Only my opinion, I'm talking about Kevin Nolan now, not the player he was. Undoubtedly a solid performer for Bolton, Newcastle and West Ham in his pomp.
However at Orient, just a few comments of many on their message board -
"Nolan proved he is no longer good enough to play in league 2 and insufficient experience to Manage successfully in league 2."
"My only comment about Kevin Nolan is that he disappointed me as a 'player'. I was expecting Nolan to stand out as a player, and be head and shoulders above any other player on the pitch, but he wasn't."
"The fact that FB (Orient chairman) wanted him to concentrate on being a player after two months of poor displays says it all."
"Interesting that Nolan still not got a club as a player. He made it known he wants to continue. Pity we didn't realise when training with us his legs had gone. Was very disappointed how poor he was for us. Expected him to stand it but what a let down."
"Deep down Nolan knows his playing days are long gone, he's just struggling to accept it."
"He, mistakenly, thought he could still play at a higher level. It's a fair point that as a player he was a massive let down."
"Think its obvious his days as a player are finished though."
"I personally found it quite disturbing how sh!t Kevin Nolan was I still cant believe it."
"The one thing that will always puzzle me was his lack of impact on the pitch. Was truly a massive let down considering he dropped 3 (!) leagues!!".
"He was so disappointing as a player".
"He came here as a player manager and I think he got the job because it was expected that as an ex Premier division player that he could make a real difference on the field, provide real energy in the midfield, leadership and a few goals as well, this never happened, he was never really fit and seemed short of puff".
"I became disappointed when Nolan appeared unable to influence things on the field despite being out there with his team."
"I only saw him at Carlisle. He was never in the game, always two yards behind."
I came to the same decision seeing him once, against us, when we had ten men for 75 minutes at Brisbane Road last season.
He was in-effective and slow on the ball, and I repeat, he kept losing possession, it could have been a bad day, but the comments above from people who watched him weekly suggest not.
But I know nothing about football...