Will Vuckic make the grade?

toonsy

Can Haris cut the mustard?
I’ve read a couple of pieces in the Sunday Sun today about our young Slovenian talent Haris Vuckic.

Now to steal a headline from a former colleague of mine (cheers Bowburn 😉 ), you could be forgiven for asking who the Vuckic Haris? It’s an understandable question really as the highly-rated 18-year-old has dropped off the radar a bit due to a persistent knee injury.

However, injury problems behind him, Haris is looking to make an impact next season. Perhaps now we can finally see why the likes of AC Milan and Manchester United have expressed an interest in the lad.

For me Vuckic has been inconsistent. Now that isn’t meant as a criticism at all as all young players go through it, but I’ve seen him go from anonymous against Accrington Stanley to class against Chelsea. The more games he plays the more chance he will be able to replicate that Chelsea performance.

He’s a big lad is Haris and stands at 6ft 3in already, and he still has time to grow! His preferred position is in the hole behind the strikers where he can pick a pass or create a chance. Perhaps there is an opportunity for him to learn his trade off Hatem Ben Arfa and Kevin Nolan? The style of Ben Arfa with the attacking threat of Nolan? That’ll do for me.

The title of this article is perhaps a bit harsh as it’s unfair to single out Vuckic and question whether or not he will make it. Put simply, he needs a chance to show us whether or not he can make the grade, as do the rest of our youth players.

It’s all well and good bringing through our own talent, but if they aren’t going to play then ultimately there is no real point in spending time and money on a youth academy or youth players. I realise that it’s early days in terms of our focus on youth, but as yet I’ve seen very little coming through from it.

Certain young players are clearly good enough from a very early age, but they only come along once in a while. Others have to work at their game and make do with chances when they come along. Even Alan Shearer was introduced slowly at Southampton, despite him scoring a hat-trick on his debut.

Part of the problem is that we are never really in a position to play any youth players unless it’s absolutely necessary or unless it’s a cup game. Given our history of early exits from cup competitions it’s hardly surprising that the young’uns don’t get much of a chance, and when they do, like they did against Arsenal, the manager will end up getting criticised for not fielding his strongest team.

Something has to give. It can’t work both ways.

So will Haris Vuckic make the grade? Who knows? Perhaps the most appropriate question should be will Haris Vuckic get the chance to make grade?

And that goes for the manager AND the fans!

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.

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187 thoughts on “Will Vuckic make the grade?”

  1. toonsy toonsy toonsy , is that defo a yes 4 you doing the jackie milburn thread on wednesday buddy?

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  2. Army – I’ll give it a go. Can’t promise that I’ll do him justice, but I will try 🙂

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  5. Reckon Vuckic should be loaned out if possible next season as we have enough strength in depth for his position as to make it unlikely if impossible he’ll even get a game bar cup matches. He was good at Chelsea, but not amazing and its not enough to judge him on, maybe he could go to Brighton alongside Kaz, they might develop some personal understanding as well as some good first team experience?

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  6. His preferred position is a classic no 10, which is where HBA is going to be played. Keep him as HBA’s understudy & stand-in, we don’t have anybody else there.

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  7. Last seen him against Arsenal in the carling cup defeat and thought he was class. Definitely want him in the match day squad next season. Wouldn’t be a certain starter.

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  8. Well he has the chance to learn from Ben Arfa every day, not many young players can say that can they? If teams like AC Milan etc were offering him trials he has ability.

    Next season we should either use him or loan him out so he can play week in week out – I bet half the Championship would be ringing Pardew asking about him.

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  9. I think he’ll be alright as his attitude seems to be top class. Only worry I have is that he’s been injured pretty much since he got here. 😕

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  10. He has a great chance to make it imo.

    With him being a midfielder, people aren’t going to get on his back as much as they do with Ranger because regardless of Rangers age, if he doesn’t score people will criticize, Vuckic being a midfielder doesn’t have to score to have a good game so therefore less pressure from the start.

    I’d loan Vuckic and Ranger to either Doncaster or Huddlesfield, if they come up…

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  11. Dan I dont think he will escape the criticism it seems to be a common thing with the younguns getting slagged Ranger, Vukic, Lua Lua etc

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  13. What annoyes me is when people say we never give the youngsters a chance, then when they do play and they might not peform well they say there not good enough and won’t make it.

    We need to give players like Vuckic time.

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  15. Dave, yeah people do like to knock the younger players for the smallest things at times 😕

    I really like Lualua and think he could have a bigger role to play for us next season then people think.

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  20. Premandup-We have HBA and Nolan for that role, and if we get a pacey striker we’d switch to two up front with Bambi rather than using Vuckic

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  22. Good points newkie. After hopefully a good transfer window I don’t see vuckic standing a chance of playing next season. He definitely needs to be loaned out next season

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  24. Vuckic, Fergie, Tavernier and Kadar have all impressed me at time. Never seen Airey but he sounds like another one.

    We need to find some time for these lads

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  28. Poor Old Chelsea…….Oh well,worse things happen at sea……Ask Bin Laden 😆

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  32. I was shocked when I walked in and saw my sons head between my wife’s legs…

    Luckily I didn’t miss the whole birth 😆

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  33. Cheer me up people 😉
    ———————-

    Xisco deal with Deportivo made permanent, RTaylor sold to MK Dons, Alan Smith announced his retirement, and Messi demanded that he be sold to the Toon, but only on the condition that Xavi be allowed to come along.

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  34. MDS 😆

    I was woken at 4am by my brother in law saying he was in trouble and he’d done summit stupid.
    Then I couldn’t get hold of him so rang every police station within 50 miles looking for him.
    I then found said brother in law smashed out of his face on meow meow so took him back to my house to straighten him up. He’s still asleep.
    I’ve had no power for half the day. The weather is **** and the dog is pissing me off.
    I’ve just had to iron ten shirts and four pairs of trousers.
    I’ve had two children round here today being a pain in the ****. One of them is autistic and is currently banging his head off the sofa and the other one is ginger. I don’t know which one is worse.
    I’ve had fook all to eat.
    I’m knackered and I’m trying to get ahead with article for tomorrow but it just aint clicking.

    Utter bollocks!

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  36. Toonsy, tad harsh on the children there.

    After all, he can’t help being ginger, serious disease tbh.

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  44. Possible…I’d guess they’ll try and figure out where to put Torres and mess around with formations, so we might have some luck? Or they’ll somehow find a formation that clicks and slaughter us 6-0 😆 Not expecting anything, but we could grab a result if Tiote is playing, only problem is if he is he’ll definitely be picking up a yellow…and may impress Chelsea?

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  45. Im sick of these bloody dindippers saying we’ll lucky to get £8M for a player who isn’t an international, and Paul Konchesky would be a good Newcastle player. FOOK OFF MAN ARRGH!!! 👿

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  46. At least now Chelsea effectively have nothing to play for. They will still play well, but not as well as they would have if they’d won today. Plus Chelsea are now old kernts with ageing legs at the end. 🙂

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  48. Owlheed can shutup aswell, the Liverpool press are running with his little outburst now. What a ****, how the hell is he our MD. Gan and support Liverpool ********.

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  50. All Owlheed is doing is alienating himself from a large section of the fans. He’s so thick he cannot even come out with PR that would please the fans. When the fans gave Owen stick did he come out and support Owen? He didn’t care. With his comments he has shown how clueless he is with the support and that we should all be happy that Mike got so much money. Ashley get rid of this man he is a big part of the rift between the fans and the management.

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  56. Haven’t been commenting much lately. Work alterations have left me pretty short of time.

    However, would just like to say that it’s nice to have a squad that, for all of their shortcomings, always works their socks off for the cause. How long has it been since we have had that?

    We can all watch the last two games relaxed and knowing we will once again be on the big stage next season. Just hope we make the right moves in the summer. I don’t buy this “one or two” signings stuff from Pardew. I think we will make a lot of changes (No less than 4 new first team players).

    Expect a tough summer, with the likes of Spurs and Liverpool sniffing around, trying to pick off our best players since they can’t compete with the top four for players.

    Enrique is as good as gone me thinks and we should be trying to create a bidding war for him. Barton and Colo will stay. So really it’s just a case of holding on to Tiote. It will be tough as not just Spurs, but Chelsea too will definitely be after him. It’s amazing how far Essien has declined since his injury, and Mikel, well, he never was a DM. A 20mill price tag needs sticking on the Ivorian’s head.

    I expect Lovenkrands, Smith, Guthrie, R.Taylor and maybe even Jonas(After Enrique leaves) to be moved on and replaced. I also get the feeling Krul may be sold with Forster being brought back as no.1.

    Whatever happens, it certainly won’t be a dull summer for us. We will no doubt have our transfer excitements and disappointments. Hopefully whatever we end up with come September will be enough to see us through to a top 10 finish.

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  58. Get rid of Lovenkrands and we need to buy two strikers who use movement and pace.

    Lovenkrands needs to be kept for back up. He has one year on his contract and we’d only get about 500k to £1m for him anyway, so we may aswell run his contract out for a second time and have him as a body.

    We really can’t afford to lose anyone since we don’t have enough as it is and we aren’t gonna be getting about 10 guys or something in.

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  61. El Toro >However, would just like to say that it’s nice to have a squad that, for all of their shortcomings, always works their socks off for the cause. How long has it been since we have had that?

    I dont like to be negative but I have seen a few games were they havn’t worked their socks off 😕
    I think we will struggle to get shot off Smith and I would add Xisco.
    I dont think Jonas will go and im not 100% that Jose will go as he might decide to stay for his final yr 😉

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  62. El Toro….I wouldn’t take much notice of the “2 or 3” players anyway, I often go out for “2 or 3” pints…never quite works out like that though 😉 😆

    and I agree with Dave 😉

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  63. Jobey – Aye, cracking 🙄 😆

    It’s got worse as I’ve just had a shave and whipped my sideburn off and have had to shave the other off to compensate. I look like Mr Spock 👿

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  65. I would do, but I’ll probably get shot by lighting or have an aeroplane fall on head whilst I’m walking upstairs 👿

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  67. toonsy….sideburns are all “70’s anyway mate…don’t worry… 😳 😳

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  69. Harris Vukic is going to be a beast, he’s 6′-3″ and 90Kg and he’s still in his sprogdom…plus he can play a bit. He is going to be immense for the toon…

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  73. MM,

    The amount of sangria you out away, probably best you don’t have stairs 😉 😀

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