Instead there is a strong case for suggesting that the superb team spirit between the lads has been one of the outstanding factors behind what has been a good season so far on our return to the top flight of English football. I’ve read comments from people that suggest that team spirit will only get the team so far. Well it’s got us this far, and hopefully it will continue.
There are many factors that can be attributed to starting off this fantastic team spirit. The fallout from relegation and the subsequent players meeting after the 6-1 defeat to Leyton Orient could be one, as could the influence of Chris Hughton and the attitude that he and the players who remained to battle it out in The Championship managed to channel onto the pitch as the club fought back from the brink if mediocrity, and I don’t mean top flight mediocrity, I mean real mediocrity, like Middlesbrough for example!
I think a lot of those factors have combined to be honest and have left us where we are now, but the team has still had to endure it’s fair share of knocks. The sacking of Chris Hughton and the sale of Andy Carroll could have easily jeopardised the team spirit, and some would argue that after the sale of Andy Carroll it looked like we had lost that team spirit with the defeat against Fulham and that first-half against Arsenal.
Fast forward just 45 minutes though and you will see that team spirit has actually remained. It just went missing for about a week. So who could be held responsible for that? Hughton has gone so it wasn’t him. Pardew is relatively new so I doubt it will be all down to him, although I do give him credit for not rocking the boat too much. For me, much of the credit has to go to the players, in particular a player that is criticised by some but usually pops up with an important goal. That man is Kevin Nolan.
Nolan is in no way the Captain Fantastic that Alan Shearer was, but he has been just as important to this current crop of players as Shearer was to their predecessors. He might not be a Hollywood name, and he might not be the best player that we have ever had, but his effect on the other players is something that can’t be ignored.
Kev doesn’t allow people to shirk and he won’t allow heads to drop. Rather than leading by example he leads by leadership. Put simply, he knows how to gear the players up. I don’t think he is solely responsible for it, but I do think that he is a very important part of our team.
If the plan to improve the team is followed then it’s likely that Nolan will be replaced at some point in the future. That is how football works unfortunately. What is important though is that we don’t forget the role that he has played in helping to drag the club back from the brink with his leadership, performances, and most importantly, his goals.
Well done Kev. Keep it up!
Video supplied by Davidtoon4life.
The Fat-Trick (brilliant, whoever came up with that) was one of the highlights of the season so far! Howay Chicken man! 😀
hydeous(Quote)
I know he’s been very important yet I sometimes struggle to understand why when I watch him play….
witters(Quote)
Oh & I wish he’d do something about that ridiculous middle parting!!
witters(Quote)
He was captain for years at a very physical Bolton side so is used to the job of picking people up and not letting heads drop so I was happy when he was made captain. His influence over Carroll cannot be under-estimated too, in good ways and bad. Would Carroll have got off the charge as easy if KeV wasn’t babysitting him? Would he have been out punching girls most night if it wasn’t for Kev? (allegedly 😉 )
Also, did Kev pack carrolls bags for him to live his dream and play for Liverpool? Whatever happened, he was a major part in the club receiving 35 million for Gypsy boy. No doubt about it. Our team spirit will be weakened further in the summer, all the senior players are demanding ‘Ash splash the cash’ – sacrifices will be made in our current crop. Xisco, R.Taylor and Smith are all well like major parts of the dressing room even though they don’t play and you could argue that Enrique was happier with Xisco around (even though there is no official report – that’s what I have heard).
One extremely positive thing with our current crop is they are welcoming new players, look at Benny, Tiote and Kuqi. They are all delighted to be part of the dressing room. Be interesting to see what happens in the summer regarding players going, most of the talk is about players coming in.
Moreno(Quote)
He’s a bit like Brearley (is that his name?) the England cricket captain back in the 70s, or 80s was it. Hopeless batsman but a fantastic captain and tactician.
Not that Nolan isn’t a good player, mind, and he isn’t so much of a captain as an on-field leader.
So he’s not like Brearley at all. Silly comparison really. 😕
Brisvegas(Quote)
Think Nolan should be played off a Best and we will be more of goal threat, Tiote bails him out in centre midfield with his energy and Nolan is often caught out when players run at him.
bobby(Quote)
infuriating in one respect isn’t it, as the usual criticism is that if he doesn’t score in a game he ‘disapears’. But still for everything he’s done on and off the pitch this season I think he should be awarded for it. Fantastic captain
I Love Mike(Quote)
Nolan has improved dramatically for me. Last season and earlier in this season I didn’t think he did much if he didn’t score. This season he seems to be up and down the pitch a lot more.
Maybe he has just worked on his fitness.
Stuart79(Quote)
aye stu agree with that 🙂
batty(Quote)
He’s been a legend this season, one of my choices for player of the season. 10 goals from midfield, leads by example, shows passion, grit and determination in every game. What more can you ask for from a captin?
David(Quote)
11 goals now 😛
I Love Mike(Quote)
Class. Is there another midfielder in the league who has scored as many?
David(Quote)
Nolan is a great captain, one of the best in the Premier League at the minute in my opinion.
Also great video David 😉
dan4toon(Quote)
Anyone have an update on Gosling?
Stuart79(Quote)
Anyone heard rumors on John Arne Riise replacing wantaway Jose enrique? Thoughts?:shock:
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
😯
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
Both Ireland and shola are fit to play for Everton match!!! 😉
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
stu havent seen or heard nowt aboot gosling my friend 🙂
batty(Quote)
He’s just what you need in a captain, and you just cannot knock his scoring rate. How many is Gerrard on?
Shame he came to us late, but no doubt he’s been a big part of this season so far, and I think he’s got a few goals left in him yet, especially with Shola coming back in. Somehow I think Nolan, Best and Shola, once given time to bed in, can do a good job for us. I just hope Shola’s kept his remarkable ability to come back from injury to score winners – I think he did it three times last season!
Whumpie(Quote)
Looking forward to seeing Ireland play. It’ll be interesting if he’s caught a bit of that team spirit already and can show some of his past form.
Whumpie(Quote)
if man city win the europa leauge cup and finish in top 4 dus that meen we could get into europe for 7th spot any 1 ❓
batty(Quote)
pound for pound the best signing we’ve made in the last 10 years – and i include Tiote in that. his contribution is immeasurable
tattyheed(Quote)
Think nolan has been immense for us since relegation , has really come in to his own ,
Think we should be gunning for 3 points this weekend , everton missing a few players n we have the geordie pele back 😆
Not sure batty but if we win the weekend , scum lose to arsenal n utd beat liverpool we go ahead of both teams
Johno Toon(Quote)
thanks for using me video toonsy 😀
davidtoon4life(Quote)
ile be disapointed if were not 6th after the next 3 games
batty(Quote)
I doubted him this season, glad he proved me wrong. He has no pace at all but his movement makes up for it.
He’s a perfect captain for us.
AndrewNUFC(Quote)
andrew nolan has loads of pace over 5 yards 🙂
batty(Quote)
batty
Posted March 3, 2011 at 10:52 AM
stu havent seen or heard nowt aboot gosling my friend
What’s up with you?
Stuart79(Quote)
Its on the Chronicle were looking at Jermain Lens from PSV, hes a winger.
AndrewNUFC(Quote)
aye and so it starts, it May already?
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/newcastle-united/nufc-news/2011/03/03/united-targeting-psv-winger-jeremain-lens-72703-28271908/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
I Love Mike(Quote)
just looked at a couple of vids (Dennis wise would be proud 😆 )
and he seems a predominantly right footed, withdrawn striker/winger type.
If it’s true they’re looking at him then sound, shows they’re doing their job. Just another one to add to the list for us 😀
I Love Mike(Quote)
Lens sounds ideal to me. Just the sort of signing we need, early on, to keep the likes of Jose on board and give us more options.
And for chrissakes, just having a winger would be nice! 🙄
Whumpie(Quote)
Looks decent but I never like to trust the Chronicle, Lee Ryder is a c@nt.
They said Guthrie was going to Forest the other night, nothings happend there.
AndrewNUFC(Quote)
Going back to Nolan, I’m wondering if it’s the way he looks and runs that gets the ‘tugboat’ jibes. I’ve definitely seen him skin some defenders recently; perhaps he’s just not so good at speed over distance? Let’s face it, he doesn’t really need that; just the ability to accelerate into the right spot at the right time.
11 goals, man. Brilliant. 🙂
Whumpie(Quote)
Yep, that Guthrie thing was a classic case of one pressman making something up, then the whole story being copied and syndicated to ridiculous lengths without anyone at all checking up on it.
If you’ve never read “Flat Earth News” you should. Explains it all.
Whumpie(Quote)
great video btw david.
Whumpie, like skysports news nowadays and them reporting any rumour from twitter as gospel ?
Moreno(Quote)
cheers moreno
davidtoon4life(Quote)
stu @29 back on the tablets kidda 😆 😆
batty(Quote)
Figures
Stuart79(Quote)
🙄 🙄 😆 😆 stu you talk alot of sense i agree with most what you say ,but some times your like a parrot 😆 😆
batty(Quote)
The “Fat Trick” was one of the best days of my life. And I wasn’t even there lol 😆
OHurley(Quote)