West Ham captain: Carroll and Cole together would frighten defenders to death

Carlton Cole of West Ham gets in between Lee Cattermole and Titus Bramble of Sunderland - West Ham United vs Sunderland - Barclays Premier League at Upton Park, West Ham - 22/09/12 - MANDATORY CREDIT: Rob Newell/TGSPHOTO - Self billing applies where appropriate - 0845 094 6026 - contact@tgsphoto.co.uk - NO UNPAID USE.

Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent Tuesday, September 25, 2012
8:30 AM

Hammers skipper Kevin Nolan is thinking about the possibility of West Ham playing both Andy Carroll and Carlton Cole in the same team when the Liverpool loanee is fit

NRC wk 36-12 andy carroll agaikn - first one deleted by some muppet

West Ham’s captain fantastic Kevin Nolan is not content with holding the team together both on the pitch and in the dressing room – he wants to have a go at picking it now.

After his dramatic injury-time goal gave West Ham a share of the points against Sunderland, he was left to ponder on whether the firepower of Andy Carroll has been missed so far.

“You are alwasy going to miss quality players,” said Nolan, who now has three goals to his name this term.

“But at the end of the day we have got another top quality player in Carlton Cole, who has come in and done a very good job. He was unlucky not to be on the scoresheet.

“It is going to be quite interesting when we have them both fit to see if we can play both of them, because they would scare the life out of defenders.”

It seems like an unlikely scenario, especially the way manager Sam Allardyce likes to play, but Nolan did confirm that Carroll has adapted well to life at Upton Park.

“I think Andy has settled in really well to what we are about and how we are in the changing room,” he said.

“He is at a fantastic club and I love being here myself. We feel we are back where we belong and we are here to prove it.”

Nolan is certainly doing that. He was denied a first-half goal by a stunning save and could have had a couple of others, so did he think it was not going to happen?

“You do get to the point where you think, how is it that we are still 1-0 down?

“Apparently it was the 93rd minute, but it did get to the point where you are thinking it is just going to be one of those days.”

With Sunderland substitute Fraizer Campbell taking an edge to hobble off injured, Nolan thought the game was probably up.

“Me and Joey O’Brien were over in the corner waiting for Frazier to go off and I was having a right moan up saying how can we be losing this game with the chances we have created,” said the skipper.

“So just to get that chance at the end and then to see it hit the back of the net was very pleasing for me and made it a lot sweeter after they were time wasting.”

It certainly did, but Nolan must be careful what he wishes for.

If Cole and Carroll are paired together, will there be a place for him?