Pen Pusher66 wrote:
"Running around and working hard in midfield is a given".

Kouyate can do that but he's not available at the moment.

Noble can normally do that but is a bit shit at the moment.

Amalfitano can do that for about 10 or 15 minutes but no longer than that because he gets bored or something.

Poyet might be able to do that one day but is too young at the moment.

Jarvis is too scared to do that.

So Nolan is a first pick at the moment. He's also easily the most proficient striker of the ball at the club. If Robin Van Persie had hit the bar from an impossible angle the way Nolan did yesterday, when everyone else was turning away for a goalkick, they'd be saying, 'Only RVP could have tried that...'

Have I ever said that Nolan should be behind Poyet and Jarvis in the pecking order?

Did I say that Nolan should not have started yesterday?

Have I ever said that Amalfitano should get 90 minutes in a West Ham team without first making sure that said team has others in it who are capable of doing more of the 'donkey work' than you are likely to get from Morgan?

My simple fucking point, which I cannot believe a single person disagrees with, is that he is not the best all-round hardworking midfielder, he is not a defensive midfielder, he is not the best when it comes to controlling the ball and passing it or dribbling with it.  He is not the most creative.  His strengths are leadership and scoring, and given that I do not believe we are in massive need of leadership, and given that he is not scoring and plenty of others are, then I'd rather we saw a bit less of him.  Especially after the ACON when we will have another CM option.  And I really don't want to see Downing being moved out of position to accommodate him.