Guest Post by Rugby Irons
It’s obviously different watching the whole game for real as you see the whole picture and not just where the ball is.Yesterday I watched the game in a home part of the ground so obviously had to be smart.Inthe past I have slated Kevin Nolan so I took it on myself to do a Nolanwatch.Considering opta thinks he runs more in a game than anyone else I had to challenge this.Sohere goes.Itlooked early on as if he was supposed to be up behind Sahko but he spent the first fifteen minutes sauntering around the middle fifth of the pitch not really involved.They then scored and missed a penalty.
As the Captain, he offerred nothing in encouraging the players to fight back.I think he’s a bottler and on fourteen minutes a ball was up in the air to be challenged and he turned his back and chickened out.I’ve noticed this previously with Nolan,he never now puts in any type of real tackle.He is not prepared to get hurt for the team.£50k a week and wont even tackle!
Five minutes later he loses possession again from being non committed and they get another shot off.Bynow Sakho was winning every header but Nolan was no where for the flickons.He seemed twenty yards behind the play and wasn’t getting any ball.He had virtually stopped running and then with his only notable contribution in an hours play he missed a sitter of a header.A peach of a cross and all he had to do was head it,but he tried to be clever and a gilt edge chance went way wide, £50k a week for that!By now we were well on top with a series of possessions that Nolan just wasn’t involved in.We had levelled by now and despite the usual hard graft from Noble with decent support from Song and Koyoute we were bossing the half but Nolan hardly got a touch.Even when he wanted the ball the others wouldn’t risk playing it into him.
After another inspirational halftime talk from Allardyce ,Leicester came out and dominated for 20 minutes! Sakho was stopped from winning the flick ons which gave us a real problem.Firstly Nolan was ten yards further up the pitch for the flick ons around 25 yards out but by losing these headers he was now stranded 40 yards from where the ball was.Ashe is so slow at halfheartedly trying to get back the Foxes kept pushing us back.On the hour he gave the ball away again and created another chance for them.Atthis point we were being overrun and even Allardyce had seen enough and took him off.The impact was almost immediate as Almafitano picked up the ball ran at their defence and the ball ended up being struck against their post.
So having seen it for myself it was pretty obvious why we have become a middle not top team.The Lampard,Gerrards,Mata,Toures of the Premier add work,presence and goals.Watching Nolan as a sixty minute passenger was painful.I appreciate like Allardyce they have seen better days but at £50k a week its just not on,for either of them.Yesterday you could see why Leicester were bottom of the league.We should have had the game won by halftime but Allardyces insistence on setting up so poorly asks huge questions on his own ability to manage. Which brings us nicely to him bringing on Cole.He lost the ball on his first involvement and then had the ball bounce over him for the next before falling over a defender because he’s another one who won’t put in a real tackle.Waiting for Cole to put in a decent challenge is like waiting for a Nolan goal.For Cole,in his fifteen minutes he made no contribution at all,nothing! Same as against Sunderland its like he wasn’t even on the field? Considering Nene was a better option, and once again abused by Allardyce for another one minute appearance, you have to ask why?
Be under no illusions yesterday was a very winnable game but picking Nolan and then Cole shows that Allardyce is just going through the motions and has no intention of really earning his £3m a year.With Gold saying he will not put him on gardening leave which is another questinable decision, it’s going to be a very flat end of season,to which Mr Gold you have to be judged on too.Every game Allardyce is in charge is costing you money and the team credibility.Put the supporters first and give us hope.