If Shola stays he's on the pitch

Topher wrote...

"Repay my loyalty" - that episode of MTV Cribs shows that his loyalty has been well and truly repaid!

He isn't good enough, it's as simple as that. Any doubt has surely been cast aside due to the fact that no premier league side was seriously interested in him apart from Stoke and they're trying to sign Amdy Faye. Enough said!

For me, Shola (and that episode of Cribs in particular) go a long way to symbolise what's wrong with football - fringe players who haven't really achieved anything, who never have to achieve anything and never have to raise a finger for the rest of their lives.

"It's time to repay my loyalty" - what a joke. I suppose you're a slave as well Shola?!

Posted by: Topher  | August 12, 2008 3:10 PM

scotty wrote...

OH GOD!

Posted by: scotty  | August 12, 2008 3:28 PM

Tad Caster wrote...

I've seen Shola play some good games for us - especially in Europe - but he's only got himself to blame for this mess, because the good games have been interspersed with long periods of lazy play, poor shooting, not passing quickly enough. He's had numerous chances, but he's not consistent enough and for where we want to be in the League, he's not good enough. Basically, we need another forward: neither Shola or Smith are up to it and Viduka's hardly ever fit! It's all very well suggesting the club should repay his loyalty; I think a lot of fans could argue that it's time he started repaying the club's faith in him.

Posted by: Tad Caster  | August 12, 2008 3:52 PM

Benton Bob wrote...

Lee -- once and for all lets end the Shola and Smithy debate. If NUFC are to make any progress at all it needs to be done with players who are capable of progressing the club on the pitch. It's been proved for years that Shola is simply not Premier standard and Smithy either just doesn't fit here or he's lost what he had and all he's proved in the last 12 months is that he's not Premier standard either. Ditch them both now -- if we need forward cover until Owen Martins Viduka and Carroll are fit, why not get someone like Healy from Fulham to fill in. He might not be a "star" signing but he's an International who's scored against England and Spain (3) and he'll come on half the wages of Smithy.KK's still got 3 weeks to get some more in -- I don't think forwards are the priority, besides with Man U & Arsenal away in the 1st 3 games, I'd settle for 2 0-0 draws now, after that time all 4 of the strikers should be fit. DITCH BOTH OF THEM NOW -- THEY AINT GOOD ENOUGH.

Posted by: Benton Bob  | August 12, 2008 3:55 PM

Steve Combe wrote...

Man U will be quaking at the prospect of Shola and Alan Smith up front for the Toon. I predict goals, all of them scored by the players in red unfortunately.

Still, I would love to be proved wrong and see Shola finally take an opportunity and Alan Smith maybe even take a shot at goal...

Posted by: Steve Combe  | August 12, 2008 9:33 PM

Kieran McGrath wrote...

hahaha milner to villa

Posted by: Kieran McGrath  | August 13, 2008 5:58 PM

John Best wrote...

Not the start to new season, that we all hoped for; BARTON,OWEN,VIDUKA & MARTINS, all crocked in one way or another; same old NUFC. a complete shambles !!AMIOBE & SMITH , up front is a joke; even young Carroll is unfit.KK will need to work miricles to survive with his limited resourses.We have enough players but they arn,t suitable for the Premiereship.

Posted by: John Best  | August 13, 2008 7:38 PM

mag in boro wrote...

if latest reports are to be believed keegan has to sell before any new transfers can be brought in i.e reason coloccini deal not finalised plus villa have tabled a 9 mil bid for milner..if these stories have truth it should be about time ashleys stopped playing "i own a football club"and sell up because this is not what was promised and if milner is let go barring being a massive mistake it also goes against what ashleys blueprint for newcastle stands for.investing in youth and potential.and the following summer there is a chnce we could let go one of the brightest young english players around..rows over Gutierrez eligbility,Coloccini supposed signing any day(before christmas)3 of top strikers not match fit and the prospect of shola and smith being our front two and what do we hear ashleys answers to most questions "i have wiped the clubs debt off or if i hadnt have took over newcastle were on a road to financial despair"
4 days before seasons opener we have 3 new faces costing 9 million with £3 mil back for rozenhal so £6 mil spent(and i will say so far)
To Mr Ashley if you were being truthful when saying you want europe and silverware and also were behind Keegan all the way.BACK YOUR MANAGER AS YOU PROMISED OR SELL THE DEBT FREE CLUB TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BRING PLAYERS INTO THE CLUB
also please dont wear club merchandise with players names who havent signed yet as you will look stupid if they do a u turn which has been known to happen.

saying all that i actually think we can nick a result sunday

BRITISH BY BIRTH
GEORDIE BY THE GRACE OF GOD

Posted by: mag in boro  | August 13, 2008 11:34 PM

Al Jardine wrote...

You know, Mag, last seasson when you defended Barton and Allardyce I thought you were an idiot, but a lot of what you've written since then has changed my mind and I couldn't agree more with what you've just said.

If Jonas and Coloccini had been eligible and either Martins or Owen had been fit, I don't think Man U in their current state would've beaten us. Fancy not having them registered. The mess over Coloccini's signing indicates just how clueless some people at SJP are. his si the real issue, not whining Shola. If you stay, Shola, put up or shut up.

Posted by: Al Jardine  | August 14, 2008 11:42 AM

David K wrote...

Forgive me if I'm being a bit thick but I was led to believe that the likes of Dennis Wise et al were brought in to handle the business side of recruitment to the club. If the evidence of this summer is anything to go by, they've proved as effective as Smith and Ameobe in front of goal. So far we have; Guterrez tied up in contractural wrangles and left possible unavailable, Coloccini's transfer taking longer to complete than Hadrian's wall, several "targets" aparently turning down the chance to join the club (wages possibly?), the club mentioned as being interested whenever any player that anyone might have possibly heard of comes even half available, and still we face the prospect of starting the season with a squad so thin you could read the Chronicle through it. If I, or my team at work performed as badly in the areas of recruitment and marketing as the current crew appear to have, I would have no surprise in finding myself clutching a P45 and queuing up at the job centre.
In an ideal world, the moving on of a couple of such obvious under-achievers as Smithy and Shola wouldn't warrant a second mention, but as long as the infrastructure in place is so patently unable to provide any alternatives, we are going to have to make do with what we've got. If that includes players that are either struggling to perform for whatever reason, or are not of sufficient talent to handle life at a "top" premiership club, then it's going to be Mike Ashley's pocket that's going to suffer when the club falters. Even if Mr Ashley's only interested in playing at owning a football club, his business sense must surely have kicking in by now warning him that the only way he's going to show the sort of profit that a club like NUFC could generate is to give real power and real financial clout to the one person within the current hierarchy that has even come close to marketing the club as an attractive proposition for top players to want to join. For all his percieved faults, that person is the man that Mike Ashley appointed as manager. The time may not be too late to let KK actually manage and be seen to be managing. Maybe then the sideways wry sniggers at the Toon might stop and the team start to entertain again.

Posted by: David K  | August 14, 2008 12:30 PM