Leon Best

[thenige]

Fair play to him, he got a chance and by and large he took it, but if you look at his career record he's not exactly prolific. He's the kind of player who goes through spurts of goals then dries up. Would you honestly want him as say fourth choice standing in front of players like Vuckic, Airey and Shola mkII?

 

Fair enough it seems odd to sell him with no-one coming in, but touch wood the transfer window has been pretty good so far, so they must have at least one or two in mind that are fairly concrete bets to come in. Another one like Nolan where it's cheers for the goals, but it'd probably be best for both of us if he moves on. Doubt he'd want to stick around and be down the pecking order anyway.  

[ponsaelius]

Just been watching some highlights of games from last season, and what I noticed prominently was that Best actually did a lot of good things beyond his goalscoring that I don't think I noticed much at the time. His workrate was excellent, and he actually did some good work on the ball. He got caught offside a lot but unlike Shola it was through a desire to make the runs rather than a lack of.

 

I do feel it would be a shame to sell him, especially if it's to bring in Long who from what I've seen is not a massive upgrade apart from having more pace.

[Si]

Just been watching some highlights of games from last season, and what I noticed prominently was that Best actually did a lot of good things beyond his goalscoring that I don't think I noticed much at the time. His workrate was excellent, and he actually did some good work on the ball. He got caught offside a lot but unlike Shola it was through a desire to make the runs rather than a lack of.

 

I do feel it would be a shame to sell him, especially if it's to bring in Long who from what I've seen is not a massive upgrade apart from having more pace.

 

Agreed can't see the logic in letting him go think he can do a job for us as a squad player.

[Ishmael]

Logic is that we need to get rid of a couple of forwards and he is the only one who could attract interest.

[TheGuv]

Heard from the bloke who told me about the Marveux deal all that time ago in February that Shane Long will be coming for cash and part ex with Best.

 

We shall see

[Sifu]

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

Logic is that we need to get rid of a couple of forwards and he is the only one who could attract interest.

Lovenkrands did a good job for us in the Championship so I'd be surprised if no Championship clubs were interested in him. He's in the last year of his contract so I doubt he'd cost too much. If we buy another striker he may want to leave as he won't be getting much game time at NUFC.

[Mr. Snrub]

Ameobi and Lovenkrands would generate interest from Championship sides.

 

Weren't Birmingham after Shola in Jan?  With Chrissy H now in charge business could be done.  Ameobi has already performed for him in the Championship.

 

To get rid of a young lad with potential to accomodate these 2 clowns would really fuck me off.

[Guest BooBoo]

Would be annoyed to see us lose Best when he's for my money, a better bet than both Shola and Lovenkrands. Best has still time to improve, the other two will only get worse.

[Wullie]

Not convinced Long is much of a step up on Best tbh, and though Best looks much older, the difference is 4 months between them.

[Sifu]

You do forget that Best is only 24 like.

 

I'd honestly keep him, was surprised to see him being essentially told that he can go. I'd take Long too mind but that's if we exhaust all other options and if he only costs £4 million at most.

[ponsaelius]

Not convinced Long is much of a step up on Best tbh, and though Best looks much older, the difference is 4 months between them.

 

His record in the Championship before last season is pretty terrible too. I think he'd do okay, but I honestly don't see him being that much of a step up on Best apart from having more pace.

[summerof69]

I think he is a good player and it would be ludicrous to sell him, in my opinion.

[Cajun]

Would be really quite sad to lose Best, I think he has a fair bit of potential and as others have said there are a few further down the pecking order. Would be more than happy with Best being 4th choice behind Ba, new and Ben Arfa.

[toontownman]

Best won't sit on the bench like. He already bugged the hell out of Pardew to get a start last year, if we didnt have such a shit show up front and bunch of injuries he wouldn't have got as big a chance as he did either.

 

I would keep him ahead of Lovelpants and Shola but reality is the former to will happily sit on the bench, Best wants to be playing every week, dont think he would get that here, matter of time before he asks for a move.

[Pilko]

Best would probably tolerate a season as a bench/occasional starting player. I think that as long as he reckons Pardew is willing to give him chances to shine (even if not every single game) he'll be wanting to prove himself.

[Guest schmuck]

Would like to see Leon kept in a small purpose-built enclosure within the dressing room behind a locked door for two hours prior to kick off. In a tension filled race against time, and with the likelihood of a loan move back to Coventry increasing with every failure, his ability to bang down the door before the rest of his team-mates leave the dressing room would provide a handy tool for ascertaining his levels of desire and motivation for any given match.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I think he's a decent player and there are worse strikers at the club, but for some reason I'm just not attached to him and wouldn't be bothered if he left.

[Pilko]

Would like to see Leon kept in a small purpose-built enclosure within the dressing room behind a locked door for two hours prior to kick off. In a tension filled race against time, and with the likelihood of a loan move back to Coventry increasing with every failure, his ability to bang down the door before the rest of his team-mates leave the dressing room would provide a handy tool for ascertaining his levels of desire and motivation for any given match.

 

for the younger ones/parents on here, it would be like that Get Your Own Back game from yesteryear where they had to burst through giant polystyrene slices of toast as fast as possible.

[Dave]

Asked if he’d like to stay at Newcastle, Best told the Chronicle: “Definitely.

 

“I went to see the manager as soon as I got back from holiday.

 

“He told me that what was in the papers wasn’t anything to do with him or the club.

 

“There was a lot of stuff out there, but it was just paper talk.

 

Good news if true.

[Colocho]

Great news.

[timeEd32]

Very good - like Best myself.

[Tisd09]

Asked if he’d like to stay at Newcastle, Best told the Chronicle: “Definitely.

 

“I went to see the manager as soon as I got back from holiday.

 

“He told me that what was in the papers wasn’t anything to do with him or the club.

 

“There was a lot of stuff out there, but it was just paper talk.

 

Good news if true.

 

He seems keen and why wouldn't he be. I think he is an asset to the club. Would much rather see him remain at the club over Shola, Loven & Xisco but as others have pointed out, he is the easiest to move on. If we could get Xisco off the books and somehow sell Shola for £1 million or 2 then it would make the club more than selling Best for £3-£4million

[JH]

Yey

[TRon]

I don't know what to make of Best tbh. He looks like a Championship player at times with his movement and football in general, but he also looks like a player who will get goals. Unlike Shola he actually looks to get in goal scoring positions and he can score with either foot and is a decent header. If we don't sell him it wouldn't surprise me if he got goals next season as well.