Oba Martins will be happy to see his contract out at Newcastle United, and that has to be good news for Newcastle’s faithful fans.
Oba Martins – whoops – he’ scored again 😀
It turns out that a close friend of the Nigerian striker has told the KickOffNigeria.com website that he is enjoying life under new manager Kevin Keegan, and wants to help the club to gain qualification for Europe.
Martins got off to a bit of a rocky start under Keegan, but since Keegan has gone to a 4-3-3 formation Newcastle are playing their best football of the season, and Oba has scored a goal in each of the last two games.
Chris Nathaniel of NVA Management says that Oba will remain at the Newcastle club and said:
“It is normal and in place for top clubs like Arsenal, Manchester United, AC Milan and the rest to make enquiries about top and in-form players like Obafemi,” “As a close confidant of the player, I can tell you sincerely that Martins has no intention of quitting the club now.â€
“I can also confirm to you that several top clubs across Europe have made contact to know his intentions, but the player has not indicated interest in any one of them for now.â€
“Obafemi is a striker who has always been in demand and will always be in demand.†“But he is happy at Newcastle under Kevin Keegan, and he feels he has unfinished business.â€
“He would like to be part of taking the team into Europe, and therefore he has no interest to leave the club.”
It’s good to hear that Martins wants to stay, but that seems to be true for most of Newcastle’s players under Kevin Keegan. Not only are they playing well, but they are also playing their very best football at Newcastle United and seem to be enjoying every minute of it.
That has to be very good news for the club, and augers very well for next season.
We cannot wait.
Comments welcome.
30 comments so far
Eric
Apr 10, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Comment #1Oba has to stay. The fact that he wants is grand
news. Outside interests must be told to keep their noses out and go sniff elsewhere.
Knightbobmoncur
Apr 10, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Comment #2Why do these people keep coming out of the woodwork and stating that “many clubs have been in touch to find out Oba’s intentions” etc etc.
Great if he wants to stay, all respect for his loyalty and the fact that he could walk into any european team IMO is also good, but these people though trying to sound helpful are doing nothing but stir things up!
If clubs have indeed been in touch with Oba, which a idoubt very much, can this be constrewed as an illegal approach??
Oba has to stay, he is the future and we need also to keep Owen, Viduka, Barton, Butt, Beye and Faye. As I believe these players will also interest a few clubs come the opening of the window!!
Shanghaitoon
Apr 10, 2008 at 2:46 PM
Comment #3Great news that Oba wants to stay. Can only be a good thing for the club.
Just as an aside, Ed, I was looking at the poll on who should leave the club. I think if you were to reset it and ask people to vote again you may get a completely different picture!! I would certainly vote differently now!! LOL!!
domtoon
Apr 10, 2008 at 2:46 PM
Comment #4Oba is pure.
wsq
Apr 10, 2008 at 3:07 PM
Comment #5i have yet to feel that he makes himself indispensable. he should asap with goals!
moomfan
Apr 10, 2008 at 3:16 PM
Comment #6the media has to earn a living somehow, and what better way to do so by making up stories about newcastle and our players. i just wonder if these sorts have a life without misery. i can’t imagine they do. all the negative jibe from the media has also impacted the club and that is the difference with having the right manager or not, it is how they either absorb it like in the past 10 years or let it bounce off like in the last 2 and a 1/2 months. we have the right man now.
UTD111
Apr 10, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Comment #7Aye right – he’s happy and contented. Lets see what happens when he finds out how much they are gonna offer Captain Mikey to stick around!!
heads23552
Apr 10, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Comment #8I remember the press saying Rob Lee was going back to London every season, but he never did, they all talk rubblish, sells papers.
Leo
Apr 10, 2008 at 3:31 PM
Comment #9good news, oba is a geordie everyone, he loves it, we love it, id love it, just love it if we got into europe-
see what i did there…
Thomas
Apr 10, 2008 at 3:46 PM
Comment #10unfinished business! take us back to the promised land of the champions league
domtoon
Apr 10, 2008 at 3:55 PM
Comment #11He loves the toon, he loves the toon, he loves the toon, he loves the toon!
He loves the toon, he loves the toon, he loves the toon, he loves the toon!
He knows he won’t get the adoration he gets at nufc ANYWHERE else. If he gives us 10 great years with lots of good goals, he will go down in history as on the great number 9s :oD
Ian
Apr 10, 2008 at 3:55 PM
Comment #12I agree with the statement above, they need to be careful what they offer the captain or they could risk upsetting Martins who has never been in doubt about this club, always stood up and stated he is happy here whenever there are any rumours about other interest, he scores doesnt injure easily and is involved with as many or more goals that others score plus his own, apart from a few more goals (which will happen under keegan) what else could we ask?
Davies
Apr 10, 2008 at 4:08 PM
Comment #13Love him. He’s a ledge.
I keep reading reports about Keegan looking to bring in some other world class strikers, but unless they are better than what we have at the moment, they’re not worth bothering with.
Would anybody else be happy to see Oba or Owen on the bench, while Thierry Henry plays the last of his days out? there’s no way Henry will be prepared to sit on the bench and wait his turn.
What ever Keegan/Mort/Ashley offer Owen, they should be offering our boy Oba.
Not sure about Viduka. If we could find the same player, only about 7 years younger, replacing him would be a no brainer, but he’s giving good service at the moment.
Ray
Apr 10, 2008 at 4:09 PM
Comment #14You are all correct in what you say about the press. I did’nt think Martins would go anywere he’s a gem and I am glad I am seeing him play more often now in the first XI.
As far as buying news papers goes I don’t bother there full of shite, I get all my crap off the telly.
scottish mag
Apr 10, 2008 at 4:11 PM
Comment #15nufc apparently want portos li-lo(lisandro lopez) and could cost £12m, he has scored 21 in 23 this season and has again topped the bwin scorer table that is 10 ahead of second place, once linked with nufc, oscar cardozo of benfica
http://goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=654315
wot do u all think about this,
especially tom toon with u being have portuguese
Brian
Apr 10, 2008 at 4:15 PM
Comment #16Carr and smith also wants to stay great news
scottish mag
Apr 10, 2008 at 4:19 PM
Comment #17davies what about zigic of valencia to replace viduka, he is currently unhappy as he has been frozen out of the team by koeman, u cant get a player much bigger than him in height
lets all laugh at sunderland
Apr 10, 2008 at 4:24 PM
Comment #18jan koller is bigger than them all and peter crouch is bigger than zigic
Daniel...
Apr 10, 2008 at 4:44 PM
Comment #19we don’t need a big striker tho all we need is a strong player with good feet and can spot a pass after holding the ball up, can you see peter ‘fall over at every opportunity’ crouch doing this?
oh yeah and he also has to be able to chip in with a couple of goals now and then
Tom_Toon
Apr 10, 2008 at 4:49 PM
Comment #20Lopez, good in portugal, not sure about england. Hes strong for his height, god in the air and a poacher, but when i think of lopez i always think ‘lack of pace’. Hes not the slowest but i dont know if he could match up to the pace of them prem.
Spyro
Apr 10, 2008 at 5:28 PM
Comment #21everyone Davey G is Knighsbobmoncur so dont be too surprised if you find the two agreeing with each other regularly. Read the article about sir bobby robsons words and you will see his comments and figure it out in a matter of seconds, how embarrassing.
Ed Harrison
Apr 10, 2008 at 5:52 PM
Comment #22Shanghaitoon – i’ll give it a go – will close the first poll and put it up again – it should be interesting although I expect Ameobi and Rozehnal still to be top two.
Are you based in Shanghai? – I was there a few years back and stayed at the Inter Continental Hotel there – when I was still at IBM.
Graham
Apr 10, 2008 at 6:08 PM
Comment #23Doesn’t a few weeks make a hell of a difference? Go back to late february and this site was probably 60/40 in favour of keeping Martins (i’m pleased to say i was one of the 60)
He has the potential to become world class. Yes he needs decent players around him to achieve this – put Messi up front for Huddersfield and he would be crap.
I agree with being careful on what we offer to both Owen and Martins though – they’re doing similar jobs and deserve similar wages. Keep Owen on what he’s on and bump up Martins to the same should just about do it. Oh the indignity of having to survive on 100k a week – lets all have a wip round for the poor lads!
Davies
Apr 10, 2008 at 6:10 PM
Comment #24Good point Scottish Mag, but would he come?
Also, what would we do with Viduka? Sell him? It would be a shame now that he’s started to become effective as part of a three man strike force.
Can’t see Zigic taking too kindly to waiting until Viduka’s finished.
Also Zigic is 28 as well. It would be nice to see a striker as young as say 25 take Viduka’s spot.
Of course, if we could get Zigic in I wouldn’t be complaining….
Obafemi
Apr 10, 2008 at 7:19 PM
Comment #25Oba is God’s second son
Egar
Apr 10, 2008 at 11:12 PM
Comment #26OBA-OBA-DOO!
I’m kinda got accustomed to his double flips.
Same goes for the awesome threesome OM-MV-MO. What a strikeforce!
Yeah, OBA-OBA-DOO!
Ausgeordie
Apr 11, 2008 at 1:19 AM
Comment #27I think Martins and Owen should both be offered improved contracts ASAP. Martins needs a 6 uyear deal to tie him in as I really think we have the next superstar. He will learn and keep getting better and when Owen goes in three or four years he will lead the line with one of our younger lads no doubt moving up to a solid bench place or even a starting sport as Dukes will be well gone by then. This is THE guy to build the team around
Jeff from Malaysia
Apr 11, 2008 at 2:32 AM
Comment #28Great to hear that he’ll stay…
Obafan
Apr 11, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Comment #29You saw after his goal at SPurs what the club means for him. KK has given him the confidence which he needs. Oba is a striker who is learning very fast (look at his calm finishes the last weeks, something which he would never have done last season).
The fact that he wants to stay is fantastic. I think the board should talk to him and give him a new longer deal, cause he has a great future ahead of him.
Shanghaitoon
Apr 11, 2008 at 3:35 PM
Comment #30Hi Ed, Yes I’m based in Shanghai. Been here 2 yrs now, but born in Newcastle and a Geordie true!!
Thanks for trying the poll again!