No room for Nolan??

.................Big CF
Jonas........................Ben Arfa
.......Nolan...Tiote..Barton

I personally think that midfield would be ****ing awesome - creativity, strength, speed, skill!

 

This.

 

Yep Nolan is a real headache for Pardew. He has a real goalscorer instinct and this season has been one of his best , including his time at Bolton. But we all have to agree he can't even get an assist for our strikers and defensively he is very poor. I was watching a replay of the Blackpool match the other day and I was really shocked by his defensive play: most of the time the Blackpool players were getting past him as if he wasn't there. Unless we find a prolific goalscorer, he'll maybe feature in the team but I'm afraid we'll have to play 4-5-1 or maybe even 3-5-2

 

4-3-2-1 is my answer
Nolan Tiote and Barton in the same center midfield and Ben Arfa and Guitierrez providing movement, pace and quality behind the strikers and can pull wide when needed

 

I'd love to see this:


Barton --- Tiote --- Jonas

------Nolan - Ben Arfa----

--------New striker-------


Nolan AND Ben Arfa in the attacking midfield role behind the striker. Play them both to their biggest strengths.

They can drop back to help with CM duties alongside Tiote if needed, whilst Barton and Jonas play along the wings and track back when needed.

 

Nolan isnt the most technically gifted player but he can be creative. There's a difference. Take his pass against B'ham to Lovenkrands as an example. He created it through sheer awareness and vision, and it would have been an assist if there was a better striker on the end of it. Anyway, whatever people say about him he's still a legend, one of the few true grafters left in this division.

I guess he's just a player that will always divide opinion.