Every club has one shirt number that means more to them than any other. At Newcastle United, it’s the number 9 shirt. 9 is usually the number worn by a club’s best striker, the man they look to score the goals and win them games. And despite their lack of trophies in the last 40 years, Newcastle have always had a number 9 they could idolise from the stands.
But the season is now underway, and Newcastle have started it with their famous number 9 shirt empty. Club legends such as Jackie Milburn, Malcolm MacDonald and Alan Shearer have worn it with pride and scored hundreds of goals for the club with 9 on their shirt. Andy Cole scored with apparent ease wearing the same number, as he and Peter Beardsley terrorised Premier League defences under Kevin Keegan. But since the departure of Andy Carroll last January, the number 9 shirt has remained vacant.
When Carroll signed for Liverpool in January, Mike Ashley and the Newcastle board promised fans that all of the money they received for Carroll would be re-invested in the team. Fans expected a high profile striker to arrive this summer, but there’s been little evidence to this point to suggest this will be the case. While four players have been added to the squad, fees have only been paid for Gabriel Obertan and Yohan Cabaye. The club have also sold captain Kevin Nolan to West Ham, and talented left back Jose Enrique joined Liverpool on Friday. Although Newcastle finished 12th last season, they still need more players in their squad to avoid finding themselves at the wrong end of the table.
But it’s the absence of a top class striker that should most worry Newcastle fans. Andy Carroll was a local lad who broke into the team following their relegation from the Premier League, and was their top scorer as they came straight back up after winning the Championship. Last season he got off to a flying start, scoring a hat-trick as Newcastle hammered Aston Villa 6-0 in their first home game. Before the turn of the year, he’d scored 11 goals in 19 league games and also received his first England cap. But he picked up an injury in January, and by the end of the window, he had joined Liverpool for £35million.
Because Carroll joined Liverpool on the final day of the transfer window, Newcastle were unable to bring another striker in immediately. They did sign Shefki Kuqi on a free transfer from Swansea, but he made only a handful of substitute appearances and left the club in the summer. Demba Ba joined from West Ham, but has had long-term knee problems and has not been a prolific goalscorer. Peter Lovenkrands, Shola Ameobi, Leon Best, Sammy Ameobi and Nile Ranger are the other strikers in the squad, but do not provide the kind of threat that will produce the goals return Newcastle need to maintain their Premier League status.
Mike Ashley has never been a popular figure with Newcastle fans. His treatment of Kevin Keegan left a sour taste in their mouths, as did the sale of Carroll and the sacking of Chris Hughton last October (and the subsequent appointment of Alan Pardew). Newcastle fans have always been passionate, and have never been shy of demanding answers. While they may be unsure of Pardew’s abilities as a manager, Ashley is likely to be their main target for protest should results not go their way. Ashley needs to make a statement and give Pardew the money required to go out and buy Newcastle fans the number 9 they crave, or he’ll quickly find himself under the kind of spotlight he doesn’t relish once again.
Written by David Dougan
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