Oba...Obafem

[TRon]

He was superb tonight. Caused havoc whenever he got the ball and how we have missed him.

[Menace]

Saved us last year, looks like he'll save us this year too.

[KaKa]

His touch was good, his passing was sharp and he absolutely flew past defenders on a couple of occassions, as well as making some decent runs.

 

I maintain there is an even better player in there than what we have seen so far, and I really hope we stay up and we keep him and find him a decent strike partner not named Owen.

[fredbob]

Been saying this for a long time, i know he's not perfect and probably wont be but i think he's a very good player who is very capable of winning games on his own. He's played under some shit systemsand so far has come out good, with a good goalscoring record. Scares the shit out of defenders and that alone makes him invaluable to the team. Am convinced that there is a partnership between him and Owen if we adapt to a short passing game next season.

[Guest Spark]

I love the little bastard. He's so sharp and has so much conviction and unpredictability in the box, especially when compared to He Who Must Not Be Named (Alan Smith)

[Guest rebel_yell12]

I thought Martins played very very well today.  I understand the substitution, although personally I'd have taken off Viduka who seemed well-knackered.  I've been arguing for a Martins-Owen partnership, thinking the two would provide chances for each other.  The best strikers (by far) that Newcastle have, and both played well tonight, imo.  Linked well, and what do you know, Martins essentially created the goal for Owen -- and helped to provide Owen the earlier chance as well by giving the defence someone else to worry about, not just double/triple-marking Owen.  A partnership between Martins and Owen should benefit both players, as it forces defences to pay attention to more than one striker at a time.  

 

Owen is now joint top-scorer for Newcastle with Martins.  He has 3 of the club's 4 goals since Keegan's arrival.  He's consistent, proven and has great reaction-time and instinct.  Played well tonight, worked very hard and provided a very important goal.  Looked to play well with Martins.

 

Martins has pace, unpredictable runs, long-range & powerful shooting.  His link-play wasn't great, but Owen dropped off well to do that and give Martins a bit more upfront.  Oba played great tonight, ran his socks off, and was a consistent danger, as well as essentially providing an assist for Owen's goal.  Most importantly, unlike the "player" he replaces in the XI, Oba scores and can scare a defence.  

 

I liked the Martins-Owen pairing, and IF Viduka gets fit, 4-3-3 might actually work to Newcastle's advantage.  Especially if we get Milner and/or N'Zogbia back into the midfield.  Was less than impressed with at least one midfielder today (allright, with 2 of the 3 actually).  

[fredbob]

I thought Martins played very very well today.  I understand the substitution, although personally I'd have taken off Viduka who seemed well-knackered.  I've been arguing for a Martins-Owen partnership, thinking the two would provide chances for each other.  The best strikers (by far) that Newcastle have, and both played well tonight, imo.  Linked well, and what do you know, Martins essentially created the goal for Owen -- and helped to provide Owen the earlier chance as well by giving the defence someone else to worry about, not just double/triple-marking Owen.  A partnership between Martins and Owen should benefit both players, as it forces defences to pay attention to more than one striker at a time.  

 

Owen is now joint top-scorer for Newcastle with Martins.  He has 3 of the club's 4 goals since Keegan's arrival.  He's consistent, proven and has great reaction-time and instinct.  Played well tonight, worked very hard and provided a very important goal.  Looked to play well with Martins.

 

Martins has pace, unpredictable runs, long-range & powerful shooting.  His link-play wasn't great, but Owen dropped off well to do that and give Martins a bit more upfront.  Oba played great tonight, ran his socks off, and was a consistent danger, as well as essentially providing an assist for Owen's goal.  Most importantly, unlike the "player" he replaces in the XI, Oba scores and can scare a defence.  

 

I liked the Martins-Owen pairing, and IF Viduka gets fit, 4-3-3 might actually work to Newcastle's advantage.  Especially if we get Milner and/or N'Zogbia back into the midfield.  Was less than impressed with at least one midfielder today (allright, with 2 of the 3 actually).  

 

Strange but there indroduction of Martins in the team has made the team look a hell of a lot more dangerous in terms of personal as well, maybe going a bit over the top here, but Martins seems to galvonise the squad a bit more because he provides more of an option to midfilders drooping deep and keeping possession of the ball more.

 

Look at the quartet of Zog, Martins, Owen and Emre and you have some excellent attacking options.

[Decky]

Loved the passion he showed, his eyes were red when he was taken off, i think he may have been crying.

 

Pathetic by KK taking him off instead of Barton who was fucking TERRIBLE

[Guest JamesD]

Honestly, with what had happened at Blackburn a few weeks ago, I hardly think its such a scandalous choice to have brought him off. A draw was a good result, and its not like the chance was negative either. As KKs been saying, it isn't a big deal, and Martins should have done enough to get a start next week.

[Fugazi]

Loved the passion he showed, his eyes were red when he was taken off, i think he may have been crying.

 

Pathetic by KK taking him off instead of Barton who was fucking TERRIBLE

 

Could have took Viduka off and put Zog left wing, the Duke looked finished well before 90 minutes.

[Mike]

He has to start next match, right?

[Optimistic Nut]

I'd start him with Owen on Saturday rather than Viduka. Owen tonight showed why he should still be the main man, two chances, one forced a great save, the other one was vintage Owen. Defence had a 2-yard start on him when Martins' shot was parried out yet he was the one who reacted quickest.

 

Wouldn't fancy Hughes one little bit against Owen & Martins on Saturday.

[La Parka]

Was a huge threat. Didn't deserve to be taken off. 

[Optimistic Nut]

Was a huge threat. Didn't deserve to be taken off. 

 

I could understand it. You don't take off the one player who looked capable of scoring, and bringing on a winger might have benefitted Viduka. He was brought off on 80 minutes...it's not like he was taken off 50-60 minutes in or whatever.

[Guest daveaha]

He's the best player on the pitch last night...  What a shame he was taken off as he probably the one who could provide us with the winning goal...

 

[Optimistic Nut]

He's the best player on the pitch last night...   What a shame he was taken off as he probably the one who could provide us with the winning goal...

 

 

Did I honestly miss something? He played well, but best player on the pitch?! McFadden & Owen for two were better.

[Kev]

Wasnt long ago when all you wankers were ripping the piss out of him

 

but anyway, he was immense

[Optimistic Nut]

Wasnt long ago when all you wankers were ripping the piss out of him

 

but anyway, he was immense

 

Again, must have missed something. Played well, but the praise, and surprise at the substitution is waaaaay overboard.

[fredbob]

Wasnt long ago when all you wankers were ripping the piss out of him

 

but anyway, he was immense

 

Again, must have missed something. Played well, but the praise, and surprise at the substitution is waaaaay overboard.

[/quote

Think most of the praise is coming from the relief at finally seeing someone who poses a threat AND works his arse off.

[Optimistic Nut]

Yeah, I agree. But surely it's not a surprise he was subbed? We had a spell 45 to 70 minutes when we were well on top, things went stale a bit after that, so no surprise that you bring on a winger, leaving on your targetman and best finisher and going a straight 4-4-2?

[Guest Dev]

Whatever else happens, if they are all fit I think Viduka Martins and Owen must start in our relegation games. Between the three of them you are almost guaranteed a goal, despite the dire state of our midfield. Thank god Smith is gone.

[Decky]

Whatever else happens, if they are all fit I think Viduka Martins and Owen must start in our relegation games. Between the three of them you are almost guaranteed a goal, despite the dire state of our midfield. Thank god Smith is gone.

 

He isnt yet mate

[Guest Goalfather]

What I find laughable is that Owen has missed more sitters than Martins this season. He has scored less goals even though he has had more starts... yet he is supposedly the best forward at the club even though he  has no left foot  and little pace.

 

[sicsfingeredmong]

Been saying this for a long time, i know he's not perfect and probably wont be but i think he's a very good player who is very capable of winning games on his own. He's played under some s*** systemsand so far has come out good, with a good goalscoring record. Scares the s*** out of defenders and that alone makes him invaluable to the team. Am convinced that there is a partnership between him and Owen if we adapt to a short passing game next season.

 

Likewise, however there are many who will dismiss that as being fiction based on their brief & unsuccessful pairing last season.

 

A long passing game to a pair of 'small forwards' like these two, having them feed on scraps via 2nd opportunities ie. centrehalves not effectively dealing with the high stuff & clearing their line, was ill-fated from the outset, esepcially where one is essentially at the moment a 'one dimensional forward' whose game revolves around running at opponents from deep before unleashing an effort on goal, and the other - ie. Owen - is pretty much an off-the-ball goal sneak who relies on having a deeper playing forward alongside. That sort of s*** 'lump it up the middle' football in effect negated Martins' main strengths, strengths which should compliment Owen's now reduced repetoire which is more reliant on his intelligence off-the-ball & his predatory instincts as being an all-out striker.

 

Somebody ,who can run at defenses & shoot from range, in the mould of Martins, draws defenders forward from the rearguard-line causing the defensive line - ie. through the middle - to become fractured, creating seams in the defensive line. It's this sort of space which opens up between the defending centrehalves, where they're more vulnerable to diagonal off-the-ball runs when the 'out-and-striker' is playing off the last defender....... the sort of expoitable space a 'goal-sneak' like Owen thrives on.

 

In a short passing system, or in a balanced passing game that would also utilise his ability to burn a high-defending rearguard line, enough opportunities will open up for Martins in 'the hole' when he does drop back. These are the opportunities you want to see arise when one of your frontmen has the two-pronged ability in their armory when it comes to beating his man and being able to shoot with both feet from distance. Leeds, for a time anyway, built their lead-up passing game around getting Yeboah into similar positions.

 

I'm not of the belief that you're front pairing has to be a target-man/little man combination. As long as they possess varying strengths that will both present match-up & formational questions to the defending opposition, that's enough. It's about providing varying threats via your strikeforce, scaring the the s*** out of them in more than just one way.

 

Along similar lines, provided that the team's pattern of play suited,  i was in favour of a move for Defoe when we were reportedly sniffing around during the recent Summer when Roeder was at the helm. At the time i felt an Owen/Defoe pairing would work, and i'm of the same opinion re: Owen & Martins.

 

 

[Guest pistonism]

Always had faith in him.

 

I'm just hoping that he won't complain about the substitute.