Player Comparison: Joey O'Brien vs Guy Demel

Player Comparison: Joey O'Brien vs Guy Demel

17/02/1986 DOB 13/06/1981
27 Age 32

17 Squad Number 20

5'10" Height 6'2"

West Ham United Career

30/07/2011 Joined 31/08/2011

Bolton Wanderers From Hamburger SV

Free Transfer Reported Fee £1,600,000

61(6) Appearances 39(3)

3 Goals 0

07/08/2011 Debut 29/11/2011

Cardiff City vs Middlesbrough

16/08/2011 Debut Goal n/a

Watford vs n/a

2012/13 Premier League
32(1) Apps 28(3)
2 Goals 0

2,717 Minutes 2,473

Analysis
To my mind, most of the starting XI for the coming season is settled. The majority of our line up is pretty clear cut, but there are still a couple of spots up for grabs. Last week, I tried to work out who should start in central defence against Cardiff City in 8 days time. Today, I want to take a closer look at our options for right back.

For the first time in my memory, we have two right backs who are more than capable of performing in the Premier League.

Guy Demel had an excellent season last year, getting forward regularly, forming a strong relationship with Ricardo Vaz Te on the right flank, he really recovered from a shaky debut season with the club.

Joey O'Brien also had a fantastic season (in fact, if it hadn't been for Winston Reid, the Irishman would've been my vote for Hammer of the Year). O'Brien was a model of consistency and reliability, putting in strong performances wherever he fit into the side, and making the absence of a top quality left back seem like a non issue.

To be honest, I don't think too many people would be too upset to see both of them continue as the fullbacks. However, the arrival of Razvan Rat, emergence of Dan Potts, and imminent return of George McCartney mean O'Brien will be moving back over to the right to compete directly with Demel for a starting position.

Defensive Play
When looking at the defensive game of these two players, there really is only one winner. Joey O'Brien performed admirably in defence last season, and the statistics show that he was streets ahead of Demel. Joey put in more tackles, and made more clearances and blocks than Demel in the league last year.

O'Brien was also more successful in the tackle, winning 82% (42) of his 51 attempted tackles (one tackle every 53.3 minutes, or 1.6 per game). Demel, on the other hand, won 77% (34) of the 44 he attempted (one every 56.2 minutes, or 1.4 per game).

The image below shows a break down of successful and unsuccessful tackles.

As mentioned above, O'Brien also completes more defensive actions per game (and at a higher frequency of minutes per action) than Demel. On average, O'Brien completed 7.1 defensive actions (clearances, blocks, interceptions) per game in the league last season, compared to Demel's 5.4.

However, there are a couple of defensive areas in which Guy does outperform his rival. Demel made 38 interceptions (1.2 per game) last season, meaning he snatched possession once every 65.1 minutes. O'Brien, on the other hand, managed just 30 (0.9 per game), at a rate of just one every 90.6 minutes.

Demel also posted a marginally better record when competing aerial duels. Of the 44 he competed (1.4 per game), he won 24 (55%), while O'Brien won 54% of his. However, the Irishman did compete in significantly more duels (72, 2.2 per game). Given the size difference between the two, perhaps indicating an area in which opposition sides feel O'Brien may be more vulnerable than Demel, thus targeting him aerial more often than the Ivorian?

The chart below shows the number of defensive actions per game of the two players.

Passing
Interestingly, both fullbacks had very similar passing records for last seasons Premier League. Both posted an overall accuracy rate of 79%, and both passed at an incredibly similar frequency (2.93 mins per pass for O'Brien, 2.98 mins per pass for Demel).

Perhaps the biggest difference between the two, however, as the type of passing. Demel tended to favour a short passing game, with 83% of his passes going short. As many of us will recall, a large number of these passes will have been short up the line to Ricardo Vaz Te - Demel to Vaz Te was the most regular pass combination in a number of West Ham games last season.

O'Brien, on the other hand went long more regularly. 10.4% of his passes were long balls, compared to Demel's 8.6%. However, the difference in styles could be explained by the success of the long pass. O'Brien was accurate with 51% of his long balls, while Demel was accurate with just 32% of his.

The chart below shows the breakdown in pass types last season.

Offensive Play
If the main responsibility of a fullback is to defend, there is one winner. O'Brien is the more consistent and dependable defender. However, in the modern day the fullback is expected to contribute significantly to a teams attacking play.

On the surface, O'Brien appears a far more conservative fullback when compared with Demel. This is perhaps best represented by the massive difference in the crossing rate of the two. While O'Brien put in 12 successful crosses last season, and was unsuccessful with a further 19, Demel attempted a massive 83 crosses, hitting the mark with 30.

This means Demel put the ball into the box on average 2.7 times per game, or once every 29.8 minutes, whilst O'Brien did the same just once every 87.7 minutes, or 0.9 per game.

Although both enjoyed a similar success rate (39% for O'Brien, 36% for Demel), the intent displayed by the Ivorian demonstrates the attacking side of his game perfectly.

The image below shows a breakdown of crossing statistics.

However, that is not to say O'Brien isn't capable of attacking himself. Not only did he help himself to two goals last season, but he actually created more chances, and gained more assists than Demel.

O'Brien created 19 chances last season, with four of those ending up as assists. On the other hand, Demel created 18, with just two ended as assists.

To summarise, for the first time in a long time, we have a genuine dilemma over who to play at right back. We've had this before, but usually it's trying to decide who is the least awful.

It's a tough one, because both have areas of strength, and neither have any obvious weaknesses (although O'Brien in particular could be a little quicker).

O'Brien is the more dependable defender, tackling more regularly and successfully, and blocking and clearing more often. He also had a hand in more goals last season, scoring two and assisting four. However, he does have a tendency to sit a little deeper than Demel, putting far less crosses into the box.

Demel's qualities are there for all to see. He's rarely muscled off the ball, he's improved significantly on the nervous defender who played in the playoff final two years ago (7.6 errors (misplaced passes, tackled, poor control, dribbled by) per game last year compared to 7.1 for O'Brien). He also contributes greatly to our style of play. We rely a lot on feeding a high volume and quality of crosses into the box, and Demel provides a fantastic option getting the ball into the middle.

I compiled the stats for this post a few days ago, and I thought I'd decided who I'd rather start at right back next week then. Even starting out typing up my analysis just over 30 minutes ago, I was pretty clear in my mind who I would rather play.

But I think I've now changed my mind. He had a fantastic season last year, and was my dark horse for hammer of the year, but, if I were in Sam Allardyce's shoes, Joey O'Brien would just miss out to start the season.

The improvement in Demel's play last season was incredible. So many of us were nervous wrecks at the idea of him as our starting right back coming into the Premier League season, and he proved us all wrong. For me, he has become an extremely dependable fullback, and, perhaps more significantly, a very important component of our attacking play.

With the right wing slot still uncertain, the presence of Demel and his eagerness to whip the ball into the box will be very important to our side this season.

Player Comparison: James Collins vs Winston Reid vs James Tomkins

Player Comparison: James Collins vs Winston Reid vs James Tomkins

James Collins

DOB: 23/08/1983

Age: 29

Squad Number: #19

Signed: 01/08/2012

From: Aston Villa

Reported Fee: £2,500,000

Club Appearances: 95

Club Goals: 4

Debut: 20/09/2005 vs Sheffield Wednesday

Debut Goal: 26/12/2005 vs Portsmouth

2012/13 Premier League

Apps: 29(0)

Goals: 0

Mins: 2,489

Winston Reid

DOB: 03/07/1988

Age: 25

Squad Number: #2

Signed: 05/08/2010

From: FC Midtyjlland

Reported Fee: £4,000,000

Club Appearances: 83

Club Goals: 5

Debut: 14/08/2010 vs Aston Villa

Debut Goal: 21/02/2011 vs Burnley

2012/13 Premier League

Apps: 36(0)

Goals: 1

Mins: 3,143

James Tomkins

DOB: 29/03/1989

Age: 24

Squad Number: #5

Signed: -

From: -

Reported Fee: Academy Graduate

Club Appearances: 150

Club Goals: 7

Debut: 22/03/2008 vs Everton

Debut Goal: 04/04/2009 vs Sunderland

2012/13 Premier League

Apps: 18(8)

Goals: 1

Mins: 1,738

Analysis

As the season draws ever closer, the debate is soon to switch from 'Who should we bring in?' to 'Who should we start with?'. One area that is sure to cause a bit of a headache for Wesr Ham fans and staff alike is the first choice centre back pairing. Each of James Collins, Winston Reid & James Tomkins performed admirably last season for the club, and all three pairings have been used so far in pre season.

So who should start against Cardiff City at the Boleyn Groun on August 10th? Should Collins & Reid continue as the first choice pairing, given their excellent partnership towards the end of last season? Should James Tomkins come in to replace Collins and rekindle his understanding wiith Reid, developed in our promotion season of 2011/12? And should Reid be guaranteed a starting spot? Can Tomkins & Collins make a claim as a pairing themselves?

Defensive Play

The common consensus seems to be that Hammer of the Year Reid has cemented himself as our first choice centre half, and it's easy to see why. The New Zealand international not only made tackles with a greater regularity than his competitors, but made easily the most interceptions of the trio, and won the most aerial duels.

However, Reid was actually the least successful in the tackle, winning 77% of his attempted tackles, compared to 79% by both Collins & Tomkins. Of course, a lower success rate may be reflected by the significantly greater number attempted, with Reid attempting a tackle once every 44.9 minutes, compared to 47.0 minutes by Collins, and 52.7 minutes by Tomkins.

Reid also makes the fewest defensive actions of the three (clearances, blocks, interceptions). The Kiwi made a defensive action once every 7.4 minutes in the Premier League last season, compared with 7.3 by James Tomkins. Collins, meanwhile, leads the way be some distance, clearing, blocking or intercepting on average once every 6.1 minutes.

This figure is boosted greatly by Collins' massive block frequency. The Welshman made 1.4 blocks per game last season, compared to 0.7 by his centre back colleagues. He also made more clearances than Reid & Tomkins, with one coming every 7.8 minutes on average, compared to 9.5 (Reid) and 9.0 (Tomkins).

The fact that Collins made defensive actions most regularly last season may not come as much of a surprised, given his blood and thunder approach to the game, flinging himself in the way of shots and making last ditch tackles.

What may be surprising though, is that, despite a reputation for being an excellent header of the ball, he was signficantly outdone in the air by his greatest challenger, James Tomkins.

Tomkins won 73% of his aerial duels in the league last year, compared to 64% (Collins) and 62% (Reid). He also competed in duels more frequently, with one coming every 17.9 minutes. (Collins 19.5; Reid 22.6).

Being an aerial 'duel', this figure doesn't count unchallenged headers, meaning the numbers are smaller than memory may serve. However, this does give an indication of how successful Tomkins, and the other centre halves, are at winning the ball under pressure in the air.

Passing

One main criticism of James Collins since he returned to the Boleyn Ground last season, is his insistance on playing long balls, and his poor generally passing ability. It's very common to see the ball rolled into Ginge and him loft a high ball as far forward as possible.

This perception is completely borne out by the facts. On average, the 'Pink Pelé' plays significantly more long balls than either Tomkins or Reid, at 5.9 per game compared to 4.0 (Reid) and 4.2 (Tomkins), respectively. Additionally to this, 27% of passes by Collins were long balls, whilst both Tomkins and Reid played just 17% of their passes as long balls.

Collins is also the least successful of the three with long passes. Of the 171 long balls played by the Welshman, just 40% (69) met their target. Reid, on the other hand, hit the mark with 82 of his 145 long balls (57%), and Tomkins was accuarate with 56% of his (61/108)

Somewhat surprisingly, Collins is also the least successful with headed passes. Just 48% of his headed passes were accurate (58/122). Tomkins, in compairion, was successful with 53% (52/99), and Reid led the way with 62% of his headed passes reaching a team mate (106/171).

In terms of a short, simple passing game, Tomkins plays a far higher proportion of his overall passes short to a team mate than his colleagues. 67% of his total passes were short balls, with a fantastic success rate of 87% reaching a team mate (359/414). Reid wasn't significantly far behind, with 62% of his passes going short, and with an equally high success rate of 87% (450/515).

Shockingly though, Collins actually has a short passing success rate to rival his positional competitiors. 86% of his 342 short passes (293) reached their target, a fantastic return for any professional. What lets Collins down is the fact that just 54% of the passes he attempts are short, with a large portion going down as wayward long balls or headers.

Errors

For this comparison, errors are: misplaced passes, dispossessions (tackled), turnovers (loss of possession due to miscontrol) and dribbled by (being dribbled past by an opposition player).

The final area to compare is that of defensive mistakes. Top class centre backs excel not only in their ability to win and keep hold of the ball, but their concentration and consistency.

Part of the reason Winston Reid has become such a cornerstone in the West Ham defence has been his incredible consistency and reliability. Reid made fewer mistakes per game, and made mistakes less frequently than both Tomkins and Collins in 2012/13. On average, the Kiwi made a mistake once every 13.7 minutes, compared to 10.5 (Tomkins) and 10.1 (Collins).

Perhaps the most key of the combined areas from a defenders perspective is the ability to stop an opponent going pass you. This is an area in which Reid performs admirably, only being dribbled by once every 150 minutes; significantly outperforming James Collins, who was dribbled by once ever 108 minutes.

That said, Reid was not the best performer in this area, with James Tomkins only being dribbled by once every 248 minutes, an astonishingly high return for a player in his position. This goes to show how far the young defender has come since our relegation season of 2010/11 under Avram Grant, when it seemed he couldn't put a foot right at times.

Errors are a part of the game though, with all players making mistakes throughout every game. What is important is how much they cost you. According to Squawka, no mistakes made by James Tomkins in the Premier League last season led directly to a shot on goal, let alone a goal conceded. Winston Reid made one mistake leading to a shot on goal, though no this chance wasn't converted.

James Collins, on the other hand, made 4 mistakes leading to shots on goal last season, with two of these leading directly to goals conceded. Both of these mistakes live on in the memory, with woefully short backpasses allowing Miguel Michu to open the scoring back in August, and handing an easy opportunity, and eventual three points, to Pavel Pogrebnyak at the Madejski Stadium in December.

In summary, West Ham are very fortunate to have three very strong centre backs, who each excel in key areas.

Collins makes more defensive actions than his colleagues, and is by far the most aggressive of the trio. Tomkins makes the best use of the ball, with a greater frequency of his passes going short to a team mate.  Whilst Reid is the most consistent of the three. Rarely making mistakes, major or otherwise, and boasting an excellent pass completion rate of 77%.

I think it's safe to say that one half of the partnership is already guaranteed. Winston Reid had such a successful last season, that he has become one of the first names on the team sheet.

The dilemma is deciding his partner.

Collins' is the sort of defender who puts his body on the line and throws himself in the way of anything that might trouble the net, but his concentration and his poor passing success rate, particularly with the long ball, let him down.

Tomkins, on the other hand, is exceptional in the air and possesses a high quality of passing skill (a trait that has seen him step up into midfield on occasion), but he lacks the experience and authority of Collins', and his overall defensive game still needs improving (he made the least interceptions per game of the three, suggesting his reading of the game is not quite as tuned as his competitors).

Against Cardiff, I'd go with Tomkins and Reid. If the preseason friendlies so far are anything to go by, Sam Allardyce looks to be tweaking his tactics to include a greater emphasis building attacks from the back. If this is the way the club want to go, then Tomkins and Reid are a partnership that can be central to the building up of the club over the next five years or more.

But, in Collins, we have an incredibly capable backup, and should either of the starters slip up, they should be aware that the Welshman will be ready to pounce.

Player Comparison: Joe Cole vs Ricardo Vâz Te

Joe Cole vs Ricardo Vâz Te

31 Age 26

26 Squad Number 12

5'9" Height 6'2"

West Ham United Career

04/01/2013 Joined 31/01/2012

Liverpool From Barnsley

Free Transfer Reported Fee £750,000

134(24) Appearances 35(8)

15 Goals 14

02/01/1999 Debut 04/02/2012

Swansea City vs Millwall

30/11/1999 Debut Goal 21/02/2012

Birmingham City vs Blackpool

Analysis
Throughout the course of a rather successful season for West Ham almost all positions in the side have been nailed down by certain players. I think in any given game, it’s possible to name at least 9 of the likely starters.

One position that doesn’t feel quite so secure though, is on the right wing. A few players have been tried there this season, Jack Collison, Gary O’Neil, Modibo Maïga, Matthew Taylor, Yossi Benayoun, even Kevin Nolan had a go (he was rubbish at it though!).

However, two players seem to have moved to the front of the queue. Last season’s play off hero Ricardo Vâz Te and the recently returned academy graduate Joe Cole.

Both Cole and Vâz Te have had highs and lows in a West Ham shirt this season, but who has impressed more, and do we need to move into the market for a new option when the transfer window opens again in a month’s time?

In terms of their performances this season, both players are rather evenly matched; just 1 point separates their Capello Index ratings this season. Each player has areas in which they outperform one another. Vâz Te, for example, attempts more shots on goal per game than Cole, he also beats his man more regularly, wins more free kicks and carries out more defensive work.

The image below shows Ricardo's success in duels this season. 

http://www.squawka.com/players/ricardo-vaz-te

On the other hand, Cole creates more chances for his team mates, has a higher crossing accuracy, swings in significantly more crosses per game, and has a higher passing accuracy. The chart below shows the chances created by Joe since joining West Ham (Yellow = Chances Created; Blue = Assists (League Only)).

http://www.squawka.com/players/joe-cole

Both players are regarded as flair players, exciting outlets who can surprise us all, but they each have a distinctly different style of play. It is not uncommon to see Cole spend time roaming in off the right flank, getting in and around the lone striker and looking to feed through passes (he plays more through balls per game than any other player), whilst Vâz Te seems to spend more time out wide ready to take on a fullback, usually only coming inside when a shooting opportunity has presented itself.

According to the Capello Index rating system, Cole’s best West Ham performance this season came at home against Queens Park Rangers, whilst Vâz Te’s came in the recent two all draw with Manchester United.

The images below show each players action zones in these games (Cole first, Vâz Te second). As you can see, both players made the majority of their touches in the right wing area, but the distribution of their play in other areas is very different.

Cole, for example, takes a number of touches in the central midfield area, also popping up on the left. Vâz Te, for example, spends far more time out wide, but also took a higher proportion of touches back defending than Cole.

http://epl.squawka.com/west-ham-united-vs-queens-park-rangers/19-01-2013/english-barclays-premier-league/matches

http://epl.squawka.com/west-ham-united-vs-manchester-united/17-04-2013/english-barclays-premier-league/matches 

Other than individual performance, the next area of consideration is how the team performs with them in the side. Sometimes a player can seem to offer nothing to a team, but when they are removed from the side you notice that they have an influence in their team mates or the style of play that you wouldn’t have even thought about, Lucas Neill is a good example of this.

I decided to look at some stats of how the team performed whilst each player was on the pitch, and I’ve been somewhat surprised at the results. Interestingly, we seem to do better at home with Vâz Te, and better away with Cole.

At home we score more goals, take more shots, concede less and complete a higher proportion of our passes when Ricardo is on the pitch. Away from home, we score more, shoot more, and cross more when Joe is playing, though we concede less and have a better passing accuracy with Vâz Te.

So, a conclusion. It’s a tough one, I have to say. I like Vâz Te. I’ll always remember his goals last season, he’s had moments of real quality this season, and his pace and willingness to take on his man make him an exciting player to have around.

Joe Cole, on the other hand is a hero. He was my idol in my early teens, and I cried when he left for West London ten years ago. His homecoming was one of those moments in football that make you feel like a kid again.

If we could mix together the two then we’d be made, but, unless someone can tell me otherwise, there isn’t a Ricardjoe Vaz Cole playing anywhere currently.

If push came to shove and I could only keep one, I’d keep Cole. Vâz Te’s best moments can be absolutely wonderful, but they are few and far between. In his worst moments he can be awful, and that is the main difference between him and Joe. When Cole is having a bad game, you can still rely on him to pick that one pass, put in that one cross to change the game. When Vaz is playing badly, you probably wouldn’t even know he was on the pitch.

But, if truth be told, if I were sat in Sam Allardyce’s shoes in after the final whistle is blown against Reading, I think I’d be out looking for a new right winger.

2012/13

(League Only)

6(2) Appearances 16(6)

2 Goals 2

0 Assists 4

63.23 Average CI Rating 62.23

Offensive Play

10 Attempts 40

1.3 per App 1.8

15 Chances Created 25

1.9 per App 1.1

64 Crosses 57

19 Successful 14

30% Accuracy 25%

3 Successful Dribbles 17

0.4 per App 0.8

209 Passes Attempted 479

167 Successful 347

80% Accuracy 72%

6 Fouled 28

0.8 per App 1.3

Defensive Play

6 Tackles 29

0.8 per App 1.3

5 Interceptions 22

0.6 per App 1.0

2 Clearances 22

0.3 per App 1.0

6 Fouls 18

0.8 per App 0.8

2 Yellow Cards 3

0 Red Cards 0

Errors

42 Misplaced Passes 132

5.3 per App 6.0

3 Turnovers 27

0.4 per App 1.2

19 Dispossessed 26

2.4 per App 1.2

64 Total Lost Possession 185

8.0 per App 8.4

Comparision: Andy Carroll vs Carlton Cole

Andy Carroll vs Carlton Cole

24 Age 29

6’3” Height 6’2”

West Ham United Career

30/08/2012 Joined 05/07/2006

Liverpool From Chelsea

Loan Fee £1,000,000

12(2) Appearances 165(72)

3 Goals 59

01/09/2012 Debut 19/08/2006

Fulham Opposition Charlton Athletic

26/11/2012 Debut Goal 19/08/2006

Tottenham Hotspur Opposition Charlton Athletic

2012/13

12(2) Appearances 13(10)

3 Goals 2

0 Assists 1

61.31 Capello Index Rating 59.51

37 Attempts on Goal 33

2.6 Attempts per Game 1.4

21 Chances Created 10

1.5 Chances Created per Game 0.4

226 Aerial Duels 206

145 Duels Won 98

64% Won 48%

404 Passes 377

240 Successful Passes 223

59% Successful 59%

Analysis

Carlton Cole & Andy Carroll have managed five goals between this season. It's possible that both will leave in the summer, but are either worth keeping? Both have their strengths and weaknesses, so I decided to take a closer look at both, and try to decide who deserves to stay.

Since Andy Carroll cemented his place in the Newcastle United first team back in 2009/10, both he and Carlton Cole have spent three seasons in the Premier League, and one in the Championship.

In that time, Carroll scored 44 goals in 134 club appearances, a rate of one goal every 3.0 games. Cole has managed 39 in 128, one in every 3.3. So, in terms of goals scored, neck and neck.

On paper, Carroll is exactly the sort of player that should thrive under Sam Allardyce. With a reputation of being excellent in the air, Carroll should be perfect for a manager who has a reputation of getting his teams to kick the ball into the air.

This season, Carroll & Cole have contested a similar number of aerial duels, Carroll’s 226 to Cole’s 206. Carroll, though, has won 145 (64%) of these duels, whilst Cole has won just 98 (48%) of his.

Carroll’s undoubted ability in the air has led to questions about whether his presence encourages the team to play long ball tactics more readily when he is on the pitch. Despite the concerns from certain sections of the support, this does not seem to be supported by the stats.

In the 12 games in which Carroll has started in the Premier League this season, 16.2% of passes have been long balls, whilst 16.1% of passes have been long balls in the 12 league matches that Cole has started.

In fact, the three games in which the highest proportion of long balls were played were all games in which Cole started (Aston Villa (H) 21%; West Bromwich Albion (A) 22%; Everton (H) 23%).

One area where there does seem to be a marked difference between the two is the way in which they bring others into play. A criticism of Cole since Sam Allardyce’s appointment has been that he struggles to bring his team mates into the game, and the team lacks a cutting edge as a result.

This is another area in which Carroll doesn't seem to struggle quite as much. Despite not registering a direct assist this season, Carroll has created an average of 1.5 shooting opportunities for his team mates this season, and has an average 2.6 attempts on goal per game himself. In comparison, Cole creates 0.4 chances per game for his colleagues, and hast just 1.4 per game himself.

Many of Cole’s supporters have claimed that this lack of creation and cutting edge can be put down to a lack of support from team mates, with Cole often cutting an isolated figure when playing the lone striking role. However, when looking at average player positions, it becomes clear that this isn't always the case.

The following images show two games in which Carroll started, and two in which Cole started. There is one home, and one away game each. Both home games were clear victories, whilst both away games were poor defeats.

What is clear from the images is that Carroll (# 8) plays a far more advanced role than Cole (# 9). With Cole player in a far deeper position, closer to his midfielders, he is far less likely to make an impact.

West Ham United 3 - 0 Fulham: Andy Carroll #8

West Ham United 3 - 1 Chelsea: Carlton Cole #9

Aston Villa 2 - 1 West Ham United: Andy Carroll #8

Sunderland 3 - 0 West Ham United: Carlton Cole #9

Based on the information available, it’s easy to say that Andy Carroll is more conducive to West Ham’s style of play. He might not score enough goals, but if 16% of our passes are long balls, it makes sense to have a striker who wins over 60% of aerial duels he goes into.

Similarly, a striker doesn't necessarily need to score goals, provided he is laying them on for his team mates. Okay, so Carroll doesn't actually have any official assists this season, but he has created numerous chances for his team mates, and has been directly involved in the build up for plenty of other goals.

Having said that, it is difficult to justify a £17m price tag for a player whose goal scoring record has decreased year on year since he first experienced regular first team football, and who seems to spend an increasing amount of time on the sidelines.

As for Carlton Cole, I’m a big fan of his. I love that he loves the club, and I love that he took a pay cut to play for us in the Championship last year. I don’t, however, love his regular contributions to the team. For me, it might be time to say goodbye to Carlton. He may have been the clubs top goalscorer for each of the past four seasons, but you have to remember that there has been little to no competition to him in each of those years.

If only one can stay, it has to be Carroll. But, come August, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see both of them representing other clubs.