Shola Ameobi

[Varadi]

Shola put his body on the line for the club.

 

This. His willingness to play through injury for the sake of the club meant that he was never able to fulfil his true potential.

 

Even then, he was better than most will give him credit for, but that's another story.

 

Shola's best form for us by an absolute mile was at the end of the 05/06 season under Roeder when he was playing through injury, so I'm not sure about the theory that injuries held him back.

 

He was scoring at a goal a game in the Championship in 2009 as well before he got injured - was an absolute boss at that level, way better than anything we saw from Mitro.

 

[Altamullan]

Aye. For about 15 years one of the most common phrases in the stands was, "Ahhhh Shola, man" or similar.

so true. Even then though, for many, with undercurrent of real affection. Like watching a friend/brother/son who you’re desperate to do well, but who just keeps falling short.

[David Icke - Son of God]

I was always very impressed at how he reinvented himself after his hip problem. Absolute brick shithouse by the end of his time here. When you consider the rake he was during his first few seasons it's mental to think it's the same player

 

I spent years thinking he was absolutely shite, then towards the end of his time here I had done a complete 180. Not the most prolific striker in the world, but those last few years he played that target man role so well and you could tell he absolutely adored playing for the club.

 

His penalties too. Every single one in the side netting. Can't teach that sort of technique.

[Dinho lad]

He is fucking shit.

[Dinho lad]

And I certainly don't believe the significance of this 'he's played with pain for so many years' excuse! The older he got, the bulkier he became! Even now he still has a class physique. 

[Guest firetotheworks]

Aye. For about 15 years one of the most common phrases in the stands was, "Ahhhh Shola, man" or similar.

 

My favourite that I remember was a commentator going "AMEOBI!.........Goal kick."

[Guest Howaythetoon]

He’s going to have health issues when he’s older thanks to Souness and co and all those injections. He had to take injections just to train and then when he couldn’t train injections just to play. Compare how we treated Owen and Shearer with no expenses spared Dr Steadman to Shola’s chronic hip problem. A few ex players have lamented the club’s medical practices like which have always been dodgy IMO. Rafa seems to have a grip on this side, we have injuries, but nothing bad or long-term. He’s big on that side of things and knows what is needed. I think the likes of Souness regarded a player as a puff if he felt unwell and it’s easy to see why he’d tell Shola just to get an injection and play through the pain as that’s what proper men do and did back in his day. That man has a lot to answer for at this club...

[Guest Howaythetoon]

And I certainly don't believe the significance of this 'he's played with pain for so many years' excuse! The older he got, the bulkier he became! Even now he still has a class physique. 

 

He bulked up to become a bit of a battering ram, if he couldn’t be mobile he could be physical. Even Pardew once put him in for that purpose alone, to rough defenders up and be our battering ram.

 

You can’t blame Shola for taking injections to play, he just wanted to play and we all know footballers are subordinate in the main so whatever their manager tells them, they’ll do.

 

I have never quite understood the stick he used to get. My own frustration come with the idiots who would continually play him or give him new deals and not the player himself who gave his all as limited as that often was.

 

Unlike many better players than him to have played for us, he gave us some great moments.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

I can’t remember who it was against, but I remember a time when Shola brought down a long ball on his chest, dropped it to his feet, turned his man and then proceeded to basically fall over with the ball going back to the opposition. Claps to jeers in seconds,sums him up

[Hanshithispantz]

Shola at the World Cup was a landmark period of the game.

[James]

Shola at the World Cup was a landmark period of the game.

 

Would have been for England if not for Souness.

[Dinho lad]

And I certainly don't believe the significance of this 'he's played with pain for so many years' excuse! The older he got, the bulkier he became! Even now he still has a class physique. 

 

He bulked up to become a bit of a battering ram, if he couldn’t be mobile he could be physical. Even Pardew once put him in for that purpose alone, to rough defenders up and be our battering ram.

 

You can’t blame Shola for taking injections to play, he just wanted to play and we all know footballers are subordinate in the main so whatever their manager tells them, they’ll do.

 

I have never quite understood the stick he used to get. My own frustration come with the idiots who would continually play him or give him new deals and not the player himself who gave his all as limited as that often was.

 

Unlike many better players than him to have played for us, he gave us some great moments.

 

Bullshit. That's not consistent with someone who apparently had to be on injections for so long.

 

Sick of fuckers defending and hero culting him. He was fucking shit. We had to put for 14 years of his shitness, of course I'm going to criticise him.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

And I certainly don't believe the significance of this 'he's played with pain for so many years' excuse! The older he got, the bulkier he became! Even now he still has a class physique. 

 

He bulked up to become a bit of a battering ram, if he couldn’t be mobile he could be physical. Even Pardew once put him in for that purpose alone, to rough defenders up and be our battering ram.

 

You can’t blame Shola for taking injections to play, he just wanted to play and we all know footballers are subordinate in the main so whatever their manager tells them, they’ll do.

 

I have never quite understood the stick he used to get. My own frustration come with the idiots who would continually play him or give him new deals and not the player himself who gave his all as limited as that often was.

 

Unlike many better players than him to have played for us, he gave us some great moments.

 

Bullshit. That's not consistent with someone who apparently had to be on injections for so long.

 

Sick of f***ers defending and hero culting him. He was f***ing s***. We had to put for 14 years of his shitness, of course I'm going to criticise him.

 

It’s the truth, he bulked up to become more physical as his mobility waned. No one is defending him for being s*** by the way, not me anyway, as he was s***. Just not in the kind of league you’d put far more s*** players we’ve had to justify at times which bordered on abuse and hatred of him, on here and on the stands.

[Papavasiliou]

I can’t remember who it was against, but I remember a time when Shola brought down a long ball on his chest, dropped it to his feet, turned his man and then proceeded to basically fall over with the ball going back to the opposition. Claps to jeers in seconds,sums him up

 

Pretty sure he did that at least twice a game every time he got on the pitch.

[Dinho lad]

And I certainly don't believe the significance of this 'he's played with pain for so many years' excuse! The older he got, the bulkier he became! Even now he still has a class physique. 

 

He bulked up to become a bit of a battering ram, if he couldn’t be mobile he could be physical. Even Pardew once put him in for that purpose alone, to rough defenders up and be our battering ram.

 

You can’t blame Shola for taking injections to play, he just wanted to play and we all know footballers are subordinate in the main so whatever their manager tells them, they’ll do.

 

I have never quite understood the stick he used to get. My own frustration come with the idiots who would continually play him or give him new deals and not the player himself who gave his all as limited as that often was.

 

Unlike many better players than him to have played for us, he gave us some great moments.

 

Bullshit. That's not consistent with someone who apparently had to be on injections for so long.

 

Sick of f***ers defending and hero culting him. He was f***ing s***. We had to put for 14 years of his shitness, of course I'm going to criticise him.

 

It’s the truth, he bulked up to become more physical as his mobility waned. No one is defending him for being s*** by the way, not me anyway, as he was s***. Just not in the kind of league you’d put far more s*** players we’ve had to justify at times which bordered on abuse and hatred of him, on here and on the stands.

 

That's still inconsistent with your story of him playing with pain/injections, as bulking up takes a lot of hard work in the gym that inevitably puts more stress on your joints.

 

You don't go from playing with pain at the weekend to training hard with weights during the week if you are on injection. That's a load of bullshit.

 

Far more shit players we had to justify at times? Yeah? Who are they? And for 14 years?

 

 

[James]

And I certainly don't believe the significance of this 'he's played with pain for so many years' excuse! The older he got, the bulkier he became! Even now he still has a class physique. 

 

He bulked up to become a bit of a battering ram, if he couldn’t be mobile he could be physical. Even Pardew once put him in for that purpose alone, to rough defenders up and be our battering ram.

 

You can’t blame Shola for taking injections to play, he just wanted to play and we all know footballers are subordinate in the main so whatever their manager tells them, they’ll do.

 

I have never quite understood the stick he used to get. My own frustration come with the idiots who would continually play him or give him new deals and not the player himself who gave his all as limited as that often was.

 

Unlike many better players than him to have played for us, he gave us some great moments.

 

Bullshit. That's not consistent with someone who apparently had to be on injections for so long.

 

Sick of f***ers defending and hero culting him. He was f***ing s***. We had to put for 14 years of his shitness, of course I'm going to criticise him.

 

It’s the truth, he bulked up to become more physical as his mobility waned. No one is defending him for being s*** by the way, not me anyway, as he was s***. Just not in the kind of league you’d put far more s*** players we’ve had to justify at times which bordered on abuse and hatred of him, on here and on the stands.

 

That's still inconsistent with your story of him playing with pain/injections, as bulking up takes a lot of hard work in the gym that inevitably puts more stress on your joints.

 

You don't go from playing with pain at the weekend to training hard with weights during the week if you are on injection. That's a load of bullshit.

 

Far more shit players we had to justify at times? Yeah? Who are they? And for 14 years?

 

He is not saying he bulked up while having the injections.

 

This happened once Roeder figured out what was going on and sent him off for a hip operation. Shola then came back with a lot less mobility so bulking up was essential and the hip repaired as well as possible could now sustain that.

[James]

FFS the lad was 21 when Robson got sacked. 21!

 

In that time he scored 25 goals in 51 starts. Including Champions League games.

 

Genuinely 1 in 2 at 21.

 

The year by year progression under Robson was clear.

 

And then Souness comes and makes him play on the wing instead of Robert. With a dodgy leg.

 

We will never know what might have been but I personally think we lost out. Not just with Shola really but a number of younger players Robson had been developing.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

And I certainly don't believe the significance of this 'he's played with pain for so many years' excuse! The older he got, the bulkier he became! Even now he still has a class physique. 

 

He bulked up to become a bit of a battering ram, if he couldn’t be mobile he could be physical. Even Pardew once put him in for that purpose alone, to rough defenders up and be our battering ram.

 

You can’t blame Shola for taking injections to play, he just wanted to play and we all know footballers are subordinate in the main so whatever their manager tells them, they’ll do.

 

I have never quite understood the stick he used to get. My own frustration come with the idiots who would continually play him or give him new deals and not the player himself who gave his all as limited as that often was.

 

Unlike many better players than him to have played for us, he gave us some great moments.

 

Bullshit. That's not consistent with someone who apparently had to be on injections for so long.

 

Sick of f***ers defending and hero culting him. He was f***ing s***. We had to put for 14 years of his shitness, of course I'm going to criticise him.

 

It’s the truth, he bulked up to become more physical as his mobility waned. No one is defending him for being s*** by the way, not me anyway, as he was s***. Just not in the kind of league you’d put far more s*** players we’ve had to justify at times which bordered on abuse and hatred of him, on here and on the stands.

 

That's still inconsistent with your story of him playing with pain/injections, as bulking up takes a lot of hard work in the gym that inevitably puts more stress on your joints.

 

You don't go from playing with pain at the weekend to training hard with weights during the week if you are on injection. That's a load of bullshit.

 

Far more s*** players we had to justify at times? Yeah? Who are they? And for 14 years?

 

 

 

Fucking hell your an angry man

 

He did play with injections and with a hip problem. He then bulked up later in his career and towards the end had to start taking injections again as his hip was basically fucked.

[xLiaaamx]

FFS the lad was 21 when Robson got sacked. 21!

 

In that time he scored 25 goals in 51 starts. Including Champions League games.

 

Genuinely 1 in 2 at 21.

 

The year by year progression under Robson was clear.

 

And then Souness comes and makes him play on the wing instead of Robert. With a dodgy leg.

 

We will never know what might have been but I personally think we lost out. Not just with Shola really but a number of younger players Robson had been developing.

 

He was born in 1981.

 

Robson was sacked in 2004.

 

Thats not 21 years.

[James]

FFS the lad was 21 when Robson got sacked. 21!

 

In that time he scored 25 goals in 51 starts. Including Champions League games.

 

Genuinely 1 in 2 at 21.

 

The year by year progression under Robson was clear.

 

And then Souness comes and makes him play on the wing instead of Robert. With a dodgy leg.

 

We will never know what might have been but I personally think we lost out. Not just with Shola really but a number of younger players Robson had been developing.

 

He was born in 1981.

 

Robson was sacked in 2004.

 

Thats not 21 years.

 

Wow an extra year. 22.

 

Anyhow someone tell me how many players at PL clubs have scored 25 goals before their 23rd birthday.

 

Or scored 25 within 50 senior starts.

 

If anyone can tell me that any random striker could achieve it then I will change my view on the level of talent Shola really had.

 

 

[xLiaaamx]

He had about 22 in over 100 appearances in all comps. This 1 in 2 narrative isn't right

[James]

He had about 22 in over 100 appearances in all comps. This 1 in 2 narrative isn't right

 

50 starts.

[triggs]

He had about 22 in over 100 appearances in all comps. This 1 in 2 narrative isn't right

 

50 starts.

How many of the goals did he get coming off the bench?

[James]

He had about 22 in over 100 appearances in all comps. This 1 in 2 narrative isn't right

 

50 starts.

How many of the goals did he get coming off the bench?

 

It’s a valid question so I’m glad you asked.

 

2

 

 

[Optimistic Nut]

FFS the lad was 21 when Robson got sacked. 21!

 

In that time he scored 25 goals in 51 starts. Including Champions League games.

 

Genuinely 1 in 2 at 21.

 

The year by year progression under Robson was clear.

 

And then Souness comes and makes him play on the wing instead of Robert. With a dodgy leg.

 

We will never know what might have been but I personally think we lost out. Not just with Shola really but a number of younger players Robson had been developing.

 

He was born in 1981.

 

Robson was sacked in 2004.

 

Thats not 21 years.

 

Wow an extra year. 22.

 

Anyhow someone tell me how many players at PL clubs have scored 25 goals before their 23rd birthday.

 

Or scored 25 within 50 senior starts.

 

If anyone can tell me that any random striker could achieve it then I will change my view on the level of talent Shola really had.

 

 

 

What was his Premier League record like? I know he scored in those Leverkusen (who were s****) and Barca games but I bet most of those goals were beefed out playing poorer sides in Europe.