It’s not surprising that Birmingham City are looking to improve their strike force in the Championship next season.
Leon Best – looked good for Magpies earlier this year
The club suffered their third relegation in just six seasons last month, when they suffered defeat in the last game of the season at Tottenham, and yet this same team will be representing England and in the Europa Cup next season.
They won the Carling Cup by surprisingly beating Arsenal in the final at Wembley, when Arsenal presented them with an open opportunity in the 90th minute, and former Newcastle striker Oba Martins swept the ball into an empty net.
However, Oba was injured for most of this year, and has now returned to Russian club FC Rubin Kazan.
Arsenal committed defensive mistakes far too much last season, and will need to improve their defense this summer, if they are to win more trophies soon.
Birmingham, scored less goals than other team in the Premier League last season, and need to strengthen their striker positions this summer if they are to quickly return to the PL.
So it’s not surprising they are targeting Newcastle’s Leon Best, who scored 6 goals in 12 appearances for the club earlier this year, and seemed to improve his game big time.
At the time, with Andy Carroll having left his home town club, Leon was the best of the remaining strikers, and it’s unlikely Newcastle boss Alan Pardew will let the former Coventry striker leave Tyneside this summer.
Pardew had started to get the best out of Leon (excuse the pun), whose career seemed over, before he started his very first game in the Premier League against West Ham in January, and scored a wonderful hat-trick in that 5-0 thrashing of the Hammers, who were also relegated last month in bottom place.
And the 6’1″ former Southampton striker went on to score some vital goals for the Newcastle side.
So we hope Leon is kept at Newcastle and given another chance to shine up front next season – in the Premier League.
Comments welcome.
46 comments so far
G
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:26 AM
Comment #1Leon got a hard time off our fans when he failed to score for us in the Championship. He paid us back this season when he took his chance, he has earned his right to another season in our colours in the Prem. He is still relatively young and has loads of room for improvement, and he deffo knows where the goal is. Besides, unless Brum offer silly money we would be stupid to part with him, and that aint gonna happen.
gorgonzola
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:26 AM
Comment #2Question why didn’t he play in the remaining few games… I mean he isn’t a regular…
Stuart
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:28 AM
Comment #3I can’t see him being sold. Best striker we currently have imo.
Give them Shola! haha.
I’d be happy with we had Best, 2 new strikers(one trophy, one raw talent) Loven and Airey next season.
Get Ranger loaned out, see if he can learn where the goal is in the championship.
WWJBD
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:28 AM
Comment #4They can just keep on wanting quite frankly
Stuart
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:28 AM
Comment #5gorgonzola, he was coming back from a pretty serious injury so there was no point riskig him.
Nufc_mo
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:32 AM
Comment #6Sigh… flat tire ruined my race..
gorgonzola
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:39 AM
Comment #7Stuart…
I see I wasn’t aware of his injury… all of a sudden I saw him disappear…
Stuart
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:42 AM
Comment #8Yeah, I think he made it onto the bench for the last match but didnt play.
I hope he can carry on his form from Jan/Feb time next season like!
Angryman the Angry fan
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:44 AM
Comment #9He palyed last match Stuart, came on towards the end……Didnt you got to the match?
Davies
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:44 AM
Comment #10Aye, he’s got goals in him. Just needs to stay fit and get regular starts. Still no closer to knowing who else will be banging them in for us next season.
Brutooon
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:45 AM
Comment #11Give them shola for free!
Win-win situation
We get rid of the lazy striker in football history
liam85
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:45 AM
Comment #12Give them Shola!
He could get the job done in the Championship. As much as I respect him as a player he’s no good for us. Never consistent enough to be a Newcastle striker
cheikmate
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:46 AM
Comment #13Funny really, 12 months ago we wud of been happy to let him go, but he was given a chance and proved most people including myself wrong. a think hes the best striker we have atm and hes definetly worth keeping he is still quite young and his best years or ahead of him
Stuart
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:47 AM
Comment #14I wish Angryman, I havent been able to afford to go to matches since I finished uni.
ilovetoon8788
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:55 AM
Comment #15No Best. But give them Shola. Bye.
ollietoon
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:57 AM
Comment #16Keep Best no question he can do a great job for us as second or third striker.
tsunami
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:02 AM
Comment #17Think Best is staying for now,at least until you hear Pardrews words of truth “He’s not for sale,He’s going nowhere” then it’s bye,bye.
Doctapaul
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:09 AM
Comment #18Every striker we have had a chance to prove themselves.
Bottom line, if we want to improve, in time, we need to replace them all.
I’d put Ranger and Airey out on loan for a season. And buy at least 2 strikers who are a class above that which we have.
roshan MAGPIE
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:10 AM
Comment #19i think best can be a good squad player better than lovenkrAnds and ameobi
gorgonzola
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:12 AM
Comment #20Doctapaul
I think its a absolute necessity…
Riska
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:15 AM
Comment #21Can we pay them to take ameobi?
geordieupontyne
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:18 AM
Comment #22our best striker at the current squad.wil be a mistake if he goes…btw anyone knows more about aaron spear???
Stuart
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:23 AM
Comment #23geordie, Spear has been released by the club, he never settled in the area and was really homesick.
He’s supposed to be joining fulham.
JP...from The Rock
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:31 AM
Comment #24Leon Best is going nowhere!!! I would happily give Birmingham Xisco, Smith and Perch!
Have you noticed Martins has been relegated with his 2 EPL clubs us and now Birmingham!
I am so glad we didn’t try to sign him back. Always missed sitters! Got lucky in the Final though lol
JP...from The Rock
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:32 AM
Comment #25Riska – Thanks I forgot about Strolla Ameobi, he can go too 🙂
Cardboy
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:33 AM
Comment #26Keep Leon Best, Shola(sub), Lovern(sub),Ranger(loan) and buy Sturridge and Nzog.
gorgonzola
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:33 AM
Comment #27Martins is superb what the hell you talking about.
supervil
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:35 AM
Comment #28Martin’s is not superb.
Are people really saying they’d prefer Lovenkrands over Shola? You’s must be wearing the same blinkers as Michael Owen…
gorgonzola
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:35 AM
Comment #29I think we should have bagged him back…. he is way way way way better than what we have … you have to be realistic too…
gorgonzola
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:38 AM
Comment #30Fitst of all he is gutsy, second got speed, thirdly superb shot…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6x0_7Go9AQ
To say he is not superb is one thing, but not to deserve a triker role amongst the likes of Shola and best is a bit of a joke
supervil
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:41 AM
Comment #31@Gorgonzola
Lest we forget he was one of the first to jump ship?
He’s a perennial crock, he’s about 40 years old (regardless what you think, he’s not 25 years old), he’s rash, he has no footballing brain and ultimately… he didn’t get into the Birmingham first team that got relegated.
No, I would not want Martins back. Yes, I would prefer to keep Shola and Best. Those two are loyal and work for the team.
supervil
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:42 AM
Comment #32Oh, and lets not use youtube videos of PAST performances to judge a player currently.
gorgonzola
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:42 AM
Comment #33Ow but why did Shearer then try to get him back if he was an utter idiot?
supervil
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:44 AM
Comment #34Because Shearer is an utter idiot?
Actually, when did Shearer try and get him back? Shearer got us relegated, Martins was there…?
JP...from The Rock
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:45 AM
Comment #35gorgonzola – Martins missed more sitters than anyone I can remember. He never used his explosive pace to good use. Always got caust offside and when he wasn’t offside his fisrt touch always let us down. He was great at Inter but still not prolific and never will be. He had a rocket in his boots but his shots were usually well over. A big shame as I had high hope for him and us. We should never consider Martins back even if he is better than what we ‘currenty’ have. We should go for Gervinho and if we get N’gobia back as well I wouldn’t be overjoyed but he is playing better and seems more mature.
———————Krul / Harper
Simpson / S.Taylor—Willo–Colo—Enrique / ??
Barton / Gutierrez —Tiote—Cabaye—-N’zgobia
———————Ben Arfa————————-
——————-Gervinho / Best——————-
gorgonzola
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:46 AM
Comment #36I would love to see the players NOT JUMP shit if for example Man Utd get relegated. Its all about money all these players are close to soulless if you ask me .. millions do the talking they have a career till what 30? to play now you tell a player stay here and usually his brain overpowers heart if he is a half decent human being… But thats how it goes dude…
unfortunately expecting these ppl to say after the ship has sunk is a bit too optimistic and dare I say it blind…
On the other hand look at Lille CL football and we are potentially taking a player away…
gorgonzola
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:48 AM
Comment #37“Because Shearer is an utter idiot?”
He is?
gorgonzola
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:49 AM
Comment #38if he was an utter idiot? was meant at Martins
JP...from The Rock
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:52 AM
Comment #39Shearer is A LEGEND!!!
supervil
Jun 3, 2011 at 11:52 AM
Comment #40Colocinni stayed, Nolan stayed, Jonas stayed, Enrique stayed, Barton stayed… I can go on if you want?
Martins didn’t. I mean, I don’t even understand your first paragraph…
But my point is this (and bear in mind that I loved him when he was here), he had far too many shots that didn’t convert, he brought not much to general team play, the guy above mentioned not using his pace correctly, he couldn’t dribble without losing it… I would despair if we got him back.