Anyone else worried about Martins...

[Cajun]

Get Lita in for about £7m, scored 9 in 9 now!

[Ally]

That goal was class yesterday, the lad is doing great.

[Cajun]

The mods/admin need to find a smiley for this, 

 

 

[Baggio]

I'm surprised Martin Jol hasn't been on putting the frighteners on everyone by saying "The Spurs ITKs have said Arsenal are interested in him and he's desperate to go there, a fee of £11 million has been mentioned" or some bollocks like that.

[Guest mishka17]

i think, that if martins will leave the club, we'll sell for funny money... like always (bowyer, chopra, viana-exception Woodgate, and maybe boumsong-nice money for that kind of shit)

[Guest Deep456]

...and the fact that he looks a class above the shower of shit hes playing with?

 

These past two or three games, most of what was considered negative about him have dissappeared. The first touches have been good, the link up play intelligent, the passing and vision suprisingly creative, and the dribbling has at times been a joy to watch. Its only been a few games, so it still might be too early, but the way hes played over the past few games suggests hes now up to speed with the Premiership and that he has indeed turned the corner.

 

All those areas of his game were weaknesses until recently, yet he was still considered good value for 10mill because of his pace, energy, work rate, strength, leap, and of course, shooting ability, and I think that those negatives, as well as the age concerns, must have been why we ended up with him, and not another CL club. Now, if all of these weaknesses have been ironed out, that means hes basically turning into a complete player, which he looks like being on the road to - wont the big CL clubs then view him differently?

 

I think the boy is really coming on, and very soon, so will the big clubs. The major problem that I can see coming up is that we arent going to qualify for Europe, good reason for star players to want out, and even if we get 15-20 mill in for him, I dont trust the current board or manager to use that money well. Theyre more likely to blow it all as they are to find another Martins.

 

Dont know if anyone else feels this or if its a kneejerk view.

 

It's seems there's just no end to people finding something to moan about when it comes to the board and manager. The manager finds a good player and you're still bloody moaning on. If their judgement is so shit that you don't trust them, how come they found Martins in the first place?  Did the thought never cross your mind as you were writing that post that the bit in bold is totally out of place and is absolute rubbish?

 

Given the fact that 1/6th of Roeder's transfer so far have have significantly improved the team I would think there is good cause for worry.

 

Le Sib

Martins

Onyewu(soon will)

Duff (soon will)

 

All Roeder's transfers significantly improved the team or soon will.    In the first place he has only done four transfers. 

[Guest mishka17]

don't forget Rossi and Bernard 

[Guest Deep456]

don't forget Rossi and Bernard 

 

I knew someone would say that that's why I highlighted transfers. Bernard was a free agent and Rossi was never going to stay here beyond January. Onyewu will I know already so I count him as a transfer.

[Guest mishka17]

but still they're transfers made by GR ... even if ineffective

[Guest Deep456]

but still they're transfers made by GR ... even if ineffective

 

Free agents aren't transfers though, are they?

[Guest mishka17]

I mean that they are/were players contracted by Roeder

[LateRegistration]

Where are the numpties saying he's just a poor man's LuaLua? 

[Yorkie]

The one and only reason why i am glad we didn't get a striker in January, is so that the partnership of Dyer and Martins can stay intact. I had been saying constantly on the build-up to Dyer's return, that Martins would blossom because of him. With Sibierski or Shola upfront alongside him, or just him on his own, we were simply pumping balls forward. Ineffective long balls that were getting us nowhere, a la Souness. They were bouncing off the heads/chests/torsos/arses of the taller guys, and Martins wasn't getting a sniff.

 

We immediately saw the change in play when Dyer came into the side against Arsenal. I knew that Dyer would be the catalyst for our ground play - playing it on the floor, either of them running into space, through balls, balls out wide, splitting the defense in two. It was obvious that it was going to work a hell of a lot more than with the pointless long ball, and that we were going to score goals. That being down to Martins' immense shooting ability; we're merely fortunate that Dyer's finishing appears to have come on significantly in the past few months.

 

The two of them click. Like i say, they immediately sparked against Arsenal. Linking together and creating a superbly taken goal - and they've been doing that ever since. The two of them just work and it has brought Martins on significantly. I still think he could have worked with Shola, because Ameobi doesn't actually have that bad footwork, providing of course that he manages to hold onto the thing after his first touch. But for some bizarre reason, simply because we've got a tall man at the front, Roeder feels the need to blast the ball down field every attack.

 

Had Roeder have followed up his pursuit of the likes of Babel, Crouch, Piquionne - tall strikers - i would have been concerned because it wouldn't have surprised me if the Dyer---Martins strikeline evaporated, and we resorted to pitiful long balls.

 

You just have to look at the Tottenham game at White Hart Lane. Sibierski gets lumped forward and we get absolutely no joy in the final third. Simply because of the crap long balls that were just bouncing off him. Dyer moves forward, we play the ball on the floor, and hey presto - two goals in the space of two minutes.

 

Now that Martins has got a consistent partner, and a partner that works superbly with him too, we've seen the best of him so far. He'll get better with age, but at 22 - i think Martins is playing to just about the best of his ability. His sour points previously were his movement in the box and his management of finding teammates. Since Dyer has come into the team, progressing Martins, Oba has scored countless darting headers and neat finishes from deep inside the box, proving that he is learning from his previous errors.

 

He still doesn't have the best awareness, but that will come.

 

He's a top class player and if we were to hold onto him for 5/6 years to come, i'd be confident that he'd be a Newcastle legend, of sorts. I never really had him down as a natural goalscorer, i felt that was up to Owen primarily, but Oba is staring down the barrel of 15 goals this season - which is simply phenomenal considering his circumstances. (Young, new league, lack of consistent partner at start of season). Why shouldn't he become something of a hero in a few years time?

 

He comes across as a very loyal player - and appears to be absoluely desperate to do well for this club.

 

Yes - i think he'll be here for a while. No - i'm not worried about that.

[Howaythelads]

The one and only reason why i am glad we didn't get a striker in January, is so that the partnership of Dyer and Martins can stay intact. I had been saying constantly on the build-up to Dyer's return, that Martins would blossom because of him. With Sibierski or Shola upfront alongside him, or just him on his own, we were simply pumping balls forward. Ineffective long balls that were getting us nowhere, a la Souness. They were bouncing off the heads/chests/torsos/arses of the taller guys, and Martins wasn't getting a sniff.

 

We immediately saw the change in play when Dyer came into the side against Arsenal. I knew that Dyer would be the catalyst for our ground play - playing it on the floor, either of them running into space, through balls, balls out wide, splitting the defense in two. It was obvious that it was going to work a hell of a lot more than with the pointless long ball, and that we were going to score goals. That being down to Martins' immense shooting ability; we're merely fortunate that Dyer's finishing appears to have come on significantly in the past few months.

 

The two of them click. Like i say, they immediately sparked against Arsenal. Linking together and creating a superbly taken goal - and they've been doing that ever since. The two of them just work and it has brought Martins on significantly. I still think he could have worked with Shola, because Ameobi doesn't actually have that bad footwork, providing of course that he manages to hold onto the thing after his first touch. But for some bizarre reason, simply because we've got a tall man at the front, Roeder feels the need to blast the ball down field every attack.

 

Had Roeder have followed up his pursuit of the likes of Babel, Crouch, Piquionne - tall strikers - i would have been concerned because it wouldn't have surprised me if the Dyer---Martins strikeline evaporated, and we resorted to pitiful long balls.

 

You just have to look at the Tottenham game at White Hart Lane. Sibierski gets lumped forward and we get absolutely no joy in the final third. Simply because of the crap long balls that were just bouncing off him. Dyer moves forward, we play the ball on the floor, and hey presto - two goals in the space of two minutes.

 

Now that Martins has got a consistent partner, and a partner that works superbly with him too, we've seen the best of him so far. He'll get better with age, but at 22 - i think Martins is playing to just about the best of his ability. His sour points previously were his movement in the box and his management of finding teammates. Since Dyer has come into the team, progressing Martins, Oba has scored countless darting headers and neat finishes from deep inside the box, proving that he is learning from his previous errors.

 

He still doesn't have the best awareness, but that will come.

 

He's a top class player and if we were to hold onto him for 5/6 years to come, i'd be confident that he'd be a Newcastle legend, of sorts. I never really had him down as a natural goalscorer, i felt that was up to Owen primarily, but Oba is staring down the barrel of 15 goals this season - which is simply phenomenal considering his circumstances. (Young, new league, lack of consistent partner at start of season). Why shouldn't he become something of a hero in a few years time?

 

He comes across as a very loyal player - and appears to be absoluely desperate to do well for this club.

 

Yes - i think he'll be here for a while. No - i'm not worried about that.

 

If we'd signed a striker to play alongside Martins we could have moved Dyer back into CM in place of the inept Parker. Apart from that obvious improvement to the team the point that you're missing mate is wtf would happen if Martins was injured right now and out for the rest of the season? With the number of injuries we've had so far it's not impossible that Martins could get injured at any time.

 

It's a gamble not bringing in a striker.

[Yorkie]

HTL, i worded my opening few words wrong. On the whole, i'm not happy we didn't sign a striker, but the above is one reason for why i'm somewhat glad.

 

I still don't think i'm wording it particularly well. However, it is unfortunate that you chose to nitpick at my opening few words, considering the vast length and content of the post in general.

 

And besides, Dyer is wholly ineffective in centre-midfield.

[Howaythelads]

HTL, i worded my opening few words wrong. On the whole, i'm not happy we didn't sign a striker, but the above is one reason for why i'm somewhat glad.

 

I still don't think i'm wording it particularly well. However, it is unfortunate that you chose to nitpick at my opening few words, considering the vast length and content of the post in general.

 

And besides, Dyer is wholly ineffective in centre-midfield.

 

Nit-pick, ffs....paranoid, or what.

[Yorkie]

  To point something as insignificant out as that, out of the entirety of my post which included 6 or 7 lengthy and detailed paragraphs... What else would you call it mate? Did you even read past the first line?

[Nobody]

If we'd signed a striker to play alongside Martins we could have moved Dyer back into CM in place of the inept Butt. Apart from that obvious improvement to the team the point that you're missing mate is wtf would happen if Martins was injured right now and out for the rest of the season? With the number of injuries we've had so far it's not impossible that Martins could get injured at any time.

 

It's a gamble not bringing in a striker.

Fixed that little typo.

[Yorkie]

If we'd signed a striker to play alongside Martins we could have moved Dyer back into CM in place of the inept Butt. Apart from that obvious improvement to the team the point that you're missing mate is wtf would happen if Martins was injured right now and out for the rest of the season? With the number of injuries we've had so far it's not impossible that Martins could get injured at any time.

 

It's a gamble not bringing in a striker.

Fixed that little typo.

 

Both the original and your amendment are utter garbage so don't waste your effort, Towelie.

[Guest Knightrider]

Nah, not too worried. If he does end up leaving it will be for silly money. I'm past caring these days whether players do leave or stay anyway.

[Mick]

Nah, not too worried. If he does end up leaving it will be for silly money. I'm past caring these days whether players do leave or stay anyway.

 

Apathy?

[Guest Knightrider]

Nah, not too worried. If he does end up leaving it will be for silly money. I'm past caring these days whether players do leave or stay anyway.

 

Apathy?

 

Yep, borne out of knowing that loyalty doesn't exist in football anymore and that greed most certainly does. Don't get me wrong, I'd be gutted to see any good player leave the club and angry depending on the circumstances but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it like I did when we sold Cole or KK walked out. I unashamedly cried, both times, as they were my heroes. Today I have no hero, just the club badge.

[Mick]

 

Yep, borne out of knowing that loyalty doesn't exist in football anymore and that greed most certainly does. Don't get me wrong, I'd be gutted to see any good player leave the club and angry depending on the circumstances but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it like I did when we sold Cole or KK walked out. I unashamedly cried, both times, as they were my heroes. Today I have no hero, just the club badge.

 

I'm not sure if I'm in a state of apathy yet, my levels of expectation couldn't get much lower, maybe it is apathy for me. :-[

[Guest Knightrider]

I've been in a state of semi-apathy since that fateful day some idiot or idiots decided appointing Graeme Souness as Sir Bobby's successor was such a good idea, it warranted paying Blackburn some compensation for their soon-to-be-sacked manager, and then giving that man a 4 year deal and over £50m to spend. Since then I've considered NUFC to be a bit of a lost cause.

[Yorkie]

I'm not quite apathetic yet. Give me a few more decades of no silverware and i might be there (similar to one or two of the 'older' generation on here).