Has the Nolan Problem replaced the Parker Problem?

Oh the irony! Regular readers of this blog will know that I was no fan of Parker and, before he joined us, a great advocate of Kevin Nolan but, already, people are offering excuses for Nolan's subdued or downright poor performances. Something seems amiss with the former Newcastle talisman and, just as with Parker, his inclusion in the team is presenting problems with "shape".

The Parker Problem centred on Scotty's inability to play the midfield general role effectively and the failure of successive managers to use him in the holding role to which he was best suited. The problem presented by Nolan is that he now appears to be more of a second striker than an out and out midfielder, forcing Dooctor Evil to look for the extra insurance of a 5 man midfield for fear that we will be cut to ribbons if Nolan is included as one of four.

That was fair enough when we didn't have a striking pair that would work together but now, following the arrival of Baldock and the resurgence of Cole, we suddenly have a strike force that could fire us to promotion and beyond. None of us know how good the kid is, but we never will know if he isn't played and one sure fire way of blunting a young striker is to leave him on the bench. As Cole shows, confidence is king with strikers and Baldock arrived on the back of a goal glutted start to the season. Leave him brooding too long on the bench and he will snatch at chances when he gets on the pitch and anxiety and tension will suffocate his potential.

But if you want a holding midfielder, a creative general in midfield and two players naturally suited to playing on the flanks, how can you accommodate Nolan, Cole and Baldock? The most "natural" 4 in midfield, if looking at what they can bring to the "midfield" team, would appear to be Diop as the holding midfielder, Taylor on the left, Faubert or Bentley on the right, and Lansbury in the middle - and interestingly Lansbury is scoring goals, the job Nolan did for Newcastle.

It may seem an odd point to be making when we are smashing in 4 goals a game and some will say, if it aint broke, don't fix it, but something still isn't right. Pompey scored three and Forest would have scored three too if their strikers were better. This is the Championship, thank God, so we are not coming up against real quality but, looking ahead, Premiership teams would have a field day against us. Maybe introducing Diop at the hub of the 5 man midfield is the answer. In which case Baldock already looks surplus to requirements.

One thing's for sure, Nolan is looking like a shadow of the player who led Newcastle so superbly over the last two seasons and, already, his inclusion may be presenting problems to team shape. Sam needs to sort his captain out, and quickly.