I’ve no doubt there will be more to follow aswell as everyone gets round to having their say, and with little football on the horizon it’s sure to dominate the ‘blogs and discussion boards for a good few days yet.
However I thought I’d try something different and look at some football issues instead as I’ve had my say in a couple of article about it. What I’m going to look at is our summer signings and how they’ve done now that we’re nigh on a third of the way through the season.
Yohan Cabaye has started off fairly well at Newcastle. He’s grabbed two goals and three assists and has started every league game this season. He’s struck up a great understanding with Cheik Tiote and has shown that he is not afraid of the physical side of the Premier League.
The best thing is that there is more to come from the former Lille man. He himself admits that he is still acclimatising to life in the Premier League and has never previously played in the orthodox 4-4-2 system that we’ve used for most of the season. The downside is that his performances are already attracting the interest of some of the leagues bigger sides, like Manchester United, if you believe what the gossip columns have to say.
While Cabaye is supposedly being watched by Manchester United, a former Red Devil is starting to show his worth at NUFC. Gabriel Obertan is a funny one, and I’m not just talking about his odd shaped head!
He’s been the target of some abuse from our own fans (best in the land) who have cited his lack of end product as a cause for concern. One idiot even said that they “never want to see him in a Newcastle shirt ever again” on this very ‘blog, which is a tad harsh when that comment came less than ten games into his stint at a new club.
It goes back to what I’m saying about some of our fans. They can be a bit simple and don’t realise that a player can contribute without setting up 20 chances a game or scoring a hat-trick. For those who fit that bill I suggest you actually look at Obertan’s contribution to the team. His pace is a deadly weapon which gives us an outlet ala Stoke, and his propensity to sit on the wing combined with it draws opposition players towards him which frees up space for others. This is not to mention that he can fire in a cross on occasion and has two assists to his name this season.
Perhaps the most headline grabbing summer acquisition has been Demba Ba. His eight goals, including two hat-tricks, after a slow start has been the stuff of dreams for headline writers. I said all summer that Ba would be a good acquisition for us. All you need to do is look at the form book and you can see that Demba is raising the Ba.
You can have that one…
It’s not just his goal contribution that should be given credit though. His all round play deserves special mention too. He works tirelessly defending from the front which helps the whole team out. He is also striking up a decent partnership with Leon Best which has yielded 11 goals from 11 Premier League games so far.
Sylvain Marveaux is a hard one to judge as he has hardly played for us in part due to the form of the team and in part down to a long injury lay off last season which meant that he had to work on his fitness before featuring for the first team.
However in the few times we’ve seen him he has displayed quality. He looks comfortable on the ball, has a turn of pace and has a bit of skill. He looks very exciting, it’s just a shame we haven’t seen more of him.
Another summer signing that we haven’t seen an awful lot of is Mehdi Abeid. The Algerian U21 international has mainly featured for the reserves and has a knack of scoring spectacular goals. There are no Nolan-esque tap-ins with this lad.
However when he has appeared in the first team he has done rather well and has proved to be another one of the better players for the future along with the likes of Haris Vuckic. Abeid has done so well that he is being primed for the “Tiote” role when the Ivory Coast international heads off for the African Cup of Nations in the new year.
Davide Santon is still an unknown to us at the moment. He suffered an injury just after he joined and has not long been back from it. In his brief appearance against Spurs he did well enough without pulling up any trees, but it would be foolish to judge him purely on that ten or so minutes.
One thing is for sure, and that is that the lad has potential and should he fulfil he will become a real asset to the club going forward. I’m sorry, but you don’t get fizzed over by so many of the most widely respected names in the game if you haven’t got something about you as a a player.
In short I don’t think we can be disappointed with any of our summer acquisitions. In way or another they’ve all contributed whether it be in the Premier League, League Cup or in a pre-season friendly and I don’t think we could have expected more from the six who joined us in the summer.
I know the renaming of St James’ Park will dominate things for a while yet, but if you fancy a change then this should be right up your street. Oh and one final thought…
You know the best thing? There is more to come from all of them of these signings!
My main worry, and probably most peoples was how long it would take the new lads to gel. That was also why I was worried when Barton left as we would have needed the likes of him if the new lads struggled to settle quickly, as it happens I was worrying over nowt, they’ve all settled quickly and Nolan, Barton etc havn’t been missed at all, I’d still prefer to have Jose here but Raylor’s doing a fine job with alot of help from Jonas and the spirit in the team is outstanding. Long may it continue……I never want to see him in a Toon shirt again, Ashley that is 😉
richietoon(Quote)
I think Obertan is the missing link… 😆
witters(Quote)
Bad news for Team England… 🙁 🙁
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/11/11/11/SOCCER_England_Lampard_Nightlead.html&BID=165
Munich Mag(Quote)
The new guys we have seen most of have been excellent. Cabbaye and Ba have improved the team big time in comparison to Nolan and Lovennkrands, Shola, Ranger who they have replaced. I was and still am a fan of Barton and thought we would miss him most, The truth is we have not missed him as I much as I feared and Obertan deserves praise. Stating the obvious the lad is a not a typical british winger but has been taught that posession is the most important thing is football and doesn’t take risks enough when faced with beating the final man.
We have a problem with delivery from right and left but sometimes it may not be the wide men’s fault, there sometimes is only two possibly one to pick out as against four defenders.
Looking forward to seeing Santon in the future but he may have to wait on one of full backs picking up an injury or suspension
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
RICHIETOON Jose has not really showed the form for the bindippers that he did here and Raylor is starting to look like a proper fullback . The reason for that is as you say , Jonas . He helps his full back so much he makes them better than they really are . Jose is no real miss for me , half way through last season it was obvious he wanted out , so i say good ridance on that one . Here is a question though , why is it that these days our ex players that move too the scouse slums never look the players they did here , like that lanky , long haired tw@t that we flogged for 35 m ?
Axel(Quote)
Expect a bid for jonas from dogleash soon then. Didn’t he want Jose AND jonas anyway?
The boys have done well, cabaye and ba especially. Santoon hasn’t had a chance yet.
Sorry to divert but didn’t know northern rock had ended it’s deal with us.
Raffo(Quote)
Axel….Jose’s looked one of their better players when I’ve watched Liverpool……that said I havn’t watched them loads, plus I’d look canny if I was playing for them 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Raffo,finishes at the end of this season I think.
richietoon(Quote)
On the strips issue for next season and me with my Gok Wan hat on i am happy with the design of home strip this season. Do you other fashionitas think it will be the same design
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
Toby…..I think it’ll be different, the Puma contract was due to finish at the end of the season so I’m guessing they’ve already renewed it and Ashley will be aware that if the design is the same but with a different sponsor on(SD?) then not many will buy it.
richietoon(Quote)
Toby le Rhone…maybe we may have to wait until next season to see the real Santon. The bloke obviously needs a bit time to get the feel for the Prem…
Munich Mag(Quote)
the new boys have done real well and seem to have settled in quickly.
I too worried about the team spirit but that doesn’t concern me anymore, actually the spirit seems better than it was and the players seem to be more comfortable.
One of the things I did worry about with Joey was that if things weren’t going too well for a player he tended to have a go at them to get them to up their game, but he would sometimes go overboard and the result being it made the player worse.
So all in all up to are last game I haven’t felt so good for the team in yrs.
Big Dave(Quote)
I reckon it will be a HUGE mistake by Ashley for Sports Direct to sponsor the toon strips. Neebody would buy one for several reasons, not least the fact that the purchaser would be showing a clear intent of support for the Ashley regime, and EVERYBODY would see it. I would imagine that could be a discussion point amongst the fans if the bloke sitting next to you was wearing a SD top… 🙄
There again they may prove to be best sellers….doubt it though..
Munich Mag(Quote)
Big D….I share your enthusiasm mate, and have the feeling that we are just a couple of good signings away from having a real good side.
However as we all know Ashley and his gonk can change all that at the drop of a hat. 🙄
Munich Mag(Quote)
Just to make the French contingent feel at home I’ve pitched my touring caravan outside the training ground and have been selling coiussants and crepes.
I wear a beret and hang onions round my neck and speak with a French twang.
They are loving the French quarter on Benton Lane. 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
meant to add about Joey that Wor Batty and mesel were talking a few months ago that we thought he could be back on the drink again, and after some of the **** he’s been coming off with lately im convinced he is back on something and im glad he isn’t our problem anymore.
Big Dave(Quote)
Troy that wouldn’t be the said onions that Rodz looking for ? You didn’t nick his onions did you ?
Mm I buy my wee Lad every kit but I can assure you if they change to SD I wont be buying them.
Big Dave(Quote)
@Dave
I found Rodz onions in his 1977 ford cortina Chevrolet parked in his front room. Somewhere around there, maybe, beyond the ponderosa or between the ozone layer and Terry Tibbs’ telephone conversation.
Who said that? 😯
Does Rodz ever sleep? 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
A big round of applause for Troy, doing his bit for player integration at the toon. Is the touring caravan tied up to the reality bus big man ? 😆 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
Dave….woul you buy one for him it was announced he was paying £10m a year sponsorship and it was going towards transfer funds……big leap of faith I know 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Big D…I can believe it mate. You don’t want your young-un being mocked in the playground with his toon ASDA top on.. 🙁
Munich Mag(Quote)
*would*
richietoon(Quote)
I think we have to get used to the idea of seeing sports direct emblazoned all over everything NUFC and it would not surprise me if he would be happy if no sponsors come in as he is getting sports direct advertised worldwide which is what he wants.
I do think he should be taking money from SD and paying NUFC .
I realise it’s one and the same but it balances the books for us quicker.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Get in there, Noddy’s on Spanish tv in dual language….oops did I say that out loud 😳 😳
richietoon(Quote)
richietoon…the problem with these jokers is proving where the 10 mill sponsorship money is going, cos we know they have a tendency to tell porkies.
The only real evidence of sponsorship money being invested would be when at least 1 “big money” signing arrives at the toon (without another player leaving of course, cos that’s just balancing the books)…
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM…as long as they can prove they’re paying for sponsorship which would show on the accounts…..but I’d be surprised if they are. 👿
richietoon(Quote)
Do Liverpool not get something like £20m per season for their shirt sponsors alone?
Troy Stavers(Quote)
I never thought Fat Ash would be a name dropper. 😉
Toonale(Quote)
by DAVID on APRIL 22, 2011
43
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Liverpool FC have signed a £25m-a-year long-term contract with Boston-based Warrior Sports, a deal that more than doubles Liverpool’s present agreement with Adidas and
surpasses the previous £23.3m-a-year British record paid by Nike to Manchester United.
And we want £8-10m for renaming the ******* ground. Incredible!
Troy Stavers(Quote)
From what I’ve seen of our summer signings, not one of them can be described as bad business. That says something about our manager and scouts, so well done to them and I hope they keep it up.
I have not said anything on the stadium name change yet, as not been here much lately. However, lets be honest. It has the potential to raise money for the club and Llambia has a point about us needing to be self sufficient.
Naturally, there is great traditiona and strength in St James Park. I just cant see the British footballers, managers or fans thinking of our home as anything other than St James Park and we ourselves will always refer to it as such, so in our homeland nothing will really change.
The only people that may refer to it as the 02 Arena for example, will be the new fans that we attract across Europe and the World when the branding takes off in the future, that previously knew nothing about the club. In which case, does it really matter what they refer to our home as, so long as they are taking an interest in our football club and buying the merchandise etc etc… If they get serious about supporting the club, they will soon learn that our home is in fact St James’ Park and begin to refer to it as such anyway, so I would say dont worry about it. The modern game is all about money and passion for the game is being sucked away, but if we are going to compete, we have to move with the times…
Shamrock(Quote)
Richie to be honest No because I dont think £10mill would be enough for the name and the Shirts, and sure he did say that he was going to give us £10mill every yr out of his own pocket, yeah I know thinks have changed but the one thing that hasn’t changed is that you couldn’t trust the lying sneaky fukers.
Big Dave(Quote)
Richie meant to say if he can pay Big D Clarke £2mill for just wearing his tacky Dunlop brand, and I honestly dont know anyone in my golf club that would wear dunlop stuff. But he thinksthat £10mill id enough to rip the name of SJP and to have us wear SD on our tops aswell ?
Big Dave(Quote)
“Liverpool FC have signed a £25m-a-year long-term contract with Boston-based Warrior Sports, a deal that more than doubles Liverpool’s present agreement with Adidas and
surpasses the previous £23.3m-a-year British record paid by Nike to Manchester United.”….
Interesting. Still difficult to believe that a relative unknown “Warrior Sport”…has invested so much money on a long term contract in Liverpool. Looks like Liverpool have found a sponsor with more money than sense. Surely Ashley and Dekka with their street cred and long list of contacts can find us a similar sponsor ? 😉
Munich Mag(Quote)
Richietoon….divvent let Big D be catching you wearing that tacky Dunlop top when your playing golf on PS.. 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
Its great being a fan of NUFC@STJAMESPARK, you start every day with the feeling that it will not be boring . 😀
Toonale(Quote)
Apparently Cabaye was an unused sub yesterday for France against the Shermans. Good news if it’s true…
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM thats the problem for me I don’t think they want a Sponsor, and its all a smoke screen.
They are nit stupid they have marketing people to tell them what to do, and all the marketing people I have hear being interviewed said that they have went about it wrong and they cant see a company sponsoring to get involved in a **** storm.
Big Dave(Quote)
been impressed with all our buys so far not so keen on mr potato head (oberton)
and saylor under pardew is like a new player himself in fact even spider **** i know he wasnt top form against the toffees but hes found a new lease of life himself
got to cut this short as im working terribly hard here 😉 😛
ice pup(Quote)
think people have miss the bigger picture here
how much would it cost the fat man to advertize his own company world wide basically globally to any footballing ppl on there news channel and there newspapers and footy blogs
not including doing the same in this country…………????
he achived his aim believe me we are very much secondry as is any fee he is banding around… it was never about us or the ground its sports direct PR full stop
ice pup(Quote)
Dave…really couldnt see us getting £10m anyway even if they try, Northern Rock was £2.5m a season tops and I think you get more for shirt sponsorship than naming rights……apart from the fact any sponsor knows they could get it for £8m prob less since Llamsarse went on radio to say £8-10m 🙄
richietoon(Quote)
@dave
They have to be happy with the sports direct arena. It’s the perfect time to change it as they are looking to build shops in France.
All these French players and new stadium name.
It’s a masterplan contrived by the gastapo!
Ve Vill do as zay say! Heil Ashley!
Troy Stavers(Quote)
I see Thud and Tinpoops are quiet. 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Richie….probably as a shirt sponsor, based on performance, and their standing in the financial world, theoretically they don’t come any worse than Northern Rock 😳 ffs…the bank went tits up after all…
However, cos the bank is based in Newcastle the negative aspects have probably been ignored or swallowed by the majority of toon fans. Wonder what would have been said were we sponsored by a cockney bank that went bankrupt ?.
Bayer Leverkusen’s main shirt sponsor, a data company, have just gone bankrupt. The club are having to pay back all of the sponsorship money, which of course they were paid up front… Don’t ask me how that all works though… http://www.espnstar.com/football/news/detail/item628559/
Munich Mag(Quote)
Troy,
Is the Pondersosa in the West End still in existance ❓ 😆 😆
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
TonyGreenSupreme
Are you a west end boy too ?
Munich Mag(Quote)
@TGS
I haven’t been past for a while but a few weeks ago it was still standing in pristine condition in black n White stripes! 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)
“All you need to do is look at the form book and you can see that Demba is raising the Ba”
I text that to my brother everytime he scores!
Andy mag (scot toon)(Quote)
Toonsy, you missed one of our summer signings, the great Rob Elliott!
It tell you something when I just went thru all the comments and nobody else picked up on that, especially since he is effectively our 2nd choice keeper at the moment
AndrewT(Quote)