Does THIS West Ham ace still have a part to play?

Sam Allardyce’s transformed West Ham outfit is playing a much improved brand of football, leading to doubts around Kevin Nolan’s involvement in the starting XI.

The injury to Andy Carroll and the form of new signings Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho has left the club’s Captain hard-pressed to retain a starting berth.

Nolan has undoubtedly suffered without the presence of an effective target man, with Carroll sidelined for a significant period of his time at the club.

His best football came from partnerships with players like Kevin Davies and Carroll, where he fed off knockdowns.

The absence of these opportunities and a transition to a more fluid attacking game has seen a mentality emerge where Nolan doesn’t warrant a place on the pitch.

Detractors of the 32-year-old argue he offers very little when he isn’t scoring, with criticisms extending to laziness and a poor passing ability.

There are some West Ham fans who refuse to forgive his two red cards last season, accusing him of recklessness in a tough period on the pitch for the club.

Those who defend him point out his attacking instinct and leadership qualities.

Against Queens Park Rangers, Nolan came on as a substitute to boos from a minority in the crowd, but nearly popped up with a third goal.

His positional sense is still as sharp as ever; with the timing of his runs still able to provide him with scoring chances.The disallowed equaliser in the dying minutes at Old Trafford was a classic example.

Despite Nolan’s quality, Allardyce is lamented for his loyalty to his right-hand man, with a perception he is virtually assured his place in the team.

This has been proved to be exaggerated, as Nolan hasn’t automatically walked back into the side since his return from a shoulder injury.

Some fans have defended the hostile reception he received against QPR, saying it was merely a message to Sam Allardyce that bringing him on changes the attack into pedestrian route one football.

His greatest strength has undoubtedly been his leadership, but should he lose his regular starting place, his captaincy would also be in doubt.

The touted candidates to replace him include Mark Noble, Winston Reid and Alex Song, although question marks remain around all three of them.

Without an obvious successor, Nolan still warrants his captaincy, but his position in the team should probably be reduced to a spot on the bench.

If West Ham are in need of a goal and chasing the game, or looking to marshal the defence to protect a lead, a hungry Kevin Nolan is not a bad option to introduce for the final 20 minutes.