We expect Shane Ferguson to pick up his second full cap for Northern Ireland when they play Norway tomorrow night at Windsor Park in Belfast.
Shane Ferguson – Northern Ireland International
There was news created by Shane last October when then manager Nigel Worthington accused him of not wanting to play for Northern Ireland and about to switch his allegiance to Ireland, who are a much better side.
But since then Nigel has been sacked, and former Newcastle midfielder Michael O’Neill (1987-1989) has been appointed manager, and O’Neill has brought in a lot of youngsters into the squad, for his first game against Norway.
Shane talked about that storm in a tea-cup that seemed to have been orchestrated by Worthington:
“Everyone knows me, I am a quiet person too – a lot of the things said in the papers, they were not true. I am just looking forward to putting all of that behind me and just showing I want to play for Northern Ireland.
“I don’t want to switch – my future is with Northern Ireland.” “There are a lot of youngsters around the squad. I think Michael O’Neill will do a great job and he seems like a nice person.”
“I have spoken to him a few times on the phone and everything is going really well so far.” “I really want to be part of it – it is a great honor to represent your country and I would just like to play for them for as long as possible.”
“I would love to come on and show the Northern Ireland fans what I can do.”
Shane has been troubled by injury, but he is now back on the bench for Newcastle, and we could seem him come on for sub appearances over the last 12 games of the season.
And we think if Alan Pardew could even farm him out to a Championship club for the rest of the season, he may do that, but we doubt that will happen now – it’s getting a bit late for that.
Shane has one full cap for Northern Ireland, and it was a game in the summer of 2009 in Pisa against Italy, when Davide Santon was playing for Italy.
After the Norway game he will return to Newcastle for the derby game with Sunderland at St. James’ Park, which has a high noon kick-off time, and there’s no doubt our lads need a win in that game, but it will be tough.
This is what the 20 year-old had to say about the upcoming derby game:
“There is such a buzz about this game. Since I was a youngster it has always been highlighted.” “I never knew what it was about until I was 15 and I love it too. The atmosphere walking to the ground is amazing. I just cannot wait for it.”
“From the fans the message you get is ‘Just finish above Sunderland!’ or ‘just beat them!’ It is great, you cannot beat it!” “I feel like I am back in and around the squad again because at the start of the year the injury was just killing me.”
“The team was doing that well it was hard to get back in.”
We’d really like to see Shane get some playing time through the end of the season, because when he comes on he always gives a good account of himself, and he can be used at either left back or out on the left wing.
The youngster could even see some playing time on Sunday, in an important derby game for Newcastle.
Comments welcome.
29 comments so far
Indian Magpie
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Comment #1Since the comment was that good i thought why not post it again
PPL here keep on saying thet pardew will not get his tactics ryt everytime.
WTF,
its the same F***ing tactic everytime, 442, hoof the roundthing out of shape or till the full time whistle.
No one is asking for pardew’s head, however a little eveloution will only endear him
Indian Magpie
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:08 AM
Comment #2All the best Shane
gorgonzola
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:15 AM
Comment #3Indian
leave them be I feel its their duty to spit on critical fans that have a football brain to see things are not quite right…. notice I did not say perfect.
Things are pretty darn obvious for the like of you and Rotonda have been for a while.
the funny thing is we keep getting proven right with Pardews tactics and it drives them mad 🙂
planb's revenge
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:23 AM
Comment #4i agree we need a change of tactics. but some people have been calling for pardews head since our first loss. thts what i disagree with.
catchy in norway
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:24 AM
Comment #5i think there is now more of us seeing it for what it is than them how live league table land,
i dont think they understand that games are won by putting the net and the game is played on a field, im pretty sure they watch the match but with bob moncure doing the cometry
catchy in norway
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Comment #6catchy in norway // Feb 28, 2012 at 9:55 AM
davybtoon // Feb 28, 2012 at 9:33 AM
bollance // Feb 28, 2012 at 9:33 AM
we have changed a lot from the start of the season, and i dont believe saylor is the reason for that, yes i think he made our defense very strong, but that dont change the fact our midfield is getting worse no matter who plays in there and that has to be the way they are being asked to play,
yes davy look at the table, cos now we are in free fall, and its not just 1 result at wolves, this is now going back a lot of matches now, even if you take it from the brighton game to now, we have looked very poor in every game,
so again yes look at the table cos that 4th place is only gona get further away, hmmm didnt you say look at the table we are 1 point of 4th last week? haha, open your eyes and see it for what it is,
14catchy in norway // Feb 28, 2012 at 10:02 AM
bollance // Feb 28, 2012 at 9:38 AM
i have to disagree with your comment above, we have 5 players playing right now that would walk into most of the top 5 teams, we do have some good kids at the club to,
now im not saying we would do this , but fergie won the league with 5 kids in his team, all playing around good players, they grew as a team,
pardew insists on playing players that arnt premiership quality because he feels sorry for them and want to prove to ppl that they can play in the prem, but tell me how many teams in the prem would play perch shola simpson obertan willamson???? there has been a few games where all of those have been on the pitch at the same time
gorgonzola
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:27 AM
Comment #7planb
I think I cant blame them in all honesty even though its WAY premature for that…. I dont think he is a bad manager.
I do however think he behaves like he has his sak in a knott.
Like there are no players to lay in positions of Simmo, Jonas, Willo, etc.
its simply not true… Fergy could get a game, we are figured out we can experiment. Why not HBA behind Cisse Ba from the start? A decent frun for the lad, although I feel cause we are in the predicament we are in his train has left long ago so Pardew wich choke the game and his selection from now on making even more tight arsed.in my opinion.
He needs to mix it up at this point but he chooses not to, and its making lot of fans angry…
catchy in norway
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:27 AM
Comment #8planb’s revenge // Feb 28, 2012 at 10:23 AM
i never wanted his head, i didnt like that he played obertan as he is the poorest footballer iv seen at our club for a while, but as the season has moved on, i feel that pardew dosent seem to learn and makes the same mistakes that we can all see, now im not a manager of a prem team, but if i can see it, and others can see them why carnt he?
gorgonzola
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:29 AM
Comment #9” i feel that pardew dosent seem to learn and makes the same mistakes that we can all see, ”
that too of coarse….very true…
gorgonzola
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:31 AM
Comment #10There is another issue learning from mistakes is an issue in itself but in fact it goes the other way, games like Spurs…
Too many offensive players on the pitch?
Are you kidding me mate we have been negative the whole game if he started any more defensively we would be 8:0 down….
its like pure denial and he is lying to himself to ease the pain.
catchy in norway
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:31 AM
Comment #11gorgonzola // Feb 28, 2012 at 10:29 AM
i know that there is not a manager in the top 7 would keep making the same mistakes, i also know that they put the club before players, and pardew is putting players first, even though there simply not good enough
gorgonzola
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:32 AM
Comment #12Catchy
agreed….
catchy in norway
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Comment #13haha agreed , i laughed when i read that, 2 offensive 7 defensive, and obertan
i also like that he is saying after the wolves game that our passing wasnt up to our normal good stuff, , hmmmmmm passing, we dont play passing football
catchy in norway
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:35 AM
Comment #14you see when its like this, all the pro pardew fans have only one thing to reply, look at the table, pretty soon that option will be gone for them, then how will they defend him
gorgonzola
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Comment #15yeah the passing thing did my head in, its like eerrrmmm….
STOP LYING PARDEW!!!!….
its really really irritating. Ist like if he didn’t bother with comments like that I would have half the issue I have with him as we stand…its like lying and denial and its so low blow to us fans who can see clearly what is happening….
But the thing is I am scared now as to me he looks scared with what he plays and how he plays it….
I am dreading Scumland…
gorgonzola
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:37 AM
Comment #16“you see when its like this, all the pro pardew fans have only one thing to reply, look at the table, pretty soon that option will be gone for them, then how will they defend him”
they have gone quiet I dunno if you noticed already soon it will be what is your problem we are in 9th “THEY WHERE SAYIGN WE WOULD HAVE BEEN RELEGATED”….
get my drift?
gorgonzola
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:39 AM
Comment #17and tbf the fans JOB is to never be pleased complacency leads to poor game and results. Manure where complacent with their tight arse they are out of the CL in my opinion Ajax should have slaughtered them out of europe too. How they are so high in the PL is beyond me they are not playing anything special…..
etc etc…
jesperfuglsang
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:39 AM
Comment #18planb, I think most of us “labeled critics” of our tactics have been quite supportive of Pardew up till now.
We just get annoyed by being constantly sited as being negative and what we should be happy being 6th.
The happy go lucky people on this blog just don’t like to be proven wrong at times; even though for us it’s not about being right or wrong.
It’s about weak tactics and performances and the fact we have been found out long time ago.
…and it’s about Pardew’s stubbornness – he just won’t “kill his darling”!
gorgonzola
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Comment #19jasperfuglsang
amen
catchy in norway
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Comment #20i hate it too, he has lied since he got here, mostly trying to cover for those 2 above him, but now its about whats going on on the pitch,
i dont think he has all the players on his side,,
can you imagine that team right now , contracts are gona be based on results, now we all know the good players in the team, they are relying on players like obertan simpson perch shola and pardews tactics to help boos there wages, i know id be pissed if my work mates where letting me down, id be even more pissed if it was the manager,
i fear that game to, i can tell you know he will set the team out not to loose,
catchy in norway
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:43 AM
Comment #21jasperfuglsang
amen 🙂
gorgonzola
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:45 AM
Comment #22Catchy post 20
that is the LONG term worry and for hte club long term I think he should not manage us if we get to a good europe spot, IF we get there a big IF….
There are superb euro managers that can easily take us to the next level problem is Mike and Derek…..
catchy in norway
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:46 AM
Comment #23gorganzola
there are only 2 good teams in the league this year man c and spurs, man u are very poor by there normal high stds, and the rest are going through a change to
we wont have a chance like this again,
Indian Magpie
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Comment #24when i come to think of it, selection of Perch over Gosling really gets my blood boiling.
Assuming both Are fit of course, which i think they are as gosling has been playing for reserves regularly
catchy in norway
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Comment #25gorgonzola
i think that too 🙁
jesperfuglsang
Feb 28, 2012 at 10:58 AM
Comment #26I do hope the resent performances and lack of results have put some sort of pressure on Pardew.
He got his £ 9 mil. man in January and both Pardew and the happy go lucky bloggers thought everything would be alright ones the African boys were back home from the ACON and Cabaye had served his suspension.
Of cause they matter, but what does it all really matter if nothing fundamental in tactics, choice of formation, style of play or game changing subs doesn’t change?
Nothing!!!
We look like a rich man’s Stoke when I would rather be a poor man’s Arsenal 😉
planb's revenge
Feb 28, 2012 at 11:04 AM
Comment #27@catchy an gorgonzola
i see your points. and he does need to learn. players should never be guaranteed a game.
you two weren’t the kinds i was referring to in my post. hopefully pardew ups his game like he expects his players to. our season is far from ruined but we need to finish strong. starting with a thrashing of the mackems. win win win
andymac887
Feb 28, 2012 at 11:34 AM
Comment #28ad just love pardew just to play a way where we can take the game to ppl make team worry bout us instead of get a goal and sit bk shud try playin wit jonas dwn the right and hba on the left get are only two players that run with the ball
on there natural side where getting crosses in the box intead of cuttin inside all the time thts the whole point of playin 442
rich_toonfan
Feb 28, 2012 at 11:04 PM
Comment #29indian and catchy are the most deluded fans on here who have zero football knowledge…..i imagine you know the players better than pardew and that you could get the less talented squad players playing like xavi and iniesta? morons