Forget Riquelme

[Taylor Swift]

Why won't he be suited to a 4-4-2? Just let him control the attack and let the other central midfielder do the defensive work. Scholes anyone? Both are defensively inept, both do not boast pace as one of their better attributes but both have an eye for a goal and a real eye for a pass. Obviously they are two different players in terms of how they actually contribute offensively but I don't see a reason why Riquelme would not flourish in a 4-4-2 if the rest of the team is set up right.

[Tooj]

Why won't he be suited to a 4-4-2? Just let him control the attack and let the other central midfielder do the defensive work. Scholes anyone? Both are defensively inept, both do not boast pace as one of their better attributes but both have an eye for a goal and a real eye for a pass. Obviously they are two different players in terms of how they actually contribute offensively but I don't see a reason why Riquelme would not flourish in a 4-4-2 if the rest of the team is set up right.

 

Scholes works his arse off though.

[Guest Pie]

Why won't he be suited to a 4-4-2? Just let him control the attack and let the other central midfielder do the defensive work. Scholes anyone? Both are defensively inept, both do not boast pace as one of their better attributes but both have an eye for a goal and a real eye for a pass. Obviously they are two different players in terms of how they actually contribute offensively but I don't see a reason why Riquelme would not flourish in a 4-4-2 if the rest of the team is set up right.

 

Scholes works his arse off though.

True. Not convinced he would suit this league as the pace and pressure midfields put teams under is very very different to Argentina, Spain and International football. Good player though. He'd fit in well with the other sloths we have in there 

[johnnypd]

it would signal 4-5-1 for once and for all, our side would be based around him. riquelme in, owen out.

[Guest Stephen927]

Potentially, could be the creative force in midfield we desperately need.

 

I have doubts whether he would adapt to the English game, also he could prove to be an expensive mistake, albeit the figure doing the rounds is £8m, but when you take into account wages and the fact we could end up selling him on on the cheap if he flops.

 

Arshavin is a player I'd much prefer to come here, he's more dynamic and versatile than Riquelme, and could play in a number of positions either across midfield or in attack, would be much more value for money.

[1878]

Has Spanish become the native tongue in Newcastle? If not then Riquelme won't be interested

[NSG]

I've heard Given is fluent.

[Nobody]

As most others, I rate him very highly as a player, but I too got doubts whether he'd adapt to English football (and of course the fact that I don't think he'd come)

[ohmelads]

Worth a punt IMO if we can get him here, we badly need to bring some flair into this squad and stop obsessing over having battlers all over the park. Teams fighting relegation play like that but teams just pass it round them.

 

About the 4-4-2 thing, Scholes used to play off RVN at Man Utd and now plays in a midfield three, so I don't know how many games he has played as just one of two centre-mids.

 

The way I see it though Allardyce will eventually turn to 4-3-3 anyway, when Owen is out of the picture (which I reckon he will be in the summer).

 

Riquelme would be a gamble, but so would some random foreigner for £10m. I don't see any proven Premiership players we can go for who fit the bill, they're all either out of reach or not good enough. Unless we can make an inspired Ashley Young type signing, but I think Riquelme is as worthy a gamble as any at the moment.

[Taylor Swift]

I'm sure it was

 

Giggs  Keane  Scholes  Beckham

 

for quite a while at Man Utd with Yorke and Cole upfront or whoever. Though Scholes didn't exactly sit that deep whilst playing in the center of midfield, the whole team was essentially functioning as a 4-4-2 -  this is the formation that I envisage Riquelme could probably fit in very well. Anyhow, I agree with others, Sam will eventually switch to 4-3-3 and bringing in Riquelme would be a big step in that direction.

[Mick]

 

Scholes works his arse off though.

 

It's up to him what he does away from football.

[ohmelads]

I'm sure it was

 

Giggs  Keane  Scholes  Beckham

 

for quite a while at Man Utd with Yorke and Cole upfront or whoever. Though Scholes didn't exactly sit that deep whilst playing in the center of midfield, the whole team was essentially functioning as a 4-4-2 -  this is the formation that I envisage Riquelme could probably fit in very well. Anyhow, I agree with others, Sam will eventually switch to 4-3-3 and bringing in Riquelme would be a big step in that direction.

 

Aye you're right, my mistake.

[toontownman]

But he has already signed for everton!  not convinced he would adapt but we are so void of creativity sam is putting tony hart on the bench. pray he doesnt get injured because gazza is just waiting in the wings.

[Baggio]

The comparison with Scholes is strange anyway, Viana here or Veron at man utd would be better comparisons. Neither player had the work ethic or could play at the tempo needed to play in midfield in a 4-4-2 and he would be the same.

[ohmelads]

The comparison with Scholes is strange anyway, Viana here or Veron at man utd would be better comparisons. Neither player had the work ethic or could play at the tempo needed to play in midfield in a 4-4-2 and he would be the same.

 

Don't you think there's a strong possibility Sam will go back to 4-3-3 as his default formation if he's still here next season? That's what we were playing until Owen came into the team and it's always been Allardyce's preferred system.

[tmonkey]

We could tempt Riquelme here by signing his good mate, Sorin, as well as another Argie, eg Maxi Rodriguez.

[Kev]

Hes top class

we will need to be in europe for him to join us

[Taylor Swift]

Hes top class

we will need to be in europe for him to join us

 

No, he's being frozen out Villarreal atm and it seems the clubs in Spain don't want anything to do with him (or did but have since moved on - Athletic Madrid being one of them). Italy would actually be perfect for him but the big 4/5 don't need him and why would he want to go the rest of the teams in Serie A? The Bundesliga is pretty much out of the question so what's left is just England. Typical Sam signing too btw.

[Guest jimmy1982]

He's an absolutely magic footballer. I'd love him to come because he plays the way the majority would like to see us playing - outclassing the opposition by passing it round them instead of the modern premier league physical style. of course there'd be loads of question marks - work rate, pace of the game, would he fancy it etc etc, but just imagine if it came off and Sam could get everyone playing off him, it would be fantasy football. there's plenty of reasons he could be a huge let down, but we're used to them by now anyway, one more isn't going to make much difference! He's one of the highest class football players in the world imo and I'd be wetting my pants if we signed him. He's got at least 5-6 more years at the top level in him I reckon.

[Skirge]

We are dreaming here like, if he leaves Boca it won't be to come here, all the top clubs will want him and I bet he won't even come to England it will be Spain to Barca or Real Madrid.

[Colos Short and Curlies]

We are dreaming here like, if he leaves Boca it won't be to come here, all the top clubs will want him and I bet he won't even come to England it will be Spain to Barca or Real Madrid.

 

Doesn't he play for Villereal?

[Guest jimmy1982]

We are dreaming here like, if he leaves Boca it won't be to come here, all the top clubs will want him and I bet he won't even come to England it will be Spain to Barca or Real Madrid.

 

Doesn't he play for Villereal?

 

I think he's Villareal's player but he went on loan to Boca last season. He's back at Villareal now but not getting a game, as far as I know.

[Skirge]

I was'nt to sure if he was still at Boca or not, but aye Villereal own him....

[Guest jimmy1982]

We are dreaming here like, if he leaves Boca it won't be to come here, all the top clubs will want him and I bet he won't even come to England it will be Spain to Barca or Real Madrid.

 

Not sure the top clubs want him anymore - he seemed to be being touted around in the summer, when that story about him signing for Everton did the rounds. Everyone knew there was something up with him at Villareal but none of the big boys came in for him.

As others have said this has got Big Sam written all over it. Remember him signing Anelka? At that time I thought, no way will a player like Anelka end up at Bolton, he'll go to a big club in Italy or Spain but it didn't happen. Although Riquelme doesn't seem to be a trouble maker the way Anelka was, he does seem to have found it difficult to find his feet at a club since he left Boca the fist time, and I've read loads about him having a 'fragile' mentality. Maybe the big clubs, being able to pick and choose, won't take a risk on players like him and Anelka anymore. I just hope there's some truth in this. We've seen what an impact Elano has had at City and I reckon Riquelme is twice the player he is.

[Guest optimistic nit]

if cheap it would be good. he could be played behind viduka in a 451 which would probably be best, or maybe alongisde barton or butt at a push. can he play on the right? we could play him on the right side of a narrow midfield if we wanted, maybe with wing backs or something as 532 or a narrow 442.