Newcastle have only three experienced first team strikers in Papiss Cisse, Shola Ameobi and Demba Ba, and 17 year-old Adam Campbell is out injured until the new year, and it now looks like Shola Ameobi will be away with Nigeria in the African Cup of Nations starting in January. Add to that the fact we have the possibility that Demba Ba could exercise the release clause in his contract and leave for another club in January and we have a severe striker shortage.
Nile Ranger – given yet another chance
So it’s all hands to the pump as far as our strikers are concerned, and in that light it’s not surprising that Alan Pardew has allowed 21 year-old Nile Ranger to start training again with the first team, because Nile may be needed in the next few months.
The young striker has had too many brushes with the police over the last 19 months, and he is habitually late for training, but on the other hand Newcastle are paying him a decent wage (£3K/week) on his five year contract, and if Newcastle can get some games out of him, so be it.
The former England U19 International has been given a great chance to resurrect his career, if only he will realize that, but we’ll soon see what happens in the next few weeks, and whether Nile makes it into any of the Newcastle first team squads.
For the record Nile has appeared 58 times for Newcastle with three goals, and he played 12 times for the England U19 side with one goal.
We hope he seizes this chance with both feet.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook and +1 us on Google+:
You can also reach Ed at admin@nufcblog.com
=============================================
15 comments so far
dmac
Nov 17, 2012 at 8:54 AM
Comment #1I dont ever want to see him in a newcastle shirt again. His attitude stinks.
toonarmydownsouth
Nov 17, 2012 at 8:56 AM
Comment #2Should never be allowed near the squad again
Blaydon-Toon
Nov 17, 2012 at 8:58 AM
Comment #3Morning people so what’s your gut feeling for today’s game with team/formation/result ?
Marty-Toon
Nov 17, 2012 at 8:59 AM
Comment #4Bags of talent,
AP probably was told by MA that anyone bein paid that sorta cash needs to be in the training squad.
Xisco should be ahead of him for a 1st team appearance though,he also has the talent.
Maybe just maybe one of them can come good!!
Nah,no cance 🙂
Londtoon
Nov 17, 2012 at 8:59 AM
Comment #5Never. Doesn’t deserve or warrant the right. We need to buy a striker
eaststandgeordie1982
Nov 17, 2012 at 9:02 AM
Comment #6Xisco has got his head down working hard so he deserves it before this plastic gangster.
Like last week im not confident this week swansea are a good footballing side and could rip us apart if we continue to play the way we have.
stevetoon85
Nov 17, 2012 at 9:04 AM
Comment #7Surley that is wrong Ed? No way has Nile Ranger played 58 times for Newcastle…..
IITianToon
Nov 17, 2012 at 9:05 AM
Comment #8It would be catastrophe if first Nolan and then Routledge score here 🙁
south coast toon
Nov 17, 2012 at 9:08 AM
Comment #9hes only young, deserves chances and we r still paying him ,get him to earn his money, besides he cant do worse,we need to have a good game plan today or we could be watching the ball ping around, start amebi instead of cisse at least he can hold the ball up, if we loosing at half time give gangster a set of numbchuckers and tell him his girlfriend is being kidnapped in the visitors dressing room lol
catchy in norway
Nov 17, 2012 at 9:14 AM
Comment #10i know this is just paper talk, but if it isnt its another master stoke by pardew
ranger isnt even playing for the reservs right now, xisco is and scoring so at least he is more of a match fitness shape
i very sad to say my mood on match days is now so low i only expect us to loose, and today he has his excuse book out prepairing for his after match confrence
it will go like this
if im honest we wasnt at our best today, but miss some key players, cabaye and tiote jonas are very big players for us,
having said that swansea are are good side,, hard to break down, keep the ball well, they took control of the midfield and we just couldnt get the ball back,,,
proove me wrong pardew,, please
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Nov 17, 2012 at 9:20 AM
Comment #11Xisco is going to be leaving in the summer and we won’t get a penny for him. Can’t see us devoting any time for him.
We will probably sign another striker in January.
I am a bit puzzled that Pardew would go back on his word regarding Ranger. Not a good sign 🙁
Marty-Toon
Nov 17, 2012 at 9:35 AM
Comment #12Blaydon,
Formation-AP talked yesterday about the way Swansea play and that we could be overrun in midfield so it’d sound like he might go with 5 in midfield .
But knowing him he’ll still go with 442
I’d like to see
…………..Krul……………………………………
Simmo…….Willo……..Tayls………..Santon………….
Anita……….Bigi……….Tiote…………Obertan/Fergie
.”…………………………Ben Afra…………………………..
……………………..BA…………………………………………
Why Anita?I don’t think Obertan ever does well on the right but maybe we could play Marveau on the right and change Anita for Bigi in the middle
Marty-Toon
Nov 17, 2012 at 9:39 AM
Comment #13Catchy,
I’d say you hit the nail on the heed there.
AP prove us wrong please ….some old broken record every week like
NEWEXPATMAGPIE
Nov 17, 2012 at 11:31 AM
Comment #14Catchy @ 10:
Looks like you have the same sort of dread to match days as i have developed in the last few months.
I actually looked forward to games this time last year.
That anticipation has slowly disappeared so far this year and turned into:
Ökay. who,s gonna get injured or banned this week”?
Saw this coming when the club failed to sign a defensive midfielder in the last window! Anita will take time to get used to this league, but has struggled to make an impact so far! Hopefully he.ll come good!
Add to this the possibility that Ba will leave in January and Cabaye too. We will be on a slippery slope downwards come February unless we can get back some confidence and start winning games instead of drawing them!
south coast toon
Nov 17, 2012 at 12:25 PM
Comment #15http://www.fifa.com/ballondor/puskasaward.
to vote for ben arfa