Was it the right call to give Cisse the No9 shirt?

toonsy

Too soon for the number nine?
So we finally have our new number nine in the form of Papiss Demba Cisse. Great news! Or is it?

Now before I get into the nuts of the article let me just clarify that I’m not rubbishing the transfer or the player and I’m not wishing failure or anything like that. Instead I’m just debating whether or not we should have held back the No9 shirt instead of offering it straight away.

To me the No9 is a special shirt. You only have to look at the players who have worn it over the years to realise that. Shearer, Ferdinand, Cole, Supermac, Milburn are all iconic names associated with Newcastle United which have combined to give the shirt it’s importance. It’s not just a player in a shirt – it’s a figurehead, an idol, someone to look up to and rely upon.

Perhaps I’m being overly romantic in my notions? Perhaps I’m being a bit outdated with my thoughts in this modern game of football that we have right now? All I know is that we’ve just given the next chapter of a book of number nines to someone that may not end up fulfilling it’s own legacy.

To me the shirt must be earned. Of course there are examples where that isn’t the case, but in a game where loyalty is a scarce commodity these days I’d quite like to know what type of player is getting the honour of wearing the number nine shirt and along with that getting the chance to write their own chapter in Newcastle United history.

I mean what was wrong with holding it back until the summer and treating these last few months of the season as a kind of working interview? If Cisse showed he has what it takes then give it to him for the start of the new season. It was the approach used by Chris Hughton when he gave Andy Carroll the number nine shirt and it worked out well, for half a season at least.

Now it’s not all doom and gloom as I can see why Cisse has been given the shirt. His record stands up against some of the most recognised strikers in Europe and he is the type of player who is ideal for the shirt when you look at the way he plays. He works hard for the cause and does the ‘simple’ thing of scoring goals and being in the right place at the right time which is what is needed from the No9.

I just can’t help thinking that we should have waited until the summer to see if he can be a number nine in NUFC colours.

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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212 thoughts on “Was it the right call to give Cisse the No9 shirt?”

  1. @ritchie. going with my 15 year old son tomorrow.hardly ever go now ,i told him of our glory days of the late 70s early 80s and all the things that went on then. stopped going mid 90s 😳 no money,even less now but just want to show him how to support the toon away.get bladderd 😀

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  4. Toonitis…I’m sure he’ll love it, you both well and hopefully a victory to polish it off 😀

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  8. did Andy Cole eventually earn the No9 or was he given it from the day he joined.
    He was only signed from Bristol C, no one knew he would of been as good as he was, thats why I ask, did he have to earn it?

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  9. DAVE aye i did see it,it shocked me mate,i mean its rare these people we elect do sumit that most people want 😉

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  10. @Big Dave

    I think you could be right about the naming rights. I reckon if a company isnt found soon pressure should be put on MA to change the name back to St James or come clean on whats going on.

    For all we know he may have knocked back bids already just to keep it as SD..

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  11. BIGDAVE@69, I didn’t say retire it, I simply said give it to Cisse which Pardew has done but Andy Carroll being a Geordie basically rendered is as ordinary because if a born and bred Geordie who dreamed of being a legend in it, can vacate it for pound notes, then the shirt becomes ordinary.

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  12. Someone had to have it and he’s a good as anyone I suppose.

    If he scores goals he’ll be worthy of it and I think he will so that’s that.

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  13. mark says:
    January 20, 2012 at 20:07

    The rumour goes that Ashley paid for Cisse with his own money, so could that not have been in echange for the naming rights?

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  14. MARK @83, nobody has had to earn it really until Shearer vacated it and once Andy Carroll earned it, he **** on it, which to me made it simply as just a number to me like any other and I would rather just concentrate on what a new striker can do whether he gets that number or chooses his own.

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  16. @ richietoon

    when you met ppl off here did you have to make emoticons with your face after every conversation.. 😯 😆

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  18. @MDS ah, ta dude

    @wolfie, aye , im not too fussed about the shirt as long as the player plays his part, whatever the number or position

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  19. @Stuart79@88

    well yeah, but it would be nice to know that is the situation instead of us expecting a new name for the ground.

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  20. wolfie says:
    January 20, 2012 at 20:12

    Why would someone else’s actions (Carroll) effect your feelings on the shirt? What he thought of it shouldn’t have any effect on your thoughts.

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  21. I agree that if Ba had secretly really wanted it, then it would have been a bit of a slap in the face to him after he’s done so well and all. But i’ve heard him speaking about how he always has the no.19 shirt, and he wouldn’t explain the reasons behind it, so I think it must be something pretty personal to him.

    With that in mind, I think it’s a good move to give it to Cisse. If we had have told him to “earn it”, then one of two things would have happened:

    1) He does exceptionally well. In this case teams will be sniffing around him in the summer, and he might be justified in saying “well you didn’t trust me to be your no.9, i’m off to earn 100k a week at Chelski”.
    2) He does average/poorly, in which case what do you do then? Tell him he can’t have it? That would be a **** situation for everone.

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  23. regarding Pards admission about Champions league teams coming in for our players, would it be the clubs decision to sell or would the player have a say on the sale?

    so say if someone came in for Cabaye for 14mil and he said “ive just left the champions league and i’m happy here”

    would we make it hard for him (like Carroll) and sell him regardless..?

    obviously we dont know for sure how it works…

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  25. Mark…I actually got them laminated and use them in my every day life…don’t use them while bungee jumping though, unless you have a really firm grip 😉

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  26. @richietoon

    😀

    do u bungee jump every day like, canny job. 😉

    I had a mate that used to say lol lol lol instead of laughing..lol it was very strange but amusing

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  28. Wolfie @ 86 I didn’t say that you said retire it.
    I just said that I wouldn’t give Carroll the honour of being the last player to wear the Special shirt 😉

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  31. @ richietoon 😯 what you talking about sucker 😀

    honestly, he used to shug his shoulders and let out a lol

    has anyone seen the lovely Troyore in the last cpl of days? last I heard he was arranging a bare-knuckle fight with Thad on leazes park. hope Troy’s ok

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  32. Correct me if I’m wrong but all the legendary number 9’s have been given the number 9 shirt & proved they are worthy of it rather than prove they are good enough for it…just give him the shirt & let’s get on with it 🙄

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  33. @Big Dave 😆

    I hire him for the day off rent-a-pal.com, but he only hung around for an hour, said he left something in the oven or summit 🙄

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  41. My word, I hope Cabaye is fit and it’s all a cunning ploy…..or the Chronicle getting it wrong…..mind they did say he “may” not make tomorrow, then in the next sentence said he “might” be out until next month 🙄 nowt like covering your bases.

    Anyhoo here’s my prediction, we may win, but if we don’t we’ll defo lose unless of course we draw!!

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  42. of course we were right to give him the number 9 ,he will be our number 1 striker when dema leaves for arsenal 😉

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  43. @ttonsy at 111

    how do u know Cabaye wasnt just doing stretches and the photographer wasnt running?..eh.. always to sides to every picture 😯

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  45. Mark@118 that would make sense, the other player(Jonas) is actually running, that’s why he’s blurry.

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  48. Munich@30 – Dead right ,I saw that this afternoon on ssn .He’s such a **** , it used to be a bit funny but i really feel sorry for warnock .

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  50. Batty…thats an old interview though, back in the days when arsenal had all the French speakers 😆

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  53. @KimToon @123

    the bloke is disgusting. Nobody else wanted him, apart from Arsenal 😆

    Warnock did Joey a massive favour and he repays the bloke with gossip to fernandez. He’s a horrible person, I hope QPR fans react in support of Warnock after Bartons insults.

    I’m sure the whole of L’pool are up in arms after seeing a fellow scouser wearing a ridiculous hat like that lol what a rat-faced ****

    http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/12/01/20/SOCCER_QPR_Barton.html&BID=165

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  54. Toonsy,
    Credit mate, good debate 😉

    Definately give Cisse the number 9, he deserves it with a proven track record in Germany.

    I have no doubt that he will score goals as that is what the shirt is about.

    Looking forward to seeing possibly the best deadly duo since Sir Les and Wor Al 😀

    What I like about Cisse is that he reminds me of Andy Cole in that he plays off the shoulder of the last defender and drifts both left and right, be prepared for him to be offside quite a bit until he becomes used to the pace of the EPL. 😉

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  56. Eh! it’s a bit small the pic like, but I reckon it’s a geezer who learnt English of Gazza 😯 😉

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  61. Mark 😆 ….I’ve got an old Toon vid, and they interview him and he says Gazza is teaching him English, then he says “Gazza’s eenglish is no good” 😆

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  62. i think the barton thing is quite funny ,wonder if warnock still thinks he brought a crackin player 😆 😆 😆

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  63. correct mark i didnt think you were that old mate ,how old are you
    ………………………..Batty grooming again I see 😆 😆 😆 😆

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  65. Anyone want to see a team like this tmz? (Depending if cabaye injured)

    Krul,
    Simmo, Willo, Colo, Santon
    Guthrie, Abeid, Gosling
    HBA, Vuckic
    Best

    WIth HBA and vuckic dropping back into the wings when on the defense?

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  67. @richietoon lol

    has anyone seen bartons hat in the link? lol

    its either midlife-crisis or hes a complete nob jockey

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  68. Toonsy @105! I admitted I was wrong…but I stand by the fact he spit his dummy out. The fact hes even in consideration for this match just 7 days later confirms that! Ive walked off a pitch with torn ligaments in my knee(6months injury) and sprained ligaments in my ankle(6 week injury) and im not the hardest around. I was disappointed with his reaction, and I maintain that stance albeit I did initially over-react because of the general play-acting by many footballers.

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  69. Barton is a ****. Still, he jumped into bed with Warnock at the first opportunity so….

    Fairly ironic Barton saying that Warnock blames everyone else for his faults….

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  72. @TonyGreenSupreme

    batty’s been on G Glitters twitter all day. Glitter eventually blocked him for being a sex-pest 😆

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  74. My take on the shirt is simple. If the player is a proven goalscorer and the club owners and manager think he’s worthy then fine. Moreover Shearer’s well chuffed with our new aquisition and i reckon he knows a thing or two about forwards.

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