West Ham looks set to take over the mantle of skipper next season as the club look to offload Kevin Nolan among several others.
Nolan is already being seen as part of the club’s history and former boss Sam Allardyce’s departure appears to make that a certainty.
We were told: “Everything moves on and there will be several players moving out – Kevin among them – if the right opportunity comes along.”
We reported earlier today that Jussi Jaaskelainen,Carlton Cole and Guy Demel were on their way this summer but a source spoke to us later and said: “You can add Kevin to the list. He’s in the last year of his deal here and will be allowed to move on.”
Mark Noble will immediately pick up the armband although Cheik Kouyate has his admirers.
However,we were told: “Mark has always been the guy earmarked as the next captain and that could be at the start of the new season.
“We need to make room in the wage budget for the next generation of playersas we head for the Olympic Stadium.”
I think a new captain is a certainty but I’d say it’ll be the new manager who hands out the armband. As for Nolan after taking over from the awful Upson he did a good job as skipper,I feel sorry that fans will only think of the link between him and the hippo,the latter being the one who kept picking him when it was obvious he was passed his best. A player coach role lower down the leagues would suit him.
Not nicking your idea bubs just agreeing with it
Yep,time for Nolan to move on.Go back to Bolton.Lennon likes an golden oldie or two,Heskey,Gudjohnsen.you will love it there Kevin 😉
Definately time for Nolan to move on.Dont see how anyone can deciede Noble will be captain though until the new guy takes over.He may have other ideas.But this is all part of the clubs ‘local lad’ taking us into the brand new era & move to the OS.Noble will need to buck his ideas up to even get into the team next year if the last 5 months are anything to go by 😉
It’s been obvious for a while he is way past his sell by date. Time to clean house. It’s a shame we are lumbered with Maiga again. Another gem thanks to the Genius.
That’s strange… Sam is gone and his favourite sons want to leave West Ham… I’m not insinuating anything, it’s just a strange coincidence… I never had a doubt about the impartiality of Sam… lol
Haha You’re right Matte the genius had no favourites. What about poor little Joey he’s only just discovered a hippo doesn’t have a pouch lol
ahah… poor Joey… If Sam should fail as manager (but I think it’s impossible) he could take up a career as talent scout… lol
Sadly Matte the only talent the genius knows is his own
Well, then maybe the talent scout career doesn’t suit him.. lol
May be when “Mr West Ham” understands to pass the ball to someone else wearing the same coloured shirt he may be captain material !
We know that he is a dead duck but nor sure about Noble,maybe this is what he needs as a wake up call,
We could even buy a new captain if we bring in a leader ?
If some one like Song had come full time he would have made a good captain,
Im surprised Nolan hasnt been heaping praise on Hippo since he left all over the media.He seems very quiet.Maybe still sulking or i have missed his love-in atricles.I do try to avoid Sams favourites great words of wisdom about their ex-genius boss.Maybe he is playing in the paddling pool at Sams villa & doesnt have the time 😉
Conkerpot must be walking the streets of Sciliy dressed in black.I dont know if he will ever recover if hippo & nolan leave,lol 😉
ahah.. now Conker no longer has a spiritual leader … A top secret source told me he is in a convent in Palermo, he needs to find himself… lol
Matte you never said she was a nun,you kept that quite conkerpot is a Lady ?
Nolan actually never came out in the weeks before his demise and backed him,
Is there a family rift,is Nolan actually adopted ?
Carrolls young lady will never want to leave Essex for Newcastle,in Newcastle if you say yoga they say no we like full English or porridge non of the Greek rubbish,
ahah… It’s an hot news Bubs… lol
I have always been a geat admirer of mark noble. True blue west ham player and natural captain .
I now have serious doubts as to his ability as captain . Note when he was captain when nolan was out, he never raised his game or got the team to perform on the field .
While I appreciate the owners to want to have him around to lead us onto os pitch , sadly dont think he is up to it . I hope I am wrong.
I would prefer to give the captaincy to winston reid . Winston has been with west ham long enough to be considered home grown .
I’ve been saying for a while that I think we may come to regret the juicy 6 year contract we gave Noble. I don’t think he’s good enough if we really want to step it up a level and he hasn’t had a stand out game in ages.
Good Riddance to Nolan , We can certainly do without him.
He should not even be playing professional football , just not good enough , send him to the conference , which I doubt a side would sign him up.
Any chance Elpo of taking Carroll with him?
Noble deserves a new chance he went from England possible to people thinking he is not good enough for the first team,BFS destroyed NoblesSeason when he put the pressure of carrying Nolan when he came back in the team it also brought a drop in performance of Song who had a lot more experience then Noble,
I would also give the arm band to Reid who has now committed his career to the club
when I suggested this in Jan I was shot down because people said they had not seen any leadership in his makeup,like many things confidence and training can help bring this out
I prefer captains that are defenders or even goalkeepers as they see the whole game and very really take a break un like forwards and wingers,
There are no natural leaders other wise unless we buy one when we bring new people in
Fair enough and good points. My concern with Reid is that he gets booked too often.
Kouyate could be a leader i reckon 🙂
Bad idea to make Noble skipper , worse than giving him 5 yr contract .not good enough to be a regular starter .
One day someone will write a book about the Allardyce era at West Ham and I’m sure there was more to it than meets the eye. It’s a difference what players and managers say in public or what they are saying in the dressing room, on the training pitch or at home.
Maybe it is true that Nolan was a great leader in the dressing room, keeping things together, helping new players to settle in.
Or it may have been that everybody simply knew or had to learn the hard way that Nolan would play regularly and would run the show in the dressing room because the gaffer wanted it that way.
What’s the point if you are a player, desperate to get a chance, rocking the boat ?
Maybe the team thought: What’s the point ?
Not talking about the first few years here, but surely season just gone…
Yes H,valid point i reckon.We will find out in time.Players always seem to open their mouths eventually about the old boss or the dressing room as it was.Usually when praising the new manager & kissing his butt,saying how wonderful he is compared to the old regime 😉
Very interesting point hamburg
Nolan has been good for the club top scorer in 3 seasons but this season has seen him fade, so time for him to drop down a league, fans forget the fact if it wasn’t for him we might still be trying to fight out of the championship. It astounds me that Noble got a long contract as he has been dog **** this year much worse than Nolan, but the local boy swerves all the abuse Nolan gets, as for making him captain, i would put him on the list with all the other dead wood
He aint swerved the abuse at all No6.Maybe you just choose to read what you want to.I said at the top of the page he has been poor this season.State facts,not what suits you 😀
he has swerved the abuse all season, only recently has he got stick, well done you for pointing out he’s been poor, it would be hard to miss such a fact. and i read the main post and that’s what i commented on,
Sorry No.6 but i have said for the last 5 or 6 momths Noble has been off his game & giving him this long contract was crazy.Still,believe what you want to believe 😉
No6 Noble was being tipped for England for the first 2 months of the season then his form dipped and he got his fair share of criticism on this site for it,
The reason for that dip in form came when the style of play changed,and Song also sore his form dip as well which cost us,
I don’t know how often you read the post on this site but there are no favourites here if you act like a prat you are called a prat if you talk good sense then the people reading treat you with respect, we all make mistakes but you have to be big enough to admit it
Not having a pop mate just saying it as it is