So with the latest news coming out of West Ham that Kevin Nolan could be out for up to eight weeks after picking up an injury (suspected broken foot) against Spurs on Monday what does this mean for West Ham? Is this a good thing or is it bad news? After all Kevin Nolan is the club captain.
After a few months of lost form Kevin Nolan has experienced some criticism from the West Ham faithful and some referring to Nolan as the “Undroppable Player” under Sam Allardyce.
However the fact still remains that Kevin Nolan is a quality player and a player West Ham need at the moment as the end of the season is closing in and West Ham have had a major dip in form, currently being only six points clear of the relegation zone. With goals proving hard to come by at West Ham this season and with Kevin Nolan currently being our top goal scorer this shows his worth to the West Ham first team. Also his excellent understanding with Andy Carroll could be vital coming into the closing stages if we are to pick up more goals and look to move away from the relegation zone.
So what will happen in the worst case scenario?
Well if Nolan is out for up to eight weeks it leaves a gap in the middle of the park.
·Jack Collinson is a central midfielder that was on the bench against Spurs that I was surprised didn’t come on when Nolan went off injured. Collinson has had his own injury problems this season but he is a good player that can cover Nolan and he has a eye for a goal for two himself
·You could pull Joe Cole back into the centre of the park and play Vaz Te as a wide player that can cut in and help support Carroll
·Then there is the final option which I have heard a lot of West Ham fans calling for and that is to revert back to playing two strikers and with a squad with a heavy load of strikers this may be the best option and gives the opposing teams of upcoming matches something to think about
Personally I feel that Gary O’Neil isn’t good enough and only hinders the team. Matty Taylor came on for Kevin Nolan against Spurs which came as a surprise to me as Taylor is nothing more than a winger. I can see Big Sam playing Tomkins in the middle of the park but as we have found out this season Tomkins struggles playing in this position.
I hope that Kevin Nolan can battle on through the pain barrier with the help of pain killer injections and I am sure if this is an option then Nolan will take it. We need our strongest team and Nolan is a part of that in my opinion, he has the experience to grind out results and ensure the younger players also have committment to the cause.
Let’s hope it’s not as bad as first feared.