Oba: I love the NEW NUFC

[Guest Leão]

i've dug the kid since the first time i saw him play, hopefully a good manager like allardyce and staying injury free (fingers crossed) could see him have a VERY good season indeed

 

in that event though, it'd be nice to have that release clause out of his contract 'cause however sound he may be if he bullets 30 goals this season and juve/real/milan or someone come calling it might well turn his head...13m IS NOT a high price for someone with his talent given bent went for 17m!!!

 

i'm still vaguely amused by some of the talk on this board from people willing to cash in on him during the summer panic-fest!! 

 

in fact i'm laughing about it again, clowns....

 

Great post, i agree with you 100%.

 

Oba has been one of my favourite players since i first saw him at inter milano, he was just a pacey 18 year old Nigerian striker then, and he has improved ALOT, over the last 5 years. I just hope we, as Newcastle supporters can witness what he can do over another 5 years. I must say, i did loose some sleep during the period of time when there was speculation as to what club he would be playing for come the new season.

 

Keep it up Oba!

[junkhead]

we love you too, Oba 

[Guest eyeball_tickler]

loads more from the boy

 

OBAFEMI MARTINS savours every second on the football pitch — because he is lucky to be alive!

 

Newcastle fans love their No 9s but they nearly lost their latest one when Martins was the victim of a random shooting back home in Nigeria earlier this summer.

 

A car he was driving was peppered with bullets and a friend in the passenger seat was hit in the shoulder before they managed to get out and run to safety.

 

But Martins, 22, insists it has not given him nightmares and the only shooting he dreams about at night is smashing the ball in the net for the Toon.

 

He said: “I realise I’m lucky but these things can happen all over the world. It was just a random attack.

 

"It was not targeted at me, the people who did it didn’t even know it was me.

 

“I don’t think back about what happened anymore. It’s over with. I’ve been home since and had a great time. In fact I was back four days after it happened.

 

"The people of Nigeria love me and celebrate whenever I score for Newcastle, so I haven’t taken it personally.

 

“Now I just want to get on and play my football.”

 

Having survived his ordeal, Martins would have been forgiven for putting a little extra spring in his acrobatic celebrations after he returned to England and bagged a fine double at Bolton last Saturday.

 

And Oba reckons his back flips beat those performed by the likes of ex-Portsmouth striker Lomana LuaLua and Reading’s Andre Bikey, who did one after scoring against Chelsea in the week, hands down.

 

While he demonstrated with animated hand actions, Oba revealed: “My celebration is different to how some others do it. I go up in the air like them but I hang a little bit before dropping back down.

 

“When I first did it as a kid I landed on my head and it takes a bit of practice but I don’t get it wrong any more.

 

“You should check out the one I did against Liverpool at St James’ last season, that was good. The one at Bolton was OK but not quite so good.

 

“When I was at Inter Milan, the manager Hector Cuper told me to stop because it was too dangerous.

 

“But Sam Allardyce is all right. I think he likes it. I’d like to teach him to do it but it would probably kill him!”

 

Striker Martins first sprung to prominence here when he scored one and made two in Inter Milan’s stunning 3-0 win over Arsenal in the Champions League in September 2003.

 

He joined Newcastle for £10million a year ago — and even though he missed out on Inter’s Serie A Italian league title last term, Martins has no regrets.

 

He said: “I didn’t want to sit on the bench at Inter and when Newcastle came in it was the challenge I was looking for.

 

“The only thing was I felt like I had to prove myself all over again.”

 

Prove himself he did. Martins bagged 17 goals last season in an under-performing Toon side.

 

But he did consider a move to Arsenal after a bust-up with coach Nigel Pearson on the last day of last season.

 

Martins revealed: “We were at Watford and I said I couldn’t play because of a knee injury but he thought I was lying.

 

“I’ve never feigned injury in my life and told him that. It’s OK between us now though.”

 

Martins personal manager, Errol Olumide Olowu, jumps in and adds: “Oba could have gone to Arsenal if Sam Allardyce had not taken over.

 

“He wasn’t always happy last season but now things are good.”

 

Martins is a fans favourite on Tyneside and the feeling is mutual.

 

He said: “In Milan they love football but have other interests too.

 

"In Newcastle, they are totally obsessed with football, it’s all they talk about.

 

“In Italy if you go four or five games without a goal you are in trouble. In England, they want to help you out, they want the best for you.

 

“I hadn’t realised it was 38 years since we won anything, It would be a joy to help win something for these fans.

 

“They stop me all the time to talk about football. They remember everything about every game and all the goals.”

 

And he added: “Here the training, the coaching and the environment are right.

 

“Things have taken time to get used to, the weather’s not great and people seem to drink beer all the time, but there’s nowhere I’d rather be playing.”

 

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002390000-2007380294,00.html

[Guest firetotheworks]

Haha, I love that he ended up talking about his celebrations rather than his goals. Does he remind anyone else of a baby panda?

[Fatwax]

Seeing Allardyce celebrate a goal Oba-style would be my last dying wish.

[Guest Leão]

“Things have taken time to get used to, the weather’s not great and people seem to drink beer all the time, but there’s nowhere I’d rather be playing.”

 

Legend, absolute legend!

 

I love you OBA!

[Guest eyeball_tickler]

Seeing Allardyce celebrate a goal Oba-style would be my last dying wish.

 

does anyone remember the bobby robson quote about doing lua lua's celebration? that would be quite a sight too

[Skirge]

See my sig.

[Guest Knightrider]

The positive comments coming out of the club at the moment are great to hear, unlike previous seasons these comments don't seem to be cliche ridden or the usual soundbites, these comments seem more open and honest. Take Martins' comments about Pearson and their "fall-out". Last season the club would have been far too paranoid to let anyone talk about something like that, now it's as if it isn't even an issue, which it obviously isn't. When Sam Allardyce was appointed he said sorting any problems wouldn't be a problem and he'd get to work on fixing them straight away, is it safe to say no real problems exist anymore?

[Guest Leão]

The positive comments coming out of the club at the moment are great to hear, unlike previous seasons these comments don't seem to be cliche ridden or the usual soundbites, these comments seem more open and honest. Take Martins' comments about Pearson and their "fall-out". Last season the club would have been far too paranoid to let anyone talk about something like that, now it's as if it isn't even an issue, which it obviously isn't. When Sam Allardyce was appointed he said sorting any problems wouldn't be a problem and he'd get to work on fixing them straight away, is it safe to say no real problems exist anymore?

 

It sure is!

 

[NSG]

Martins wants new Toon deal - The Sun

 

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2007380687,00.jpg

 

OBAFEMI MARTINS has opened talks with Newcastle about a new long-term contract and told them: “I will stay here as long as you want me.”

 

Toon hero Martins, two-goal hero on the opening day of the season in the 3-1 win at Bolton, is ready to sign a six-year deal with the club to show his commitment.

 

The Nigerian star was bought for £10million from Inter last summer and still has four years of his present contract to run.

 

But he wants to scotch any future transfer talk — after being linked with Arsenal and Chelsea — by sorting out new terms and removing the controversial £13m buy-out clause in his current agreement.

 

Martins, 22, said: “I love it at Newcastle under Sam Allardyce. I admit I wasn’t totally happy last season and heard about Arsenal being interested.

 

“It is nice when other teams want you but I only want to play for Newcastle now. I’m looking forward to renewing my contract with the club.

 

“There are issues and problems with the present one which need sorting out.

 

"We have started talking and I’ve told them how much I want to stay. They know I’m happy to be at Newcastle.

 

“I will sign for five years, six years or for as long as they want me.

 

“I never asked for the £13m buy-out to be put in my deal, it was my previous agent, so we’ll talk about taking that out.

 

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m buying a house and Newcastle is a great city. I enjoy working with the manager and every day there is something new in training.”

 

Martins’ advisor Chris Nathaniel said: “We have proposed some improvements to the contract and Newcastle are coming back to us with their ideas.

 

"They know Oba will stay as long as they want him.”

[Skirge]

TOON LEGEND IN THE MAKING!!!

OBA, OBAFEM, OBA, OBAFEM, OBA, OBAFEM, OBAFEMI MARTINS!!

[womblemaster]

" but don't let the complacency slip in by listening to the outside world"

 

 

dead funny line that )

 

me being cynical...hes talking big till new contract is signed.