‘Hammer of the year’: Journalist’s claim about West Ham ace is absolutely spot on – opinion

There are some brilliant players at West Ham. From Felipe Anderson to Issa Diop to Marko Arnautovic, Manuel Pellegrini has got no shortage of talent.

However, Football.London journalist Sam Inkersole has identified another player as having been his most impressive man this term.

Discussing Lukas Fabianski, he said: ‘He has made the most saves of any keeper in the Premier League so far (that says something about the defence) and the Pole has been superb. Some of the games West Ham have lost season could have been ten times worse in terms of the scoreline were it not for the Polish stopper. Hammer of the Year? Probably.’

In truth, it’s hard to disagree with this claim. It’s rare that a goalkeeper is given credit, given that they often don’t get praise week-by-week. However, in the case of Fabianski, he certainly deserves more attention.

Every time he plays, you can tell that he’s giving 100%, and there has been more than one occasion in which the shot-stopper has saved us in important games.

It’s hard to believe that he’s 33-years-old, because with every passing week, he seems to be getting better and better. Whether it’s rushing off the line to stop an incoming run or commanding his area from a set-piece, he’s truly got it all. There’s no sign of him slowing down, and hopefully that means that we’ll get to enjoy him at his best next year and beyond.

He hasn’t been as explosive of a signing as someone like Felipe Anderson, but there’s a clear case to suggest that he’s been even more important. In terms of points won, surely he’ll be right up there with our best attacking performers, when you consider some of his fantastic saves.

We just wish he was 10 years younger, because we’d love to have him between the sticks for many years to come!

Thoughts?