Slowly but surely, Newcastle United are starting to get going in this 2012 Premier League season, although we would all be happier if Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse could both get scoring within the same 90 minutes. We know by now that the two front men don’t play at their best when they are named on the same team sheet. But with the lack of first team established strikers, it’s hard to think of something different to provide any extra goals.
This time last year we had 4 first team strikers. With the likes of Demba Ba, Shola Ameobi, Peter Lovenkrands and Leon Best. Now with half of them having joined lower Championship sides, we are now left with just three – Ba, Cisse and Ameobi. Shamefully it is just three as any hopes of this being Vuckic’s year to make an impact were shattered when he was ruled out for the season with injury in a recent reserve match.
It’s easy to figure out that Ba and Cisse are two of our greatest strikers since the legend that is Alan Shearer. But if we cannot play them together then what can we do? We cannot keep benching one and keeping Shola upfront with the other.
Although Shola is loyal and a passionate Mackem hater, he isn’t in the same class as the two Dembas. His years of age are mounting up, and he “may” not have the legs to play every weekend and lead the line in our midweek Europe games. Plus he is known to up pick an injury every now and then.
Although, we do have three more options. Below are three strikers (titled fairly I believe), who we could use to make a difference…
The Good
Adam Campbell.
This young 17 year old lad is certainly starting to make an impression. With the press naming him the next Wayne Rooney and the best thing to come out of the Newcastle ranks since Gazza. It’s believed that Campbell is being watched by the two Manchester clubs.
Pardew has used the young lad a few times now. And each time there has been headlines. Once being brought on for the closing few minutes in a pre-season friendly against Cardiff, and with not much time to make an impact it was easy to see his best assets – his fast pace working defenders in and around the box. Plus he is the youngest Newcastle player to represent the Magpies in a European competition since Andy Carroll (and we all know what heights he reached). Campbell is currently working well and scoring in the under 21 games, so he’s doing his part on laying down the foundations for a great future.
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Although he certainly is “the good” out of the three strikers that I’ve highlighted. His young age is a downside. We need to nurture his development by playing him right and not pushing him into harder opposition and not developing his skills. He may even get shipped out on loan before a first team spot. His quickness and fast reactions make him look like a Michael Owen in his prime. And he would certainly add a different addition to our attacking line. They do say if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.
The Bad
Nile Ranger. Bad, bad, bad and more bad. It seems in recent years Ranger has spent more time with his solicitor than with the coaching staff.
Cast your mind back to the year when Newcastle were about to take on the Championship. Although it was mostly doom and gloom, we had two young strikers. Two young strikers who could really blossom into their full potential against lower quality sides -Andy Carroll and Nile Ranger. Although a lot came from Carroll, Ranger hardly got a game. And that continued under Pardew’s first year in charge, as Ranger was the most used sub in the Prem that season.
But now he seems to have fallen out of the Newcastle United club altogether, as he fails to even get reserve games. Pardew admitted that Ranger doesn’t even turn up on time to training. It’s hard to accept someone who messes the fans and staff around so much.
With Ranger on a long term deal we may be stuck with him for some time. In the summer it was reported that a team submitted a 7 figure sum for the lad, but he refused to go. It seems that a high salary is worth more than pride and respect. But at only 21, he still has a long career ahead of him to redeem himself. Sooner rather than lately it would seem.
And The Ugly
Finally, Xisco.
In a recent press release Xisco has revealed that he found it extremely hard at Newcastle. With the constant change of managers and having to adapt to the English game. But Pardew gave him words of advice to not give up. And with Pardew’s long term deal just being signed, the stability of a coach may encourage Xisco to get comfortable and start scoring.
In the rare games that Xisco had he didn’t play that bad. His debut match was rounded off with a goal against Hull. And two seasons ago with that game against Aston Villa, it was Xisco who applied a superb assist for Carroll who completed his hat-rick.
Xisco had hatred thrown on him at the very start. As our messiah Kevin Keegan quickly resigned after he was forced into the signing of this Spaniard, the fans were quick to aim their anger and blame towards him. Plus as Xisco was signed under the era of the Denise Wise, he was never going to be a fan favourite.
But an ugly Newcastle career could be coming to an end, as the outcast managed to get himself a super hat-trick against a Stoke reserve team. Although it may be too early to start heaping praise on the lad, it’s certainly exciting to have a striker growing in confidence.
He is certainly old enough to play in the first team. He has first team experience. And he’s a striker! We need the options. Maybe he could start with an appearance in a mid-week game? If he keeps up this super form, the papers will soon start to saying that we may offer him a new deal… Which expires the end of the season.
So we certainly have options. Maybe only two out of the three being the realistic ones. And I expect in the coming weeks these options will start to become clear, as Pardew has the struggle of juggling a team around to compete in Europe and English games.
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