Robbo Di Robbio wrote:
If you can't see what Nolan brings to the team it's likely that you don't watch games properly. He is always available for the second shot if the main striker misses, and he is a massive influence on the team. He isn't scoring as much this season mainly because the strikers we have are doing a much more effective job but he is still there in case. Obviously he's not getting any younger, and his time will pass but he has been massive.

It seems that there are two main views on this. There is the view that we should play Morrison because he has flair, let's get a day out at the FA cup even if we get relegated because we can win more games in the CCC, never mind the fact that we are much higher up the league this year and Allardyce is ruining the West Ham way. Against that there is the belief that results in the PL are incomparably more important than winning the cup, every place we finish up the table is an achievement, relegation would be a total disaster and players like Nolan are crucial elements of team spirit. It is possible I am in a very small minority in agreeing with Hodgson that Mascherano is at least as important to a club's success as Ronaldo or Messi. But we are where we are because of Nolan and the other BFS signings not despite it.
(1)  I fully accept that judging the running and work that midfielders do can be hard, especially on TV.

(2)  I fully accept that even if a midfielder looks like he is doing nothing then even a bit of running and 'getting in the way', even if he doesn't make a single tackle all game, can be valuable.

(3)  What do midfielders do and what should they do -

Work hard.  Nolan may well do this but I don't especially nitice him as especially hard working.  And even if he is then this should be a given.
Tackle.  Nolan doesn't seem to tackle much
Find space and be available.  Again, should be a given and I don't think he is particularly good at this.
Simple passes.    Again, should be a given and I don't think he is particularly good at this.
Final / key passes.  He doesn't do this.
Dribbling.  Nope
Scoring.  This is his key skill.

(4)  "He is always available for the second shot if the main striker misses, and he is a massive influence on the team."  Is that the best you can do?  He is a goal-hanging second striker (who we don't seem to need when the team has goals in it, and he ain't even doing very well at that this season) and he is a massive influence (what the fuck do you mean by that?)

He is not shit.  He has a role.  But he lacks energy, passing, tackling.  With two of Kayoute, Song and Noble fit I fail to see why we would need him for his defensive abilities.  With three of Sakho, Downing, Amalfitano and Valencia fit I fail to see why we need him for his attacking abilities.  He has a role, but we have better players.

I am not sure anyone, apart from maybe the mad monk, thinks its a choice between morrisson and nolan.