Tactic talk: Does wing play really matter?

We need a modern day Ginola.

To me there is no better sight than seeing a winger burn up the wing, get to the byline, and put a pinpoint cross into the box.

Possibly the best two players I’ve seen capable of this in a black and white shirt both happened to be playing for Newcastle at the same time – David Ginola and Keith Gillespie. Granted Ginola had more strings to his bow and could do more than just beat his man and cross, but for Gillespie that was his forte. The pair of them set up endless goals for the likes of Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand directly as a result of their wing play.

Times move on though and things change. Not only has the personnel changed, but football has changed. Is there still a place for a conventional winger like a Keith Gillespie in the modern day game? Or must they have more strings to their bow like a David Ginola to succeed and thrive in the modern day Premier League?

It’s fair to say that a lot of people want to see our wings strengthened. Rumours of Charles N’Zogbia and a return to Newcastle continue to circulate, along with fresh names like Tranquillo Barnetta in the last article, and you can tell by the reactions that there is an urgency to see our flanks improved.

Now I’m going to be a bit radical here and suggest that there is no place for a player of the likes of Keith Gillespie these days, unless you have a pair of strikers who can take advantage of the service of course. It’s unlikely we’ll find those strikers over the summer, so for the good of NUFC I’m going to suggest that our wing play, in terms of crossing at least, isn’t really that important.

That is not to say that we should completely ignore it, but in my opinion we need wingers who are more than just wingers if we are to see some success coming from our wings next season. We don’t really have a need for someone who can get to the byline and whip a ball in. If they can do that then great, but for me we need wingers with that little bit extra, with Charles N’Zogbia or someone of that ilk fitting the bill nicely.

What we need are players who can cut in and do something different. N’Zogbia is one of those, as is Hatem Ben Arfa although it’s been said that he is our new playmaker in the hole. Look back at some videos of Hatem Ben Arfa at his previous clubs and you will see that most of his damage is done when he cuts in from the right, not from him putting balls into the box. That is the kind of thing I mean.

It adds more value to the team in my opinion, and with so many teams like Wolves, Blackburn and Stoke, who will just eat up crosses all day, in the Premier League these days it’s my opinion that you need to have a different angle of attack. If you have two wingers who can cut in effectively then you can almost have four strikers on the pitch in certain phases of attack as the two wingers occupy more defenders allowing more room for others to attack. Simple really.

So that’s my two-penneth on conventional wing play and why I don’t think it’s that important. Now let’s have yours!

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

368 thoughts on “Tactic talk: Does wing play really matter?

  1. @witters

    I’ve regularly stated that I believe from reading between the lines that the cap is in the region of £35-£45k.

    I have heard others make reference to Wraith stating it was £20k . Whether he did or not, I dare bet he’s alot closer than your estimate.

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  2. No apology necessary witters @ 219, we will probably never know the true extent or limit to newcastles wage cap, for all we know it could be £1k a week 😆 (doubt it of course) or even £75k a week, i’m just glad it is nowhere near what that knob wearing the number 7 shirt at Man U now was raking in each week for sitting at home getting his groin,hamstring,calf,foot,knee,thigh and hernia treated while calling himself a captain 😆 (i hope you have gathered whom i refer to 😉 )

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  3. Is that Liam getting the wrong end of the stick by joining in a dialogue half way through. 🙄

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  4. How many warnings does a guy get? For someone who harps on about reality and how a leopard never changes its spots (Mike Ashley, rah rah rah), he’s asking for an awful lot of second chances isn’t he?

    Fair enough he has the right to air his opinions on this blog, but I’m sure I’m not the only one tired of him here. He’s a troublemaker and always will be.

    Get rid of him, then we’ll see what Wraith has to say to the Chronicle about that 😉

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  5. wraith can spout whatever he wants . However the reality is that caroll had a choice and he went for the money as for Nolan he clearly stated how happy he was for Ac to move to such a supposedly great club. I dislike our players biggin up other teams especially when they have just stripped us of our best asset. end of the day Ac and Nolan both chased the big bucks whilst they talked the talk of loving the toon when push came to shove just like wraith words are cheap and they left . It was there choice and none is bigger than the club so let’s move on . Certainly they won’t give us another thought

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  6. Bobby as I’ve said before…I dont think there’s a strict wage that applies across the board but I believe/think there’s a wage budget…

    As you’ve given me your estimate I shall return the favour…I reckon it’s about £34k – £46k

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  7. @toonsy

    I apologise if I’ve offended you. Not my intention at all and used you as the brunt of a joke purely cos I believed you would see it for what it was.

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  8. Toonsy I have an idea for the blog for you…

    An article on the question of the number 9; who should it be and why?

    We haven’t seem to mention that its redundant much?

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  9. Bobby

    I said I didn’t like Wraith because of his negativity.

    You said I was deluded if I thought that way about him.

    I then linked to you an interview where he blatantly approaches the signing of Cabaye in a negative manner, far from extending a greeting or wishing him good luck for the toon which is what we all want-surely-he mentions two massive flops in the same sentence. Clearly negative, derisory and quite frankly insulting towards a professional footballer who has yet to do wrong.

    I am twisting no words, but anyone can infer that he’s being negative with Cabaye in that mind, you’d be blind not to see it, which brings us full circle and for that negativity i’ll not hang on his every word like some.

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  10. I have to disagree The iron dog @ 232 😐 , Carroll rather than lie and simply say ”i had to leave for my career”, a line famously used by Habib Beye upon our relegation , whose career has if anything gone downhill with him not even playing games for Villa. Instead, Carroll went into detail and explained to fans how he was put into an awful position by Pardew and Ashley and even told to hand in a transfer request. I refuse to see Carroll as a judas. Simple as, if Hughton was still in charge Carroll would still be our number 9 and Nolan and Barton would have new contracts.

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  11. @irondog

    I appreciate your viewpoint about Carroll and Nolan but like me you don’t know what’s occurred.

    Wraith has spoke to both and he has a different viewpoint. He is urging Nolan to tell the fans exactly what did happen but so far Nolan has declined.

    I prefer to listen to someone who has spoken to them rather than second guess.

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  12. Judas made a total mockery of the no.9 IMHO. It should be redundant next season unless we sign an unbelivable striker who demands it.

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  13. Aye it was shinton 😎

    I thought you had gone? 😆

    Don’t know whether this is good or bad news but we still have 35m in the bank to spend as Nolan counteracted cabaye and ba free!

    Hahaha you can almost hear the sounds of ashleys pockets jingle

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  14. 207SpencerTheToon
    Posted June 16, 2011 at 9:38 PM
    Johno shut up small feet

    Who told you about my secret? 😥

    209toonsy
    Posted June 16, 2011 at 9:40 PM
    Johno – Its in the rules mate. “Racist, libelous and insulting comments will nit be tolerated”

    There actually are rules? I really thought I was on to an ingenious idea there 😆

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  15. Jez just had a quick look through there is a lot of cut and thrust going on tonight Lads 😯

    Reet about all this Tugboat being forced out ****, well if he was there is fuk all stopping him from coming out now and putting the record straight and telling us how he was forced out. yet another player crying wolf because he doesn’t want the fans to turn on him.

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  16. @newkie

    I said you were deluded? Do you want to cut and paste that from my post or shall I cut and paste the real word I used?

    I will not bother answering your post unless you refer back to my actual post and use the meaning I intended. 🙄

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  17. Just because we worship these players and their feet on the pitch doesn’t mean you have to swallow the garbage some of them speak.

    Why are we taking every word that comes out of a players mouth as gospel (like Steve Wraith obviously does?)

    Carroll and Nolan are human beings at the end of the day and they cover their own **** and don’t want to be hated.

    Bobby, having an insight is all well and good but it may be an incorrect insight that someone has.

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  18. Mrs Shinton is wanting to try the missionary so I will have to hide the phone and stop blogging. 😆

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  19. Well Liam southern toon @ 244 the internet is slowly filling with stories of a combined £11m deal for Tranquillo Barnetta and Craig Gardner, two quite good midfielders, and in keeping with Ashley’s target of reducing the age of the squad, both fairly young, Barnetta is only 26 and Gardner im sure is around 24-26, so you will see money splashed soon i reckon !

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  20. @Moreno

    Last word.

    I don’t believe every word he speaks is gospel. It just so happens I have the same views of the club that he does and tend to believe his account as more close to the truth than second guessers like us.

    Final goodbye.

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  21. Sounds good colm I can only imagine a sub role for gardener if he indeed does turn up!

    Interesting one barnetta as hope his isn’t to be instead of n’zog 😥

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  22. Dave- I always thought that richie was the best informed lad on this blog….
    Won’t make that mistake again…
    Your officially the big bloke again 😉

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  23. Bobby-
    Dear me, going to find a little sticking point like that and dodge the true part of what I was saying?

    Sorry, in that case what you actually said about me and dan was
    “you both look like lunatics” lunatics, deluded in the mind, same old same old

    😆

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  24. I agree with you there Liam, we know for a start that N’Zogbia is a great performer, PLUS he convinced Cabaye to join Newcastle so it would be someone to guide Cabaye and help him settle in if we got him aswell ! And yes i see your point with Gardner aswell, Barton and Tiote would be hard to shift, unless Gardner is a planned replacement for Barton !? 😯 Im assuming Cabaye will play where Nolan did, as he prefers to play there

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  25. So right, about these wingers.
    None of the wingers we’ve been linked with are the classic type so I don’t think pards is planning on too many crosses Comin In 😛

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  26. Must shoot now guys, thanks for a good afternoon and evening AND night of great banter and interesting transfer talk ! Hope for the same next time im on here ! 🙂

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  27. Moreno 😉 I am pretty sure if the club do owt on Joey he will be the 1st to tell us because he is being forced out and really does want to stay, and I think he has the guts to do it 😉
    Nolan is just another Carroll that claims he loves the club but he left the club because of a yr on his allready very healthy contract. But it doesn’t surprise me as I was always pretty sure what he was like and that is why I have seen through him and desliked him from he came, Mr Newcastle my Balls

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  28. Bobby,

    Look what happens when you start smoking with Troy….the bloody trouble you’ve caused 😀

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  29. Colm- if we could turn a blog into a reality tv show we’d all be millionaires.
    Then we could buy the club 😯
    Toonsy get on it! 💡 :mrgreen:

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  30. Anyone seen the comments by ‘toon’ on .org?!?

    Quick before they are removed…latest thread

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  31. 😆 😆 😆 @ 258 Bobby’s ***** 😀
    Lads why do you’s bite at Bobby 😆
    Oh just thinking about Tugboat fuking off to be BSA’s ***** it would be funny if they didn’t get back up or BSA got the sack 😆 😆

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  32. Dave,

    For all this business expertise Karren Brady is supposed to have…they do make some financially ridiculous decisions (eg: 5 year contract for Kevin Nolan)

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  33. BSA will get the sack, he always does 😀 they’ll replace him as soon as they’re back up from fan pressure. They’re all happy now, but after a year of his sh1te they’ll get rid 😀

    What was that guy saying, can’t see any of them comments 😕 ❓

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  34. Moreno-its desperation more than anything, I guess they feel its worth risking if it gets them back up. Because if they don’t get up asap then they’ll be fooked, they’ve already spent huge money on wages in recent years, only a matter of time till they start really paying for it..

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  35. It’s funny dave as there is probably loads of fans out there who are slating the club for selling him and the same fans would be slating the club for handing him 5 years too…

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  36. Newkie,

    The same people banking on getting back up at the first push were the same people banking on not getting relegated in the first place. 😀

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  37. Newkie…I’m not going to comment further. I only mentioned them so that those involved had the opportunity to see.

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  38. Big Dave-hes not on because you fell out with him yesterday 😆

    Made up now?

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  39. Moreno, exactly 😆

    Still we owe them some thanks if Ba turns good for us, they might have managed to unearth us a good player in their desperation, as well as taking a big earner off our hands 😀

    Really hope they don’t come up though, nothing massively against West Ham, but the less london clubs in the prem the better, and it will be funny what happens with the olympic stadium if they end up in league one 😆 😆

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  40. Good evening everyone,

    Man oh man, these long a$$ed threads are hard to keep up with (Not too mention the sheer volume of threads today).

    Some fine back and forth tonight…perhaps better than Wimbledon.

    I have to stop getting on so late in the day when most of you all are about to head off.

    Dan4Toon you out there? Yesterday you said you wanted to discuss something…wasn’t sure exactly what. I’ll be around for a couple of hours.

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  41. Moreno @271 – If he helps get them promoted, which I believe he will do, then the returns will far outweigh the financial outlay.

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  42. afan,

    and when they are in the Premiership in 3 years time, Nolan is completely knacked and still on 50k a week…that’ll be all forgotten.

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  43. I see Wet Spam are already 5/1 favourites, well to me it is far too early to be making them favourites. With McClaren at Forest, Sven at Leicster. I could see either of those teams running away with it if they buy the right players. I think West Ham will be up there but not neccessarily in the top 2, there are no gaurentees in football.

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  44. Can’t undersatnd why some folk are upset over Nolan bailing out ❗
    1) No way would he start in the centre of midfield with Cabaye and Tiote who will provide more pace/movement and challanges.
    2) His legs have gone after about 60 mins.
    3) He had 2 very good years salary left on his contract which would have taken him to 31yrs. He will then be as much use as Smithy by then 😆

    The top and bottom of it is, he has spunked away a chance to remain at an EPL club in search of the bigger wedge at a CCC club where I have no doubt he will do very well next season.

    At the end of the day he is another greedy ******* trying to rape the club to increase his pension.

    Thank’s for the memories Kevin, in particular the goals against the mackems but you saw the writing on the wall, goodbye.

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  45. Spence in the 5 or so yrs I have known Batty we have never even had a tiff or a bad word for eachother, but we have been in some battles together 😆 even though he is a c@nt but he is a decent c@nt 😉

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  46. Actually afan…looking into it a bit deeper….

    If Nolan is on 50k a week…that’s £13 million on wages.

    Plus his fee to sign being £3 million are so.

    Could even be more on both accounts.

    “returns will far outweigh the financial outlay.”

    Maybe, pretty big risk though.

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  47. Whats to say Nolan will go down there and settle immediately with his family and score 15 goals and get them up, it’s a big ask and lightening doesn’t always strike twice. They have no Andy Carroll’s or Joey Barton’s at West Ham. Nolans a Northerner, won’t necessarily just be able to shack up at a southern club and start scoring for fun on great form.

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  48. DJG-Agree on McClaren, Forest already have a good squad and it will be interesting to see what he can do…although so far all he’s done is kick out their long serving captain 😆

    Not too sure about leicster, Sven did have a bit of magic in the transfer window bringing in the Yak, but they haven’t been great. Think leeds could make a decent push this year, and maybe even the Smoggies.

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  49. Look who was favourites last time. Boro when everybody thought the ginger dwarf would get them up. 😆

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  50. TGS I think you made some real good points ther fella, but I dont agree with you on No2 I think you put an Nought on it by mistake 😆

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