Was it the right call to give Cisse the No9 shirt?

Too soon for the number nine?
So we finally have our new number nine in the form of Papiss Demba Cisse. Great news! Or is it?

Now before I get into the nuts of the article let me just clarify that I’m not rubbishing the transfer or the player and I’m not wishing failure or anything like that. Instead I’m just debating whether or not we should have held back the No9 shirt instead of offering it straight away.

To me the No9 is a special shirt. You only have to look at the players who have worn it over the years to realise that. Shearer, Ferdinand, Cole, Supermac, Milburn are all iconic names associated with Newcastle United which have combined to give the shirt it’s importance. It’s not just a player in a shirt – it’s a figurehead, an idol, someone to look up to and rely upon.

Perhaps I’m being overly romantic in my notions? Perhaps I’m being a bit outdated with my thoughts in this modern game of football that we have right now? All I know is that we’ve just given the next chapter of a book of number nines to someone that may not end up fulfilling it’s own legacy.

To me the shirt must be earned. Of course there are examples where that isn’t the case, but in a game where loyalty is a scarce commodity these days I’d quite like to know what type of player is getting the honour of wearing the number nine shirt and along with that getting the chance to write their own chapter in Newcastle United history.

I mean what was wrong with holding it back until the summer and treating these last few months of the season as a kind of working interview? If Cisse showed he has what it takes then give it to him for the start of the new season. It was the approach used by Chris Hughton when he gave Andy Carroll the number nine shirt and it worked out well, for half a season at least.

Now it’s not all doom and gloom as I can see why Cisse has been given the shirt. His record stands up against some of the most recognised strikers in Europe and he is the type of player who is ideal for the shirt when you look at the way he plays. He works hard for the cause and does the ‘simple’ thing of scoring goals and being in the right place at the right time which is what is needed from the No9.

I just can’t help thinking that we should have waited until the summer to see if he can be a number nine in NUFC colours.

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.

212 thoughts on “Was it the right call to give Cisse the No9 shirt?

  1. My word dont get me started on wilkins……..complete tool as regards commentating goes.

    However do you think its coincidental that chelseas demise started when he was sacked?

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  2. Mark,
    Watch oot for BATTY, he will turn up at your home offering to wash your window’s or walk ya dog 😉

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  3. This maths test can predict your all time hero, and the person you most aspire to be like. Try it without looking at the answers.

    Pick a number between 1 and 9
    Then x3
    Then +3
    Then x3 again.
    You’ll get a 2 digit number.
    Add the two digits together to find the person you most aspire to be like.
    1. Muhammed Ali
    2. Alan Shearer
    3. Bob Marley
    4. Winston Churchill
    5. Elvis Presley
    6. Pele
    7. John Lennon
    8. Bobby Moore
    9. Gary Glitter

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  4. @Batty

    thats not Troyore?, why would troy have more aliases than Glitter himself..

    hes not that weird 😯

    boin boing 😉

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  5. I forgot who I’m dealing with here, should have linked an online calculator to it 😆 …..I always get a number 2 mesel like 😯

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  6. Richie,
    Is Spencer still posing on here ❓

    Is he playing for the mighty Burry yet ❓

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  7. @Batty

    I don’t believe its troy m8, coz Ive just checked an old article and both names were chatting, so it would be very strange it you arent lying 😯

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  8. @richietoon

    once you said, and x3 again I went bong-eye and thought of koala bears, which always confuse me.

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  9. TGS…he’s on every now and again, no he didn’t turn up for the match he was gonna get a run out in….eh does that last bit make sense? 😆

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  10. iIve just come in and read this, Im full of ale but to mention Les Ferdinand and not Wyn Davies (the mighty wyn) is a bit ridiculous. I may be the wrong age, but Wyn won us our last major trophy, and he was a great no. 9.

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  11. I agree with superemac tho. Every time the ball was passed to him you expected him to score. The mighty Wyn tho, he used to pass the ball out to the winger with his chest, from a welly from the keeper.

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  12. My avatar might give the younger ones an idea how good hev was in the air. I think man utd bought him off us in the end, or was it man city, or did he play for both, memory aint yhe best these days.

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  13. 4, for fks sake, I m not sure if it was the year we won the fairs cup or the one after, I started playing for Wallsend Boys club ion satday afternoons, and my school on satday mornings, but I went to every home leg of the fairs cup games, both seasons, but I cudnt make it every week then.

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  14. Dan, great videos, just as well you didnt show all Tiotes bookings, would hahave lasted all night. Love the Cabaye one tho, he;s class, I think when Tiote isnt playing tho, we lose something, cos he covers Tiote great, but altho Guthrie does well he aint as good as Cabaye.

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  15. Then I’ll have a look through them in the morning cos it’s midnight here so I’m away up the dancers…..neet lads.

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  16. Richie, the worst thing is I didnt see us win it, cos the second leg was away, we were 3=0 up from the firsat leg, and the vaway one was only on the radio, and only the second half. I remember tuning in and the first thing it said was ‘ Newcastles grip on the Cup has gone’, we were 2-0 down at half time, but as you know we won 3-2, 6-2 overall, 3 goals from wor Bobby Moncur. I’ll never forget. Great stuff, but I was worried for a few minutes.

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  17. We gave Carroll the shirt willingly even though he was a complete **** off the field and he only briefly tore up the championship. Did we give it to him only because he’s a geordie and that makes a number 9?

    I can see the point in waiting to the summer, to see whether Papiss earns it as it were, but if he has a poor 6 months and doesn’t get it that might suggest we’d be in for another striker as people would complain “we still haven’t replaced Carroll” blah.

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  18. Cheers Mark, yeah Shola or Jonas next I think.

    There’s a few Ba and Krul ones already that’s why we’re not doing them, yet…

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  19. Taiwo now off of the market. Very similar to Cissokho in that neither can defend and have been poor for the best part of 1 year – 18 months.

    I cant wait to see how Taiwo, an already suspect full back, copes in a poor side with a totally new defence, half way through a much tougher and less forgiving league.

    Should be hilarious. 😆

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  20. I didn’t agree with giving it to Martins, but I do with this guy.

    The 9 is there (for the right player) to be used in my opinion. Not in some museum gathering dust.

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  21. I agree with Richie on this, the whole ‘having to earn it’ thing is a load of bollicks. He’s not James Bond having to earn his 007 wrist watch and licence to kill for **** sake. Yes some exceptional strikers have worn the no.9 shirt in the history of Newcastle United, so have a lot of strictly average forwards. That’s the thing; history is very good at sweeping the boring bits under the carpet!

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  22. correct me if i am wrong, but wasnt Andrew Cole given the No.9 straight away, and to be honest, none of us knew very little about him back then!!!
    personnaly i cant wait to see him, two very good feet, fast , and he seems to know where the goal is!! lets give the lad chance, like pardew has said, give him a few games to find his feet, get used of the style the teams plays. just hope Ashleys not planning any immediate exisits to pay for him thou!!

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  23. BigSteve…aye shame about you not seeing the second leg, but happy memories none the less I bet.

    Dan…cracking vids there 😀

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