Avram Grant leads the exodus, but who will follow him out of West Ham?

Following West Ham’s relegation, Avram Grant has inevitably been shunted out of Upton Park.

His fate was seemingly secured when the walls of West Ham’s season started to crumble after the club botched an attempt to bring in a successor during the January transfer window, however, they failed and he stayed.

The Hammers relegation though means that the manager will not be the only one leaving the club, as ambitious players and fastidious accountants will be looking to ensure a safe future for themselves.

This has been pragmatically confirmed by co-chairman David Gold, who told BBC’s Football Focus: “It’s unfair to tell a player to forego your potential England career to come down and play in the Championship.”

So who will be leaving and who will stay for life in the second tier?

Scott Parker

The inspirational leader has been the epitome of the club’s fight for survival this season, snarling his way through games, chasing down every ball and committing to every tackle. For years he’s been highly prized by his club’s supporters, but this season his ability was given greater recognition when he was awarded the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year. Having once again found himself in the England team against Denmark and Wales, Parker will surely be given the opportunity to extend himself with a move to a top flight club this summer, but fans will be hoping he’ll forgo any international or personal progression in favour of loyalty to a club that has voted him Hammer of the Year two years in a row.

Matthew Upson

Despite Parker being projected as the kiss-the-badge all-guns-blazing leader of the team, it’s Upson who’s been the club captain this season. However, the England international has struggled to recreate the form that booked his seat on the plain to South Africa, although his defensive team-mates have hardly helped him to achieve this. His contract expires in the June 2011 and he’s a strong candidate to leave considering Gold’s recent comments. The decision not to sign on the dotted line earlier was seemingly a mutual one, as both parties needs would inevitability change in the event of relegation, which Gold pragmatically admitted in October to the Daily Mail: “He is now into the last year of his contract and doing it now or at the end of the season doesn’t really matter to either side”.

Rob Green

West Ham’s number one has seemingly been haunted by his World Cup blunder. Memories of that unfortunate night in Rustenberg came flooding back against Wigan, when his gaff gifted Charles N’Zogbia his second and the match winner, which cemented the Hammer’s descent. To focus on this though would be a harsh assessment of Green’s abilities, as the keeper has repeatedly saved his side from further embarrassment this season. Another England international, he’s expected to move on for the benefit of his international career, with Arsenal rumoured to be potential suitors, otherwise he’ll suffer the anonymity of the Championship.

Carlton Cole

The tall striker has struggled this season to recreate the kind of form that propelled to him into the England fold, but he hasn’t represented his country since March last year. Cole has found the net 11 times this season, but repeated failings infront of goal, most notably a close-range howler the he managed to scoop wide in the dying moments of West Ham’s season defining game against Wigan have earned him the moniker Can’t-Kick Cole from fans. He’ll surely be allowed to leave, but suitors could be limited.

Thomas Hitzelsperger

The Germany international has shone in West Ham’s midfield since his return from injury. A thigh injury meant he didn’t make his debut until February and he only appeared nine times for the Hammers, scoring twice. His presence though seemed to temporarily revive the optimism around Upton Park, but in the wake of relegation he will move on, as his ability and potential to influence games is far beyond the level of the Championship.

Kieron Dyer

Young West Ham fans will be amazed to know that Dyer was once a talented and exciting prospect and not just and perpetually injured and expensive paper weight. The 32 year old earns a whopping £83,000-a-week according to The Telegraph and as a result co-chairman David Sullivan bluntly hinted that he should call time on his career: “There is one player who hardly plays at all who might have to accept retirement.” A Championship team cannot sustain his wages and Dyer, who has only made 30 appearances since his move from Newcastle, will not be at West Ham next season, so long as they can find a buyer or arrange a severance package.

Demba Ba

The Senegal international striker only signed for the Hammers in January from Hoffenheim, but he settled quickly and scored and impressive seven from 13 appearances. However, penny pinching accompanies relegation and as a result his stay in east London might be unfortunately short as far as West Ham fans are concerned.

Other potential departures

According to The Telegraph Julien Faubert, Herita Ilunga and Luis Boa Morte are all unjustly earning more than £30,000-a-week, which is unsustainable for the second tier. Pablo Barrera and Winston Reid were signed for the relatively astronomical fee of £8m, but the pair have failed to make any positive impact and it’s unlikely that West Ham will recoup anything close to their combined transfer fee. Danny Gabbidon deserves the ignominy of relegation after his display against Aston Villa and his failure to understand the offside trap against Wigan, however Mark Noble doesn’t and deserves to remain in the top flight.

A silver lining following their relegation is that the Hammers don’t have to part with wads of cash to make Robbie Keane and Wayne Bridge’s loan deals permanent, as they’ve both seemingly aged considerably since their move, with Keane’s lackluster performances typified by an open goal miss against Blackburn.

Tags: Avram Grant, Premier League, Scott Parker, West Ham United

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