Safety has been assured and now we can’t get relegated, thankfully, but with the end of the campaign fast approaching we’re now at the stage of the season where awards are dished out and accolades are given for good performances throughout the season.
That’s the problem though. How on earth do you pick out the best player from a team that had performed so poorly all season? How do you give accolades to players in a team that should never have found itself pondering relegation yet still had it’s Premier League future up in the air with just two games of the season remaining? It’s almost impossible…
Usually I’m pretty good at highlighting the good from the ugly but I’m really struggling to come up with options to add into a poll for this one. Maybe it shouldn’t be a “Player of the Season” award and should instead be an award doled on the basis of who has not been as bad as the rest.
Let me give you an example. To me a Player of the Season has to have performed above expectation, to be the one that has turned matches or helped us save them on a regular basis. Using that criteria I honestly can’t think of one player who has done any of that on a consistent basis this season.
So now I’m dropping down to the next level where I stumble across James Perch. Unfancied and unfashionable and by no means our best player, but can you honestly recall a time where he has let us down this season? Or a time where he has been the worst layer on the pitch?
So there is my nomination for Player of the Season (and I can’t believe I’m being serious) based on nothing other than the fact that he’s not let us down when called upon unlike so many other of the fashionable names within our ranks. But we can’t just have one nomination surely? I’m looking for a number of suggestions which I can eventually add into a poll before we can decide ultimately who we, as fans, deem to be our Player of the Season. Which is where you guys come into the equation…
Please leave a nomination in the comments below, ideally with a reason behind it, and I’ll count up the top nominees and use them in what will be our defining NUFC Blog poll for our Player of the Season.
I know the Mackems tried to rig one a vote a couple of years ago by voting for James Perch, such is their obsessive nature about anything to do with Newcastle, but the sad thing is that they may not be far wide of the mark when it comes to this season.
Comments welcome.
two of the few players who spring to mind as being even close to the bracket of Player of the Season are Anita & Marveaux (neither of whom can get into Pardew first XV due to his lack of attacking desire and due to his favourites, notably Tiote & Jonas). Otherwise Cisse is one of the few others who could be considered. I am firmly of the belief that nobody should be given it this year as it would be farcical!
Also just a quick point on AP, if we keep him it is highly likely that the likes of Cabaye, HBA and a number of others will want out. We are holding back the careers of these players be playing a horribly stifling brand of football that doesnt suit them in the slightest. Im not sure why they would want to stay, as Id say they have seen enough. It is clear there are dressing room problems regardless of how AP tries to dress up an away win against the worst team in the league. Either the club show ambition and get rid of AP, or they stop purchasing technically proficient players and we can look forward to more Williamsons & Perchs playing week in week out
buddy(Quote)
Demba Ba by a country mile !!!!!!
😆 😆 😆
Santii(Quote)
Pootle
Who has end product in our team? In case you haven’t noticed the rest of the team aren’t exactly dropping the ball on a tuppence. What I’m saying is that as there is little quality in the side this season, effort is what has kept us up. Jonas provides this effort pro bono (thought I’d throw some Latin in too 😉 ).
Andymag(Quote)
I think Ameobi would have to be up there for worst player this season though. He’s the striker who adds absolutely nothing to our attack!!!
I admit it would be harsh though because its not his fault he’s useless.
The same is true of Obertan. I do think a better manager could get something out of them. Not much, mind you, but at least something.
I’d probably go with Tiote as his star, which rose quite brightly last season, appears to have quite unceremoniously crashed to earth.
Pootle(Quote)
Andy-there is no burn out though! Jonas was horrific for us in the early season! He’d eaten all the fecking pies! Cabaye had some gash excuses drawn up like he was tired or his best mate hadn’t been brought in and he was sulking, but at least Cabaye has other attributes, even if he has been woeful compared to what he can play like.
Jonas is built on work ethic, and he’s only just lived up to that in a few matches. He did well to chase down that goal at QPR, it’s just a crying shame that’s the only time I remember him touching the ball in the opposition box this year..
Newkie(Quote)
I agree that our team has generally not been great or productive. I just think you must have been sniffing glue if you think Jonas was even our eleventh best player. 😉
Pootle(Quote)
Well I seem to be in a losing battle 😆 , I don’t think the Jonas bashing is fair but people are of course entitled to their opinions.
Andymag(Quote)
Sorry Andy, what!?!
I’m still fantasizing about Jonas chasing Pardew round with an axe. 😉
Actually, scratch that. Jonas has looked so fat and slow he probably wouldn’t catch him!
Give the axe to Ameobi!!!!
Oh wait . . .
Pootle(Quote)
Andy Jonas est truncumque pullum cum magnum et motor semper dat operam C%, Sed nos indigemus magis quam conatu
Big Dave(Quote)
Woohoo. Look who got Google Translate for Christmas.
Lol
Pootle(Quote)
Andy-I will agree that Jonas has been a scapegoat for us before, and to an extent he has had a little too much from some quarters. But saying he’s the best player of this season is madness. Fair play for trying to fight the masses though 🙂
Newkie(Quote)
@JJ
Do you follow nufc_stats on twitter?
Cabaye is top with our most “clear cut” chances created with 9, Marveaux is second with 5, any guesses for who is third with 4? 😉
Also Anita is second in just chances created, and has also done 17 more final 3rd passes than Jonas who has played 1100 minutes more 😯
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Andy I like the way you defend him 😉 can you remember the way KK had him playing now that was all about effort and skill
Big Dave(Quote)
ST is it Cisse in 3rd
Big Dave(Quote)
@Andy
Have you banged your head or are you just trolling here 😀
Just NO 😆 😆 😆
@ST
Is it Santon or Simpson? and the Anita stat is just ridicules. Someone email that to Mike Ashley please 😀
Santii(Quote)
Spot on icedog @150 and Buddy @151. What is the point of going halfway? We bring in good, technical players thanks to Carr and then they are exposed to the poor management of Pardew. We have a great scout, but a terrible manager and managing director. Ashley is hopeless if he keeps it this way. What a waste of time, money and effort. Grow a set Ashley.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
@Andy
See where you’re coming from, unfortunately I agree that his best attribute of work rate and tirelessness just hasn’t been there enough this year (though you’re right, he got basically no credit for the 2nd goal at the weekend), happy with him as a squad player. Can see him being handy coming on with 20 minutes to go and running the ball down the channel.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
ST what are the top 3 or 4 with assist
Big Dave(Quote)
Maybe Andy is right -http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/150236Lionel-Messi-Gutierrez-is-as-good-as-Rooney-and-Fabregas-Lionel-Messi-Gutierrez-is-as-good-as-Rooney-and-Fabregas-
Who are we to argue?
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/150236Lionel-Messi-Gutierrez-is-as-good-as-Rooney-and-Fabregas-Lionel-Messi-Gutierrez-is-as-good-as-Rooney-and-Fabregas-
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
@Dave
Not sure, he hasn’t tweeted that. Fantasy premier league puts it as Marveaux, then Santon.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
When you look at our comments it’s easy to tell what a gash season we’ve had. Arguing over whether players like Jonas or bench warmers like Perch, Anita and Marveaux are our player of the season! Unbelievable. Given enough playing time both Marveaux and Anita could be good players for us I think. And I used to love Jonas’s effort but clearly his legs are gone and he has taken to meat pies with a vengeance. Cisse has 8 league goals this season! That’s right eight! And he has missed a huge number of chances where he ballooned the ball over the net. In any other team after the first 10 or 12 starts as main striker he would have been on the bench but we have nobody else! This is madness after a fifth place finish a year ago.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
ST 😉 I still remember reading that the first time, there is something in the water in Argentina. Like Maradonna saying his team was Mascherano, Messi and Jonas in the WC 😆 lol:
Newkie(Quote)
Haha yeah that was amazing, we should have sold him then while his stock was high! 😆
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
I have to agree the Argentines are smoking something before interviews. Jonas was a decent player when he came to us. He actually unsettled teams with his runs if we can remember that far back. But the game has left him behind now. If Pardew thinks we’ll be a decent team next season with Jonas in the first 11 he’s even thicker than I thought he was. We need a major overhaul again if we keep Pardew and even that may not work. Would Ashley foot the bill after this season? I doubt it. I can see us getting 2 or 3 players this summer. One to replace Ba finally, one to replace Colo and a winger since Obertan is hopeless and Jonas no longer has the pace (and Amalfitano may never make the grade). Horrible mess to deal with when the owner has no balls.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2 in defence of cissie he had many goals chalked off wrongly,and was wisely (lol) played on the wing,ime quite happy to go with him again with the right support,but can see pardew bringing in another c/f so putting him back on the wing,the clown
icedog(Quote)
I still think Jonas’ best performance was away at the mancs after he came on for injured hatem I belive? When he got dropped it put a rocket up his ****, after the ben arfa show at Everton looked to have robbed him of his place. He’s lost whatever pace he once had though, and dives around a little too much for a combative midfielder or left back.
Newkie(Quote)
Haven’t got one – they’ve all been completely ****!
Sure I heard Pardew in an interview recently say against QPR we were missing key quality players and he included Strolla… This explains why we only just escaped relegation.
Huge changes required in the summer.
Stuart79(Quote)
Good point ice @176, I just worry about consistency with Cisse. Will it ever be there? With Llambias dithering around again trying to get a bargain this summer what are our chances of getting the right striker in anyway? So many problems with the way we’re set up mate. It’s sad to see. I don’t blame Harper for wanting to get off the rollercoaster as he calls it. Given our money, support and ground where would Everton be? Not where we are I would wager.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Spot on Stuart79 @178.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2 i will say this if jabba keeps pardew imo they will go for carroll but if he changes tact i would back cissie to score 15/18 goals himself with the right partner.in fact i will put a small bet on that in close season thats how sure i am
icedog(Quote)
That might be a very good prediction icedog. It looks to me as if Pardew favours bringing Carroll back if possible but it will be difficult given his wage and the fact Liverpool won’t want to sell him to us on the cheap. If he does come back it will change our style of play and make players like Ben Arfa and Cabaye even less likely to stay. It’s a huge risk to take but our owner is a gambler.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
It’s being said in the press that Man City’s senior players didn’t want Mancini anymore. Do our senior players want Pardew? I would love to know the answer to that question. What do they really think of him as a manager? My guess is some would support him but several if not more would dearly love a manager with continental experience. Would a group of our senior players have any influence with Ashley?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
gunners 1 up
icedog(Quote)
With a world cup coming up how many of our internationals will want to stay? And how many if we keep Pardew? It must be a huge worry for a few of them. If they have any interaction with that tool Llambias it will only make things worse. Let’s see how the summer starts. If there is no early activity by Ashley then likely trouble is coming our way again.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
C’mon then Wigan make a scrap of it ,we wanna hear some agonised squeals coming from the Scum and Vile Villa .
KIMTOON(Quote)
G2 ,I think a few purples will want away as I’m far from convinced they all buy into Pards tactics tbh.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Aye Kim that’s what I’m worried about as well. The look on Ashley’s face at QPR makes me think he isn’t thrilled with the club now either. Yet he is the main reason we won’t do much better next season. He hires bellends then wonders why we aren’t top 6.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
There’s a lot of over reacting going on here atm.
World Cup year -> players signed for us when we had just been in a (not as intense) relegation threatened season in 10/11 yeah?
According to most that completely hate Pardew – his tactics have always been ****. Well Cisse and Debuchy for starters were signed having been given rave reviews by mates already at the club, so that nips that theory in the bud imo.
If the players want to make the world cup then they should learn how to pass the ball 5 yards for starters.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Ice @ 181 where are you going to get the money ? Batty has lost your next 6 months wages in the bookies allready, has he not told you yet ? sure he lost a months money on the wigan game and hoyed the rest on us getting relegated I thought he would have told you by now.
But I would say it would be a pretty good bet that Cisse will bag more than 15 next season ? om might actually put a bet on
Big Dave(Quote)
ST add to that that my mate Joey said he was the best English coach he has worked with
Big Dave(Quote)
G2 ,I guess the turning point will come if any top players hand in transfer request or express a desire to move if the manager remains. Would that convince Ashley to hook him , who knows. We do know he fell out with Colo ,could that of been tactics ,and what was getting said in all the crisis meetings Colo refered to when we were in the mire.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Well, if Arsenal are going to get the last Champs League spot, it only goes to show how bad this league is. They are pish.
Oh what we could do with a decent manager and a decent second striker.
Frustrating..
Munich Mag(Quote)
Can someone inform me why everyone is crawling up that McManaman’s **** all of a sudden? He has had a few good games. Other than that he has been horribly average at best. Can’t tackle either…..
The only player I’d personally take from Wigan would be James McCarthy.
Oblong(Quote)
Wigan 1-1 😯
Munich Mag(Quote)
Maloney scores ,I can hear them squeaky bums in Scumland lol
KIMTOON(Quote)
Sorry obviously by “everyone” meant quite a lot 😆
Oblong(Quote)
youve got to love Wigans spirit. what a freekick!
mark(Quote)
Interesting thoughts ST @189. It’s going to be a long summer wondering about the club. So many different views of Pardew but his past history looks very much like the present. Wigan have just tied it up. Can we honestly say we’ve even played as well as Wigan this season? I mean the actual style of play, I realize they are below us on points. It seems they have more recent silverware than we do as well. Anyway if Ashley keeps Pardew we can re-visit this issue many more times.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Cabaye and co were sold the club on the promise of us trying to compete in Europe. Can’t imagine they’ll have been very impressed with the approach we took to most of our European games.
I would imagine they’ll be even less impressed with our useless surrender monkey proclaiming “Thank God we aren’t in Europe next season”
International players have usually want to be part of a team with ambition.
I can’t imagine too many of them will be ready to rally under the cry of “YabadabaPardew” for our stone age manager.
Pootle(Quote)
I remember when we just promoted Messi named Jonas the ‘best left winger in the PL’ 😆 don’t know whether he was critisizing the strength of the PL or whether he genuinely thought he was that good.
Andymag(Quote)
Oblong @ 194 I agree I can’t stand that McManaman the dirty bastad and wouldn’t want him anywhere near the place, but I think Maloney is a good player
Big Dave(Quote)
DAVE batty says he will pay me on friday but he didnt say which friday,hes busy at the moment picking manhole covers up dont tell him you know or i will never get payed.cissie is a good goalscorer with a manager that hasnt got a clue,pardew may struggle next yr jonas will be two stone bigger and shola will be oh well you know the rest
icedog(Quote)
I like Wigan’s formation and wouldn’t mind it being tested on Sunday
————————Harper———————–
————Taylor–Colocinni–Mbiwa———–
Debuchy–Cabaye-Tiote-Marveaux–Jonas
———————–Ben Arfa———————-
————————-Cissé————————-
Andymag(Quote)
DAVE maloney is a good shout there best player imo mate,dont worry pardew would play him as a full back
icedog(Quote)
get in wigan
icedog(Quote)
@ Dave
Aye Maloney is a good player….I would take him as well.
I don’t hate him that much I just can’t see what all the hype is about….it was a horrible tackle mind!
Oblong(Quote)
😳 Just read my previous comment
That’s right we promoted Messi 😎 , knew Ashley shouldn’t have sold him to Barça for an all you can eat voucher to a tapas bar 😡
Meant to say the season we were promoted, Messi said…
Andymag(Quote)
funny like its maloney that scored right on half time
icedog(Quote)
@Pootle
None of our players will leave us for a different Europa league team I can 100% guarantee that. If they go to a CL club then there’s nothing we can complain about, we just don’t have the squad at the minute, we’d just pray that we get a decent wedge and that Ashley doesn’t fanny around and actually spend it.
Ahhh I remember the days when we our owners had no ambition, we had a wage cap, and yet managed to sign HBA 😆
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Ambition and skill in picking management personnel. Any successful team has to have both of those in spades. We have neither. We have an owner who would be pleased with 10th every season while he gets his money back and then buggers off.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Don’t think Haidara would be too impressed if we tried to sign Mcmanaman.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Andymag@204, you could be onto something there mate 😉
Swap Santon / Haidara for Jonas and we’re sorted
Munich Mag(Quote)
Haven’t read all the above comments, so I apologise if it’s already been said earlier.
But imo no single player is worthy of such an award.
We have been pish poor in every department.
Of the new arrivals tho, mapou has looked the best and I am looking forwards to seeing him next season. Hopefully alongside Colo.
Young Hairdryer has impressed too, apart from getting injured
Not one of the original purples has put a shift in and it hasn’t been good enough if I’m honest.
Surely to God shola has to go. Biggest waste of space @ NUFC 👿
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Probably pointless thinking we would sign any player from Wigan regardless of whether they go down or not.
Whelan hates Ashley so any player would probably cost us more than anyone else.
Oblong(Quote)
“None of our players will leave us for a different Europa league team I can 100% guarantee that”
Firstly, no you can’t.
And secondly, we aren’t a Europa league team.
😀
“Thank God we aren’t in Europe”, remember???
Pootle(Quote)
OBLONG you make a good point mate and i agree 100%
icedog(Quote)
ANDYMAG,
Sorry mate but your defense of Jonas does not stack up, he is appallling.
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
Wouldn’t it be brilliant if this flirtation with relegation had scared Ashley so much that he actually spent a shed load of the new footy money in the close season ?
Man that would be brilliant, maybe Pardew is of the same opinion and will be pushing really hard to bring in a bunch of new signings.
We’ll need to see whether he can manage the new players, and get us playing a more attractive kind of football. But at least we are doing it in the big league 😉
Over to you Ashley, Lambias and Pardew. Let’s see what you are made of.
Munich Mag(Quote)
ST @ 210 are you mad making guarantees like that 😉
BB @ 214 thats been said loads of times mate 🙂 but i’ll accept your apology
Big Dave(Quote)
Last Wigan player mention but…….
Kone isn’t a bad player either 😆
Oblong(Quote)
Wigan back line leading a charmed life then
KIMTOON(Quote)
Holy shitballs! Just home from work and this Arsenal – Wigan game looks like a hum-dinger.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
“Over to you Ashley, Lambias and Pardew. Let’s see what you are made of.”
Lard, slime and horseshit. In that order.
Pootle(Quote)
MM doesnt matter how much jabba spends pardew just isnt a PL manager to do anything with them
icedog(Quote)