Unsung heroes! How about some praise for the donkeys?

James Perch - Quality in reserve?
James Perch – Quality in reserve?
There seem to be a number of headline grabbers at United these days. You know, the ones who always seem to be there to grab the glory and the accolades.

In fairness it’s usually not without good reason as the player in question has more than likely done something to contribute to the game.

You know what I mean. I mean players like Moussa Sissoko or Yohan Cabaye or Hatem Ben Arfa. Players that are on the lips of fans because they’ve scored or assisted a goal or made a cracking pass or displayed some cracking individual skill. It’s all well and good but the team isn’t all about them they may be at the forefront of attention but there are others players who contribute.

They are the ones who just quietly get on with things in the background and contribute when called upon. I’m referring to players like James Perch and Rob Elliot recently and, going back to earlier on in the season/last season, players like Ryan Taylor. If you want to go back a bit further look at Aaron Hughes, who in my opinion we should never have sold.

These are the types of players that, for me anyway, success is built on. Having players who can come in and do a job when required is all part of having a competitive squad. At some point, all of Elliot, Taylor and Perch have come in for criticism from fans for this or that and whether it’s warranted is up for debate.

However they rarely let us down. They may not be the best but they are our own dependable little donkeys that just trudge away in the background before being called upon. Dare I say that we’ve actually missed one of those donkeys (Ryan Taylor) as times during this season?

For every great thing one of our notable players has done, there has been something that one of our lesser lights has done to equal it in another way. Elliot’s saves and assist against Southampton, Perch and his goalmouth clearance against Metalist Kharkiv, Ryan Taylor and his goals last term.

And none of that should be forgotten so how about some kind words for the squad players?

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.

189 thoughts on “Unsung heroes! How about some praise for the donkeys?

  1. am champion dickie

    re: benny

    if it’s the same bird that i know – claire with the hair & she did it for a dare – then i can confirm it will be that very reason.

    aye oblong holes 😉

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  2. Without being sarcastic or anything like that….I honestly think Perch has been our player of the season. Says a lot about our season!

    He has made 31 appearances this season and I can’t recall him making any more than a couple of errors. Santon has played well but how many times have we said ‘where the fook was Santon?’ after a goal? Solid defensively, good distribution and sticks to his job. He realises his limitations and that there are others in the team are there for skills and killer passes. He has been immense in my opinion and should get more recognition.

    Always the same though, you get tarnished with a label it sticks with you forever. Perch was called useless and ***** so much that even though he hasn’t been for a long time, that label sticks.

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  3. Aye mate, just moved up to Javea…and the only way I’ll be leaving here will be when I require one of them oblong holes :mrgreen:

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  4. Moreno…Toonsy hoys up a new thread when you say Perch is player of the season…coincidence? 😯 😆

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  5. good lad

    you got o job yet?

    if your in-laws have got a few quid i would fuk the job – just sponge off them & lie aroond in the current bun.

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  6. Actually Benny was on a French tv talkabout and he admitted the hamstring was his fault. He wasn’t ready for Fulham but said he was because he just wants to play every game. I was gobsmacked by that because I’d blamed Pardew for rushing him back. When I saw the injury happen it looked very serious to me. Even so 3 months for a hamstring? Sounds far too long to me. Something’s not right about our handling of injuries and I doubt Clairefontaine is the answer.

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  7. Roy… My 9-5 days are over I reckon, rent off hoose in Toon and flat in Madrid enough to live on plus do a bit of online selling and might do a bit of pool cleaning(when I can be arsed), other than that we’re just ganna chill 😎

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  8. Richie, gan to Denia and get the ferry through to Ibiza, a couple of hours. Take your glowsticks 😆

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  9. Moreno…A bit old for Ibiza, more likely to take a walking stick than a glow stick 😆

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  10. Roy….Cheers 😀

    Georgio…Maybe it’s all still a knock on effect from the broken leg and all his muscles, tendons, ligaments take quite a long while to get to exactly where they were, just a theory as I know **** all about it buit I do know when I did my achilles I good still feel it well over a year later.

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  11. on benny,he had a bleed inside the leg from hamstring,normally you need a opp on it but claire thought they could fix it a diff way,lets see if it works otherwise????????/

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  12. Moreno…So you should..disgraceful 😆
    I got married, I’ll be feeling the pain for the rest of my life 😆

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  13. sound aswell batts.

    am on the look out for a motor (for me job) that’ll take a reasonable sized body – are you still driving that green volvo estate with the roof rack?

    would you be interested in parting company with it?

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  14. Richie, tell me about it, had the CSA on the phone yesterday morning. The nice little weekly agreement we had obviously isn’t valid now my business is a bit more successful! She wants her cut!

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  15. Moreno…Aye, been there done that….tho to be fair to her(which pains me) we never had to have the CSA involved.

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  16. CSA woman happened to be a Geordie, we got on famously actually, proper canny lass!

    The ex is daft Rich, I am the Director so pay myself, she is going for attachment on earning….so I’ll just pay myself minimum wage and the rest in dividends which I don’t have to declare. She will get less than she was for this little cloak and dagger move. Daftie.

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  17. Richie-Well, he should sack the doctors and get some clowns who know what they’re talking about if they **** up!

    Georgio-I heard about that admission but didn’t read it myself, its good benny has admitted it but Pards still has to be careful-many players will still try and slip that through the net just leading to further problems and far bigger consequences for the side as a whole.

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  18. Moreno-Perch has probably done “the least wrong” and because we know of his limitations, he’s probably been the most consistent and performing close to his best. That being said his best is still only average compared with an underperforming side and there has not been a single match where i would have had him MOTM…that being said I get your point about Santon, but most fans don’t seem to care about full backs who can defend.

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  19. Newkie…Maybe, but also the doctors will take into consideration what the player says, I’d assume all the scans were clear and showed it to be ok, maybe we should sack Benny then? …or maybe everyone did their job right and it’s just one of those things that happen at all football clubs 😉

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  20. ROY its a vauxhall meriva 04 its the daughters passed test today,only selling it as she is going to move to malta,dont know what she wants for it she just told me today she is moving,maybe you know price they go for mate,i havent a clue as i just change my car every 3yr

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  21. Moreno…Mine was ok apart from coming after my Army pension, she didn’t get any of it, mainly because, as I told her I couldn’t remember her being next to me with bullets flying about…oh aye, and her lawyer was **** otherwise I couldn’t have stopped her 😆

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  22. Eeeee mate, it’s not something I would do again in a hurry like! I’ll just stick to the Toon and my picture of Shola for the cold nights

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  23. Moreno…At least with Shola you won’t have to last 90 minutes, just a brief cameo appearance at the end will do 😯 😆

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  24. dog

    too posh for what i’ll be doing with it matey – thanks anyways.

    change your car every 3 years you say! – i thought you was wizzing aroond on an old vespa.

    batty must be paying more than 30 bob an hour now then..

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