There are reports surfacing in Liverpool that Newcastle United have already made contact with John Arne Riise’s representatives.
John Arne Riise - would be great acquisition for Newcastle
Riise has had very little football for Liverpool this season, and while he is keen to stay at the club, he also says he needs to play more.
It looks like Kevin Keegan is aware of the situation and the Newcastle club have already made contact with both Liverpool and Riise’s representatives about a possible move in the summer.
Keegan has already said he wants to bring an experienced left back to the club, and other players that have been mentioned have included Wayne Bridge and Nicky Shorey.
But there’s no doubt that Riise would be a great acquisition for Newcastle and would fit well into the new attacking style of play Newcastle are already playing under their new manager. He also has great experience in Europe and would really fit the bill on Tyneside.
Riise’s contract runs out in 2009 and reports on Merseyside suggest he is not likely to be offered a new contract. He is valued at around £4M, and this season has found himself second choice to Fabio Aurelio.
He has played 237 times for Liverpool and scored 21 goals and represented Norway on 68 occasions scoring 7 goals. What do you think?
Would Riise be a good buy for Newcastle? Let us know.
Comments welcome.
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32 responses so far ↓
1 Callum // Apr 13, 2008 at 11:38
Please do not go to Liverpool to sign Crouch and Riise - Riise is past it and we have our very own Peter Crouch in Andy Carroll
2 chappa // Apr 13, 2008 at 11:40
callum i dissagree m8
i think crouch and riise would be great additions
3 scottish mag // Apr 13, 2008 at 11:47
same chappa crouch has shown he can play with owen and risse is quality got a brilliant strike and loves to bomb up and down the pitch and would be a bargain at £4m
4 wsq // Apr 13, 2008 at 11:56
riise loves to bomb up and down two years ago..
5 tdt // Apr 13, 2008 at 11:59
carroll and crouch r very similar, the difference is that crouch has the experience, and therefore the pricetag. he would be a good buy but i dont think we need him, unless viduka was to leave then yes get crouch, otherwise there are more important positions to fill - midfield. i think we should get riise, as we only have young jose at LB currently, so they would be interchangable next term. my only concern is that if we replace are current, defensive midfield trio with attacking midfielders, will that weaken our resolve? well, i hope not, as hopefully the attacking midfielders will provide that old phrase, attack is the best form of defence. what do you lot think?
6 craig f // Apr 13, 2008 at 12:03
2 or 3 years ago Riise was one of the best left backs in the league. But there is a reason he is not first choice at Liverpool anymore.. I watched him the other night against The Arse Heads in the CL, and he is not the player he was a few year back. He looks overweight and didnt track back at all to help out the defense (he was playin LW). Plus when was the last time you REALLY seen him bomb up the wing like he used to, and when was last time he didnt sky a shot 10 mile over the bar?
7 simen // Apr 13, 2008 at 12:04
As a Norwegian fan… NO!!!
8 ToonKing // Apr 13, 2008 at 12:21
say NO to Rejects !1!!1
9 micepie // Apr 13, 2008 at 12:46
I wouldn’t be overly concerned by the recent form of players Keegan might sign because I think KK can rejuvenate them anyway. Mind you, I don’t want a lb to push Jose Enrique out of the first team, and at the most share the spot.
10 Midjew // Apr 13, 2008 at 12:46
Love both Riise and Crouch GET THEM!!!!
When they play regular they are both amazing and with keegans team spirit it’ll be great!
11 Nobby's dad // Apr 13, 2008 at 12:53
It’s odd that we are being linked with wanting a left back when we have Enrique who’s 21 (and Toser at 18) yet don’t appear to be link with a right back, although Beye is 29. Surely cover for him is more important?
IMO we need a centre back / creative mid / winger and a forward - plus a couple of youngsters.
12 Tom_Toon // Apr 13, 2008 at 12:59
Riise is rubbish!!!!!!
13 clinta // Apr 13, 2008 at 13:05
Shorey or bridge at left back yes please! but riise instead no thanks, maybe a couple seasons ago when he was playing the football worhty of his wages?
crouch up front would also be a big awkward mistake and i’ll never live it down with my mate whose liverpool.
14 clinta // Apr 13, 2008 at 13:07
nobby’s dad god point about right back, maybe were keeping carr after all? crap!!
15 Michael // Apr 13, 2008 at 13:17
Riise is a has-been as far as I can see, his passing is suspect and he’s lost his pace. As a back up to Enrique maybe. As for Crouch, I dont think he’d be a reject at all, I think Rafa is daft playing Kuyt ahead of Crouch when its clear for all to see that Crouch scores goals, holds up the ball very well and has a great deal of close skill, much like Viduka but with a totally different physique. I think Crouch has more than proved his doubters and hecklers wrong and Id be delighted if we signed him.
16 Michael // Apr 13, 2008 at 13:20
I think we need a creative midfielder, a top quality centre back, a creative midfielder and right and left back back ups for Beye and Enrique. Maybe a pacey right winger too.
17 Spyro // Apr 13, 2008 at 14:50
Michael, Rafa plays Kuyt because he is a defensive minded manager, he plays 5 in midfield and plays on the counter attack, i cant stand rafa and his crappy tactics. He is just lucky thats all. Just take a look at this negative midfield.
Xabi Alonso, Mascherano, Gerrard, Kuyt and Babel. Apart from Babel, all of the above are very good defensively.
Kuyt is played on the wing for liverpool as he is hard working etc. Liverpool have taken Crouch and he will NEVER be in the first team no matter how good he plays because he just doesnt fit in to the way Rafa likes to play the majority of the time. If Rafa was a nice guy he would just let Crouch go and better his career, rather then simply keeping him on the bench for when liverpool want to punt long balls over.
18 Spyro // Apr 13, 2008 at 14:54
and by the way, riise is a rubbish has been, and after all this talk of “top quality signings” i would be very disappointed if we bring this guy in. crap
19 ehssi // Apr 13, 2008 at 15:02
riise is a prick!
if we wanna have more Scandinavian fans, we most not buy riise, because they hate riise!
20 ScottyT // Apr 13, 2008 at 16:32
michael comment 16 - agree these are the areas we need to strengthen. id say we need to get a couple of centre mids though and maybe a replacement for charlie at LM
21 Tom // Apr 13, 2008 at 17:10
really hate this “policy” of buying top four rejects. hoped that had gone with fat freddy. Having said that though i think riise would be a good second choice and a good mentor to young jose. sign him up.
22 apan // Apr 13, 2008 at 19:05
yes to crouch, no to riise!
enrique is much better than him now
23 Obafan // Apr 13, 2008 at 19:35
Go for DANTE BINFOM from Standard in Belgium. I’ve said it a few times on the blog. He is a very good LB; last friday again he was outstanding. The commentator called him the emperor.
Riise no please don’t go for him. He is on his way back.
Crouch; ok he might be underrated at Liverpool, but I think we should go for GOMIS!
24 Leo // Apr 13, 2008 at 20:31
he isnt as good as enrique…
25 KEnneth BAssan // Apr 13, 2008 at 20:47
As a norwegian no way in hell! Probably a bitt better offensive than enrique, but definsivly shite.
26 Shaz // Apr 13, 2008 at 21:38
swap him for owen and you can have Riise and Crouch.lol
27 King Kev // Apr 13, 2008 at 21:42
I`am frome Norway, and her Riise is a love and hate guy. Most people dont like him ass a person, but as a player he would be a great player for us.
28 marcus owen // Apr 14, 2008 at 0:05
not more than 2.5million.
29 Eric // Apr 14, 2008 at 10:14
Not sure about Riise but definitely No to Crouch. Carroll is going to be better than him anyway!
30 HeronMag // Apr 14, 2008 at 11:31
No to Riise, no to Crouch.
Tamas Kadar looks fantastic and seems more than capable of covering Enrique (or perhaps Ben Tozer).
As for Crouch a lot of people are saying we have Andy Carroll so don’t need him. I totally agree. The lad has a surprising amount of pace and technical ability. He could be an England player but needs to be given a run of 10 or so games to prove himself.
Once victory is secure (hopefully with a win against the mackems) we should play him every game until the end of the season to get him to show what he can do.
31 HeronMag // Apr 14, 2008 at 11:32
As for strikers.. Bafe Gomis looks like a future world star. Snap him up Kev!
32 nate // Apr 14, 2008 at 17:01
I don’t rate Risse either. As with Crouch, Risse is not going to come to NEwcastle to sit on the bench, why would he leave Liverpool to do that. Which means we would have to make him first choice left back over Enrigque, which I think is a mistake. He can also play midfield, but even if we get rid of N’Zogbia over the summer, we are still going to have Duff, who I think is better.
With both Crouch and Risse I just think we would be in danger of situation similar to Smith earlier in the year, where its just expected that they are in the first team even when there are better options. And if they don’t start then the will complain about it even more than they have at Liverpool.
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