From the moment I stepped off the train and into the 1970’s, to the rather tangy tasting beer, the dodgy bus ride to the ground (the top deck is not as enjoyable as it was when I was a teenager), the result, the performance and even Jay Jay’s third nipple, it all combined to make yesterday a rather forgettable affair.
Still there was at least some comfort for the suffering Toon Army, and that was the emergence of Shane Ferguson who was just about the best player in black and white shirt yesterday after his introduction half way through the first half.
Now this isn’t going to be one of those articles where I’m going to build the young lads up and laud their presence in the first team as a shining beacon of success. Put simply that’s putting unnecessary pressure on the lad and is completely uncalled for at this juncture.
However, what I will say is that Ferguson was a breath of fresh air yesterday. His willingness to run and take on a man was something that was refreshing to see, and he showed us some glimpses of skill when he skinned that Stoke player before nutmegging the next one and dragging the ball past another before seeing his shot saved. That, quite rightly, got an ovation from the travelling Toon Army.
I look at Shane Ferguson and think he is very lightwieght and that he needs to add some muscle on his frame. I’m not saying he should be built like a bodybuilder like myself 😉 but I do think that he needs something. But then I also wonder about the fact that if he does bulk up it will mean that he will more than likely lose a bit of speed, which is one of his assets to be fair.
It seems likely that Ferguson is going to see a bit more action in the first team in these final few games of the season now that Alan Pardew was forced into playing him yesterday. If Jose Enrique has aggravated his hamstring injury then we could easily see Ferguson starting at left-back for a few games for us, and after yesterday I’d have to say that it wouldn’t bother me too much if young Fergie was to get the nod.
So in conclusion, Shane Ferguson was one of the bright spots from the Stoke game and really took the chance that was given to him. If Jose is going to be fit then Jose will obviously play, but I’m less worried about a back up for the Spaniard now as I know that Ferguson can come in and do a job. The fact that he can do a job in a number of positions is an added bonus.
What did you think of Fergie yesterday?
Did any one see Forster’s world class mega save today in the CIS cup final?
Stunning – I’ll have it on YouTube in a half hour or so.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Its just my initials mate im not a DJ. What does the ‘big’ stand for? 🙂
DJG(Quote)
DJ = **** jockey 😉 😆
richietoon(Quote)
So where did the Paul come from 😕
Big Dave(Quote)
Richie 😆 😆 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Did Celtic lose today?
toonsy(Quote)
Its worky’s name. 😉
FJ get a link up mate I watched a Celtic game for a bit but it was utter poo so I turned over after about 10mins. 😆 Forster never touched the ball.
DJG(Quote)
2-1 after extra time. Forster made some good saves but the one I am uploading to YouTube matches the one he made at St Johnstone earlier this season, unfortunately I didn’t get to record it to put online.
He is certainly a shot stopper.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Toonsy yes 2-1 to Rangers. First time they’ve beaten them in ages.
DJG(Quote)
Excellent 🙂
Rangers save it for when it really matters 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
Toonsy @ 81 yeah mate the Teddy Bears won
Big Dave(Quote)
toonsy I think you’ll find winning the league is what matters. 😉
DJG(Quote)
DJG are you a celtic fan ❓
Big Dave(Quote)
Why pro-Rangers Toonsy?
funkyjesus(Quote)
Not really. I just want Forster to do well.
DJG(Quote)
DJG – Have Celtic won the league this season then? If Rangers win their game in hand they’ll be above Celtic anyway. Besides, there was a cup on offer today and Rangers came out on top when the cup was up for grabs 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
Big Dave im more anti-Rangers than pro-Celtic tbh.
DJG(Quote)
Why do you like Rangers toonsy!??!??
DJG(Quote)
DJG just wondered as I have no real interest in the SPL
Big Dave(Quote)
FJ – Not pro-Rangers, more anti-Celtic. Can’t stand them. Can’t stand either of them really due to the whole bigotry and religion in football thing but of the two I prefer Rangers.
toonsy(Quote)
DJG @ 92 why mate ❓
Big Dave(Quote)
toonsy, there is still another Old Firm game in the league. That’s the match that should decide the league. If Celtic win that, then the Rangers game in hand is useless.
The league in Scotland really comes down to the four Old Firm games. As a Celtic fan, even I want someone like Hearts or Dundee Utd to come up and shock us all. That alone might make the league a bit better and maybe attract decent players to teams other than Celtic. Eremenko at Kilmarnock has pushed them on dramatically on his own at times.
More like that will help.
funkyjesus(Quote)
cos he has a thing about hoops 😉
richietoon(Quote)
DJG – I’m anti-Celtic as I don’t like it when fans (a proportion I know, not all) sing about blowing up British soldiers an what not. To me that isn’t being a football fan – it’s being a kunt.
toonsy(Quote)
I find it funny when people single out Celtic yet seem to ignore The Famine Song and countless other racist and sectarian songs Rangers sing. Because Rangers align with England, there aspect seems to fly by unnoticed while Celtic are some sort of heathen scum because they aren’t fond of the royals.
funkyjesus(Quote)
its hard when you hate both teams ie scum/l/pool,what de ye de 👿
icedog(Quote)
Just don’t like them. Don’t like Mcoist don’t like that guy who always scores against us Miller. Don’t like glasgow it’s a dump. Im going to Edinburgh next month.
DJG(Quote)
Toonsy I know how you feel most of my fam are all Gers fans but to me over here it is just a way of expressing your religion much like our own league 🙁 but maybe someday we will get passed that *****
Big Dave(Quote)
DJG- Miller doesn’t play for Rangers so that is irrelevant 😛
Jobey07(Quote)
I agree Big Dave. Celtic and Rangers are no more different than any other inner-city rivals. We’ve just been taken over by stupidity and religious guff and it tarnishes everyone associated and Scotland as a whole. Why can’t people just get along?
Video is coming in a minute…
funkyjesus(Quote)
DJG > don’t like that guy who always scores against us Miller
???? 😕
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave – It’s especially pertinent when you have family who have been killed in service by the IRA, and also another who lost a limb when blown up by an IRA bomb.
You’ll excuse me for not being too fond of Celtic as they align themselves with those kunts. I remember my Dad telling me when he was serving in Ireland how he had to pick up the pieces of his best mate after he got blown up by a planted bomb trap. Nasty shyte man.
toonsy(Quote)
FJ what age are you ❓
Big Dave(Quote)
I am 25. I was born and bred in Glasgow, I know exactly what the sectarian trouble is all about.
Toonsy, you are spot on – about a section. That section are the ones who constantly rant about the Irish heritage of Celtic. 95% of Celtic fans look at it as their team in Glasgow and Scottish. They are a Scottish team, but sections try to take over. The same as Rangers with their goons who send Neil Lennon bullets in the post.
They aren’t angels but I can accept they aren’t even Rangers fans at the end of the day, they’re just scum looking for an avenue to vent.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Toonsy > my Dad telling me when he was serving in Ireland
I have to pull you up on that bit he must have served in Northern Ireland ❓
I do know what you mean as I have lost countless Family and friends into double figures, and they even tried twice to get me but thankfully im still here
Big Dave(Quote)
Onto more positive and happy things – our epic future keeper Fraser Forster!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n2chKviCVQ&hd=1
funkyjesus(Quote)
Dave – Yeah mate, N.I.
The feckers nearly got me and my Dad at Bishopsgate when they blew that up. He used to be on the lorries and was delivering to a building site when we got told clear the area then BOOM.
toonsy(Quote)
FJ I was just interested as I noticed that most of my friends and myself were all into the Rangers and Celtic ***** untill they hit there late 20s then couldn’t be bothered with it anymore 😉
FJ I am not excusing what they have done on Neil Lennon but I can assure you that he didn’t help himself in stoking the fire’s of hatred
Big Dave(Quote)
I don’t think spitting on a Rangers scarf and calling them out on their side of the bigotry justifies death threats, bullets in the post and a bomb scare at his family home in the past 2 weeks.
Anyway, I posted the link to Forster’s save above. What you guys think?
funkyjesus(Quote)
The save wasn’t that great. If anything the deflection helped him and took the ball closer to him. Good reactions, and good strength in his hands, but not world class.
toonsy(Quote)
He’s massive. He’s going the wrong way and he still gets a hand to it. Will be able to reach further than Harper no doubt. FJ whats his kicking like, better than Krul?
DJG(Quote)
Toonsy how can you say that wasn’t a good save 😯 It takes a delection and takes it the other direction, if he wasn’t about 6ft 7 he wouldn’t have been able to reach it.
DJG(Quote)
ok, I hyped it a bit but still, not too shabby.
His kicking is his weak point. In the first Old Firm game this season, he kicked directly to a Rangers player who passed it and they scored. He has done a few other guff kicks too but to be fair, I’ve seen about 5 dodgy ones in countless games.
He seems a safe back up at the very least – depending on how we go about our transfers this summer. He may well want to go if Pardew favours Krul.
funkyjesus(Quote)
DJG he didnt say it wasnt a “good” save mate,he said it wasnt world class,thats all
icedog(Quote)
If Van Der Sar or Cech made that save, you wouldn’t hear the end of it though.
funkyjesus(Quote)
He said he wants to play games, from what he’s been saying I don’t think back up will do him. He has had two full seasons and I think he should be our number one next season.
Hell of a save that FJ, if someone like Reina or VDS did that people would be banging on about it.
AndrewNUFC(Quote)
Thank you Icedog. At least you can read 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
fj exactly anytime it takes a deflection like that usually the keeper is beaten in my book.
I hope we don’t lose him in the summer, tbh Harpers kicking (usually) is his strong point and both Krul and Forster weak points but they will improve with experience no doubt.
DJG(Quote)
FJ @ 114 im not talking about that im talking about him attending IRA Rallies and hunger strikers commemerations in his Hometown of Lurgan just before and after he stopped playing for NI mate.
As for Forster he is a big old unit and I think he is the making of a top class Goalie, I just cant believe that he was overlooked for the England under 21’s
Big Dave(Quote)
DLJ Harpers kicking is his weakest point.
AndrewNUFC(Quote)
Yeah, that’s retarded and just asking for trouble Big Dave. Won’t even defend that.
Anyway, let’s talk about goalies and Shane-o-mac. His little shimmy in the corner yesterday was brilliant. I love how the commentator on MOTD seemed in shock at this tiny little man as he clearly had never heard of him before.
The surprise factor of him may well get us points this season if we use him at the right times.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Lads I really cant see the Big Fella wanting to comeback here to be No2, and you cant really blame him because unlike outfield players there is a chance that he could go near the whole season without much chance of getting a game 🙁
Big Dave(Quote)
Harper has always been a good kicker, when Given used to kick it, the ball would end up anywhere. Given was a better shot stopper though and all round keeper.
DJG(Quote)
Harpers kicking is shyte, always annoys me, takes the p1ss when it gets passed back to him before he gets rid
Jobey07(Quote)
Dinna like DLJ, this season it’s been very poor. Harpers a very goos shot stopper, but Given is probably still the best in the league for me. It serves him right that he isnt getting games for City – he should never have jumped ship when he probably would have kept us up if he stayed.
AndrewNUFC(Quote)
Aye but he can pick out a striker, I agree with you though, being ‘cool’ is one thing but Harper is too laid back at times, he buggers about with it when he should just get rid. Our defenders do aswell.
DJG(Quote)
Harpers kicking has always been ****, as was Given’s.
richietoon(Quote)
He buggers about with it because he can’t kick, he always needs to take a touch.
richietoon(Quote)
to be fair a guy 6ft 4in with arms like 6ft long i would expect him to put that over,but maybe i expect too much 😀
icedog(Quote)
i agree with rich
batty(Quote)
I still feel safer with Harper than I did with Krul, but he has to learn from that performance yesterday, as not long after he fuked up with the 2nd he rolled the ball out without even realising Jones was behind him so he was lucky he didn’t cost us another
Big Dave(Quote)
RICHIE your reet shay was poor on that front
icedog(Quote)
Good evening Mr Batts 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
To be fair Harper motioned to the defender to get rid of it and that he didn’t want it back, but even if his lace was undone could he not use his other foot. I think part of the problem was that the players were under instruction not to kick it out where Delap could throw it into the box. We should have just gone there to play them at our own game IMO. We changed the gameplan too much just to suit them and it played into their hands.
DJG(Quote)
alreet dave 😉
batty(Quote)
the rags are saying guthrie is being offered a new contract 😯
icedog(Quote)
Aye a heard that ice. He’s shi*te, we would be mad to give him a new deal.
AndrewNUFC(Quote)
He was good last season but this season he’s done nowt. It’s almost like the step up is too much for him. He played in the prem before for Bolton and us. 😐
DJG(Quote)
ANDREW they are saying its cover for joey mate ❗
icedog(Quote)
He is just like Routledge, class in the Champ but not good enough to cut it in the Prem.
AndrewNUFC(Quote)
Hmm to be honest I wouldnt mind him just for cover.
AndrewNUFC(Quote)
I think he’s good enough in central midfield but not as a winger, he might get a chance now that Tiote and Smith are out.
DJG(Quote)
Lads I think Rout had a lot more chances to prove he had what is needed in the position he prefered, TBF I dont think Guthrie has had a proper chance.
But saying that I just dont see where he is going to be fitted in 😕
Big Dave(Quote)
He probably will play against Wolves come to think of it. Who else have we got, we need Joey on the right, Tiote is out, Gosling and Smith injured. Ireland may be back but he’s an attacker. Nolan and Guthrie will probably have to play in CM.
DJG(Quote)
It was harsh on Guthrie when he got played out wide because he just is not a winger, he should never be played on the wing, he drifts in all the time and never helps the right back out.
AndrewNUFC(Quote)