West Ham United's Kevin Nolan

“Nolan has the tendency to let the game whizz around him without really getting involved”

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If it wasn't so cold, I'd cross my fingers and toes that tomorrow's match at Peterborough goes ahead, not least because we've already forked out on train tickets and I'm going to struggle to find an alternative socially acceptable reason to be in the pub by midday on Saturday!

The game will be notable for the absence of skipper Kevin Nolan who, after his straight red card last Saturday, will be sitting out the first of three matches.

First and foremost, it needs to be said that I like Nolan. He's an excellent leader of men something somewhat lacking from his predecessor as captain and he has an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time in the opponent's box.

The nature of his sending off against Millwall last week probably says it all about him. I think his heart was in the right place and he wanted to get a crunching tackle in to get the fans onside in a big derby game. He seemed close to tears as he trudged off, but he paid the price for his split-second stupidity.

The problem all season has been that, leadership aside, telling contributions from the skipper have been few and far between. Nolan has the tendency to let the game whizz around him without really getting involved. In a perverse sense, Nolans inactivity has been the making of Mark Noble, who in recent months is probably playing as well as he's ever played.

It will be intriguing, therefore, to see how the shape and tempo of the team changes in Nolans absence. It has been clear from the very outset that Allardyce will always pick him if available, but now his hands are tied and we will see three games without the former Bolton and Newcastle man.

With a game under the lights at the Boleyn against promotion rivals Southampton coming up on Tuesday, Big Sam will have to use the squad at his disposal.

Whatever the make-up of his matchday sixteen, it would seem that a reserve goalkeeper wont be among them.

Its a risky ploy that always makes me uneasy, especially against Millwall when our so-called 'back-up' keeper Henri Lansbury wasn't even involved. Considering how Allardyces overwhelming philosophy all season long has been safety first, I am left scratching my head at this policy which seems to risk so much for so little benefit.

Still, it'd make for an exciting spectacle if Rob Green tweaks a hamstring in the nippy weather tomorrow, wouldn't it?