The West Bromwich Albion game on Saturday saw the return of West Ham United captain, Kevin Nolan following 2 games out with a broken foot. But did Sam Allardyce’s men miss him when he wasn’t in the side?
Nolan started the season well for the Hammers, following on from an outstanding season in the Championship last season. He remains our top scorer, with 6 goals this campaign, however, his form seems to have dropped off somewhat since around November.
There is no doubt he brings more to the team than just goals, but in footballing ability, he strikes me as a bit of a passenger in games. The main thing that he contributes from midfield, that being a goalscoring threat, has not really materialised since the festive period.
Don’t get me wrong, I still think he is a key member of the squad, but I believe that should a player who plays the attacking midfield role becomes available, then we need to seriously consider that player, and look to replace Nolan.
Nolan seemed to have a good relationship with the Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United fans when he played for those clubs, however, it strikes me that he doesn’t seem to have the same ‘connection’ with us Hammers. Has he got himself a reputation as a lazy player? One thing is for sure, I’m not so sure that we missed him in our game at Stoke City, and I doubt he would have made much difference in the game at Chelsea. Our home form has been good so the win against West Brom appears to have been a coincidence – Nolan didn’t have a hand in any of the goals now did he?!
I will always be grateful for the way Nolan spearheaded our return to the English Premier League, but I think his time might be up as a first team regular. In the current footballing world, where successful teams can play up to 50 games in a season, Nolan would be a very useful squad player – does he do enough to warrant a start every week? I’m not so sure…..
COME ON YOU IRONS!!
By Chelmo Hammer
Follow me on Twitter: @ChelmoHammer
I wholeheartedly agree with you pal. I think he’s well last his best and to be honest I can’t understand why the fans give him a standing ovation every time he leaves the pitch. His touch his poor, ball retention even worse and let’s be honest the goals have dried up. While I’m thankful to him and Allardyce for last year (and to a degree this), I think both of them should move on. If Sam stays, then Nolan plays – simple. My £600 a season isn’t spent to watch terrible tactics and poor players that carry these out for the manager. Sam also doesn’t play youth, Demel over Spence? Please. For me, both Allardyce and Nolan stand for things that West Ham don’t and, for that reason alone, I’d like to see them both move on. Our future is bright, do we really need them?
quite agree with both of you
Maybe a bit harsh on Sam…he’s done a good job..If Spence was good enough he would be strait in like Glen Johnson was..Nolan plays his part..but has looked poor since xmas..
That was kind of my point Chris, he wouldn’t be in like Glen Johnson was. He had a blinding game against Utd in the cup and hasn’t featured again since. You don’t play, you don’t develop. Look at Sam’s record of developing youth, non existent – and I’m not just talking about with us. He’s already stated he wants to look at “older big nams” for next season. At West Ham, developing talent is what we do – along with playing attractive football. Winning is important, but the manner in which you do is even more so. Just think about Tonks too – he’ll be off to develop his career is Sam stays
Did we miss him ???????? Are you joking !!! Poor touch, no pace, tired legs, limited awareness and more interested in blocking keepers and whingeing at refs. Poor player past his best and any other manager than Allardyce would have called time on his Hammers career at the end of this season.
Ive said for most of the season that weve played sometimes with 10 men when Nolan has had one of his (many) ineffective games, and it cries out for a young, fit pair of legs to get in amongst things and make things happen…I can but wish !!!
Nolan is past his best he is good for morale and should be used as motivator .
BFS should go with our thanks but do we really want another year of hoofing the ball to a sole striker who has to hold the ball up to bring others into the game.
Success is not staying in the premiership playing awful football, success is delivering the product the paying customers want, and watching our home grown talent develop.
Nobs the lot of ya, we’re playin decent enough, and sometimes long ball into the danger area can be exciting (more exciting than knocking it sideways in our own half like we were before SA). Would you rather we were like Reading??? Even if you say yes you know as well as I you would be moaning west ham were poor for some other reason.
We just got promoted, hardly strengthened at all since we were relegated and have almost achieved staying up 8 games early.
All we need to do is stay up & get the cash in by the time the stadium is ready, then we’ll secure investors and be bigger than we ever dreamed. SA will get us there but you want to risk it for some rookie like Di Canio !!! Think before you type, who is this manager wizard who will come in, play total footy and keep us in the prem on virtually no money??
Really good post. Totally stand beside you on all of that. We dreamed of being solid and stable when Grant was in charge. We dreamed of going straight back up when Allardyce took over (don’t wanna hear about the money we spent doing it, look at Leicester). Now we’ve got all that, and Sam gets a bashing.
We play well at home. Which means we CAN play well away too. We just haven’t mastered that yet. He hardly spent this season aside from Jarvis. Give him a fair chance, he hasn’t let us down yet. A few major ego tweaks and he could be a great all-round manager.
I’m more upset with Sullivan’s comments today about Di Canio. Think it’s disgusting how he can’t button his lip and jumped on the media band wagon. Very angry and disappointed. Nolan is the least of my worries.
Exactly! Couldn’t have put it better myself! I just don’t know sometimes what some people want!
Meanwhile in the real world we should trust Big Sam and just get on with it!
He may not be perfect and yes there are of course more than a few questions to be answered, but this is not the time to be asking them!
They will have to be answered when we move into the OS! And the type and just how many will depend on what kind of team we have when we get there! COYI!
Hams
Common sense at last, too many dreamers support this team, thinking moneys a bottomless pit, and as for sticking your arse in to the keeper and moaning at the ref somebodys got to do it, and hes still our top goalscorer you geniuses, more than worth his place, it aint all about fancy football somebodys go to do the grinding.
What is this have a go at Kevin Nolan – it wouldn’t be hard to beat Stoke after all they not playing that clever are they?
We have done well this season & especially when he is on the pitch with Andy Carroll.
if you think I am wrong you all must have sawdust between your ears.
Totally agree with you pam! Nolan may not be the most gifted footballer but that just misses the point! Nolan is one of those players who is greater than the sum of his parts. He brings far more than goals and chicken dances! He is an ideal captain and a leader both on and off the field. He is also a strong character on the pitch that won’t be bullied And apart from anything else he may just be the key in keeping Andy Carroll at the club! So think on! COYI!
Some good points made here but lets get it right we were in danger of doing a portsmouth. G & S saved us financially but BS has got us up at the 1st go and we look to be safe now in the PL. Nolan does look a passenger at the moment but someone who has scored goals season after season does not become a bad player over night. The goals will come and lets not forget how important his goals early in the season are to us. All managers have players that follow them about Brian Clough had the same philosophy as BS he used to pick up older players who had lost their way and get them back to top form. Look at last year Vaz Ta whose goals got us promoted, Obrien who has been important and reliable this season. I speak with a Bolton fan regulary and he insists that Bolton got better every year under BS and if we have patience I believe he is the man to lead us into the OS. we have to be real he is improving us on a budget and you sometimes have to win ugly just like Man Utd did at Sunderland last week.
I forgot Nolan was playing against WBA. He is the most useless member of the whole team and he does absolutely nothing. A couple of games ago Vaz Te was brought off the bench to play in the middle, he changed the game for us and was the reason we won. Jack Collison is also far better playing that role than Nolan but neither are given a chance there. Kevin Nolan is past it. Sam’s favoritism is holding the club back. We could be in a far better league position if we were playing our best 11.
Sam has done a great job in the 2 seasons he’s had..no way is he my choice as the long term man…my love for Di canio means he’s my choice after Sam depending how he does up Sunderland…but people have very short memories…Paolo went missing in at least half the games he played for us…Nolan does an effective job…he is Sam’s voice on the pitch..that’s why he plays…plus where does this hoofball crap come from?? What do people watch??do people want a safe pair of very experienced hands like allardyce…or a completely untested rookie like paolo…come on get real…and as for tonks…he’s being kept out by James Collins who does make the odd mistake but if anyone honestly thinks tonks is England material then I’m worried as to what kind of knowledgeable football fans we have at west ham…we aint got time to play youth…that west ham is gone..its now attract as many big names as we can ti make sure that the next wealthy Arab flys by in his private jet thinks yeah west ham..Olympic stadium…I can make some investment there
I am sorry but comparing Nolan to PDC is just ridiculous. I am a ST holder and we do play boring hoofball aside from a few games where we have done what we did against WBA and played football. What do you mean we haven’t got time for youth? Jordan Spence, Jack Collison and James Tomkins should all be starting week in week out, Sam doesn’t want that. Attract big names? What like Joey O’Brien, Gary O’Neill, Jussi and Nolan. Sams done a great job of attracting big names so far. James Collins has lost us 5 games due to his own errors. James Tomkins and Winston Reid were class last season and Reidy has been our best player this season along with Diame, if you don’t believe Tonks could have produced similar performances then you must have been watching another team last season.
Nolans a joke…some posts here from Gooners and Spuds I reckon taking the piss. As long as has beens like him are played week in week out then god help us
I wasnt comparing Nolan to Di canio..just saying that Nolan does the job Sam puts him out there to do…I’ve been a season ticket holder since 95..without missing a game..tomkins needs championship football to make him look good..his positioning as a central defender is a joke,avram signed Gary o Neill not allardyce..joey o brien has been outstanding this season jack collison only has one knee so he couldn’t play everyweek