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Nicked from kumb
Filed: Wednesday, 28th September 2011
By: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Kevin
Nolan is failing on all counts at the moment. Apart from the
occasional good pass, I cannot identify anything that he is contributing
to the team.
Nine games into the season he does not look fit,
perhaps owing to time out in the close season from an operation. But if
that is the case, why play him every match, especially for the full 90
minutes?
We cannot carry passengers and, in his current state of fitness, Nolan
is exactly that: a passenger. That he is captain should not mean that
he is not held accountable. It seems that he is not held to the same
standard of scrutiny as other players and we are paying a steep price
for that.
For a start, including last night's game against Ipswich, he is too
often out of position, remaining forward and failing to track back. It
is as if he expects the rest of the midfield to do the hard graft. This
in total contrast to someone like Julien Faubert who is all over the
pitch every second that he is on it.
We are starting to get overrun in midfield, regardless of what formation
we play. This will allow any good passing team, especially one with the
likes of Bullard and Edwards, to pass us off the park. And when he
has tracked back, at times he just seems simply too slow. Is this down
to fitness or did Alan Pardew and Newcastle see something that we did
not?
When we have possession, where are Nolan’s runs into the box? Where is
his movement? All too often he looks frozen like a statue, content to
perhaps use his brawn and physical strength to give him an edge. Does
he ever look a threat in the opposition’s box? Rarely. Then how can he
justify remaining in such an advanced position so often,exposing the
rest of our midfield?
The next thing is the man's finishing. He has missed a number of very
presentable chances this season, notably against Forest, which
fortunately did not cost us. We spent a lot of money on this player
and are paying him very high wages. His immobility would be less of a
liability if found the back of the net.
Nolan also has a nasty habit of arguing the toss with referees and
linesmen to absolutely no effect. This was most evident against
Peterbrough. Alll that this does is galvanize opposition supporters and
players. It makes him and us look weak, as if we are babies throwing
our toys out of the pram.
A captain should maintain his discipline and keep his head, and on a
number of occasions he has already failed to do so. Is it any wonder
that fools like Piquionne get themselves sent off when our own captain's
discipline in in doubt at times? Being passionate and determined is
not about yelling at referees.
Our Achilles heel remains our defence of set pieces, which is woeful.
It's no coincidence that Bowyer’s winner resulted from a corner. Time
and again when we concede corners we look very vulnerable; there is no
excuse for this given the experience and physical presence we have.
Yet part of this is down to the captain, not just the manager. Surely
the captain, first and foremost, must ensure that we are well organized
in such situations. And if the opposition has one player who is
clearly pulling the strings, especially a midfielder like Bullard, then
surely the captain has to galvanize the troops to close that player down
and deny him time and space.
Finally, the dying minutes of a game is when you expect senior players
to stand up and be counted. To be professional and see it out. In
particular the captain. You expect all eleven players to be fully
switched on and not lacking an ounce of concentration. And who should
be marshalling the troops in those key final minutes? Nolan, of course.
Then why do we continue to concede not only late goals at the Boleyn
Ground that have cost us a total of four points against Cardiff, Leeds
and Ipswich? Clearly the captain of the side bears some responsibility
for this, especially given the scrappy, sloppy nature of some of these
goals. It’s not like we are conceding to great strikes or great
build-up. The nature of the goals we are conceding late in games is
incredibly poor.
Nolan clearly isn’t the quickest of players. Nor is he a spring
chicken. He can’t squeeze blood out of a stone. But surely he can put
in more committed and determined performances than he has thus far,and
surely he can make better use of his vast experience than he has thus
far in a West Ham shirt?
It’s sad to say, but this is the worst I have seen Nolan play in his
career. Is that what happens when you give a player a juicy long-term
deal and make him captain? Our current league position masks how poor
Nolan has been this season. But our points tally of just four points
from the last nine available exposes exactly how limited his
contribution has been.
Tend to agree with this geezer , maybe a rest for Nolan is needed and put him on the treadmill to get him up to fitness if its that thats missing
Filed: Wednesday, 28th September 2011
By: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Kevin
Nolan is failing on all counts at the moment. Apart from the
occasional good pass, I cannot identify anything that he is contributing
to the team.
Nine games into the season he does not look fit,
perhaps owing to time out in the close season from an operation. But if
that is the case, why play him every match, especially for the full 90
minutes?
We cannot carry passengers and, in his current state of fitness, Nolan
is exactly that: a passenger. That he is captain should not mean that
he is not held accountable. It seems that he is not held to the same
standard of scrutiny as other players and we are paying a steep price
for that.
For a start, including last night's game against Ipswich, he is too
often out of position, remaining forward and failing to track back. It
is as if he expects the rest of the midfield to do the hard graft. This
in total contrast to someone like Julien Faubert who is all over the
pitch every second that he is on it.
We are starting to get overrun in midfield, regardless of what formation
we play. This will allow any good passing team, especially one with the
likes of Bullard and Edwards, to pass us off the park. And when he
has tracked back, at times he just seems simply too slow. Is this down
to fitness or did Alan Pardew and Newcastle see something that we did
not?
When we have possession, where are Nolan’s runs into the box? Where is
his movement? All too often he looks frozen like a statue, content to
perhaps use his brawn and physical strength to give him an edge. Does
he ever look a threat in the opposition’s box? Rarely. Then how can he
justify remaining in such an advanced position so often,exposing the
rest of our midfield?
The next thing is the man's finishing. He has missed a number of very
presentable chances this season, notably against Forest, which
fortunately did not cost us. We spent a lot of money on this player
and are paying him very high wages. His immobility would be less of a
liability if found the back of the net.
Nolan also has a nasty habit of arguing the toss with referees and
linesmen to absolutely no effect. This was most evident against
Peterbrough. Alll that this does is galvanize opposition supporters and
players. It makes him and us look weak, as if we are babies throwing
our toys out of the pram.
A captain should maintain his discipline and keep his head, and on a
number of occasions he has already failed to do so. Is it any wonder
that fools like Piquionne get themselves sent off when our own captain's
discipline in in doubt at times? Being passionate and determined is
not about yelling at referees.
Our Achilles heel remains our defence of set pieces, which is woeful.
It's no coincidence that Bowyer’s winner resulted from a corner. Time
and again when we concede corners we look very vulnerable; there is no
excuse for this given the experience and physical presence we have.
Yet part of this is down to the captain, not just the manager. Surely
the captain, first and foremost, must ensure that we are well organized
in such situations. And if the opposition has one player who is
clearly pulling the strings, especially a midfielder like Bullard, then
surely the captain has to galvanize the troops to close that player down
and deny him time and space.
Finally, the dying minutes of a game is when you expect senior players
to stand up and be counted. To be professional and see it out. In
particular the captain. You expect all eleven players to be fully
switched on and not lacking an ounce of concentration. And who should
be marshalling the troops in those key final minutes? Nolan, of course.
Then why do we continue to concede not only late goals at the Boleyn
Ground that have cost us a total of four points against Cardiff, Leeds
and Ipswich? Clearly the captain of the side bears some responsibility
for this, especially given the scrappy, sloppy nature of some of these
goals. It’s not like we are conceding to great strikes or great
build-up. The nature of the goals we are conceding late in games is
incredibly poor.
Nolan clearly isn’t the quickest of players. Nor is he a spring
chicken. He can’t squeeze blood out of a stone. But surely he can put
in more committed and determined performances than he has thus far,and
surely he can make better use of his vast experience than he has thus
far in a West Ham shirt?
It’s sad to say, but this is the worst I have seen Nolan play in his
career. Is that what happens when you give a player a juicy long-term
deal and make him captain? Our current league position masks how poor
Nolan has been this season. But our points tally of just four points
from the last nine available exposes exactly how limited his
contribution has been.
Tend to agree with this geezer , maybe a rest for Nolan is needed and put him on the treadmill to get him up to fitness if its that thats missing
