who has been a crucial part of the dressing room ever since he joined the club. He has played 365 games for the club and scored 12 goals. Only Mark Noble has played more Premier League games for the club.
I would have kept him on for another season. Not only do I think he has done well when called upon this year but he has also been a great role model and mentor to Ollie Scarles who has been coming through.
A Squad Without its Soul?
I do worry that there is a lack of leaders and a lack of personality left in our squad with all of these players departing and the biggest loss will be Cresswell.
I do hope the club does something to recognise his achievements with us because I think we are seeing the last generation of players who remain at clubs for large parts of their careers and of course Cresswell, alongside Antonio, are the last remaining players to have played for us at Upton Park.
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