Xisco is doing his very best to try to make it on his second go-around at the Newcastle United club a success.
Xisco – we hope this lad makes it at Newcastle
Xisco arrived on the last day of the transfer market in 2008 for £2.7M from Deportivo, and Kevin Keegan knew nothing about it.
And it was hardly Xisco’s fault that a tornado erupted at the Newcastle club, which eventually resulted in Kevin walking out, the club being put up for sale – but nobody wanting to buy – and Newcastle being relegated in May, 2009.
Not a particularly good time to join Newcastle – we would suggest.
And it seems that his Spanish friends back home are hoping he can prove he’s good enough for Newcastle in the Premier League.
Xisco said today:
“I’m friends with Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Pedro, Sergio Ramos and Xavi,””We know each other well and keep in touch a lot, and I was one of the first to send them my congratulations.”
“I hope they will watch me playing for Newcastle. We always keep in touch. Whenever somebody scores a goal, we send our congratulations.”
“I was very happy when Spain won the World Cup. This is the first time we have won the World Cup. I’m very happy because I have friends in the squad.”
“I played with a lot of them for the Under-21 side, and I have a very good relationship with five of them. I’m happy for them – it was such a big, big thing for Spanish football.”
Xisco was signed from Deportivo for £5.7m two years ago, and the Newcastle supremo in the signing was the utterly hopeless and inept cockney – Dennis Wise.
We think it was Dennis more than anybody else, who sent the Mike Ashley era crashing off course so quickly – he let himself and the Newcastle club down – badly. And we also know that’s exactly what Bobby Robson thought was the big problem, too.
24 year-old Xisco knows he probably has this one last chance to make his Newcastle career a success, and he will not have much time to prove his worth either.
Xisco continued:
“I’m pleased to be going back to Coruna as a Newcastle player,” “I played for six years at Depor, and they are my club in Spain.”
“I just want to do well for Newcastle. I’ve got three years left on my contract, and want to show I can do a job for the club.
“I hope I can stay and help the team. La Liga and the Premier League are the best two leagues in the world.”
As we’ve said before we’d love to see this lad succeed – because if he does he will have overcome everything that was pitted against him, when he first arrived two years ago.
Stranger things have happened.
Comments welcome.
21 comments so far
Ericles
Aug 2, 2010 at 1:34 PM
Comment #1I hope Xisco makes it at NUFC. He sounds keen and should be given every chance. He had a bum deal out of poison Wise – everybody did.
Teamstoof
Aug 2, 2010 at 1:50 PM
Comment #2I like the kid, hope his carrier will be fine in the black and white, cross my fingers that it will not be another luque.
Moreno
Aug 2, 2010 at 1:52 PM
Comment #3Unfortunately for him, he arrived with a huge price tag and the pressures that come with it. This season there isn’t as much pressure to perform as no one expects him too and most have already written him off. I really hope he does well, starting with a goal on tuesday night!
SupaMag
Aug 2, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Comment #4You cant help but pull for the lad. There is no denying that Keegan threw him under the bus when he came here.
I hope he becomes a productive player for us, and gets the fans on his side.
RichK
Aug 2, 2010 at 2:10 PM
Comment #5Ed, i wish he had been bought for £2.7m that might make it seem a better deal. Still, I think the lad deserves a shot and he might just surprise one or two people. If it doesn’t work out expect him to be sold in Jan or certainly next summer.
greekgeordie
Aug 2, 2010 at 2:28 PM
Comment #6Ed, the lad had a bad time on first time around, he seems keen to do well so a chance to shows us what he can do is what he deserves, but asking him to play wide left is not the help that CH should give him.
I rather sit him on the bench until his favourable position becomes available and allow him to demostrate to the fans what he can do.
Of course come 16th and assuming fit and ready Jonas will be our left wide man and the question will be academic.
Captain Beefheart
Aug 2, 2010 at 3:33 PM
Comment #7‘Xisco was signed from Deportivo for £5.7m two years ago..’
Vs
‘Xisco arrived on the last day of the transfer market in 2008 for £2.7M from Deportivo’
Which is it, Ed? I know the pound has slumped but surely not by that much?
And now for today’s unpopular topic….
‘Were all Dennis Wise’s signings bad, in retrospect, or did they unfairly suffer from a prejudical reaction from manager and fans alike?’
We all love Jonas now, but there weren’t many of us hard-core spidey’s tooting for him 12 months ago! Is Xisco another superb layer that got thrown out of the Gallowgate pram with the rest of KK’s toys?
MJLiddell
Aug 2, 2010 at 3:54 PM
Comment #8I think Xisco will get plenty of goals next season, given the opportunity to play first team football. He certainly has the potential.
MrT76
Aug 2, 2010 at 4:33 PM
Comment #9@ Captain Beefheart
Were all Dennis Wise’s signings bad, in retrospect, or did they unfairly suffer from a prejudical reaction from manager and fans alike?’
i’ve been saying this for a while now myself, just haven’t had the bottle to post it on here. So cheers for that:)
Wasn’t Wise responsible for Vukic and Kadar, as well as Guti and Colo? As much as it pains me to say it, he mightve actually been half decent at the job, given a fair chance. I think the whole dubious nature of the Nacho Gonzales signing was what did it for Wise though. Both him and Jiminez came out of that looking very much like the Cockney wideboys we wanted to despise them for. And let’s face it, it wasn’t going to take much to turn a man who was already despised as a player into a hate figure at SJP.
And before anyone starts blabbing about how bad a signing Nacho was, or Zamblera,etc, remember that even Sir Bob got it wrong on occasion – Cordone anyone? Bassedas?
Time to move on methinks. Do you think Wise would have the job back then?? ( just joking)
SupaMag
Aug 2, 2010 at 4:52 PM
Comment #10When its all said and done. The poison dwarfs signings may pan out for us. As mentioned earlier by mrt76, jonas colo kadar vuckic and ranger were signed by Dastardly Dennis.
Lets not also forget that Keegans biggest priority for that dreadful season was resigning permacrock, Michael Owen.
baro
Aug 2, 2010 at 5:22 PM
Comment #11I still think Xisco can make it at Newcastle.
Wright
Aug 2, 2010 at 5:44 PM
Comment #12Xisco can make it at Newcastle but he isn’t a number 9 i think he is someone to play as a 2nd striker
and as for wise didn’t he also bring in Bassong or was that Keegan whoever it was that was a great piece of business
carlos
Aug 2, 2010 at 5:51 PM
Comment #13Having seen Xisco play on Saturday (albeit only 15 mins) he had a very assured touch, looked lightning quick both mentally and physically and had a decent shot on him. He was unlucky not to bag a winner shooting narrowly wide (looked narrowly wide from Milburn stand anyway)
Not saying he’ll make a world beater but I’ve no doubt he’ll do a decent job given a chance
Captain Beefheart
Aug 2, 2010 at 5:53 PM
Comment #14Mashley placed Wise & KK in an unenviable position. The structure was his, the lies were his and subsequent politics was largely his doing as well.
I don’t think Mr Wise actually did much wrong, apart from being Mr Wise to be honest. If an ex Mag like Roeder had been given the job as Director of Football it might have worked. It also could have worked if everyone involved had understood and agreed the terms of reference (even altered the title to Procurement Manager), but they didn’t, and of course it didn’t – again thanks 99% to Mashley.
Main thing now is to judge players without prejudice and give them a fair chance regardless of baggage, and that goes for both Best & Xisco. Good luck to them both.
One day Mashley will be history…..
Wright
Aug 2, 2010 at 5:59 PM
Comment #15with all strikers as soon as one goes in they then go on a run of goals this comes through time in the team lovenkrands did this in jan and feb and whenever i saw best i felt like he was a goal away and xisco might be the same
giimps
Aug 2, 2010 at 6:21 PM
Comment #16I can remember him feigning injury to orchestrate a move , saying he was glad to be out of it.
I can understand his predicament, nobody wanted him ,blamed him for keegan walking out and not being played !!!
I for one will give him another chance ,If he wants to play in a black and white shirt and is willing to make his mark.
I will be happy as a happy thing if he can score gint loads of goals along with Big Andy and the boys.
HWTL
kikgras
Aug 2, 2010 at 7:07 PM
Comment #17If Xisco’s TEAMMATES and MGR trust him and pull for him, then no reason for we fans not to!!
Get it done boy…just get it done!
Reevie_NUFC
Aug 2, 2010 at 7:47 PM
Comment #18Really hope we give this lad a chance, proberly will end up being better than lovenkrands, best, ranger and ameobi if we give him a chance, if we dont sign a striker which i don’t see happening we should give xisco a run in the team to partner carroll.
howay man
Aug 2, 2010 at 9:56 PM
Comment #19I thought xisco played alright on saturday, went on a decent run, skipped away from 2 defenders and had a shot which went a yard wide, more than guthrie and rtaylor did on the wings. And I know Rtaylor scored and he got an assist, but come on, my old nan could have buried that, and as for the assist well it was about time he got a freekick right. In fairness to Guthrie he was miles out of position.
G
Aug 2, 2010 at 10:01 PM
Comment #20I want Xisco to succeed at the toon. To me, I echo Ed’s comments about him arriving at a turbulent time, in an extraordinary set of circumstances. Regardless of what has gone on in the past, from this season on, is all that matters. Come on Xisco son, prove the naysayers wrong.
chuck
Aug 3, 2010 at 1:24 PM
Comment #21Yes! we all hope the guy turns out decent and i`m sure he will give it his all.
Like Joey and a few more this will be a season that will shake out the dross and leave a core on which to build for the future.
IMO it will be a tough season, a definate step up in quality of the opposition and with teams like Wolves, Wigan and Stoke securing another season, all with vastly improved sides over the one`s that got them promoted.
And these are the clubs we will have to take points from.
Aint gonna be easy, in which case I hope we can bring in a couple of decent reinforcements, enough with the bargain basement buys.