Gabby Obertan played in an unusual position him last Monday night at the Emirates.
Gabriel Obertan – Newcastle still looking to Europe
Obertan played in a five man midfield for Newcastle and Papiss Cisse was left on the bench, but it was surprising to us that Gabby was preferred to Danny Guthrie, who could have played that role too.
In any case the former Manchester United winger was pleased to get the start, and he must be impressing in training to get a starting role in the team, and his workrate was good on Monday night too.
Obertan has done some of the interview duties today, and he still says Newcastle are aiming for Europe:
“We still believe about Europe,” “We will try and make it. Monday was important to that but it is not over.” “We will try to get into the Europa League now because the top four looks unlikely.’ “We want to prove a point at home. We want five wins from five home games.”
“We have to attack Norwich and I hope to be able to play my part.” “We will just take every game as it comes and hopefully we’ll have Europe at the end of the season.”
“It was very disappointing to lose like that against Arsenal. To go one up was excellent and things seemed to be going to plan, but then to concede straight away put us onto the back foot again. That was frustrating.”
“We were a bit unlucky, I felt. To lose that in extra time or added time was very disappointing for us. We left a lot of energy and fight on the pitch so it was very disappointing.”
“We played quite well, but it is a sign of how well we have done that we are disappointed.’ “The gaffer was not angry with us, he said he had nothing bad to say about us or the game afterwards. There were some positives from this game.”
Obertan got his first start for a month last Monday night, but with Newcastle playing 4-4-2 on Sunday at home to Norwich, Gabby may find himself on the bench again.
We would expect the in-form Ben Arfa to start out on right wing in preference to Obertan in what will be an attacking side put out by Alan Pardew this Sunday.
All 10 games remaining are important, but it would be great if Newcastle can get back to their winning ways against Norwich, since we have now gone four games without a win.
A win would take Newcastle to 47 points, one point more than we achieved in all of last season, and we would still have 9 games remaining.
It would be very good to get 15 points out of our last five home games, and that’s not impossible.
Comments welcome.
29 comments so far
davybtoon
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:21 AM
Comment #1Getting a bit sick of ppl moaning about pardew bloody idiots we’ve been top 7 all season yet ppl r moaning its a joke, r bad form isn’t actually that bad wolves is the only game out the last 4 most thought we wud win
davybtoon
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:22 AM
Comment #2If we 18th playing pretty football the ppl on here crying out for it n moaning wud, wud moaning were doing it wrong ha
ilovetoon8788
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:27 AM
Comment #3Obertan oh Obertan.. definitely 1 of the candidates for the worst signing of the season.
davybtoon
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:35 AM
Comment #4You must all hate Jonas than do you because obertan plays at the same level Jonas does, he works just as hard, crosses jus as much, n he probably loses the ball less, yet ppl don’t wanna admit that with Jonas
spitfire_
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:39 AM
Comment #5We were unlucky? We was more than lucky to lose only with 1-2… Arsenal dominate the whole game. That creature should see the stats after the game and only yhen to speak about luck.
Lynxie
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:41 AM
Comment #6Davybtoon @ 4:
works just as hard?
crosses as much? loses the ball less?
Seriously man, you should have gone to specsavers. Step away from the glue…………
Megamind is the modern day Wayne Fereday, f**king hopeless.
davybtoon
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:41 AM
Comment #7Of course we were unlucky we defended mint if arsenal can’t put all there chances away that’s there problem
davybtoon
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Comment #8Lynxie it’s the truth but numptys don’t wanna see it bcoz obertan made this season scapegoat go look up the stats for this season bet obertan got more assists than jonas n bet he’s covered as much ground n he’s played less
cheick Norris
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:45 AM
Comment #9Davy i agree to a certain extent. we are playing poorly though. the thing is the “big clubs” are losing silly points so we’re not alone in dropping points.
what gets my goat is people saying “don’t be fooled by our league position”
they’ve been saying it since our second loss but we’re still up there months later. hmmm
Lynxie
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:51 AM
Comment #10Obertan want licence to thrill (Journal live this morning).
God almighty. Just an idea Gabby, but perhaps maybe breaking sweat, and actually making the defenders life difficlut, instead of running around like a retard who has loaded himself with a bumper breakfast of glue and magic mushrooms, would be a great start?
wynsleap
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:51 AM
Comment #11Lynxie – Believe me Obertan is different class to Fereday.
There used to be a saying at the Toon – “Would you like to be Wayne Feraday?”
The answer was usually “not even for a minute”.
Lynxie
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:54 AM
Comment #12davybtoon:
dont get me wrong, Jonas boils my wee, becasue of the positions he wastes ‘final product’ opportunities, but at least he puts in a shift and puts effort in with lots of aggression and many break up play tackles. Obertan is a coward pure and simple, he is lightweight and has no compulsion to take the game to the opponent. faced with a defender, he checks back immediately, pure cowardice. At least Jonas is direct and attacks full backs, albeit his crossing is woeful.
Lynxie
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:56 AM
Comment #13Wynsleap:
I remember someone once said to me that terry hibbit was a finely crafted and sculpted quill, capable of writing the finest sonnets. Wayne Fereday was a constantly broken superfast laser printer, capable of numerous spelling mistakes and big ugly blotches of spilled ink. Enough said.
davybtoon
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:58 AM
Comment #14Lynx So bcoz jonas takes his man N loses it with a crap cross that makes him better than obertan who may not take his man n keep the ball
Lynxie
Mar 15, 2012 at 9:59 AM
Comment #15I have to say like, as much as I am enjoying the unexpected thrill of potentially qualifying for Europes premier football competition (joke), that it is purely because of the poor quality of the league from 4th place down over. I can not recall a league with so many consistently inconsistent teams……… Normally we would be floundering in about 13th or 14th by now, with our run of results…
Lynxie
Mar 15, 2012 at 10:02 AM
Comment #16davybtoon:
Obertan keeps the ball by checking and playing it back to Simpson, who after two or three touches, gets it under contro, and ….oh no……. get back….. get Back! Shit, another goal.
Jonas grafts and helps out defensively, and provides a genuine threat, albeit a flawed one. I know which of the two I prefer to see in the team, but thats just me. If Sir Alex Fergie cant get anything out of Megamind, what makes you think that Pardew is going to?
geoff777
Mar 15, 2012 at 10:30 AM
Comment #17Never judge a player in his first season at the club.
Obertan has talent and tons of speed.
He hasn’t played many Premier league games.
Give him 50 starts and then judge him.
Go Gabby!!
HWTL
markmac
Mar 15, 2012 at 10:37 AM
Comment #18i remember when obertan signed i hadnt seen much of him so found a short video on youtube, was quite excited to see him taking on and beating players with both great pace and skill [almost ronaldo like] but he doesnt seem to be the same player at the moment but maybe he’s still lacking in confidence,
Toon Tang
Mar 15, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Comment #19obers head is astronomical . megamind ahah i wonder if he uses memory foam
Lynxie
Mar 15, 2012 at 10:53 AM
Comment #20geoff777:
AAAAAAARGH! 50 games? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
You can put a donkey in 50 Grand Nationals, but he will always be a donkey. The ‘play him till he comes good’ theory didnt work with Marcelino, Luque, Babayaro, Boumsong, Guivarche, Dave Beasant, John Robertson, christ the list is endless. Alex ferguson does not sell decent players unless it is for an offer he couldnt refuse. Picking up megamind for £3million was because of one reason………..
Lynxie
Mar 15, 2012 at 10:56 AM
Comment #21Geoff777: I would much rather waste 50 games on a youngster like Tavernier or Fergie, who might just improve with games, not this obvious ‘over-hyped-under-performing-enigma of a winger. Watch what happens when Marveaux is fit………. Obertan hasnt got a hope of a first team spot, becasue he isnt in the same league.
markmac
Mar 15, 2012 at 10:58 AM
Comment #22Will marveaux ever be able to stay fit tho thats the question
markmac
Mar 15, 2012 at 10:58 AM
Comment #23i hope so because he does look quality
wynsleap
Mar 15, 2012 at 11:11 AM
Comment #24Lynxie @ 13 Ah – Terry Hibbitt – now there WAS a player!
Can still picture him sending that pass over the heads to Supermac to score against Burnley in the FA Cup Semi-Final at Hillsborough in 1974. I was standing right behind that pass when he made it.
Irie-Magpie
Mar 15, 2012 at 11:30 AM
Comment #25ha ha, Lynie i can see you’re really riled up by this, and so you should. Ober has underperformed so far and bar his 1 PL goal he should be doing better, but i think as a hold our team plays too defensive and has a lot of us have said we’re being weighted, measured and found wanting since the Manu game and this has to change we only had like 4/5 shots on goal monday night.
Lynxie
Mar 15, 2012 at 11:31 AM
Comment #26wynsleap:
*tears of joy forming*
Aye, probably the best pass I have ever seen in my life.
the memory will never leave me. That and the second goal where Supermac used Colin Waldron as a havversack for 20 yards before slamming the ball in……
*going for a barclays now* # ha ha ha ha
Lynxie
Mar 15, 2012 at 11:37 AM
Comment #27Wyns leap:
tissues at the ready…. and not for tears LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QsM0cc8aEE&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL52548D4366DE1CF0
Lynxie
Mar 15, 2012 at 11:39 AM
Comment #28Outstanding. made my day watching that!
Lynxie
Mar 15, 2012 at 11:42 AM
Comment #29This one caused me all sorts of celebration related injuries…….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiU2O-hghgk