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West Ham United appointment of Mark Noble applauded by Simon Jordan
West Ham United announced the full-time return of Mark Noble to the club in the role of sporting director and Simon Jordan likes the move.
‘Mr West Ham’, as Noble is often labelled, retired at the end of last season after playing almost his entire career with the Hammers and was always keen on a return to the club in a non-playing capacity.
That has now happened and he will start his role in the new year but Jordan, while delighted to see Noble given a role at the club, can see the dangers of the move.
“It’s an interesting appointment,” he said to talkSPORT. “David Moyes talked about the spirit of Mark Noble being missed in the dressing room.
“It’s a very big job, I can’t say anything other than it will be fascinating to see how it develops and well done to both the club and him for wanting to make a move that appears to have some merit to it.
“If West Ham want to be an elite side in the Premier League do they employ the best sporting director or do they go back to someone who was once a footballer and played for them?
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“If he was a player who once played for them and becomes a great sporting director, what an inspired choice! If he’s a footballer who doesn’t become a good sporting director, what a poor choice!”
Risk
As Jordan mentions, the sporting director role is a very big one at any football club and Noble is the very first in the history of West Ham to make things even more pressurised.
It might have been wiser to bring the former club captain into Moyes’ caching staff at first to get him used to being around football without playing himself before the big jump.
By going in near the very top, Noble could have set himself up for a spectacular fall if he is unable to adjust to his new role and with the Irons currently in the drop zone, risks might not be the best path to take.
There must have been other candidates that could have taken such a role, even if it was only short-term while Noble gained experience, that could have been readily available to join such a prestigious club.
Only time will tell if Noble can be as good off the pitch as he was on it.