Rodallega or Bendtner?

toonsy

Hugo Rodallega - Another option for striker?
With the name of Erik Pieters pencilled in for the now vacant left-back role it just leaves us the striker position to ponder.

Arguably we could ponder other positions, but the noises coming out of the club seem to suggest it’s going to be a striker and a left-back and that’s our lot.

No problems really. I’d say those two positions are just about at the top of the list if you ask NUFC fans where they would like to see strengthened as the priority. Cover in the centre of defence is something I’ve heard mentioned, but let’s get the first XI sorted out first eh?

One name that has been doing the rounds is Nicklas Bendtner, with opinion pretty much split on the striker. I don’t think many people doubt that he has the ability, but the question mark is over his attitude.

The 23-year-old Danish international is surplus to requirements at Arsenal and has been widely tipped to leave the club this transfer window with the Sunday Sun claiming that preliminary talks have already taken place between the two clubs.

Rate him or not, I believe he would improve our front line even if it does mean that he has to take some time out from skiing. Perhaps a fresh start is what he needs to help him fulfil his potential?

The other name that has been linked with us today is Hugo Rodallega of Wigan. The 26-year-old Colombian international is another player who has been linked with a move away from his current club during this transfer window, and the fact that he was only on the bench for their game with Norwich yesterday will only serve to add fuel to those rumours.

With a strike rate of just about 1 in 5 for Wigan, Rodallega doesn’t exactly back up the claims that he is a goalscorer. I’ve often wondered why he is so highly-rated in truth. Compare that with Bendtner who has a strike rate of roughly 1 in 4 and you can perhaps start to see that these players may not be the answer to our problems. Of course you can make stats say anything you want to really, but they are the best thing we have to go off.

Would I still have either of them at Newcastle? Well yes I would actually, which probably doesn’t make sense after highlighting their respective goal records, as they are better than what we have at the moment. As for which one though I’d probably plump for Bendtner even though I don’t believe we’ll end up with either.

Who would you go for?

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.

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135 thoughts on “Rodallega or Bendtner?”

  5. Reposting from previous thread here… sorry… Toonsy, you’re too **** quick, man!

    1. Krul–kinda wobbly, wasn’t he?

    2. Simpson–thought he played okay. A few misplaced passes and out of position sometimes, but okay overall.

    3. Saylor: Gives me the willies, routinely. I’m always waiting for his Almost-Bramble-Blunder. I’m also always waiting for his goal from a set piece. I get a woozy feeling every time he plays. How can you make a meat head like him consistent? He’s like a roller coaster and maybe for that reason we should enjoy him, but sometimes he makes me want to throw up.

    4. Colo: He was excellent yesterday, wasn’t he?

    5. Raylor: Well, he filled in. We were lucky not to get punished there. cAn’t believe Wenger didn’t run at that side more than he did. Set piece specialist? Puh-lease.

    6. Barton: What can you say? The guy is a tragedy. Great player, explosive temper and mental issues. Wildly entertaining. Roller coaster too.

    7. Tiote: Many have said he was not fit, and now that I think of it, that seems true. Question: Do we have cover for him if he gets injured?

    8. Cabaye: I felt like he was invisible for much of the game, but there were little glimmers of promise. you have to think he’s going to improve, as everyone seems to agree he had an off day.

    9. Jonas: Also a slightly sub-standard game. I think the absence of Enrique was telling for him. He didn’t have that easy combination that made our left side so troublesome for teams last year.

    10. Ba: Where were you, brother Ba? No service, to be sure, but was he taken off for injury or tactics or what?

    11. Shola: No service, I thought, and pretty wasteful when he got it. Not sure. Some people seem to think he did well wiht the scraps he got, but I felt he was anonymous.

    12. Obertan: small glimmers of good stuff, but can he parlay his sparkling dribbling and speed into chances & good decisions?

    13. Best: I thought he was an improvement over Shola. Still feel he deserves a bigger role this season, at least to see if he can continue his good play from last season.

    14.Loverman: Didn’t have much of a chance, really. I also feel that Loverman and Best combined really well last season and would like to see them play together to see if that really could work.

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  9. FSOTC
    generally agree with your assessments. would add
    Pardew
    1st game of the season selected only 2 new signings so as not to make too many changes. Tactically got in wrong in the 1st half, should have played 4-3-2-1 so as to put three in the midfield to match up with Arsenal. Ba played out of position ? repeatedly suggested on ESPN. However, changed and improved things at Half time. 0-0 a respectable result.

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  10. neither both ave player only at best,but seem not much left to chose from we have only waited 7months for a striker whats the hurry 🙁

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  11. We need something, we were blunt upfront yesterday. I think we HBA is fit we’ll play one upfront anyway. Leon Best is our best forward IMO

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  12. surely its not just about player stats, they have to fit the player profile and buy into the club ethos of low wages etc.

    Please let rodallega be a joke, ffs 👿

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  13. Rodallega>

    He’s quicker and that’s what we need.

    Bendtner’s a complete **** and he’s too similar to the Ameobi, Ba in stature.

    Not worth the bother he’d cause. Barton would flatten him in 5 minutes.

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  14. Mind u that’s only if the choice is between the 2. Surely there are better options still available to us. It can’t be that bad surely? 😯

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  16. Premandup@9, agree, his tactics are baffling, dangerous game to sacrifice the midfield against Arsenal, wouldnt be so bad if we had 2 dangerous forwards instead of the invisible men, and on that point Pardew says Ameobi will haunt the mackems, hes had plenty of practice haunting us for years.

    Also, 46,000 crowd? worrying

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  17. I agree with Big Steve. The writing off of players after one game is laughable

    “Best supporters in the land” 😆

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  18. B1GSTEVE, was thinking the same thing mate. Surely we haven’t written Ba off already? Saw enough of him last season to know he has more to offer than that. He and Shola – as everyone has pointed out – are too similar in style, and you’d have to think that once (or if) another striker comes in Shola will become Ba’s backup.

    RE Cabaye, I hope a change of system isn’t going to take away the best part of his game – with Lille he played in a 3 man mid with 3 forwards in front of him. He is obviously class at picking a pass, but it’s impossible to ‘pick’ a pass when the only option is Shola, as it was for the entire second half, had nowt else in front of him. Hmmm..

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  19. Rodallega is not that pacey. Doesn’t play on the backs of defenders which is what we need.
    Bendtner might be better than what we have but also isn’t what we need and just gives us better of the same.
    I agree with ice. Rather wait for the right lad than waste money on one of these two.

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  21. Are people writing off Ba? I thought he had no supply yesterday and didn’t understand why Pardew took him off yesterday. I thought the problems were in the misfiring midfield and supply lines.

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  22. Yeh, Prem, I need to think more about tactics. I have to confess I find that part of the game kind of mystifying. I guess I need to read more on Leazes Terraces. Anybody know other good tactical sites/reads?

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  23. Wouldnt take a great deal of effort from the club on the transfer front to fill the ground again to capacity, judging by the programme notes it seems that the message is eventually being received, fingers crossed.

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  24. Ba came off yesterday to change the formation to try and get a bit more possession.
    If it was midseason then maybe Shola would come off but since Ba is still obviously building the chemistry with the squad Shola was the better option yest.
    Ba will be fine. Showed good awareness, vision and athleticism. Just needs to familiarize himself with the lads.

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  26. The reason shola has been backed by so many managers over so many years is that he is an absolute world beater in training – completely unplayable apparently. odd reasoning, i know.

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  29. I don’t know if it looked different on the TV, but from my seat in the Leazes Steven Taylor was by far our best defender…

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  34. Also…. whenever they managed to get on the ball, both Ameobi and Ba often found themselves isolated and without passing options.

    Whole midfield + Ba looked short of match fitness/sharpness ( Tiote in particular)… guess we can point the finger at our dodgy pre-season

    Let’s hope we’re more ready next weekend…

    O, and I’d take Bendtner of those 2 options (if we really have to)
    As far as better alternatives go…. I know the recent Podolski rumour had no credibility whatsoever but… he’d fit the bill nicely 😎

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  35. Both second raters, no better than what we already have here. I’d prefer to persevere with Leon Best than either of these two

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  36. Podolski seems to have the reputation of being great in internationals and not so much lately for his club team, right?

    Papiss Demba Cisse scored for craptastic Freiburg again yesterday. Lots of goals from him last season in the Bundesliga and I think he’s available. can’t understand why teams aren’t going for him.

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  37. Would never want bendtner here. He is sh*te but he thinks he’s the dean. Some suggestions of cover for cb? williamson is easily good cover and if saylor makes his bramblesk mistakes this season he could well be getting his place back again. What worrys me, is that it worrys me when i see simpson or saylor on the ball thats two of of three of our defence plus the fact we don’t have a left back! Fairplay to those boys for keeping a clean sheet yesterday and krul!

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  40. FHOTC – Aye, that was the rap when he was at Bayern…. but he’s back at Cologne these days and doing ok – 13 goals and 7 assists last season. He’s also ridiculously fast 😆

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  41. I think rodellaga is ****.To be fair though hasn’t got much in the way of service. Had charles ‘i’ll just kick it as hard as i can whatever way i’m facing’ n’zogbia and ….. playing balls into him. I actually don’t mind bendtner. When he actually plays up front for arsenal he’s alright. Ends up playing most of the time on the wing and he’s no winger. He’s probably not good enough for a team wanting champions league and league titles but he’d do a job for us. Probably wouldn’t come though as he thinks he’s the best thing since sliced bread.

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  43. I think if we get Pieters and a new striker in we will be pretty much be sorted. I would still like to see us bring in another centre back for cover/competition as well but can’t see that happening.

    Not sure either of the above are the answer for our new striker though.

    Bendtner has talent but he’s very similar to what we already have in Shola, Ba, Ranger and Best.

    Rodallega has a bit of pace and a bit of trickery (which is the type of striker we need) but he simply isnt good enough.

    LB: Erik Pieters
    ST: ? (someone in the Daniel Sturriage or Loic Remy mould)
    CB: James Tomkins –> Cover and competition for both CB and RB

    = great transfer window. 😀

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  44. I will continue my crusade for NOT signing bendtnar. He is god awful, I have to deal with his constant mouthing and bigging up himself on my national team, plus his awful first touch and generally poor play. I couldnt bear to deal with him at my beloved Newcastle. He is really really NOT good! If you think he is good, watch him in the national team, where he is found out. The danish press also seem to believe he is any good just because he is 10th striker at arsenal.
    Have I mentioned that I really really dont think he is good and cant stand him????

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  45. i still see us picking some scraps from the tables of the big four, macheda seems a likely option, if sturridge is going to play (not on bench today) then we could try for lukaku on the pretense of helping him adapt, if he has a good season, sign sturridge when lukaku takes his place at chelsea

    like zoe i would take vela if he was up for permanent move

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  46. I liked the look of Vela until I watched him last season at West Brom he looked very poor in my opinion.

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  53. army – sturridge has a three match suspension mate, and I sadly dont think chelsea wanna part with him.

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  55. Lads I really cant believe that we held out to **** on the 1st game of the season, after all the **** that has been going on at the club of late, plus the fact that we didn’t exactley have a trouble free pre-season with injuries, knocks, visa’s etc and allready there is people moaning and slagging of players that havn’t had a proper chance.
    To think that a lot of people thought that Stuart and Bobby were negative 😆

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  56. 2 good signings in by next saturday and i will be more than happy!!! pieters and a fast striker please mr pardew

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  57. Toonsy ??? come on spill the beans mate ? who has multiple personality disorder 😆 you did say you would reveal all today, and im pretty sure you are a man of your word 😀

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  59. Lads I really cant believe that we held out to **** on the 1st game of the season, after all the **** that has been going on at the club of late, plus the fact that we didn’t exactley have a trouble free pre-season with injuries, knocks, visa’s etc and allready there is people moaning and slagging of players that havn’t had a proper chance.
    To think that a lot of people thought that Stuart and Bobby were negative

    i thought we done more than good dave!!! i only had defeat in my mind , picking up a point from arsenal any time from any team is a good result!!! lets hope we have a pacey forward for next game cos thats what we were lacking yesterday!!!

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  60. Dave – To be honest I haven’t had a chance to look. The fact that as soon as I mentioned that it stopped seems to speak volumes though and would point towards me being right without even having to check anyway 😉

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  61. ALANPARDEWPROJECT
    August 14, 2011 at 14:06
    army – sturridge has a three match suspension mate, and I sadly dont think chelsea wanna part with him.

    i know i doubt we would get him like 😕

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  62. Army @ 56 > pieters and a fast striker please mr pardew ??
    Fuk you’ve changed your tune all this week he has been clueless Pardue 😕

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  64. My choice of striker would be Macheida. First seen him four or five years ago score a hat trick in a reserve game at St James. A goal scorer.

    Did people who criticising the players yesterday expect us to play Arsenal off the park yesterday. For his limitations I thought Shoala had a good game. The trouble first half was that our midfield four were miles away from our front two. This made the front pair look worse than they really were.
    Even in the second half Obertan drifted away to the right flank leaving Shoala isolated.
    For me a great point. Anything from games against the top four are good points.
    The surprising thing for me was the involvement of Lovenkrands. Why?

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  65. Torres – fancy footwork, no end product. 😯 wots going on ❓
    seems like a bad move for him lol :mrgreen:

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  66. is John Terry a dirty cheating git or what?
    He cant keep his hands off the stoke players and always gets away with it.
    👿

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  67. BB – To be fair, it’s not just the Stoke players Terry has a problem keeping his hands off. Just ask Wayne Bridge 😆

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  70. Witters yeah mate that was a sad loss to the Blog, I liked Wor Bobby and I enjoyed watching his fishing skills, he could fill his keep net in no time 😆 .
    But there is other bloggers trying to muscle in on his negative crown after yesterdays game 😉

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  72. He did have a canny nack of catching a live one…myself included 🙄

    Agree…some of the reaction to yesterday’s game has been so over the top it’s embarrassing!!

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  73. watching Kaiserslautern v Augsburg on ESPN.
    Sascha Molders was bought by Augsburg for £150k from Israel in the Summer and so far scored 2 in his 1st game, 1 in the 1st 10 mins today. He’s 26 and has scored 110 goals in 199 games excluding today.

    Must be worth a punt

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  74. Dave…last I heard from Spence was the day before he went for a trial wi my village team…….strange that 😈

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  75. premandup – If you are watching the game, then just out of couriosity, how is Kaiserslauterns left back doing???

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