Heron Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 It never fails to amaze me how critical people are of our Strikers and Defenders, but never our Midfield. If we had a decent midfield we would be in a far better position. This will tell when the likes of Barton, Jonas and the likes get fully fit again.... The likes of Geremi who is past it in our starting line up is the problem, not that I think he is dreadful but he isn't good enough. Everyone always overlooks are midfield though, always have done, probably always will. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 It never fails to amaze me how critical people are of our Strikers and Defenders, but never our Midfield. If we had a decent midfield we would be in a far better position. This will tell when the likes of Barton, Jonas and the likes get fully fit again.... The likes of Geremi who is past it in our starting line up is the problem, not that I think he is dreadful but he isn't good enough. Everyone always overlooks are midfield though, always have done, probably always will. the likes of Parker, Bowyer, Faye and now Butt have all had their fair share of abuse tbh. Guthrie's starting to get it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LooneyToonArmy Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Ameobi thanks Kinnear for saving his career SHOLA AMEOBI has thanked interim manager Joe Kinnear for salvaging his career with Newcastle United. The 27-year-old striker is enjoying a new lease of life in a black-and-white shirt as the early season jeers have now changed to cheers. And Ameobi puts it down to the fact that Kinnear has restored his self-belief. Certainly, while Joey Barton hogged all the headlines yesterday after Tuesday night’s win over West Bromwich Albion, the part played by Ameobi cannot be over-estimated. It was Ameobi who won Barton the chance to knock in that penalty – and this after scoring in United’s previous two games against Sunderland at The Stadium of Light and against Manchester City in the previous home game. And, with Mark Viduka not expected to be back until the turn of the year because of the problems the Aussie international is having with his Achilles tendon injury, United need Ameobi to take the weight off the likes of Obafemi Martins and, when he is fit, Michael Owen. As he began his preparations for Monday’s game with Aston Villa at St James’s Park, and after a well-earned day off yesterday, Ameobi told me today: “Joe’s come in and put self-belief back into my game and really put my career back on track. “And I have to say it’s great for me to be back out there working hard and playing well. “I admire what Joe’s done, not just for me, but for the whole squad. He’s just come in and said ‘regardless of what’s gone on, we have to just fight and be a team’, and that’s certainly what we’ve done. “We’ve got to keep doing it if we’re to get ourselves out of the position we’re in. “He’s shown that belief in me, and it’s great for me personally.” Kinnear soon made it clear that he liked a lot of what he saw in Ameobi when he said that he reminded him of John Fashanu. Glenn Roeder was the last United manager to get the best out of Ameobi, and the current Norwich boss says that all the striker needs is someone who believes in him – and Kinnear certainly does that. Roeder was just one of several Championship managers who tried to lure Ameobi away from Tyneside in the close season when the player’s St James’s Park career, which started back in 2000, was at rock bottom. It got even worse when, in virtually his last act as vice-president, Tony Jimenez paid Deportivo La Coruna £5.8m for their Spanish Under-21 striker Xisco. But while Xisco is finding life difficult in the Premier League, Ameobi as gone from strength to strength under Kinnear. And it’s a far cry from the day Ameobi came on as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers as recently as the end of last month – and was booed by some United supporters. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Heneage Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 We can't offer him a new contract if we do we are mental. We need new players. Im sick of being near the bottom. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Shola represents everything that has been wrong with this club for four years tbf Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Heneage Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 True. As much as I appreciate his goals and sporadic good play he should have been gone years ago. Its this love of the local geordie. Carroll will be next. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElDiablo Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Slowly but surely he's morphing in to Didier Drogba. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkhead Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 keep it up man Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 He is a fairly useful player at the moment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Swift Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 He is a fairly useful player at the moment. Indeed he is. If he can return to being Roeder's Shola, then we can start speaking about a really, really, short contract. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 They might not have worked brilliantly as a partnership but Shola and Martins destroyed Villa's centere backs over the course of 90 mins. Let's give credit where it's due for a change. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmonkey Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 He's gone from "rip your hair out" shit to being a half decent target man. He did have that "its difficult if your second touch is a tackle" moment once or twice, however its happening far, far less frequently compared to previous years. Kudos to Kinnear. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElDiablo Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 I'd like to see him in the target man role in a 433 with Owen and Oba at Fulham. He's performing well and putting himself about a lot but he's not much of a goal threat. Then you've got Martins who blows hot and cold and Owen who is proven but not necessarily going to stretch a defence anymore. With Owen dropping off as well into the hole I think that would work well in front of a 3 of Butt, Barton and Jonas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Shola represents everything that has been wrong with this club for four years tbf Nonsense, to be honest. Aye, he's not Drogba, but he's always given his all for the club and has got some important goals to boot. Maybe he shouldn't be a premiership starter, but to say he 'represents everything that's wrong' with us is ridiculous. If all our players over the years loved Newcastle like Shola does and sweated for the cause like he did we would be a lot better off. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatwax Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 I like Shola and he tends to play better after an extended run of games, such as with Roeder, but I doubt he's got it in him to stay free from injury or in-form. If he's still performing coming the end of January who would be against renewing his contract? I'm still very much undecided.. I'm just waiting for him to fall back to the awful form of recent years. I feel the same about the likes of Duff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Howaythetoon Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 He was outstanding tonight I thought. Much more mobile and much better in holding the ball up than any of Villa's forwards including the much feared and vaunted Carew whose marker throughout the game (rightly) dropped off him which Shola was just never afforded with Villa's centre-backs marking him closely all night and not often legally either although Shola himself was guilty of that at times as well like. He remained the focal point of our attack quite a lot throughout the game in a critical and key role for the team. The new Ameobi would have been bossed out the game before being subbed to a chorus of boos. He worked his socks off and is playing like a new player. His strength on the ball and shielding it has improved a lot too. Kinnear deserves massive credit for the turnaround. By Ameobi's own shocking form this isn't some kind of stellar performnces from him I know but its a marked improvement all the same and I'll gladly take that. He's went from someone whose introduction to a match was like going down to 10 men to being a key player in the side and who knows by the end of the season he may well have earned himself a stay in Toon. The stick he's had has never really washed with me, he's a decent lad and has had his fair share of injuries and being played out of position. No one of our managers in his time here has really tried to work with him or recognised how best to use him and I include Roeder in that as IMO Shola's goals and performances under him was very much down to the removal of that huge shadow that was Shearer than anything Roeder himself done, that and a string of games and full fitness. I'm delighted for him to be honest. A few weeks back he looked visibly shaken by the jeers, boos and ironic cheers when he controlled a ball and I hate seeing that in a player wearing our colors. Someone so down and dejected. Howay Shola lad, keep it up. You're even winning over some of the morons in L7. He'll never get us goals but if he can do a good job for the team when he's in it I'll be happy with that. He was still woeful in the box in terms of runs and movement like Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
olliemort Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Good performance again Shola,at least hes fighting for the shirt now and looks hungry,will be interesting too see what happens when Owens fully fit Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Libertine Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 ameobi out asap. you're all kneejerking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 One of his best ever showings for us tonight imo - certainly in the Premiership anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaKa Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Kinnear is very familiar with the likes of Fashanu and Ekoku who are quite similar to Shola in a lot of ways and I think this has allowed him to get through to Shola. It's been great to see. Could be a solid backup target man if he is happy with such a role going into the future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cronky Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Kinnear is very familiar with the likes of Fashanu and Ekoku who are quite similar to Shola in a lot of ways and I think this has allowed him to get through to Shola. It's been great to see. Could be a solid backup target man if he is happy with such a role going into the future. I actually think the comparison with Fashanu is a bit misleading. Yes, they're both target men, but Fashanu was just a thug who wouldn't have survived in the Premiership of today. Refs are a lot stricter and Fash the Bash was pretty useless with the ball on the deck. Shola will conjure up one or two situations every game that you don't really expect from a tall, gangly striker. He'll go past someone or produce a really imaginative pass. That's what separates him from Fashanu. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChezGiven Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 One of his best ever showings for us tonight imo - certainly in the Premiership anyway. Not sure he was at his best offensively but from the point of view of a team contribution, thought he was superb from the kick-off. Has Kinnear just sat him down with a video and pointed out all the chances he has had to pressure the ball up the field? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaKa Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Kinnear is very familiar with the likes of Fashanu and Ekoku who are quite similar to Shola in a lot of ways and I think this has allowed him to get through to Shola. It's been great to see. Could be a solid backup target man if he is happy with such a role going into the future. I actually think the comparison with Fashanu is a bit misleading. Yes, they're both target men, but Fashanu was just a thug who wouldn't have survived in the Premiership of today. Refs are a lot stricter and Fash the Bash was pretty useless with the ball on the deck. Shola will conjure up one or two situations every game that you don't really expect from a tall, gangly striker. He'll go past someone or produce a really imaginative pass. That's what separates him from Fashanu. Not so much the skill set but more the body type. I do think Kinnear has got Shola doing a bettr job of competing for aerial balls without fouling the defender everytime and also of just holding the ball up by shielding it with his body. Shola has been doing a much better job of these two things recently than ever before, and these are the things we have always needed him to do a much better job of. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Played well again tonight. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Howaythetoon Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 I know it's a cliche but confidence means an awful lot as does having someone who believes in you and actually wants to work with you which Shola hasn't probably had since his academy days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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