Joey Barton

[Guest BooBoo]

Him and Carroll have been our most important attacking players this season.

[Guest palnese]

Him and Carroll have been our most important attacking players this season.

 

Add Nolan to that, and you're spot on.

[Guest toonlass]

We desperately need him back, our midfield has no attacking options at the moment.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Like Nolan, he's been a big miss.

[Ronaldo]

Barton and Coloccini are our most important players alongside Carroll, it was inevitable that we'd badly miss them.

[Frazzle]

Tiote is more important than Barton and Coloccini.  Those two are probably next though, alongside Jose.

[Ronaldo]

Tiote's alongside them, too. Forgot him.

[Mick]

He's been missed but at the same time he's a massive liability and I don't think that he's worth the bother long term.  I rate him as highly as anybody when he's playing well, too often he's missing games and I don't think we'll ever be able to rely on him, he's a luxury we can't afford to have.  I've got to the same stage with him as I had reached with Woodgate, great player but not worth the effort.  I just hope that we don't replace him with a midfield version of Boumsong.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

Typically, he's played well for us, but ruined all of that with one moment of stupidity. Now he is injured...again. It never stops with him. I really love the player in him, but the patience wears thin after years of aggravation.

[Guest BooBoo]

Any word on whether he'll be back for Liverpool?

[JH]

Like Nolan, he's been a big miss.

 

[Guest BlacknWhiteArmy]

Any word on whether he'll be back for Liverpool?

 

I imagine he will

[Guest Heneage]

Like Nolan, he's been a big miss.

 

I think you're in denial about the importance of Nolan.

[Ronaldo]

If Nolan keeps Shola out of the side, he's our most important player. Ever.

[Hanshithispantz]

Against Liverpool he'll recieve a certain yello/red and be out for another 1-3 games, pretty much garenteed tbh.

[Hanshithispantz]

We have a 100% record in games where Barton, Nolan and Tiote have all played the full 90 minutes 

[Guest BooBoo]

Against Liverpool he'll recieve a certain yello/red and be out for another 1-3 games, pretty much garenteed tbh.

 

It's inevitable. He'll get booked for breathing in Gerrards direction.

[JH]

Like Nolan, he's been a big miss.

 

I think you're in denial about the importance of Nolan.

 

I just don't rate him. At all. When he doesn't score, he offers NOTHING. And nothing anybody says will change my opinion.

 

People have short memories and forget his complete no show when he came to the club in January of the relegation season - that's what it's like when he doesn't score.

 

We can't afford a passenger in the team - and before anyone harps on about Guthrie or Smith, I don't care who the alternatives are, it doesn't make him a better player.

[madras]

Like Nolan, he's been a big miss.

 

I think you're in denial about the importance of Nolan.

 

I just don't rate him. At all. When he doesn't score, he offers NOTHING. And nothing anybody says will change my opinion.

 

People have short memories and forget his complete no show when he came to the club in January of the relegation season - that's what it's like when he doesn't score.

 

We can't afford a passenger in the team - and before anyone harps on about Guthrie or Smith, I don't care who the alternatives are, it doesn't make him a better player.

he offers little with the ball, granted but his ability to find the egde of the box pushes the oppos central midfield back and alters the way we play. 99% of football is what you do without the ball.

[JH]

Like Nolan, he's been a big miss.

 

I think you're in denial about the importance of Nolan.

 

I just don't rate him. At all. When he doesn't score, he offers NOTHING. And nothing anybody says will change my opinion.

 

People have short memories and forget his complete no show when he came to the club in January of the relegation season - that's what it's like when he doesn't score.

 

We can't afford a passenger in the team - and before anyone harps on about Guthrie or Smith, I don't care who the alternatives are, it doesn't make him a better player.

he offers little with the ball, granted but his ability to find the egde of the box pushes the oppos central midfield back and alters the way we play. 99% of football is what you do without the ball.

 

Which is brilliant when you're attacking. But the past three games, we've spent more time backing off and 'trying' to absorb pressure, which is a position he's useless in.

 

Because he can't win the ball and when he does get it, his reaction time is too slow to pass it out to anybody.

[madras]

Like Nolan, he's been a big miss.

 

I think you're in denial about the importance of Nolan.

 

I just don't rate him. At all. When he doesn't score, he offers NOTHING. And nothing anybody says will change my opinion.

 

People have short memories and forget his complete no show when he came to the club in January of the relegation season - that's what it's like when he doesn't score.

 

We can't afford a passenger in the team - and before anyone harps on about Guthrie or Smith, I don't care who the alternatives are, it doesn't make him a better player.

he offers little with the ball, granted but his ability to find the egde of the box pushes the oppos central midfield back and alters the way we play. 99% of football is what you do without the ball.

 

Which is brilliant when you're attacking. But the past three games, we've spent more time backing off and 'trying' to absorb pressure, which is a position he's useless in.

 

Because he can't win the ball and when he does get it, his reaction time is too slow to pass it out to anybody.

maybe if we didn't try to back off and absorb the pressure, like we didn't at wolves and everton.

[JH]

Like Nolan, he's been a big miss.

 

I think you're in denial about the importance of Nolan.

 

I just don't rate him. At all. When he doesn't score, he offers NOTHING. And nothing anybody says will change my opinion.

 

People have short memories and forget his complete no show when he came to the club in January of the relegation season - that's what it's like when he doesn't score.

 

We can't afford a passenger in the team - and before anyone harps on about Guthrie or Smith, I don't care who the alternatives are, it doesn't make him a better player.

he offers little with the ball, granted but his ability to find the egde of the box pushes the oppos central midfield back and alters the way we play. 99% of football is what you do without the ball.

 

Which is brilliant when you're attacking. But the past three games, we've spent more time backing off and 'trying' to absorb pressure, which is a position he's useless in.

 

Because he can't win the ball and when he does get it, his reaction time is too slow to pass it out to anybody.

maybe if we didn't try to back off and absorb the pressure, like we didn't at wolves and everton.

 

Well yeah, but Hughton seems insistent on playing that way. And as long as he plays that way, Nolan will be completely pointless.

[madras]

Like Nolan, he's been a big miss.

 

I think you're in denial about the importance of Nolan.

 

I just don't rate him. At all. When he doesn't score, he offers NOTHING. And nothing anybody says will change my opinion.

 

People have short memories and forget his complete no show when he came to the club in January of the relegation season - that's what it's like when he doesn't score.

 

We can't afford a passenger in the team - and before anyone harps on about Guthrie or Smith, I don't care who the alternatives are, it doesn't make him a better player.

he offers little with the ball, granted but his ability to find the egde of the box pushes the oppos central midfield back and alters the way we play. 99% of football is what you do without the ball.

 

Which is brilliant when you're attacking. But the past three games, we've spent more time backing off and 'trying' to absorb pressure, which is a position he's useless in.

 

Because he can't win the ball and when he does get it, his reaction time is too slow to pass it out to anybody.

maybe if we didn't try to back off and absorb the pressure, like we didn't at wolves and everton.

 

Well yeah, but Hughton seems insistent on playing that way. And as long as he plays that way, Nolan will be completely pointless.

or maybe he doesn't set out to play that way and nolan in the middle helps us push on a bit ? perhaps we are trying to play the same way but can't cos of the likes of guthrie.

[Dave]

I wonder why he didn't travel today...?

 

I mean obviously we know he was injured, but in previous matches he, Nolan and others have travelled anyway even if not playing - the Carling Cup games for example. Presumably this for team spirit purposes etc. Wonder what has changed.

[Hanshithispantz]

Last 4 games we've been Barton-less, and in 3 of them we've uncharicteristicly sat back for long periods of time and allowed the opposision to attack us (Chelsea is understandable, but Bolton & WBA we realy should be taking the game to). Coincidence or not I don't know, but we've definatly played some of the worst football all season the past few games for whatever reason.

 

With Nolan, Barton & Tiote in the side something seems to click, whatever it is I don't think anyone knows, but we're definatly a better side when they are all on the pitch, and the performances prove that.