Perch silencing his critics
However I’d like to spare a thought for some of the unsung heroes of the season. The ones who haven’t had the headlines and aren’t the subject of media fawning. I’ll start off with James Perch.
For me he is easily the most improved player of the season. You could argue that it wasn’t exactly hard for him to improve on last season, but I’d counter that by daring to suggest that he was never as bad as some made out. Granted he made a shaky start to his Newcastle career and picked up a string of bookings before scoring an own goal against Stoke and from then on became the poster boy for the boo boys, and once you have that “honour” it’s hard to shake it.
However fast forward to now and we see almost the perfect utility player. No problems off the pitch and good performances on it, Perch has shown that he can deliver in a number of roles. In fact last night at Chelsea I would even go as far as saying that our defence looked more assured with James Perch sticking to his defensive task rather than going walkabout like Danny Simpson.
I honestly can’t believe I’m going to say these, but Perch has proved his worth to me. I don’t think we’ll be able to find a player as versatile for him for as little as what he costs. Sure there are better players out there, but not at the wage Perch takes home.
Something has changed with Perch. I don’t whether it’s confidence or something else, but right now we are getting the best out of him and it’s fantastic to see. Getting the best out of the squad players is one of the reasons why we’ve done so well this season, and Perch has been one contributing factor to that.
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Hear Hear
Perch has been nothing short of outstanding when called upon, can’t remember him putting a foot wrong.
Once again every 50/50 he won, every footrace he won, every header he won.
He even made a block when they were a yard offside!
Hes got pace, abit of strength and will not lose 50/50s. He wont be marauding up the wing as a full back, but I think he should keep his place ahead of Simmo.
AMAZING!!!This time last year EVERYONE wanted him kicked out of the club!! Now he is the hero!!
all i can say about him is,bye bye simpson on that show by the lad
Course he has. Toon legend. Last year everyone wanted him gone, or worse….Then there were the sarcastic remarks at the start of this season when he seemed to be finding his feet. Now praise is almost universal.
Not fickle in the slightest, us lot
He has been great for us this season and that says a lot, i used to dread seeing him come on but now i like seeing him coming on or in the starting squad!
So happy for Perch, he’s been just fantastic. Proper quality ‘utility player’, although yeah, based on last night he could make RB his own.
And a shout out to Raylor for that lovely throw in too.
Nice that two of our subs came on and set up a goal.
God I love it when one of our players scores a goal that you have to watch like 50 times before going to bed and another couple of dozen in the morning
What a night! Big screen in the pub with Greek commentary, a few pints of wheat beer, analysis in the local after with an Arse fan urging me to believe we’re still in it for 3rd. Up far too late buzzing and missed practice this morning, don’t care. Plaudits all around at work, gracious Chelsea fans, everyone’s paper on the desk with Papisto jumping off the page. Couldn’t be prouder of the lads if I’d given birth to them all myself 
Can’t wait for Sunday!
Got to hold my hands up here and say I wanted him sold.
Don’t know what they’re feeding him on, but he seems like a different player. Great utility player to have on the books, as he can cover most defensive areas on the pitch. I think a lot to do with it may be because the whole team is now playing as a unit, and have more of an understanding of each other. Either that or it’s the goat curry.
Yeah Perch has done brilliant, but like Willo when he was called upon to stand in he gave everything and looked good, but once he got a place that he was almost assured to keep it he started to fall apart, and not give his all.
I think Perchs best position is to be a utility player and not a permanant RB, sorry but im a big believer in that it is easier to give your all to try to impress but when the spot is yours you become comfortable with it.
I want to keep Perch as cover because he offers so much in somany positions, but to better ourselves I think we need new top quality dedicated fullbacks.
DAVE you were among the ones who picked on him with those “fish” jokes if i remember
For me Perch along with Raylor & Shola are the first names on the subs bench. Brilliant to bring on when needed.
He’s certainly made me eat my words, along with Ryan Taylor he is the most improved player at the Toon.
Perch has been fantastic.
You couldn’t have a team of eleven Perch’s but one or two grafters with passion like him in a team of quality like Cissa, Ba, Ben Arfa, Cabaye, Tiote, Colo, Santon, Krul etc is a perfect blend.
Cisse, Ba, Ben Arfa, Cabaye, Tiote, Colo, Krul – I can honestly catagorize as class. They could fit into any team in the league and look quality.
With Santon coming on, Marveaux returning, and Steven Taylor returning. The addition of a quality right back and centre back would put our squad amongst the top five/six easily in the league every year.
We have some truely fantastic players.
Anyone see Michael Owen’s tweet yesterday or early today about Newcastle having 4 of the 5 signings of the season? Who do you reckon he meant?
I have Ba, Cisse and Cabaye…who would be the 4th signing for the year? Who am I missing? Santon? Marveaux? Elliot? Would you count a new contract as a signing?
So will we be saying this about Obertan this time next year?
in my opinion theres 2 type of footballers, world class which make up maybe 5% of top tier and then theres the rest.
The world class players have small dips in form but are always capable of wonder no matter how bad they’ve played in game or in a season.
The rest are players who can vary from poor to excellent depending on form, the team/environment they are in and also confidence.
Take Bobby Zamora as an example of someone who got so much grief 5 years ago, then he looked like a world beater at Fulham, now at QPR we’re not so sure.
I believe Perch, and almost any player who could have played for us this year, have been spurred on by the momentum and the positive attitude that has already made this campaign a massive success story and has allowed average guys to play to their full potential
I agree with Big Dave. Dont give him a permanent slot, but rather keep him on his toes and hungry.
Its a tad tough on the Lad, as he was magnificent last night. Far superior to Simmo, but I would worry he got complacent if he was simmos pemanent replacement.
Then again I know nowt, so thats ok.
@11. Agreed. I’d add Guthrie to that list
Perch and raylor have really become reliable players. Perch’s transformation has been remarkable.
By the way, when I filled in that match predictor table thingy, I had us finishing 5th on 68 points.
I dont see us winning on sunday, a draw would be good tho.
I think we could beat everton tho.
Now we need the villains to do us a favour by beating Spunks, but they wont do owt for us as they are a bunch of kunts
Norcal- just saw your comment to me from yesterday. Agreed- we’ve been spoiled by FSC this year.. I guess now we know what’s like to be a ManU or LPool supporter.
Long may it continue
Perch is going to end up getting drugs tested soon if he keeps this sort of form up.
If you don’t reward players with a spot when they’ve performed admirably though then what’s to keep them performing? If you never let them start no matter how they play, they well end up thinking “fuck it” and I wouldn’t blame them……..I’ve defended simmo a lot this season, but Perch could very well throw down the gauntlet in these last three matches, as Taylor did to Willo last season………
just thought i would put this on,you can hear the fans,and poor cole kicking off
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKM8QIepBXc
Got to agree with what many others have said, think Pearch is the most improved player this season and now happy to see him take his place in the side. Can cover either full back, centre half or centre mid, who could ask for more?
After the own goal home to Stoke last year I had written the guy off. But give him all the credit he has turned his career around and for me I would want him in our squad next season. A better all round footballer than Simpson
Newkie@21- Maybe the answer is to let him hold that rb slot for all cup games and the odd PL and Euro game on a kind of rotation thing. You would have to be consistant though as if he played every lge cup and f.a cup game and we got to the final he’d have to play that too.
Big dave@9 Very much agree with that.
Ice that goal is like a fine red wine gets better with age
oh and your right Perch still looks like a fish 
The lads form is so good the question has to be should the new England manager pick him in this summers squad ? Lets face it ,name another English defender that can play right across the back 4 and is in this form . Surly he has too now have an outside chance .
Axel im not 100% sure but they don’t normally pick utility players. more players that specialise in certain positions
Anyone remember the Sunderland clutching straws I posted the other day?
How about Official SAFC red and white glasses
http://p.twimg.com/Ar-VrmOCAAAT4ZP.jpg:large
TOONSY lol had to laugh at one of there sites they have been showing a great goal (its shite) that one of there players scored against toon in 2001 for fk sake just because cisse getting all the hype,there a sad lot
Thing is BIG DAVE all Englands specialists are injury prone these days and most well past their sell by date so as Terry , Ferdinand , Cole ,Carragher and King . It may be worth taking a player like Perch to cover any injuries that will occur .
@29
, btw what’s with the new avatar toonsy? why that one in particular? Are you to be Geordie ambassador in the EU when the toon are in Europe? 
Haha
Just like so many other players, it seems like Perch needed a season to bed in. He may not have come from overseas, but making the step up to the Premier League is still a significant transition. Very few players can come in straight away and make a difference like Cisse has. Coloccini, Jonas and Enrique all needed time when they first arrived, and Ba got off to a slow start this year. I think we’re just seeing once again that it’s rash to judge a player after a small number games.
CP
Ba’s had the opposite effect started off brilliantly, well adapted to the league, now that he’s ‘bedded in’ he’s shite
Toonsy hows the wee man doing, and how did the Lass get on ? she get used to you being away
i think some praise for pardew and coaching staff is due imo the improvement to perch,taylor even guthrie and benny to some degree its there for all to see,lets hope he can do the same with obertan ect
Playing 4-2-3-1 next season can see a bench of Elliot, Raylor, Perch, Jonas, Gosling, Shola & Ba.
Can live with that.
Ice
Yeah, I was well impressed how well benny was doing at tracking back and helping with the defence, was presuring their attackers. Thought he could’ve taken advantage of Bertrand a bit better but overall did ok.
Premandup
who’s in the midfield 5/(2,3)?
Andy – The avatar is because we’re in Europe
Dave – They got along just fine by the sounds of it. Both look well
Alan Pardew and his man mamagement end of…..
Handled BA perfectly in my opinion by not giving him a regular place in the team until he proved he could do the hard graft as well as the fancy stuff. Took some bottle that but by doing so it showed every player at the club that it is one rule for all and there are no exceptions. All the players are giving their all and improving because they have total RESPECT for AP and rightly so because this guy is a class act on all fronts.
Keep it going Pard’s the expression zero to hero springs to mind.
Tiote + New CDM
HBA, Cabaye & Marv?
Premandup-Can’t see Ba ever being benched….or certainly not happy to be on the bench. Imo he’s still one of the best strikers in the Premiership….better than Drogba, Hernandez or Defoe. Too good to ever drop from this squad.
Premandup
Why do you not rate Jonas.
Premandup
to be honest if we were to play that formation I’d play
—————Tiote——Cabaye————–
—-Ben Arfa——–Ba———Marv/Guti
with Cisse up top
I see the manager is getting a roasting still on another website
Perch’s improvement has been nothing short of incredible. He has been tremendous for several months now. Definitely not a CB though to be fair to him but a find stand-in at fullback or midfield. He has definitely rescued his career. I hated to see him come on early in the season but now feel quite confident when he is subbed in. The whole team including manager and coaches deserve tremendous credit! Long may it continue.
I agree Perch has been very solid and is my vote for most improved player. Would anyone start him over Simpson for the Man City game? I sure would
TOONSY try reading a footy blog,you can buy comic books from newsagents,we have the best blog why wander into the world of half-wits
MANA its got my vote kidda
Perch has done really well and he was solid as a rock last night
Reminds me of the way players like Evans at man u can look good though – play in the right team under the right manager and you can become a decent player, reckon pards has done a fantastic job with him, a lot of it is belief and he must have loads of that now – total respect to him
Ice
Toonsy glad to hear they’re doing well
toonsy says:
May 3, 2012 at 20:33
I see the manager is getting a roasting still on another website
——————
Funny how no one ever feels the need to specify which one
Cheers for the support Ice
. I hope Obertan eventually comes good as well. I havent written him off yet and I think he has potential. He just needs a football brain and he needs to wax his head. He could distract or blind many a defender that way 
MANA nee worrys mate said something about obertan @36
Toonsy just had a squint there and they must be a wum’s because there is noway can anyone get on like that seriously.
Reasoning as follows. I think Ba is off to PSG in the summer, but if he stays he is great alongside Cisse in a front 2, but if we are playing a front 3 -1 then I think we will have more natural options for the three as I indicated above. That bench is for 4-2-3-1 only. He would not be on the bench in a 4-4-2 or a 3-2-3-2.
Just saw it Ice. But I do think hell come good with time
Also do rate Jonas he is playing as a CDM which I think suits him, Just feel that we may buy another in the summer.
Premandup I think so too but makes me wonder if this goal drought Ba is going through might discourage potential buyers? But having said that he said hell score the winner at Man City
DAVE divnt gan on there you will go blind mind
keep looking at that link on the goals on a couple of diff sites on one cisse is limping at the end
just hopeing its cramp
Got a funny feeling Norwich might just get a point out of Arsenil on saturday.
Oh how that would make me laugh. It would also put the cat among the pigeons, so to speak.
COME ON THE CANARIES
Lads take a gander at the manure forum http://www.redcafe.net/f7/papiss-cisse-351379 . lots of compliments ! reckon he will murder citeh for them
Ice @62 yeah I saw him limping too ,bit of a worry like.
Ice yeah he was limping so I hope its a bit of cramp
Prem so what makes you think Marv will be better than Jonas ? have you seen much of him playing ? I have high hopes for him but I haven’t seen enough of him to say he should replace Jonas, as I think Jonas is a very important player and a tireless worker for us.
evening CISSE lovers
and talked about “that” goal, 
even at 4pm on the gingerone and goffy’s show they had a “TOON” special, 
very interesteing indeed, praise after praise coming our way, and they even dared anyone to ring up, and say our season has been a “fluke” 
and CISSE’S goal was a fluke!! 
just off the subject for a bit — anyone been listening to TALKSPORT today??
all day, every presenter has praised us
Got to say since Mike Ahsley took over our signing success : failure ratio has been quit impressive. Even though some may have taken a while to settle, but the only ones who never really performed are Smith and Xisco, still think that if the second had a chance, he would have proven himself, but I think h’s not allowed to play due to appearance payments most likely.
Crouch called and said it was a fluke
GMAC I always find the Xisco one real strange, unless he doesn’t bother in training or something, but Pards said that he was good in training and that if he didn’t get a loan club he would work with him and give him a chance, because he was a real good lad. I don’t know why but from it came out that he was gay he just didn’t seem to get a chance, or maybe i’m just reading too much into things
I think the gay thing deffo had something to do with it.
No one wanted to play with him
I’m guessing thats why there’s not any fuss being made about paying 90% of his loan wages etc, just so he was away somewhere else.
BB I honestly believe that has something to do with it, I don’t think the management etc had any probs, but as you say maybe the players didn’t want him about.
Which in this day and age is a bit ott, but then players have a lot of power
BigDave thats true. Chelsea is a good example. But im sure theres many more gay players in the Prem and everywhere. Theyre just scared to come out
plus football has a long way still to go with its biggotry and and anti gay attitudes.
It really shouldn’t make any difference, what your sexual preferences are, so long as you are putting the graft in on the pitch and in training.
batty told me richie gets on well with him
ManassasMag I would bet my life there is atleast a few but just haven’t came out yet.
BB yeah it has a long way to go, as Ollie bernard says it has took over from race hate
BB – They’ll have to make separate changing rooms! One for the straight lads and one for the gays…as daft as it sounds I would want a homosexual getting a free look at me naked lunchbox. I’d want paid for that
where is that rat bag batty anyway
Ice Richie would get on well with him good old Richie has been known to swing both ways
Dave @70
I dunno.
I find the Xisco thing really strange as well, its never really been said that he was lazy in training by anyone and apart from that injury faking which was part of a whole circus of events there doesn’t really seem to be anything bad about him. I mean, the couple of times I’ve seen him he’s looked pretty sharp, movement and commitment wise anyway, and wasn’t he Cabaye’s best mate after Cabaye moved here? He can’t be that much of a twat if Cabaye was speaking to him over the French lads
Just seems like…the only way to actually put him in the shop window is play him here, or at least loan him to championship. He’s getting feck all coverage in Spain and he doesn’t seem to be trying there either!
Raylor has been every bit as good as Perch over the whole season.
Never seen as a good a goal as Cisse’s last night. Goal of the last 100 years. Shearer’s against Everton was a fantastic strike, but since then we’ve had Cheick’s belter against Arsenal, Benny’s recent solo effort, and Cisse’s right foot dink into the top corner. Its dreamland.
As for Crouch’s, I thought it was over-rated at the time, and nothing’s changed my opinion.
Ice did you see the claridge 5 live vid http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17941090
Evil – The human race is gradually rising above homophobia.
DAVE do you never read your e-mails i sent it to you before i put it on blog,you been sleeping again
Newkie maybe it was the old guard that had the real problem with him, as Pards did speak highly of him and stated that he felt he never got a proper chance, but at that time the loan was allready arranged, but if that didn’t work out Pards said he would work with him and give him the chance.
Ice
just checked there 
No need to look for hidden agendas where Xisco is concerned, he didn’t get a chance because he’s sh!t.
DAVE i bet you missed the link i put up about fat freddy saying toon will not hang on to cisse in summer,the dick,here it is for you
http://www.footylatest.com/newcastle-warned-it-will-be-impossible-to-keep-a-hold-of-cisse/28053
ffs cant stand the fact that someone had to clean his mess and wins without spending a fortune
Dave-Aye could be, Nolan is a right prick after all and it would likely have been his place Xisco would have taken (when we were playing 4-4-1-1 or whatever)
RICHIE for the little ive seen of him i agree,and hes pulling nee grass in spain
Back on topic i think perch is like the player i use as my user name never stops trying,never hides,always gives his all so his mistakes are more easily noticed.When we first signed him i thought we can develop him after he bossed Jonas for about 80 mins then he lost form welcome back Perchino.
Ice…half the season injured, the other half he’s shit and that’s playing at a lower level, he really is rank like.
RICHIE did wise not say he signed him because we would get pick of top talent from spain,he didnt say he was any good like
Ice…I think that was a deal for “Nacho” Gonzalez with some dodgey South American agent who said we’d get all the up and coming talent
RICHIE aye your reet now i think about it,wheres that blonker noo?
Ice….think I read he ended up in Holland or Belgium.
Anyhoo that’s me a way, need me kip cos I’m gonna be kicking off wi people tomorrow…will let ya know the outcome Ice
reet lads thats me outta here im fuked so catch you’s sometime tomorrow
Richie-You didn’t understand the heart of the article! Look at how shit everyone thought Perch was! Even forest fans laughed about us buying him. Now he’s a quality PL player whilst the Forest side almost got relegated. Maybe Xisco could be the same eh….
not likely mind
thats me too,ok richie
One from the archives, loved the look of SJP back in the day. Beardsley, Keegan and Waddle… Benny, Cisse and Ba?? haha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0e7xBKu3m0&feature=related
Simpson has been going back over for a while now either through injury or his contract situation, he looks well off the pace and his heart doesnt seem to be in it, and what a contrast Perch has been, energy, determination, effort, solid tackles, good positioning and decent distribution, a refreshing change.
Loyalty to players only stretches so far and i keep hearing about Simpsons goal line clearances, fair enough but there is more required than that at this level and Perch, on his showing on Wednesday, can give us that.
Newkie….I did understand the heart of the article, I stuck up for Perch when he was getting stick(not saying I haven’t had the odd joke or two at his expense mind
) and I used to work with a Forest fan who’s opinion I rated more than a few bitter feckers on a Forest forum who said he was a decent player and would do a job for us(looks like he was right), but I reckon I’ve probably seen more of Xisco than most on here and playing in his own country, and when he isn’t injured, feigning one or a real one then he really is average at best(at the lower level), he would not have and will never make a premier league footballer…can I put FACT!! at the end of this? 
Hey Rich, you wet the bed this morning
I agree on the xisco debate… if he were good enough he would be playing…
Aussie…..it helps that it’s an hour later here than UK
Great vid Toonshire, How I miss those days, herded around like cattle, fenced in, treat like scum, bottles and other objects flying in from all directions…happy days
great video, couldn’t stop smiling watching Beardsley tear it up when he first arrived… fantastic player… worthy of your avatar Rich..
Avatar?
Looks just like Rich when he had hair
Toonsy
I didn’t know that….That’s some chin you have got there Rich!
People hide under it for shelter it’s that huge
I bet he goes to fancy dress parties dressed up as Roger Ramjet
I might be a bit biased here but how can any one call Rooney’s over head goal the best ever in the PL… The ball came off his fecking shin….
Cisse’s leaves it for dead..
We didnt miss simmo one jot when perch came in he was superb.
Ive never been simmos fan but he has done fairly well but I wouldnt be suprised if we bought in Debucy from lille to shore up that side.
Perch like raylor did IMO deserves a contract boost he has been such an unsung hero its unreal i was never a fan but know think the lad is great
Aye still got the birds, just ask Cath Secker….allegedly
Toonsy….ya ever gonna manage to change that avatar?
I think what he may have done is put the final nail in Simpsons coffin.
Cant see fat mick having Raylor, Santon, Perch and Pieters (when it happens) on long contracts and then giving another to Simpson, I thought one full back would leave this summer (expecting perch) and i still think it will happen but i starting to reckon wee dannys for the off now.
Perch was outstanding wednesday as he has been since the turn of the year since the lads went the acon wherever and whenever he has been used…
RIchie….Fair enough then mate
Have to say I’ve never really watched him in Spain.
Although my house mate is actually a Forest fan and he thought Perch was shit and laughed about it….but at the same time he still argues Forest are a bigger club than us so perhaps he’s a little bitter
Newkie….tbf my mate wasn’t sure how he’d do in the Prem but was sure he’d be steady enough when called on. Considering how poor a lot of Forest fans reckon he was, they seemed to have stuck with him for a long while.
Ref Xisco, I’d give Pards the benefit of the doubt that he couldn’t have stopped the first loan spell, but he certainly didn’t have to release him for the second. He looks ok in glimpses but really poor generally and looks to have a shitty attitude, being as he’s at the club where he started off and that they’re going for promotion you’d think he’d be showing more….if he had more to show
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