We are not the only ones that have noticed that Sylvain Marveaux has not made the 18 man squad for the last few games, and when he has played for Newcastle this season, he’s looked less than impressive.
Sylvain Marveaux – what’s happened to this player?
Sylvain had been dogged with injury for the last two years, but all that seemed to get cleared up, and fe was fully fit in pre-season for the first time in a long while, and it was hoped he would start to star for the Magpies.
But that hasn’t happened (so far), and he’s now almost a forgotten man on Tyneside, after he was signed to some fanfare in June of last year, when they whisked him away from Liverpool and signed him in the early hours of Saturday morning, 18th June, one day after we had signed Demba Ba.
The Frenchman hasn’t played for Newcastle for over a month now, and he has made three starts and four sub appearances this season
Alan Pardew had this to say in the local press today about Sylvain:
“Sylvain is not out of the equation.” “At any time he could be called upon.” “I have no fears or bones about putting him in.” “He is trying to earn his place.”
“Sammy Ameobi and Shane Ferguson have done well and they are both in his position.” “Gabby Obertan has also been doing well.” “There is nobody who isn’t available for selection.”
“I wouldn’t dismiss anybody.”
Sylvain signed a five-year deal last year, so his contract runs out in the summer of 2015, and we really hope he can regain his form and start playing well again for the Magpies.
The 26 year-old has loads of talent, and it’s his job, along with manager Alan Pardew – to find out how to get the very best out of those skills he possesses.
But there is an awful lot of competition on the wings these days at Newcastle, and Romain Amalfitano has also not been heard from for a while – although this is his first season at the club, and he will be given ample time to settle in by the manager.
We only have to remember Davide Santon last season, and how much the Italian youngster has improved since he first arrived from Inter Milan, after a slow start at the club.
There’s still plenty of time for both Frenchmen Marveaux and Amalfitano to do well at Newcastle, and we hope that’s exactly what happens.
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104 comments so far
archaeomag
Oct 31, 2012 at 11:30 AM
Comment #1@ED Glad you survived the super storm and were not carried off in a whirlwind . .
Ben3arfa
Oct 31, 2012 at 11:35 AM
Comment #2Too slow to be a winger .. too weak to play down the middle
Brutooon
Oct 31, 2012 at 11:39 AM
Comment #3I remember some fans did rate him higher than hatem ben arfa.
Injuries hinder his progress and i think thats the major reason liverfool refuse to sign him
jesperfuglsang
Oct 31, 2012 at 11:40 AM
Comment #4Ben3arfa…Marv is not a winger in the British sense of the word, but a wideman in the Continental sense of the word.
…you don’t necessarily need pace, but technique, flair and passing/goalscoring skills.
Modern football moved pass that a long time ago mate (pace is fine, but not that important anymore)
Sav
Oct 31, 2012 at 11:41 AM
Comment #5He has a history of inconsistency with injuries and false dawns. Talented player but that’s how we managed to get him here. Its a risk you take. In this case, it looks like it didn’t come off. Hope I’m wrong. His chance will go to Sammy and Shane Ferguson.
jayphoto
Oct 31, 2012 at 11:42 AM
Comment #6Lost about 5 yards of pace since he was at Rennes! Most likely through injury! His technique, vision etc are top class though! Think Marveaux being a success depends on the players and system around him! Think we’d see some unbelievable passing football if we lined up in midfield as marv, cabs, Anita and HBA! Unfortunately pards likes his wingers to be fast and to bomb on and get to the byline whipping crosses in, Marveaux was suited to this 3 seasons ago but hes a very different player now!
Conaldo (The Wizard)
Oct 31, 2012 at 11:51 AM
Comment #7From what I have seen on marveaux, he’s a very good player, however, at the moment I would probably pick sammy and fergie over him. Would be great to see him push through though.
Big Pappa Cissé
Oct 31, 2012 at 12:09 PM
Comment #8Does he deserve any less of a shot than Obertan ? . Oh yea I forgot, Pardew splashed 5 million out for Gabby whereas we got Marveaux on a free, interesting
spitfire_
Oct 31, 2012 at 12:11 PM
Comment #9I think that there’s something personal here. You can’t put Obertan to play in every Europa League game and to be on the bench for PL games but Marveaux to not be even on the bench on thursday nights. And why Pardew didn’t gave him a chance? Why Obertan’s got in the begining of last year but Marveaux don’t. Why sub Marveaux against Everton in the half time after the whole team was pure sh!te… and the 3 days after in the visit of Maritimo, Marveaux played in the last 20 minutes… I can’t tell which can play and which don’t especially if the player are using like Marveaux… from time to time for the last 10 mins… in best case and and without visible support manager.
I’m start thinking that Marveaux’s transfer isn’t made by Pardew… if anyone remember how he came to Newcastle… early in the morning and “the greatest journo on the Earth” Lee what was his last name didn’t realized what had happened until he saw Marveaux picture on the club website.
jesperfuglsang
Oct 31, 2012 at 12:15 PM
Comment #10I would love for Marv to make it here, but truth to be told beside the pre-season what I have seen from him haven’t been great.
…should he have had a few more chances like Obertan, maybe, but he need to grab his chance when he gets it (look at young Fergy and Sammy). Maybe Marv’s attitude is to blame; maybe he is not delivering in training?
…besides that, I don’t think he fits into our current 4-4-2. And I don’t think that is going to change. Maybe he will get a chance in EL 😉
jesperfuglsang
Oct 31, 2012 at 12:17 PM
Comment #11…ohh and Obertan cost around £3M not £5M 🙂
Big Pappa Cissé
Oct 31, 2012 at 12:22 PM
Comment #12@ Jesper
Close enough 🙂 . But I guarentee Obertan gets the nod because he is one of Pardews personal recomendation’s and wants him to come good which to me seems very unfair. Who knows, maybe if Marv had the playing time Gabby has he could be firing on all cylinders right now but we will never know if he doesn’t get a chance FFS
jesperfuglsang
Oct 31, 2012 at 12:35 PM
Comment #13BPC…I am no big fan of Obertan I think it have taken far too long to show some sign of progress (still think we have along way to go on him).
I don’t know what happen to Marv or Abeid for that matter. The only think I know is this: Marv haven’t delivered when called upon and Marv doesn’t fit into our 4-4-2 (but that shouldn’t be a problem cause neither does Benny and Cabs and they are playing :))
jayphoto
Oct 31, 2012 at 12:37 PM
Comment #14Pretty sure quite a few people how commented on Obertan being a fantastic trainer, hard working and regularly being the best performer in training! That’s probably why hes ahead of marveaux
toonLYF
Oct 31, 2012 at 12:46 PM
Comment #15it’s a shame he was injured last season as i think we would’ve really kickstarted his career at Newcastle if he had a run of games playing in our 4-3-3 when were at full flow.
Flowing movement, one touch passing to the 18 yard box and then breaking in with a burst of pace (which he still has) – it’s his game. If he was playing against WBA away last season we would’ve seen the best of Marveaux i think.
Would be silly to rule him out just yet.
santonthenewmaldini
Oct 31, 2012 at 12:55 PM
Comment #16Think the thing with Marveux as shown against Everton is that he does not get stuck in Baines and Pienar were given the freedom of that side as he would not track back or put a tackle in sometimes you have to get stuck in the premiership
Hate that saying “Its not his game” when fans talking about foreign players having to track back etc look at Barcelona every one of their players are flair players and they work so hard to get the ball back and also have skills when they have it so why should we not expect to have our flair players get stuck in??
toonLYF
Oct 31, 2012 at 12:59 PM
Comment #17santonthenewmaldini…
fair point that – and a good example of it is Hatem Ben Arfa, his defensive workrate has improved massive amounts, and importantly, his attacking workrate has not suffered. He’s been our best player this season, nobody can argue against that, and this improvement in his overall game is the reason for that.
Hopefully Marveaux can follow suit.
Rotonda heights
Oct 31, 2012 at 1:09 PM
Comment #18we have great players, but they are continental players used to a continental system which pardew won’t employ, so good ball players look like they’re struggling in a turgid 442.
It drives you crazy because as jayphoto says a pass and move midfield of Anita, Cabs, marveaux and benny would be awesome
cyprus
Oct 31, 2012 at 1:30 PM
Comment #19Every cloud… Ba didn’t like to come off, now Cisse will get a real chance to be main man. All fine, unless the lad is seriously injured. btw, don’t want to jinx him, but for a guy with a dodgy knee he rarely gets injured. Take note Tayls!
cyprus
Oct 31, 2012 at 1:38 PM
Comment #20Rotonda, on paper it would be awesome, but we tried something like that vs everton and we were horribly outplayed. Marveaux had probably the worst game of his life (hence substituted), Anita was way too ‘lightweight’, Cabs was ‘tired’ and HBA had to try and take on entire teams with expected results. I think, it is our MF (not defence or attack as others believe) which is still underperforming. Players rarely have two passing options around them, and attacks don’t involve all players. AP tried to bring the group closer by playing a high line with disastrous results, even making a reasonably fast Colo exposed to superfast counters. What’s the solution? Hell if I know, that’s why I gave AP an 8 year contract!
martoon
Oct 31, 2012 at 1:47 PM
Comment #21We don’t know what goes on behind the scenes and also Pardew sees the players in training. It’s maybe that Marveaux just isn’t doing the business at the moment or maybe he has had a fallout with Pardew – I vaguely remember him going AWOL when we suffered an injury in the warm up. However he is still getting used to Premiership football, settling in a new country and overcoming a serious injury – he may come good yet.
fray bentos
Oct 31, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Comment #22The thing about playing a very continental Barca esque passing system is that you need a full team of intelligent technicallly gifted players, not just the midfield. For startes as good as they are, i don’t think our strikers are that types of player, and our defence apart from Colo and maybe Santon isn’t that either
WWYCD
Oct 31, 2012 at 1:57 PM
Comment #23Odd one Marv is talented player (or used to be at least) shown glimpses of that in his NUFC career but has never been fit for long enough yet. He’s coming back from a bad injury (one that’s been there since before we signed him)
Hopefully will work hard and get back to his best, like HBA, but rumors of attitude and training levels have persisted plus Fergy/Sammy coming through and Obertan looking good in Europa he’s going to find his chances limited…not sure he will be able to cement a place in the starting 11
cyprus
Oct 31, 2012 at 1:59 PM
Comment #24Fray, you are right. But then again, even the blueprint for all, Barca, don’t have that amazing ball playing defenders at back when you think about it. It’s those hellish three- four (u know them), plus the forwards as they don’t have a real ‘CF’. Granted, we can’t do what they do, yet 🙂
But still, we have two of the top 5 dribblers in the league, and there’s one NUFC player who’s even higher ranked than HBA. Simply amazing!! See for yourself:
http://www.newcastleunited.us/2012/10/what-santon-can-learn-from-obertans-outing-223.html
cyprus
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:03 PM
Comment #25WWYCD,
Shame about Marveaux, touted as a ‘brand new signing’ this year, but… anyway, maybe he needs more chances. The Everton game was a stinker but how many of those did the other guy (you know who) have?
WWYCD
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:08 PM
Comment #26Cyprus
I hope so but only problem is we have a lot of options on the wings and unless he works he backside off to push them he could struggle to get ahead of them and am not sure he has the drive
Transfer Sage
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:24 PM
Comment #27Rotonda
Yeh I agree we need more of a passing build up. Not as much as say Swansea and Liverpool who pass and go nowhere but pass and move at pace like arsenal a few years ago with fabregas, nasri, song etc or Chelsea now.
I still think that until the whole team are comfortable playing this way it is a difficult task for pardew. With the exception of two our defence and keepers seem to always look long first.
Also cabs, benny, tiote, Jonas and others seem to not pass and move as well as they can, they seem a bit static after the pass the ball and the man with the ball has very few options a lot of the time
fray bentos
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:29 PM
Comment #28@:cyprus
Pique, Alves and the left back for Barca are all very good ball players with intelligence and technique, as is Busquets. We don’t compare with this unfortunately.
Ian Toon
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:30 PM
Comment #29Jesper- Having seen Marv play really well pre season he looked a certain starter. At a loss why he’s so out of favour but he’s a quality player and could well make an impact before too long.
Hate to disagree with your old teacher but ” Murder your darlings” (it loses something in translation I guess ) I was taught was first coined by Scott Fizgerald of Great Gatsby fame etc. As my grandfather used to say your not as dumb as you look you provide a literature as well as a football lesson.
Ian Toon
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:32 PM
Comment #30Jesper @3 -10.46am
As above
fray bentos
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:34 PM
Comment #31@transfer sage
Agreed on the lack of movement, last few games i watched there definatley seems to be a lack of this by the midfielders you would expect it from, Ben Arfa, Cabs and so on
Ketsbaia9
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:41 PM
Comment #32Marveaux is one of the fastest in the team. Can’t understand the people that think he’s slow. He could be utilised in an attacking midfield role.
He’s still young and is probably the most composed player in the squad in terms of technical ability and keeping possession.
Marveaux and Abeid should’ve been playing instead of Gosling and Gutierrez/Obertan.
danuneek
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:44 PM
Comment #33This is definitely the type of game to use 4-2-3-1 especially as we don’t have to accommodate Ba and Cisse. Strolla is good for the last 20 minutes, but for me he hasn’t all of a sudden become a great player. He’s average at best!
We need Cabaye in a role where all he needs to think about is creating chances. And we also need to give Ben Arfa license to wander. I see him closing that gap between Cisse and Cabaye, playing more as a withdrawn striker.
Liverpool will use a 5 man midfield, so if we set up with 2 in the middle we’ve lost.
I would also start with Ferguson on the left of the 3 as his delivery would compliment Santon’s runs. Also he’s guaranteed to supply at least one cross that would result in a goal chance.
With two holding players, and Ferguson hugging the touchline, Cisse, Cabaye and Ben Arfa can concentrate more on attacking.
————————Krul————————-
Simpson——-Saylor——Colo———Santon
————–Bigi—————Jonas————-
Ben Arfa———–Cabaye————Ferguson
———————–Cisse————————-
fray bentos
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:45 PM
Comment #34kets your like a broken record with this Abeid thing
You don’t know how good he is so its really pointless mate
And have you forgot that Marveaux has been really poor this season when he has played, i think everyone agrees with that, did you even watch him?
santonthenewmaldini
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:50 PM
Comment #35Remember reading an interview with Xavi ages ago and he said the thing they worked on most in training was winning the ball back that there was a set way they would go back to try win it whereas sometimes you watch us and we go all out of position and run around like headless chickens!!
I think its a good thing that we have no Europe this week as i think Pardew will watch that West Brom game and realise something has too change i think he will have a plan to beat Liverpool as the last game where we had a free week we came out the blocks and would have comfortably beat Sunderland had Tiote not been sent off
I think Sterling is good but because he is English the hype around him is unbelievable honestly dont think he is better than Ferguson or Sammy but Liverpool are playing him all the time as they have no other options!!Santon will have him in his back pocket this weekend and i think Arfa will give Enrique or Glen Johnson problems it will probably end up a high scoring game lets just hope we score some of the goals!!!
Ketsbaia9
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:50 PM
Comment #36We need another Laurent Robert, but it’s very rare that they’ll be another player like him. His shooting, dribbling and massive ability was sensational.
Souness ruined us. We went downhill after we sold Bellamy and Robert.
Transfer Sage
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:51 PM
Comment #37Fray bentos
I kind of know what kets means but I think he is over the top.
In pre season we saw a lot of marvoux, amalfitano and abeid and they all looked good.
I would definitely like to see them ahead of gosling in Europe.
I’m sure pardew has his reason, maybe they don’t give enough in training or have poor attitudes but something must be holdin them back as they looked good when I have seen them…well apart from marvoux but Everton was a tough game for everyone
santonthenewmaldini
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:52 PM
Comment #38@Dauneek
That is exactly the team i would want us to play this weekend just have Simmo at the back not really making forward runs but let Cabaye and Arfa off the leash!
Ketsbaia9
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:53 PM
Comment #39I’ve seen Abeid on numerous occasions and he’s looked 10 times better than Gosling, Vuckic etc.
I agree that Marveaux hasn’t been his usual self, but he is a player that has international calibre.
Transfer Sage
Oct 31, 2012 at 2:54 PM
Comment #40Santon….
I genuinely think that we have a plan to win the ball.
We stand off then press hard when they in our third. I think we should press higher as if you pinch it off their back 4 or midfield you can maybe exploit space an attack. Winnin it in our 3rd means its a long way to their goal