The Ameobi situation
"The Ameobi situation", for those of you who don't already know, is basically a sketch on Sentanta Sports that involves a puppet of Jose Mourinho hosting a spoof phone-in in which an irate Geordie, Dave, continually rings up The Special One to complain about the now outgoing Toon striker.
The Special One's response every time is "Shut up Dave".
Yes anybody who has watched it will tell you it is rather ridiculous - but it is entertaining to an extent.
But sadly the current reality of the Ameobi situation is beginning to look a little bit similar.
Below is a clip from Setanta of Shola's biggest fan in Dave, who may probably be the only one at the moment who appreciates the constant updates of his next move from his agent.
Firstly, let's get a couple of things straight.
Shola has been a player that has come through Newcastle's Academy system and had a real mixed bag when it comes to opinions about what he can offer to the black and whites.
Personally, and I risk abuse when I say it, but at one stage I think Shola's future was bright at Newcastle.
But a combination of injuries, managerial misunderstandings, bad luck and the fact he spent most of his time in the shadow of Alan Shearer meant that he was never going to get any consistency going.
And that is basically that.
He doesn't walk away from Newcastle a flop in my view - but perhaps a player who didn't quite hit the heights he should have with a good few magic moments chucked in.
Now we are getting constant updates from Shola's agent Steven Denos who denies/can confirm/can reveal Shola would be interested in/would not consider/will not be going to or is considering a move to X,Y or Z.
And the truth is as Kevin Keegan said about Peter Ramage, who left Everton in tears after his final game, it won't get much bigger than Newcastle United for anybody who leaves.
Shola, who has been removed off the club's list of players on the official website already, knows that his next move is crucial after his stint at Stoke last term didn't quite work out.
And it will be noted with passing interest where he goes next.
But for now until it's rubber stamped where he goes exactly I might just stick to watching puppet shows of Mourinho just to pass the time until we see Shola sporting the scarf of his new club.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW AND THE BEST RESPONSES MAY APPEAR IN THE CHRONICLE SPORTS SECTION
Older/Newer
« Toon's luck is out in the transfer market so far | It was never Rozey in the garden for departed Toon star »
19 Comments
Leave a comment
Profile
Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
Latest Premier League video
Email alerts
In association with
Follow my RSS feed
Follow me on
Ameobi did show promise, on his debut, he got his foot trodden on by non other than- Dennis Wise.
This was in 2000, sadly were now in 2008 and Shola Ameobi hasnâÂÂt so much gone backwards, rather just dropped off radar completely. He has no pace, canâÂÂt jump properly, canâÂÂt head a ball properly and seems to have no control over what his feet are doing.
I find it amazing that he spent so long playing with and watching Alan Shearer, that he has learnt nothing about football at all. He has a brilliant European record, but this papers over grand canyon-esque cracks, he simply wasnâÂÂt and still isnâÂÂt a Premiership player, the only thing he ever had on his side was youth and the hope he may get better.
HeâÂÂs due a testimonial in two years (Amazing that!!) itâÂÂs took five managers to finally say,- this guyâÂÂs got to go. Michael Chopra was a better prospect and he wasnâÂÂt very good either.
Paul.
ONCE AGAIN ANOTHER NEWCASTLE PLAYER WITH POTENTIAL DIDNT MAKE THE GRADE. WE HAVE A KNACK OF NOT GETTING THE BEST OUT OF OUR PROMISING YOUNG PLAYERS, WHAT IS IT WITH THE TOON AND NOT BEING ABLE TO NUTURE AND GET THE BEST OUT OF THEM. FOR ME AT ONE TIME SHOLA LOOKED A PROMISING YOUNG STRIKER BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT HE IS NEVER GOING TO MAKE THE GRADE AT NEWCASTLE, GOD KNOWS HES HAD THE CHANCES AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOLD ON YEARS AGO A MOVE AWAY TO A CHAMPIONSHIP CLUB IS THE BEST OUTCOME.
You can't be a promising youngster at the age of 26, and he doesn't seem to have actually developed much over the years despite presumably having the ear of Shearer, and then Owen, in training. Whatever potential Shola may have had seems to have be a been squandered by a lack of drive and ambition both on and off the pitch.
I'm sure it's all too easy to sit in the reserves being paid fantastic amounts by your home town club and telling yourself, "next season" or "after this injury", and the fact he's only leaving now tells you it's easy for the coaching staff to think it, too. Maybe it's only the emergence of Andy Carroll that's finally highlighted the redundancy of Shola's place at the club.
It's overdue for him to be offloaded to the lower leagues for him earn his living instead of being paid for 'maybes' at Newcastle.
It's encouraging to see at least we're getting things half right by clearing out some dead wood. Barton and Smith to follow, I hope.
I feel sorry for Shola and I think the club let him down badly. After waiting for Big Al to retire and learning along the way he had a brilliant end to Shearer's final season after the skipper got knackered playing the rubbish from down the road. He led the line well and was putting away the chances that came to him as well as forming a useful all NE strike force with Chopra. Everyone knew he needed a hip operation but the club decided just to give him an injection and after a great start in the opening game of the next campaign at home to Wigan when he scored one and created the other he got clattered and that was that for his hip, If he had had the op at the end of the previous season he would have been 100% for the start of the next but that decision not to do it has ultimately cost him and Roeder their Newcastle careers and continued our downside slide since the disgracefull decision of sacking Sir Bob Rob. Personally I think he would excel in a 4-3-3 formation in the Viduka role but KK seems to fancy Carroll more so lets hope he's right.
Shola was not consistent enough and lacking in talent ever to be considered as a replacement for AS or as a member of our strikeforce.
My fear is that the fee we are allegedly getting might be scuppered by the opinions of Ipswich fans! If you read their board on the BBC website ALOT of them do not want him!
I don't feel sorry for him because we have paid him alot of money over the last few years for little return.
PS Dear JAYS - Please use capslock!
I THINK SHOLA WILL BE OK CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYER BUT IS NEVER GOING TO SCORE BAGFULS OF GOALS, EVEN AT THAT LEVEL, JUST DOES NOT HAVE THAT REAL HUNGER TO SUCCEED, BUT THERE IS MORE THAN HIM WHO CAN,T CUT IT IN THE PREMIERSHIP AT NEWCASTLE SO IF WE CAN GET NEARLY 4 MILLION, USE IT TO TAKE KITSON FROM READING, VERY UNDERRATED PLAYER, HOLDS BALL UP WELL, GOOD ON THE GROUNG , AND VERY GOOD AERIEL THREAT.
Sadly for Shola, I don't think he'll remain in the collective Geordie memory for as long as Alan Shoulder has, though he won't have to work as hard as Alan did before or after NUFC. Whatever the many reasons for his not quite making it at his beloved Newcastle United, and there are tens of thousands, me included who would have died to have had his privilege, he will still be able to amass enough wealth in lower divisions to see out his mortal coil in comfort. In view of the harsh reality of most of earth's population, and I'm certain that Shola's christian beliefs would testify to this.... " The boy done good."
Sorry never rated him from day one. Always looked like he was playing in slow motion or maybe just lazy??
Lee can you update us with any news about this Gomis bafetemi?? (french dude situation)
People seem to forget that whilst the likes of Babyaro, Carr, Emre etc were quite content to race each other down to sick bay everytime they got a knot in their sock, Shola played on, time & time again with a painfull hip injury amongst other things. His commitment to the cause could never be faulted and for that alone, I wish him all the best. My own opinion is that he will make a decent Championship player given the chance but he fell woefully short in terms of cutting it at the top level. Anyway, at least he made it onto the Roll of Honour which is exclusive to those players who have scored against the Makems! Good luck Shola, wherever you end up!
I wish peolpe would wake up he was never a good player,looking at taylor and carroll they are not that good either.
I agree with Jason Craigg. The reason for Shola's inconsistent form was due to his injury, specifically his hip. When the club needed him because everyone else was in the sick bay, he played on his bad hip. At the end of the season an injection was tried instead of surgery, so again he played on a bad hip through November the following year. Souness also played him in midfield, and I don't recall him complaining. All strikers need to be healthy,played consistently and they need service to score goals. Does he look awkward when he plays, certainly, but so does Peter Crouch. Shola has scored 39 goals on 111 starts thats 35%. Compare that with Anelka's career of 145 goals on 381 starts 38% . I'm not saying he's as good as Anelka, just pointing out that he isn't as bad as people think. He didn't live up to expectation because he was expected to score at the same rate as Shearer, and he is no Alan Shearer. He isn't even a top 10 striker in the prem., but that doesn't mean he isn't prem quality. I think he'd be good cover for Viduka next season ( if Alan Smith can make the team Shola should!). I thank him for his dedication to the magpies and wish him well in the future, he's earned that at least.
shola had plenty of chances under many managers and for a local lad his heart just never seemed to be in it,maybe that was just is style but i wont be sorry to see leave.ps thats the worst geordie accent ive ever heard.
He wasnt good enough, not even for cover so shut up. He played through the pain yes, but, let me tell you this and this is fact...he did this, so we wouldnt go out and sign a big name striker who would keep him out the team while having surgery, recovering, and eventually fit, he wanted to just play as he knew he wasnt good enough and feared another striker (or any joe bloggs, milkman, postman) coming in, showing him for what he really is and getting him released. SHOLA OUT!
Sorry Lee but I don't think you can blame 'a combination of injuries and managerial misunderstandings' for Shola not making it. One thing I'm very grateful to Big Sam for was being the first manager to realise that Shola was not good enough. Keegan obviously agrees with this and is letting him go. I fail to see what the previous managers (some allegedly world class) saw in him to justify selecting him. If he was outstanding in training, then surely they could see he was out of his depth out on the pitch in the Premier League. It shows how 'badly' he is rated when you see the calibre of teams interested in him. I work with a Stoke City fan who has no time for him at all and is praying he goes elsewhere.
When he scored those two goals against Su*******d a few seasons ago my heart sank with the thought he could go down in Geordie folklore and he would be a permanent member of the squad. However, I needn't have worried as even though he's from the area, the Toons fans couldn't even be bothered to hero worship him!
That is a rarity for Newcastle - a player who is injured all the time!
The walker warrior did his best for the toon,yes looked lazy sometimes and didnt produce many goals,but under championship managment he could be a very good player,all the best shola werever you play.
So the " Walker Pele " is about to depart for pastures new--and about time too . Personally the only thing I'll miss about this total load of rubbish is having a good laugh every time he went to head a ball. Premiership footballer? I don't think so ---mind you having said that if Alan Smith is an England international class player maybe I'm wrong
If Newcastle United really want to improve for the long-term, players of Shola's quality simply have no room in the first team. He was and always will be average at best. That coupled with injuries problems just makes the decision to sell him black n white (horrible pun).
That said, I wish Shola all the very best.
Asking for the impossible but let's get Duff Smith Capaca out asap. Our squad is in serious need of quality in numbers.
I loved Ameobi for many years and despite the fact he's turned out distinctly average! My school has become obsessed with Ameobi simply because of IOSS.
Just remember his preformance v Barca, he was really promising then but if Robson had stayed he would have been a much better player. Only Robson and Roeder really rated him which is sad...
Good Luck Shola!