Martins

[Skirge]

The amount of slack he gets cut is beyond belief. Our most overrated player 100%. It's cringe worthy on here with regards to him, anything is used to protect his predictable s*** overall performance. Scoring a goal every 3 games or so doesn't make up for the countless times he's caught on his heels, in the wrong position, giving it away, which are regular occurrences.

 

So what  did he do that was so bad last night?

I pointed out 2 things I can remember what else was there?

 

Didn't anticipate about 5/6 good flick ons (i.e in his direction from Ameobi). Stood still for long periods of the second half, meaning when we got the ball back he was caught unawares. In that second half he should have been looking to spin the last defender as soon as we won the ball back for the ball over the top, I saw him do it once I think. Picks up the wrong positions in build up play, in the box he actually seems to run into the right areas but in play I don't know what he's thinking sometimes.

 

Also with his pace he should have been hammering the channels in the second half looking for the early ball to catch West Brom on the break, but he's stood static in the middle of the pitch. Take a look at Cisse last week, when he hit those shots when he was facing away from our goal, one little run across the face of the defender and a ball slid into the channel and he had the run on our last defender. Personally I want to see that from Martins every week, it's not a complex run to make and it's an easy get out ball from the midfield if we're under pressure.

 

I don't really blame Oba to be honest, I just genuinely don't think he's got the intelligence to allow him to act at a split second's notice, everything is an afterthought.

sorry you had me at good flick ons from Shola, even Shola had no idea where the ball was going to go, but you expect Oba to be ableto work it out.

Run the channels if the ball was on the deck then yes but it was hoofed to Shola who miss controled or gave away free kicks, Oba had nothing to feed on, he dropped deep to pick up the balla nd try to crate things. He cannot do it all himself.

I am not saying he is on fire or playing really well but he is no where near as bad as some are trying to make out, even admirs himself he has not been fit.

Stuck upfront alongside a clown who has no idea wat he is doing and a team behind him told to boot the ball upto that clown.

[ElDiablo]

But do you not see that hoofing it up to Shola wasn't the problem? That happened because there was no other get out ball for the defence and midfield to play once they won it back because we were too deep. If we had Martins on the shoulder or ready to run into a channel that would have been two options and we wouldn't have had to smack it up to Shola all half. Everything is a knock on effect of something else, if we'd have had Oba stretching the defence we wouldn't have had to hoof it to Shola. In any case Kinnear should have been screaming at him to do so, whether he should need to is another matter.

[johnnypd]

Martins ran the channels pretty well last night, his spectacularly rubbish cross was an example of this. it was his final ball and also his anticipation of SHola's flick-ons (which were pretty shit tbf) that wasn't up to scratch.

[KaKa]

Martins definitely deserves some criticism as he does do the most frustrating things at times, but this is the player he is, and he will always be. He can also produce something out of nothing a lot of times also, and to be fair he does ultimately tend to score the goals.

 

I would say though, that last night, in the first half, was the first time in forever where we were constantly in attack mode and Martins continuously got on the ball in positions to make things happen. It has happened so rarely at his time at Newcastle that you wonder if he was struggling to get used to it. He's so often just been left to chase lost causes.

 

If we played like we did in the first half all the time, I have no doubt Martins would settle down and be a lot more productive on the whole. Lets hope this is indeed the case.

[Yorkie]

If Owen's fit and Martins gets dropped i'll be fuming tbh, even though he hasn't been particularly good for the last few games. One, he's got a new dose of confidence and will more than likely go on a scoring run now, and two - even when he's not playing well, he forces defenses to sit back. And when you've got driving players like Jonas, Barton, even the likes of Beye in the team - it is absolutely crucial against deep defences, and give you a much bigger chance of scoring. His mere presence on the pitch give us a better chance of winning the game than when he's not on it.

 

And third of all, Shola/Owen's got no pace whatsoever. And you need that when you're up against the likes of Laursen, who's a very good reader of the game.

[KaKa]

I think the thing we also have to remember is that Martins has done well to get into a lot of the positions he got into, even though his final ball then let him down. I think with a run of games he will be more hit than miss, although he will always still have those odd moments.

 

He brings such an explosiveness to our attacks and defenders are clearly unsettled by him. You only have to look at that slip by the defender in the first half. These sorts of things tend to happen around him I have noticed.

 

Owen has been very good but we have to figure out a way to have them both on the pitch. Owen would capitalize on the uncertainty Martins causes in other teams defences.

 

Dropping Martins for an Owen and Shola partnership, would soon have us begging for Martins to be re-introduced to the team. That I am sure of.

[Yorkie]

Incidentally, i can't recall a match where both Owen and Martins were on the pitch, where it was painstakingly obvious that they couldn't play together. (Apart from when Roeder played Owen wide on the left at the back end of 06/07).

 

If Owen's fit - Owen/Martins for me.

[Guest nufc_kev]

If Owen's fit and Martins gets dropped i'll be fuming tbh, even though he hasn't been particularly good for the last few games. One, he's got a new dose of confidence and will more than likely go on a scoring run now, and two - even when he's not playing well, he forces defenses to sit back. And when you've got driving players like Jonas, Barton, even the likes of Beye in the team - it is absolutely crucial against deep defences, and give you a much bigger chance of scoring. His mere presence on the pitch give us a better chance of winning the game than when he's not on it.

 

And third of all, Shola/Owen's got no pace whatsoever. And you need that when you're up against the likes of Laursen, who's a very good reader of the game.

 

Except for the fact that Owen is still actually fairly quick, despite all the comments on here.

[Yorkie]

I probably exaggerated with 'no pace whatsoever', Owen's still got a decent turn of pace i suppose. But he doesn't have enough pace to be the out and out centre-forward that he was. He's a lot more creative now.

[Gallowgate End]

he had a nightmare - he did against Sunderland aswell. But it's Martins, we know what a goal can do to this lad. Every run of goals that Martins has had has come in fits and spurts. He won't sore for a while, then nick one - and get two, three, four on the bounce.

 

So, like i say, i reckon if we play the style of football we did in the first half - and open the game up, it'll create chances and he's more likely to take em now. It's like he all of a sudden remembers how to be a striker. Frustrating, i know, but we love 'im.

 

What rubbish I think if you asked West Brom's fans they would actually tell you how much problems he coursed them.

 

Absolutely ran their back line ragged first half and scored the winner if you watch the last 20 minutes when Kinnear bizarrely took him off West Brom's back line moved up 15-20 yards and they played even more in our half and had their most dominant spell of the game dreadful tactical move taking him off.

[Gallowgate Toon]

Confidence looks very low tbh and Kinnear even said this week he gets really frustrated with himself cause he has really high standards, that explains his problems for me like playing safe recently and trying too hard no to make a mistake that he ends up making one. We also don't know what role he's being asked to play either and a lot of the time, it seems he doesn't know himself, looks like a different player at the moment, he looked hungrier last night though and finally showed some of his pace when he went round the full back and also when he ran onto a through ball the CB had about 5 yards head start and he comfortably got past him.

I think overall when Oba isn't confident, he's not very bright because he wants to play it too safe and not do the dangerous and selfish thing that Kinnear has asked him to do.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

He's done fuck all since he joined in truth, he certainly hasn't improved or managed to look like a £10m striker. Awful last night. Long-term get rid.

[Syrette]

He's done fuck all since he joined in truth

 

Apart from scoring a few goals. 22 in 69 according to Wiki, which isn't that bad at all.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

He's done f*** all since he joined in truth

 

Apart from scoring a few goals.

 

Few being the key word. We can't rely on him up front at the best of times never mind now. Honestly some of his play was embarrassing last night, I wouldn't mind but he's like that 2 games in 3, like I said he does very little other than score the odd goal which just isn't enough really. That pass where it went out of play, that control where it come off his shin, the dilly dallying, the constant misreading of Shola's knockdowns, that moment where he pointed for Shola to play it which he did, only for him to seemingly forget where he pointed to, going the other way instead. Thick as pig shit that lad up stairs on that pitch.

[Tooj]

He's done f*** all since he joined in truth

 

Apart from scoring a few goals.

 

Few being the key word. We can't rely on him up front at the best of times never mind now. Honestly some of his play was embarrassing last night, I wouldn't mind but he's like that 2 games in 3, like I said he does very little other than score the odd goal which just isn't enough really. That pass where it went out of play, that control where it come off his shin, the dilly dallying, the constant misreading of Shola's knockdowns, that moment where he pointed for Shola to play it which he did, only for him to seemingly forget where he pointed to, going the other way instead. Thick as pig shit that lad up stairs on that pitch.

 

Maybe he needs some time with the coach.

[Gallowgate Toon]

Scored more than Owen in half the time.

 

Well ok i know Owen's had injuries but so has Martins over that last season and a half, they've played the same amount of games this season, 5 i think and Owen's got 3 and Oba's had 2.

[Nobody]

He's done f*** all since he joined in truth

 

Apart from scoring a few goals.

 

Few being the key word. We can't rely on him up front at the best of times never mind now. Honestly some of his play was embarrassing last night, I wouldn't mind but he's like that 2 games in 3, like I said he does very little other than score the odd goal which just isn't enough really. That pass where it went out of play, that control where it come off his shin, the dilly dallying, the constant misreading of Shola's knockdowns, that moment where he pointed for Shola to play it which he did, only for him to seemingly forget where he pointed to, going the other way instead. Thick as pig shit that lad up stairs on that pitch.

[fredbob]

He's done f*** all since he joined in truth

 

Apart from scoring a few goals.

 

Few being the key word. We can't rely on him up front at the best of times never mind now. Honestly some of his play was embarrassing last night, I wouldn't mind but he's like that 2 games in 3, like I said he does very little other than score the odd goal which just isn't enough really. That pass where it went out of play, that control where it come off his shin, the dilly dallying, the constant misreading of Shola's knockdowns, that moment where he pointed for Shola to play it which he did, only for him to seemingly forget where he pointed to, going the other way instead. Thick as pig s*** that lad up stairs on that pitch.

 

He scores goals though - and has proven in the past what a vital player he is for us (twice), late end of last season where his pace were perfect for changing the complexions of a game in an instant and when his goals saved us from relegation under Roeder. Lets not forget that, and lets not forget how when he did play in a team that knocked the ball about he did well.

 

He needs the ball to his feet, not lumped to him from the defence.

 

As for that little bit you described at the end, i actually thought it was no ones fault, if anything it was intelligent forward play from Martins where he made his run but checked it late to fool the defender - unfortunately Shola didnt read it.  Martins didnt point at all.

 

He's by no mean the complete package, and i dont think he ever will, but he's definitely a vital player for us in this paceless team.

 

 

[Guest Howaythetoon]

He's done f*** all since he joined in truth

 

Apart from scoring a few goals.

 

Few being the key word. We can't rely on him up front at the best of times never mind now. Honestly some of his play was embarrassing last night, I wouldn't mind but he's like that 2 games in 3, like I said he does very little other than score the odd goal which just isn't enough really. That pass where it went out of play, that control where it come off his shin, the dilly dallying, the constant misreading of Shola's knockdowns, that moment where he pointed for Shola to play it which he did, only for him to seemingly forget where he pointed to, going the other way instead. Thick as pig s*** that lad up stairs on that pitch.

 

He scores goals though - and has proven in the past what a vital player he is for us (twice), late end of last season where his pace were perfect for changing the complexions of a game in an instant and when his goals saved us from relegation under Roeder. Lets not forget that, and lets not forget how when he did play in a team that knocked the ball about he did well.

 

He needs the ball to his feet, not lumped to him from the defence.

 

As for that little bit you described at the end, i actually thought it was no ones fault, if anything it was intelligent forward play from Martins where he made his run but checked it late to fool the defender - unfortunately Shola didnt read it.  Martins didnt point at all.

 

He's by no mean the complete package, and i dont think he ever will, but he's definitely a vital player for us in this paceless team.

 

 

 

The ball was played to his feet a lot in the first half, but it didn't stick and the few times he was through he crossed the ball out of play or it went for a goal-kick after coming off his shin. He did point as well. There was no need to try and fool the defender either as he has the pace to get to Shola's ball, with the defender already flat on his feet. Not that he tried to fool the defender like, you're just excusing him. He offers us fuck all outside of the odd goal. His control, decision making, awareness and all-round game is abysmal for a £10m player who has been here a few years now and should have at least improved a little. If we can get our money back for him we should snap their hand off, although due to our small squad we'd need to get someone in first obviously. I can't remember many times in the past when one of our players has had such an abysmal game in terms of decision making, first touch, control, awareness and general hold-up play.

[oldtype]

His stats are pretty bad, and you look at him playing some times and it's so frustrating...

 

But compare us with Oba and us without Oba, and it soon becomes apparent that for all his flaws, we need him.

[Tooj]

At the end of the day in the current climate we wouldn't be able to attract anyone better than him. Not saying that's a reason to accept low standards though.

[Gallowgate Toon]

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5j0CCpYgig7EAU2nRfyz6LryzHuOA

[junkhead]

Martins is vital for us.. anybody who can't see this is fucking retarded.

[Guest rebel_yell12]

Scored more than Owen in half the time.

 

Well ok i know Owen's had injuries but so has Martins over that last season and a half, they've played the same amount of games this season, 5 i think and Owen's got 3 and Oba's had 2.

 

What stats are you using, lad?  I'm not slagging off Martins (who may have been a bit off-pace, esp in 2nd half, but I usually like to give players a couple matches back before I complain too much about that sort of thing).  Owen's record for NUFC is 1 in 2.  Martins' is about 1 in 3 -- which is still quite good, imo.  Owen has scored 23 goals in something like 45 matches for NUFC.  The problem with that stat being the 45 matches in three seasons...but that's still a better than Oba's 22 (I think) in approx. 70.  Definitely a better ratio for Owen.  That said, it's rather unfair to say Oba's not quality because he's not Michael Owen.  Not many players are.  Owen's quality is unquestionable (how many strikers score 1 in 2 in the Premiership over 10 seasons?).  It's unfair to Oba to constantly compare him to Owen.  Try looking at Oba on his own merits, not someone else's.  A 1 in 3 striker is quite valuable, especially one who can be well-utilized to get the best out of a 1 in 2 striker (see the 4-3-3 from last season). 

[cp40]

Martins is vital for us.. anybody who can't see this is f***ing retarded.

 

yeah we really need a player, who can't pass, or trap the ball,or hold the ball up, or link up with strike partner,  ..etc etc.