One of the things that has dogged Shola Ameobi’s career at Newcastle is that he cannot stay fit enough to play enough games.
Shola Ameobi – should he rethink his International ambitions?
And the other is what we all saw yesterday, when Shola has those games in which you wonder if he’s on the pitch, or off in never neverland somewhere, as he seems to stroll aorund the filed doing nothing much in particular.
When Nile Ranger came on in those last few minutes, we’re almost convinced he expended more energy that Shola did in the whole game yesterday. 😀
And when Nile was through on goal on the left, if only he had cut the ball back to James Perch or Peter Lovenkrands, who were waiting to tap the ball into the net for Newcastle’s second (and winning) goal – rather than shooting from such a narrow angle.
It’s also true that when Shola is on his game, there’s no doubt he’s a very good player, but we see that side of Shola far too infrequently.
If Shola does start to play for Nigeria – he’s been named in their latest squad – that will hardly help his play at Newcastle, will add to injury concerns, and next January he could be away at the African Cup Of Nations for the full month.
But Pardew has been impressed with Shola since he arrived in December:
“I like Shola. He is a good player and I have always thought that.”
“ I did not realize what a great character and gentleman he is around the training ground. He is a good guy.”
“If he steers clear of injury, there is no reason why he cannot stay in this team, Andy Carroll or no Andy Carroll.”
“Taken for granted because he has been at the club so long? Possibly, but he had a serious injury and we stood by him, so it has gone hand in hand”
“Amoebi is one of those players a manager cannot help but enjoy working with, because he always wants to improve.”
At 29 years old it’s usually time when players think of winding down their Intentional careers – not starting them up.
Alan Shearer retired from playing for England when he reached 30, back in 2000, and dedicated the remaining five or six years totally to Newcastle United.
Maybe Shola should have a rethink on his International ambitions.
What do you think about this?
Comments welcome.
37 comments so far
Mac
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:30 PM
Comment #1Solve all our problems and sell him.
Brutooon
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:31 PM
Comment #2He been in football for 10 years
-Average
-Lazy
-Inconsistency
– one minute he is too “cool”, when he lose the ball – he will panic
-miss lots of chances
The reason he NEVER being call for England (while Carroll and possible Ranger will some day).
Last night, our centre back Collocini do a good volley than Ameobi. time for Shola to retire?
arfa chance
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:42 PM
Comment #3If its a quality wingers We want, why not Jonathan legear
stuckdownsouth
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:42 PM
Comment #4Sorry I know it’s not a popular opinion but Shola did well yesterday for an hour until he got knackered. Sure he drives us all mad sometimes but I honestly feel people focus too much on what he can’t do and not what he does do. He holds the ball up well and brings others into the game. He has never been a dynamic runner and thus gets labled as lazy, i think he just gets knackered. Ranger is a good impact player who can run at tired defenders and cause them a problem but that does not mean he should start over SA. Perhaps over Best. Without AC I think Shola has to start. Only my opinion and sure i’ll get some stick for it!
Brutooon
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:43 PM
Comment #5Collocini volley last night is better than Ameobi’s attempt volley for the last 10 YEARS
jwheelie12
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:47 PM
Comment #6I think keep him for this season and next season as a backup.
But in all honesty, Carroll is the future of this club, and Ameobi is not an ideal strike partner for him, and having both of them up their just encourages long balls.
I’d like to see Ranger getting more games, and maybe Hatem playing just behing Carroll when he gets fit again.
In the summer we need to buy a small/fast/creative forward. And we’ll have an excellent trio in Carroll, Ranger, and the new guy, with Shola as a squad player. Get rid of Lovenkrands aswell IMO
GeordieToon89
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:51 PM
Comment #7shola supposidly felt his hamstring tighening up towards the end yday.. the thing is with him is if he took chances and closed the ball down and ran the chanels like Best was doing he would be a good player cos when he sets his mind to it he can actually do it and he actually quite good feet just he needs to apply himself more, im actually quite looking forward to seeing Carroll and Best a think ther will work really really well together because Best is pretty quick for a big lad and will chase down Carrolls knock downs/ons and a think they could forge a very lethal partnership plus both only young.. 4 strikers a want at the club:
Carroll, Best, Ranger, Erding
then like Airey and whoever else is coming through the ranks.
Fraser Forster will be englands no’1 according to Steve Harper he says everyone at newcastle rate him extremely highly.
Also harper contemplating retireing end of next season to take up either a coaching or a refereeing career but wants to be fast tracked into the championship/premierleague
GeordieToon89
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:53 PM
Comment #8next season:
Forster
Santon-Taylor-Colo-Jose
Barton-Tiote-Nolan-Ben Arfa
Carroll-Erding
SUBS:
Harper, Kadar, Willo, Simpson, Ireland, Best, Jarvis
GeordieToon89
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:53 PM
Comment #9santon is probably unrealistic but i dont care
arfa chance
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Comment #10Brutoon so you didn’t see his volley THIS season against sunderland. Carroll hits the bar, shola scores acrobatic volley on the rebound. Shola is not fit period. But he makes himself available overtime. Andy Cole used to take 4 chances to score and shola is similar. When fit does well. I’m glad We have him.
arfa chance
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:01 PM
Comment #11Yes he doesn’t do as well as he cud but he fills the gaps. Imo got us a point vs the scum. His header that nolan put in. But very frustrating
Brutooon
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:04 PM
Comment #12We need to sign a new striker, doesnt matter now or summer window.
Ameobi’s volley against mackem was his only good effort in 10 years
arfa chance
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:07 PM
Comment #13Plastic all over
jaw4life
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:08 PM
Comment #14@ GeordieToon89
have we been linked with Erding?
geoff777
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:10 PM
Comment #15He just stopped playing yesterday.
He was just standing near the last defender.
He didn’t close down or make himself available.
Best looked much better than Ameobi.
Ameobi wastes so many chances …
I’m sure he’ll play for Nigeria and leave NUFC paying his wages and short of strikers.
He’ll probably come back injured too.
Guess it’s his right to play for his country … Nigeria?
Offkey
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:10 PM
Comment #16I wouldn’t mind seeing three at the ack as it might prove useful in certain matches e.g Manure away.
Harper
Saylor – Willo – Colo
Gosling Tiote Jose
Barton Nolan
HBA
Carroll
Offkey
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:11 PM
Comment #17back*
gorskino10
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:11 PM
Comment #18He would do fine in the Nigeria team as tbh they really needed a guy who doesnt score much and doesnt work run at all for the whole game to replace Yakubu in the team its a like for like replacement :p
Toonboy_84
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:12 PM
Comment #19Brutoon. Talking of volleys. Do you forget about Shola’s volley n the 5-1 scum win?
Toonboy_84
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:12 PM
Comment #20*in
toonfan09
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:14 PM
Comment #21why do people slag shola off yes he looks lazy and has a lot of off days but how many points has he rescued with a goal for us example the season we played sunderland and we got relegated how many times has he won games for us wigan this season 1 nill fact is he is decent and better than a lot of the other strikers in mid table and bottom half of the premier league… and i dont care if people slag me off for this cos its time we gave him a bit of respect
Toonboy_84
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:15 PM
Comment #22Hail king Shola!
ash1001
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:22 PM
Comment #23No, just hope the Nigerian FA only buy one way tickets
Brutooon
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:24 PM
Comment #24oxford dictionary replace “lazy” with “ameobi”
e.g. sunday is an ameobi day
connor_nufc
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:32 PM
Comment #25Shola is a tank
connor_nufc
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:33 PM
Comment #26Hes hardly lazy he wins every single harder dun more than best yesterday
connor_nufc
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:35 PM
Comment #27He won every single header*
IrishMagpie
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:38 PM
Comment #28He won a good bit in the air yesterday and was unlucky not to score but to say he did more than Best, we must have been watching different games.
Best looked pretty good again yesterday, some nice touches, plenty of running, very unlucky not to score. I’d have Best up front with Carroll ahead of Ameobi.
Toonmania
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:45 PM
Comment #29toonfan09,
Actually i think your spot on, Shola is not the greatest player in the world but his heart is Newcastle through and through and although we don’t think so sometimes i believe he gives everything he can to the team
Davies
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:54 PM
Comment #30Black and white through and through, inconsistent, injury prone, but he’s saved our bacon a fair few times and he’s Black and White through and through.
I, for one, wouldn’t be without him, and if he wants to play for Nigeria, give the lad a chance. For all the slagging off he gets from toon fans, I think he deserves his chance at international football. You’d want to have a go, wouldn’t you?
Davies
Jan 23, 2011 at 1:54 PM
Comment #31Not sure what happened with that first sentence.
Sav
Jan 23, 2011 at 2:38 PM
Comment #32Never known a local lad take so much stick or divide the fans so much.
Must say I reckon these last 2 seasons have been his best by far – since his ankle problem. The club have been loyal and given him a good livelihood. But every player should have the chance if selected to represent their country. But the fact that Nigeria play the African Cup in the middle of our season, probably on hard pitches, Shola should make a long hard decision if he wants to risk his Toon place for this. If so, he shouldn’t be surprised if the club decide to cash in their fragile asset in summer.
Edd Case
Jan 23, 2011 at 5:07 PM
Comment #33Should Shola Ameobi Have A Rethink About Playing For Newcastle?
That’s what I thought the title said, then I looked again and realised I was sadly mistaken.
Shola is very poor excuse for a Premier League striker. Look at his strike rate for a start.
He’s famous for being consistantly, inconsistant – which sums him up perfectly.
He cost us the game yesterday because he’s such a poor finisher. And I’m afraid, it’s not the first time.
I like Shola but for heavens sake, sell him and move on.
ash1001
Jan 23, 2011 at 8:33 PM
Comment #34Shola – Black and White through and through, so are most of the fans, but to see a 28year old who cannot get through a full 90 minutes on a football field, then at the same time see Collo storming up the field with 15 minutes to go in an attempt to score, and Giggies 9 years older getting through 90 minutes, while Shola bambi’s around says it all, sorry Shola you just aint got it
Argy
Jan 23, 2011 at 9:26 PM
Comment #35Watching the coverage the commentator summed it up perfectly, in two minutes ive seen more from Nile ranger than i have AMEOBI the whole game, i cant bear to watch this bloke, how on earth he gets a game in the EPL let alone League 1 is beyond me.
Argy
Jan 23, 2011 at 9:27 PM
Comment #36ps: his misses 2 yrs back we’re a major factor for us being relegated drop him now before history repeats.
cg
Jan 24, 2011 at 9:20 AM
Comment #37Shola did ok saturday but as many others already correctly pointed out, even on his good days he’s not fit enough for 90 minutes.
Therefor I can not understand waping the other striker out first everytime.