José Enrique

[AlanSkÃrare]

Thing is, I think he's slowly but surely starting to realize how unbelieably good he has become in the last two seasons. I also think he is fed up with not having proper players going for his crosses etc. Ben Arfa in the side would probably help the cause, just hope he comes back in time for Enrique to start enjoying playing with him. Probably his best performance of the season today.

you say that like he puts in loads of crosses every game, fact is his distribution is his weak point, too many simple passes go astray. cuts tham out and he's a champs league/spanish intl.

 

I actually disagree about his crossing, I think it's consistently pretty good. I know quite a lot of people are of the same opinion as you, but I've always rated his crossing ability. Maybe it's because of the contrast to Jonas.

[Nobody]

His crossing has always been decent, it's his short passing that's the problem for me.

[TRon]

While it has always been obvious that Enrique was quality even in his first year, today made me realise he's probably the best left back in the premier bar none. There are only three or four players in this squad worth paying a bit extra to keep them here. This is definitely one of them.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

But we don't 'keep selling our best players', we've only done in once and that was for absolutely insane money.

 

Eh?!

 

Milner? N'Zogbia? Given? Bassong? Beye? Faye?

 

A ludicrous post.

 

Milner was an excellent sale, the money was brilliant and he was average for us at best.

 

We had already pissed N'Zogbia off by signing Duff to the point that he desperately wanted out.

 

Given thought it was his big chance to join the Man City revolution, granted the money was less than we should have squeezed out of them.

 

Beye and Bassong were after relegation, both were new to England and had no attachment to NUFC.

 

Faye was a weird one, I agree I don't know why the hell he wanted to go to Stoke. Maybe he only came here because of Allardyce in the first place.

 

There will always be players coming and going - if every player that leaves means we're a selling club then we've been one for generations. All I'm saying is that I don't have any evidence that Colo, Enrique, Barton, Tiote, Ben Arfa or whoever else is playing well that week is going to be sold. And it pisses me off that people continuously post as if it's a given.

[Chris_R]

Milner was never, ever, an excellent sale. He provided genuine width and always, to me at least, looked to be a very good player and IMO if we'd kept him we'd have stayed up for sure. So how selling him was 'excellent' is utterly beyond me.

[TRon]

But we don't 'keep selling our best players', we've only done in once and that was for absolutely insane money.

 

Eh?!

 

Milner? N'Zogbia? Given? Bassong? Beye? Faye?

 

A ludicrous post.

 

Milner was an excellent sale, the money was brilliant and he was average for us at best.

 

We had already pissed N'Zogbia off by signing Duff to the point that he desperately wanted out.

 

Given thought it was his big chance to join the Man City revolution, granted the money was less than we should have squeezed out of them.

 

Beye and Bassong were after relegation, both were new to England and had no attachment to NUFC.

 

Faye was a weird one, I agree I don't know why the hell he wanted to go to Stoke. Maybe he only came here because of Allardyce in the first place.

 

There will always be players coming and going - if every player that leaves means we're a selling club then we've been one for generations. All I'm saying is that I don't have any evidence that Colo, Enrique, Barton, Tiote, Ben Arfa or whoever else is playing well that week is going to be sold. And it pisses me off that people continuously post as if it's a given.

 

All clubs will sell when they have an asset which other clubs will pay handsomely for. Enrique only has two years left on his contract so isn't going to command a massive fee. Which is why it's probably worthwhile holding him to his contract or offering a better wage. Selling him just shouldn't be an option for the sort of fee we are likely to receive.

[Guest neesy111]

Milner put in a transfer request after he wanted a new contract, less than a year after signing an extension.  Again, a player that got very greedy and spat his dummy out.

 

Faye had a spat with N'zogbia during the Everton game season before.  Keegan wanted rid of him as well IIRC.

[Guest neesy111]

But we don't 'keep selling our best players', we've only done in once and that was for absolutely insane money.

 

Eh?!

 

Milner? N'Zogbia? Given? Bassong? Beye? Faye?

 

A ludicrous post.

 

Milner was an excellent sale, the money was brilliant and he was average for us at best.

 

We had already pissed N'Zogbia off by signing Duff to the point that he desperately wanted out.

 

Given thought it was his big chance to join the Man City revolution, granted the money was less than we should have squeezed out of them.

 

Beye and Bassong were after relegation, both were new to England and had no attachment to NUFC.

 

Faye was a weird one, I agree I don't know why the hell he wanted to go to Stoke. Maybe he only came here because of Allardyce in the first place.

 

There will always be players coming and going - if every player that leaves means we're a selling club then we've been one for generations. All I'm saying is that I don't have any evidence that Colo, Enrique, Barton, Tiote, Ben Arfa or whoever else is playing well that week is going to be sold. And it pisses me off that people continuously post as if it's a given.

 

All clubs will sell when they have an asset which other clubs will pay handsomely for. Enrique only has two years left on his contract so isn't going to command a massive fee. Which is why it's probably worthwhile holding him to his contract or offering a better wage. Selling him just shouldn't be an option for the sort of fee we are likely to receive.

 

Jose will stay if he see's the club showing ambition in the summer.  No doubt he is wary of Ashley as well.

[merlin]

After his performance today, I am prepared to stick my neck out and say that Enrique IS the best LB in the PL - bar none.

 

I have always thought that in the past year or so he has been the best DEFENSIVE LB but he has now added quality overlapping and crossing to his game ; the side could and should have had at least 2 goals from his runs/crosses/passes in the 1st half alone - I wouldn't swap him for Evra or Cole.

 

He WILL be sold - no doubt about it. The lad would almost certainly stay at SJP if NUFC were an ambitious club aiming to win trophies and pay the going rate to its top players, but as Brian Clough once said, 'if your auntie had b---s, she'd be your uncle' and NUFC are NOT an ambitious trophy-winning club....or likely to be in the next 5 years unless something totally out of the blue(AND unlikely), happens.

 

In that case, the lad needs to make the most of his career and win some medals as well as getting the money he is capable of earning. I don't blame him one bit of he leaves, he's been a great servant and always given of his best.

 

Some people on here need to get real - players are no different to anyone else, if they have a chance to better themselves, they will just as people who slate them on here for 'disloyalty' would if given the chance.

 

People want a job where they are paid what they are worth, appreciated by their employer and with a company going places both now and for the foreseeable future - are NUFC any of those things ?

 

The club are basically a feeder club for the Top 4/5 and with the current regime, always will be. To be fair to Ashley & Co, it may be almost impossible to break out of the box the club is seen to be in even if new owners take over....too many vested PL interests now.

[merlin]

Newsflash: we f***ing are a big club, we're f***ing Newcastle United!!!!

 

 

As Brian Clough said ' If your auntie had b---s, she'd be your uncle !'

 

NUFC are NOT a big club - its a lower-middle ranking PL side with more fans than most and haven't won a major trophy for 42 years.

 

 

[oldtype]

If we're a "feeder club," so is every single club in Europe bar about a dozen or so.

[jdckelly]

After his performance today, I am prepared to stick my neck out and say that Enrique IS the best LB in the PL - bar none.

 

I have always thought that in the past year or so he has been the best DEFENSIVE LB but he has now added quality overlapping and crossing to his game ; the side could and should have had at least 2 goals from his runs/crosses/passes in the 1st half alone - I wouldn't swap him for Evra or Cole.

 

He WILL be sold - no doubt about it. The lad would almost certainly stay at SJP if NUFC were an ambitious club aiming to win trophies and pay the going rate to its top players, but as Brian Clough once said, 'if your auntie had b---s, she'd be your uncle' and NUFC are NOT an ambitious trophy-winning club....or likely to be in the next 5 years unless something totally out of the blue(AND unlikely), happens.

 

In that case, the lad needs to make the most of his career and win some medals as well as getting the money he is capable of earning. I don't blame him one bit of he leaves, he's been a great servant and always given of his best.

 

Some people on here need to get real - players are no different to anyone else, if they have a chance to better themselves, they will just as people who slate them on here for 'disloyalty' would if given the chance.

 

People want a job where they are paid what they are worth, appreciated by their employer and with a company going places both now and for the foreseeable future - are NUFC any of those things ?

 

The club are basically a feeder club for the Top 4/5 and with the current regime, always will be. To be fair to Ashley & Co, it may be almost impossible to break out of the box the club is seen to be in even if new owners take over....too many vested PL interests now.

hes one of the better lbs in the pl, but best no not if you ask me, on form i'd put baines as the best lb this season tbh as good as enriques been

[merlin]

If we're a "feeder club," so is every single club in Europe bar about a dozen or so.

 

For once, I agree - but why aren't we part of the 'dozen or so'..?

[merlin]

After his performance today, I am prepared to stick my neck out and say that Enrique IS the best LB in the PL - bar none.

 

I have always thought that in the past year or so he has been the best DEFENSIVE LB but he has now added quality overlapping and crossing to his game ; the side could and should have had at least 2 goals from his runs/crosses/passes in the 1st half alone - I wouldn't swap him for Evra or Cole.

 

He WILL be sold - no doubt about it. The lad would almost certainly stay at SJP if NUFC were an ambitious club aiming to win trophies and pay the going rate to its top players, but as Brian Clough once said, 'if your auntie had b---s, she'd be your uncle' and NUFC are NOT an ambitious trophy-winning club....or likely to be in the next 5 years unless something totally out of the blue(AND unlikely), happens.

 

In that case, the lad needs to make the most of his career and win some medals as well as getting the money he is capable of earning. I don't blame him one bit of he leaves, he's been a great servant and always given of his best.

 

Some people on here need to get real - players are no different to anyone else, if they have a chance to better themselves, they will just as people who slate them on here for 'disloyalty' would if given the chance.

 

People want a job where they are paid what they are worth, appreciated by their employer and with a company going places both now and for the foreseeable future - are NUFC any of those things ?

 

The club are basically a feeder club for the Top 4/5 and with the current regime, always will be. To be fair to Ashley & Co, it may be almost impossible to break out of the box the club is seen to be in even if new owners take over....too many vested PL interests now.

hes one of the better lbs in the pl, but best no not if you ask me, on form i'd put baines as the best lb this season tbh as good as enriques been

 

Football is a game of opinions - you have yours, I have mine...

[Offshore]

If we're a "feeder club," so is every single club in Europe bar about a dozen or so.

 

For once, I agree - but why aren't we part of the 'dozen or so'..?

 

Probably because these dozen or so clubs (if there are really that many clubs who can laugh off at all any crazy priced player bid) are able to sustain buying big year after year, we tried, had our fun in the sun and are back to roughly nearabouts where we can hope to be with our present owner and his 'plan' (mid'ish league and Europa league spot if very, very lucky).

 

If we want to be challenging the champs league spots year after year (like we did during our prime in the prem) then we'll either need new owners ala Man City's to bankroll it or adopt a fuck-it lets really go for it now and worry about the consequences later plan.

[Punk77]

Enrique is fantastic defensively, but he needs some improvement in his offensive play where Baines is a class above him. I don't think Baines is so good as Enrique in his defensive play though,.

[Punk77]

Thing is, I think he's slowly but surely starting to realize how unbelieably good he has become in the last two seasons. I also think he is fed up with not having proper players going for his crosses etc. Ben Arfa in the side would probably help the cause, just hope he comes back in time for Enrique to start enjoying playing with him. Probably his best performance of the season today.

you say that like he puts in loads of crosses every game, fact is his distribution is his weak point, too many simple passes go astray. cuts tham out and he's a champs league/spanish intl.

 

Exactly.

[Guest sicko2ndbest]

Enrique is fantastic defensively, but he needs some improvement in his offensive play where Baines is a class above him. I don't think Baines is so good as Enrique in his defensive play though,.

 

Most of baines quality delivery comes from set pieces

 

He is nowhere near as effective as Enrique offensively or defensively

[SteveMc]

Back to his best yesterday

[Punk77]

Enrique is fantastic defensively, but he needs some improvement in his offensive play where Baines is a class above him. I don't think Baines is so good as Enrique in his defensive play though,.

 

Most of baines quality delivery comes from set pieces

 

He is nowhere near as effective as Enrique offensively or defensively

 

Bains delivers some fantastic crossers in open play too. They're hard and precise. Enrique's crossers are on the other hand frequently too loose and lofty, which makes the attacker's job harder. He had some good crossers yesterday though, but he also had examples where he under no pressure managed to deliver some inferior crossers. As Madras already has pointed out, he needs to be more consistent in his deliveries. That will take him to another level. Let us all prey that he signs a new contract before then..

[oldtype]

If we're a "feeder club," so is every single club in Europe bar about a dozen or so.

 

For once, I agree - but why aren't we part of the 'dozen or so'..?

 

 

Man United

Arsenal

Chelsea

Man City

Barcelona

Real Madrid

Inter

AC Milan

Bayern Munich

Liverpool? Juventus?

 

Is it realistic for us to aim to break into this group of clubs? Not unless we get bought by Shiekh Moneybags or Bill Gates.

 

At no point in our history were we ever part of Europe's top elite, and that includes under Keegan and Robson.

[wyn davies]

I thought he was brilliant yesterday, was playing holy hell with Lovenkrands for his positional play had the left side tied up and no doubt whatsoever will be sold in the summer along with Tiote who had their midfield in knots.

[Punk77]

Right now we're a feeder club. But that's only temporary. Few clubs have greater potential than Castle, it's the underachiever club number uno.  Get some more good prospects in, establish us in the table spots that give us European league, filling up the stadium with thousands in line for a season ticket, then we will stop being a feeders club. Then we could increase the capacity of St James too..

[oldtype]

Right now we're a feeder club. But that's only temporary. Few clubs have greater potential than Castle, it's the underachiever club number uno.  Get some more good prospects in, establish us in the table spots that give us European league, filling up the stadium with thousands in line for a season ticket, then we will stop being a feeders club. Then we could increase the capacity of St James too..

 

It's a huge myth that we "deserve" to be one of the top clubs in Europe.

 

We're slightly underachieving relative to our stadium capacity, yes, but even if we fluke ourselves into the Champions league a couple times we are never, ever going to be on par with Man United, Barcelona, or even Liverpool for that matter.

 

At no point in our history were we ever part of Europe's top elite, and that includes under Keegan and Robson.

[Punk77]

Right now we're a feeder club. But that's only temporary. Few clubs have greater potential than Castle, it's the underachiever club number uno.  Get some more good prospects in, establish us in the table spots that give us European league, filling up the stadium with thousands in line for a season ticket, then we will stop being a feeders club. Then we could increase the capacity of St James too..

 

It's a huge myth that we "deserve" to be one of the top clubs in Europe.

 

We're slightly underachieving relative to our stadium capacity, yes, but even if we fluke ourselves into the Champions league a couple times we are never, ever going to be on par with Man United, Barcelona, or even Liverpool for that matter.

 

 

Disagree. The way the football economy is now, with clubs spending like idiots, the shit will hit the fan. And that includes Man U and Liverpool. Castle have a 52 000 seater capacity, and during the Bobby days, we could easily have filled 60 000, and that's for a club that has not won anything major since the 60s.  Look at Liverpool in their down period under benitez, they had a 10 000 seats vacant. And Man U will soon be without Alex, and what will happen then. Do you actually think those asians are interested to fill the stadium up if the going gets tough? Without a silverware each season, their stadium would still have been a mediocre one.. Of course status has something to do with silverware, but the fans ability to stick with the club during tough time could be an indicator of its size when it achieves success.  Good fanbase, an even bigger stadium (which we can fix if we stabilize) draws players, simple as that. Stop looking down on yourself...