Shola Ameobi

[pinkeye]

If / when Shola ever has a Testimonial match at St James' it will be the most epic event.......

[Cajun]

I hope Chris Hoy is involved.

[Dokko]

I hope Chris Hoy is involved.

 

Gb cycle team come out for a lap around the pitch eating apples.

[Darth Crooks]

and those giant apples they had at the Pazzas

[Guest Spark]

After his goal against the Mackems last season I promised never to say a bad word against him ever again. This has been easier than I thought, because he's actually looked half decent coming off the bench recently.

[jdckelly]

If you just grow to accept Shola will always be at Newcastle in some form or another until the end of time then it becomes much easier to accept him and like him

[cubaricho]

I've went from Shola cynic to someone who adores the bloke. He's not the most naturally talented footballer, but as a professional both on and off the pitch he has to be applauded. Nolan, Smith etc. get a lot of the credit for the spirit around the club during the promotion season and people forget Shola was an important part of that group.

 

As many have pointed out he played through a very serious hip injury, one which almost ended his career by all accounts, for the benefit of the club. Furthermore he has worked really hard to reinvent his playing style over the past few years because of his injuries. Earlier in his career he was a gangly bloke who, on the rare occasions he broke into a sprint, had a bit of pace. Now he's a unit who is capable of holding up the ball in a way I haven't seen since Shearer was playing for us. That's some transformation and can only come about through hard work in the gym and on the training ground.

 

I don't get the Shola hate now. He's should be a cult hero who'll be remembered not for his goal scoring record but for his dedication to the club. And his penalty taking ability which is the best I've seen by a Newcastle player. And his goals against Sunderland.

 

[Mick]

I've went from Shola cynic to someone who adores the bloke. He's not the most naturally talented footballer, but as a professional both on and off the pitch he has to be applauded. Nolan, Smith etc. get a lot of the credit for the spirit around the club during the promotion season and people forget Shola was an important part of that group.

 

As many have pointed out he played through a very serious hip injury, one which almost ended his career by all accounts, for the benefit of the club. Furthermore he has worked really hard to reinvent his playing style over the past few years because of his injuries. Earlier in his career he was a gangly bloke who, on the rare occasions he broke into a sprint, had a bit of pace. Now he's a unit who is capable of holding up the ball in a way I haven't seen since Shearer was playing for us. That's some transformation and can only come about through hard work in the gym and on the training ground.

 

I don't get the Shola hate now. He's should be a cult hero who'll be remembered not for his goal scoring record but for his dedication to the club. And his penalty taking ability which is the best I've seen by a Newcastle player. And his goals against Sunderland.

 

Agreed, it must have been a bastard for him having to live a life of luxury while being not very good at what he's paid to do.

[nuneaton]

but he IS good, hes under rated.

[Yorkie]

It should take a pretty extreme case to have actual 'hate' for one of your own players. To use that word against Shola is absolute utter fucking bullshit. Especially in this climate of overpaid, under-worked, no-care footballers - many of whom have represented us over the past decade. Just nonsense, man.

 

He's built up a cult hero status through dedication, personality and footballing ability. More than happy to have him playing games for us.

[Mick]

but he IS good, hes under rated.

 

He's not on either account, he's a premiership forward with a one goal in every five games record.

[Cajun]

I've went from Shola cynic to someone who adores the bloke. He's not the most naturally talented footballer, but as a professional both on and off the pitch he has to be applauded. Nolan, Smith etc. get a lot of the credit for the spirit around the club during the promotion season and people forget Shola was an important part of that group.

 

As many have pointed out he played through a very serious hip injury, one which almost ended his career by all accounts, for the benefit of the club. Furthermore he has worked really hard to reinvent his playing style over the past few years because of his injuries. Earlier in his career he was a gangly bloke who, on the rare occasions he broke into a sprint, had a bit of pace. Now he's a unit who is capable of holding up the ball in a way I haven't seen since Shearer was playing for us. That's some transformation and can only come about through hard work in the gym and on the training ground.

 

I don't get the Shola hate now. He's should be a cult hero who'll be remembered not for his goal scoring record but for his dedication to the club. And his penalty taking ability which is the best I've seen by a Newcastle player. And his goals against Sunderland.

 

Agreed, it must have been a bastard for him having to live a life of luxury while being not very good at what he's paid to do.

 

Ignoring the numerous times he has played through pain when we have needed him while some higher paid tossers seemed to miss games every time they broke a nail.

[Mick]

 

Ignoring the numerous times he has played through pain when we have needed him while some higher paid tossers seemed to miss games every time they broke a nail.

 

And?

[gbandit]

but he IS good, hes under rated.

 

He's not on either account, he's a premiership forward with a one goal in every five games record.

what Mick said. I appreciate his sub appearances last year, I appreciate the first half of champ season but that doesn't alter the fact that he has never been any good for any length of time here. I've always been on his case but when you have a guy that produces magic one game out of ten and in the other nine often messes up the simplest things it's so frustrating. I like him a lot as a person, I like his family and his eccentricities. As a footballer we should have had so much more. For me, last season, I enjoyed him more than ever before and that's an indictment of him. Still, I hope he has a good few sub appearances this year and next year then retires. Good guy, shockingly inconsistent footballer

[Cajun]

 

Ignoring the numerous times he has played through pain when we have needed him while some higher paid tossers seemed to miss games every time they broke a nail.

 

And?

 

You just seemed to ignore what he was getting at and decided to put your own spin on it so you could get a dig in

[henke]

As a first choice striker you're looking for 15 goals a season. That was never Shola, he has neither the all round ability or consistency. So when our squad lacked quality and the coaching staff / fans demanded it from him we were obviously frustrated.

 

As a back up striker who can come on for twenty minutes and throw his considerable bulk around he finally has something significant to offer the team. Plus he's a geordie, cult status secured. I fucking love him!

[TRC]

I like him as a 20 minute sub, nothing else. He has a unique style on and off the pitch.

[Mick]

 

Ignoring the numerous times he has played through pain when we have needed him while some higher paid tossers seemed to miss games every time they broke a nail.

 

And?

 

You just seemed to ignore what he was getting at and decided to put your own spin on it so you could get a dig in

I ignored most of his post because it was his opinion and he hadn't' said anything controversial. Trying to pass a fairly average at best footballer off as a cult hero is a bit OTT.  Shola should have been peddled years ago.

[Crayola Kid]

but he IS good, hes under rated.

 

He's not on either account, he's a premiership forward with a one goal in every five games record.

 

.com archives have him down as 333 appearances, for 72 goals. they also show that in 140 of those games, he didnt start but came on as a sub.  i think for every time he has come on with half an hour to play, there will be a game where he has come on with no real playing time left.  it would maybe be reasonable to call it ten mins per sub appearance, but lets say 15 for the sake of argument. 

that would mean he played the equivalent of 23 full games in those 140 apps, giving 216 games in total, for 72 goals which is 1 in 3.  you could also add that he spent long periods (or nearly all of it?) in his career as a squad player, meaning he would get a few games when shearer or whoever was injured/banned, then sent straight back to the bench when they were available again.  he has been a 1 in 3 striker as a back up, often in a struggling side.

 

there have been fortunes spent on strikers who would consider 1 in 3 a success, not least by our silly friends down the road.  shola's problem is that he is a reasonable striker for the level he has spent his career at, but he has spent it at a club who have had some brilliant players in his position in the time leading up to and during his own career.  if he wanted to be a big fish, he'd have done very well in a smaller pond.

 

f***ing love the halloween volley as well, was the best moment for me in that whole match

[Crayola Kid]

...and I've just watched all of his goals on youtube thanks to one of our own on here (cheers!), some bobblers early on but the guy can strike a ball.  on balance, i'm glad he never moved on.  if he had who would have been our third/fourth striker all these years, given some of the third choice left backs/right wingers/etc we have seen in his time?  it certainly wouldnt have been someone who could turn the beer flat all over wearside time and again (and he did manage goals against man u, liverpool and barcelona for good measure of course)

[Tisd09]

If you just grow to accept Shola will always be at Newcastle in some form or another until the end of time then it becomes much easier to accept him and like him

 

Could you imagine Shola as manager?

 

Delivering team talks but instead of taking a breath between sentences he just chomps down an apple.

 

Seems a model pro, pity about some of the shit injuries he's had. I like the look of Sammy too, Sammy seems to have a bit more technical ability about him and pace so if he shows the same dedication then he should have a decent career with us.

 

An absolute dream would be an Sho and Sam double against the Mackems and them celebrating together.

[Cronky]

He's always put the club and his team-mates before himself, unlike one or two cult heroes I could mention.

[Guest je85]

ive made 2 statements which may seem like hyperbole, but;

 

2) his 20 mins sub appearence against spurs at home last year, equaliser inclusive, was amongst the best 20 mins I have seen a newcastle striker have, he didnt put a foot wrong and was just a beast, Drogba-esque...

 

 

 

I love bold outlandish statements, stealing this one.

[DJ_NUFC]

He used to p*ss me off so much, thought he was the biggest pile of s*** ever (and tbf he was). Then I just fell in love with the guy, cant actually remember at all which season it was but this love was big enough to wipe all that frustration and anger he gave me over the years and for me to cherish the happy memories of him for the rest of my life.

 

This.

 

Although I always liked him and at the same time wished he had the role he currently has for us previously when we used to mistakenly start him thinking he'd become this consistent predator. He's more a flashes-of-brilliance and then hands-behind-my-head kinda guy. The dude abides. He shall abide in history as a legend. Or at the very least, some sort of semi-hero.

[GuyP]

ive made 2 statements which may seem like hyperbole, but;

 

2) his 20 mins sub appearence against spurs at home last year, equaliser inclusive, was amongst the best 20 mins I have seen a newcastle striker have, he didnt put a foot wrong and was just a beast, Drogba-esque...

 

 

 

I love bold outlandish statements, stealing this one.

 

You seem to agree about my first statement then?