The big Mark Noble debate...

[double pie'n'mash luv]

I'm not looking for faults, nor using this thread to pick on the player, as I have already aired my views prior to this.

His first half performance yesterday was amongst the poorest I've seen from a 1st team regular in the top flight in a long time.

I'm not picking on him Rars(well, i could be ), he just ain't good enough. It's been too long now since we've been able to say that Noble had a great game here or there, far too long.
I would love for him to be able to boss the midfield and be scoring(maybe even taking a decent free kick) loads, but it ain't happening. So how long do we put up with him for?
My patience has run out.

Could you imagine him in a four man midfield Jesus, now that would be scary.

[Marky]

ONe good games this season (Wolves).
Championship player

[SenzaPaura]

ONe good games this season (Wolves).
Championship player

[Hambrosia Stu]

Could you imagine him in a four man midfield Jesus, now that would be scary.

As I mentioned on t'other thread, I think Noble needs to find his position

I've changed my view, and now am leaning towards him playing deeper, as a holding player alongside Parker (like the Alonso role in Liverpool's excellent CM pairing of last season)

Parker uses his energy to harry and hassle the opponents, and goes straight for the jugular, in terms of making tackles. His pace is useful when breaking out having regained posession

Noble uses his reading of the game to time tackles and interceptions, and when we gain posession, uses his distribution from deeper

I think one of Noble's biggest problems is his lack of pace. He is no good as a wide midfielder, as he doesn't have the pace to get up and down, nor to beat his man. He does okay at the tip of the diamond, where his distribution can be pretty decent, but again his lack of pace stops him from making telling runs past the strikers.

If we are playing with 2 fairly defensive CM's, as we seem to be with Kovac & Parker alongside each other, then maybe it's time to gives Nobes a run in that role

[rare as rockinghorse shat]

double pie mash

He needs a position and he needs it to be his own - a defensive midfield role - as has been said for ages.

He may not get that position while Parker is at the club, so he'll either have to wait longer and stagnate more, or he'll have to be sold.

I have slowly started to concur with the original title of this thread and have done for a while now.

[Hambrosia Stu]

He needs a position and he needs it to be his own - a defensive midfield role - as has been said for ages.

He may not get that position while Parker is at the club, so he'll either have to wait longer and stagnate more, or he'll have to be sold.

I've been trying to think of Noble's best spells for us, to see where he played, and in what sort of system

The one that springs to mind is alongside NRC at the heart of a 4 man midfield. NRC added the bite, and pace, Noble the flair and creativity, whilst still being able to hold his own defensively

As Parker isn't a million miles away from NRC, in terms of the style of player (ie nippy, has a bit of bite to his tackles) but with far more to his game than NRC had, maybe it's time to try Noble in that role alongside Parker.

Sure, we'd lose a bit defensively were he to replace Kovac alongside Parker, but we'd more than make up for that in terms of his distribution

[rare as rockinghorse shat]

Ironically, despite me wanting him to be developed into a defensive player, Mark Noble's best form for us, was at the creative tip of a midfield, playing advanced, alongside Tevez and Benayoun.

Therein lies the problem, that we need to have such quality players in the team for him to play that role well.
But the catch is that if we are able to get these so called quality players, then I'd argue we'd be able to afford a better player to play in Noble's position there.

[Big_Russ]

maybe it's time to try Noble in that role alongside Parker.

We have tried this, this season on a few occasions. (Just dont ask me for specifics).

I think the general consensus was they both slowed play down far too much.

With Parker doing his defensive bit and his circles of love and Noble putting his foot on the ball all the time, we not only struggled to break temas down, we struggled for possession. Every time one of them got the ball the other team got everyone organised and the next touch was a tackle.

We need someone who can make surging runs from midfield like Milner does for Villa or Fabregas does for Arse or Gerard for Liverpool.

Parker can do that but only with Kovac beside him.

Noble is to slow for MR and not creative or skilful enough for AMC.

Realistically we can't afford to carry him.

For me our midfiled should look like this.

-------------------Kovac-------------
---------Behrami------Parker-----
Stanislas---------------------Collison

Not ideal but the best we have got. Collison need to hug the touchline more though.

I lost count of the times he drifted inside when we had possession, totally conjested and no outlet. Behrami positionally was a bit better but did not play well. Hios best position is def in the centre hastling and harrying the opposition.

[double pie'n'mash luv]

double pie mash

He needs a position and he needs it to be his own - a defensive midfield role - as has been said for ages.

He may not get that position while Parker is at the club, so he'll either have to wait longer and stagnate more, or he'll have to be sold.

I have slowly started to concur with the original title of this thread and have done for a while now.

We have two much better DM's than him already, so where does that leave him? Like you say, either a long wait or offski.

[fjthegrey]

Not ideal but the best we have got. Collison need to hug the touchline more though.

Complete waste of Collison, may as well not have him at all. He's not a winger, or anything like one. Diamanti and Jimenez would be preferable in that position.

[IIIronss]

Sure, we'd lose a bit defensively were he to replace Kovac alongside Parker, but we'd more than make up for that in terms of his distribution

Not the way he has been playing, his passing has been shocking.

I just think it's because he is a confidence player and he has been in and out of the team, who have often played poorly.

[Big_Russ]

Complete waste of Collison, may as well not have him at all. He's not a winger, or anything like one. Diamanti and Jimenez would be preferable in that position.

IS it more of a waste of him than putting him on the bench?

If not you are intimating you would prefer him the middle over Parker or Behrami, because he is no DM...

[fjthegrey]

If not you are intimating you would prefer him the middle over Parker or Behrami, because he is no DM...

Kovac or Behrami has got to go if he wants to play. Stick him in the middle as someone who can actually pass with regular efficiency.

Against the better teams it may be sensible to go for Kovac and Behrami. But a playmaker in Collison's mould would be far more effective in our upcoming games than two almost identical workmanlike players.

I think we need to start scoring and using the ball effectively in the middle whilst having a bit of penetration from the wings. Diamanti has to play, he makes things happen, central midfielders out wide dont.

[durham city hammer]

Hopefully when everyones fit and maybe a new striker comes in zola will remember that our one semi decent spell this season
was when we played 442 ( when franco, cole and hines were all fit oct nov ish), he then has to decide who to play in the middle
with parker, if it's not noble then he doesnt play simple as that, our forward play came to a complete standstill when he got the
ball yesterday( first half mainly) he is too slow, not only in his movement but also in his decision making, the amount of times
he had the ball yesterday with players making runs ahead of him and he would wait and wait until he ended up getting pressured
into making the wrong pass, instead of trying to accomadate him anywhere in the side zola needs to grow a pair and make a decision, is he good enough to play in the middle? if not don't play him!

[Tel The Hammer]

Collison's abilities through the middle are wasted with Noble in the side.

Collison is not a winger, but gets stuck wide and has to stay out wide due to Noble being given the more central role.

Both Collison and Noble weren't upto much yesterday, but Collison was really doing the biz in the games he played more central in. Zola either needs to switch the two's positions, or drop Noble to accommodate Collison through the centre.

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

Collison is a better Central midfielder than Noble. My problem with Noble is, that he doesn't have anything in his locker that really stands out, and I think certain players are dropped for no reason because of him. Saying that, I do think he is a good player, who could well be worth a place in our side in the future. He's still relatively young...and I think he will improve with time. Selling him, would be our loss and someone else's gain.

[double pie'n'mash luv]

Collison is a better Central midfielder than Noble. My problem with Noble is, that he doesn't have anything in his locker that really stands out, and I think certain players are dropped for no reason because of him. Saying that, I do think he is a good player, who could well be worth a place in our side in the future. He's still relatively young...and I think he will improve with time. Selling him, would be our loss and someone else's gain.

Fat Frank mk II
Collison should be our creative midfielder. waste of time sticking him out wide. The fact Noble keeps beating Collison to this position is'nt helping me find positives about Noble. On his performances, he should be no where near the AM position. Collison or Diamanti. All you have to do is look at the defence splitters that Diamanti can put through. When have you ever seen Noble do that regularly, if at all. And he's meant to be able to pass the ball

[SL]

Im not a fan.

Seems to have 1 decent game to every 6 crap games.

[I8CHAVS]

Im not a fan.

Seems to have 1 decent game to every 6 crap games.

Who is this poster

[SL]

Shut it you