Should West Ham cut their losses with Ravel Morrison?

Article by Brandon Freeman

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With Ravel Morrison having been charged with two counts of common assault and remanded in custody until August 7th this week, many West Ham fans have aired their concerns over the troubled midfielders future at Upton Park. Despite my admiration of Ravel Morrison’s ability, personally I see little way back for the Manchester-born player should he be found guilty.

Morrison’s latest misdemeanour adds to a long line of incidents the 21 year-old has been involved in. Shortly after his move to West Ham in 2012, Morrison was fined £7,000 after posting a homophobic threat on twitter. Morrison was also fined £1,445 in 2011 after admitting to witness intimidation. Despite Ravel Morrison’s off field antics being well documented it was hoped that a move away from Manchester would be beneficial for the player and would allow him to knuckle down and begin to show the potential which had led Morrison to be linked with the likes of Barcelona in the past. Speaking after Morrison’s move to West Ham Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that the midfielders was better-off away from Manchester: “In the case of Ravel its been quite well documented, I think he’s better out of Manchester.”

As such it hardly comes as a surprise that Morrison has been involved in yet more trouble given the significant baggage which the player arrived at Upton Park with. However, following a hugely successful start to last season with West Ham, including that unforgettable goal against Tottenham, myself like many other West Ham fans finally thought that Ravel had put his trouble behind him and was ready to step-up and deliver the excitement hammers fans have been craving. But despite Morrison’s early from he was loaned out to QPR where he enjoyed a highly successful campaign helping Harry Redknapp’s side secure a return to the Premier League, albeit via the play-offs. During his spell at Loftus Road, Morrison began to show the skill and flair that led to the player being dubbed “the best since Paul Gascoigne” by Birmingham manager Lee Clark following Morrison’s brace against Clark’s side.

But now it appears that Ravel Morrison’s days at West Ham may well be numbered. Co-Chairmen David Gold recently tweeted about the Ravel Morrison situation and admitted to being devastated by the news, saying: I hope it’s not as bad as it appears. Such a talent. Such a waste. Should Ravel Morrison be found guilty, personally I cannot see him having much of a future at West Ham, given the bad press he has given the club, and especially since Sam Allardyce has admitted Morrison was not in his plans for the new season. Whether it means Morrison will again be shipped out on loan in an effort to straighten the player out remains to be seen, but should the powers that be at West Ham decide Morrison needs to leave permanently he may struggle to find a new club given his latest outburst.

Unfortunately for West Ham, the board will find themselves in a difficult situation knowing that if the player leaves then West Ham will lose an incredible talent who epitomises what West Ham fans want in terms of flair and skill, but by keeping the player, the club runs the risk of attracting even more bad publicity. Although it may be cliché to say, I have always thought of West Ham as a family club, where the players, fans and board have a close relationship, where off-field problems with players are seldom seen, and where the club makes the back pages of news papers for the right reasons. However, recent managerial disputes, the well-known accidental favourite of a tweet and now Ravel Morrison’s period of incarceration means the club are quick becoming a regular feature in the morning’s papers for all the wrong reasons. A trend they must put an end to immediately.

Do you believe the time has come for Ravel Morrison to leave West Ham, or does his enormous potential mean he deserves another chance? Leave your comments below and follow our twitter page @e_westham for the latest news and views, all things West Ham.

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