Angry comments at the ready, dear readers! Sport.co.uk selects three West Ham United players who are highly thought of inside and/or outside of Upton Park but whom we – or at least this writer – fail to see what all the fuss is about. Feel free to correct us in the comments section, Hammers fans…or indeed Gianfranco Zola…

Mark Noble – Loyal and committed the 22 year-old midfielder may be, but he is also slow, technically unremarkable and not especially effective at either end of the pitch. It is strange that former manager Alan Pardew once described him as the Hammers’ best prospect, given the presence of the far superior Jack Collison.

Benni McCarthy - The South African striker arrived unfit, overweight and on obscene money, given his likely contribution which may very well not extend beyond stacking up medical bills. Yes, he scored 24 goals in his first season at Blackburn Rovers, but he’s been varying degrees of useless ever since. This Freddie Ljungberg/Kieran Dyer type signing was supposed to be a thing of the past at Upton Park. 

Scott Parker – Bear in mind, overrated does NOT mean ‘rubbish’. Parker is a fine all-action midfielder who has done a superb job for the club – he covers so much ground and doesn’t shirk leadership responsibilities - but, to listen to some Hammers fans, you’d think he was the next Bryan Robson and should be first name on the England team sheet. He makes himself available for the ball but his passing is not quick, decisive or penetrative enough to put him in the international fold without a spate of injuries to others. Parker is one of the Premier League’s better midfielders but he is still talked of in overly glowing terms by a set of fans who’ve unfortunately not had much to shout about this season.

We look forward to the flurry of replies from Hammers fans who haven’t bothered to read this properly.

Do you agree with any of the above? Is there anyone else at West Ham United whom you consider overrated? Are recent home wins an indication that the tide is turning? Are you confident of the club hanging on to its better players this summer?