Obafemi Martins

[Dave]

We've played our best football this season with Owen and Martins upfront. They are our two best strikers. They will score the most goals. We need a good target man, we don't have one.

 

we don't so much need a target man as a midfielder who can pass.

 

We've needed one for years now.

[Guest fading star]

We've played our best football this season with Owen and Martins upfront. They are our two best strikers. They will score the most goals. We need a good target man, we don't have one.

 

we don't so much need a target man as a midfielder who can pass.

Guthrie can pass the ball, but his range is limited. As I said, Barton is the only player we have who can make a telling pass. 

 

[Dave]

We've played our best football this season with Owen and Martins upfront. They are our two best strikers. They will score the most goals. We need a good target man, we don't have one.

We don’t have a midfield capable of retaining possession either, and the only player we have who can play a decent through ball is Barton.

 

Owen and Martins are the best two strikers we have when they can play to their strengths. Trying to out jump Terry and chasing around after scraps isn’t what they’re good at.

 

It all comes down to the tactics then, I agree. If we plan on continuing to whack the ball up front at our forwards then one should really give way. But then we need goalscorers on the pitch. The other option is playing Owen, Martins AND A.N. Other in a 4-3-3...

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

We've played our best football this season with Owen and Martins upfront. They are our two best strikers. They will score the most goals. We need a good target man, we don't have one.

We don’t have a midfield capable of retaining possession either, and the only player we have who can play a decent through ball is Barton.

 

Owen and Martins are the best two strikers we have when they can play to their strengths. Trying to out jump Terry and chasing around after scraps isn’t what they’re good at.

Our midfield is seriously lacking, I agree, and if we had a viable battering ram/hold up player than we should use Martins/Owen as subs. We don't have this though. Carroll isn't ready and isn't all that good. Ameobi is awful. Xisco we don't know about, and has not been given a chance. Viduka is a figment of your vivid imagination. At the current, none of these are Premiership level players. We should not weaken our strikeforce because our midfield is weak.

[Guest Sniffer]

Main problem with martins is that when he isn't scoring goals, his all round game and overall contribution is not good enough. It certainly doesn't warrant the adoration he seems to get on this forum. Admittedly, the midfield is shite but that doesn't mean martins has to run around like a headless chicken. A good player would use the ball not lose it.

[Dave]

Main problem with martins is that when he isn't scoring goals, his all round game and overall contribution is not good enough. It certainly doesn't warrant the adoration he seems to get on this forum. Admittedly, the midfield is shite but that doesn't mean martins has to run around like a headless chicken. A good player would use the ball not lose it.

 

I actually think he keeps and uses the ball much better than he used to. Still not great like, and Saturday's woeful showing is definitely not good enough.

 

As I said before, I think half of the reason people like Martins is due to his quirkiness.

[afar]

Martins is simply not doing enough atm, as is the case with most of the team tbf.

[merlin]

Main problem with martins is that when he isn't scoring goals, his all round game and overall contribution is not good enough. It certainly doesn't warrant the adoration he seems to get on this forum. Admittedly, the midfield is s**** but that doesn't mean martins has to run around like a headless chicken. A good player would use the ball not lose it.

 

I actually think he keeps and uses the ball much better than he used to. Still not great like, and Saturday's woeful showing is definitely not good enough.

 

As I said before, I think half of the reason people like Martins is due to his quirkiness.

 

You are quite right Dave, but 'quirkiness' would not be seen in teams managed by the likes of Fergie. Wenger and, least of all, Benitez or Hiddink...

 

Perhaps NUFC fans' love of 'quirkiness' is the main reason why the club has not won a trophy for 40 years, and looks like remaining that way for another 40...!

[sicsfingeredmong]

Main problem with martins is that when he isn't scoring goals, his all round game and overall contribution is not good enough. It certainly doesn't warrant the adoration he seems to get on this forum. Admittedly, the midfield is s**** but that doesn't mean martins has to run around like a headless chicken. A good player would use the ball not lose it.

 

I actually think he keeps and uses the ball much better than he used to. Still not great like, and Saturday's woeful showing is definitely not good enough.

 

As I said before, I think half of the reason people like Martins is due to his quirkiness.

 

Put Asprilla into that category as well. Technically gifted, no doubt. Had a wow factor about him, no doubt. Eccentric, no doubt. Ultimately though - too laconic, lazy and half-arsed in terms of work-rate.

 

For me Asprilla's overall effectiveness, because his goal ratio certainly didn't offset his suspect work rate/effort, totals less than half a dozen games.

 

Yet the same player is unfairly adored when compared with some other vastly underrated & more influential players - ie. Gavin Peacock - and some of whom are unfortunately & unfairly despised to this day ie. Robert & Bellamy.

[Guest battyleespeed]

The reason why I put Martins and Asprilla into same category because both are players who play by instinct.... they certainly haven't come through the German or Dutch football academies or any other football culture where tactics are ingrained from the young age. When casually watching football I love to see that instinctive piece of skill - especially when it pays off - but at the end of the day watching your own team disintegrate because of individuals who have inept tactical understanding and situational awareness starts to irritate. When the stakes are high as they are now it starts to my blood boil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mrmojorisin75]

The reason why I put Martins and Asprilla into same category because both are players who play by instinct.... they certainly haven't come through the German or Dutch football academies or any other football culture where tactics are ingrained from the young age. When casually watching football I love to see that instinctive piece of skill - especially when it pays off - but at the end of the day watching your own team disintegrate because of individuals who have inept tactical understanding and situational awareness starts to irritate. When the stakes are high as they are now it starts to my blood boil.

 

 

to be fair martins is about the LAST reason we're disintegrating in my opinion, i put it down to the butt's, smith's & duff's of this world who HAVE come through footballing academies

 

martins will be better and more effective in a better team, end of story - we saw that under KK so i'm not sure why anyone is really arguing about it now

[Guest battyleespeed]

The reason why I put Martins and Asprilla into same category because both are players who play by instinct.... they certainly haven't come through the German or Dutch football academies or any other football culture where tactics are ingrained from the young age. When casually watching football I love to see that instinctive piece of skill - especially when it pays off - but at the end of the day watching your own team disintegrate because of individuals who have inept tactical understanding and situational awareness starts to irritate. When the stakes are high as they are now it starts to my blood boil.

 

 

to be fair martins is about the LAST reason we're disintegrating in my opinion, i put it down to the butt's, smith's & duff's of this world who HAVE come through footballing academies

 

martins will be better and more effective in a better team, end of story - we saw that under KK so i'm not sure why anyone is really arguing about it now

 

You can say that about any player - "X will be better and effective in a better team".

 

It's not exactly Martins fault, but of sequence of management regimes that were unable to put any kind of coherent team building plan in place so the current first eleven is totally ad-hoc one - collection of players that the caretaker manager has been able to cobble together. It is easy to say in hindsight, but putting likes of Martins, Ameobi, Jonas, Owen, Smith and Coloccini in the same team and the result becomes what it is. Their playing styles and attributes don't match at all. To be fair, I rate Butt and Duff as a relatively good team players who could be less exposed in more disciplined and a cohesive team. I'd even say the team would be even more messed up than what it is now if these two players wouldn't be around.  Why spend 10m on instinctive and individualistic player like Martins instead of replacing Shearer and Viduka with similar target player?

 

[Mowen]

Main problem with martins is that when he isn't scoring goals, his all round game and overall contribution is not good enough. It certainly doesn't warrant the adoration he seems to get on this forum. Admittedly, the midfield is s**** but that doesn't mean martins has to run around like a headless chicken. A good player would use the ball not lose it.

 

I actually think he keeps and uses the ball much better than he used to. Still not great like, and Saturday's woeful showing is definitely not good enough.

 

As I said before, I think half of the reason people like Martins is due to his quirkiness.

 

Put Asprilla into that category as well. Technically gifted, no doubt. Had a wow factor about him, no doubt. Eccentric, no doubt. Ultimately though - too laconic, lazy and half-arsed in terms of work-rate.

 

For me Asprilla's overall effectiveness, because his goal ratio certainly didn't offset his suspect work rate/effort, totals less than half a dozen games.

 

Yet the same player is unfairly adored when compared with some other vastly underrated & more influential players - ie. Gavin Peacock - and some of whom are unfortunately & unfairly despised to this day ie. Robert & Bellamy.

 

Agree with you until the last bit. Very, very few people don't appreciate the huge amount Bellamy and Robert did for this club.

[Disco]

To be fair to Martins he spent large swathes of the match at the weekend without anyone being within 20 yards of him. Not many players will thrive in positions like that against one of the best defences going. If Owen had bothered looking for some flicks he'd have got some as Martins won a fair bit in the air.

 

People like Martins because they can see with a bit of coaching he'd be a top player btw & he gets you on the edge of your seat unlike any of the other dross we have.

[Mowen]

To be fair to Martins he spent large swathes of the match at the weekend without anyone being within 20 yards of him. Not many players will thrive in positions like that against one of the best defences going. If Owen had bothered looking for some flicks he'd have got some as Martins won a fair bit in the air.

 

People like Martins because they can see with a bit of coaching he'd be a top player btw & he gets you on the edge of your seat unlike any of the other dross we have.

 

That's the key. Same reason the majority are more than happy to overlook Gutierrez's failings.

[mrmojorisin75]

To be fair to Martins he spent large swathes of the match at the weekend without anyone being within 20 yards of him. Not many players will thrive in positions like that against one of the best defences going. If Owen had bothered looking for some flicks he'd have got some as Martins won a fair bit in the air.

 

People like Martins because they can see with a bit of coaching he'd be a top player btw & he gets you on the edge of your seat unlike any of the other dross we have.

 

exactly - imo he survived on the coaching he had from inter when he arrived (or his wits) and ever since has slowly been dragged down with us; it's no surprise so it surprises me to find people finding it surprising

 

if martins had spent the last 3 years with a better coaching team and a group of players on the way up rather than down he'd be a different player

 

for example he'd thrive at villa with the game they play and the obvious quality coaching they have

[Guest Sniffer]

You can make all the excuses you like for martins. The fact is he just isn't that good at a time when we really need our 10 million pound men to stand up and be counted. If you sign the nolans and ryan taylors of this world you can expect average at best performances, not that we are seeing even that fom the likes of them and smith. But martins was supposedly something special and quite frankly, he isn't. Apart from one really good move when he held up the ball, fended of a couple of men and played it wide right, he did fuck all and in situations like this you need more from supposedly hghly rated players.

[Guest alankhaw]

You can make all the excuses you like for martins. The fact is he just isn't that good at a time when we really need our 10 million pound men to stand up and be counted. If you sign the nolans and ryan taylors of this world you can expect average at best performances, not that we are seeing even that fom the likes of them and smith. But martins was supposedly something special and quite frankly, he isn't. Apart from one really good move when he held up the ball, fended of a couple of men and played it wide right, he did fuck all and in situations like this you need more from supposedly hghly rated players.

 

Do remember we were playing Chelsea. Even the top strikers in the world struggle against them. Not to mention Hiddink probably having some sort of strategy to keep him out of the game.

[Guest Sniffer]

I'm not basing this only on the last game.

[Guest toonlass]

You can make all the excuses you like for martins. The fact is he just isn't that good at a time when we really need our 10 million pound men to stand up and be counted. If you sign the nolans and ryan taylors of this world you can expect average at best performances, not that we are seeing even that fom the likes of them and smith. But martins was supposedly something special and quite frankly, he isn't. Apart from one really good move when he held up the ball, fended of a couple of men and played it wide right, he did fuck all and in situations like this you need more from supposedly hghly rated players.

 

[TRon]

You can make all the excuses you like for martins. The fact is he just isn't that good at a time when we really need our 10 million pound men to stand up and be counted. If you sign the nolans and ryan taylors of this world you can expect average at best performances, not that we are seeing even that fom the likes of them and smith. But martins was supposedly something special and quite frankly, he isn't. Apart from one really good move when he held up the ball, fended of a couple of men and played it wide right, he did fuck all and in situations like this you need more from supposedly hghly rated players.

 

That might all be true but we haven't looked like scoring in games where Martins hasn't played either. If he isn't going to start who would you play in his place bearing in mind he's one of the few players we have who doesn't move like he's 55 yrs old?

 

 

[Guest Sniffer]

You know, just because we have limited choices, that does not justify the performances from martins. He has to play, unless we draft in Carroll or Xisco ( ) but that doesn't mean that he's a good enough player. As I said before, the midfield is shite, but martins needs to do more and contribute more to the team effort.

[TRon]

You know, just because we have limited choices, that does not justify the performances from martins. He has to play, unless we draft in Carroll or Xisco ( ) but that doesn't mean that he's a good enough player. As I said before, the midfield is shite, but martins needs to do more and contribute more to the team effort.

 

You could say the same for just about everyone else on the team though. If he's playing shit and there's still no one else who can come in and do better then what does that say about our other strikers?

 

 

 

 

[Guest Sniffer]

Not much I agree. But then, people on here are creaming their pants over martins and based on his performances you have to ask why.

 

I'd still like him to stick in four on Saturday and prove me wrong, though.

[Mowen]

Not much I agree. But then, people on here are creaming their pants over martins and based on his performances you have to ask why.

 

I'd still like him to stick in four on Saturday and prove me wrong, though.

 

I don't think many people are creaming their pants over him any more tbf. A lot do still see him as our most likely saviour, which isn't the same thing by a long shot.