Nolan

I know this had been mentioned a few times on the old 606, but in a full strength team do you think Nolan has a place?
With rumours of Ireland set to sign in the next few days, who would probably play behind Carroll as Nolan has previously, and with Ben Arfa returning hopefully in just over a months time there will obviously be a greater competition in midfield and Nolan seems most likely to me to be dropped.
What are you thoughts, any ideas for our midfield/attack formation in a fully fit squad?

 

Cant drop him, capable in midfield and I'd like to see Ireland be on course for a 20 goal season.

In our best XI, I'd say the front 6 should certainly be:

Barton----------Nolan----------Tiote----------Jonas


-------------------Ben Arfa
---------------------------Carroll

Ireland cant do any of their jobs better than they can. Nolan - goals/leadership, Tiote - tackler/passer, Barton - passer/crosser, Jonas - dribbler/natural winger, Ben Arfa - flair/creativity

 

I know he doesn't do as much as our other CM's in terms of slick link up play or ball winning but you cant argue with hsi goals return and work rate, even though that stops about 75 minutes in when he looks as though he's going to pass out.

I would keep him in purely for his goals and its not like his other aspects of midfield play are terrible, just not excellent.

 

I reckon Nolan will retain place and ben arfa will play left with new signing or jonas right, having said that if he has a few bad games there's nothing to stop him being dropped and moving benny in behind carroll. Nolan loves the toon and has a class attitude and he's bagged some goals this season.

Can someone tell me how to get your feature picture at the side, i can't seem to do it. Cheers.

 

Stephen Ireland seems like the most pointless signing in recent memory. I wouldn't drop him for Kevin Nolan so its hard for me to see where he fits in. I'm flummoxed tbh...

 

I agree here as I said yesterday I'm quite against Ireland coming but I think it will happen

 

You go to settings, then change avatar i think? it's not profile picture like I thought, that's just for your member page

 

Ive always been of the opinion that Nolan offers very little in central midfield, having said that I wouldnt drop him because he is fantastic at putting the ball in the back of the net and his presence on the pitch benefits us so much, hes a fantastic captain and the team looks happier and more comorfortable when hes on the pitch.

 

At first I did want Nolan dropped(start of the season I thought he was a past it & wouldn't get anywhere near the goals he got in the Championship but I've been brightly shocked!!!)

He now has 10 goals in 20 EPL games.. and that is a brilliant return for a AM/CM(He's played in the CM role more times than the AM one.. so that's even more surprising!

He's got good strength, a fantastic goalscorer & he's basically captain fantastic!
But he still lacks real technique & skill, hasn't got that much pace, sometimes slows our play down, lacks stamina and certainly can't last the 90 mins by any means.

Regardless of that, he should always be in the team.. ''he's a proper leader on the pitch & of it''

Harper
Simpson Colo Willo Enrique
Barton Nolan Tiote Guti
Arfa/Ireland
Carroll

That's what I'll like to see!

 

Harper
Simpson Taylor Colo Enrique
Barton Nolan Tiote Guti
Ben Arfa
Carroll

 

Completely agree 100% to everything, mind you if we were to sign a quality striker I would probably go 4-4-2 and drop Jonas for Arfa. Depending on form at the time of course.

 

Agree with Smudger's team.

 

Cheers I'll give it a shot!

 

Yeah, Sam Allardyce said he's a decent central midfielder but he's really at his most effective in the box.

Perhaps the only thing i'll ever agree with SA on.

 

I wondered at the start of the season of Hughton could drop him as he wasn't firing on all cylinders as he had done in the CCC.

He's fairly undroppable at the moment...

 

I wouldn't drop him, the last few games he's been the best I've seen him with general play and you can't argue with his goal tally from mainly CM!

 

And the fact that hes good enough to manage Real Madrid of course, no-one could disagree with that surely!

 

I wouldn't play Benny behind Andy. Nolan has done fantastic this season netting 10 goals. 4 against the mackems of course I would prefer Barton to be pushed inside with Tiote and but Benny on the right, so he can cut inside and smash a few shots at goal.

 

Besides Ireland is in alarmingly bad form this season, dont see why he would warrant an automatic start even in Nolan lost form.

 

puzzled by the ireland rumours for one reason he's no better than what we have,you wouldn't drop any of our midfield for him when they are fit meaning he is a squad player at best