It was a fantastic victory at the notoriously tough Cardiff City stadium on Sunday. Admittedly whilst their legs were seizing up in fits of cramp on the hallowed turf of Wembley a week previously, ours were resting peacefully on a beach in Dubai whilst watching them cry but we don’t want to undermine our team of a vital win. We’ve all been guilty of disparaging the ability of Kevin Nolan this season but stick a TV camera in front of him and he’s bound to score.
We were all expecting a world-beater following the abundance of broadcasted goals when he signed in the summer but now, probably like Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United fans, we understand the true limitations of Kevin Nolan whereas the average football fan may still be scratching his head as to why Nolan has never earned an England cap whilst the likes of Francis Jeffers, Michael Ricketts and David Nugent have and to be fair they’re probably entitled to that question.
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It was interesting that at the end of the game Sam Allardyce wanted to highlight the point that “Kevin Nolan is a midfielder goal-scorer; he’s not a midfielder playmaker” And I personally think that if he had done so sooner that we would all have a far more positive perception of Nolan.
Being billed as the replacement for Scott Parker did not put Nolan in an easy position when he first joined, especially because he is a completely different player. Nolan was promoted as the new talisman, instantaneously given the captain’s armband and took over Parker’s role as the model for every West Ham advertising campaign; obviously an effective marketing strategy considering the amount of fans regretfully lumbering around the Boleyn with ‘NOLAN’ slapped on their backs.
But as soon as the anticipation was over and he finally stepped onto the pitch, the feeling has been much of disappointment and frustration despite an impressive amount of goals. This is mainly because he isn’t there to dramatically save the day and break up every move by diving in front of a thundering strike, nor does he emphatically dribble through the middle of the pitch or pivot in a circle; he isn’t Scott Parker.
Whilst we have all recognized that Mark Noble has taken on somewhat of a ‘Parker-role’ this season, we have also expected Nolan to climb into his skin, but Nolan is a completely different animal to what we have ever had before.
As Allardyce says, “he puts himself in very dangerous positions in the box and finds the quality and the finish that’s basically only afforded to the top centre-forwards”. It’s refreshing as a West Ham fan to hear Allardyce admit that Nolan is not the most technically gifted of players and outline what he truly offers.
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I’m sure David Sullivan and David Gold felt that Nolan would swiftly assume a place in the fans’ hearts but unfortunately this hasn’t happened at all. He has been billed a failure by most fans, but this is because he has failed to be Parker; in reality he has succeeded in achieving what Sam Allardyce employed him for and has been a very shrewd acquisition.
We were all very proud of Parker captaining England last week, and he truly does deserve it, but even phone-in show hosts had to remind many sycophantic Hammers that Parker has now moved on to our rivals. Although it is nice that our special relationship with Parker remains intact, we desperately need to allow Nolan the room to climb out of his shadow so we can appreciate him for what he is.
I have very much been one of Nolan’s harshest critics this season but I think I now understand that he must be judged on a completely different criterion to what he has been. In the manner that you can forgive a striker for not being particularly inspiring throughout a game if he nets the winner, we must forgive Nolan.
When he was punished with a three-match ban following his dismissal in the Millwall game, I was somewhat looking forward to seeing the team without Nolan, but it is easy to see that we are a far more efficient machine with him in the side.
He may not be as obviously effective as Parker was last season, and as Mark Noble has been this year, but his leadership keeps us very disciplined and it is difficult to see the team losing a lead due to a lack of concentration with him continually encouraging them to maintain their performance until the final whistle.
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His presence evidently made a difference at the weekend and may have spurred us on to get the equalizer against Watford. So before you descend into an angry rage following a wayward pass from Nolan against Doncaster (there will be at least one), remember that there was ‘only one Scotty Parker’, but equally Nolan is an important and unique player himself.
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If he is a midfielder goal scorer, he should be played as a second striker like he was at Newcastle, not in the battling box-to-box role which he clearly doesn’t have the attributes to do.
I want to see us play 4-4-2 with Maynard/Baldock off the back of Cole, but we can’t cos the midfield gets overun with Nolan playing so deep and contributing nothing.
It’s fair to make a case to those people expecting him to be a playmaker, when he clearly isn’t.
However in every other department the criticisms are largely valid. If a player is going to be signed an a ludicrously large contract (salary and length) for a team in the Championship with serious financial issues, then plastered on every marketing campaign, given the captaincy above a far more deserving player (Mark Noble, for one), then anything less than ripping up the division will to me be considered not good value at all. Let alone his hothead and ‘favourite son’ status with the club’s manager who I will never accept seeing on our touchline.
Personally, I have a long memory and won’t forget Nolan kicking Benayoun out of the game many moons ago, nor his incredible ego when he complained in a news column that he should be playing for England.
This is a dark time to see that manager and Bolton playing at Upton Park.
He has scored a reasonable amount of goals, but a central midfielder is required to contribute far more then that. He doesn’t have to be scott parker, but it would be nice to see him contribute to the midfield battle in someway rather then leaving it all to noble, who by the way does a fine job but could do with some help. Hes the reason why we cant play 4-4-2, because we all know he wont get dropped but it basicly leaves noble on his own in the middle. Hence why we didnt completely dominate against a pretty poor watford side. Nobles clearly west ham captain in my view, nolan is just sam allardyces captain.
What a gash article.
If you saw that we are more efficient with him in the side you are the only one who did- the 10 men stuffed Blackpool, deservedly held the Saints and ground out that memorable win against Millwall.
And I don’t know any England fans who scratch their heads about his lack of caps. Heard of Frank Lampard? No I don’t like him either but different class to Nolan and scores twice as many goals.
Lastly, i don’t know if you go to games or just watch on the telly. He played well at Cardiff but was as awful on Wednesday as he has been for most of the season. When he is not scoring, he offers leadership but nothing else, and just makes poor Mark Noble have to continually do the work of two men. Write an article about Nobes as glowing as this one- he’s worthy of it.
Why keep banging on about Parker he gone!!! I for one never understood everybody raving about him! Yes he was the best player last season, but I would be compare to how the rest of the team performed.
Nolan was brought in to do a job, Motivate the team and score goals, I think your find he does both!!!
Nice article RichMayer, I too have been critical of Nolans work rate/contribution, but as you point out, he’s not Scottie P but nor is anyone else?
Mark Noble needs help in midfield, but Collisons off form, Matt Taylors been injured or out, as has Papa Booooopa, so is Nolan is a luxury West Ham can afford right now?
I have been critical or nolan and my mate as a Newcastle fan hated the fact they lost nolan, I personally think he done well for Newcastle in the championship because they had a better team than us, I believe the reason he hasn’t shone is because every other team has come to upton park and shut up shop
If there is any doubt now that we have Danny Collins, leave Nolan out and put Tomkins in the middle alongside Noble, then lets see the difference. If there is one either positive or negative then the Doncaster game should show it. Team could be Green, O’Neill, Collins, Faye, McCartney,Demel,Tomkins, Noble, Taylor, Maynard, Lansbury. Keep the ball on the floor and use long balls as passes. If we win then we know the answer.
We should have saved the transfer fee and given Scott Parker a decent contract renewal. After last season it was ridiculous for Bolton Sam not to give Parker the Captain’s armband and a slap in the face for the 2010/11 Player of the year.
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