Kevin Nolan having medical at west ham

[Broxi1872 183]

He's there new captain

[King Jela 20,361]

Leaving a big club, you're captaining, at your peak, to a decent size club, in a lower league, at your peak - why the fuck would you do that ?

[WaltersGotStyle 160]

Leaving a big club, you're captaining, at your peak, to a decent size club, in a lower league, at your peak - why the fuck would you do that ?

One reason.... Big Sam

[King Jela 20,361]

One reason.... Big Sam

Still though, its like being top goal scorer at Man United and then dropping down to a relegation fighting Sunderland just because you like the manager there. Crazy stuff.

[pcbear 10,913]

Leaving a big club, you're captaining, at your peak, to a decent size club, in a lower league, at your peak - why the fuck would you do that ?

Mibbies a five year contract at 55k a week softened ther blow, reportedly cost between 4 and 5 million as well, thats nearly a 20 million pound package, feckin mental.

[Madina 3,808]

I found this baffiling when I heard it, a good signing for West Ham but shows all thats wrong with football, when a player is willing to drop from the prem whilst in his prime to the championship for more money

[StevenDavis 112]

I fully expect Barton, Enrique and Gutierrez to follow suit now. We'll sign Demba Ba but I think we will struggle next year, Pardew is a terrible manager.

[Clemdog 39,389]

I have a feeling there was a wee clique at Newcastle and clearly, fatty upstairs didn't like it.

Ba + Gardiner would be good additions.

[Clemdog 39,389]

Ba is a good player, don't get me wrong. But Ameobi, Ba and Lovenkrands are hardly an attacking line that put fear into defenders.

If Newcastle are selling the likes of Nolan, they might as well go the whole hog and start a squad from near enough scratch. Imo there's only a handful of players that are good enough. And most of those look offski

Just scary to think not even 10 years ago Newcastle were pushing for top 4 places, signing top European players and now they are signing near enough nobodies.

Aye the strikeforce is weak, they need to get Lovenkrands and Ameobi to fuck and bring in some quality and quantity. Ba is a good start though. I'm not suprised they were interested in Jelavic. Rodallega maybe?

Like you said mate, they pretty much do need to re-build their squad if they sell the only more than decent players in it.

[Clemdog 39,389]

Hopefully, he's a halfwit.

[BlueSuedeSambas 53,781]

Alan Pardew confirmed his interest in Erdnic as well so another striker is obviously in his thoughts.

[G.E.C. 18,761]

I fully expect Barton, Enrique and Gutierrez to follow suit now. We'll sign Demba Ba but I think we will struggle next year, Pardew is a terrible manager.

We're signing Ba? He'll score for fun up here

[StevenDavis 112]

We're signing Ba? He'll score for fun up here

[G.E.C. 18,761]

I still don't get the emotion

[Sewelly 0]

Was having a little snoop around your forum and saw this thread, wouldn't have commented but I remembered I signed up here a couple of years ago. Can't remember why... but anyway.

It's a strange one on the face of it, club captain and leading goalscorer in a mid-table Prem club leaves to join relegated club. However it's one that can be explained. Under fat Mike it seems we're running a fairly tight ship atm, which means no big money deals for players who's values are only going to depreciate. Nolan apparently asked for a 5 year deal on around his current wage, which would have been 50-60k until he's 33. He banked on his position in the dressing room and good season as a bargaining tool to get him his new contract.

Now I like Nolan, he's a top bloke by all accounts, but there is a twinge of hypocricy in his demands. It was only a few months ago he was honest enough to say that if the club progressed as he wanted it to, then he himself would soon be transitioned out of the side within a couple of years. If that's the case, admitted by the man himself, then why does he ask for a 5 year deal on Champions League wages? Speculative, but Nolan's agent Mark Curtis also happens to be Sam Allardyce's agent. It would not surprise me one bit if Nolan knew exactly what kind of deal he could get at West Ham, and came into negotiations with the board knowing he had that fall back option.

Nolan will be a great signing for West Ham, he's a fantastic leader and figurehead for any club, and in that division I'd bank on him scoring ATLEAST 15 goals. However, would I say he's worth upwards of £20 million over the 5 years? Nah, not a chance. No club with any real ambition would employ a midfielder of Nolan's limited ability in midfield. Don't get me wrong I'll miss his leadership and his 'knack' of finding the back the net, but his allround game leaves a lot to be desired (espescially for somebody who should be entering into their peak years).

I'm slightly worried by the large turnover of players going on at the club at the moment, but I wouldn't say there's any kind of asset stripping in motion as the doom-mongers might tell you. We've signed Yohan Cabaye from Lille - a French international who has just won the league with his club - on a long term 5-year deal. To me, that suggests future planning rather than a 'sell, sell, sell and bail' approach from the Dear Leader. He's not the only one either; Tioté got a long term deal, so did Krul, Ben Arfa, Ferguson and others are reported to be in the pipeline. We've signed Ba today and apparently have deals lined up for Mevlut Erdinc, Blaise Matuidi, Tranquillo Barnetta and a whole raft of others depending on who and what shite you want to believe.

We're going through what seems to be a fair old re-building job, and no sentimentality is being spared for the likes of Nolan, Barton, Smith and any of the old guard who helped to drag the club up out of the shit (worth remembering it was these same players who were shit enough to take us down in the first place!). It would be a shame to see the likes of Barton and Enrique go, but if they do they will be replaced I have no doubt. I think despite of the reputation we've got as a club for shooting ourselves square through the foot, we may - finally - have hit on a plan and a direction to take in terms of taking the club forward. Hopefully.

So, sorry for the essay, but the temptation to shed light on this bizarre scenario was too tempting.

[Clemdog 39,389]

Was having a little snoop around your forum and saw this thread, wouldn't have commented but I remembered I signed up here a couple of years ago. Can't remember why... but anyway.

It's a strange one on the face of it, club captain and leading goalscorer in a mid-table Prem club leaves to join relegated club. However it's one that can be explained. Under fat Mike it seems we're running a fairly tight ship atm, which means no big money deals for players who's values are only going to depreciate. Nolan apparently asked for a 5 year deal on around his current wage, which would have been 50-60k until he's 33. He banked on his position in the dressing room and good season as a bargaining tool to get him his new contract.

Now I like Nolan, he's a top bloke by all accounts, but there is a twinge of hypocricy in his demands. It was only a few months ago he was honest enough to say that if the club progressed as he wanted it to, then he himself would soon be transitioned out of the side within a couple of years. If that's the case, admitted by the man himself, then why does he ask for a 5 year deal on Champions League wages? Speculative, but Nolan's agent Mark Curtis also happens to be Sam Allardyce's agent. It would not surprise me one bit if Nolan knew exactly what kind of deal he could get at West Ham, and came into negotiations with the board knowing he had that fall back option.

Nolan will be a great signing for West Ham, he's a fantastic leader and figurehead for any club, and in that division I'd bank on him scoring ATLEAST 15 goals. However, would I say he's worth upwards of £20 million over the 5 years? Nah, not a chance. No club with any real ambition would employ a midfielder of Nolan's limited ability in midfield. Don't get me wrong I'll miss his leadership and his 'knack' of finding the back the net, but his allround game leaves a lot to be desired (espescially for somebody who should be entering into their peak years).

I'm slightly worried by the large turnover of players going on at the club at the moment, but I wouldn't say there's any kind of asset stripping in motion as the doom-mongers might tell you. We've signed Yohan Cabaye from Lille - a French international who has just won the league with his club - on a long term 5-year deal. To me, that suggests future planning rather than a 'sell, sell, sell and bail' approach from the Dear Leader. He's not the only one either; Tioté got a long term deal, so did Krul, Ben Arfa, Ferguson and others are reported to be in the pipeline. We've signed Ba today and apparently have deals lined up for Mevlut Erdinc, Blaise Matuidi, Tranquillo Barnetta and a whole raft of others depending on who and what shite you want to believe.

We're going through what seems to be a fair old re-building job, and no sentimentality is being spared for the likes of Nolan, Barton, Smith and any of the old guard who helped to drag the club up out of the shit (worth remembering it was these same players who were shit enough to take us down in the first place!). It would be a shame to see the likes of Barton and Enrique go, but if they do they will be replaced I have no doubt. I think despite of the reputation we've got as a club for shooting ourselves square through the foot, we may - finally - have hit on a plan and a direction to take in terms of taking the club forward. Hopefully.

So, sorry for the essay, but the temptation to shed light on this bizarre scenario was too tempting.

I always enjoy hearing from actual fans of their own Clubs, so thanks for the 'essay'

But time will tell, even me, who has no attachment to Newcastle doesn't trust Ashley. Ba is a good signing, I hope you go after Gardiner from Brum he's a good player who could fill in that void of goals from the midfield that Nolan leaves.

You need to strengthen all round to be honest, you were like us last Season in a way. If you had an injury you had to demand 100% from the player coming into the team because you knew their level of quality just wasn't the same as the player missing from the starting 11.

A big job for Pardew, but I rate him.

[G.E.C. 18,761]

They've signed Sylvain Marveaux so it's a good thing they got a replacement straight away.

[Sewelly 0]

Yep, another Frenchie in. Viva la Revolution!

I'm a little worried about the lad's injury record, but frankly to have 3 signings in the bag by June the 18th is ludicrous for this club. Net spend is barely a million so far, hopefully there is more in the pipeline.