Over at foreverwestham.com they recently posited the idea that Ravel Morrison is “too good” for West Ham. That soon he will belong in the Champions League and playing for EPL titles. They even take great pains to point out that West Ham will not be competing on that level “any time soon.” There is another point that they are not making, but strongly implying. The suggestion is thus; simply because West Ham is West Ham we do not deserve to be a top club and should ship off the good players to the clubs they deserve to play for.
This is absurd. West Ham is not only a club rich in past history but rich, and growing richer, in talent. Ravel Morrison is, by far, the play with the most potential. However, a quick look around shows other young talents and strong veterans as well as even younger players who are not yet Premiership ready but may be soon. More to the point though, the suggestion that West Ham cannot be a top club and shouldn’t be striving for it is insulting, not just to the team and to the club, but to us, the fans, as well. Do we really think so little of ourselves?
I look at West Ham and see something else. I see a team that is building towards something- Winston Reid, Ravel Morrison, Adrian, Diame, and even Andy Carroll (if he gets healthy) are not just quality players now but are still working towards reaching the peak of their abilities. Surrounding these (and other) young players are established professionals such as Stewart Downing, Joe Cole, Jussi, and still more. West Ham is a club that, with the exception of top class strikers, has quality to spare.
Is he too good for West Ham? No. He is not. He is exactly what West Ham needs and, if anything, West Ham should be striving to give him what he needs – and that is a chance to play for trophies. Will it happen this year? Of course not (League Cup potential aside.) But the foundation is being laid and Morrison is a key part of it. Maybe I just don’t understand English football and should keep my mouth shut. Maybe even West Ham fans disagree with me and believe we should “know our place,” but that doesn’t make any sense to me.
The thrashing we gave Tottenham, one of the clubs that I guess “deserves” to strive for greatness, just a few weeks ago was a taste of what could be. What Southampton appears to be accomplishing right now (although I suspect they will fall a bit back to earth) shows what is possible.
The future I envision has Mo Diame and Ravel Morrison giving opposing teams fits while Winston Reid leads a back 4 that is nearly impenetrable. I see a West Ham that is poised for greatness. I just hope other people can see it too and start asking how we can get there instead of whether or not we owe it to our best players to send them somewhere “better.”