Is Sammy up to scratch?

Should Sammy sit out?
I think it’s fair to say that Sammy Ameobi is already a cult figure amongst the NUFC faithful.

Here is a lad who has been at the club a ling time along with his older brother. He loves the club, loves the city and is playing for his home town club. Full of tricks and the freshness that a youth player brings along with searing pace, there is an argument for seeing Sammy get some increased playing time in the first team.

At the moment he seems too good for the reserves so the step up to the first team is the most natural progression to make. However I question whether it is to the benefit of the team. To me it seems like a waste of a substitute at the moment. He’s doesn’t create an awful lot and gets caught out on occasion. Of course all players do, but he lacks the experience to counter the times that he gets caught out.

Of course the reply to that is to make sure he gets more playing time, therefore learning as he goes like every player has had to do in the past. It’s an easier argument to back up when the player in question, whether it be Sammy or anyone else, actually contributes something meaningful to the cause. At the minute, for me anyway, changing Obertan for Sammy isn’t as much of a change as is being made out.

Sammy is a lovely lad and seems to be a real character, but I’m not interested in personality contests and instead like to measure whether or not a player should be playing based on what they do on the pitch. At the moment, Sammy isn’t doing a lot. I kind of cringed when he came on Saturday as I knew he’d be full of running and effort, but I also knew that he would end up not doing a great deal.

I know it sounds harsh and I’m not writing the lad off. I actually believe he’ll turn out to be a canny player. However the same rules should apply to him as they do to everyone else, and that is that if he isn’t doing enough in the pitch then he shouldn’t be on the pitch.

Anyone agree?

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.

54 thoughts on “Is Sammy up to scratch?

  1. Sammi has potential and like Fergie may well be an assett for the future. However for the now I still want to see Barnetta come in. Maybe they need loans in the Championship?

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  2. aye prem loan him oot in jan for a couple of months good for him and the club imo just needs that bit extra that we cannot afford to give him yet

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  3. You`ve hit the nail on the head, good shout. Yes we want to give our young players a chance but at the moment he is no up to it. Send him out on loan to give him more experience.

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  4. Not quite first team for me like, it showed on Saturday as well. Think he will come good in the end though.

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  5. If NUFC can bring in some wingers during the window, loan him out.

    At this point, he is not bringing as much to the club as Ranger did last year in his sub role.

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  6. I think in some matches he’s been well worth his place, and has caused real problems for defences at times. His age shows when tactical nouse is needed, like his preference to shoot when we’re winning and really just running the clock down.

    Overall I do think he’s worth keeping here; against the right opposition his speed and sheer lack of respect for defenders can be very useful.

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  7. I do think Sammy and Fergie are our two most promising youngsters at the moment, although Vukic is right up there. The culture they seem to have created at the club is perfect for them too; a very clear message of “nobody owns a shirt; everyone gets their chance to earn it each week, regardless of age”.

    Off-topic: anyone know if there’s foreign telly for Wednesday’s game? I fancy watching that on a stream now I’m not nuts-deep in panto rehearsals.

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  8. wha? he’s earned his spot in the rotation – he played well at City, didnt do much at ManU while we were being pummelled in the latter stages of the 2nd half, made his mark with a few dribbles and a shot against Chelsea, didnt get too long at Norwich….. and then, yes, he had an ineffectual 8 minutes against Swansea on Sat

    He’s a bit raw and it’s far too early to say whether he’ll make it or not, but he’s clearly talented. If Marveaux was fit, then sure send him out on loan – otherwise, he’s needed here

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  9. I think Sammy is still learning how to play at this level, this is a big step up for him since his rise in pre-season. It is probably taking him time to adjust to how the Premier League is played. he has shown good stuff in some games so far this season but he didn’t really have much time to show what he could do on the pitch against Swansea. He looked a little lost against them and that is perhaps something he has to overcome.

    Whereas Vuckic seemed to relish his time on the pitch, picking up the ball several times and operating well under pressure when having a man come up behind him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pardew gives him a go against West Brom on Wednesday now that Cabaye is out.

    I think we keep him around at the moment and perhaps start in games like the FA Cup so that he can get more playing time etc

    Toonsy: Something in drafts for you 😉

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  10. I actually like seeing sammy come on… ok he doesn’t blow you away but i find him entertaining and at the end of the day that’s why all sports are watched – for entertainment.

    Although i’d swap a few entertaining games for a few points at the moment 😉 😆

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  11. Hitman – Great another Tiote for sale post. I’m not listening to a word until I see the club confirming offers…especially from ***** mackem newspapers like the Shields Gazette.

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  12. Hoo!! Less of the jibes at South Shields being Mackems!!

    Half me family’s from there and they’d go mental if you called them that. Feel free to call them sanddancers as they’re proud of that.

    If you take a look at Newcastle United’s crest it has two seahorses on it – One for North Shields and one for South Shields as the toon has strong mariner links.

    Plus if you look up the definition of a Geordie it’s someone from ‘the banks of the tyne’. Obviously people from Newcastle are associated with being Geordie as that’s the biggest city in the area.

    That’s my education of the day. enjoy :mrgreen:

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  13. I agree , should not get special treatment . Is he gOod enough I think so no world beater but maybe a good squad player .

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  14. I think that cracking goal he scored has glossed over his weaknesses.
    Not ready in my opinion .

    As for Nobby.
    I laugh when people from North Tyneside claim anyone from south of the Tyne are Mackems.
    It’s Gateshead and Newcastle who pay taxes towards the upkeep of the Tyne bridges not North Tyneside. Many from Gateshead live closer to SJP than many in Newcastle itself.

    That argument will always rage on depending where you live.

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  15. I think Sammy’s got the potential to be way better than a squad player; we’re just forgetting how green he is. I’m pretty excited about Sammy – he’s got more chance than most of staying loyal to the club and keeping his feet on the ground because his big bro will make sure of it.

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  16. I think young Sammi has a lot of potential but would do better getting a season in the championship under his belt.
    You can see he has skill but imo he is not ready for the prem yet, and needs games to get ready.
    Unfortunately we can’t give him the games and experience he needs.

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  17. Jeez, the lads only 18 and we’re already asking if he can cut it?

    Give the lad time to develop his game, start maturing, physically as well as mentally.

    He has bags of potential – but like every 18 year old, it’s only potential, but we should let him develop and he’ll probably do that better and quicker if he had a full season out on loan loan somewhere.

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  18. so what that dosnt mean you can call people from shields makems..
    im from shields also 🙄
    the shields gazette was printed in kepple street until a few years ago

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  19. Really difficult to tell at this stage. At Sammy’s age Shola was the next best thing, playing for the England U21s, scoring cracking goals for them, and for us in Europe. Shola was nailed on for a Senior call-up to England in my eyes, then it all went pear-shaped.

    Impossible to tell with Sammy really, because of this. He’s showed flashes of brilliance but he could go either way. I personally think he shows great promise, but having said that I thought Shola was a cut above at the same age, and he ain’t really set the Premier League alight.

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  20. I didn’t call people from Shields Mackems at all, I said that the Shields Gazette was a **** Mackem paper…which it is, it’s printed there and sports wise it’s 5under1and biased. It’s been printed in Sunderland longer than a ‘few year’.

    Born, bred & raised in S/Shields and still there.

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  21. Just giving me opinion…you got my heckles up calling me a fucking mug though Sanddancing ****! 😆

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  22. haha, was quite enjoying that little scrap, divnt stop yet lads!

    GO ON HITMAN, **** HIM!

    …FRANKY, KNEE HIM IN THE GOB!

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  23. Oh a bit of topic and a bit late with this – thought Santon looked good and done really well. Fair enough it was Swansea but looks like he has talent…

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  24. hahaha, “reverse scorpion kick” 😯

    That defies the laws of physics. 😕

    …could only happen to someone called Festus!

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  25. Dave, Batty used to have some good ones on Ed’s blog, usually pretty one-sided though 😆 He’s quite subdued these days.

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  26. Rod yeah they were good old scraps, and he never backed down like Hitman did 😀 .
    And yeah he is very quiet these days, but I think he has been busy putting up SD signs for Jabba .

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  27. Sammy looks ok and needs games, unfortunately not sure we have enough quality in the first 11 to risk him so loan makes sense – saying that we won’t then have cover for Obertan / Jonas

    Reading fans comments on here, obertans worse than *****, sammys not good enough, Jonas has no end product and simpson & perch are useless
    surprised we have any points to be honest

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  28. Personally, he’s a waste of a substitute at the present time, on one occasion on Saturday he tracked a Swansea player with the ball at least 30 metres down the touch line, the nearest he got to him was about a metre away and that was it, never got a tackle in, allowed the Swansea player to play the ball into the box.
    He just does not seem to have the strength in his makeup at present, hopefully it will come, but think it will be while.

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  29. great article mate totally agree i like sammy as a person but on the pitch you just know he is aint going to do anything like an assist or a goal.

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  30. Toonsy – I know you are playing devils advocate, but crack like this really frustrates me like!!
    Because he doesn’t come on for the last 10mins of a game and set the world alight he’s questioned whether he’s good enough?! it’s bloody madness, and not what the young kid needs to read right now.
    He’s young, that’s all. I’m 33yrs and have as good as hung me boots up now, and whilst I never came close to reaching the standard young Sammi is at, I can remember that youthful buzz or playing football. At 19 all you want to do is play, every minute of every game. When you get the nod and your in, your buzzing, really up for the game. Playing from kick off youre on pace with the game as well, coming on as a sub is more difficult to really influence a game – that takes a top top player with a mature footballing brain. Fortunately I played most of my games but I was a big ugly CB playing at a much lower level, but I can still remember the disappointment of not getting the nod.
    I think when you look at the success the likes of Wilshire, Welbeck and Sturridge have went on to have with their parent clubs having been allowed to go out on loan, that may well be a sensible option for Sammi.

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  31. I think it’s a travesty that both Ben Arfa and Abeid were ignored again at the weekend as Pardew picked footballs equivalent of the chuckle brothers ahead of them. Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh but you get my drift: There’s no way Sammy will turn a game, defo not at the mo. I appreciate that players should be given time on the pitch to aid development but there are far better players at the club that are being overlooked. Ben Arfa is arguably the best creative midfielder we have and, being just back from an injury, NEEDS playing time to get up to speed. Perhaps he’s shot physically, maybe even mentally, but we won’t know while he’s sat warming the bench.

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  32. Sharpy – I know how you feel. I was once on the books at Villa in the youth setup and all I wanted to do was play so I ended up playing in the Doc Martens league before my ankle got kettled and I just concentrated on getting pissed instead of recovering lol

    It’s not a point of setting the world alight, it the point that Lee makes that we have gamechangers being overlooked in favour of someone who doesn’t, and has never, created that much. Yes he needs games, but there is a time and a place.

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  33. Toonsy, not to take pleasure from your misfortune but it’s always good to hear the drink bug put pay to some else’s potential career… makes you feel less of a ****, boro for me so probs done me a favour lol.

    I’ve read this view of game changers being overlooked…. who?? please tell me, coz I don’t see one!!
    Youre going to say HBA, and I don’t see it. I’d like to but I don’t. If he were that influential then surely he’d be in from the start.
    Marv looked like a game changer when he came on but other than him I don’t think we have one.

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