FIVE Kevin Nolan alternatives West Ham should consider
Kevin Nolan over his four seasons at the club has had many critiques.
Brought in and utilised consistently without fail by Big Sam, many have grown tired of the Scouser and now are looking at new talent to fill his spot. With Allardyce’s contract coming to an end at the close of this campaign, will the era of Allardyce and Nolan come to its final conclusion?
It isn’t far fetched to assume that if Big Sam leaves, Nolan may be shown the door also. Therefore, we should look for alternatives to fill his role. There has been a large amount of talk over Allardyce replacements, but many have forgotten about Nolan; who could also leave should a new man be in charge.
Nolan has been frustrating to say the least. Nevertheless, I do not feel we should forget the positive influence he has had on the club. He has been a great captain at times, and has provided a catalogue of important goals that have contributed to the position as a club we are in today.
However, with his age and evidently low fitness levels, I do believe that his time should be up at the club.
Therefore, without further ado… here are five men that could fill the West Ham’s captains shoes…
Click here to reveal the five
Peter Whittingham
Being at the age of 30 and playing the most part of his career in the Championship, many would question as to why he would be a good suit for West Ham.
Firstly, his versatility is something that would be very useful for a Premier League outfit. He can play on both wings, as a second striker, and furthermore as his most favoured position at the heart of the midfield. He has consistently provided countless goals and assists since joining the Bluebirds back in 2007.
Throughout the 2013/14 campaign he proved he could play at the top level, once again being one of Cardiff’s key players. With a good few years left in him, he could be a bargain buy that could become a great utility player for us.
He has been overlooked a lot throughout his career, but maybe West Ham could take a risk with him and prove that he really can consistently perform at this level. He isn’t just a Championship player.
The likes of Rickie Lambert have proved that you should not be dismissed because you’ve played the most part of your career in lower divisions. Whittingham’s knack for controlling the tempo of a game and having great vision could turn out to be a perfect fit with strikers such as Sakho and Valencia within our ranks.
Is he worth the punt? I’d argue yes!
Will Hughes
Another Championship player, however of a much more appealing age. At only 19 years of age, he has already proved to be a key player for Derby, already recording an amazing 116 appearances at this age – and he’s only going to get better.
With Derby fighting for promotion, he is already in touching distance of the Premier League. He is a very technically gifted player, and thus someone that I’m sure the West Ham faithful would really warm to. He has often been described as a ‘flair player,’ providing support to his strikers.
Hughes has a bright future, and although Derby are unlikely to let him go on the cheap, it is definitely worth a shot. With the move to the Olympic Stadium on the horizon, could Hughes feature as a key part of our success?
Time will tell whether Hughes will reach the potential many expect of him. Nevertheless, I feel he is definitely deserving of a shot in this league. He could prove to be a great player in years to come.
With no Ravle Morrison now, and if Nolan leaves, Hughes has a great opportunity to come into our side and prove his worth for a premier league outfit. That is of course, if West Ham actually want to bring the young star in.
James Ward-Prowse
At 20 years of age, Ward-Prowse has already asserted himself in the Premier League.
Breaking into the Southampton first team last season as a regular starter, he has impressed many and is viewed as one of the best English prospects of his generation.
Whilst maybe being slightly unrealistic as Southampton would unlikely let him leave for any reasonable price, in the world of football you never know and we could be missing a gem here. At West Ham he could come in and become a vital part to our potential success.
He’s a great talent and has bags of potential. If West Ham can finance the deal, why not give it a go? I am sure he would be successful at West Ham, and his creative style of play would only bring a good response from the West Ham faithful.
Being a certain future England international, you can’t deny he has the talent to be an integral part of our side. Throughout this Allaryce era, we have seen an array of 30+ year old players take up the majority of our 1st XI.
It seems there has been a shift in attitude of the chairman’s this past year and maybe Ward-Prowse would be the perfect fit for this newfound perspective.
George Boyd
At 29 years of age he has only this season proved himself as a Premier League player.
However, the versatile midfielder has asserted himself as one of Burnley’s key players this year.
He may not be the best option to look at on this list, but is a useful player that could be a good starter or an effective back-up. Amalfitano was another player many people questioned buying. However, he has proved to the West Ham faithful he still has bags of quality when we need it most.
I’m not going to suggest that Boyd would definitely be the perfect fit for us. Nevertheless, depending on our financial situation, he could be a useful player to get on the cheap.
He wouldn’t cost much so even if it weren’t to work out, so therefore I think it could be worth a go, as there’s no doubt that on his day he can battle with the best.
In any case, he’s got to be better than Nolan…surely?
Kevin Mirallas
Although strictly not a central midfielder, preferring the wing or being part of the front line, he has proven his versatility. If the diamond is utilised next season also, he could slot in behind the strikers playing in that attacking midfield role right at the tip.
He is at the prime of his career, and has proven time and time again for the Scouse outfit his undeniable talent. Rumours have suggested West Ham are interested in the Belgium international, and I would be more than happy to see him join us at the Boleyn.
I personally feel he is a great player, he has already proved this against us throughout this seasons fixtures. He has proved himself to be a quality Premier League star throughout the past few seasons. The quality he possesses is something that could win us games that may have slipped by us this campaign.
With a few more players like Mirallas in our side, I think it’s a more realistic ambition to aim for Europe. With the hype surrounding our amazing start to the season, we have fallen short since the New Year. As the saying goes, West Ham has once again come down with the Christmas decorations.
I can’t say I know the full extent of how strong and legitimate these rumours linking the Everton player with a move to us really are, but I definitely hope they are true. His killer instincts along with his versatility are just what we need.
I don’t think there would be many fans that would choose Kevin Nolan over the tricky Belgian. Therefore, he would be an ideal replacement if the Geordie were to leave; we’d be improving which is just what this club needs.
With the move to the Olympic Stadium lurking, its time for West Ham to finally become a club that will compete for the ultimate prizes in English football. Signing Mirallas in my books shows some real intent to move forward. This is something that until the signings we brought in last year, I had not seen in recent times.