Truth being told, Pardew was probably correct in his assumption. Routledge struggled to get the grips with the Premier League for us, and it wasn’t the first time that he has been less than impressive in the Premier League after failed spells at Tottenham, Aston Villa, Fulham and Portsmouth. In fact his only real success in the Premier League came at Crystal Palace where he registered eight assists in one season. No goals though…
However, Routledge has found himself in amongst the goals again now that he has dropped back down to The Championship and has hit the back of the net an impressive four times in 13 appearances since his return to Loftus Road. Much as he was for us, it appears that Routledge is helping to push QPR over the finishing line and into the Premier League.
If I was them however, I’d be looking for a replacement as soon as promotion is assured as the lad is just not cut out for Premier League football. I mean he has had enough chances now and even said at the start of the season that his chance to play in the Premier League at Newcastle was make or break and would probably be his last chance to prove himself in the top league.
It’s a strange one really. On one hand you would expect a player with so much pace to be a right pain in the backside for the opposition, but he isn’t and far too often he is anonymous in games at this level. Put him down a level and, as evidenced by his performances for us last season and now QPR this season, he is exceptional. Is he part of the Chopra club?
The Chopra club is a special club that features players who are exceptional in The Championship but poor at Premier League level. Michael Chopra (remember when he was going to be the next Shearer?) is probably the most obvious example, but Wayne Routledge is rapidly catching him up.
So having said about how Routledge isn’t cut out for Premier League football, would I have him back at Newcastle? Yes, but let me explain…
I just never saw the wisdom in letting him leave, especially when we already have a squad that is thin. At the end of the day Routledge would have offered another body for us to use and surely would have been better than playing Danny Simpson out on the right as we were forced to do not so long back. He isn’t on massive wages either so there is little financial incentive to move him on.
So, to answer the title, Routledge is showing us what we are missing, if we were in The Championship, and there is a case for him still being on Tyneside given the lack of depth within the squad whilst not being good enough for Newcastle in the long term.
I think that makes sense. 😉
Yeah, he’s good in the Championship, and he’d be good in the A-league … as long as he doesn’t play for Brisbane, where the passing would have him discombobulated.
You’ve no idea how hard it was to type discombobulated. Might look it up now to see what it actually means.
Brisvegas(Quote)
Pissed off that basketball is on instead of the Asian Champions League. What do I pay my subscription for? They promised Live football!!!
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You’re in Spain, Richie, doesn’t everything happen mañana?
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Bris….It is now as the cleaning stuff I have isn’t shifting the years of Alicante dust 🙁 so some gaspacho followed by a beer is the revised plan 😀
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Moreno
I agree with you re Routeledge, don’ t think he and the likes of Guthrie ever had the confidence to perform their best because it didn’t take much for the fans and manager to get on their back!
Remember people slating Coloccini – expensive flop, useless, slow, weak, behind the game… why??? because his confidence was rock bottom… and now… some fans are very fickle.
JJ(Quote)